Former MLB Executive Expresses Skepticism Toward Milwaukee Brewers

Milwaukee’s decision to close the offseason by shipping third baseman Caleb Durbin to Boston in a six-player swap has triggered pointed criticism from former major-league general manager Jim Bowden, who labeled the Brewers’ return “puzzling” during a Tuesday appearance on Foul Territory TV.

The deal, completed Monday, sent Durbin, infielder Andruw Monasterio and utility man Anthony Seigler to the Red Sox for left-hander Kyle Harrison, minor-league lefty Shane Drohan and infielder David Hamilton. Bowden, who served as GM of the Reds and Nationals, believes Milwaukee surrendered the most valuable piece.

“Caleb Durbin was the best player that was in this trade,” Bowden said. “He’s going to be the starting third baseman for the Red Sox.”

Bowden said he immediately tried to contact Brewers president of baseball operations Matt Arnold for clarification but had not received a response. His reservations center on Harrison, a 24-year-old southpaw who logged a 4.39 ERA over 194.2 innings in 42 career appearances (37 starts) split between San Francisco and Boston. The lefty, originally acquired by the Red Sox last winter in the Rafael Devers blockbuster, made only three appearances for Boston before being flipped again.

“I was kind of taken aback a little bit when I heard the news only because I’ve never seen Kyle Harrison with control and command,” Bowden said. “I see the arm. I see the delay. I see everything.”

Despite Harrison’s mid-90s fastball and five-pitch mix headlined by a four-seam heater used 59 percent of the time, Bowden questions whether the Brewers can refine the pitcher’s secondary offerings and delivery to achieve consistent big-league success.

“I just don’t know if it’s going to get there,” he admitted. “But the one thing that really hit me again today is that he’s 24 years old, that’s it. Been around a long time, but he’s still only 24 and left-handed and with that kind of arm.”

Bowden drew a parallel to 1995 National League Cy Young runner-up Pete Schourek, whom he claimed off waivers from the Mets in 1994 and watched blossom under pitching coach Don Gullett. The executive wonders if Milwaukee’s staff has identified a similar fix for Harrison.

“Do you have people in your pitching room that you can improve the secondary pitches? Can you improve the delivery, the release point? Can you improve the command and control? My pitching people think they can,” Bowden said. “My guess is going to be that they think Harrison eventually, whether it be in a year or two, can become a guy.”

While Bowden remains skeptical about the pitching side of the swap, he expressed optimism regarding Milwaukee’s infield depth. The organization’s pipeline includes top 2025 prospect Jesus Made, whom Bowden projects as a future superstar, and recent acquisition Jett Williams, obtained from the Mets in the Freddy Peralta trade. Established big-leaguers Joey Ortiz and Brice Turang offer positional flexibility that could offset Durbin’s departure.

“Made is going to be a superstar, but he’s a couple years away,” Bowden noted. “You could put Ortiz at third. You could move Turang from second to short and play Jett Williams at second base. Or you could leave Turang at second, put Jett at short with Ortiz at third. The Jett Williams trade may have made them believe that Durbin was kind of expendable, perhaps.”

For now, Bowden’s assessment places the immediate onus on Milwaukee’s development staff to unlock Harrison’s potential while the position-player group evolves around a new wave of talent. Whether the Brewers ultimately regret parting with Durbin will depend heavily on Harrison’s progression and the readiness of the club’s emerging infielders.