The Brewers and Giants have been in talks about a potential trade that would send lefty Will Smith from San Francisco back to Milwaukee, reports Robert Murray of The Athletic (subscription required). The Giants are particularly interested in second base prospect Mauricio Dubon, per Murray, though he specifies that no deal is close between the two clubs.
It’s not clear that Milwaukee would have any actual interest in dealing Dubon, particularly for a rental. As a player who’s already made his MLB debut after enjoying success in both Double-A and Triple-A, Dubon would be a costly price to pay in exchange for a half-season of a player — even an elite reliever. Dubon is widely considered to be among the Brewers’ five best prospects and boasts a career .300/.335/.479 batting line in 762 plate appearances at Triple-A. That’s not to say such a swap is out of the realm of possibility, however, particularly given how steep the demand for Smith will be. To this point, Smith has been linked to the Cardinals, Dodgers, Rays and Twins, among others. Beyond that, the Giants will have multiple relievers available (Sam Dyson, Tony Watson and perhaps Reyes Moronta), which creates myriad trade scenarios.
Smith is not only the top rental reliever on the market, he’s legitimately been one of the best relievers on the planet in 2019 (while earning an affordable $4.25MM). In 37 1/3 innings for the Giants this season, the southpaw has pitched to an excellent 2.17 ERA with 13.0 K/9, 1.9 BB/9, 0.72 HR/9 and a 45.3 percent ground-ball rate. The 30-year-old Smith has struck out a career-high 39.4 percent of the hitters he’s faced in 2019 while demonstrating his best command of the strike zone since 2013.
The Brewers, meanwhile, have seen one of their greatest weapons in 2018 dwindle in 2019 with the decline of their relief corps. Josh Hader leads the team in saves and is posting historic strikeout numbers for a second straight season (50.3 percent), but he’s already allowed as many home runs (nine) in 45 innings as he did last year in 81 1/3 frames. Corey Knebel had Tommy John surgery and won’t pitch in 2019. Jeremy Jeffress was terrific through mid-June, but he missed a couple of weeks early due to shoulder fatigue and has hit a rough patch (7.15 ERA) over the past month.
Smith is far from the Brewers’ only option as they pursue bullpen trades — as is evident when perusing MLBTR’s list of the market’s top 60 trade candidates — but he’s also a known commodity in Milwaukee. The Brewers traded Smith to the Giants prior to the 2016 non-waiver trade deadline in a deal that netted them righty Phil Bickford and catcher Andrew Susac. Bickford, a former first-round pick, has yet to progress beyond Class-A Advanced. Susac was traded to the Orioles for cash after being designated for assignment in February 2018.
If it was true about Dubon you would think the Crew would have started him all weekend and let the Giants get a good look at him. Instead they sent him back to SA.
The Giants are looking to shore up their middle infield. Crawford has been terrible in the field and at the plate. He is no longer a top ten shortstop. Panik has simply been non-existent. His 220 average is about 60 points below where it should be. Panik doesn’t work at his craft and his decline has been steady the past three years. Panik appears to have lost his starting job to Solano.
Unfortunately the Brewers don’t have the trade chips to get Smith. Beyond Keston Hiura who do they have? Dubon is in AAA but his progress is blocked by Hiura who is the real deal at second base. Brice Turang is in A+ ball and does not have the upside of Marco Luciano in the Giants Rookie League I suspect Luciano will beat Turang to the show. There are some here who think that Lutz in A+ ball is something special at 251 batting average. But he strikes out 33% of the time. The Giants have a complete minor league outfield that already strikes out 33% of the time.
There is nothing in the Brewers the Giants need unless Hiura is being offered. So the Brewers won’t make the next step this year unless Yelich and Braun go crazy. The Brewers bullpen is caca and getting worse..
Crawford has really picked it up at the plate recently though. In his last 16 games his OPS is over 1.000 and in the past 30 it’s around .875. The giants should be pretty happy with that production.
Cant argue with you about recent Crawford production. But, let me say that Crawford never comes to camp in shape and never leaves camp ready to play. If he would just take care of his diet during the off season he would be a better shortstop. His fielding this year has not been stellar because he left spring training with 15 pounds of fat. At his age he knows what it takes to be an all-star. Unfortunately he doesn’t care enough to get to top condition until late June or July.. This might of worked when he was a kid but as you get older, it takes longer and longer to reach top condition.
Crawford is hot right now but come the dog days he will slump as he always does.. Can’t wait to see Marco Luciano in high A or AA. A rare specimen of natural ball player.
