Milwaukee and Arizona swapped relievers Tuesday as they continue their playoff pushes, with the Brewers acquiring left-hander Andrew Chafin from the Diamondbacks in exchange for right-hander Peter Strzelecki.
Both teams stayed busy all the way up to the trade deadline.
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The deal continued the Brewers’ flurry of trade-deadline moves, after they already acquired first baseman Carlos Santana from the Pittsburgh Pirates last week, and added outfielder Mark Canha from the New York Mets on Monday.
The 33-year-old Chafin has been a consistent, durable reliever for 10 years in the big leagues. The left-hander has a 2-3 record, 4.19 ERA and 49 strikeouts over 34 1/3 innings this season, which was his second stint with the Diamondbacks.
Chafin’s numbers were even better for most of the season, but he gave up five earned runs and got only two outs in a game last week against the Cardinals, sending his ERA soaring.
“I feel lucky to get a guy like that and put him in the mix of this crew,” Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. “He’s a guy who just gets outs. I feel like every day in those big spots, we have somebody to go to. It’s probably going to lead to a little more less-defined roles for guys, but that’s OK. That means you have a lot of good pitchers.”
Milwaukee added Chafin four days after left-hander Justin Wilson sustained a potentially significant lat injury while warming up in the bullpen before making what would have been his Brewers debut Friday night at Atlanta.
Chafin will join Hoby Milner as the Brewers’ only left-handed relievers.
“He’s somebody that we’ve obviously faced for many years and has a long track record of success and is a guy that fortifies our bullpen hopefully in a way that we were hoping Justin Wilson would be able to,” Brewers president of baseball operations Matt Arnold said.
Milwaukee also made a couple of minor moves later Tuesday. The team acquired pitcher Evan McKendry from Tampa Bay for minor league catcher Alex Jackson and sent minor league infielder Luis Urías to the Boston Red Sox for minor league pitcher Bradley Blalock.
McKendry will report to Triple-A Nashville and Blalock was assigned to Class A Wisconsin. The Red Sox optioned Urías to Triple-A Worcester.
In the Canha deal, Milwaukee sent minor league pitcher Justin Jarvis to the Mets, who agreed to pay $3.26 million of Canha’s $3.5 million in remaining salary this year.
“He’s a guy that we’re excited to have,” Brewers president of baseball operations Matt Arnold said. “He’s somebody that’s been a productive big league player now for a long time. He still is a versatile guy as well. Between what he’s done over the course of his career offensively and also with the ability to play the outfield, first base, DH, etc., he’s somebody that we think can help us here down the stretch.”
Milwaukee will pay Canha $240,000, a prorated share of the $720,000 major league minimum for the final 62 days of the season. The Brewers also are responsible for the $2 million buyout if they decline his $11.5 million buyout for 2024.
The cerebral and versatile Canha is batting .245 with a .343 on-base percentage, six homers, 29 RBI and seven steals in 89 games this season. He’s in the second season of a $26.5 million, two-year contract that includes an $11.5 million team option for 2024 with a $2 million buyout.
Canha, 34, lost playing time in left field this season to Tommy Pham but also has played right field, first base, designated hitter and third base. Arnold said right field probably would be Canha’s primary position in Milwaukee but also noted his ability to play all three outfield positions as well as first base.
Milwaukee has struggled to score runs all season but is in playoff contention largely due to its quality pitching staff and outstanding fielding.
The Brewers have benefited from left fielder Christian Yelich’s resurgence this season to lead an outfield that lately has been starting two rookies in center fielder Joey Wiemer and right fielder Sal Frelick, who also has the ability to play center.
Frelick just got promoted July 22 and has hit .269 with a .417 on-base percentage in his first nine games. Wiemer has played exceptional defense but is hitting just .209 with a .289 on-base percentage, though he has 13 homers.
Brewers manager Craig Counsell said Canha is expected to join the team for Tuesday’s game at Washington.
“He’s probably going to play a lot of right field,” Counsell said after a 5-3 loss to the Nationals on Monday night. “That’s going to move Sal to some center field, so we’ll have to kind of mix and match with the outfielders. We have the DH spot obviously that’s going to be in play too. Whether it’s Christian or Mark with some DH at bats, it opens that up too.”
Jarvis, a 23-year-old right-hander, is 6-6 with a 4.33 ERA in a combined 17 starts for Double-A Biloxi and Triple-A Nashville this season. He has struck out 102 and walked 38 in 87 1/3 innings.
“Justin is a really talented young pitcher with real upside,” Arnold said. “We liked his arm quite a bit and everything that he had done this year. He’d done a great job. Obviously tough to give him up, but we’re also very, very excited to have Canha here as well.”
TOP PHOTO: FILE – The Racing Sausages perform during the sixth inning of the Milwaukee Brewers and the New York Mets baseball game Sunday, May 27, 2018, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps)