Notes: In-season acquisitions have had desired effect of helping Brewers' playoff push

As is always the case in the days leading up to the trade deadline, much of the national chatter this year centered on marquee names such as Sonny Gray, J.D. Martinez and Justin Verlander (who went before the Aug. 31 non-waiver deadline).

Wanting to keep their top prospects in the fold to keep their rebuild on track, the Brewers opted not to jump into the deep end of the trading pool. The Brewers did make some moves, however, picking up relievers Anthony Swarzak and Jeremy Jeffress, and second baseman Neil Walker. And, long before the trade deadline, they picked up catcher Stephen Vogt off waivers from Oakland.

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All told, manager Craig Counsell believes that quartet of players has had the desired effect in keeping the Brewers in the playoff hunt.

“We acquired four guys from outside the organization, and all four guys have made significant contributions for us,” Counsell said. “With J.J. and Swarzak, we’re going to get probably 60 innings by the end of the year, and pretty darn good innings.

“In Vogt and Walker, we’ve gotten two left-handed bats who’ve been able to provide a challenge to another team’s right-handed pitchers, and put us in a good position. They weren’t among the acquisitions that were in the rumors every day, leading up to the trade deadline, but they’ve been very important and productive for us.”

Vogt missed a month with a knee injury suffered in a home-plate collision in Pittsburgh but otherwise gave the Brewers much-needed catching depth and a veteran presence, on and off the field. He also has hit better than he did this season in Oakland, batting .262 with six homers, 15 RBI and .524 slugging percentage.

Walker has been a steady influence, in the field and at the plate. He has batted .268 for the Brewers with four homers, 12 RBI and impressive .406 OPS.

Jeffress, who was traded last season to Texas and then reacquired, has performed well for the Brewers in a flexible role, including his first big-league start Friday night against Miami. After posting a 5.31 ERA in 39 games for the Rangers, he has compiled a 3-0 record and 3.38 ERA in 15 outings for the Brewers, holding opponents to a .214 batting average.

Swarzak quickly evolved into the primary setup man for closer Corey Knebel, providing needed depth in the back of the bullpen. He has a 2.29 ERA  in 21 outings with 31 strikeouts in 19 2/3 innings and .205 opponents batting average.

“Anthony has pitched well, and that’s incredibly important,” Counsell said. “But where he has put everybody else, it’s lined everybody else up to very good spots to where they can succeed.

“When you add another late arm, you’re giving your other guys some time off, so when you do pitch them, they’re fresh. And when they’re fresh, they’re going to have success.”

Balance beaming: When the Brewers acquired first baseman Eric Thames and third baseman Travis Shaw over the off-season, the primary goal was to insert a couple of left-handed hitters with pop to balance what had been a predominantly right-handed lineup.

It has been mission accomplished in that sense. Shaw joined Thames in the 30-homer club Saturday night, becoming only the third pair of left-handed hitters in club history to reach that mark. Cecil Cooper (32 HRs) and Ben Oglivie (34) did it in 1982, and Jeromy Burnitz (31) and Geoff Jenkins (34) in 2000.

Thames, who has 31 homers, and Shaw reached that level in distinctly different ways. Shaw was slow and steady; Thames started on fire, cooled off dramatically and then went on a roller-coaster ride. But their impact on the lineup has been undeniable, particularly in the power department.

“There’s no question, I think that does exceed expectations,” Counsell said. “It certainly has played out in a best-case scenario, in how they fit in the lineup around Ryan (Braun), with balance at the top of the lineup against right-handed pitching. That’s been important for us.

“I think it’s been a big improvement over what we featured in 2016. Travis and Eric have been fixtures against right-handed pitching. They’ve driven a lot of our offense against right-handed pitching. But, in the end, it’s been our balance.”