The Brewers are willing to do most anything this winter to improve their inadequate pitching staff.

Except trade Prince Fielder or Ryan Braun.

Despite ongoing speculation -- mostly from national pundits -- that the Brewers will have to trade one of their two sluggers to acquire a quality starting pitcher, general manager Doug Melvin made it clear he isn't entertaining such thoughts.

Melvin conceded he might have to sacrifice some offense to acquire pitching, but he said that didn't include dealing Braun or Fielder, his Nos. 3 and 4 hitters.

"That would be a tough one," Melvin said. "I don't see that happening."

Melvin and assistant Gord Ash said it would be nearly impossible to get equal value in pitching for either Fielder or Braun, the most productive duo (255 RBIs) in the majors in 2009. Fielder is signed for next year at $10.5 million and can't be a free agent until after 2011. Braun is two years into an eight-year, $45 million deal.

"That's the raging internal debate," Ash said. "There's no right answer to this: What's more valuable, a No. 1 starter that's going march out there 35 times and maybe impact your bullpen an additional 20 times, so he's impacting 55 games? Or a middle-of-the order MVP that has a chance to impact every game?

"I'll go with the hitter. To subtract from that (offensive) domination to add talent, there's so much uncertainty about pitching. It just isn't something we feel we want to do."

Or, as Melvin put it: "In fantasy baseball, you dream about what you could get for Prince or Ryan Braun. In reality, there's not too many teams that can give up the package that we would really want that would guarantee you to be competitive."

Melvin said he had talked with owner Mark Attanasio about the possibility of locking up Fielder with a long-term deal. When Braun agreed to his $45 million deal two years ago, Fielder turned down an offer for a five-year, $50 million deal.

Eligible for arbitration for the first time last winter, Fielder agreed to a two-year, $18 million deal.

"Mark, from an ownership standpoint, knows that's a major decision that's down the pike," Melvin said. "It's not next week, it's not next month. There's no long-term plan right now to do it."

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