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Red Sox Acquire Luis Urías

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The Red Sox announced that they have acquired infielder Luis Urías from the Brewers for minor league right-hander Bradley Blalock. Robert Murray of FanSided first had Urías going to the Red Sox while Adam McCalvy of MLB.com first reported on Blalock’s involvement.

Urías, 26, seemed to be establishing himself as a solid part of the Milwaukee roster in the previous two seasons. Over 2021 and 2022, he launched 39 home runs and hit a combined .244/.340/.426 for a wRC+ of 111. This year, however, has been an entirely different story.

He was placed on the injured list with a hamstring strain after the first game of the season and wasn’t able to return until June 5. In the next three-plus weeks, he hit just .145/.299/.236 for a wRC+ of 60. A .179 batting average on balls in play wasn’t doing him any favors, but his exit velocity, hard hit rate and barrel rate were all down a few points. That cold spell was pronounced enough for the Brewers to send him to the minors, his first time being optioned since he was a Padre back in 2019. Things haven’t gone much better in Triple-A, as he’s hitting .233/.345/.379 at that level this year for a wRC+ of 84.

Right after acquiring Urías, the Sox assigned him to Triple-A, so he’ll serve as infield depth for the time being. Infield depth has been an ongoing concern in Boston this year ever since Trevor Story required elbow surgery in the offseason. He’s still yet to make his season debut, currently out on a rehab assignment. Enrique Hernández came in from the outfield to take over shortstop but that experiment didn’t work and he’s since been traded to the Dodgers.

For now, the club has a mixture of Yu Chang, Pablo Reyes, Christian Arroyo and Justin Turner up the middle. Urías will join Bobby Dalbec among the depth options that are on the 40-man roster but currently stashed at Triple-A. Urías has another option year beyond this one but could wind up non-tendered as he’ll be due a raise on this year’s $4.7MM salary.

In exchange for a player that had fallen out of their plans, the Brewers will get Blalock. The 22-year-old was a 32nd-round selection of the Red Sox in 2019. He was able to get some professional experience in 2019 and 2021, with the pandemic canceling the minor leagues in 2020. Then his 2022 was wiped out by Tommy John surgery, costing him another year of development.

Here in 2023, he’s been putting himself back on the prospect map. He’s made 11 starts, split between Single-A and High-A, posting a 2.19 ERA in 53 1/3 innings. He’s struck out 27.6% of opponents against a 6.2% walk rate. Back in June, FanGraphs ranked him the #17 prospect in Boston’s system. They note that the Sox were set to have a difficult decision to make, as Blalock will be Rule 5 eligible this winter and could be an attractive pick, despite not yet reaching Double-A.

Brewers, Diamondbacks Swap Andrew Chafin For Peter Strzelecki

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The Brewers have picked up left-hander Andrew Chafin in a trade with the Diamondbacks, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic (Twitter link).  John Gambadoro of 98.7 FM Phoenix reports that right-hander Peter Strzelecki is headed back to the D’Backs in return.  Rosenthal linked Milwaukee to Chafin’s market earlier today.

Give how Arizona also just landed Paul Sewald from the Mariners yesterday, it makes for an interesting buy/sell dynamic with the Diamondbacks’ front office.  Obviously the D’Backs have designs on reaching the postseason, yet still opted to pull the trigger on dealing a reliever who is technically a rental player, since Chafin only signed a one-year, $6.25MM deal last winter.  However, he is controllable through next season via a $7.25MM club option ($750K buyout), so the Brew Crew could potentially be viewing Chafin as a member of their 2024 bullpen.  Incidentally, Chafin also receives a $250K bonus now that he has been traded.

That said, the D’Backs are also getting back a controllable reliever in Strzelecki, who has posted some good results over his two MLB seasons.  Since Strzelecki isn’t a free agent until after the 2028 season and naturally comes at a much lower price tag than Chafin, the Diamondbacks saved some money while perhaps not taking much of a hit to the overall quality of their relief corps.

