Milwaukee Brewers: The Top 10 David Stearns Transactions

Milwaukee Brewers General Manager David Stearns has remarkably transformed the major league roster since arriving in 2015 and stocked the minor league cupboard.

The Brewers are now in competition for a playoff spot for the second consecutive year. In just under three years Stearns has made many moves, but which have been his best?

The non-waiver Major League Baseball Trade Deadline is July 31st. David Stearns and the Brewers have been rumored in many deals, including just missing out on All-Star shortstop Manny Machado. He went from the Orioles to the Dodgers and promptly helped his new team take two out of three from the the Crew to start the 2nd half.

The thought is that this might be a great time to reflect on some of the best moves in the short tenure of the Brewers GM, as he readies to possibly make some of his biggest decisions. Will Stearns trade some of their best prospects for the future to contend now? It will be fascinating to watch.

The Start of the Rebuild

The Milwaukee Brewers started the construction of the current team shortly before hiring David Stearns. Former General Manager Doug Melvin had a good run in Milwaukee and he should get recognition for the three major moves he made prior to exiting.

He acquired Zach Davies from Baltimore for Gerardo Parra. Davies has regressed a bit in 2018 before going on the disabled list, but he did win 28 games over the previous 2 seasons with sub 4.00 ERA’s. The Brewers hope he can stabilize the back of the rotation for their playoff push this season.

Melvin also made two trades that helped speed up the timetable of returning to competitive baseball. He traded Carlos Gomez and Mike Fiers to the Astros at the trade deadline for many names familiar to Brewers fans. The haul included Domingo Santana, Brett Phillips, Adrian Houser, and Josh Hader. Obviously the jewel to the trade has been the All-Star Hader, but Santana also hit 30 home runs in 2017. The fun part of this deal is that Stearns was part of the Astros brain-trust that made this deal!

The other major move Melvin made was with his former team, the Texas Rangers. He gave up Yovani Gallardo (who incidentally tried to make a comeback in spring this season for the Brewers) for Corey Knebel, Marcos Diplan, and Luis Sardinas. Knebel has been injured and a bit erratic in 2018, but was one of the best closers in baseball in 2017. Diplan is still a solid pitching prospect for the Brewers. He regressed a bit in 2017, but has moved up to AA with some impressive performances this season. Doug Melvin deserves kudos for some solid maneuvering to get the rebuild started.

David Stearns has had a few missteps

For my day job, I was constantly Googling how certain players in the Brewers system were acquired. It can get confusing at the start of a rebuild. So, I took it upon myself to create a database of the moves David Stearns made. I also included subjective grades and comments for each one. Incidentally, the research for this article was made much easier!

While putting together the database with grades, I quickly realized Stearns has not made too many blunders. There have been low risk moves that did not work out and some that were good for both teams. However, there are two very noticeable moves that Stearns would likely want a mulligan for. The first was trading Khris Davis for Jacob Nottingham and Bubba Derby.

Nottingham made his debut for the Brewers this year and could still prove to be their catcher of the future. However, Davis has hit 106 home runs in two and half seasons in Oakland and shows no signs of slowing down. Most fans knew that Davis likely needed to be an American League player, since he could only play left field with a below-average arm. He has been a full-time designated hitter in 2018 after the A’s had him play a decent amount of outfield prior. It was not necessarily a mistake to trade Davis, but Stearns needed to get more in return.

The other move that did not work was putting Scooter Gennett on waivers to save from paying his salary. The Reds claimed him and Gennett has been an entirely different player than he was in Milwaukee. The newly minted All-Star had a breakthrough season last year with 27 home runs and 97 RBI’s. He is on pace to better those numbers in 2018. His bat would look great in the Brewers lineup. That being said, Keston Hiura is likely the future now, but Stearns losing him for nothing was not his best move.

Understanding the Top 10

As previously mentioned, I came to this subjective rankings based on my database that I compiled. There likely will be much debate on the order and some that were left off. The list I compiled is determined by many factors, including their impact in the big leagues so far, prospect ranking, and what was given up to attain the player(s).

For example, the trade that brought in Chase Anderson also resulted in losing Jean Segura. I contend the trade was good for both teams, especially since Segura needed a change of scenery. That being said, the 10 acquisitions I placed ahead of that one all had better final grades attached for overall value.

There are not any draft picks included, since they take longer to grade. In a couple of years, this list could look much different with adding top picks and the results of all of the players involved. The list can change so much, that at the end of the season, it would likely be markedly different. Please use the comments section or tweet us to start a conversation on what you think your Top 10 would look like. With that said, here we go.

