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Teams around the league don’t want Ryan Braun
Tuesday’s Say Hey, Baseball looks at the lack of interest in Ryan Braun, some Jose Quintana rumors, and an update on Mike Mussina’s Hall of Fame chances.
Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
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Prior to the offseason, there was a list of stars who could potentially be traded that included names like Chris Sale, Andrew McCutchen, and Ryan Braun. Sale, of course, has already been dealt in a blockbuster with the Red Sox. McCutchen reportedly got close to being dealt to a few different teams — most notably the Nationals — but now appears destined to stay in Pittsburgh. Then, there’s Braun, who hasn’t really even been involved in any concrete rumors this offseason besides a potential deal he was almost a part of back at the trade deadline.
For the Brewers, it would make sense to try to trade Braun right now. While he’s still an outstanding hitter, he’s starting to reach the end of his career, with 2017 marking his age-33 season. Milwaukee is clearly rebuilding, and the face of their franchise may not be the same player when they are ready to compete again. Contending teams in need of a big bat would be lining up to get a player of this caliber, one would think. Except, that doesn’t appear to be the case. The Brewers’ general manager has already come out and said he believes Braun will be with the organization for now and in the future. Now, it’s coming out that this may be because other teams simply don’t want him.
The PED issue is tricky, as it’s not as if Braun has been any worse since coming back from his suspension to finish the 2013 season. On the contrary, he’s been one of the best outfielders in baseball at the plate. This seems more like a PR headache than anything else. Fans around the league are still largely hostile towards Braun, and GMs notice that sort of things. Milwaukee is understandably asking for a lot in return for their superstar, but other teams don’t seem willing to pay for that kind of PR hit, particularly when there are plenty of other options available. Braun should’ve been one of the hottest trade pieces of the winter, but now it seems he could finish his career in Milwaukee after all.
- Jose Quintana increasingly looks like a guy who will be traded, and the Yankees might be interested.
- Jimmy Rollins has signed a minor-league deal in San Francisco, which has little risk to the Giants but has Phillies fans apoplectic.
- We don’t really think of the Rockies when we think of teams to go after the biggest free agents, but they could be the ideal fit for whenever Shohei Otani decides to come over to the United States.
- The Mariners would like to trade for a starting pitcher, and the Red Sox would like to trade a starting pitcher. Is there a match here?
- What would a lineup of the best Cubs of all time look like?
- Miami has focused on building a strong bullpen this offseason, but none of it will matter if the rotation can’t perform at least a little.
- Mike Mussina is becoming a more popular Hall of Fame choice, but he still doesn’t look to have enough support to actually make the cut.
- Pittsburgh boosted their bullpen depth this week by agreeing to a two-year deal with Daniel Hudson.
- Speaking of exciting free agent agreements, let’s take a closer look at the Padres’ one-year deal with Jhoulys Chacin.
- The Rays’ best trade chip is undoubtedly Chris Archer, but Alex Cobb could be an interesting piece, too.
- After announcing Matt Carpenter would start to get some time at first base, Matt Adams has become expendable in St. Louis. Unfortunately, there’s not a big market for him around the league.
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