Chafin has a 4.19 ERA over 34 1/3 innings this season, with that number only just inflated by a disastrous outing (five runs in two-thirds of an inning) against the Braves on July 24.  The southpaw’s SIERA is a more solid 3.38, and his 32.7% strikeout rate put him the 94th percentile of all pitchers.  Chafin’s control has fluctuated throughout his career, and the pendulum has swung down this season, as he has an ungainly 12.0% walk rate.

Now in his 10th MLB season, Chafin has been a generally reliable relief arm over his career, and he’ll now change uniforms once again to join a Brewers team in severe need of left-handed depth.  While Hoby Milner is having a strong season, he has been the only left-hander in Milwaukee’s bullpen for most of the season.  The Brewers were hoping to have Justin Wilson back from Tommy John surgery, yet Wilson unfortunately suffered a lat strain while warming up in his return outing, and was placed back onto the 15-day injured list.

With no timeline yet on Wilson’s return, it is easy to see why the Brewers were so aggressive in seeking out another left-hander, and in dealing a controllable pitcher from their right-handed relief depth.  Strzelecki was an undrafted free agent for the Brewers in 2018, but he made his way to the majors to toss 70 2/3 innings for Milwaukee over the last two seasons.  Despite near-identical SIERAs (3.47 and 3.66) and pretty similar secondary metrics over his two years of work, Strzelecki had a 2.83 ERA over 35 frames in 2022, but a 4.54 ERA in 35 2/3 innings this season.

One of a few hidden pitching gems uncovered by the Brewers front office and pitching development staff, Strzelecki has a 25.3% strikeout rate and 8.2% walk rate over his career, both above the league average.  A slightly loss of control (though not in the walk category) could be one reason for Strzelecki’s relative dropoff in performance this year, as he has hit eight batters.  The Brewers only just called Strzelecki back up from the minors after a month-long stint at Triple-A, and he didn’t make another appearance prior to the trade.

Diamondbacks Listening To Trade Offers On Andrew Chafin, Joe Mantiply

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11:40am: Jon Heyman of the New York Post adds the Cubs and Twins as fits for Chafin. The Cubs have Anthony Kay as their only traditional lefty reliever right now. The Twins have Jovani Moran and Caleb Thielbar, the latter of whom just returned from the injured list.

11:06am: The Diamondbacks made a big addition to their bullpen yesterday when they acquired Paul Sewald from the Mariners. It seems they have at least some openness to now subtracting from their relief corps, as Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports they have fielded offers for lefties Andrew Chafin and Joe Mantiply, with the Brewers listed as a team with interest in Chafin.

On the surface, it’s a little bit curious to see the Diamondbacks considering this path, as they just parted with infielder Josh Rojas, rookie outfielder Dominic Canzone and infield prospect Ryan Bliss in order to upgrade their bullpen with Sewald. They are currently tied with two other clubs for the final Wild Card spot in the National League. To now turn and remove pieces from the group would be a bit of an odd move, though listening on offers doesn’t necessarily mean the club will indeed make a move, as front offices are generally open to listening on all offers in order to gauge the market.

Chafin, 33, has long been one of the better lefty relievers in the league, with a 3.31 career earned run average over 519 appearances. Over 2021 and 2022, he made 135 of those appearances, posting a 2.29 ERA with a 25.7% strikeout rate, 7.5% walk rate and 47.9% ground ball rate. The Diamondbacks were able to bring him aboard on a one-year deal this offseason, guaranteeing him $6.25MM in the form of a $5.5MM salary plus a $750K buyout on a $7.25MM club option. There’s also $1MM in bonuses available, with Chafin getting $250K at 55, 60, 65 and 70 appearances, then another $250K bonus if he’s traded.

He has already made 43 appearances on the year, putting him close to triggering those bonuses. His 4.19 ERA in that time is obviously a drop-off from his recent work, though there’s still some decent numbers under the hood. His 35.4% grounder rate and 12% walk rate are less than ideal, but his 32.7% strikeout rate is easily a career best. A .350 batting average on balls in play has probably helped some extra runs across the board, leading to a 3.13 FIP and 3.38 SIERA.

