Brewers Continue Offseason Makeover, Trading Kolten Wong To Seattle For Jesse Winker

Matt Arnold was shocked that individuals had been shocked when he picked up a $10 million crew possibility on second baseman Kolten Wong in November.

If he thought that transfer shocked individuals, this one will likely be a doozy.

On the eve of baseball’s annual winter conferences, Arnold dealt the two-time Gold Glove winner to Seattle for outfielders Jesse Winker and Abraham Toro.

The deal, which nonetheless wants approval of the commissioner’s workplace and is topic to bodily examinations, has not been confirmed by both crew. It was first reported by USA Right now’s Ken Rosenthal and later confirmed by Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel in a textual content message from Wong.

Wong, 32, performed eight seasons for the St. Louis Cardinals earlier than signing a two-year, $18 million take care of Milwaukee in February 2021. The transfer represented a dedication to run prevention as Wong was coming off back-to-back Gold Glove-winning seasons at second base.

He lived as much as his billing as a defensive celebrity throughout his first season with the Brewers. He made simply two errors all season whereas ending with six defensive runs saved but in addition supplied a giant increase offensively with career-highs for dwelling runs (14), doubles (32) and extra-base hits (48) regardless of being restricted to 116 video games by indirect and calf strains.

Wong topped his dwelling run complete final season with 15 whereas placing up one other stable offensive season (.251/.339/.430, .770 OPS) however his protection fell off significantly with a career-high-trying 17 errors, minus-9 outs above common and minus-1 defensive runs saved.

That fall-off, mixed with a $10 million price ticket and the presence of prime prospect Brice Turing, made it unlikely that Milwaukee would choose up his 2023 possibility however doing so grew to become one in every of Arnold’s first official strikes after taking on for David Stearns.

“I am truly shocked that it will be thought of a shock,” Arnold instructed a choose group of reporters following the decison. “He is been a very good participant right here for plenty of years. We felt like this can be a championship-caliber participant who could be a part of a very good crew right here.”

As an alternative, he’ll be a part of a championship-caliber crew in Seattle, the place the Mariners need to take one other step ahead after snapping a two-decade playoff drought final season however had been swept in an AL Wild Card sequence by the eventual World Sequence profitable Astros.

Winker was not on Seattle’s roster for that sequence. His season got here to a untimely finish due to knee and neck accidents that restricted him to 136 video games and a slash line of .219/.344/.344 with 14 dwelling runs and a .688 OPS — a far cry from 2021 when he earned his first profession All-Star invitation and slashed .305/.394/.556 with 24 homers, 71 RBIs and a .949 OPS in 110 video games for the Reds, who traded him to Seattle together with Eugenio Suarez in March.

In all Winker spent six seasons with Cincinnati, hitting 80 dwelling runs with an .836 OPS. He did a major quantity of that harm in opposition to Brewers pitchers (.322/.409/.605, 13 HRs, 1.013 OPS) and was particularly harmful at American Household Discipline the place he slashed a whopping .344/.440/.591 with a 1.032 OPS in 32 video games.

Winker turned 29 in August and can earn $8.25 million this season, his final earlier than changing into eligible without cost company.

Toro, in the meantime, is just 25 and have become eligible for arbitration for the primary time this wniter as a Tremendous 2 participant. He’s performed components of 4 seasons with the Astros and Mariners, slashing .206/.276/.345 with 26 dwelling runs and a .621 OPS in 913 plate appearances.

He appeared in 109 video games for Seattle final season, batting .185 with 10 dwelling runs. Toro nonetheless has one minor league possibility remaining so Milwaukee might ship him right down to Triple-A Nashville for seasoning and to supply depth with plenty of outfielders at that stage anticipated to search out themselves on the big-league roster come April.