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Brewers Acquire Matt Bush From Rangers For Mark Mathias, Antoine Kelly

By Anthony Franco | August 1, 2022 at 10:08pm CDT

The Brewers added to their bullpen late Monday night, announcing a deal with the Rangers to bring in Matt Bush. Texas receives infielder Mark Mathias and minor league pitcher Antoine Kelly in the deal.

Bush has had a strong season out of the Texas bullpen. The 36-year-old hurler made the Opening Day roster and has tossed 36 2/3 innings through 40 outings, posting a 2.95 ERA. He’s fanned nearly 30% of batters faced on an above-average 12.4% swinging strike rate while averaging north of 97 MPH on his heater. Bush generates top-of-the-scale spin on his four-seam fastball and has drawn strong results on his breaking ball.

When healthy, Bush is a plenty appealing bullpen piece. He’s pitched in parts of five seasons for Texas, posting a cumulative 3.34 ERA across 177 2/3 frames with above-average strikeout and walk numbers. The issue for the righty has been staying healthy. He pitched just four innings at the big league level between 2019-21, losing the majority of that stretch to elbow issues — including a July 2019 Tommy John surgery.

Bush missed a couple weeks earlier in the year with forearm soreness, but he’s been healthy for the past few weeks. He’ll add an affordable and generally effective power arm to the middle innings mix for manager Craig Counsell, and he’s more than a short-term pickup. While Bush is already into his mid-30s, he’s arbitration-eligible for two seasons beyond this year. Building off a modest $825K platform salary, he’d be a low-cost bullpen option in Milwaukee through 2024 if he holds his spot on the 40-man roster.

In exchange, Milwaukee sends a utility option and a pitching prospect to Texas. Mathias, 28, has only appeared in 22 major league games — six this season. He’s had a stellar season with the Brew Crew’s top affiliate in Nashville, though, hitting .318/.421/.518 with eight home runs and a massive 13.4% walk rate in 202 trips to the plate. He’s split his time between second and third base this year, and he also has some prior corner outfield experience.

Kelly, 22, was recently named the #7 prospect in the Milwaukee system by Baseball America. That’s partially a reflection of a generally thin minor league system, but the southpaw was a second-round draftee in 2019. Evaluators have long raved about his fastball-slider combination while questioning his control, and that’s borne out in his numbers at High-A this season. Kelly has a 3.86 ERA through 19 starts, punching out over 30% of batters faced but walking 13.4% of opponents. The Rangers will have to add the Illinois native to the 40-man roster at the end of the season or leave him available in the Rule 5 draft.

MLB Nerds was first to report the Brewers were acquiring Bush. Robert Murray of FanSided first reported the Brewers were trading Mathias to the Rangers, while Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic was first with Kelly’s inclusion.

Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.

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Milwaukee Brewers Newsstand Texas Rangers Transactions Antoine Kelly Mark Mathias Matt Bush

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View Comments (69)

Comments

  1. CravenMoorehead

    8 months ago

    Rangers going all in. AL officially put on notice.

    Reply
    • AllinTX

      8 months ago

      Yeap ALL IN lol

      Reply
  2. vaderzim

    8 months ago

    Could this be a Joey Gallo trade that hasn’t fully been reported yet?

    Reply
    • TheRealMilo

      8 months ago

      In a word: no.

      Reply
    • CravenMoorehead

      8 months ago

      Possibly. Teams have been extremely bussy tonight with the trade deadline looming.

      Reply
      • DarkSide830

        8 months ago

        Bro

        Reply
  3. Vanilla Good

    8 months ago

    Cool thanks for the free reliever

    Reply
    • enricopallazzo

      8 months ago

      Right?

      Reply
    • nosoupforyou

      8 months ago

      Kelly is a high upside prospect. Not sure why we’re thinking Brewers got Bush for free. Especially since Bush is a two month rental

      Reply
      • TGH31

        8 months ago

        Bush has 2 more years of arby control, if desired.

        Reply
        • nosoupforyou

          8 months ago

          @TGH31 good call. Thanks for the correction

      • SeñorTortas

        8 months ago

        He’s got 2 1/2 years of control. Where did you get “two month rental” from? Please do your research if you want to be taken seriously

        Reply
        • goalieguy41

          8 months ago

          I think he apologized for his error. Lighten up

    • NINCOMPOOP

      8 months ago

      Judging from the Brewers fan pages they were pretty bummed about giving up Kelly… 22, high end prospect for an aging reliever who is having a good season. Sorry but the Rangers won

      Reply
      • solaris602

        8 months ago

        As long as he isn’t Willie Calhoun 2.0

        Reply
      • solaris602

        8 months ago

        Yeah, like a top 20 prospect for Joey Gallo. You know that’s a move Daniels wants so bad he can taste it.

