Six-Participant Deal Sends Caleb Durbin From Brewers To Pink Sox

Clearly, none of these individuals who argues that the day after Tremendous Bowl Sunday needs to be nationwide vacation is answerable for the Brewers or the Pink Sox. Issues bought difficult very early this week, as Milwaukee and Boston introduced a six-player commerce on Monday morning.

The Brewers acquired infielder David Hamilton and left-handed pitchers Kyle Harrison and Shane Drohan. The Pink Sox acquired infielders Caleb Durbin, Andruw Monasterio, and Anthony Seigler, together with Milwaukee’s aggressive stability Spherical B draft choose. The headliner of the deal is Durbin, who will slot in as Boston’s on a regular basis second or third baseman. Whenever you consider that Boston additionally traded for Willson Contreras, signed Isiah Kiner-Falefa, and claimed Tsung-Che Cheng off waivers, the Pink Sox have now added greater than a complete infield this offseason. Don’t fear; their infield scenario remains to be a lot difficult. Harrison headlines the bundle going to Milwaukee. The Brewers get the possibility to work their magic on two younger pitchers, they usually get so as to add to their assortment of speedy, scrappy, undersized infielders.

It was an odd commerce in some methods. All six gamers have been on 40-man rosters already. The Pink Sox bought the comp choose (as of now, the 67th choose within the draft) regardless that they have been additionally getting the most important title, a participant who will go straight from Milwaukee’s beginning lineup into their very own. The left-handed Hamilton has just a few extra instruments than the right-handed Monasterio, however the two are at the least comparable; it’s seemingly that the handedness of the 2 gamers affected Boston’s willingness to half with him. You can argue that the Brewers gave up greater than the Pink Sox, however that they wanted what they bought far more. The Pink Sox have one of many deepest rotations within the league, so Harrison goes from a group that might have struggled to search out room for him to a group that may seemingly want him to carry down a rotation spot from day one.

Let’s begin with Durbin, who ranked simply twenty first on our Brewers org record in Could, then went on to interrupt out and end third within the Nationwide League Rookie of the Yr voting. The Yankees despatched the brawny, 5-foot-7 Durbin to Milwaukee within the Devin Williams commerce. He put up 2.6 WAR over 136 video games, which works out to simply underneath 3.1 WAR over a full season. His offensive profile follows a well-recognized sample: backside of the size by way of bat velocity and exit velocity, prime of the size by way of contact charge and strikeout avoidance. Due to a predilection for pulling the ball within the air, Durbin popped 11 house runs in 2025. That makes him sound like an ideal match for Fenway Park (a reality chief baseball officer Craig Breslow famous throughout a Zoom name with reporters on Monday), however Statcast estimates that he would have hit simply 5 house runs there final 12 months.

Durbin actually earned his rookie success. He performed nice protection and ran the bases nicely, and superior metrics like xwOBA and DRC+ point out that he deserved his manufacturing on the plate. Nonetheless, it’s most likely a bit a lot to count on him to repeat the 105 wRC+ he put up in 2025 with none regression. It appears extra affordable to place up nearer to 2 wins, serving as a well-rounded retailer model substitute for Alex Bregman. Durbin doesn’t have fairly the identical plate self-discipline, and he’s more likely to bang extra balls into the Inexperienced Monster and fewer over it, however he’s nonetheless bought 5 years of group management. Breslow stated on Monday the group hasn’t determined whether or not Durbin will play second or third base.

It could be simple to spend an entire article slogging via the Boston infield scenario, however I’ll attempt to lay it out as merely as potential. At first base, the Pink Sox traded for slugger Willson Contreras, however in addition they have slugger Triston Casas, who could or might not be prepared on Opening Day after rupturing his patellar tendon in 2025. At shortstop, they’ve Trevor Story, who initiatives to place up a bit over two wins within the ultimate 12 months of his contract, however has had only one wholesome season up to now 4 years. The 23-year-old Marcelo Mayer would appear to be the shortstop of the long run, however he struggled in his debut in 2025, and he’s had hassle staying wholesome because the Pink Sox drafted him in 2021. The only configuration has Casas at DH, Contreras at first, Story at quick, and Mayer and Durbin at second and third (or vice versa).

