The Milwaukee Brewers are expected to finalize a deal that will send Yovani Gallardo to the Texas Rangers. The move will leave a hole in the Milwaukee rotation, and they may already have their sights set on potential replacements for Gallardo.

Nats Looking To Move Zimmermann

According to Fox Sports, the Brewers may be considering a trade for Jordan Zimmermann or signing James Shields as a free agent. After the Washington Nationals have agreed to a deal with Max Scherzer, Shields is the best free agent starting pitcher left available.

Zimmermann may be a perfect fit for Milwaukee. He has local ties to the area, and he had the best season of his career in 2014, when he established himself as a bona fide staff ace. However, Zimmermann is eligible for free agency after the upcoming season, and he figures to get a contract worth $150 million or so on the open market.

Dodgers Pursuing Shields?

That kind of deal is not really in line with how Milwaukee normally handles their payroll, but they do have several players that will be eligible for free agency after 2015, which could free up as much as $50 million from their current payroll.

If the team decides they do not want to part with prospects to land Zimmermann, they may elect to try and sign James Shields. Shields will likely command a contract in the $100 million range, which would be substantially less than Zimmermann, although Shields is several years older than the Washington ace.

Below, you can see the highlights of Zimmermann's dominant 2014 season.