The Windup: The Brewers are MLB’s best underdog story; the trade market for first basemen
June 14, 2024
The Windup: The Brewers are MLB’s best underdog story; the trade market for first basemen
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The Brewers, against all odds, are a whole lot of fun. Plus, an interview adventure with Ken, an instant classic in Seattle and we have a trade deadline primer. I’m Levi Weaver, here with Ken Rosenthal, welcome to The Windup!
Surprise: The Brewers are good
Aug. 1, 2022 — Leading the NL Central by three games, Milwaukee trades closer Josh Hader. Hader makes the postseason with the Padres, but the Brewers go 22-31 after the trade, missing the playoffs.
Fall 2023 — After a bounce-back division win, Brewers lose former GM David Stearns to the Mets, then manager Craig Counsell defects to the hated Chicago Cubs.
Feb. 4, 2024 — Brewers trade their best starting pitcher, 2021 Cy Young winner Corbin Burnes, to the Baltimore Orioles. It stands to reason that closer Devin Williams will be next to go.
March 28, 2024 — Williams hits the injured list with a stress fracture in his back.
Sounds like a recipe for a seven-game division lead on June 11, right?
The thing is, both of those trades worked out reasonably well for the Brewers. Of the four players from the Hader deal, only one — LHP Robert Gasser, who is 2-0 with a 2.57 ERA — is still with the team. But Esteury Ruiz was part of the three-way trade that landed catcher William Contreras from the Braves. Contreras has been perhaps their best player ever since.
Meanwhile, Burnes is having a phenomenal season for the Orioles, but Joey Ortiz, whom the Brewers got in return, has been Milwaukee’s fourth-best player by bWAR (1.9) and is hitting .284/.379/.467 (.846 OPS).
Cody Stavenhagen has a deeper look at the Brewers’ success this year under “relentless” new manager Pat Murphy. The Brewers may be toiling in relative anonymity in baseball’s smallest market, but they’re playing fun baseball and might be the league’s best underdog story.
1 comment
The Brewers, against all odds, are a whole lot of fun. Plus, an interview adventure with Ken, an instant classic in Seattle and we have a trade deadline primer. I’m Levi Weaver, here with Ken Rosenthal, welcome to The Windup!
Surprise: The Brewers are good
Aug. 1, 2022 — Leading the NL Central by three games, Milwaukee trades closer Josh Hader. Hader makes the postseason with the Padres, but the Brewers go 22-31 after the trade, missing the playoffs.
Fall 2023 — After a bounce-back division win, Brewers lose former GM David Stearns to the Mets, then manager Craig Counsell defects to the hated Chicago Cubs.
Feb. 4, 2024 — Brewers trade their best starting pitcher, 2021 Cy Young winner Corbin Burnes, to the Baltimore Orioles. It stands to reason that closer Devin Williams will be next to go.
March 28, 2024 — Williams hits the injured list with a stress fracture in his back.
Sounds like a recipe for a seven-game division lead on June 11, right?
The thing is, both of those trades worked out reasonably well for the Brewers. Of the four players from the Hader deal, only one — LHP Robert Gasser, who is 2-0 with a 2.57 ERA — is still with the team. But Esteury Ruiz was part of the three-way trade that landed catcher William Contreras from the Braves. Contreras has been perhaps their best player ever since.
Meanwhile, Burnes is having a phenomenal season for the Orioles, but Joey Ortiz, whom the Brewers got in return, has been Milwaukee’s fourth-best player by bWAR (1.9) and is hitting .284/.379/.467 (.846 OPS).
Cody Stavenhagen has a deeper look at the Brewers’ success this year under “relentless” new manager Pat Murphy. The Brewers may be toiling in relative anonymity in baseball’s smallest market, but they’re playing fun baseball and might be the league’s best underdog story.