The Milwaukee Brewers have made a habit of turning overlooked trades into long-term wins, and once again, it looks like Matt Arnold and the front office have pulled off another quiet coup. This time, it’s the 2024 deadline deal that sent Nick Mears to Milwaukee and Bradley Blalock to Colorado that’s aging remarkably well - especially now that the Rockies have designated Blalock for assignment.
Let’s rewind. When the Brewers flipped two prospects - Blalock and Yujanyer Herrera - to Colorado in exchange for Mears, eyebrows were raised.
Blalock was Milwaukee’s No. 17-ranked prospect at the time, and Mears had a 5.56 ERA coming out of the Rockies’ bullpen. On paper, it didn’t look like a slam dunk.
But if there’s one thing the Brewers have shown over the past few seasons, it’s that they see beyond the surface-level numbers.
Mears didn’t stay in Milwaukee long - he was later traded to Kansas City along with Isaac Collins for lefty Ángel Zerpa - but his impact in 2025 was undeniable. For a stretch, he was one of the most reliable arms in Pat Murphy’s bullpen.
In April and June, he posted a sparkling 0.79 ERA (yes, the same number in both months), and while a rough May (4.63 ERA) dragged down his overall line, he still carried a 2.10 ERA into July. That kind of production, even if short-lived, is exactly the kind of value Milwaukee consistently finds in these under-the-radar moves.
Meanwhile, Blalock’s time in Colorado didn’t go nearly as well. The right-hander made 14 appearances for the Rockies in 2025 and was hit hard, finishing with a 9.36 ERA and a -1.6 bWAR.
That kind of performance is tough to recover from, especially for a team like Colorado that’s trying to stabilize its pitching staff. When the Rockies added veteran Michael Lorenzen to the roster last week, Blalock was the odd man out.
The numbers tell the story: Mears was worth 0.2 bWAR during his stint in Milwaukee. Blalock? -1.8 bWAR in Colorado.
That’s a full 2.0 WAR swing - and in today’s market, that’s roughly $18-20 million in value. For a small-market club like the Brewers, that kind of margin matters.
It’s not flashy, but it’s effective.
And this isn’t a one-off. Arnold and his team have made a habit of winning trades that fly under the radar.
Take Grant Anderson, for example. Acquired after an ugly 8.10 ERA season with Texas, he turned into a bullpen workhorse in 2025, posting a 3.23 ERA over 66 appearances.
Or Chad Patrick, who came over in a deal for Abraham Toro (who posted a -0.3 bWAR in 2025). Patrick was a Rookie of the Year candidate before Brandon Woodruff returned to reclaim his rotation spot in July.
Now, Patrick projects as a key piece in the Brewers’ pitching plans for years to come.
And then there’s the headline-grabbing Aaron Civale-for-Andrew Vaughn swap. What started as a move to clear space for top prospect Jacob Misiorowski turned into a second-half breakout for Vaughn, who caught fire and became a major contributor down the stretch.
These are the kinds of moves that define Milwaukee’s front office strategy. With limited payroll flexibility - a reality of operating in baseball’s smallest TV market - the Brewers have no choice but to find value where others don’t.
And they’ve become elite at it. They don’t wait for the perfect deal; they create it.
They trade from depth, identify undervalued assets, and often move on from players at just the right time.
Sure, the fanbase doesn’t always love it. Letting go of familiar names or dealing away promising prospects can sting in the moment.
But more often than not, the long-term results speak for themselves. The front office isn’t playing fantasy baseball - they’re building a sustainable winner within real-world constraints.
Now, with Ángel Zerpa in the fold and poised for a potential breakout, the Brewers may have pulled off another forward-thinking move. If history is any indication, fans might want to keep an eye on that one too.
In Milwaukee, this is the formula. Win on the margins.
Maximize every roster spot. Stay competitive without breaking the bank.
It’s not always flashy, but it’s undeniably effective - and it’s why the Brewers remain one of the most consistently competitive teams in the game.