Report: Giants, Brewers have had preliminary talks about Braun
With Hunter Pence out indefinitely with a hamstring strain, the San Francisco Giants have reportedly targeted a former MVP as a potential replacement for their beloved right fielder.
Said to be "looking everywhere" for outfield help, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, the Giants have had preliminary talks with the Milwaukee Brewers about Ryan Braun, the six-time All-Star hitting .316/.378/.541 (144 OPS+) with 11 homers and five stolen bases in 52 games this year. Though Braun has limited no-trade protection, the Giants are one of six teams he can be traded to without his permission, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.
Nothing is imminent, Nightengale notes, but Braun would be a massive upgrade for the Giants, who boast a five-game lead atop the National League West but have received a combined minus-0.1 WAR from Jarrett Parker and Gregor Blanco in right field in Pence's absence. Braun moved back to left field this year to accommodate Domingo Santana, but the 32-year-old started 251 games in right over the previous two seasons.
While Braun has expressed his desire to remain with Milwaukee through their rebuild, the Brewers have jettisoned more than few veterans from their roster over the last 13 months - among them Carlos Gomez, Khris Davis, and Jean Segura - and Braun, with four years and $80 million left on his contract after 2016, could be next.
"For me, it would be more meaningful to help get us back to the place where we want to be as an organization and win again here than it would anywhere else," Braun recently told ESPN's Jerry Crasnick. "I feel like we're heading in a direction where we have a wave of impact players coming, so it would be a lot of fun for me to be a part of that."
If the Brewers do decide to move Braun, he won't come cheap. Since debuting with Milwaukee in 2007, Braun ranks 16th in the big leagues in WAR (36.4), and the California native boasts an .872 OPS (134 OPS+) in 192 games since his injury-riddled 2014 campaign.
"I've seen every Ryan Braun season," Brewers manager Craig Counsell said, "and this is as good as any of them."