Sergio Estrada-USA TODAY Sports
Beating up on the Brewers’ bullpen may have cost the Giants.
After San Francisco torched the Milwaukee bullpen in taking two of three in their weekend series, the two teams are engaged in trade talks involving closer Will Smith, according to a report from The Athletic on Monday.
No deal is reportedly imminent, but the two teams have scouted each other, and the report indicates the Giants have interest in middle infielder Mauricio Dubon.
Dubon is their No. 5 prospect, according to MLB Pipeline, and has mainly played shortstop but also seen time at second and third this season. With Keston Hiura at second and Orlando Arcia at short, Dubon’s path to the majors in Milwaukee has been blocked.
Smith, meanwhile, blew his first save of the year against the Brewers, now 23-of-24 with a 2.17 ERA. He and Josh Hader would form a potent, left-handed back-end of the bullpen, and Smith has told KNBR he’s willing to switch to setup man. It would also be a reunion for Smith, who played with the Brewers from 2014-16, until getting dealt to the Giants.
If a deal is consummated, the Giants’ late-inning bats can be blamed. In 12 innings against Milwaukee relief in the three-game series, the Giants scored 17 runs, including blown saves from Hader and Jeremy Jeffress.