How Brewers' Pat Murphy's Joke Almost Sparked Blockbuster Trade Involving All-Star

Milwaukee almost made a huge splash

Senior Vice President and General Manager Matt Arnold speaks during an an end of season press conference at American Family Field in Milwaukee on Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2023. / Mike De Sisti / The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Milwaukee Brewers recently lost star outfielder Christian Yelich for an unknown amount of time due to a back injury, and a joke about the situation almost led to one of the biggest trades of the summer.

First, we have to go back to July 24 when news broke of Yelich's decision to hold off on much-needed back surgery that would have marked the end of his 2024 campaign.

Following the news, skipper Pat Murphy was asked if the Brew Crew had any new trade deadline plans with the temporary absence of Yelich in mind.

"What do you suggest we do, go get Vlad (Guerrero) Jr.? I mean, what Yeli does for this lineup and this clubhouse, I don't know (that) there's too many players who can replace him," Murphy told reporters, as transcribed by MLB.com's Adam McCalvy. "I mean that. He's got a special niche here with us."

Guerrero is hitting .312 with 46 extra-base hits including 21 home runs, 69 RBIs and a .907 OPS (156 OPS+) in 107 games this season. That performance was enough for the young star to start at first base for the American League in the All-Star game.

Murphy's comments weren't supposed to be taken seriously, but as McCalvy reported Tuesday night, the Toronto Blue Jays decided to call the front office anyway.

"Funny story; Brewers GM Matt Arnold found out about this tongue-in-cheek Pat Murphy quip from… the Blue Jays, who called to see what he wanted to offer. The Brewers did check on Vlad Jr. and many other hitters, Arnold said, but they decided to stick with their young core."

Milwaukee didn't bring in the four-time All-Star as a temporary replacement for Yelich but what a story it would have been if a joke from Murphy was the catalyst for the biggest trade at the deadline.

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