9. Anthony Swarzak

Acquired in trade from White Sox for Ryan Cordell (July 2017)

This was a deadline deal made by Stearns to help out a tired bullpen and it was just what the team needed. In 29 mostly high-leverage outings, Swarzak fashioned a 2.48 ERA and had 39 strikeouts in only 29 innings of work. He usually was the set-up man for Corey Knebel and that duo had a lot of success in the heat of a pennant race.

The Milwaukee Brewers were 23-6 in games that Swarzak appeared in.

The Brewers tried to keep him in the offseason, but he became a true rental when he signed with the New York Mets for two years and 14 million dollars. This goes with the classic adage that some of the best moves are the ones you don’t make. Swarzak parlayed the best year of his career for a big contract, but he has not produced in New York. At the break, his ERA is at 7.47 and he is looking like a bust. Relievers tend to be up and down from year-to-year, so he still could turn it around.

8. Lewis Brinson, Luis Ortiz, and Ryan Cordell

Acquired via trade with Rangers for Jonathan Lucroy and Jeremy Jeffress (August 2016)

This is a hard trade to judge because of the moving parts to it. At first, Lewis Brinson looked like a steal, vaulting to the top of their prospect lists with a big season after being acquired from the Rangers. However, his limited time in the majors has not been stellar so far. That being said, he was the centerpiece that brought Christian Yelich to Milwaukee. The first time All-Star has been a force in the lineup all season long. You have to factor Yelich into this trade, which is why it is awfully hard to judge. Keep clicking through the list, as you will see the Yelich name again.

Jonathan Lucroy did not do a whole lot for the Rangers in parts of two seasons and has seen a healthy decline in 2018. That is certainly part of the ranking as well. Jeremy Jeffress is also back for a third time in Milwaukee, which is a fun anecdote. After doing well in the Lone Star State after the trade, Jeffress pitched horribly the following year in Texas.

The wild card in this trade is Luis Ortiz. He has been a top prospect for the Brewers and could make a push for the starting rotation in a couple of years. Ortiz has stalled a bit in Biloxi, but is still considered one of their better prospects. He also could be a major piece dealt at the trade deadline, but in any event, he is a name worth keeping an eye on. If he produces, this trade could look even better.

7. Jeremy Jeffress

Acquired via trade with Rangers for Tayler Scott (July 2017)

Jeremy Jeffress just really feels comfortable in Milwaukee. His stats for the three different American League teams he played for (Royals, Blue Jays, and Rangers) are vastly inferior to when he is in the Brew City. In Milwaukee he has a career 2.30 ERA, 30 saves, is 19-4, and has a 1.21 WHIP. In his other stops his ERA increases to 4.76, with 1 save, a 4-3 record, and has a 1.70 WHIP. The stats are just hard to explain.

His 3rd time in Milwaukee has certainly been the charm thus far. Along with Swarzak, he helped a beleaguered bullpen last season with some solid outings. He was still not a major part of their offseason, signing a very team friendly $1.75 million deal with two club options that follow. Those will be important for the small market Brewers, as they can lock up the 2018 All-Star for the next two years with a lot less money than he would get on the free agent market.

So far this season, all Jeffress has done is combine with Josh Hader to close the door on the late innings of games. At the All-Star break, Jeffress had a 1.34 ERA, a minuscule 0.894 WHIP, and has 50 strikeouts in a whopping 46 outings. He has done this all with mound persona that has endeared him to the Miller Park faithful. He has bonded with the fans and seems to have a blast playing the game. The fact that he is only #7 on this list proves the might of David Stearns in his three short years at the helm.

6. Eric Thames

Acquired via Free Agency from Korea (November 2016)

The signing of Eric Thames after 3 years in Korea came basically out of nowhere. There were not a lot of rumors tying him to the Brewers. Outside of Cecil Fielder, there also have not been too many success stories of power hitters finding their stroke overseas to mash in the majors. At the time, his 3-year contract worth $16 million seemed a bit steep if you just look at his past credentials in Toronto and Seattle. He had cartoon numbers in Korea, but would they translate?

Thames was signed to replace Chris Carter, who hit 41 home runs in his lone season for Milwaukee. There were many fans wondering why David Stearns would not just sign the proven hitter in Carter. This is another decision the Brewers GM got right.

So far in his season and a half, Thames has already bashed 44 long balls. He burst onto the scene quickly in 2017, before battling inconsistency. In 2018 he has been a bit more consistent, but he missed a month due to injury and subsequently has lost a bit of playing time to Jesus Aguilar.

Overall, Thames has been a huge part of the team since signing. He does not hit for a high average, but his OBP has always been strong due to his eye at the plate. Thames has also been versatile enough to return to the outfield with the emergence of Aguilar and continues to bring an effervescent personality to the clubhouse.