Left-handed relief is always in demand and there would likely be plenty of clubs willing to look past Chafin’s ERA, especially given his long track record of success and intriguing strikeout bump. Rosenthal says the Diamondbacks are still looking for starting pitching, something that general manager Mike Hazen has long been open about. They might not be able to flip a reliever like Chafin for meaningful help in the rotation but it makes sense that they would at least listen to see what’s possible. They would still have Kyle Nelson and Tyler Gilbert as lefties in their bullpen even without Chafin.

Arizona listening on Mantiply is far easier to understand. He had a really solid showing in the previous two seasons, posting a combined 3.07 ERA in 2021 and 2022, getting selected to the All-Star game in the latter season. He struck out 23.6% of opponents in that time while walking just 5.5% and kept the ball on the ground at a 50.5% pace.

Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to carry that into 2023, as he has a 5.74 ERA in 15 2/3 innings. He’s been on the injured list twice, once due to left shoulder inflammation and then a right hamstring strain. He’s been sent to Triple-A Reno on optional assignment twice, the second of which is currently ongoing. He has a 7.30 ERA down at that level. But his rate stats are still decent this year, with poor strand rates and some extra fly balls leaving the yard perhaps making things look worse than they actually are. If any club is willing to bank on Mantiply’s past results and hope for a bounceback, it would make sense for the Diamdondbacks to hear that out since he’s not even on their active roster at the moment.

The Brewers have operated with one lefty, Hoby Milner, for most of the year. They had Justin Wilson come off the injured list this week after over a year rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, but he quickly landed right back on the IL due to a lat strain. They’re a fairly sensible landing spot for a southpaw reliever as they battle with for the Central division title or a Wild Card spot in the National League.

Brewers Acquire Mark Canha From Mets

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The Brewers have acquired first baseman/outfielder Mark Canha from the Mets, with pitching prospect Justin Jarvis going the other way, per announcements from both clubs. The Brewers opened a 40-man roster spot earlier when Jake Cousins was lost to the Astros off waivers. The Mets are paying Canha’s salary this year, with the Brewers only responsible for the prorated league minimum portion, though Milwaukee will be on the hook for the option or buyout when they make their decision on that.

This is the second offensive upgrade of the deadline for the Brewers, who already acquired Carlos Santana from the Pirates last week. It was reported earlier today that the club was still looking to upgrade its lineup and has done so here.

Canha, 34, spent many years as a solid outfielder for the Athletics before reaching free agency after 2021. He was able to secure himself a two-year, $26.5MM deal going into 2022, with an $11.5MM club option for 2024 that comes with a $2MM buyout. He hit .266/.367/.403 for the Mets last year, a line that translated to a wRC+ of 128, indicating he was 28% above league average.

This year, Canha’s production has slipped a bit, though he still an above-average hitter. His .245/.343/.381 line thus far on the season amounts to a 107 wRC+, seven percent better than par but a dip from a year ago. It’s possible there’s some bad luck in there, as his .279 batting average on balls in play is well below last year’s .309 mark, despite the fact that his barrel rate, hard hit rate and exit velocity have all gone up in 2023 relative to 2022. Perhaps he’s due for some positive regression, though he’s a solid hitter even without it.

Defensively, Canha is primarily an outfielder, though he has some versatility. He’s played more left field than anywhere else but he’s capable of playing all three outfield slots, in addition brief spells at the infield corners. Milwaukee has been using an outfield of Christian Yelich, Joey Wiemer and Sal Frelick in recent days. Yelich is having a terrific season whereas Wiemer’s contributions have been mixed. His defense has been highly rated and he has 11 steals on the year, but he’s hitting just .209/.289/.381 for a wRC+ of 82. Frelick was called up just over a week ago but has started his major league career with a .304/.438/.478 showing. Tyrone Taylor and Blake Perkins haven’t hit much in reserve roles.

