Brewers Could Land Orioles $49.5 Million Slugger In Surprise Midseason Trade

Frankly, there's been a little too much talk about the Milwaukee Brewers being sellers at the trade deadline this year.

Sure, there's a world where the Brewers (20-23) could harshly view themselves as non-contenders and try to get maximum value for some of their veterans. But this is also a team that's won three of the last four division titles, and it's not like the Chicago Cubs (25-18) are running away with the division.

So consider, for a moment, a world in which the Brewers are in the thick of the division title hunt by mid-July. What sorts of players could they target if they wanted to buy (maybe just a soft buy) and keep themselves moving forward?

One baseball writer believes there's a power-hitting outfielder who could be had if he turns his season around a bit.

In a recent article, Zachary Howell of ClutchPoints named Baltimore Orioles outfielder Tyler O'Neill, who is on a three-year, $49.5 million contract with an opt-out after this season, as a possible Brewers trade target.

"If (O'Neill) were to join the Brewers, he would likely bat lower in (manager Pat) Murphy’s order. The reduced pressure, combined with the fact that his teammates have above-average on-base percentages, would give him an opportunity to get back on track," Howell wrote.

"Chourio, Yelich, and Willson Contreras have had their moments at the plate, but Milwaukee desperately needs a power hitter. If O’Neill just needs a change of scenery, he and the Brewers are a match made in heaven."

O'Neill, 29, has been a tricky player to figure out over the last few years. He's one of the toughest righty hitters to get out when he's hot, but he strikes out an awful lot and also seems to get injured far more often than the average big-league outfielder.

It's one to keep on the back burner, but if O'Neill can improve on his early-season .659 OPS, the Orioles might sense he's thinking about the opt-out and consider shopping him.