The Milwaukee Brewers are reportedly thinking outside the box to address their middle infield woes. According to MLB Network's Jon Morosi Miguel Andujar Jersey , they have tinkered with the idea of acquiring Kansas City Royals third baseman Mike Moustakas and moving Travis Shaw to second base.While it's unclear how seriously they will pursue this plan, Shaw began taking grounders at the unfamiliar position earlier this month. The 28-year-old, who played first base earlier in his career with the Boston Red Sox, has never tried the spot in a big league game.There would be a method to Milwaukee's madness if Shaw's relocation solved the club's first base logjam. Unless the playoff contender really wants to go crazy and teach Eric Thames the hot corner, the Brewers should leave Shaw where he is.Batting .249/.309/.468 with four home runs in each of the last three months after an eight-homer April, Moustakas no longer merits the headache. Especially not when other second basemen are available.The Twins' Brian Dozier and the Mets' Asdrubal Cabrera are both pending free agents on teams out of the playoff hunt. Minnesota's Eduardo Escobar or Miami's Derek Dietrich is more likely to play a passable second than Shaw. If the Brewers pay a steeper price, they could possibly land more than a rental in Miami's Starlin Castro, Kansas City's Whit Merrifield or Cincinnati's Scooter Gennett.They are also in the market for starting pitching, and one team can solve both problems.Verdict: FictionKyle Gibson, Twins Infielders Draw Milwaukees Attention4 of 7Kyle Gibson is an interesting trade candidate enjoying a breakout campaign.Hannah Foslien/Getty ImagesMorosi also reported that the Brewers are smitten with Kyle Gibson in addition to the Minnesota Twins' infielders, presumably Dozier and Escobar. General manager David Stearns would hit this deadline out of the park by landing Gibson and one of those position players.The Brewers have received minus-0.4 WAR from their second basemen, so even a toiling Dozier represents a significant upgrade. His career wOBA climbs from .326 to .346 from the first half of the season to the second half, so they can hold out rational hope that the 31-year-old regains his rhythm during the final months of his contract.Escobar may conversely regress from a .357 wOBA 46 points above his career average, but a stadium upgrade will prolong some performance uptick. Last year's production (.254/.309/.449, 1.7 WAR) would nevertheless boost the Brewers' lineup considerably at second base or shortstop.If they are comfortable with having him handle shortstop, they can even ask for both.Unlike Dozier and Escobar, Gibson is under contract beyond 2018. Yet the righty, who turns 31 later this year, has registered a 3.42 ERA after back-to-back seasons with a 5.07 clip. Cashing out a year early would land the Twins a better haul.Attaching him to Dozier and/or Escobar could potentially garner an elite prospect such as Corbin Burnes, who would replace Gibson in their 2019 rotation http://www.athleticsfanproshop.com/authentic-khris-davis-jersey , if not immediately. Milwaukee's nine losses in its last 12 games ought to trigger a noteworthy deadline deal.Verdict: FactPirates Pursuing Keone Kela5 of 7The red-hot Pittsburgh Pirates have their sights set on Texas Rangers reliever Keone Kela.Ron Jenkins/Getty ImagesEight games below .500 on July 7, the Pittsburgh Pirates are now 3.5 games away from a wild-card spot at 53-51. An 11-game winning streak snapped Wednesday has added another buyer to the hot stove.Ranked 12th with a .318 wOBA and 18th in rotation ERA (4.25), they're perfectly competent but unspectacular in most facets. While their 4.34 bullpen ERA dips to 21st on MLB's leaderboard, they're seventh in strikeout percentage and eighth in FIP.A rolling late-inning unit of Richard Rodriguez, Edgar Santana, Kyle Crick and Felipe Vazquez might qualify as the closest thing they possess to a distinguishable strength. That makes their interest in a bullpen upgrade somewhat confusing.The Pirates have "legitimate interest" in Texas Rangers closer Keone Kela, according to Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News. Despite his injury history, a 25-year-old with a 3.28 ERA, 29.5 strikeout percentage and three more full seasons under team control won't come cheap.It's tough to that imagine a fringe contender鈥攅specially one that cut costs by moving Andrew McCutchen and Gerrit Cole during the offseason鈥攚ill sacrifice significant prospects for bullpen help. The Pirates are more likely to hedge their bets with a cheap rental such as Kela's fellow Rangers reliever