When the Brewers acquired Neil Walker from the New York Mets a month ago today, all we knew was the Brewers were also getting cash in the deal and would eventually give up a player to be named later.
We now know who that player is: Single-A pitcher Eric Hanhold.
RHP Eric Hanhold has been sent to the Mets as the player to be named in the August 12 trade for INF Neil Walker and cash.
— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) September 12, 2017
Hanhold was a 6th-round pick by the Brewers out of the University of Florida in 2015. He's struggled since then, putting up a 5.01 ERA in 201.1 innings across three levels. He did fare better this season after working mostly in the bullpen, though, putting up a 3.94 ERA as a 23-year-old in Single-A, striking out 60 in 64 innings. He still allowed 71 hits, but some of that might have been the result of some bad defensive luck. He did put up a GB/FB ratio of 1.9.
Considering how the Mets' trade of Walker was always going to be more of a salary dump than anything, this type of return makes sense. The Mets get an okay bullpen prospect who might be getting a little old for his level in the minors and got out of paying Walker for the rest of the year. The Brewers got a solidifying bat in a lineup that needed a hitter of his type.
Walker has hit .268/.388/.465 in 23 games with the Brewers, including 3 home runs and 5 doubles, mostly splitting his time between second base and first base.
Statistics courtesy of Baseball-Reference