Brewers Could Complete Blockbuster Intra-Division Trade With Pirates

Milwaukee could work with an intra-division rival to better both teams

Sep 13, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Milwaukee Brewers catcher William Contreras (24) and Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Devin Williams (38) slap hands after defeating the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images / Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

The Milwaukee Brewers may look to move a premier hurler to maximize his return value before he reaches free agency after next season.

The Brewers may look to shake up their roster ahead of the 2025 campaign, with one massive move in mind. The club is reportedly weighing how to handle the future of their best closer, and a recent trade proposal would send him to a division rival.

"The Trade: Milwaukee Brewers send right-handed pitcher Devin Williams to Pittsburgh Pirates for right-handed pitcher Braxton Ashcraft," Bleacher Report's Kerry Miller wrote Wednesday morning.

Williams had a 1.25 ERA with a 38-to-11 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .133 batting average against and a 0.97 WHIP in 21 2/3 innings across 22 games this season.

The 30-year-old missed the majority of the 2024 campaign due to a back injury, but his stock is still very high -- despite his Game 3 meltdown against the New York Mets in the postseason.

Williams will likely generate a lot of trade interest this winter, and as for the Pirates mock trade, the Brewers should ask for more than just Ashcraft -- the No. 85 prospect in baseball according to MLB Pipeline.

The 25-year-old posted a 2.84 ERA with a 77-to-12 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .234 batting average against and a 1.07 WHIP in 73 innings between Double-A Altoona and Triple-A Indianapolis last season. He's a premier pitching prospect who has yet to make his debut and has years of team control ahead of him.

Williams only has one full season of team control left but Milwaukee should be requesting a hefty return for one of the best closers in Major League Baseball.

Ashcraft is a talented hurler and would be a solid one-for-one swap, but the Brew Crew could certainly get more than just one player in return and should only make a move that impactfully changes the future outlook of the organization while mitigating the loss in the present -- as they did in the Corbin Burnes trade a season ago.

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