Brewers managed to trade recently DFA'd outfielder to up and coming contender

With the end of spring training and the start of the season, teams like the Milwaukee Brewers still have to deal with the fallout of the roster cuts from camp. Very often, the cuts result in a straightforward transaction of moving a guy from big league camp to minor league camp and others are just given their walking papers and become free agents.

However, there is a select few where the Brewers need to designate the player for assignment to get them off the roster and either trade them, let them get claimed off of waivers for free, or just hope they clear waivers so that they can be sent to the minors or granted their release. Normally, trades are the least likely of the options.

Trades do still happen, though, and the Brewers just struck one to send Brewer Hicklen to the Tigers in exchange for some cash.

Brewers strike minor trade with Tigers and send Brewer Hicklen to Detroit

Obviously this return for Milwaukee is not gangbusters as it is just for an unknown amount of cash considerations. For the Brewers, the primary benefit is the roster spot that Hicklen had occupied as he was DFA'd in order to make room for Jake Bauers. Getting a little cash in exchange for him is just an added bonus.

While Hicklen isn't completely uninteresting, this isn't a major loss especially given the amount of depth Milwaukee has in the outfield. He does a good job of drawing walks, but his hit tool is pretty ordinary. Hicklen did hit 22 homers in Triple-A in 2024, so Detroit is likely banking that he can provide some pop at a discount rate.

That pretty much finishes up all the roster housekeeping that the Brewers need to do. We'll know more as to which levels each minor leaguer will be starting the season at in short order. For the moment, everyone can focus on the big league roster and how they are performing because were are entering the period now where trades are going to be rare and promotions aren't coming for a couple months at best unless someone gets hurt.

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