Dream offseason: Can the Brewers land Darvish, Yelich, Archer?
Will anyone step up to save us from this dreadful, slow-as-molasses, torturous offseason? To date, Carlos Santana's three-year, $60-million deal with the Philadelphia Phillies has been the hottest free-agent story. Everything else has been conjecture, rumor, and rampant speculation.
If it weren't for the New York Yankees acquiring Giancarlo Stanton, and the St. Louis Cardinals nabbing Marcell Ozuna - both from the Miami Marlins - this winter would be a total bust.
Cue the Milwaukee Brewers as a dark-horse candidate to set the baseball world ablaze. The Brewers finished a single game out of the playoffs in 2017, capping off a surprise campaign wherein Jimmy Nelson ascended to ace status and Travis Shaw thumbed his nose at the Boston Red Sox, turning into a legitimate slugging third baseman.
The Brewers have been linked to free-agent starting pitcher Yu Darvish, and have submitted an offer to acquire disgruntled outfielder Christian Yelich from the already pillaged Marlins. Landing either would be huge. Landing both would be a statement. Adding a pursuit of Tampa Bay Rays ace Chris Archer would be a declaration of war on the rest of the National League with eyes set firmly on the World Series.
With tongue planted firmly in cheek, here's how the deals could theoretically look:
Coming for Yu
If the Brewers don't sign Darvish then the Chicago Cubs will. Then, not only would they have missed out on the best pitcher available in free agency, but they would have to face him multiple times this season as a new division rival.
So pay him! The Brewers, historically a small-market club, have one of the lowest payrolls in the majors, with Ryan Braun slated to be the only player to earn more than $10 million in 2018. As it stands, Milwaukee's 25-man roster is getting paid just north of $61 million. From 2008 through 2015, the lowest it's been on Opening Day was $80 million.
Back a dump truck full of money to his home and get him to sign on the dotted line. It not only throws a wrench into the Cubs' plans, but it helps keep the rotation afloat while waiting for Nelson to return from shoulder surgery. As shaky as Darvish seemed in the postseason with the Los Angeles Dodgers, he boasts a career ERA of 3.42 with 11.04 strikeouts per nine innings over parts of five seasons. He's the real deal.
Swap youth for Yelich
The Brewers don't get Yelich without sending top prospect Lewis Brinson to South Florida. The impulse to cling to prospect potential with a death grip may be high, but if a team can get a sure thing then it's worth the risk.
Brinson alone won't get a deal done no matter how alluring his combination of speed and contact may be. With the Marlins a lifetime away from realistic contention following the merciless gutting of their major-league roster, it might be best to dangle players who are a few years away from being ready. This could be infielders Keston Hiura or Isan Diaz plus right-handed pitchers Trey Supak or 19-year-old Caden Lemons. There isn't a lot of certainty, but they're complementary lottery tickets that could sweeten the pot.
The Brewers could strengthen their chances by offering to take on Starlin Castro's contract as well. He can play either middle-infield position, and will be insurance in case Jonathan Villar struggles again or Orlando Arcia stumbles in his sophomore campaign.
Put a bow on Archer
This is the trickiest proposition. The Brewers will almost certainly want to deal outfielder Domingo Santana to help make room for Yelich, so he's probably where this deal starts. The Rays are far more likely to be opening a contention window in the near future than the Marlins, so the pieces coming their way will need to bordering on big-league readiness.
One of - or both - Brandon Woodruff and Corbin Burnes will help fill Archer's void. They're right-handed arms, and Woodruff has already had a taste of the majors. Additionally, any leftover names (Hiura, especially) from any Yelich trade will likely migrate here.
These two pipe-dream trades would gut Milwaukee's farm system, but it would help stabilize a roster in need of an extra punch to challenge the status quo in the National League. The Brewers have only made the postseason twice in the last 35 seasons, reaching the National League Championship Series once in 2011.
Where 2017 offered a surprise glimpse into contention, it's time the Brewers stopped sitting back and made a push. Even if the Archer trade is a crazy stretch, Darvish and Yelich are both within their grasp. Get it done. Save the team from continued embarrassment and save baseball fans from this horrible offseason.
(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)