What Happens When A Trade Is Made

We are looking at this trade deadline period from the perspective of what can be done to enhance the Brewers’ future. We look at the return and try and see when and/or if the acquired players will make an impact on the major league roster.

That isn’t the only thing that happens, though. The traded players go to other teams and have an impact (for better or for worse) on that team. The players received have their impact on the Brewers. And those players can help produce other players that then impact the team.

At the trade deadline in 2014 the Brewers brought in Gerardo Parra from the D-Backs to provide a left-handed bat off the bench, a strong defensive 4th outfielder, and a veteran player to help with the stretch run. The Brewers sent minor league outfielder Mitch Haniger and minor league left handed pitcher Anthony Banda to the D'Backs.

While Parra did his job, the Brewers’ horrible September (9-22) doomed the club to becoming only the fifth team since divisional ball started to lead their division for 150 games and not make the playoffs. When the 2015 season saw the Brewers continue their poor play, the situation changed for the team and for Parra.

While the Brewers’ 2015 season was so bad that it cost Ron Roenicke his job and forced the Brewers into their current rebuild, Gerardo Parra had his best major league season to date for Milwaukee. In 100 games he slashed .328/.369/.517. As the Brewers were out of contention, Parra became a very attractive commodity for trade to a contender. The Orioles needed an outfielder, and were willing to send pitcher Zach Davies to the Brewers in exchange.

The Orioles didn’t make it, finishing at .500 and 5 games behind the Yankees for the last playoff spot. Parra’s 55 games for the Orioles were much less productive (.237/.268/.357) than his time with the Brewers, and this year he toils for the Rockies.

So acquiring a player for the stretch run can yield conflicting results. Parra performed for the Brewers but the team still didn’t get where they wanted to go. He didn’t perform for the Orioles, and they also failed to get to the playoffs. I hope that teams looking to bolster their rosters for this year’s playoff run only see the plus side of an acquisition.

The Brewers acquisition, Davies, is now a solid part of their rotation. He won’t be eligible for free agency until 2022.

So the Brewers, in effect, have traded Mitch Haniger and Anthony Banda for Zach Davies.

What do the D’Backs have in Haniger and Banda? Jason Martinez, of MLB Trade Rumors reports:

Acquired from the Brewers along with Futures Game selection Anthony Banda in the July 2014 trade for Gerardo Parra, the 25-year-old Haniger had put up solid numbers across the board in High-A Visalia and Double-A Mobile. Now with Triple-A Reno, he’s making it difficult for the D’backs to ignore him much longer.

As the article reports, Haniger is slashing .367/.432/.719 in AAA, and could very well contribute to the D'Backs in the not so distant future. Both are contributing at AAA Reno. This is a series of trades that appear to have benefited two of the three principals. The Orioles didn't get what they hoped, but seem to be doing OK - they could afford the risk.

Is having Zach Davies and a season (spanning two years) of Gerardo Parra worth giving up Mitch Haniger and Anthony Banda? The jury is still out. I will go out on a limb and say that the trade the D'Backs made to acquire Shelby Miller wasn't quite as even a deal...although that jury may still be out as well. They are different juries, aren't they?

stats courtesy of Fangraphs