Sox Trade For Milwaukee 3B Caleb Durbin

[king koji]

Decent sized trade. Kyle Harrison and Shane Drohan go, also David Hamilton,, we also get another utility INF Monasterio..

[iortiz]

Wow! Can’t believe the Brewers accepted that trade. This was a steal. We got a promising and controlled IF for literally pure garbage.

[Jasonbay44]

So the aftermath of the Devers trade is now essentially Rafael Devers for Caleb Durbin? 

[mvp 78]

Batting 2nd: 1000 OPS

Late and Close: 883 OPS

High Leverage: 805 OPS

Pulled Pitches: 1049 OPS

K%: 9.9 (98th percentile)

Whiff%: 13.0 (96th percentile)

Pull Air% 20.4

 

 

[mvp 78]

2 minutes ago, Jasonbay44 said:

So the aftermath of the Devers trade is now essentially Rafael Devers for Caleb Durbin? 

And financial flexibility!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Old Red]

8 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

And financial flexibility!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Is Milwaukee loaded with IF that they would trade this guy being only 25, and controlled.

[Brock Beauchamp]

Here are some helpful pieces from Brewer Fanatic on Durbin:

https://brewerfanatic.com/news-rumors/milwaukee-brewers/how-can-caleb-durbin-improve-in-2026-r4127/

https://brewerfanatic.com/news-rumors/milwaukee-brewers/above-and-beyond-five-brewers-that-greatly-improved-in-2025-r3812/

https://brewerfanatic.com/news-rumors/milwaukee-brewers/caleb-durbin-is-an-enigma-r3615/

[Old Red]

10 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

And financial flexibility!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Financial flexibility is always good, but so is power, and production.

[king koji]

17 minutes ago, Jasonbay44 said:

So the aftermath of the Devers trade is now essentially Rafael Devers for Caleb Durbin? 

Rafael Devers for not having to pay out 300 more million dollars for an aging weight-challenged player. Think Pablo Sandoval.

[mvp 78]

Monasterio is a super utility guy. Has 3 options still. Ridiculous 27.7 pull air rate last season. 

[mvp 78]

5 minutes ago, Brock Beauchamp said:

Here are some helpful pieces from Brewer Fanatic on Durbin:

https://brewerfanatic.com/news-rumors/milwaukee-brewers/how-can-caleb-durbin-improve-in-2026-r4127/

https://brewerfanatic.com/news-rumors/milwaukee-brewers/above-and-beyond-five-brewers-that-greatly-improved-in-2025-r3812/

https://brewerfanatic.com/news-rumors/milwaukee-brewers/caleb-durbin-is-an-enigma-r3615/

However, Durbin is really good at a couple of important things. The first is bunting...

This is not a Red Sox trait. I would lose my mind in a good way though.

[notin]

2 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

Monasterio is a super utility guy. Has 3 options still. Ridiculous 27.7 pull air rate last season. 

Plus every MLB player before him named “Andruw” has gone on to a Hall of Fame career…

[moonslav59]

I musta traded DHam 20 times on BTV!

I like this trade, due to the return we gave up and who we got. The comp pick is nice.

I had hoped for more- someone more proven. Someone with more power.

He did have a plus 5 DRS, +2 OAA and a plus dWAR (0.8) in his rookie year and 11 HRs in about 500 PAs, so maybe he can build up to 20 HR poser, someday. He had an .858 AAA OPS with 12 Hrs in 433 PAs. He's a RHB.

BTV says we did well, as Durbin alone is worth 21.3 while we gave up a total of 11.4. Getting a SS and C for depth is okay.

We are better after this trade, but I had my sights on Paredes.

[notin]

6 minutes ago, king koji said:

Rafael Devers for not having to pay out 300 more million dollars for an aging weight-challenged player. Think Pablo Sandoval.

If Devers had just said “of course I will cover first base while Triston is out like a normal teammate would,” he’d still be in Boston…

[JoeBrady]

11 minutes ago, Old Red said:

Is Milwaukee loaded with IF that they would trade this guy being only 25, and controlled.

My guess is that they don't trust Durbin's size and his ability to repeat 2025.  And Harrison and Hamilton have some talent, which I expect MIL to make the most of.

[Brock Beauchamp]

3 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

However, Durbin is really good at a couple of important things. The first is bunting...

This is not a Red Sox trait. I would lose my mind in a good way though.

To be fair to Durbin, he's good at bunting for hits. The Brewers sacrificed more than other teams, but it's not a central component to their identity. They'd "sacrifice" more in the sense that they'd try for a hit, with the fallback being a sacrifice if it didn't work.

[notin]

1 minute ago, moonslav59 said:

I musta traded DHam 20 times on BTV!

I like this trade, due to the return we gave up and who we got. The comp pick is nice.

I had hoped for more- someone more proven. Someone with more power.