Jake Diekman.Their infield also needs a power spark if they're serious about maintaining a late playoff push.Verdict: FictionTigers Wont Trade Michael Fulmer or Nicholas Castellanos6 of 7The Detroit Tigers wont trade Nicholas Castellanos this summer unless theyre blown away by an offer.Tom Szczerbowski/Getty ImagesCertainly not contenders, the Detroit Tigers are poorly aligned to sell this summer. A master con artist couldn't dupe anyone into taking Miguel Cabrera or Jordan Zimmermann, who will make a combined $55 million over each of the next two seasons. Outside of Victor Martinez, a 39-year-old playing out his final year with an $18 million salary and .265 wOBA, only Jose Iglesias and Francisco Liriano will depart for free agency this offseason.Their top pitcher and position player aren't going anywhere. The Athletic's Jayson Stark said they won't entertain offers for Michael Fulmer, and Nicholas Castellanos will also stay put "barring a huge overpay." On Wednesday, Stark clarified that while they will at least listen to inquiries on both, a deal remains improbable.Fulmer, acquired three summers ago for Yoenis Cespedes, was enduring the worst season of his early career (4.50 ERA, 1.32 WHIP) before going on the disabled list with a strained oblique. Trading an injured 25-year-old ace yet to enter his arbitration years would make no sense.There's a better case to make for Castellanos. They could fetch a mighty return for a 26-year-old batting .298/.351/.505 with 15 homers and a career-high .365 wOBA, especially in a market devoid of big-name bats. Detroit is doubtful to construct a competitive team next season Kendall Graveman Jersey , his final year under team control.If they don't field offers for him now, they should act with more urgency during the offseason. Superstar slugger J.D. Martinez did not draw a massive trade return months before hitting the open market, so Detroit should learn its lesson and avoid delaying the inevitable.Yet Tigers general manager Al Avila has enough leverage to stand pat unless he's blown away with a remarkable offer, so he'll likely do just that. He should at least dangle starting pitcher Mike Fiers and closer Shane Greene, who can bolt after 2019 and 2020, respectively.Verdict: FactPhillies Interested in Adam Jones7 of 7The Philadelphia Phillies are reportedly considering long-time Baltimore Orioles outfielder Adam Jones.Greg Fiume/Getty ImagesThe Baltimore Orioles, the summer's biggest sellers, have already sent Manny Machado and Britton packing. They could continue their extensive teardown by trading the heart of their franchise.According to Fancred's Jon Heyman, the Philadelphia Phillies have turned their attention to Adam Jones after missing out on Machado. Although also a free agent this winter, the outfielder can veto any trade using his 10-and-5 rights earned by spending the past 11 seasons in Baltimore.Heyman cited Jones' clubhouse leadership as a selling point for the Phillies. Per ESPN.com, they have MLB's youngest active roster at an average age of 26.7 years old.Yet Jones, who turns 33 on Aug. 1, no longer looks like a significant on-field upgrade. He's batting a mundane .276/.303/.420 with his lowest wOBA (.312) since 2008. While Heyman called Jones "one of the best there is" defensively, the metrics don't support that claim.In terms of Ultimate Zone Rating (UZR), he's been MLB's worst defensive outfielder since the start of 2017.Besides, Philadelphia's Nick Williams has made significant progress this month by batting .333/.412/.573 with an elevated walk (10.6) and depreciated strikeout (16.5) percentage. Perhaps the Phillies only need a fourth outfielder or left-handed platoon partner, and Jones may not approve a deal to a team where he must embrace a limited role.This seems like a deal more likely to occur later in August if Williams regresses, Philadelphia widens its NL East edge and Jones is more amenable to joining any interested contender. Too many variables remain to sign off on this pairing before the non-waiver deadline.The Cleveland Indians, tied to Jones along with Philadelphia by Morosi, can offer Jones steadier playing time and a higher probability of playing October baseball.Verdict: FictionNote: All advanced statistics are courtesy of FanGraphs unless otherwise noted. Contract information obtained from Cot's Baseball Contracts. ATLANTA (AP) — Brian Snitker endured a restless night after the final game of the season.He was poring over what went wrong for the Atlanta Braves in the playoffs.He might’ve been thinking about his own future http://www.athleticsfanproshop.com/authentic-jose-canseco-jersey , as well.