The Milwaukee Brewers head into the final weeks leading up to the trade deadline with plenty of motivation to improve their ball club and contend for a playoff spot.
After falling just short of a spot in the postseason last year, it comes as no surprise to see the Brewers exploring every avenue to help improve their roster.
Jon Heyman of Fancred Sports reports Milwaukee has checked in with Baltimore about the cost to land All-Star infielder Manny Machado. While Milwaukee’s farm system is thinner after trading for Christian Yelich, they still have quality prospects.
Milwaukee’s interest in Machado is wise. Entering Friday, the Brewers’ shortstops ranked 29th in slugging percentage (.303) and OPS (.570) and 23rd in RBI (34).
The 25-year-old shortstop would provide a substantial upgrade over Tyler Saladino and Nate Orf. A lineup with Yelich, Lorenzo Cain, Machado, Jesus Aguilar and Ryan Braun would help give Milwaukee one of the game’s best lineups, too.
If Machado ends up being out of Milwaukee’s price range for a trade, it could pursue Scooter Gennett, Jed Lowrie or Starlin Castro as options at second base.