The Milwaukee Brewers‘ rather intriguing offseason continues. It has truly been a roller coaster for fans, who have watched the best executive the franchise has had in years, David Stearns, leave the team he built from the ground up for his hometown New York Mets. Craig Counsell, the winningest manager in franchise history and a Milwaukee-area native, bolted for the Chicago Cubs.
The Brewers losing both of these figures of the most successful regular season era in franchise history has left many questions unanswered. And as if they were not enough, Milwaukee also traded 2021 National League Cy Young Award winner Corbin Burnes to the Baltimore Orioles last week.
Still, not every move in which the Brewers have been involved has been negative. In a rare foray into free agency, general manager Matt Arnold was able to sign premier free agent first baseman Rhys Hoskins to a two-year, $34 million contract. The prospects that Milwaukee acquired in exchange for Burnes, pitcher DL Hall and shortstop Joey Ortiz, are primed to be contributors to the club for years to come.
Related: Milwaukee Brewers GM “More Open” to Trading Another Star Player
As the Brewers build for contention, both now and in the future, sacrifices must be made. In order to make room for Hall and Ortiz on their40-man roster, Milwaukee made the decision to designate 2019 first round pick Ethan Small for assignment. On Monday, they bid adieu to Small in a deal with the San Francisco Giants.
The Milwaukee Brewers Trade Ethan Small to the San Francisco Giants
Late on Monday night, Brewers beat writer Adam McCalvy reported on X (formerly Twitter) that Milwaukee had traded Small to the Giants for cash:
The Brewers have traded former first-round pick Ethan Small to the Giants for cash. Small was designated for assignment to clear a 40-man spot in the wake of the Corbin Burnes trade.
— Adam McCalvy (@AdamMcCalvy) February 6, 2024
Small is coming off of his first season as a reliever after being used as a starter for most of his professional career. In 38 relief appearances for Triple-A Nashville, the left-handed hurler went 2-4 with a 3.18 ERA and 1.25 WHIP.
In four Major League appearances, Small is 0-0 with a 8.71 ERA and has one save.
Why Did the Milwaukee Brewers Decide to Part Ways with Ethan Small?
There was a time when Small was one of the most highly anticipated prospects in the Brewers’ farm system. In 2021, Small rocketed through the farm system, posting a 4-2 record and 1.98 ERA for the Brewers’ rookie ball, double-A, and triple-A teams.
However, Small struggled in Nashville in 2022 and did not perform well in his first call-up to the Majors. His struggles as a starter led Milwaukee to move him to the bullpen. As mentioned previously, he did find success in that role last season.
However, as Small descended down the Brewers’ top-30 prospect list, other pitchers rose. Currently, there are eight pitchers listed on Milwaukee’s top-30 list, including three in the top 10:
- Jacob Misiorowski (third)
- Robert Gasser (sixth)
- Carlos Rodriguez (seventh)
The acquisition of Hall, who is also a left-handed reliever, made Small expendable.
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