Brewers Predicted To Snag Orioles' Top Deadline Trade Chip

The Milwaukee Brewers have been so good lately that it's almost a curse.

Clearly, the Brewers are not in danger of becoming trade deadline sellers - they have the No. 1 record in Major League Baseball as of Tuesday morning. However, they've played so well for the last two months that it's hard to know how much improvement is possible with this roster.

However, the Brewers may want an insurance policy at first base, which has been manned of late by Andrew Vaughn, an ex-first-round pick who washed out with the Chiacgo White Sox and arrived via trade in June.

Vaughn has been great for the Brewers in 14 games, but he's still got an overall OPS of .650 on the season. Would the Brewers consider replacing him in the lineup with a rental?

On Monday, Jim Riley of BALLCAP Sports predicted that the Brewers would trade for Baltimore Orioles slugger Ryan O'Hearn by Thursday's deadline.

"For the Brewers, I have one of the big bats that will be moved at the deadline," Riley said. "One of the prized hitting pieces is Ryan O'Hearn. I do believe this Milwaukee team needs to add another stick. Ryan O'Hearn fits in.

"The Andrew Vaughn thing was nice in the beginning; don't trust it long-term. Once Rhys Hoskins comes back, you can figure things out. Ryan O'Hearn can shift to a corner outfield spot at that time."

O'Hearn, an All-Star who puts up big numbers against right-handed pitching, could even become a piece of a platoon with Vaughn in Milwaukee. The 32-year-old has an OPS+ of 134 on the season, racking up 2.0 bWAR as a primary first baseman and designated hitter.

Though the Brewers might not want to rock the boat, O'Hearn would be an excellent piece who also shouldn't be crazy expensive to acquire because of his expiring contract.