The Atlanta Braves and the Brew Crew make sense on paper. Could this be Morton’s future destination?
The Brewers are in a different scenario than the Padres. They currently lead their division and seem to be clear cut favorites with an 80.5% chance to win it. The next closest are the Cincinnati Reds, who seem to be over performing and only have a 15.3% chance of winning their division.
The Brewers have a great record, but their strength of schedule is a bit weak compared to the rest of MLB with only the Reds and Chicago Cubs having weaker schedules. Even with 3 rotation arms with an expected fielding independent pitching (xFIP) of 3.70 or below, Morton would go a long way in solidifying the rotation for a long playoff run.
The Brewers do not have a strong farm system, and they have quite a few starters on their roster with 1 or 2 years left on their contracts, so it makes sense for them to make a push right now. The real question is what type of package they could offer the Atlanta Braves.
Could Alex Anthopoulos work some kind of magic with salaries and take a shot on a guy like Lorenzo Cain (if he gets back from injury in time) who has high potential, but has been injured. Would the Brewers do something like that? It is hard to say. Whether it is MLB players or prospects, the Brewers have options to offer the Atlanta Braves that can help Atlanta next year and beyond. The positive for the Atlanta Braves is that the Brewers may be willing to overpay a bit to help ensure a deep playoff run.