5. Christian Yelich

Acquired via trade with Marlins for Lewis Brinson, Isan Diaz, Monte Harrison, and Jordan Yamamoto (January 2018)

A lot has been written about this trade, so I do not want to rehash all of the specifics for this piece. The day that both Christian Yelich and Lorenzo Cain were acquired, most Brewers fans had to process a lot of things. Yes, it was pure emotion, but there were questions. What does this mean for Domingo Santana? Where will Ryan Braun play? Did the Brewers really have to give up Monte Harrison? Yelich is a nice player, but what if Brinson turns into a perennial All-Star? These were all valid questions.

At the end of the day, it seems the majority of fans and pundits applauded the Brewers for acquiring an ascending player under team control for the next 5 seasons. The cost for those years was going to be high, but the Brewers have known value that will produce immediately at the big league level. And boy, has he produced.

He made his first All-Star team by playing his normal Gold Glove defense at all 3 outfield spots, has his batting average hovering around .300, double-digit home runs and stolen bases, and 43 RBIs.

These stats are commensurate to his last couple of seasons in Florida, but you have to see Yelich play every day to truly appreciate him. He glides around the bases with efficiency. Seeing him go 1st to 3rd or 1st to home is a joy to watch. He also carries that same efficiency with his path to balls in the outfield. The 26-year old Yelich hits the ball to all fields and can carry a team for stretches.

The price to acquire Yelich was big, so the overall grade of the trade is still being hashed out. If he continues with this pace for the life of the contract, Yelich will certainly make a big mark in the state of Wisconsin.

4. Lorenzo Cain

Acquired via Free Agency from Kansas City (January 2018)

The deals for Lorenzo Cain and Yelich on the same day this past offseason could go down as one of bigger days in team history. That is saying something for late January.

At this point, it is difficult to judge one acquisition over the other. They both transformed the team overnight. Yelich likely has the better future because of age, but we are judging the deals primarily on where we stand today. In my humble opinion, five weeks ago I claimed that Cain was the Brewers team MVP. Aguilar would likely get that award now, but Cain’s impact and the fact it only cost money (a lot of it) to acquire him–gives this move the nod for now.

Cain made the All-Star team for the 2nd time in his career this season with a slash line of .293/.393/.427. This includes eight home runs and 18 stolen bases, along with some of the best center field play you will see in baseball. He has a WAR of 4.4, which attests to how well he is playing on defense.

Cain has also changed how he plays, since he is largely batting leadoff after batting 3rd in the order in Kansas City. He already has 47 walks on the season, which is the 2nd most he has ever had in a season. Cain will pass the 54 free passes he drew last season in short order. He was supposed to fall off a bit in his age 32 season, but his legs have not shown that yet. The Brewers are hoping a late start to the game has saved his legs a bit.

The intangibles are also off the charts for Cain, as the team has been galvanized by his spirit and World Series credentials. Cain will certainly be a major cog down the stretch. The signing by Stearns was a bit hefty in cost by Milwaukee standards, but the move is already paying huge dividends in his return to the team that drafted him in 2004.

3. Freddy Peralta

Acquired with Daniel Missaki and Carlos Herrera via trade with Mariners for Adam Lind (December 2015)

This trade has moved up the list dramatically this season. When David Stearns pulled off the trade at the Winter Meetings prior to the 2016 season, it largely did not cause a stir in Brew City. Lind was a nice player, but he was not a difference maker. All of the prospects that the Brewers acquired were pitchers under the age of 20, so it is hard to get too excited about young kids that far away from the major leagues.

Little did we know Freddy Peralta was going to bang down the door early in 2018. He is one of the Brewers top prospects with a very high ceiling. He announced himself in his debut by striking out 13 Rockies at Coors Field. He has followed that up with seven starts, which included a one-hit masterpiece in his home debut against the Royals across seven innings. He is expected to remain in the rotation after the break, as he has a 2.65 ERA in his 37.1 major league innings thus far.

Adam Lind only hit .239 for the Mariners in 2016, although he did end up hitting 20 home runs. He moved on to the Nationals in 2017 and is out of baseball at this point. The Mariners certainly came out on the losing end of this one.

The trade right now is essentially Peralta for Lind. Missaki has had injury issues and has not pitched in a game since 2015. Herrera is still only 20 years old, but is struggling in 2018 with the Low-A Timber Rattlers. The Brewers took a chance on three young arms and seemingly hit big on one of them. Stearns will take that percentage any day of the week. Anything else gained would be gravy.

2. Jesus Aguilar

Acquired off waivers from Indians (February 2017)

Jesus Aguilar has had a tremendous run lately, vaulting him to the All-Star game and national consciousness. I have some bias here as I had the gumption to loosely compare Aguilar to David Ortiz with my first blog for this site. I am pleased he has made me look quite good with his play!