Frelick played plenty of center field in the minors so perhaps he could move there with Canha taking right and Yelich in left. Frelick also hits left-handed and Wiemer right-handed, so perhaps they could platoon up the middle. Wiemer is hitting .282/.315/.576 against lefties but just .180/.280/.304 without the platoon advantage. The club also doesn’t have a regular designated hitter and could perhaps get all of these players in the lineup if that seems like the best option at the time. Though Santana figures to be the regular at first base, Canha’s ability to play there gives them some extra flexibility. Brian Anderson could also be in the mix at some point with Andruw Monasterio playing well at third, though the latter could also move over to second and bump out the struggling Brice Turang.

The Brewers are generally a fairly low-spending club, so the Mets’ willingness to pay down the deal surely appealed to them. They will have to decide on that option versus that buyout, which could depend on Canha’s performance to finish the year. The Brewers will still have Yelich, Frelick and Wiemer next year, along with hopefully getting Garrett Mitchell back after he’s missing most of this year due to shoulder surgery. There’s also the looming presence of Jackson Chourio, one of the top prospects in the league, who is currently in Double-A.

Next year’s outfield seems a bit more crowded, though perhaps first base is different. The Brewers are set to lose Santana to free agency, which could make their Rowdy Tellez situation significant. He can be retained for one more season via arbitration but has been terrible here in 2023, hitting .213/.285/.388 and is currently on the injured list, making him a non-tender candidate this winter. If Canha proves to be a good fit, perhaps they pick up that option and keep him around at first.

However it plays out down the road, it should help the Brewers now. They are currently 57-49, just half a game back of the Reds in the National League Central and currently in possession of a Wild Card slot. That’s largely come on the backs of their pitching, as the team as a whole has hit .232/.312/.377 for a wRC+ of 88, leading to their additions of Santana and Canha.

For the Mets, this is the latest in their deadline selloff, something that would have seemed shocking a few months ago. This winter, they ran up the biggest payroll in MLB history to try to build upon their 101-win season last year. But they disappointed badly enough that they have been aggressively selling. They’ve already flipped out Eduardo Escobar to the Angels, David Robertson to the Marlins, Max Scherzer to the Rangers and now this deal. In most cases, they have eaten significant money in order to effectively buy prospects. Canha is making a salary of $10.5MM this year, with about $3.5MM left to be paid out, the majority of which will be swallowed by the Mets.

Their return for surrendering Canha and eating that money will be Jarvis. The 23-year-old right-hander was selected by the Brewers in the fifth round of the 2018 draft and has shown some signs of progress recently. Last year, he split his time between High-A and Double-A, throwing 141 innings with a 3.83 ERA, 25% strikeout rate and 11% walk rate. He returned to Double-A to start this year and posted a 3.33 ERA through 14 starts, striking out 28.6% of opponents while walking just 8.2%. He recently got bumped to Triple-A and has been shelled, but in a small sample of just three outings.

Based on those strong Double-A results, he was recently ranked the #12 prospect in the Brewers’ system by Baseball America, who highlighted his four-pitch mix as giving him a chance to stick in a big league rotation. He’ll give the Mets some upper level rotation depth, though he’ll need to be added to the 40-man roster this winter or else he’ll be available to be selected in the upcoming Rule 5 draft.

Before tomorrow’s deadline, the Mets figure to continue adding to their farm system with similar deals. Tommy Pham, Brooks Raley, Adam Ottavino, Carlos Carrasco, José Quintana and Omar Narváez all seem like possibilities. Justin Verlander has been speculated upon, though his large contract complicates things. The Brewers could also look to make further additions before tomorrow’s deadline, which is at 5pm Central.

 Will Sammon of The Athletic first reported the Brewers were acquiring Canha. Andy Martino of SNY first reported that Jarvis was going the other way. Martino relayed that the Mets were paying down Canha’s salary and Sammon added that the Brewers would be on the hook for the buyout/option.

Astros Claim Jake Cousins From Brewers, Designate Blake Taylor

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The Astros have claimed right-hander Jake Cousins off waivers from the Brewers, reports Adam McCalvy of MLB.com. There had been no prior indication Cousins had been removed from Milwaukee’s 40-man roster, so this will drop their count to 39. The Astros have now announced the claim, with left-hander Blake Taylor designated for assignment in a corresponding move and Cousins optioned to Triple-A.

