When the Milwaukee Brewers allowed Yasmani Grandal to depart via free agency after the 2019 season, it left a big hole both offensively and defensively behind the plate. The star backstop was not only an hitting stalwart, but also a well-regarded defender and pitch framer who was — and remains — one of the top overall two-way catchers in all of baseball. As the club was shedding payroll, David Stearns saw the opportunity to target someone he perceived as an undervalued player — Omar Narvaez, who was being shopped around by the Seattle Mariners.
Narvaez has bounced around the game a bit, first signing as an international free agent with the Rays before getting chosen by the White Sox in the Rule 5 Draft, followed by a trade to Seattle that preceded the deal to Milwaukee.