Milwaukee Brewers

The Milwaukee Brewers had high expectations going into the 2010 season, but their starting pitching let them down again.

At 43-52 heading into last night’s action against the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Brewers look to be sellers instead of buyers at the trade deadline.

One of the more attractive trade chips the Brewers have to get an influx of pitching into their organization is right fielder Corey Hart. Let’s take a look at the pros, cons, and the teams that might be interested in the two-time All-Star out of Kentucky.

The Milwaukee Brewers find themselves at a pivotal crossroads as a franchise.

Unlike most mid-market franchises, the Brewers woes aren't the surefire sign of a fire sale and lengthy rebuilding process. Although there are structural issues with this team that point to bolstering their talent pool by trading some major league talent to this year's contenders. 

This will be quick.

Caught word today of some potential specifics regarding the rumored "seriousness" of the Tampa Bay Rays' interest in acquiring Milwaukee Brewers right-fielder, and 2010 All-Star starter, Corey Hart.

As everyone knows, the Brewers are looking for pitching in return for moving any pieces right now. Well, the Rays are said to be offering that and another piece.

37-48.

11.5 games out of first place.

Those are the numbers Brewer fans were forced to endure this morning when opening their papers or looking online to see the current position of their favorite team.

After a 15-2 loss to the San Francisco Giants, it's clear that the Brewers won't be sniffing the playoffs in 2010.

On Monday night the sluggers of the MLB will be swinging for the rocks in Anaheim during the 2010 Home Run Derby.

As of Wednesday afternoon, six out of eight slots have been filled. The list filled with household names such as David Ortiz, Miguel Cabrera, Matt Holliday, and Corey Hart.

Wait...Hart?

That's no typo; Brewers outfielder Corey Hart is adding to his renaissance season by accepting an invite to slug away in Anaheim.

Yovani Gallardo of the Milwaukee Brewers has been officially placed on the disabled list retroactive to July 5 with a strained left oblique he suffered in the bottom of the third inning on Sunday. Fantasy baseball owners will greatly miss the 8-4 Gallardo with his 2.58 ERA and 9.83 strikeouts per nine innings.

Jordan Schelling of Brewers.com noted that despite being recently named to the National League All-Star team, Gallardo will not take part due to the injury.

When Ryan Braun was named an outfield starter for the National League in the 2010 Summer Classic yesterday—his third straight such honor—the 26-year-old entered uncharted territory for the Milwaukee Brewers.

By getting a third nod (a third consecutive one at that) Braun surpassed the two faces permanently etched on the franchise’s Mount Rushmore: Robin Yount and Paul Molitor, both of whom earned two All-Star Game starts.

While Brewer fans and management go back-and-forth on the merits of dealing Prince Fielder away for young, controllable pitching, there is little to no room for debate on Corey Hart. 

Hart was named to his second All-Star team on Sunday, and is on pace to have the best season of his career. The Brewers need to sell high on Hart, and begin to bring good pitching to Milwaukee. The San Francisco Giants are the perfect counterpart to make such a deal happen, and each team would benefit from making a deal as soon as possible.

With the Milwaukee Brewers starting to turn things around over the past few weeks,their recent performance brings up an interesting question: Will the Brewers be buyers or sellers at the trade deadline?

The worst part about their turnaround is the fact that they are still nine and a half games back of the first place Cincinnati Reds and nine games back of the wild-card leading-Mets.

Unless the Reds or Mets have a two-week collapse, it looks like the Brewers will almost certainly be sellers at the trade deadline.