The fact that Dubon is in the minors, but Saladino still has a job in the majors with his under .100 BA is just baffling to me.
The Giants and the Dodgers will not complete another two team trade in any of our lifetimes, no matter where Farhan came from. The Dodgers may be interested in Smith, but the only way they get him is as a flip from another team. So, I’d say they have more interest in him, than they have been connected to him.
That is just stupid. Not you or your point because you might be right. The Giants and Dodgers last lined up in a trade in 2007.
The difference maker might be Farhan though. If the Dodgers were to trade with the Giants then SF fans should only hope the Giants got the best offer available. The success of their team should be more important than the failure of their rivals.
It’s not really stupid that they don’t trade – for a lot of reasons. I personally love the rivalry aspect of it. Second, over the long term, year in and year out, the Giants and the Dodgers are the two most competitive teams in the division. It makes no sense for either team to trade an electric closer or top 100 prospect to the other.
The trade in 07 was good will for Sweeney, the previous trade was a reversed one in 1956, when Jackie Robinson wouldn’t report to the NY Giants.
Farhan or not, I see little chance of a Giants-Dodgers trade in the future.
You are not from the Bay Area…
Farhan isn’t stupid, and I doubt he cares that much about how the fans view the rivalry. If the Dodgers make an offer that’s clearly better than any other team, and it’s a deal that will help the Giants in the future, he’ll sent Smith to LA.
To be a good GM you have to be dispassionate. No GM is going to do something, like not make a trade that definitely benefits his team, over an issue like a rivalry. Maybe trades between these 2 are rare, but it’s not like they have never made a trade.
I’d say the Dodgers are the ones who would have a hang-up about that trade. Have to give a top 100 prospect plus more to a division rival, then face that prospect playing for their division rival for potentially the next decade, in exchange for a guy who there is a very severe chance they will lose after the season.
Well worth it, if they trade for Smith and win the WS, IMO. #GoGiantsGo
It would be the Dodgers calling, so they would hang up on the call they initiated? Lol, I believe the Giants are the ones in control of Smith so no, I don’t believe you’re right there.
What I’m saying is the Dodgers have more to lose from that trade than the Giants
I get it but unfortunately, every team that wants help is going to have to lose something. Giants lost there farm for the 3 rings they went for. The Dodgers will have to do the same.
You are not from the bay area either Tad….death to the Fodgers.
Meanwhile, Mo and Girsch were last seen drinking Lemontinis at BRIO and walking the Frontenac Mall with the blue hairs.
How many times do you have to post the same thing before I can start flagging you for spam?
Flag me? Way to Show your true colors young lady. Why don’t you just not respond? Or do you think this is your own personal forum? I’m guessing you were the last guy standing when teams were picked for recess games in elementary school, and you still haven’t gotten over that.
By the way, some of what I posted in that comment is TRUTH.
Literally the worst person on here.
Literally, you have no sense of humor and uneasiness anytime someone takes an alternate opinion of yours.
You are like 80% of others on here. Most of my posts are about baseball that are factually backed up. These kind of comments I make are to see the wool stand up on the Cardinals fans necks and seeing that Eveready battery fall off their shoulder because of that huge chip on it.
Much easier to,Trade a guy in Minors because can assign him right to Minors now if Panik is also in deal then maybe.
Panik is not owed serious money and is under team control so he is a good trade option
And he’s proving that hes not that valuable either so they probably missed the boat on getting much back for him.
Yeah, I don’t see the Giants even bothering with offering arbitration. He makes too much money for becoming consistently below replacement level.
That be a good trade. Maybe the Giants should also add Garcia a catcher in AAA since they have Bart coming up, really no need for Garcia.
Brewers have Nottingham as future Catcher.
Not funny.
Im not sure I read an article about the Giants might wanting to give Smith a extension due to the success as a closer, something the Giants have not been able find in recent seasons.
Well dubon is a good prospect. Even though smith is a rental, he is still the top reliever on the board. Plus, dubon isnt a top 100 prospect so Dubon is likely the start of the conversation. Lefties that get both sides out dont grow on trees.
The Brewers are going to need some help in the pen unless someone starts coming through. However, you have two other talented teams in the division (and two others that aren’t too far off) so you better be sure one piece is going to fix it. Otherwise you waste a chip and get nothing to show for it.
I think it would obviously help the Cards to get a player like that, but I think what would really help the Cards more is to get some of those guys that would be traded for Smith and actually play them over the usual suspects. The talent is there, it’s just not being utilized. The Cardinals need consistency, and quite honestly the bullpen is giving them some pretty good consistency. Nothing that couldn’t be improved but you have to wonder if, like in the Brewers’ case, it would be enough.
