Brewers Shopping Star Players

By: Stephen Patterson

The Milwaukee Brewers are willing to trade Prince Fielder, Corey Hart, and Rickie Weeks for the right offers, fearing they won't be able to keep the players when they hit free agency. The team will likely be sold in the near future and are attempting to gut the payroll for the new owners, something that has become common when a team changes ownership.

Fielder is one of the best young power hitters in baseball. At 26, he has already hit 179 career home runs. Any team looking to add offense for a second half run or potential playoff race would definitely benefit from having him in the line-up. On the season, Fielder has already blasted 19 home runs and has racked up 38 RBI. The only problem with making a deal for Fielder is when his contract runs up, it's likely he won't re-sign with anyone until he tests the free agent market. The Brewers approached the Los Angeles Angels in an attempt to move Fielder, but they weren't interested enough to make the deal.

Corey Hart has probably drawn the most interest of the players available. The only problem for Milwaukee will be finding a trade of near equal value, as most offers have been considered weak because teams are skeptical of Hart's performace. His OPS has declined each of the past two seasons but has leaped up to .911 this season. Hart also has hit 20 home runs and knocked in 63 RBI for the season. The San Francisco Giants have been the team with the most interest, but they are refusing to part with any major league pitchers, which is the main area the Brewers need to improve.

Weeks is another player the team will possibly struggle moving in a good offer because of skeptism about his perfomance this year. He was declining until last season, but even then was limited to only 37 games due to injury. If a team needs a second baseman with a powerful bat, however, they may be willing to make a decent offer. Weeks is only one home run shy of his career high (16) with barely half a season played thus far. The Giants, Red Sox, Phillies, Padres, and White Sox all could have interest in acquiring Weeks before the trade deadline.

The Brewers have always been a team that is scared to spend money because of their market size, and have often complained about teams such as the Yankees spending money so carelessly. In my opinion, if you're going to own a sports franchise, don't worry more about your wallet than your fans. If you don't have the money to bring solid players to your team, or even keep your own All-Stars, then sell your franchise to someone who can. Teams like the Brewers and Pirates are worse for baseball than the teams that go out and spend huge amounts of money and produce. While the Brewers have had some success over the past few seasons, they have largely squandered their opportunities by dealing away key players. Hopefully whoever purchases the team will have the money to bring Milwaukee a quality team on a yearly basis.