The Aug. 3 MLB Trade Deadline is approaching quickly, and there is a case for all 30 MLB teams to make some sort of move to improve their roster or gain assets for the future.

So, what is it the Milwaukee Brewers need?

Recently, Jim Bowden of The Athletic detailed targets that contenders should pursue while also highlighting which teams should look to sell. At 58-34, the Brewers possess the second-best record in baseball, which clearly makes them a contender on the former executive's list.

In Bowden’s view, Milwaukee needs more left-handed pitching, and he believes New York Mets southpaw A.J. Minter would be the best fit.

Bowden makes it clear that the Brewers can address most of their needs internally, but that bullpen depth is the primary concern. Milwaukee has remained a steady playoff presence in recent years largely due to the organization’s knack for developing players.

However, the Brewers currently have 12 players on the Injured List, four of which are left-handed pitchers. If Milwaukee did make a move for Minter, what kind of player would they be getting?

Minter, 32, is in his second season with the Mets after spending the first eight seasons of his MLB career with the Atlanta Braves. At 39-54 heading into Thursday's slate of games, New York is having an extremely underwhelming season, but Minter has been a bright spot out of the bullpen.

In 17 appearances, Minter is 1-1 with a 0.53 ERA and a 0.65 WHIP through 17 innings of work. In that span, he has struck out 14 batters while allowing just one earned run and one walk.

Minter is in the final season of a two-year, $22 million deal that he signed with the Mets ahead of the 2025 offseason. Therefore, he could simply be a rental for the Brewers, or he could ink a new contract to stay in Milwaukee if a hypothetical professional marriage between the two works out.

Minter also has solid postseason experience. He was a part of five Braves teams that went to the playoffs, including the 2021 World Series team. In 20 postseason appearances (one start) Minter is 3-1 with a 2.88 ERA.

Bowden also named Boston Red Sox left-hander Aroldis Chapman as a good fit next to Trevor Megill in closing situations, but he is older and slightly more expensive than Minter. 

If the Brewers decide to enter the trade landscape with the intention of getting a left-handed reliever, Minter does seem like the best choice.

His production and experience would be key for a team looking to make a deep postseason run, and Milwaukee could benefit from his presence instead of just waiting for health to be on its side or relying heavily on young arms in big moments.

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