On the surface, the Milwaukee Brewers’ trade with the Kansas City Royals feels like the classic “both teams fixed something” swap: the Royals get outfielder Isaac Collins and right-hander Nick Mears, while the Brewers bring in lefty Ángel Zerpa.
Collins wasn’t filler. He just gave Milwaukee a very real season at the plate — .263/.368/.411 with 9 homers and 16 steals. Mears appeared in 63 games, with a 3.49 ERA and 0.97 WHIP. That is exactly the sort of “seventh-inning fireman” contenders end up missing the moment they assume they have enough bullpen arms.
So why would the Brewers do it?