Burnes gets his answer about Trade Deadline

This story was excerpted from Adam McCalvy’s Brewers Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

MILWAUKEE -- One of the things Corbin Burnes likes about Brewers GM Matt Arnold is that if you ask a direct question, you get a direct answer.

So, over lunch in New York with fellow Brewers pitcher Wade Miley and the boss, Burnes says one of the pitchers asked Arnold directly: Is there a chance Burnes will be dealt at the Aug. 1 Trade Deadline?

“He said he’s not trading me,” said Burnes. “They’re looking to add some pieces. Obviously the market we’re in, they’re going to do it responsibly and not trade off the farm system for one guy for two months.

“They obviously don’t tell us names of what they’re looking for or positions they’re looking for, but just knowing that hey, we’re not going to trade me, we’re not going to trade anyone that would put a huge dent in the team.”

That matches what Arnold has already said publicly, that he does not intend to trade Burnes or shortstop Willy Adames, both of whom are free agents following the 2024 season. At least not at this year’s Deadline. Arnold told MLB.com, “I'm sure that we'll get phone calls on these guys, because they're very good. But that's not something we're considering.”

Burnes was a late addition to this year’s All-Star Game but didn’t pitch, leaving him lined up to start Friday’s series opener against the Reds at Great American Ball Park.

So, bearing in mind that the Brewers believe they have the pieces to win the division, here’s a midseason look at where they stand:

What we learned in the first half

Defense wins in a weak division. The Brewers haven’t been particularly impressive on offense (25th with an 89 wRC+) or pitching (15th with a 4.10 ERA), but they play great defense (first with 30 defensive runs saved) and they’ve been good enough to reside at or near the top of the National League Central all season. The Brewers finished the first half one game behind the Reds and, considering the Cardinals’ surprising collapse, look like the most talented team in the division, especially if they get starter Brandon Woodruff back from injury.

Likely Trade Deadline strategy

In terms of Major League acquisitions, the Brewers’ last two Trade Deadlines netted Eduardo Escobar, Daniel Norris and John Curtiss in 2021 and Taylor Rogers, Matt Bush and Trevor Rosenthal in ‘22. Only Escobar made an impact, though we shouldn’t forget about flipping ‘22 pickup Esteury Ruiz for catcher William Contreras and Joel Payamps, who have been terrific. Arnold should not be deterred. The Brewers need arms to solidify the relief corps in front of Payamps and Devin Williams, and they also could use an impact bat at first or third base.

Key player

Woodruff. The workhorse has missed almost the entire season with a subscapular strain, an injury that Miley, who suffered the same thing last season, compared to a hamstring strain in the way it can linger. Woodruff resumed throwing bullpen sessions on the final Sunday of the first half and hoped to accelerate his comeback with the start of the second half. If he can get back on the mound in August, it would be a giant boost; Woodruff has a 2.97 ERA since becoming a regular member of the rotation in 2019.

Prospect to watch

Sal Frelick (MLB Pipeline No. 2 Brewers prospect) rocketed from High-A to Triple-A in 2022 with an .883 OPS in his first full professional season, putting him squarely in position for a callup this year if needed. But he suffered a thumb injury in mid-April that required surgery and a near two-month absence, and he’s struggled since returning to action (.230/.313/.297 in 18 Triple-A games post-surgery). If he gets the bat going again, Frelick would be in position for a callup; Brewers outfielders finished the first half 25th of 30 teams with a wRC+ of 89.