Cousins, 29, was first added to Milwaukee’s roster in June of 2021. He made 30 appearances for them the rest of the way, allowing 2.70 earned runs per nine innings. He struck out 35.2% of batters faced and kept 47.4% of balls in play on the ground, but also issued walks at a 15.2% clip. In 2022, he missed most of the year with a right elbow effusion, or a build up of fluid in the area. He was only able to make 12 appearances with the big league club.

Here in 2023, Cousins was frequently optioned to Triple-A and recalled for the first few months of the season. He made nine appearances with the big league club, posting a 4.82 ERA. He’s also made 13 Triple-A appearances with a 7.30 ERA, though a .533 batting average in balls in play and 58.3% strand rate are clearly inflating that number in the small sample.

The Brewers evidently tried to quietly sneak Cousins through waivers to open a roster spot, though the Astros swooped in to stop that from happening. He’s struck out 31.4% of major league hitters he’s faced in his career but has also walked 16.2% of them. They will surely try to help him better harness his stuff as he provides them with some bullpen depth. He has a pair of option years remaining, one of which he’s burning here in 2023, but can be sent to the minors for one more season in the future.

In order to take a shot on Cousins, the Astros are risking losing Taylor, who originally came to Houston in the 2019 trade that sent Jake Marisnick to the Mets. Taylor spent most of 2020 to 2022 with the big league club in Houston, making 92 appearances with a 3.06 ERA, 19.1% strikeout rate, 12.6% walk rate and 44.3% ground ball rate. Here in 2023, he began the season on the injured list due to a left elbow strain. He was activated in mid-April and immediately optioned to Triple-A. He’s made 35 appearances at that level with a 5.15 ERA. His 43.7% ground ball rate there has been solid but his 14.9% strikeout rate and 13.1% walk rate are both well worse than average.

The Astros will now have a week to trade Taylor or pass him through waivers, though the timeline on the trade option is much tighter with tomorrow’s deadline. Left-handed relief tends to always be in demand and Taylor still has an option year beyond this one, though time will tell if his poor results this year dampen the interest from rival clubs.

Brewers Interested In Further Offensive Additions

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The Brewers are hoping to add another bat to their lineup ahead of the deadline even after landing first baseman Carlos Santana in a deal with the Pirates last week, according to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal. That Milwaukee is looking to add to their offense is hardly a surprise. The club’s collective wRC+ this season stands at just 88, bottom five in the sport and ahead of only the Rockies in the NL. While Santana addresses their lack of production from first base, they nonetheless have plenty of offensive holes to fill around their roster.

The club has gotten below average offensive production from every position around the diamond except for left field this season, though that certainly doesn’t mean they’ll be looking to upgrade their entire offense. Shortstop Willy Adames figures to be secure in his role, for example, and newly-promoted outfielder Sal Frelick figures to handle right field on a regular basis going forward. Given Joey Wiemer’s quality defense in center field, it seems reasonable to expect him to remain a fixture in the lineup as well despite a lackluster wRC+ of 82.

The club could look to add offense to its infield by swinging a deal for third baseman Jeimer Candelario of the Nationals or second baseman Gleyber Torres of the Yankees, but the market for Candelario appears to be quite crowded and the Yankees currently appear more likely to buy than sell. That being said, either player would inject a well above-average bat into the club’s infield alongside Adames and Andruw Monasterio, the latter of whom can play anywhere on the infield as needed to accommodate a potential acquisition.

While an infield addition would make sense, the most straightforward way for the Brewers to improve their offensive production would be targeting an addition at DH. The club has gotten a pathetic 55 wRC+ from their DH slot to this point in the season, dead last in the majors. Adding a surefire, above-average bat who can be slotted in at DH on a daily basis would transform the look of the club’s lineup, and Matt Arnold’s front office seems to know that given their reported interest in White Sox slugger Eloy Jimenez.

