On Thursday morning. MLB reporter and The Athletic senior writer Ken Rosenthal reported that the Milwaukee Brewers traded a competitive-balance pick for LHP Alex Claudio.
Claudio has been in the league since 2014. Last season he posted a 4-2 record with a 4.48 ERA and 1.52 WHIP over 68.1 innings pitched. Last season was actually a bit of a down year for Claudio, who had a sub-3.00 ERA in every season before last year.
The move is a solid one for Milwaukee to bolster their bullpen, adding another lefty to the mix.
Claudio's contract gives the Brewers three additional years of team control and the option to send him down to the minors, a measure of flexibility that surely helped them feel confident in making this deal.
The Rangers boost their rebuilding efforts through this trade, which nets them the Brewers' competitive-balance pick, which many expect to be a pretty good draft slot.
Because of the value of that competitive-balance pick, only time will tell if the Brewers got the best out of this deal.
Every move made within the NL Central is a big one these days, with the division already shaping up to be stronger than last year, when the Cubs—at 95 wins—finished second.