        Reply
    • NINCOMPOOP

      8 months ago

      2021 rated as Milwaukees 2nd best pitching prospect until his surgery. Now he has recovered

      Reply
    • ButchAdams

      8 months ago

      I think we got Kelly for free. Bush spends more time on dl than mound

      Reply
    • tsc32

      8 months ago

      Sure you can have the old man reliever and we’ll take the high ceiling rotation prospect lol

      Reply
    • AllinTX

      8 months ago

      Far from free.

      Reply
    • Vanilla Good

      8 months ago

      To be fair I posted this before Kelly was mentioned in the deal. Seems more of a fair trade now.

      Reply
    • case

      8 months ago

      I think this is the guy that hit and run a senior citizen and organized an ambush to beat up some high school lacrosse players. Sad that he’ll never get to bond with Josh Hader.

      Reply
  4. Bryzzo2016

    8 months ago

    Good for Stearns. This should help Brewer fans forget Hader.

    Reply
  5. Dalton1017

    8 months ago

    Rangers have to be getting more…

    Reply
    • Houston Pierce

      8 months ago

      Are you a serious? Trading a old reliever on a non contending team for a kid who’s left handed and throws 100 wasn’t the right move? What world do you live in where holding on to bush provides us any value this already lost season?

      Reply
      • Houston Pierce

        8 months ago

        My bad I replied to the wrong comment lol

        Reply
  6. TheRealMilo

    8 months ago

    The Rangers doing Rangers type things. Ridiculous franchise.

    Reply
    • Dalton1017

      8 months ago

      i think they won the trade. Kelly is solid

      Reply
      • cr4

        8 months ago

        Kelly has absolutely phenomenal stuff just comes down to how well he can command it

        Reply
      • Breezy

        8 months ago

        Yeah, idk what there is to complain about. A soon-to-be 37y/o for a young potential mid rotation pitcher/ bullpen arm that seems pretty solid since his surgery. They didn’t exactly trade away a stud.

        Reply
        • AllinTX

          8 months ago

          He’s a valuable late inning guy. I dont really like the trade but don’t hate it.

    • tsc32

      8 months ago

      Lmao Rangers got a good return for an oft injured reliever soon to be collecting retirement checks.

      Reply
    • tsc32

      8 months ago

      Would’ve cost you more prospect capital.

      Reply
    • HALfromVA

      8 months ago

      I suppose , in your world, you would rather see Bush behind bars, living on your tax dollars, rather than turning his life around, and earning a living.

      Reply
  7. lucas0622

    8 months ago

    Brewers got their Hader replacement! /s

    Reply
  8. T-Bone P

    8 months ago

    Hope he drives up to Milwaukee

    Reply
    • CravenMoorehead

      8 months ago

      And brings Wendy’s chicken nuggets with him. Yummy.

      Reply
  9. ArmChairGM-

    8 months ago

    Feels like a precursor trade for the Rangers.
    Stay tuned, more to come.

    Reply
  10. padnastikador

    8 months ago

    I can’t stand Jon Daniels
    So I’ll give the credit for this nice trade to Chris Young
    I’ll continue to dump on Daniels when they inevitably make a bad trade tomorrow

    Reply
  11. rangers13

    8 months ago

    Thinking these two pick ups were done to replace Roby and either Ornelas or Acuna who will possibly be included in a trade tomorrow.

    Reply
    • AllinTX

      8 months ago

      If it’s for a Lopez or someone of his stature that’ll be good. Better be for a long term top starter. If not, we can go hard after some FA.

      Reply
      • rangers13

        8 months ago

        I am thinking Lopez, Skubal, Plesac, Mahle or Syndergaard as possibilities.

        Reply
        • AllinTX

          8 months ago

          No need to waste prospects on Syndergaard or ANY rental.
          Lopez or Skubal would be perfect.
          We just have to make sure we sign one of Rodon, Syndergaard and Clevinger in the offseason. (And to an extent Kershaw but I think he stays with L.A.)

        • rayreed5220

          8 months ago

          Trading for Lopez tomorrow and signing Rodon in the off-season (and extending Perez) could make them contenders next year imo. Not to win it all but they’d have a good squad on paper and some exciting young players coming up

  12. CrikesAlready

    8 months ago

    Matt Effing Bush.