I could see the cards getting Smith and sliding Gant into the rotation…rather than that I think should focus on a starter…although I don’t think they have what it takes to outbid other teams for what they need…which is why they might be going after pen help so they can just make Gant a starter? Idk
The Cards have the pieces, but they won’t overpay which is different.
The way the Brewers have been playing for an extended period, there’s a good chance they’ll be sellers by the end of July. Grandal and Moose would be very desirable rentals. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Arcia traded. There’s something seriously wrong in Milwaukee.
The Brewers aren’t selling; not with the way that division has played out.
2018 was when all the planets aligned in Milwaukee and they still didn’t win. This year they are playing more to their talent level.
Kinda like how the cubs are Cards are? You just explained why the Brewers won’t be sellers. They aren’t even playing close to their best ball and are 2.5 out. We’ve seen the Cubs blow a 5 game lead with a month left.
So when Milwaukee wins, the stars are aligned, but when STL loses, what is their excuse? The moon? It surely can’t be the fault of the front office. BTW, Milwaukee has more talent than STL, PITT or CINCY
Go cubbies
Milwaukee has more talent than STL and Pittsburgh. Cincy is quite close.
Unfortunately, now that Cincy has some pitching, their offense has regressed. Specifically, Votto.
Dubon and one lower prospect for Will Smith is quite adequate as a Giants fan…that is the floor if the Cards, Braves, Stros or Yanks can top that, we are all ears…
I feel like a lot of other teams can offer a much better package for Smith. Hiura is more or less untouchable but there is a huge drop off in their system after him. If I’m the Giants it would take Dubon and Lutz just to start the conversation
That is why you are not the GM. A lefty closer that is a rental is not going to get you 2 team’s top 5 prospects. 1 but not 2.
So you are a GM? What team?
if you think Dubon is enough to headline a deal for Smith you’re crazy. Smith could definitely get a 55 grade prospect and Dubon is only a 50. You might see it as two top five organizational prospects but I see it as two prospects that aren’t even top 100 caliber
Dubon+ 2 lower top 30 players for Bum seems fair. Smith is worth more than Dubon, easy.
LOL Giants fans are completely delusional. There’s no way you’re getting two quality prospects for a rental reliever who’s going to pitch 25-30 innings the rest of the season.
I highly doubt the Brewers would trade Dubon for Smith straight up, let alone throw in Lutz..
The only way the Giants are getting any premium prospects is by packaging a few of their rental players together.
Umm, elite relievers are traded for premium prospects all the time? Chapman? Miller?
Don’t tell him. He seems so confident and proud. Don’t burst his bubble.
Brewers fans are delusional. You’re not getting Smith then.
Will Smith isn’t enough to turn the bullpen around anyways, much less for half a season. I’d rather keep Dubon for a better trade.
If the Giants keep playing well this is all irrelevant and might be anyway.
The giants are a few games under 500 AND they are behind 6 teams in the wild card race. Plus realistically they don’t have enough to make a serious run. Imo they need to sell
They could afford to sell. If they trade Will Smith they will bring up Melvin Aldon from the Farm. 103 MPH Fastball with wicked/devastating Slider. If they trade Bumgarner they will just replace him with other Farm arm. They could afford to trade Bum, Smith and other Bullpen arm or two and they would be just fine. If all they traded was Bum, Smith and Dyson they wouldn’t miss a thing and they could keep going with their season. As comical as it sounds the Giants have depth. A bullpen of Moronta, Watson, Aldon, Gott, Jerez, Black is perhaps still better than most bullpens out there right now. Yes, a lot of those AAA guys are gonna have to prove themselves, but it’s not like they don’t have options.
Adon is in AA, and still has control issues. It would be nice if he could harness things.
Tougher league than AAA. I could have said AAA, AA or minors. Does it make a difference?
4 behind with 2+ months to play. Teams have come back from further down.
I would take Dubon in a heart beat, the question is what else would the Gs have to give up? Hiura is their top prospect so 2B is pretty much spoken for, unless they plan to play Dubon at SS. If it were a blockbuster with Bum and Smith then I think you are looking at Dubon, either Ray or Lutz, and an a SP like Ashby or Supak.
In either case, the Gs will have plenty of cash next year to re-sign Bum and/or Smith if there is mutual interest.
There’s no way they’re getting Bum AND Smith without a single top 100 prospect given up.
Multiple teams are in play for Smith, someone will pony up what Zaidi is looking for. Supply and demand. Giants hold the cards and can wait for the best package