The Milwaukee Brewers are 4.5 games up on the defending World Series champions, the Chicago Cubs, and are rumored to be looking into making a move for a starting pitcher. Joe Morosi of MLB.com writes that the Brewers have been interested in Jose Quintana and Sonny Gray.
What the Brewers have to offer
The Brewers have one of the best farm systems in the MLB after they went into rebuild mode. The team has multiple players ranked in MLB.com's Top 100 prospects. The Brewers have outfielder Lewis Brinson (No. 13), outfielder Corey Ray (No. 21), left-handed pitcher Josh Hader (No.
31), right-handed pitcher Luis Ortiz (No. 51), and second baseman and shortstop Isan Diaz (No. 54).
The case for Gray
In 78.2 innings pitched, Gray has a 4.00 earned-run average. He has pitched extremely well in his last three starts by allowing just four earned runs. The stretch lowered his earned-run average from 4.84. Steve Adams of MLB Trade Rumors wrote that he saw Gray as a potential fit for the Brewers given their status as contenders this season.
Gray's numbers are not eye-popping, but he still has two more years of control. He is only making $3.575 million this season, which is perfect for the low payroll of the Brewers. The Athletics need pitching, so the Brewers could throw Hader or Ortiz on the table with a couple of other non-high profile prospects.
The case for Quintana
Quintana has pitched to a 4.45 earned-run average in 99.0 innings of work. He has also pitched well lately. He has allowed two or fewer earned runs in four of his last six starts. Quintana is owed about $8 million in salary for the next two seasons, and has team options for 2019 and 2020 for around $10 million, making him a very attractive player to trade.
Quintana will cost more than Gray. The Brewers would likely have to give up Brinson and a pitcher like Hader or Ortiz to make this trade happen. Morosi has said on ESPN 1000 that Quintana will likely cost a similar package to what Chris Sale cost the Red Sox.
Plus, the White Sox are in need of a little bit of everything. They are going into rebuild mode.
Melky Cabrera is coming off the books this offseason. There have been rumors that Avisail Garcia could be on the trade block due to his All-Star season. Then, if the White Sox trade Quintana, they won't have a legitimate ace on the staff anymore. Given how team friendly Quintana's contract is, it will cost the Brewers two of their top prospects.
