SF Giants: 6 blockbuster trade proposals for ‘untradeable’ players
SF Giants trade proposal: Brandon Crawford to Milwaukee Brewers
Another case of a no-trade clause immediately getting in the way. Though that can be waived should the Giants entice Brandon Crawford with an appeasing deal, the team may be on the hook for $15 million per year over the next two years.
Given the terms of Crawford contract and him likely only accepting a trade if he could be on a title contending team, there are very few options in the market.
But one does stick out in the Milwaukee Brewers.
Like the situation with the Texas Rangers, the Brew Crew’s options include a former top prospect in Luis Urías and one-time standout Orlando Arcia. The 22-year-old Urías has had a strong minor league career, but his 2018 and 2019 call-ups with the San Diego Padres resulted in just a .221/.318/.331 line across 302 plate appearances. Arcia opened a lot of eyes in 2017 when he hit .277 with 15 home runs and 14 stolen bases, but he has struggled mightily at the plate in the subsequent two seasons.
Though Crawford has arguably underperformed his contract, he has produced one thing Milwaukee’s middle infielders have not: consistency. Though he hit .228 last season, that was also just Crawford’s first time where he hit less than .248 over eight full seasons.
And why would a deal for Crawford make sense? According to FanGraphs, the Brewers (83 wins) are projected to be right in the thick of a playoff picture in the National League Central with just three games separating them, the Chicago Cubs (85), the Cincinnati Reds (83), and the St. Louis Cardinals (82). Eliminating a question mark with a proven player with playoff experience in Crawford would be an improvement for Milwaukee.
So how about this?
In hopes the Brewers would take all of Crawford’s contract, the Giants would have to gamble and take some relative unknowns in return. But if San Francisco had either one between outfielder Hedbert Perez and pitcher Drew Rasmussen (or both) pan out, it would be a win for the team.
At age 17 and just added during the last international signing period for the second most ($700,00) out of his class, little is known about Perez. But what he has demonstrated is raw talent and has already made him Milwaukee’s eight-ranked prospect. According to his MLB.com scouting profile:
"Across-the-board tools highlight Perez’s impressive profile and fuel his impact potential on both sides of the ball. One of the better pure hitters in his class, Perez has a pretty swing for a player his age, combining bat speed and feel for the barrel with a quick, compact left-handed stroke. Those qualities, along with his discerning eye, have led scouts to project Perez as a future above-average hitter, and the fact that he already shows above-average raw power as a teenager makes it easy to dream on his offensive ceiling."
Since the Giants are pretty well loaded in the outfield at the moment, and with the rumors of them signing Yasiel Puig, it makes sense to take a long-term project for an outfielder.
Rasmussen has had not one, but two Tommy John surgeries before even making his pro debut in 2019. Yet he worked his way up to Double-A where his 61 innings pitched (including 18 starts) and logged a 3.54 ERA with 11.4 K/9. His mid-to-high 90s fastball and hard-breaking 90 mph slider make him a strikeout threat and, even if he is moved to the bullpen later in this career, a valuable asset.