Coming into the 2019 MLB season, the Milwaukee Brewers faced the same problem that plagued them throughout the 2018 season, where they fell one game short of making the World Series: starting pitching. Last year’s breakthrough ace starter was Jhoulys Chacin, but his 2019 season has been anything but awesome.
Making his first career All-Star Game appearance, Brandon Woodruff has taken up the role of being the team’s ace this season, but that all came to a screeching halt when he injured himself and was removed in the fourth inning of this past Sunday’s victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks in the desert.
Having been diagnosed with a left oblique strain, Woodruff’s most optimistic outlook has him out for six weeks, provided he heals correctly and his rehab appearances all go smoothly. This six-week time frame allows for Woodruff to return in the first week of September, which would act like a late-season trade when he comes back, although integrating him back into the starting rotation is going to be tough, especially with that little time left in the year.
If Woody were to be back in the majors sometime during the first week of September, that would give him around three weeks to get back into playing shape and get himself conditioned to hopefully help the Brewers make it back to the playoffs.
With the injury to Brandon Woodruff, filling his spot is going to be tough, although manager Craig Counsell did say that due to scheduling they should be able to skip his turn a few times, helping make up for the hole that currently is in his spot.
The importance of being able to go out and get a starting pitcher is now even more important; while it was super important when Woodruff was healthy, with the team lacking a true top-flight option, general manager David Stearns and his front office really needs to get out there and make a deal.
The other bad part about this now is that teams will understand that the Brewers are in desperate need of another starter, and therefore the price will be driven up due to an increased need. Someone like Mike Minor from the Texas Rangers, Robbie Ray from the Diamondbacks or Jon Gray from the Colorado Rockies would all be solid options that could become the staff’s ace but currently are not on their respective teams.
Ray would most likely cost the most out of those three, as the left-handed starter is the best pitcher out of that three-pitcher grouping. Having been an All-Star as recent as 2017, Ray is a solid option that would require one prospect that currently is in the Brewers’ top 10 prospect list, someone like a Mauricio Dubon or an Aaron Ashby.
If the Rangers decide to sell, which is looking very likely due to them falling out of the Wild Card race and already being out of the American League West divisional race, then Minor would represent a controllable option, having one more year left on his deal after 2019. Another lefty, Minor has been dealing pretty well down in Texas and would be a nice addition for a lower cost than Ray.
To acquire Gray from the struggling Rockies, a similar prospect package that it would take to get Minor would probably be enough to acquire Gray, who has two more seasons left of arbitration eligibility before becoming a free agent. Controllable for another two seasons at a low cost may drive up the price, as reports say that the current going rate for any players on the trade market is super high and causing the deadline to be quiet at the moment, so Gray may be a bit too pricey for this team in the end.
Regardless, if the Brewers want to contend and want to remain in the thick of it in the divisional race as well as hold onto that second Wild Card spot that they currently have, then they need to go out and be a buyer on the market, which is not something commonly done by this team.
Being proactive is not something that the front office for the Brewers has always been, but Stearns has a great handle of the team and knows what kinds of moves it will take to make this team into more of a polished franchise as the playoffs quickly approach.
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