Why June 16 is date to watch for Brewers promotion of Cooper Pratt or Jett Williams originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
There is no denying that the Milwaukee Brewers desperately need to find a way to upgrade their left side of the infield, especially at third base.
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Luis Rengifo and David Hamilton aren’t good enough, and Joey Ortiz hasn’t been great either. With Jett Williams and Cooper Pratt waiting in the wings, it’s fair to wonder why they haven’t made the call just yet despite such a clear need.
Well, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic revealed why they both might not be up in the big leagues yet, and it’s thanks in part to an important date: June 16. That date might be when Brewers fans finally see Williams and/or Pratt called up to the Majors as well.
“June 16, the first date teams can trade free agents in the first year of contracts without their consent, is a day to keep in mind,” Rosenthal writes.
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The reason why this is important for the Brewers is that Rengifo, who the Brewers signed to a one-year, $3.5 million contract this past offseason, will finally be eligible to be traded on June 16.
As Rosenthal notes, “But rather than release him, the Brewers surely would prefer to find a taker that might give them either measure of financial relief or a low-level prospect in return.”
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For now, the Brewers can’t trade Rengifo, despite clearly needing to upgrade from him this season amid his .531 OPS. But if they are patient and wait until June 16, they can trade him for anything of value, opening a spot for Pratt or Williams.
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Milwaukee needs to upgrade both its third base and shortstop spots this season. While they could trade for one by the deadline, they could instead call up Pratt or Williams to fill those spots once June 16 comes around.
This is an interesting wrinkle for the Brewers, as they’re now in limbo for roughly two more weeks until they can finally make roster changes, if they stick to this plan outlined by Rosenthal.
