2. Listen on Younger, Arbitration Eligible Players
Beyond the obvious trade candidates of Lind, Lucroy, Rodriguez, Braun, and Garza, there are a few other younger names that the Brewers could entertain in trade talks. The two most obvious possibilities are Khris Davis or Jean Segura. Davis had a bit of a breakout season in 2015, and his value is the highest it has ever been. At 27, Davis is a bit of a late bloomer for the Brewers but he has shown a great all around game, including a very strong power bat. Davis is not a free agent until 2020, which makes his value high not only for the Brewers, who should be able to contend by then, but also for any team who would be interested in acquiring a young, arbitration eligible player such as Davis. As it stands, Davis seems to only be getting better and better, which makes him only more expensive for the Brewers in arbitration but it also makes his value higher and higher. The Brewers could see some positive in cashing in on Davis now while his value is so high. However, this seems like a bit of an unlikely proposition, despite the Brewers outfield depth acquired from trades last season, due to his four years left of team control.
The more likely option for an arbitration eligible player being traded is Jean Segura. This would be kind of the opposite scenario of Davis; a player being traded after a down year rather than a strong year. Segura had a poor season in 2015 and, despite being under team control for three more seasons, Segura has some competition for the starting shortstop position in the immediate and long term. Orlando Arcia is one of the top prospects in all of baseball and will most likely begin the year in Triple-A. The Brewers also have Luis Sardinas, who got some Major League playing time last season, and plays both shortstop and second base. While Segura likely still has the starting job this season, or at least a part of the season, there is no guarantee beyond this year. While the Brewers don’t need to force their hand with Segura, they should definitely at least listen and take offers on a potential trade of Segura.
Leave a Reply