MLB trade grade: Brewers acquire former 1st round pick and son of ex-Milwaukee star

The Milwaukee Brewers raised eyebrows with an unexpected trade on Monday morning, acquiring right-handed pitcher Quinn Priester from the Boston Red Sox in exchange for outfielder Yophery Rodriguez and a competitive balance pick.

This trade haul was... curious, to say the least. Craig Breslow continues to earn rave reviews in Boston, but it's unclear what exactly Matt Arnold and the Brewers are up to.

Priester, who split last season between Pittsburgh and Boston, put up a 4.71 ERA across 11 appearances (seven starts) in 2024. He's still on the upswing of his career at 24 years old, but the early MLB returns are incredibly mediocre. There is upside with a former top prospect, and the Brewers need support in the rotation, but it reads as an overpay. Rodriguez, once Milwaukee's No. 7 prospect, makes for an intriguing addition to the Red Sox pipeline.

This final verdict on that trade is years away, but it apparently opened the door for a second Brewers swap on Monday. Milwaukee has now acquired outfielder Daz Cameron from the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for DFA'd southpaw Grant Wolfram.

It's not a one-for-one replacement, but the 28-year-old Cameron does give the Brewers another body in the outfield in lieu of Rodriguez. He is also far more prepared to contribute at the MLB level.

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Brewers swap DFA'd pitcher Grant Wolfram for Daz Cameron, son of former Milwaukee star

There is a sneaky legacy angle here, as Cameron is the son of former Brewers outfielder and three-time Gold Glove winner Mike Cameron. Dad took to social media after the trade to celebrate and introduce his son to the Brewers fanbase.

"Brew Crew you guys have my kid," he wrote. "Take care of him when he gets to Milwaukee!"

This trade feels significantly less consequential than the Priester swap, but Milwaukee continues to spin its wheels a bit. The overall performance from this team has not been nearly as disastrous as it feels — they're 5-5, a single game behind first-place Chicago — but it does not seem like the Brewers are committed to meaningfully moving the needle.

Daz Cameron spent 66 games with the big-league O's last season, batting .200 with a .587 OPS and hitting five home runs. If those numbers carry over into 2025, he's little more than a fringe backup for Milwaukee. That said, some of the Triple-A tape is impressive. Like his father, Cameron has a canon attached to his shoulder.

Cameron hit .307 with a 1.001 OPS for Triple-A Las Vegas last season, so the minor-league numbers are more promising. There's pop behind his swings and enough defensive utility to grow into a more accomplished MLB player. At 28, however, Cameron is running out of time to establish himself at the highest level. These opportunities are finite.

As for Wolfram and the O's, Baltimore needs all the help it can get on the pitching front. The 28-year-old has mixed success in the minors and zero big-league experience to his name, however, so expectations should be tempered.

Brewers trade grade: B
Orioles trade grade: C+