This is part four in a five part series. The first three posts ran earlier today.
If the Brewers are serious about getting help for the 2011 team, dealing prospects is one way to do it. The Brewers do have a few interesting names to consider here, including Brett Lawrie, Jake Odorizzi and Kyle Heckathorn. The reasons to trade/not trade a prospect are pretty straightforward, so I'll keep this brief.
Reasons to make a move:
Short term gain. Lawrie, Odorizzi, Heckathorn and others all project to help the Brewers down the road (all three could be key contributors by 2013 or 14), but none of them are in a position to fill a key role with the Brewers next season. If you feel the Brewers are only a pitcher or two away from contending for the playoffs and/or a World Series, then you could make a case that one or more of these prospects should be packaged and shipped out for help.
Reasons not to make a move:
Long term loss. Young, inexpensive homegrown talent is the starting point for most successful franchises in baseball, and it's almost certainly the path the Brewers need to follow. As such, trading prospects away for short term gain blows a hole in the organization's future plans.
So, what do you think?