New Milwaukee GM David Stearns has his hands full trying to compete in the NL Central for the next several seasons. Really the club should be starting a full scale rebuild that includes trading Ryan Braun. Jonathan Lucroy and potentially Wily Peralta. With dealing with the Cubs, Cards and Bucs all in the NL Central, expect a 100 loss season coming forth for the club.

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The Milwaukee Brewers owner just sent out an open letter to all of the fans explaining to them his gratitude, and promised that the organization is committed to winning long term.  I liked his candor, but it will be some time before this team has many victory laps.

The NL Central has turned into a fierce 3 club race, with the Reds and Brewers being left in the dust.  Cincinnati has already thrown the white flag this week in trading Todd Frazier and now potentially Brandon Phillips.  They would have already traded Aroldis Chapman as well if it weren’t for a domestic dispute.

The time to rebuild for the club is now.  I would think the club should also entertain trade talks with Ryan Braun and Jonathon Lucroy over the next 6 – 8 months.

Jonathan Lucroy played like an MVP for the 1st half of the 2014 season, and ended up 4th overall in MVP voting that year, based on 68 Extra Base Hits an .837 OPS. Lucroy has only two years left of Team Control and the club would be in be in prime position to acquire a load of prospects if they were to deal him. The Catcher is heading into his Age 30 season.  He wasn’t as effective in 2015, hitting for just a .717 OPS in an injury riddled year.

These are the only two players who make any real money on the books for next season, but will see their trade stock diminish in future seasons.

Lucroy is only under Team Control until after the 2017 season anyway, and will turn 30 next year.  Milwaukee may not want to invest in a backstopper north of 30 after that duration.  LuCroy would be sought after hugely, and especially near the Trade Deadline.

Ryan Braun is due $111 MIL over the next 6 years.  I firmly believe he would be better of being an American League Designated Hitter for his career.  The former MVP is being paid about what he should be with the kind of production he has put up since the Biogenesis scandal.

With all of thumb injuries he has withstood the last few years, it may be best if he were able to stop playing the field entirely. A former Milwaukee great did the same thing one he got into his 30’s with Paul Molitor.

Now the Brewers would need a Major League ready player in return for his services.  Could you imagine a deal with the Toronto Blue Jays?

I really think the Brew Crew should think about doing a rebuild like the Houston Astros recently did, and like the Phillies and Braves are currently in the middle of.

Milwaukee should go the route of trading all of their veteran players and develop through some Drafting.  They shouldn’t stop at Braun and Lucroy.  Will Smith, Jean Segura and Wily Peralta should also be put on the block to net back as many prospects as possible.

Ryan Braun has his best season in 3 years during the 2015 campaign – with 25 HRs, 84 RBI and a .854 OPS in 507 AB last year. Braun would be perfectly suited for an American League Designated Hitter.  At 32, and the club not competing for a few seasons, he should be dealt as well.

Ideally, you load about 10 prospects from these guys and hope that half of them can develop in to every day players.

You can still build your rotation around Jimmy Nelson, Zach Davies and Taylor Jungmann.

Positional players to help bring the club back to relevance would be Khris Davis and Scooter Gennett.  The franchise also has Orlando Arcia and Brett Phillips rapidly moving up the Minor League Ranks to add to that core.

With Martin Maldonado and Domingo Santana on your depth chart as position starters, this really doesn’t speak well for where you are at in the NL Central.

I am not even sure signing any Free Agents would really make a dent against the Cubs, Cards and Bucs right now.

Adam Lind being dealt for three teenagers should exemplify the kinds of maneuvers this organization should be going through.

Other than Pedro Alvarez, there is not many other guys Milwaukee could sign at 1B that would be realistic.  Chris Davis is way far out of their league.  Maybe a 1 – 2 year stop gap measure of Justin Morneau would make sense, although you really have to worry about his head injuries there.

As for OF.  For a stop gap measure, the usual names of Alejandro De Aza, Austin Jackson, Will Venable and Steve Pearce would look decent in the Brewers for a few years while their top OF prospects have time to season a little.

I am not even sure Jonathan Villar is a suitable option at 3B. Throw in an under performing Segura at SS, and the left side of this Milwaukee club is ostensibly weak.

Scooter Gennett did hit .282 after his 1st half of .239,  but still only featured an OPS of .688.  The Infield, not withstanding Lucroy at Catcher, is definitely the worst in the Major Leagues right this minute, and devoid of power.

The Relief Core actually didn’t perform all that bad in 2015. Of course the club trading away Francisco Rodriguez, but still has Will Smith, Jeremy Jeffress and Michael Blazek, who all had ERA’s under 3 in significant Innings.

Tyler Thornburg, Corey Knebel and David Goforth will be back in 2016.  The 7th position will be much up for grabs, with Tyler Cravy, Yhonathan Barrios and Ariel Pena looking to lock down a Staff spot.

Pena also may factor in the Rotation.

Matt Garza will try to rebound after disappointing 2015 season.

I would be stunned if the Brewers don’t lose close to 100 games in the upcoming year.  Having the Cubs, Cards and Pirates for 57 of the 162 games does not bode well.

Other than games against the Reds, Padres, Phillies, A’s, Marlins, Rockies, and Braves counting just 54 contests, this will be a hard campaign coming up in Milwaukee.

I believe Brewers owner Mark Attanasio may have to ink another letter to the Brewers fans in the 2016 winter.

In September of 2004 Mark Attanasio reached a deal on behalf of an investment group to purchase the Brewers It was nice that he wrote an apology letter to his fans, but the next year’s squad is in deep to contend as well.  The team is without any power in the Infield and without an every day Centerfielder as well.  The organization should start a full scale rebuild in a tough NL Central.  Hopefully the fans will still average 30K plus a game while the team builds up its squad again.

*** The views and opinions expressed in this report are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of mlbreports.com and their partners***

A Big thanks goes out to our chief writer Hunter Stokes for preparing today’s feature post.

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