“I laid awake all night staring at the ceiling,” the Braves manager said. “I couldn’t sleep.”After assembling some of baseball’s finest young talent and making a surprising return to the playoffs for the first time since 2013, Atlanta went down quietly in the postseason. The Baby Braves were shut out twice in Los Angeles before the high-powered Dodgers finished off the best-of-five series with a 6-2 victory in Game 4 on Monday.The brief playoff appearance exposed a team that still has some glaring weaknesses . The pitching lacks a dominant starter, the lineup needs more power, and the bench wasn’t much help at all.When Snitker looked over at the Dodgers, a star-filled team that earned its third straight trip to the NL Championship Series, he saw what the Braves must strive to become.“We’re going to get there,” Snitker said, “but we’re not there yet.”First up: The Braves must decide if their manager will be part of journey.Snitker is not yet under contract for 2019, though there’s nothing to indicate he won’t return for his third full year at the helm — especially after a season that makes him one of the leading candidates for NL manager of the year.The decision rests with general manager Alex Anthopoulos, who held meetings Tuesday with Snitker and the coaching staff but wasn’t available to the media.“Until something gets done … I understand that you’re never guaranteed tomorrow,” said Snitker, who turns 63 next week. “I don’t know. I know I’d like to (return). I enjoyed it. I love that group in there. I like being around ’em. That group in there is awesome. I’ve got a few more years in me.”The manager expects a quick decision from Anthopoulos.“He’s not going to string anything out,” Snitker said. “I think by the end of the week I will know something.”Freddie Freeman gave Snitker a robust endorsement.“I’d love to have him back,” the slugging first baseman said. “He did a remarkable job. It’s really hard to handle 25 to 35 personalities, and he’s one of the best at it.”After a massive rebuilding job and three straight 90-loss seasons, the Braves suddenly returned to prominence in large part because of a bountiful farm system led by Ronald Acuna Jr., Ozzie Albies and a seemingly endless supply of dynamic young pitchers.The 20-year-old Acuna quickly stamped himself as a franchise player after coming up from the minors early in the season, flourishing in the leadoff spot while hitting .293 with 26 homers, 64 RBIs and 16 stolen bases. Only 21 http://www.athleticsfanproshop.com/authentic-jed-lowrie-jersey , Albies tailed off badly in the second half but still batted .261 with 24 homers and 72 RBIs in his first full season in the big leagues. The lineup also included 23-year-old Johan Camargo, who had 19 homers and 76 RBIs, and 24-year-old Dansby Swanson (who missed the playoffs because of a late-season injury).Among the 20-something pitchers, Mike Foltynewicz went 13-10 with a 2.85 ERA and made the All-Star Game for the first time. Sean Newcomb was a 12-game winner. Touki Toussaint, Max Fried and Mike Soroka showed plenty of potential in their limited opportunities. Top prospects Kolby Allard and Kyle Wright could be close to breaking through, as well.Freeman (.309, 23 HRs, 98 RBIs) anchored the middle of the batting order along with another veteran, right fielder Nick Markakis (.297, 14, 93). Center fielder Ender Inciarte and catcher Kurt Suzuki also made key contributions.“It wasn’t one guy one night and the same guy the next night,” Foltynewicz said. “It was really a team thing the whole year. It was really fun to watch.”Markakis, who turns 35 next month, is set to become a free agent and may have played his last game for the Braves. Anthopoulos will likely be seeking a player who can bring more power to the middle of the lineup — a shortfall that was really exposed in the series against the Dodgers.Los Angeles outscored the Braves 20-8, with eight homers producing for 14 of those runs. Atlanta was held to a pair of long balls, including Acuna’s grand slam in Game 3 that accounted for half of his team’s run production.“We’re not a finished product by any stretch,” Snitker said.Despite losing its ninth straight postseason series — a streak that dates back to 2001 and is eclipsed only by the Chicago Cubs dropping 10 in a row — just making the playoffs was a big accomplishment for such a youthful team. When Freeman struck out for the final out of the year, the crowd at SunTrust Park gave the Braves a standing ovation.“It was an incredible experience,” Acuna said. “I definitely had a lot of fun.”It looks like the fun is only beginning.