Most avid Brewers fans still view the 2022 summer front office decision to trade all-star closer Josh Hader as an awful call.
But a few months later, that move produced another deal that now appears to be one of the franchise's best.
The three-way trade with the Atlanta Braves and Oakland Athletics that brought catcher William Contreras to the Brewers on Dec. 12, 2022, is the kind of move most small market teams hope to pull off but rarely execute. The Brewers traded outfielder Esteury Ruiz to the A's and received pitchers Joel Payamps from the A's and Justin Yeager from the Braves in addition to Contreras.