3 tiny trades the Brewers front office made that have had big time results in 2024

2. LHP Bryan Hudson acquired from Los Angeles Dodgers for LHP Justin Chambers and PTBNL or cash - January 3, 2024

At first, this move seemed quite odd considering Bryan Hudson had just been designated for assignment and was set to become a free agent. Giving up the return they did seemed sizable for such a player, who had just six big league appearances under his belt and a 7.97 ERA in them.

Justin Chambers was the Brewers 20th round pick in the 2023 Draft, but received the 6th-highest signing bonus of the class, signing for $547,500. The Brewers paid a lot to get him, just to ship him to Los Angeles before he could throw a pitch for the organization. Puzzling at the time, but now we're seeing what the Brewers saw in Bryan Hudson and why they made this move.

The Brewers needed a second lefty in the bullpen alongside Hoby Milner and Hudson has been everything they could ask for and more. The 6'8" lefty has a 0.74 ERA in 24.1 IP this year with 28 strikeouts and just six walks. Hudson has been utterly dominant.

Hudson, like Megill, has become one of Murphy's most trusted relievers. After all, how could he not trust them with their sub-1.00 ERAs? Hudson was designated for assignment, not deemed worthy of even a 40 man roster spot in Los Angeles. He still has minor league options, but the Dodgers wanted to move on.

Chambers, while talented, was coming off Tommy John surgery as a high schooler and is several years away from potentially contributing at the big league level. Hudson, however, is contributing right now and it's not just a tiny contribution, it's a major contribution.