brewers/news/brewers-linked-trade-903-ops-nationals-star-drastic-upgrade/ccff65ba21c9c304252638ce?utm_source=yahoo&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=appeared_on">Brewers linked to trade for .903 OPS Nationals All-Star for drastic infield upgrade originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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With a little under two months to go until the August 3 trade deadline, the Milwaukee Brewers are looking like clear deadline buyers.
While Tarik Skubal is joining Jacob Misiorowski and Kyle Harrison would be very fun, the Brewers could instead look to upgrade their left side of the infield. David Hamilton, Luis Rengifo, and Joey Ortiz have all struggled this season.
Amid such a clear area of need, Tim Kelly of Bleacher Report linked the Brewers to Washington Nationals .903 OPS All-Star and trade candidate CJ Abrams, in what could be a drastic upgrade to the infield in Milwaukee.
Brewers linked to trade with Nationals for CJ Abrams
“Another major move the Brewers could try to make is the aforementioned Abrams,” Kelly writes. “They need drastic improvement in the offensive production they’ve gotten at shortstop (and/or third base), and Abrams would give them that.”
Abrams is the top infield option who could potentially be on the move this season. But, if there is one issue, it is that it would cost a fortune to acquire him.
The Nationals All-Star is breaking out this season, playing better than he’s ever played before. He’s posted .747 and .748 OPS marks the past two years, but this season, he has a .903 entering June.
In 62 games, Abrams has 65 hits, 38 runs scored, 13 doubles, two triples, 12 homers, 47 RBIs, nine stolen bases, 27 walks, and a .288 average to go with that elite .903 OPS.
MORE: Tarik Skubal being traded by Tigers would help him in free agency
To put his breakout season in perspective, he already has amassed 2.6 bWAR, which is 0.9 off his 3.5 bWAR mark from his career-best season up until this point.
Adding Abrams to replace Ortiz (.535 OPS), Hamilton (.629), or Rengifo (.527) would be a massive upgrade for the Brewers’ infield.
Cooper Pratt and Jett Williams could be called up to fill in those spots this season, but Abrams would be a much bigger upgrade than those two prospects could be this season.
Abrams to the Brewers, as Kelly proposed, would be a “drastic improvement” over their current infield options. It might be extremely expensive, but Abrams is the kind of star worth splurging on for a contending team like the Brewers.