Jimenez, a former top prospect with a career 123 wRC+ and a contract that allows his club to control him through the end of the 2026 campaign, would be an excellent pickup for the Brewers, though he would likely come at a fairly hefty acquisition cost considering those positive attributes. There are a handful of rental options that could also be available to impact the club’s offensive profile at what would likely be a much more affordable prospect cost. Tommy Pham of the Mets, in particular, is a free agent after this season but has delivered a .268/.348/.472 slash line in 264 trips to the plate this season. Other possible options include Pham’s teammate Mark Canha or Red Sox slugger Adam Duvall.

While the Brewers are focused on adding to their offense, they appear to feel comfortable with their pitching staff as is with Rosenthal noting that Milwaukee does not expect to jump into the starting pitching market even after the loss of right-hander Julio Teheran to the injured list. Left-hander Wade Miley is expected to be activated from the 15-day injured list on Wednesday, while Rosenthal notes that righty Brandon Woodruff is set to make a rehab start tomorrow and could also rejoin the rotation in the near future.

Brewers Place Justin Wilson On Injured List

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The Brewers have placed reliever Justin Wilson on the 15-day injured list due to a left lat strain. Milwaukee recalled Trevor Megill from Triple-A Nashville to take the open active roster spot. The Brewers also optioned Jahmai Jones to Nashville, as newly-acquired first baseman Carlos Santana has reported to the team.

It’s a brutal development for Wilson. The left-hander had completed a near 14-month rehab after undergoing Tommy John surgery last June. He was reinstated from the injured list to make his Milwaukee debut last night. While throwing his warm-up pitches, he sustained the lat injury.

While it isn’t clear how long Wilson is expected to be out, manager Craig Counsell said shortly after last night’s game the injury appeared “pretty significant” (link via Adam McCalvy of MLB.com). His absence again leaves Hoby Milner as the only southpaw in the MLB bullpen. If the Brewers anticipate another significant IL stay for Wilson, perhaps the front office will look to add lefty relief help in the next three days.

Wilson’s contract contains a $2.5MM club option or a $150K buyout for next season. This obviously wasn’t the way in which he envisioned beginning his Milwaukee tenure as he tries to work his way to having that option picked up.

Brewers, Marlins Interested In Eloy Jimenez

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With the White Sox in seller mode and already dealing away pending free agents, teams are also inquiring about some longer-term players.  According to Bruce Levine of 670 The Score, the Brewers and Marlins have both shown interest in outfielder Eloy Jimenez, who is under contract through at least the 2024 season (and controllable through 2026 via two club option years).

There isn’t any indication that Jimenez is being shopped, and reports earlier this month suggested that Jimenez was one of four players (along with Luis Robert Jr., Dylan Cease, and Andrew Vaughn) as virtually untouchable.  It is therefore possible that the interest from Milwaukee and Miami was simple due diligence, just in case the Sox were becoming more open to the idea of a wider-scale rebuild.

The White Sox haven’t been solely trading rental players, as Kendall Graveman (dealt yesterday to the Astros) is still under contract through 2024.  But needless to say, moving Jimenez would be quite a different situation, as Chicago would be parting ways with a cornerstone player.  The Sox signed Jimenez to his six-year, $43MM deal in March 2019 before he had even made his MLB debut, speaking to the confidence the front office had in the outfielder’s potential to lead the club into a new era of winning.

While the club’s on-field success has been limited, Jimenez has held up his end of the bargain at the plate.  His .285/.328/.478 slash line over 293 plate appearances this season is pretty close to his overall career line over 1581 PA, but Jimenez’s problem has been just getting onto the field.  A ruptured left pectoral tendon cost him over half of the 2021 campaign, and he missed two months of the 2022 season due to a hamstring injury.  In 2023, Jimenez has missed roughly a month due to both another minor hamstring issue and an appendectomy.

