Jonathan Schoop Traded from Orioles to Brewers at Trade Deadline
July 31, 2018
The Baltimore Orioles continued to sell off assets, sending second baseman Jonathan Schoop to the Milwaukee Brewers just before Tuesday's non-waiver trade deadline.
Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic was first to report the deal before the Orioles made the official announcement:
Schoop is in the midst of an up-and-down season, posting a .244 batting average with a .273 on-base percentage plus 17 home runs in 85 games. However, he has been red-hot as of late, hitting .360 with nine home runs in the month of July.
The 26-year-old is making $8.5 million this season and has one more year of team control before he will hit free agency.
While Schoop has been a bit of a disappointment in 2018, he is just one year removed from finishing 12th in MVP voting. He earned his only All-Star selection in 2017, when he hit .293 with 32 home runs and 105 RBI, all career highs.
He helps upgrade an infield that was without Villar, who is on the disabled list with a sprained right thumb, though there are now questions about where Schoop, Travis Shaw and the newly acquired Mike Moustakas fit in the lineup.
Still, the addition upgraded the Brewers offense as the team tries to earn a playoff sport for the first time since 2011.
Meanwhile, the Orioles also reportedly dealt pitcher Kevin Gausman—who has two more years before free agency—to the Atlanta Braves shortly before the deadline, per Jon Heyman of Fancred.
Baltimore had already traded pending free agents Manny Machado and Zach Britton, and the last two trades cemented the idea that the organization is in full rebuild mode.
Pitcher Luis Ortiz and shortstop Jean Carmona ranked among the Brewers' top 15 prospects, per MLB.com, so they could help the Orioles return to prominence within a few years.