Brewers' division rival quietly trades Wisconsin native during Kyle Tucker madness

The baseball world was expecting a certain bit of news last night, in large part because the owner of the New York Mets, Steve Cohen, revealed on the social media platform X that one of the top free agents on the market this winter was nearing a decision. In a reference to the Conclave, Cohen wrote, "Let me know when you see smoke," suggesting that Kyle Tucker's free agency decision was imminent, thus raising the hopes of Mets fans.

In the end, the Mets' fanbase was left disappointed and confused as Tucker ultimately chose the Los Angeles Dodgers, who handed him a massive four-year, $240 million contract to join their already dominant roster.

However, lost in the chaos that ensued after the Dodgers swooped in to add another MVP candidate to their roster was a three-team trade involving the Milwaukee Brewers' division rivals, the Cincinnati Reds. In what has been a relatively quiet offseason for Nick Krall and the Reds' front office after they re-signed closer Emilio Pagán and lost the Kyle Schwarber sweepstakes after impressively throwing their hat into the ring, the 2025 Wild Card team completed a deal with the Tampa Bay Rays and Los Angeles Angels right as the Tucker decision was announced. ESPN's Jeff Passan, who also broke the Tucker news, was first to report the three-team deal as well in what was a busy night for the MLB insider.

Cincinnati Reds trade Wisconsin native Gavin Lux to Tampa Bay Rays in three-team trade

Gavin Lux, who hails from Kenosha, WI, where he attended Indian Trail High School, was traded to the Reds from the Dodgers last January. In exchange for the left-handed second baseman, the Dodgers, who took Lux with the 20th overall pick in the 2016 draft, received pitching prospect Mike Sirota and a Competitive Balance Round A pick.

Despite compiling -0.2 bWAR last season, Lux's offensive numbers with Cincinnati don't look too bad. He slashed .269/.350/.374 with 28 doubles for an OPS+ of 97 that placed him just below the league-average hitter. However, asked to play the outfield in addition to second base and a few innings at the hot corner, Lux's defensive value took a hit in 2025, which is why his overall WAR metric doesn't look great.

Even still, it's not difficult to see a productive big-leaguer in Lux's profile. At just 28 years old, his MLB story is far from complete and now he joins a Rays organization that is known for getting the most out of their players.

Meanwhile, the Brewers' division rival adds an intriguing arm to their bullpen in Brock Burke (not to be confused with Brewers' first base prospect Blake Burke). Burke is coming off of the best season of his career in 2025, when he posted a 3.36 ERA in 69 appearances out of the Angels' bullpen. With a ground-ball rate in the 90th percentile and a fastball that averages 96 mph on the radar gun, the left-handed Burke is a solid addition to the Reds' bullpen.

Paired with the additions of Caleb Ferguson and Pierce Johnson, as well as the aforementioned reunion with Pagán, Cincinnati is quietly putting together a strong relief corps for the 2026 season, patching up what was one of the biggest weaknesses of the 2025 Wild Card squad. With a young roster that gained a little postseason experience last season and will essentially remain intact for the 2026 campaign, the Reds are certainly a team for the Brewers to watch out for this season.