The Milwaukee Brewers will enter the All-Star break in first place, ahead of the defending champion Chicago Cubs. It’s been a tremendous first half of the season for a team most did not believe would contend in the NL Central.
This has led to speculation that Milwaukee might indeed find itself as a buyer leading up to the July 31st non-waiver trade deadline.
Now, according to this one report, the Brewers are potentially interested in adding a front-line starting pitcher to the mix.
Sources: #Brewers are prepared to buy at Trade Deadline and have begun background work on Jose Quintana, Sonny Gray and other starters. @MLB
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) July 7, 2017
Both Sonny Gray of the Oakland Athletics and Chicago White Sox starter Jose Quintana are said to be available on the trade block. And in reality, they might be the two-best arms on the market.
After dealing with an injury-plagued 2016 campaign, the 27-year-old Gray has returned to form in Oakland. He’s pitching to a 4-4 with a 4.00 ERA and 1.21 WHIP in 13 starts this season. Meanwhile, Quintana boasts boasts a 4.55/1.32 split with a 4-8 mark on the season.
At 48-40 on the season, Milwaukee currently finds itself 4.5 games up on Chicago heading into the final weekend of the first half. It also boasts a solid capital in the minor league system to add a top-end pitcher. Both Gray and Quintana are signed through the 2019 season, making them even sexier options for the Brewers.