I love this trade! Positional depth and flexibility is very important. You never know when players are going to need rest days or get injured, so it is great to have as much depth as possible.
This is exactly the type of trade that a small market team like the Brewers need to make as we are stuck in the middle of a possible rebuild and going all in for a pendant. We are going to keep out window open by bringing up the young talent in our minor league system (look at the impact that Mitchell made late last season) and bringing in savvy veterans into the locker room that provides leadership for the young players. The Brewers definitely thrive off of the locker room culture and they play best when the guys are playing loose (beast mode!)
I have no concerns about Winker. He is exactly the player we need as a DH and a backup spot starter OF. A DH split between Winker/Yelich is exactly what the doctor ordered. Winker is a known Brewers killer and is very familiar with our ballpark. I'm not sure what exactly happened in Seattle (It was his first time playing in the AL, the Mariners ballpark is a pitchers ballpark, playing through injuries). I keep on reading about poor attitude/work ethic, but the Mariners clearly had high expectations for him and he didn't live up to those expectations (probably due to injuries).
Toro for me is the most important piece of the trade. His inclusion in the trade reminds me when Travis Shaw was traded from Boston. A lot has been said about how Toro will be an excellent locker room presence and will bring a lot of energy. He is a perfect fit for our current team and an amazing piece of have for the future. I mentioned how much of a positive impact Mitchell made last season, but look at the franchise altering impact that trading for a guy like Adames made on the Brewers. Our locker room is full of guys who are great teammates and bring a lot of playful fun energy to the field. Toro is definitely one of those guys! He will be our Jace Peterson replacement who can play multiple positions all over the field and I fully expect to see more power out of his bat compared to Peterson.
Wongs leadership and defense will be missed, but this was an impact trade that will help us now and in the future!
