The Milwaukee Brewers and Washington Nationals open a three-game set in Milwaukee on June 24. Ryan Braun will probably still be in a Brewers uniform at that point, though the trade chatter surrounding him will only intensify as the Aug. 1 non-waiver deadline approaches.
Washington fans should watch that series closely—and feel free to picture Braun and Bryce Harper patrolling the same outfield.
Braun has heard the rumblings. He knows he’s a veteran slugger on a rebuilding team.
“It seems regardless of which team we’re playing, that’s the team I’m getting traded to,” he said Monday, per Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
It’s that time of year, when whispers and hypothetical swaps start flying around like hot dog wrappers on a blustery day.
Braun to the Nats, though, makes a fair bit of sense. And it could be a game-changer for the National League East leaders as they take their 2016 redemption tour into the heat of summer.
First, the particulars on Braun: The 32-year-old left fielder and 2011 NL MVP is enjoying a renaissance season, hitting .307 with 11 homers and an .889 OPS.
There are red flags. He battled thumb issues and underwent back surgery in 2015. He’s the lowest-ranked regular left fielder in the game defensively, per FanGraphs.
Then there’s the 2013 performance-enhancing drug suspension that will forever stain his legacy.
His healthy, resurgent 2016, however, “has altered the perception of him as a player you wouldn’t touch because of his age and PED history into someone worth considering,” sources told ESPN.com’s Buster Olney in May.
Which brings us back to the Nationals, who could use an offensive boost in the outfield.
Harper, the reigning NL MVP, is ensconced in right field. The rest of the picture, however, is a muddled mess.
Veteran left fielder Jayson Werth is hitting .244 with an anemic .755 OPS. Center fielder Ben Revere owns a .212/.262/.285 slash line, which stands next to Michael Taylor’s equally punchless .219/.252/.348 line. And fifth outfielder Chris Heisey isn’t going to save the day.
Braun would represent a dramatic upgrade. Slot him between Harper and second baseman Daniel Murphy in the Nats lineup, and suddenly you’ve got a genuinely fearsome heart of the order:
Braun is making $20 million this season and will make the same amount in 2017 and 2018. He’s then owed $19 million in 2019 and $17 million in 2020, with a $15 million mutual option for 2021 or a $4 million buyout.
That’s a lot of dough for a player rolling toward his mid-30s, but it’s not stratospheric by today’s standards.
And the Brewers have been willing to take on a share of the financial burden to make trades work, as they did with Yovani Gallardo, Aramis Ramirez and Jonathan Broxton last year.
Or Washington could shoulder most of the monetary load and keep the prized chips in a farm system Bleacher Report’s Joel Reuter ranked No. 15 in the game in February.
As Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal reported in May, Braun has a no-trade clause that allows him to block a trade to any team except the Arizona Diamondbacks, Los Angeles Angels, Los Angeles Dodgers, Miami Marlins, San Diego Padres or San Francisco Giants.
Given his Southern California roots, it’s not surprising that list is mostly composed of West Coast clubs.
At the same time, Braun has never advanced past the National League Championship Series and hasn’t tasted the postseason since 2011. It’s possible the appeal of going to a winner would trump geographic preference.
Speaking of the postseason, the Nats are on a quest to stave off the defending NL champion New York Mets in the East and extinguish the memory of last season’s second-place flameout. And they’re in a win-now window, with Harper set to hit the open market after the 2018 season and likely bolt for a ludicrous payday somewhere else (think pinstripes).
Braun comes with baggage, no question. He might only have a couple more productive years left, meaning the back end of his deal could be a payroll drag. And asking the 37-year-old Werth, who is owed $21 million this season and next, to cede playing time may cause clubhouse friction.
But if anyone knows how to handle PED-tainted sluggers and juggle clubhouse egos, it’s Nationals skipper Dusty Baker, a players’ manager who won a bunch of games with Barry Bonds in San Francisco and, later, Sammy Sosa in Chicago.
As with any potential trade, there’s risk. But there’s also ample reward.
Circle that June 24 series, Nats fans. And allow yourselves to picture Braun swapping sides.
All statistics and contract information current as of June 14 and courtesy of MLB.com and Baseball-Reference.com unless otherwise noted.
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