The NL Central has never really been a place where neighbors do each other many favors, but this winter that reality feels especially cruel for the Milwaukee Brewers. As front offices scan a thin free-agent board and a trade market heavy on “maybe” fits, one of the cleanest answers to a few of the Brewers’ biggest questions seems to live right down the road in St. Louis.
The Cardinals are listening to pieces that would slot perfectly into Pat Murphy’s lineup card in Milwaukee (versatile bats, established stars, even a middle-of-the-order anchor), and yet the Brewers might as well be operating in a different league.