Complicating all that is that the group additionally bought Monsterio, signed Kiner-Falefa, claimed Cheng, nonetheless has Romy Gonzalez coming off a breakout 2025 season through which he put up a 123 wRC+, and in addition has an outfield crunch that would at the least theoretically nonetheless see Kristian Campbell find yourself as an infielder. Monasterio has spent at the least a while as Milwaukee’s beginning third baseman in every of the final three seasons, and in 2025, he regarded like a mean hitter on the plate, however it’s arduous to think about him getting an excessive amount of taking part in time in Boston. These are all good issues to have, and we haven’t even gotten to the deeper names like Nate Eaton and Nick Sogard (each of whom bought vital taking part in time within the postseason), and naturally, Seigler. RosterResource initiatives Durbin to begin at second, with Mayer and Gonzalez platooning at third, although supervisor Alex Cora stated throughout Fenway Fest in January that he hopes to get Mayer extra at-bats towards left-handed pitching.

All of that is nonetheless a downgrade from having Rafael Devers or Bregman. We’re not optimistic who will play the place as a result of not one of the gamers we’re speaking about is an plain star. Contemplating their sources and place within the win curve, the Pink Sox most likely needs to be consolidating their depth right into a star participant reasonably than buying and selling one away and letting the opposite stroll in free company. Nonetheless, that’s a number of depth.

At lot must go proper for this to be an excellent infield. No less than three of the next issues must occur: 1) Durbin would repeat his rookie success, 2) Story would keep wholesome and proceed his good BABIP luck, 3) Mayer would keep wholesome and determine issues out on the large league stage for the primary time, 4) Gonzalez would repeat his breakout marketing campaign. Getting three of these 4 appears fairly unlikely, however having all this depth makes the ground very strong. The group may have replacements for anybody who will get injured. If Mayer fails to hit lefties (assuming he will get the possibility), Gonzalez can step in. If Gonzalez steps again, the group can depend on strong protection from Monasterio and Kiner-Falefa. Likewise, if Durbin’s offense steps again, the remainder of his recreation ought to preserve him at the least round substitute stage. And if all else fails, Campbell (and even Ceddanne Rafaela, once more) can bounce again into the infield. Possibly you’ve observed that I haven’t dived into the stability of right-handed batters and left-handed batters right here. That’s as a result of I don’t need to. We’ve talked about this infield sufficient and you may’t make me do it.

Fiiiiine, I suppose my editor could make me do it. Curse you, Matt! After nicely over a 12 months of hand-wringing concerning the overwhelming left-handedness of the lineup, it needs to be pretty balanced. Proper now, RosterResource initiatives it to function 4 lefties and 5 righties towards right-handed pitchers. Nevertheless, positionally, a lot of the infielders (together with each catchers) anticipated to make the Opening Day roster are righties and a lot of the outfielders bat left-handed. There are additionally two switch-hitters within the combine, although each are more likely to start the 12 months in Triple-A. One in every of them is Anthony Seigler, whom we’ll get to now.

Seigler was the Yankees’ first-round choose within the 2018 draft, an thrilling switch-hitting, switch-pitching(!), two-way prospect who in 2019 ranked eighth within the group. He signed as a catcher and infielder, however he’s struggled with accidents and underperformed on the plate. Then in 2024, he put up a 122 wRC+ with 12 house runs in Double-A. He grew to become a six-year minor league free agent after the season, and the Brewers signed him to a minor league cope with a non-roster invite. He put up a 143 wRC+ in Triple-A in 2025, however struggled in his first style of the large leagues.

