Brian Dozier may not be a household name to all baseball fans, but he certainly is one of the most underrated infielders in the game. He has played his entire MLB career with the Minnesota Twins and has become one of the most reliable second basemen in the league. Now, he is considered one of the most valuable trade pieces ahead of the MLB trade deadline.
According to a report from Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic , the Milwaukee Brewers are interested in acquiring Dozier from the Twins.
Rosenthal also reported that the Brewers were interested in acquiring Manny Machado from the Baltimore Orioles before he was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Dozier will not have the kind of star impact that Machado would have given Milwaukee, but he is more than capable of making the Brewers a more competitive team.
Throughout the 2018 MLB season thus far, Dozier has batted 0.230 to go along with 16 home runs and 48 RBI’s. While those numbers may not look impressive, he is still without question capable of improving them.
Last year with the Twins, Dozier hit 0.271 while clubbing 34 home runs and driving in 93 RBI’s. Those are the kind of numbers that Milwaukee would be hoping to receive throughout the remainder of the season.
The #Brewers are expected to target #Twins 2B Brian Dozier + explore pitching upgrades ( @Ken_Rosenthal ) pic.twitter.com/BI5x4Dtnlr
— Cream City Central (@CreamCityCtral) July 19, 2018
Milwaukee has been in a heated race with the Chicago Cubs atop the National League Central division. They are currently 55-43 coming out of the All-Star Game, which puts them second in the division and 2.5 games behind the Cubs. Dozier may not be the piece that takes them to a division title, but he certainly can help.
Dozier has earned MVP votes in each of the last two seasons and has been one of the most powerful second basemen at the plate in the league. That skill alone has made him an extremely valuable talent.
If Milwaukee were to acquire Dozier, they would likely be viewing him as a one-year rental. Dozier will hit free agency following the 2018 season, just like Machado would have if the Brewers had acquired him.
Bleacher Report believes that Dozier would be a valuable pickup for the Brewers with the injury to second baseman Jonathan Villar.
“With second baseman Jonathan Villar also on the disabled list, he could immediately step into the lineup and potentially help the Brewers reach the postseason for the first time since 2011.”
All of that being said, the Brewers appear ready to be aggressive heading into the trade deadline. They know that they have a chance this season and are willing to spend to maximize their opportunity.
Beating the Cubs out for the division title won’t be easy, but adding Dozier would help give them even more of a fighting chance.