Revisiting the Brewers-Rays Willy Adames trade one year later

When followers obtain a Willy Adames bobblehead upon strolling by way of the gates at American Household Subject on Sunday, they are going to achieve this on the one yr anniversary of Adames taking part in in his first sport with the Milwaukee Brewers. 

Saturday marks one full yr for the reason that Brewers made a stunning early-season commerce to accumulate their beginning shortstop from the Tampa Bay Rays in a deal that despatched highly-regarded younger pitchers J.P. Feyereisen and Drew Rasmussen away. 

Groups deal with wants by way of commerce mid-season on a regular basis, however not often do they purchase beginning shortstops with big-league expertise in Could. Much more attention-grabbing was the truth that the deal was struck by a pair of contending groups. 

“I feel the timing of the commerce was a shock to all people,” Brewers supervisor Craig Counsell mentioned. “That is the factor that shocks all people. These are, I feel, each groups have demonstrated attempting to be artistic in methods they suppose could make their groups higher. And never get trapped into, ‘We’re not supposed to do this, you’ll be able to’t do this.’

“You have to consider issues a unique manner. It goes to indicate, if you wish to compete you need to take into consideration issues otherwise and fixing issues otherwise.”

With a yr of hindsight in our again pocket, let’s revisit how the commerce has performed out. 

The Brewers’ return

The Brewers got here inside inches of buying Adames towards the top of spring coaching in 2021 however the deal flamed out proper earlier than the end line. In mid-Could, talks resumed and after a few week, a deal was agreed upon.

Adames was off to a chilly begin with the Rays in 2021, however the Brewers’ in depth homework on Adames allowed them to be snug buying a participant who was batting simply .197 with a .675 OPS. 

That perception in Adames paid off instantly. 

Final season, Adames batted .285 with a .521 slugging proportion and .886 OPS, a mark 35 p.c above league common, whereas socking 20 homers and driving in 58. He garnered votes within the Most Useful Participant balloting, ending sixteenth. 

Adames has been value 4.5 wins above alternative in 134 video games with the Brewers, in response to Fangraphs. In that point, that ranks him seventh amongst all big-league shortstops. 

Courting again to his arrival in Milwaukee, Adames leads his place with 29 homers, is second in OPS (.854) and fourth in runs batted in (82). 

“We knew we have been getting a very proficient participant and we thought we have been getting a participant who had a really excessive ceiling and will impression the sport in a number of methods,” Brewers president of baseball operations David Stearns mentioned. “I do not know that we acknowledged the speedy impression that might have on our group each when it comes to on area efficiency straight away, and what he was in a position to do in our clubhouse and changing into actually an power chief in our clubhouse from the day he confirmed up.”

Maybe most significantly, Adames stabilized a place — and a premium one, at that — the place the Brewers have been in dire want of assist. They’d traded former prime prospect Orlando Arcia a month prior and Luis Urías had scuffled each defensively and offensively on the plate. 

“With Willy, there’s plenty of issues, however I feel simply when you’ve gotten a shortstop, he is the shortstop. That is the simplest method to say this,” Counsell mentioned. “He is the shortstop. It ends the dialog.” 

Adames was expendable for the Rays as a result of he was, on the time, a placeholder for Wander Franco, the consensus prime prospect in all of baseball. Since his call-up final summer time, Franco has made good on the hype, batting .283/.330/.451 and price 3.7 WAR. 

Do not forget, both, that the deal for the Brewers additionally included reliever Trevor Richards, who was used to accumulate beginning first baseman Rowdy Tellez lower than two months later.

The Rays’ return

The Brewers, in the meantime, have been dealing from depth in giving up Rasmussen and Feyereisen, each of whom have excelled for the Rays.

Feyereisen has sported a 1.64 earned run common in 55 innings for the reason that commerce, together with 18.1 scoreless frames with solely three hits allowed this season. 

Rasmussen has a 2.40 ERA in 97 ⅔  innings in Tampa, the place he has been transformed to a starter. In his 5 most up-to-date begins, he has allowed three earned runs over 26 ⅔ innings.

“Drew Rasmussen became a very good starter,” Counsell mentioned. “J.P. is clearly pitching properly, too, nevertheless it was a commerce that form of match some wants for each groups. Whenever you do this, you gotta really quit a very good participant to get a very good participant.” 

The Brewers had inside conversations about using Rasmussen as a starter, however with a plethora of younger arms already filling out the beginning rotation, it by no means got here to fruition.

“We have been at that time within the mode of let’s get him to stretch out from a multi-inning reliever standpoint, nevertheless it would not shock me that he is taken to the beginning position,” Stearns mentioned. “I feel that is in all probability the place his coronary heart is just a little bit and he is accomplished a really good job.” 

Milwaukee’s brass isn’t in any respect shocked to see each pitchers succeeding. Not solely did they’ve excessive inside evaluations on each gamers, however the Rays are a company recognized for maximizing potential on the major-league degree.

“We knew we have been giving up actually two very proficient pitchers. It would not shock us that they are doing properly,” Stearns mentioned. “Tampa is a company that clearly will get probably the most out of their personnel, so we’re joyful for these guys. Each ‘Rass’ and J.P. are two actually good individuals and I am joyful that their younger careers are off to essentially promising begins.” 

In all, the commerce has proved to be a uncommon one in how mutually helpful it has been. The Brewers acquired their shortstop of the long run, whereas the Rays freed up a spot for his or her generational expertise and added two arms who’ve grow to be key elements of a contending squad.