Jimenez’s lack of defensive value is another issue, as he has posted generally below-average grades as a left fielder.  With a number of DH days also required to keep him healthy, there is concern that Jimenez might already be trending towards being a DH-only player before his 27th birthday.  This being said, there is still obvious reason why the Brewers, Marlins, or any number of teams would be interested in adding a young, above-average hitter to their lineups, especially at his price point.  Jimenez is owed $13MM in 2024, and there are $3MM buyouts both his 2025 club option ($16.5MM) and 2026 option ($18.5MM).

Christian Yelich has been locked into Milwaukee’s left field position, so the Brewers could either test Yelich or Jimenez in right field in the event of a trade.  The likelier possibility is that the Brewers would just use Jimenez primarily as a DH, adding some thump to a lineup that has struggled to generate offense this season.

Despite the lack of pop, the Brewers have ridden solid pitching (and a somewhat weak division) to first place in the NL Central.  The Brew Crew already picked up Carlos Santana from the Pirates to help address first base, and Will Sammon and Tim Britton of The Athletic report that the Brewers also have interest in Mets outfielder Mark Canha.

The Marlins are similarly hanging in the wild card race without much lineup, particularly in the power department.  With Jorge Soler playing mostly as a DH, Miami is more apt to use Jimenez as a left fielder.  This might create something of a logjam once Jazz Chisholm Jr. returns from the injured list, but that’s a problem the Marlins are probably happy to have if it means having more offensive options in play.

Mike Brosseau Signs With NPB’s Chiba Lotte Marines

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Infielder Mike Brosseau has signed with the Chiba Lotte Marines in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball, the team announced this evening. He’s a client of Icon Sports Management.

Brosseau, 29, has played in the majors in five consecutive seasons. That includes 29 games for the Brewers this year. Acquired in a trade with the Rays over the 2021-22 offseason, Brosseau had a solid .255/.344/.418 showing over 69 contests in his first year as a Brewer. He and the club agreed to a $1.4MM salary for this season to avoid arbitration.

The right-handed hitter didn’t find the same level of success in a relatively brief look in 2023. He’d hit .205/.256/.397 through 78 trips to the plate. Milwaukee designated him for assignment during the first week of July and passed him through outright waivers a few days later.

Brosseau made two appearances for Triple-A Nashville after the outright. He’s apparently found an offer more to his liking in Japan, with the Brew Crew granting him his release to pursue it. He joins the Marines with a career .242/.313/.428 batting line in 647 major league plate appearances. The bulk of that production has come with the platoon advantage, as Brosseau carries a robust .265/.326/.464 mark against left-handed pitching.

Brewers Reinstate Justin Wilson From 60-Day IL

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The Brewers announced that left-hander Justin Wilson has been reinstated from the 60-day injured list. To open a spot on the 40-man roster, lefty Bennett Sousa has been transferred onto the 60-day IL and sent on a rehab assignment.

Wilson, 35, has over a decade of experience as an effective reliever in the big leagues. He’s made 527 appearances dating back to his 2012 debut, with a career 3.41 ERA in those. He’s struck out 25.9% of batters faced, walked 10.7% and kept the ball on the ground at a 46.8% rate. Unfortunately, he required Tommy John surgery in June of last year. The Reds had a $1.22MM buyout over his services for 2023 but declined sent him to the open market.

The Brewers signed him this offseason to a one-year deal with a club option for 2024, knowing he would miss at least part of the 2023 campaign while rehabbing. Wilson got a $1MM guarantee in the form of an $850K salary this year and $150K buyout on the $2.5MM option.

Hoby Milner is the only left-handed reliever that has thrown more than three innings for the Brewers this year, so Wilson will give them a second option in that department. He’ll then have a couple of months to showcase his health and effectiveness before the club decides on that option.

Sousa, 28, was designated for assignment by the Reds in April and came to the Brewers in a cash deal. He’s since served as an up-and-down reliever for the Brewers, throwing 2 2/3 innings for the big league club and 13 1/3 at Triple-A. He landed on the injured list June 8 due to left shoulder nerve irritation. He’ll now be ineligible to return until 60 days from that date, which would be early August. A return as soon as he’s eligible seems to be possible since he’s now going out on a rehab assignment.

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