Brewers Predicted To Cut Ties With $34 Million Star Via Trade To Red Sox

The Milwaukee Brewers are sure to be one of the most fascinating teams to follow at this season's Jul. 31 trade deadline.

After a mediocre start, the Brewers got hot at the end of May. Though they've leveled out a bit in June, they've managed to get to 36-32, which is only 2 1/2 games out of a playoff spot in the brutally competitive National League.

After winning division titles in three of the last four years, the Brewers don't seem likely to catch the 41-26 Chicago Cubs. They have an interesting decision to make: buy, sell, or a little bit of both?

One idea for the Brewers would be to trade off whichever expiring free agents they can and try to replace them with big-league talent. The Boston Red Sox could be an ideal trade partner in that regard.

On Tuesday, FanSided's Tremayne Person predicted that the Brewers would ship first baseman Rhys Hoskins, who is in the final season of a two-year, $34 million contract, to the Red Sox, who don't have an obvious answer at his position.

"(Hoskins), in the midst of a bounce-back season, checks nearly every box for the Red Sox. He’s a proven right-handed bat with postseason experience, and his contract structure makes him an intriguing deadline target," Person wrote.

"If Boston is willing to absorb the remainder of his salary and send Milwaukee a package of cost-controlled players with upside, this could be a classic win-win — the kind of long-term value trade Brewers GM Matt Arnold has mastered in recent years."

The 32-year-old Hoskins has cooled off a bit of late, but he still owns a more than respectable .775 OPS and 119 OPS+ on the season, to go with nine home runs. His power could still increase--he averages 34 homers per 162 games in his nine-year career.

The Brewers could try to dump Hoskins to Boston for prospects if they feel like they're out of the race, or if they want to be more opportunistic, they could include him as part of a package for one of the cost-controlled outfielders, Jarren Duran or Wilyer Abreu.