The Brewers Have a Trade Deadline Conundrum at Shortstop

The concept of the MLB trade deadline seems simple enough. If you’re out of the playoff race, trade away assets to get better for the future. If you’re in the race, identify weak spots and make them stronger.

In reality, it’s not quite that simple. Those teams who are sellers need to have players that contenders would actually want and would help them make a playoff run. They may also want to hold on to those players to compete next year.

For the buyers, you need to have the assets (generally high-quality minor leaguers) attractive enough to get a deal done. There also need to be players available worth acquiring to address your team need(s).

Therein lies a problem for the Milwaukee Brewers. The Crew are 100% in buyer mode coming off a recent 11-game win streak and a series win against the Mariners that leaves them with the best record in baseball at 61-41.

The Brewers have a great all-around team. The offense is sixth in MLB in scoring at 4.79 runs per game going into Thursday while the pitching staff is tied for fourth in combined ERA at 3.60.

But that doesn’t mean Milwaukee isn’t without their weak spots. Much of that conversation has revolved around offensive production on the left side of the infield. And lately, it has more specifically zeroed in on the shortstop position.

After the loss of fan-favorite Willy Adames in the offseason, Joey Ortiz, last year’s starting third baseman, shifted over to short. But after turning in a solid offensive year in his first year for the Brewers in 2024, his numbers have severely declined at the plate this season.

Through 99 games, Ortiz is slashing just .217/.273/.316 with a 67 wRC+ that ranks 153rd out of 159 qualified MLB players. Many teams would jump to make an upgrade at the position. But for the Brewers, it’s not that simple.

The Brewers have a trade deadline conundrum at shortstop.

There are multiple reasons why replacing Ortiz isn’t as easy as going out and getting a new shortstop at the deadline and plugging him into the position. Let’s start with Ortiz himself.

While Ortiz has struggled at the plate this season, he has been an above average defender at short after a slow start adjusting to his new position. While fielding metrics can be tricky to navigate, he ranks particularly well in two stats: Outs Above Average (6) and Fielding Run Value (5) where he ranks seventh in each among qualified shortstops.

The Brewers have always heavily valued strong defense up the middle and Ortiz does fit that mold. So the team wouldn’t just move on from him, a 27-year-old with four remaining years of control, mind you, without a quality replacement being out on the market.

And unfortunately, that’s just not the case. This year’s trade deadline crop is incredibly thin. The one option that has been considered largely available is the Pirates’ Isiah Kiner Falefa. Though he’s a former Gold Glover, his .274/.317/.339 is a mild upgrade over Ortiz, not the splash upgrade you’re normally looking for at the deadline.

Two other infielders that the Brewers were linked to in a recent rumor were Xavier Edwards and Otto Lopez of the Marlins. The former gets on base plenty but is a light hitter and was so bad defensively at shortstop that he was moved over to second base.

The latter is a stronger defender with more pop but lesser on base skills and an average 98 wRC+ for their career. He also happens to be 27 with four years of control remaining, meaning even that production won’t come cheap if Miami even feels like moving him.

Outside of that, the pickings are very slim. It’s not impossible that the Brewers could pull off an unexpected move for a shortstop that most didn’t think would be available, but it feels unlikely in the current landscape.

It also would put the team in a weird spot at the position moving forward. Ortiz needs to hold down the position until some of their younger, highly-regarded prospects are ready to break into the majors. But the closest big shortstop prospect to The Show is Cooper Pratt who is just 20 and hasn’t yet played a full year at Double-A.

On the bright side, Ortiz has been better at the plate as of late. He has hits in eight of his last nine games and is slashing a more respectable .255/.283/.412 with two doubles, two homers, and 10 RBIs in the month of July.

Considering their history, the Brewers will end up making a move or two to improve the team between now and next week’s trade deadline. It’s just unlikely that one of those moves will solve the conundrum over at shortstop.