Milwaukee Brewers: Keon Broxton Traded to the New York Mets

The Milwaukee Brewers trade Keon Broxton to the Mets in exchange for infielder Felix Valerio and right-handers Adam Hill and Bobby Wahl.

First, it was Domingo Santana and now it’s Keon Broxton. The Milwaukee Brewers made a trade on Saturday that sent outfielder Keon Broxton to New York for three prospects.

Broxton has been on the trade block for around a year now and the day has finally come. The Mets acquired Broxton this weekend and the Brewers got three players out of the deal. The Brewers added RHP Bobby Wahl (#28 Prospect), RHP Adam Hill and infielder Felix Valerio in this trade. The return is the biggest surprise of the deal. Getting three players, including a top 30 prospect, for a backup outfielder is big.

Broxton came to Milwaukee in 2015. He was traded with Trey Supak (#13 Prospect) from the Pirates in exchange for first basemen Jason Rogers. Broxton never had the best average and had trouble with strikeouts, but he has a lot of pop in his bat, great speed, and is a plus defender. He’ll most likely back up Juan Lagares in center field with the Mets and will become a fan favorite.

The Return

The Brewers got a great group of players and there’s a good chance we’ll see one of them this season. The headliner of the Brewers return is Bobby Wahl. Wahl was the #28 prospect for the Mets and he throws heat. His fastball sits around the mid to high nineties with a changeup and slider as his secondary pitches. He has battled injuries, but when healthy, he’s tremendous out of the bullpen. He’s had a small sample size in the Majors only throwing 13 innings in the majors with a 6.92 ERA, but his stats last year in AAA are a different story. This was a solid pickup that could help the team now.

2018 Stats: 4-2/12 SV/2.20 ERA/45.0 IP/73 K (AAA)

The Brewers also added Adam Hill. The 21-year-old righty was chosen in the 2018 draft in the fourth round out of South Carolina. His fastball sits in the low to mid-nineties with a slider and changeup to compliment. He will most likely be in the middle of the rotation if he earns a spot in the majors in the next three years. He didn’t get to pitch a lot due to him getting drafted in the middle of the season, but he pitched well with the opportunities he got. Great addition to the Crew.

2018 Stats: 1-1/2.35 ERA/15.1 IP/26 K (Class A Short)

Last is infielder Felix Valerio. Valerio is 18 years old and was signed to a minor league deal in 2018. He’s primarily seen as a second baseman, but he can play third base as well. Last season, he played in the Dominican Summer League and he was raking the whole year. We will most likely not seem him in the majors in the next few seasons, but hopefully, he’ll make a big impact in the minors and work his way up.

2018 Stats: .319 BA/3 HR/22 RBI/16 SB/.409 OBP/.843 OPS (DSL)

Overview

Overall, this was a great haul. Better than the Domingo trade. Getting a bullpen piece and two young prospects that have a lot of potential is huge. Once again, it’s surprising that they got three players for a fourth outfielder, but as always, David Stearns finds a way.

And when it comes to outfield depth, it’s an interesting topic. The Brewers have traded away Brett Phillips, Domingo Santana, and Keon Broxton since August. They now have Ben Gamel, Tyrone Taylor, Troy Stokes Jr., and Corey Ray as their true outfielders that could backup Yelich, Cain, and Braun. And the fact that only one of four have played in the majors makes you wonder if a move is coming.

We knew it was going to happen, but it’s sad to see Keon go. He always brought a lot of energy, could fly around the bases, and made some of the best catches of the 2018 season. Including this one on the Fourth of July:

We wish Keon the best of luck in New York!