He did have a plus 5 DRS, +2 OAA and a plus dWAR (0.8) in his rookie year and 11 HRs in about 500 PAs, so maybe he can build up to 20 HR poser, someday. He had an .858 AAA OPS with 12 Hrs in 433 PAs. He's a RHB.

BTV says we did well, as Durbin alone is worth 21.3 while we gave up a total of 11.4. Getting a SS and C for depth is okay.

We are better after this trade, but I had my sights on Paredes.

I’m not wild about Durbin, but I also figured Milwaukee wouldn’t trade him and would just phase Jett Williams in over Ortiz….

[moonslav59]

1. We balanced the roster: pitching vs everyday players & Lefty-righty. Check!

2. We took the DHam option away from Cora. Check!

3. We now can platoon Mayer with Romy at 2B, if needed, of can platoon Romy at DH with Masa/Duran/Casas or rotate him back and forth.

We still have the 4 OF'ers and Masa at DH issue, so if there is one more move to make, maybe it's Masa and cash/prospect for scraps.

[mvp 78]

Just now, JoeBrady said:

My guess is that they don't trust Durbin's size and his ability to repeat 2025.  And Harrison and Hamilton have some talent, which I expect MIL to make the most of.

Sox have depth at SP. This trade is a slam dunk for both sides. 

[notin]

1 minute ago, JoeBrady said:

My guess is that they don't trust Durbin's size and his ability to repeat 2025.  And Harrison and Hamilton have some talent, which I expect MIL to make the most of.

Well, last time Milwaukee had Hamilton they traded him away to get Hunter Renfroe…

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

So we effectively traded Devers for Durbin.

How can anyone consider this a fair swap: a 9-year career negative dWAR third baseman who strikes out and can't run for a positive dWAR sparkplug who makes contact and steals bases.

Brez....

[Old Red]

2 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

I musta traded DHam 20 times on BTV!

I like this trade, due to the return we gave up and who we got. The comp pick is nice.

I had hoped for more- someone more proven. Someone with more power.

He did have a plus 5 DRS, +2 OAA and a plus dWAR (0.8) in his rookie year and 11 HRs in about 500 PAs, so maybe he can build up to 20 HR poser, someday. He had an .858 AAA OPS with 12 Hrs in 433 PAs. He's a RHB.

BTV says we did well, as Durbin alone is worth 21.3 while we gave up a total of 11.4. Getting a SS and C for depth is okay.

We are better after this trade, but I had my sights on Paredes.

Wow! I’m so relieved BTV said we did well. Enough gloves now with IKF, but having enough bats will be the question. 

[mvp 78]

1 minute ago, moonslav59 said:

1. We balanced the roster: pitching vs everyday players & Lefty-righty. Check!

2. We took the DHam option away from Cora. Check!

3. We now can platoon Mayer with Romy at 2B, if needed, of can platoon Romy at DH with Masa/Duran/Casas or rotate him back and forth.

We still have the 4 OF'ers and Masa at DH issue, so if there is one more move to make, maybe it's Masa and cash/prospect for scraps.

Why even include prospects in the Masa deal? Just eat 80% of the contract and move on from him. If Duran is the DH for the next 2 seasons, it's the same length as Masa's contract anyway. 

[Hugh2]

Lets see all the people complaining about giving up Kyle Harrison now. 

If you're not complaining about giving him up now, I don't want to see you bitching if Milwaukee turns him into a stud. 

[JoeBrady]

6 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

We are better after this trade, but I had my sights on Paredes.

I liked Paredes, but we're better off With Duran + Durbin than we are with Paredes, imo.

[moonslav59]

Wow, I did not realize he had a 2.6 fWAR and 2.8 bWAR.

Matt Shaw: 1.5/3.1

Paredes: 2.5/2.3

[Hugh2]

Can we please stop with the Devers talk, it's essentially rehashing the Devers trade when this is something entirely different. 

That trade is over, it's been over, whatever we did or did not get is a sunk cost.  This trade should be evaluated on the players involved and them alone.  That is a honest accounting. 

[Jean-Sébastien Blouin]

This transaction means that Duran will either not be traded or he will be traded for a second baseman. Durbin is the third baseman the team was looking for.

[moonslav59]

4 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

Sox have depth at SP. This trade is a slam dunk for both sides. 

Agreed. I had Harrison behind Crawford, Sandoval, Oviedo and also Tolle/Early.

Drohan will likely be passed by Witherspoon, Phillips and Eyanson, soo. (Valera & Holobetz, too.)

DHam is DHam.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

8 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

Why even include prospects in the Masa deal? Just eat 80% of the contract and move on from him. If Duran is the DH for the next 2 seasons, it's the same length as Masa's contract anyway. 

Duran might be a DH for about 2 weeks but he won't DH for anyone for 2 seasons. Wherever he ends up, management will make him play the field just so he won't drive them crazy doing sprints in the dugout, bench-pressing the bat rack and squawking their ears off.