Entering the All-Star break, border “rivals” Minnesota Twins and Milwaukee Brewers are headed in different directions. Sitting 4 games back of the final Wild Card spot, currently held by the Seattle Mariners, the struggling Twins currently possess a 22.2% chance of making the postseason. Milwaukee, on the other hand, sits just 2 1/2 games back of the NL Central-leading Chicago Cubs while in sole possession of the NL’s second wild card spot, sporting a 68.7% chance of earning a postseason spot.
Now, Minnesota and Milwaukee’s respective standings and situations could shift significantly by the July 31 MLB trade deadline, for better or worse. That said, as things stand, Minnesota is preparing to become sellers, while Milwaukee will be looking to fortify its club as it chases down Chicago for the NL Central crown. Milwaukee’s second-most pressing need (after acquiring a power bat who can play first base and the corner outfield, a department in which the Twins unfortunately cannot assist them) is reinforcing the back end of its bullpen. Trevor Megill is enshrined as the club’s closer, with Abner Uribe and Nick Mears functioning as the other high-leverage right-handed relievers. The Crew would benefit from one more right-handed late-inning reliever. Enter: Minnesota.
Jhoan Duran and Griffin Jax are the most appealing arms in the back end of the Twins’ bullpen, but given the significant price it would cost to acquire either high-leverage reliever’s services, there is reason to believe Milwaukee (like almost every other team) will be unwilling to meet Minnesota’s demands. Brock Stewart, however, would fit perfectly in the Brewers’ bullpen.
Since getting activated off the 15-day IL on Apr. 19, Stewart has been incredible for Minnesota, sporting a 2.67 ERA, 2.71 FIP, and a 36-to-10 strikeout-to-walk ratio over 27 innings pitched. The 33-year-old has played an integral role in the Twins having the second-best bullpen FIP and Wins Above Replacement (fWAR) in baseball, according to FanGraphs. Nevertheless, rostering Duran, Jax, Louis Varland, Cole Sands, and Danny Coulombe (who could also be moved at the deadline), Minnesota possesses the bullpen depth necessary to sustain the blow of parting ways with Stewart, making a trade with Milwaukee realistic.
If Minnesota and Milwaukee were to align on a deal, there is reason to believe Twins decision-makers would opt to acquire a position player prospect, given how good the organization’s pitching depth has become. Minnesota has become rich in outfield and infield prospects, with Walker Jenkins, Luke Keaschall, Kaelen Culpepper, and the oft-injured Emmanuel Rodriguez becoming near-consensus Top 100 prospects over the last two seasons. Alas, the organization’s catching depth has become incredibly thin. Interestingly, a young, recently drafted catcher has quickly risen through Milwaukee’s system this season, making plausible this swap:
Brewers receive: right-handed reliever Brock Stewart
Twins receive: catching prospect Marco Dinges
Drafted in the fourth round of the 2024 MLB Draft out of Florida State University, Dinges had a robust start to his 2025 campaign, posting a 202 wRC+ over 112 plate appearances at Low-A Carolina. The 21-year-old has since earned a promotion to High-A Wisconsin, posting a similarly impressive 164 wRC+ over 244 plate appearances in Appleton. Ranked as Milwaukee’s ninth-best prospect, according to Brewer Fanatic, Dinges possesses plus bat speed and raw speed and could develop into a 20+ home run hitter at the major-league level. Despite limited experience as a backstop (he began catching his senior year of high school), he’s a plus athlete who possesses a near-elite arm and could stay at the position in the majors.
Even if Dinges is unable to stick at catcher, there is reason to believe his bat could play at first base or in the corner outfield, making him an intriguing potential acquisition for Minnesota. Again, Stewart has been an incredible reliever (when healthy) since joining Minnesota halfway through the 2023 season. He’s still under team control for two and a half years, although he can’t be optioned to the minors and those injury issues are a real consideration. Asking Milwaukee to part ways with Dinges during his breakout 2025 campaign would be bold, and the Twins might need to throw in more on their side to get it done. Yet, given that Stewart remains controllable and cheap, this potential trade could make sense for both organizations’ short- and long-term plans.