One Month Later, The Brewers’ Trade Deadline Pickups Have Been A Mixed Bag

It’s been nearly a month since Major League Baseball’s annual trade deadline passed and most Milwaukee Brewers fans are still lamenting the moves not made by owner Mark Attanasio, President of Baseball Operations David Stearns, general manager Matt Arnold.

Fans clamored for an impact bat to help bolster a lagging offense but according to Stearns, efforts to acquire such a piece didn’t pan out and instead, the Brewers picked up a handful of bullpen arms while dealing away two-time All-Star closer Josh Hader for a package that included two prospects, a struggling former closer and another pitcher who’d never even put on a Brewers uniform.

While shipping Hader to the San Diego Padres is still the most unpopular move in Milwaukee since the Bucks replaced Miller with Budweiser products, his 23.14 ERA in seven appearances for the Padres has helped soothe the anger a little bit but not by much since the players Milwaukee did add haven’t exactly produced the way anyone has hoped.

So, as the calendar flips to September and the Brewers gear up for another late-season scramble for a playoff spot, here’s a look at how each of the new additions has fared since joining the squad.

First, a refresher on Milwaukee’s moves ahead of the deadline:

• Traded LHP Josh Hader to San Diego for RHP Dinelson Lamet, LHP Taylor Rogers, LHP Robert Gasser*, OF Esteury Ruiz*
• Traded 2B Mark Mathias and LHP Antoine Kelly* to Texas in exchange for RHP Matt Bush
• Traded OF Tristan Peters* to San Francisco for RHP Trevor Rosenthal

(*-Minor league player)

(Stats through Thursday, Aug. 25)

RHP Matt Bush

Pre-trade: 2-1, 2.95 ERA, 1 save (40 appearances)

Post-trade: 0-1, 4.50 ERA, 2 saves (13 appearances)

Bush got off to a rocky start after joining the Brewers, allowing two runs on three hits in his Milwaukee debut on Aug. 3 then walking a pair of batters and for awhile looked like he’d turn out to be the best of the newcomers.

Following those two rocky outings, Bush posted a 1.17 ERA over his next eight appearances, striking out 11 while walking just one in 7 2/3 innings while earning a pair of saves.

Since then, though, Bush has been just as impressive as he was before Stearns sent utility man Mark Mathias and pitching prospect Antoine Kelly to Texas for his services, posting a 1.17 ERA in eight appearances with 11 strikeouts and only one walk over 7 2/3 innings of work while also picking up a pair of saves.

That run came to an end against the Cubs on Aug. 26, when he gave up the second of Ian Happ’s two home runs and was charged with a blown save. He bounced back with two strikeouts in a scoreless inning one night later but then took another blown save after Michael Chavis’ seventh inning homer on Aug. 30.

Of note here is the fact that Bush is heading into his first winter of arbitration eligibility and while he turns 37 in February, the well-publicized legal problems that delayed his professional career and later injury issues that cost him nearly three full seasons have limited his workload to a point that could make him a potential piece for next year’s bullpen, as well.

Far-fetched, perhaps but strangers things have happened in baseball and Milwaukee’s player development staff has demonstrated an uncanny ability to produce quality arms.

LHP Taylor Rogers

Pre-trade: 1-5, 4.35 ERA, 28 saves

Post trade: 2-1, 4.50 ERA, 1 save

The numbers may not show it, but Rogers has been fairly solid since coming to the Brewers as part of a four-player package obtained from San Diego for Josh Hader.

He’s appeared in nine games since the trade and has gone unscored upon in seven of those contests, including four straight scoreless outings to close out the month. Of the five earned runs he’s allowed as a Brewer, four of those came in one outing against the Cardinals on Aug. 14.

Take that game out of the equation and Rogers’ 1.23 ERA looks pretty good, especially compared to Hader’s mark of 12.46 since joining the Padres.

It’s easy to focus on the struggles that led to San Diego removing Rogers from the closer’s role just before the trade but it’s worth noting that wasn’t far behind Hader in terms of performance for much of the first half of the season.

LHP Dinelson Lamet

Pre-trade: 0-1, 9.49 ERA (13 appearances)

Post-trade: 1-1, 2.08 ERA (8 appearances)

In the type of odd plot twist that’s all too common in baseball, the player with the worst numbers before the deal has gone on to put up the most impressive numbers after the deadline.

But adding to the Brewers’ frustrations, Lamet’s success is coming not in Milwaukee but rather with the Rockies, who claimed him off waivers after the Brewers lacked an open spot on the roster and had to designate him for assignment.

Trading Hader was a head-scratcher, but parting with Lamet for assignment before he even through a single pitch was straight-up mind-boggling — even more so after the Brewers created a roster spot one week later when Jake McGee was designated for assignment.

RHP Trevor Rosenthal

(Has not pitched in 2022)

Despite the fact that Rosenthal hadn’t pitched in the big leagues since undergoing thoracic outlet surgery in April 2021 and was sidelined again when he strained a hamstring during a throwing showcase in June, Stearns was enamored enough with Rosenthal’s track record and ability that he gave up outfield prospect Tristan Peters to land Rosenthal from San Francisco, where he signed a one-year, $4.5 million contract in July.

The Brewers were hoping that the hard-throwing right-hander, who saved 93 games for the Cardinals in 2014-15, would provide another viable late-inning relief option for Counsell but his chances of pitching this season are “in jeopardy,” according to Counsell, after he suffered a shoulder injury while pitching on a minor-league rehab assignment at Triple-A Nashville.