Once the season concludes and an NBA champion is decided, the Milwaukee Bucks will officially kick off what should be an interesting off-season.

Unlike last off-season and even mid-season, there likely will not be many blockbuster surprises, but the team will have the tools to make some moves. Following this season’s early playoff departure, it’s clear that there are several areas that need to be tweaked on this roster. That said, let us highlight a few items on the Milwaukee Bucks’ off-season to-do list.

The Milwaukee Bucks could very well approach this off-season with the idea that their early exit was due to injuries and that they could run it back next season. They shouldn’t. Even when they’re healthy, it’s clear that this roster has some holes. To patch some of those holes, which will be discussed in the coming sections, players will have to be shopped in trades.

It seems safe to say that the Big 3 of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard and Khris Middleton will be safe from trade conversations. The front office should at least gauge the value of everyone else to see what their value is on the market or what they may be able to get in return in a trade, especially with the team set to have some draft picks ready to ship out as well.

The two primary trade candidates should be Bobby Portis and Pat Connaughton. Both veterans have decently-sized contracts, which would be needed in deals. Portis just finished top three in the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year running, so he’s undeniably got legitimate value, especially if draft capital is in the equation as well.

Brook Lopez should be evaluated as well. While he’s proven to be a great fit for the Bucks, there were times this season where it was hard to play him due to his age and dwindling athleticism. With a huge salary of $23 million next season, the Bucks could potentially land a big fish if they were to package him and whatever else was needed.

Ultimately, very few players should be safe from trade discussions.

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Rhys Hoskins hit a go-ahead three-run home run in the seventh inning and the Milwaukee Brewers beat St. Louis 5-3 on Saturday night, sending the Cardinals to their seventh straight loss.

Milwaukee trailed 3-2 when Hoskins hit his team-leading ninth homer, a 407-foot blast to center off reliever Andrew Kittredge (0-2).

The NL-Central leading Brewers have eight straight wins over the Cardinals, dating to last season. It’s Milwaukee’s longest winning streak all-time against St. Louis.

The Cardinals, last in the division and nine games behind Milwaukee, have the longest current losing streak in the majors.

“I watched a lot of those moments last year,” said Hoskins, who missed the entire season with a torn right ACL. “So, just to kind of be right back in those is a ton of fun, but something that I’ll never really take for granted.”

Milwaukee starter Freddy Peralta, who walked six batters in five innings in his last outing, walked one and struck out eight, giving up three runs in six innings.

Relievers Hoby Milner (1-0), Bryan Hudson and Trevor Megill held St. Louis in check, allowing four hits in three shutout innings. Megill earned his fourth save.

“That was really cool,” Megill said of Hoskins’ homer,

With two outs and a runner on first base in the ninth inning, Paul Goldschmidt tried to rally the Cardinals with a single off Megill, breaking a career-worst 0-for-32 skid. Goldschmidt had struck out in his first four at-bats, including twice with two runners on base.

Megill locked down the win by coaxing a fly out by Nolan Arenado, who went 0 for 5.

St. Louis starter Kyle Gibson struck out seven batters and walked four in five innings. The 36-year-old right-hander had thrown six or more innings in each of his first seven starts this season.

“We have to believe in ourselves and figure out if how we’re going about our business is the way we want to do it and, if it is, you’ve got to keep going,” Gibson said. “You’ve got to pick yourself up after nights like tonight. That’s obviously a punch in the gut having the lead there.”

The Brewers scored their first two runs when batters got hit by pitches with the bases loaded. Gibson hit Jake Bauers in the third inning, and JoJo Romero hit Gary Sánchez in the sixth.

Bauers went 2 for 3. William Contreras went 1 for 2 with two walks and has reached base safely in 19 consecutive games, tied for longest in the majors with the Dodgers’ Freddie Freeman.

Lars Nootbaar went 2 for 4 with two RBIs for the Cardinals, who had 12 hits, to the Brewers’ six.

“The at-bats were way better tonight,” Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said. “We got beat tonight, we didn’t beat ourselves.”

The Cardinals entered Saturday having scored 129 runs, second-worst in the majors behind the White Sox (116).

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cardinals: Activated INF Matt Carpenter from the injured list. Optioned INF José Fermín to Triple-A Memphis.

Brewers: Activated RHP Mitch White. Optioned RHP Kevin Herget to Triple-A Nashville.

UP NEXT

Cardinals RHP Miles Mikolas (2-5, 6.43 ERA) faces Brewers RHP Bryse Wilson (2-1, 2.40 ERA).

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

MILWAUKEE – Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Devin Williams, along with coaches Rickie Weeks and Ozzie Timmons, caught up with some local little leaguers on Saturday morning, May 11.

The trio stopped at Carver Park for a Beckum-Stapleton Little League game. They offered words of encouragement, helped the players warm up and served as base coaches to start the game.

“We got to fist-bump them,” said Jaden, one of the little league players. “I got to get some of the balls and throw them to first base.”

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Beckum-Stapleton Little League is a nonprofit, volunteer organization that provides opportunities for kids on Milwaukee’s north side. Since its inception in 1964, the organization has served more than 25,000 kids.

“You’re not going to make it to the big leagues if you never play the game at all,” Williams said. “A big part of us being out here is just inspiring that next generation and getting them on the field and growing a love for the game.

The Brewers and the Brewers Community Foundation have supported Beckum-Stapleton Little League for more than two decades, the organization said. Most recently, they provided a grant to purchase 400 full uniforms for little league players.