Ken Rosenthal: Brewers “Actively Listening” To Trade Offers on 2 Stars

The Milwaukee Brewers are at a crossroads. Their longtime manager, Craig Counsell, has moved on, and they're facing impending unrestricted free agency next winter for two of their crucial core pieces — starter Corbin Burnes and shortstop Willy Adames.

Respected MLB Insider Ken Rosenthal said on MLB Network Radio Sunday morning that the Brewers are more than just 'open' to trading them—they're working to make it happen:

The (Brewers) are beyond the usual 'open' to trading these players. They are actively listening. They know that the path for them might be to take a step back to take a step forward. It's not an easy thing to do... but if you look at them rationally... they've lost Counsell, they have a core of young position players that is unproven but somewhat promising at the very least and have more prospects coming... 

If they could move some of these pieces (Burns, etc.)... then within a year or two, they might be back being 'The Brewers' again. 

He even goes one step further and also suggests that Milwaukee consider trading closer Devin Williams, who has only one year left of team control after 2024.  

Brandon Woodruff presents another challenging proposition for the Brew Crew, as he has undergone surgery that will force him to miss most or all of the 2024 season, and is also entering his final year of team control, with an expected arbitration salary of over $11M. They won't be able to trade him with his health status, but they face a tough decision of possibly letting him go for nothing, or trying to negotiate a short-term extension. 

They've already dealt outfielder Mark Canha to the Detroit Tigers, and as Rosenthal notes, a "forward-thinking team" would address the realities that the Brewers are facing, and he believes that they'll do just that.  

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