Whom did the Brewers acquire in their recent three-way trade? Breaking down the blockbuster return
The Brewers made a major splash last Monday afternoon, acquiring a 2022 MLB All-Star and two pitchers in a three-team deal with the A’s and the Braves.
After the dust settled, Milwaukee received three new additions: All-Star catcher William Contreras and right-handed pitchers Joel Payamps and Justin Yeager.
Leaving Milwaukee is their former No. 8 prospect, Esteury Ruiz, who was acquired last August as part of the Josh Hader trade.
Here’s a look at the newest members of the Crew.
William Contreras
The 24-year-old headlines the trade package for the Brewers after his All-Star 2022 campaign.
Contreras provides an immediate offensive upgrade at catcher or designated hitter. In just 97 games last season, he slugged 20 home runs and 45 RBI while slashing .278/.354/.506, good for an excellent 138 OPS+.
With impressive numbers across the board and particularly against left-handed pitching – he posted a .354/.440/.596 slash line vs. southpaws last season – Contreras adds a much-needed weapon to a lineup that batted just .222 vs. lefties in 2022.
Contreras also arrives with a team-friendly contract. With just over a year of Big League service time under his belt, he’s under team control through the 2027 season.
Joel Payamps
While Contreras stars in this package for Milwaukee, Joel Payamps is certainly a valuable addition joining the Brewers as well.
Payamps is an MLB-ready arm with over 100 innings of experience, spending four seasons bouncing between Arizona, Toronto, Kansas City and Oakland.
Appearing in 41 games last season, the righty posted a rock-solid 3.23 ERA to go along with 41 strikeouts and a 1.37 WHIP.
With Brad Boxberger joining the Cubs, quality arms are a welcome addition to the Brewers bullpen as they get set for next season.
Justin Yeager
Milwaukee also acquired Justin Yeager, a 24-year-old Minor League pitcher, in last week’s deal.
Atlanta selected Yeager in the 33rd round of the 2019 MLB Draft out of Southern Illinois-Carbondale. Since then, the 6’5” right-hander has made a name for himself as a strikeout machine.
In each season of his professional career, Yeager has collected over 13 strikeouts per nine innings – including an elite 13.9 strikeouts per nine across various levels in Atlanta’s system this past season.
The Brewers immediately assigned him to Triple-A Nashville, giving him a chance to crack the MLB roster in the near future.