If Craig Breslow, general manager for the Boston Red Sox, could have foreseen the future, he never would have answered the phone on February 9, 2026.
On that fateful day, he fielded a call from Milwaukee Brewers GM Matt Arnold, and the outcome of their discussion has drastically changed the fates of both teams.
The two teams produced a six-player trade, with three players from each side changing uniforms. Boston received infielder Caleb Durbin, infielder Andruw Monasterio, and outfielder Anthony Siegler from the Brewers. In return, Milwaukee acquired pitcher Kyle Harrison, infielder David Hamilton, and pitcher Shane Drohan.
Early returns are that Milwaukee got the best of the trade and has reaped the benefits of a lopsided deal. The new Brewers are a huge reason why the team is 17 games over .500. In comparison, the Red Sox are mired in last place in the American League East, 10.5 games behind the first-place Tampa Bay Rays.
Last week, from June 1-8, was a microcosm of the first third of the MLB season for the teams and players involved in the February swap.
On June 2, Harrison stymied the San Francisco Giants to earn the win in Milwaukee’s 8-3 victory. The lefty struck out 12, allowing just four hits and one earned run in his 5.2 innings of work. Over his last three games, Harrison has allowed just that one earned run over 18.2 innings, all while striking out 25 and walking just three batters.
Light-hitting Hamilton entered June with just one home run. After the first week of the month, he now has three. Thus far in June, Hamilton is hitting .348 (8-for-23), and his home runs against San Francisco on June 4 and Colorado on June 6 tripled his dinger stat.
The last member of the trade trio, Drohan, enjoyed his finest outing as a Brewer on Sunday. Making just his third start of 2026, Drohan kept Rockies hitters at bay over his 6.1 innings. He surrendered three earned runs, but Drohan walked only one batter while striking out four to raise his record to 3-1.
Following the game, Milwaukee manager Pat Murphy sang the praises of Drohan.
“He (Drohan) was great all day, underrated, a great performance,” he said. “This kid, he’s been unbelievable all year for us.”
The star of the trade through the season’s first 60+ games has been Harrison, who has pitched himself into legitimate Cy Young consideration. After his outing against the Giants, Harrison’s record stands at 7-1, and his 1.57 ERA ranks him third in the National League.
Murphy is certainly happy with his new addition to the rotation.
“He’s coming into his own. He’s bobbed and weaved for a couple years, two different organizations, trying to figure out how to get it done and how to be consistent. And he’s found a home,” he said.
After finishing third in the 2025 NL Rookie of the Year voting, Durbin was considered the centerpiece of the Brewers/Red Sox transaction. He hit .253, belted 11 home runs, and knocked in 53 for the Brewers last season, and the Red Sox were looking for even bigger numbers from Durbin in 2026.
Thus far, Durbin has not delivered. He is hitting a paltry .196 with just one homer in 53 games. Last week, he collected a sufficient five hits out of 18 at-bats, but those plate appearances only accounted for one run batted in.
Monasterio has served as a utility player for Boston and has just 98 at-bats over the first third of the season. He is batting .255 with 2 home runs and 11 RBI.
The third player now in a Red Sox uniform, Siegler, has spent the majority of his season at Triple-A Pawtucket, and he finally earned his first base hit in a Boston uniform on Sunday.
Red Sox Nation has been up in arms over the ineffectiveness of Durbin. In fact, there has been a strong sentiment for Boston to cut their losses and trade Durbin away before the trade deadline. The Boston fan base and beat writers are wondering what the Brewers saw (or didn’t see) in Durbin to move off of him so quickly. Whatever the case, Arnold and the Brewers brass did a number on Breslow and the Red Sox.
Two months do not make a season, but the initial returns on that decisive February deal are easily and prohibitively in Milwaukee’s favor.
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