He’s now 26, and the remainder of the paragraph is simply my paraphrasing the notes Eric Longenhagen despatched me on Seigler after the commerce. Seigler is significantly better hitting from the left facet. He possesses plus-plus plate self-discipline and plus bat velocity, together with the power to raise the ball. Nevertheless, Eric doubts that Seigler’s swing will play on the main league stage, which is to say that he’ll strike out an entire lot. Eric doesn’t take into account Seigler an possibility as a catcher. As a second or third baseman, he has good actions and really feel for his place, however he has below-average vary and throwing accuracy. Cease me should you’ve heard this earlier than, however Eric considers him a pleasant depth participant. “The measured energy is spectacular,” Eric advised me, “and so is his strategy,” however he’s going to strike out so much and supply substandard protection.

I apologize to any Brewers fan who needed to wade via all that simply to get to their portion of the commerce. Kyle Harrison is the principle piece of the return, however let’s keep within the infield and begin with David Hamilton, who actually appears like a Brewers man, at the least to some extent. He’s a 5-foot-11 center infielder with velocity, protection, and never a lot energy. He’s 28 years previous, however he’s bought simply two years of service time, so he received’t be a free agent till 2030. He first debuted in 2023, and appeared in additional than 90 video games in every of the final two seasons, stealing 33 bases in 2024 and 22 bases in 2025. His protection grades out fairly nicely, too. Nevertheless, he stops sounding a lot like a Brewers man once you discuss his offensive profile. Hamilton doesn’t have nice contact skill. He put up a 94 wRC+ and 1.6 WAR in 2024 due to a .316 BABIP, however the batted ball luck disappeared in 2025, and his wRC+ fell to a bleak 60.

Possibly Milwaukee is planning on including one other infielder, however Hamilton solely has one minor league possibility, so it actually looks like he’s going to begin the season on the 26-man roster. It’s arduous to think about the group simply plugging him and his 83 wRC+ ZiPS projection into the beginning third base spot. RosterResource has Hamilton in a bench position, with Joey Ortiz shifting over to 3rd and Jett Williams beginning at shortstop. That’s an entire lot to ask of the 22-year-old Williams, who was acquired within the Freddy Peralta commerce earlier this offseason. He excelled in Double-A final 12 months, however he’s by no means performed within the majors.

All this places this infield in a precarious place. The Brewers offered excessive on Durbin, but when Williams isn’t prepared, they’ll have to rely upon Hamilton in a significant manner. In doing so, they’re taking the other strategy of the Pink Sox of their infield. Boston is stockpiling depth, whereas the Brewers seem like handing the keys to a 22-year-old rookie and counting on a 28-year-old with 1.5 profession WAR to fill within the gaps. They’ve actually hit large on this method up to now within the type of Durbin, Ortiz, and Brice Turang, however as common, they’re strolling a high-quality line.

Now that we’ve disbursed with the infield, we will get to Harrison. The left-hander got here to Boston within the Devers commerce, so let’s all spare a second for Maddie Landis of Speak Sox, who on Monday morning revealed an article titled “The Rafael Devers Commerce Tree Is Rotting” simply 79 minutes earlier than ESPN’s Jeff Passan broke the information that made it each completely timed and immediately out of date. The 20-year-old Jose Bello is the one remaining a part of the Devers return nonetheless within the Boston system. Breslow actually needed out of that contract.

The Giants drafted Harrison within the third spherical of the 2020 draft, and he discovered early success, working a 3.19 ERA in Low-A in 2021, then a 2.71 ERA and three.20 ERA throughout two ranges in 2022. He made his main league debut in 2023, and he now has 42 profession appearances and 37 begins underneath his belt, with 194 2/3 innings pitched, a 4.39 ERA, and a 4.44 FIP. He’s principally run first rate strikeout charges and iffy stroll charges whereas struggling to restrict arduous contact. His fastball has typically been round or under the league common by way of velocity. None of that makes him sound just like the centerpiece of a deal for Devers or Durbin, however as Harrison advised David Laurila, he was a completely different pitcher as soon as he bought to Boston final 12 months.

