The Milwaukee Brewers have traded second baseman Kolten Wong to the Seattle Mariners in exchange for outfielder, Jesse Winker and infielder Abraham Toro according to an official announcement from the Brewers.
Wong leaves Milwaukee after two seasons in which he slashed .262 BA/.337 SLG/.439 OBP with an OPS of .776. The numbers represent a slight increase over Wong’s production over eight seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals, but don’t tell the full story.
A career .254 hitter against left-handed pitching, Wong hit just .138 against lefties last season. A Gold Glove second baseman for the Cardinals in 2020, Wong committed 2 errors for the Brewers in 2021, and a career-high 17 in 2022.
On November 8th, the Brewers picked up the option on Wong’s contract for $10 million dollars. Wong would have been due a $2 million buyout if the Brewers did not pick up the option.
An All-Star in 2021, the 29-year-old Winker comes to Milwaukee after hitting just .219 with 14 home runs and 53 RBI in 136 games for the Mariners last season. For his career, Winker is a .270 hitter who hit a career-best .305 with 24 home runs for the Reds in 2021.
The 25-year-old Toro broke in to the Major Leagues with the Astros in 2019. A versatile infielder, Toro’s first regular big league action came last season where he slashed .185/.239/.345.
Moving Wong opens the door for Bryce Turang, the Brewers 4th rated prospect, an opportunity to compete for a starting position.
