What We Learned: Aramis Ramirez returns to where his MLB career began

The moment that many people had been waiting for finally arrived yesterday. After weeks of talking about selling and wondering when the Brewers would make their first trade, it finally happened. The Brewers sent Aramis Ramirez to Pittsburgh (along with cash) for minor league pitcher Yhonathan Barrios. With Ramirez having a down year, it was uncertain if the Brewers could even get anything for him.  Being able to get anything back for him is a plus, and the Brewers were able to clear a little salary as well.

Yhonathan Barrios is exactly the type of pitcher that you would expect the Brewers to get back in a trade like this: a lottery ticket. He could turn out to be a great reliever, or he may never make it to the Brewers. Noah took a quick look at Barrios after the trade yesterday, noting that the Pirates were down on him and that he would be Rule 5 eligible and a minor-league free agent at the end of the season. The Brewers may end up getting nothing from Barrios, but trading Ramirez was a long-shot anyway, so at least they're getting a shot at something here.

Meanwhile, the Ramirez trade brings to an end Ramirez's short time in Milwaukee. Signing as a free agent after the 2011 season, the Brewers hoped that Ramirez would be one of the missing pieces for them to make another postseason run. Noah also wrote about Ramirez's career in Milwaukee, how he brought a big bat to the lineup and helped replace some of the production lost after Prince Fielder left. Unfortunately, the Brewers could not get back to the playoffs with Ramirez on the roster, and Ramirez's career is winding down now.

Pittsburgh is where Ramirez began his career, and he will get one more chance at the postseason with the Pirates. It would be a good way to end his career, though it is unfortunate that it had to be for a division rival. Hopefully Ramirez can end his career on a high note with a strong finish to the season.

Yesterday's Results

Diamondbacks 8, Brewers 3

The Brewers faced a pitcher making his MLB debut. Guess what happened? That's right, they struggled against him. Zack Godley pitched six shutout innings, allowing only four hits while striking out seven and walking no one. Meanwhile, Mike Fiers had a rough start, allowing five runs (four earned) in five innings, though he did strike out ten. A three-run home run by Ryan Braun in the ninth inning accounted for the only Brewers runs in the game.

Brewers News & Notes

More from BCB

• Before the Ramirez trade, Scott Kazmir of the Athletics was traded earlier in the day. Noah looked at the trade for a baseline of what Brewers trades could yield.
• Kyle Lohse's most recent bad start could be one of his last as a Brewer. With Wily Peralta set to come off the DL soon, I wrote about how it would be better for Lohse to be pulled from the rotation.
• The Ramirez trade wasn't the only thing ongoing for the Brewers. Noah posted a FanShot of an Adam McCalvy tweet, noting that there are other trade talks ongoing, including one trade that fell through.

Aramis Ramirez Trade

• With Ramirez gone, there is now a hole at third base to fill. Adam McCalvy reports that Hernan Perez will get the first chance there, but Hector Gomez could also see some time.
• Over on The Brewers Bar, Enrique Bakemeyer asks what Aramis Ramirez's best game as a Brewer was. In his opinion, it was on July 3, 2012 against the Marlins.
• Jack Moore of BP Milwaukee analyzed the Ramirez trade, giving his thoughts on the trade as a whole.
• Justin Schultz of The First Out At Third also gave his thoughts on what the Brewers are getting in Yhonathan Barrios.

Other Notes

• The next class of players for the Hall of Fame will be inducted this weekend, and Craig Counsell was lucky enough to play with Randy Johnson. In a story from Adam McCalvy, Counsell reflected on his time spent with Johnson as members of the Diamondbacks.
• Jean Segura has seen some improvement at the plate in the last year. Derek Harvey of BP Milwaukee analyzes how Segura has improved his plate performance.
• It appears as though Hernan Perez isn't used to the Brewers jersey designs yet. In yesterday's game, he came out to the field wearing the wrong jersey top.

Minor League Update

News & Notes

• What do players do during rain delays? Down in Brevard County, they have some fun with dubsmash.

NL Central Update

• Cardinals 4, Royals 3
• Pirates 7, Nationals 3
• Cubs and Reds had the day off.

This Weekend's Division Games

• Braves @ Cardinals
  Friday: Manny Banuelos vs. Tim Cooney - 7:15 pm
  Saturday: Shelby Miller vs. Carlos Martinez - 6:15 pm
  Sunday: Matt Wisler vs. Michael Wacha - 1:15 pm
• Nationals @ Pirates
  Friday: Max Scherzer vs. Jeff Locke - 6:05 pm
  Saturday: Gio Gonzalez vs. A.J. Burnett - 6:05 pm
  Sunday: Joe Ross vs. Gerrit Cole - 12:35 pm
• Phillies @ Cubs
  Friday: Jerome Williams vs. Jon Lester - 3:05 pm
  Saturday: Cole Hamels vs. Jake Arrieta - 3:05 pm
  Sunday: Aaron Nola vs. Jason Hammel - 1:20 pm
• Reds @ Rockies
  Friday: Anthony DeSclafani vs. Eddie Butler -  7:40 pm
  Saturday: Johnny Cueto vs. Chris Rusin - 7:10 pm
  Sunday: Michael Lorenzen vs. Kyle Kendrick - 3:10 pm

This Weekend's Action

The Brewers continue their four-game series against the Diamondbacks through this weekend. Yesterday, Derek previewed the full series. Here are the starting matchups:

Friday: Jimmy Nelson vs. Patrick Corbin - 8:40 pm
Saturday: Taylor Jungmann vs. Rubby De La Rosa - 7:10 pm
Sunday: Matt Garza vs. Jeremy Hellickson - 3:10 pm