With the Milwaukee Brewers 3 games ahead of the Saint Louis Cardinals in the NL Central going into the beloved trade deadline, most fans expected the team to be ‘buyers’ at the deadline and ship away some top prospects. David Stearns had other plans, as he traded All Star Reliever Josh Hader to the San Diego Padres for a package of 4 players, with left handed pitching prospect Robert Gasser being the main prospect coming to Milwaukee. 

The return on Josh Hader to Milwaukee is significant: left-handed closer Taylor Rogers, lefty pitching prospect Robert Gasser, outfielder Esteury Ruiz and right-hander Dinelson Lamet, sources tell ESPN. Hader will be a free agent after the 2023 season.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) August 1, 2022

The two prospects will enter Milwaukee’s farm system right away, and will give Milwaukee much needed depth in the farm system, and will move them up the rankings in terms of talent in the minor leagues. LHP Robert Gasser will be ranked as the No. 8 prospect, and OF Esteury Ruiz will be No. 9 per Milwaukee beat reporter Adam McCalvy. 

Hader was entering free agency after the 2023 season, and the Padres will be getting 1.5 seasons worth of all star closing pitching. The Brewers also got Taylor Rogers and Dinelson Lamet in return, two MLB quality pitchers, that will help add to the bullpen that has been scored on more than usual since the series against the Chicago Cubs starting back on July 4th. The Brewers have Devin Williams left in the bullpen, who has a 1.59 ERA in 43 appearances this year. 

Do not expect this to mean the Brewers are sellers at the deadline though, as reports have come out that Milwaukee is more ‘retooling’ their major league roster than selling it off for prospects. 

Here's something I'm hearing from someone within the industry that likely won't come as much of a surprise:

The Brewers are not done and very active still. "Always expect something out of the box."

— Curt Hogg (@CyrtHogg) August 1, 2022

Milwaukee has been reportedly active in talks with the New York Yankees about OF Joey Gallo, and were also reportedly a team bidding for Andrew Benintendi before he was traded from Kansas City to the New York Yankees. The Brewers will have to find someone to fill the innings and shutdown ability that Hader has produced for them, but Taylor Rogers is a good start, along with three relievers that are on minor league rehab assignments in Luis Perdomo, Justin Topa, and Jake Cousins. 

President of Baseball Operations David Stearns is known to work in silence, as nobody saw this Josh Hader trade coming, so be on the lookout for more moves coming out of Milwaukee before the trade deadline tomorrow at 5 P.M.