    I hope he suffers as his victims have.

    Reply
    • wbranger

      8 months ago

      That was a long time ago and he has served his time. Doesn’t really matter what you think anyway. He will be judged by a higher power than you at some point, just like your perfect life will be.

      Reply
      • nikb812

        8 months ago

        (Matt Bush’s dad has entered the chat)

        Reply
        • wbranger

          8 months ago

          (With your mom)

      • nottinghamforest13

        8 months ago

        He’s a lowlife who chose to kill another human being because he has no regard for those around him.

        Reply
      • CrikesAlready

        8 months ago

        If you think serving time justifies gravely injuring somebody while making choices to drive recklessly or under the influence of mind-altering substances, you have a perverted sense of justice. It’s nice that you’ve subscribed to that whole concept of a god. That’s the only thing that keeps some people in line when they don’t have the internal determination and fortitude to do the right thing in the first place.

        Matt Effing Bush subscribed to no such god. Once an addict, always an addict. Once a user, always a user and once a mindless peon who hands responsibility over to a god, always a mindless peon who hands responsibility over to a god.

        Reply
  13. nottinghamforest13

    8 months ago

    Teams continue giving this murderer a job and then have the gall to make all sorts of other social justice claims.

    Reply
    • rayreed5220

      8 months ago

      Do you see the irony in this post?

      Reply
      • nottinghamforest13

        8 months ago

        Continue kneeling.

        Reply
    • adamckern@gmail.com 2

      8 months ago

      Do your research moron. He has never killed anyone and he served his time in prison. What an a-hole you are

      Reply
      • nottinghamforest13

        8 months ago

        Tell that to Tony’s family. He still suffers with issues to this day. That says nothing for all his other victims throughout the years. He’s a scumbag.

        Reply
  14. gbp4ever

    8 months ago

    Brewers give up Hader who when on is one of the best RP in MLB and get back very little. Now trade one of their better young pitching prospects for a injury prone 36 year old RP? I have to question if the Brewers GM has been smoking something.

    Reply
    • Cheeseman Forever

      8 months ago

      Smoking something? Looking at Stearns’ overall track record since 2015, I’ll have what he’s having.

      Reply
      • JoeBrady

        8 months ago

        Looking at Stearns’ overall track record since 2015, I’ll have what he’s having.
        ====================================
        Are you talking about making the playoffs straight years, plus likely this year, or something else?

        Reply
    • Cheeseman Forever

      8 months ago

      I’ll have what he’s having.

      Reply
    • JoeBrady

      8 months ago

      Brewers give up Hader who when on is one of the best RP in MLB
      ===================================
      Have you considered Hader’s recent performance in your assessment?

      Reply
  15. Jake Jacobs

    8 months ago

    Stearns working on making the Brewers into a 3rd place team, so when he leaves at the end of the year for his boyhood team Mets, he won’t have any worries from Milwaukee. Who’s next? Wong and Narváez? Maybe he could trade Devin Williams for a washed up 2nd baseman and 2 low A ball prospects

    Reply
    • Jeremy320

      8 months ago

      Stearns must make the nlcs to activate his contract opt out.

      Reply
      • Jake Jacobs

        8 months ago

        That means he has another full year to screw this team completely. Oh goody…

        Reply
        • John Rocker Fan Club

          8 months ago

          Since taking over the Brewers have made the playoffs more times than the club ever did in its previous 45 years.

  16. SharksFan91

    8 months ago

    Why not Moore (a lefty) instead of Bush from Texas? Stearns is an average GM at best. Amazing how many here think he’s a genius and buys into the hype. His track record is not as good as many of you think! Hopefully, the Stearns/Counsell regime in Milwaukee is gone after this season.

    Reply
  17. nottinghamforest13

    8 months ago

    The Brewers fans love these scumbag type players. Ryan Braun ruined a man’s life in an attempt to cover up his own deceit and yet the fans loudly cheered him until the day he retired. Pretty gross.

    Reply
    • MannyPineappleExpress9

      8 months ago

      Do you actually follow a team you like, or just spend all your free time making yourself more angry by picking out the negatives of the Brewers (and possibly other teams in mlb or another sport..)? Just seems like wasted energy to me, but if it’s your thing then keep on keeping on.

      Reply
      • nottinghamforest13

        8 months ago

        So you feel it’s a good thing that Ryan Braun made fraudulent claims and ruined someone’s life in an attempt to cover his own dishonour?

        Reply
        • MannyPineappleExpress9

          8 months ago

          Where did I say that?

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