Milwaukee Brewers: The Top 10 David Stearns Transactions

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.