If this list would have been compiled a few months ago, there is no way Aguilar would have been this far up. He was a great story last year, but there was talk in spring about trading or even releasing the big guy. Eric Thames and converted outfielder Ryan Braun were ahead of him at the depth chart at first base.

Aguilar did not play a bunch early. It took one injury to Thames to turn all of that around. Aguilar took his opportunity and ran with it. He crushed a league leading 24 home runs at the break, to go along with 70 RBIs, a .995 OPS and a 2.9 WAR. Even though it took a Final Vote to get him to his first All-Star Game, Aguilar is firmly in the conversation for the MVP.

It is crazy to think about an MVP run considering where Aguilar was when the Indians placed him on waivers less than two years ago. He put up good power numbers in the minor leagues for Cleveland, but there was never consistent at bats for him at the major league level. That could have been the same story for him in Milwaukee.

Not only did David Stearns make the deft pick up, he also kept him on the roster for two Opening Day assignments without consistent at bats. The Indians likely will always be known for this classic blunder. The more Aguilar produces, the more impressive Stearns looks for making the waiver claim.

1. Travis Shaw

Acquired with Mauricio Dubon, Josh Pennington, and Yeicon Coca via trade with Red Sox for Tyler Thornburg (December 2016)

This deal has become very lopsided for David Stearns and the Milwaukee Brewers. Not only was Travis Shaw the Brewers offensive team MVP in 2017, he stabilized a position of weakness in the organization. The Red Sox seemingly grew impatient with Shaw, and the Brewers pounced.

The trade garners the top spot for many reasons. There is the obvious; as Shaw broke out for 31 home runs and 101 RBI’s, while slugging .513 last season. His average is down this year and he is not hitting lefties nearly as well, but he is still a force in the middle of the Brewers lineup.

The Red Sox acquired Tyler Thornburg to be a major piece in their bullpen after coming off a superlative 2016 season with the Brewers. Thornburg had 2.15 ERA over 67 outings, including striking out 90 hitters in just 67 innings.

The problem is that he just started pitching for the Red Sox for the first time since he was traded a season and a half ago. The injury bug hit Thornburg hard and he has not pitched well in limited innings recently. He has given up 5 runs in just over 4 innings of work as he tries to find himself again.

Obviously David Stearns did not know this injury would occur, but it has to factor into the trade. The Brewers have received nearly 50 home runs from Shaw while Thornburg was battling injuries.

More from Reviewing the Brew

• Brewers: 4 Players Who Must Step Up for the Crew to Make the Playoffs
• Brewers: Yet Another Huge Promotion For Top Prospect Jackson Chourio
• Brewers Making Colossal Mistake With Corbin Burnes’ Contract
• Which Players May Be In The Final Month Of Their Brewers Careers?
• Brewers: Where Does Devin Williams Stand In NL Reliever Of The Year Race?

Now, the bad luck surfaced for the Brewers too, as Mauricio Dubon was the other key piece to the trade. He was likely set for a call-up to the major leagues before he tore his ACL. Dubon had a 23-game hitting streak going and was highly thought of as a crucial part of the Brewers middle infield going forward. The Brewers hope he rebounds in 2019.

David Stearns GM Record

The Milwaukee Brewers young GM has not used the word “rebuild” when he discussed his plans going forward for the team. You would have to imagine behind closed doors that the front office was extremely pleased they did not have to bottom out before they returned to relevance.

The Brewers finished 82-80 in 2014 before the wheels fell off during the 2015 season, costing Doug Melvin his job. They won 68 games that season while Melvin starting trading away assets, as discussed earlier. There was a slight improvement to 73 games in 2016 before they took the big jump to 86 wins last year. The Brewers are now in contention for a playoff spot.

After the Brewers lost seven of eight games prior to the All-Star break and the series to the Dodgers afterwards, all eyes are on David Stearns to see if he can make moves comparable to these 10 to help finish the job. The team has some holes in their lineup, injury concerns, and a need for pitching. Stearns did not make a big splash last July with the team announcing themselves on the scene a bit earlier than expected.

2018 is different. The acquisitions of Lorenzo Cain and Christian Yelich signaled that loud and clear back in January. This trade deadline will be very interesting. Will the MIlwaukee Brewers make a huge move by adding an ace like they did with CC Sabathia and Zack Greinke? Or will they augment their bench or bullpen?

Next: Top 10 Relievers in Franchise History

It is pretty clear at this point the team could use an acquisition or two to help make the playoffs for the first time since 2011. If you go by the track record of David Stearns outlined here, Brewers fans have to feel good who will be pulling the trigger.