Much like the Josh Hader trade itself, it seems Brewers fans haven’t taken too kindly to the team’s “long-winded” explanation of the move.
On Monday, Milwaukee dealt Hader to the San Diego Padres in exchange for closer Taylor Rogers, pitcher Dinelson Lamet, outfield prospect Esteury Ruiz and pitching prospect Robert Gasser. The move was not well-received by the Brewers’ fanbase, who swiftly voiced their disapproval on social media.
Moments after the acquisition was made public, David Stearns, the Brewers’ President of Baseball Operations, issued a lengthy statement that elaborated on the team’s decision-making.
“The players we are receiving in this trade help ensure that the future of the Milwaukee Brewers remains bright while not compromising our desire and expectation to win today. This mix of present Major League talent and high-level prospects furthers our aim to get as many bites of the apple as possible and, ultimately, to bring a World Series to Milwaukee,” the statement read.
“Trading good players on good teams is difficult, and that certainly is the case with Josh. We also recognize that to give our organization the best chance for sustained competitiveness, to avoid the extended down periods that so many organizations experience, we must make decisions that are not easy,” the message concluded.
Fans on Twitter immediately ridiculed Stearns’ statement
“Long winded way to say we’d like to be good enough to sell tickets for years to come but never really be a contender,” one user tweeted, while another fan wrote, “If you have to release a statement after you make a trade you probably made a really bad trade.”
The Brewers’ decision to trade Hader comes as a bit of a surprise, given the club is sitting atop the NL Central with a three-game lead over the St. Louis Cardinals.
Though the 28-year-old Hader has somewhat struggled as of late, he still ranks among the best relief pitchers in MLB and boasts whiff and strikeout rates in the 98th percentile.
The strong-tossing lefty still has a year and a half left on his contract and won’t hit the free agency until 2023.