In Boston, he raised his launch level and his arm angle barely. His four-seam fastball added half an inch of rise and greater than an inch of arm-side run. His gradual, flexible slurve added much more horizontal motion, and the Pink Sox inspired him to strive throwing the pitch inside to righties on the lookout for whiffs, as a substitute of simply utilizing it as a backdoor pitch supposed for known as strikes and weak contact. Lastly, after experimenting with a splitter, Harrison switched from a one-seam changeup to a kick change, which as soon as once more added extra motion. Simply as necessary, he added two new pitches, a cutter and a sinker reserved for left-handed batters. He was now not a three-pitch pitcher, and he went from throwing the four-seamer 43% of the time all the way in which all the way down to 16%.

These are big variations. It’s primarily three new pitches, together with utterly completely different usages for the opposite two. The pattern dimension is small, too. Harrison made 18 begins within the minors (six with the Giants and 12 with the Pink Sox), so we’re speaking about simply three main league appearances in Boston with this new repertoire. Harrison is simply 24, and we shouldn’t assume that the Brewers are simply going to roll with these adjustments. They’ve been turning pitchers into the most effective variations of themselves for years now, and clearly, the paint is way from dry on Harrison’s profile as a pitcher.

Harrison will definitely get his likelihood to make all of it work. He strikes from an overflowing Boston beginning pitching scenario to a Brewers rotation that appears a bit threadbare with out Peralta. (Full disclosure: On the recommendation of my spouse, I deleted a pasta-themed model of the earlier sentence that in contrast the Pink Sox rotation to an overstuffed ravioli that explodes the second you drop it into boiling water, so I’ll simply let you know that the Boston rotation ranks first on our Depth Charts even with out Harrison, whereas the Milwaukee workers ranks sixteenth.) The Brewers have Brandon Woodruff, Jacob Misiorowski, and Quinn Priester (who in early 2025 was additionally traded from Boston to Milwaukee) within the entrance of their rotation, so Harrison ought to slot in towards the again.

Final we come to the 27-year-old lefty Drohan, whom the Pink Sox drafted out of Florida State within the fifth spherical in 2020. He ranked forty first on their prime prospects record final 12 months. Every little thing you learn from right here on out was written by Eric Longehagen, who put a future worth of 40+ on Drohan:

Drohan has remodeled in some ways since he was drafted, as each his supply (a a lot shorter arm motion) and repertoire have modified a number of occasions. His prospect worth peaked in mid-2023 when he climbed to Triple-A as a starter and threw 125 innings as a wild, changeup-oriented swingman prospect. The White Sox used a Rule 5 choose on him in 2023, however he wanted nerve decompression surgical procedure earlier than the 2024 season and was DFA’d and returned to the Pink Sox throughout his rehab. He was placed on the IL once more in August 2024 with shoulder irritation.

Due to the timing of Craig Breslow’s rent and Drohan’s White Sox stint and accidents, the 2025 season was actually the primary time the Breslow Period improvement workers was in a position to work with him, and he drastically modified his repertoire and pitch utilization to incorporate extra breaking stuff in 2025. Drohan now throws a ton of sliders and cutters, he had a one-tick velo enhance, and was a throwing starter-quality charge of strikes for the primary time since 2022. He now throws many extra low-80s sliders and upper-80 cutters than earlier than (he beforehand had a slider that was in between the 2) and his fastball is taking part in like a comfortably plus pitch regardless that it’s solely sitting 93.

There hasn’t been anybody drastic change right here. Drohan appears to be like like he’s in barely higher form than he was in 2023 and is getting down the mound just a little higher, however there hasn’t been any big alteration to his supply or fastball motion that might completely clarify why he’s gone from having a forty five fastball to, at the least from a miss and chase standpoint, a plus heater. The best way his new breaking stuff tunnels off his fastball (particularly the cutter) could be serving to his fastball play higher. Although Drohan’s changeup remains to be his greatest pitch on pure stuff, it’s the one he has the least constant really feel for finding, and it’s possible that merely de-emphasizing it has made him a extra succesful strike-thrower.

Drohan had an “arrow up” 2025 and was placed on the Pink Sox 40-man after the season, then traded to Milwaukee. As a result of he has all three possibility years remaining, he’s very more likely to play an up/down starter position for the following 12 months or two, after which both settle into a protracted aid position (the position I feel he’d most thrive in) or towards the again of Milwaukee’s rotation.