The Milwaukee Brewers won the National League Division Series 3-1 over the San Diego Padres, and they may have one of their former All-Stars to thank for it.
In 2022, the Brewers surprisingly traded superstar closer Josh Hader to the San Diego Padres for left-handed pitcher Taylor Rogers, right-handed pitcher Dinelson Lamet, left-handed pitcher Robert Gasser and outfielder Esteury Ruiz. Gasser and Ruiz were top 30 prospects in the Padres' organization at the time.
Why is that trade relevant to the result in the 2026 NLDS? Well, the Brewers' Game 4 starter was Robert Gasser, and he was brilliant, but he's not the only reason the trade matters. Ruiz fits the archetype for a typical Brewers player, but he was not in the organization for long. The Brewers traded him in a three-team deal after the 2022 season. What deal was that? Well, it was none other than the deal that netted them All-Star catcher William Contreras.
Contreras was the Brewers' best hitter in this series. He hit two home runs, went 6-for-16 with two walks, and his Game 1 home run was the decisive blow.
The Brewers would not have won the series without Contreras, and Gasser's Game 4 outing was extremely important in preventing a Game 5. It was a shorter outing for Gasser. He went four innings only, but he worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the first and allowed just one run on three hits.
Hader was a great player for the Brewers, and fans were devastated when he was traded. However, that move netted the team two players who are now part of the best Brewers team ever. The team set a franchise record for wins this year and is four wins away from the World Series.