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When the Milwaukee Brewers and Tampa Bay Rays executed a trade in 2021, the immediate focus was on shortstop Willy Adames heading to Milwaukee. However, the ripple effects of that deal continue to resonate, particularly as Drew Rasmussen, one of the pitchers sent to Tampa Bay, is now slated to start Game 1 of the World Series for the Rays against the Brewers.
The full trade saw the Brewers acquire Adames and right-hander Trevor Richards, while the Rays received right-handers Rasmussen and J.P. Feyereisen. While Adames delivered three-plus strong seasons in Milwaukee, Rasmussen has evolved into a frontline starter and two-time All-Star, making the trade a rare win-win that still captivates baseball analysts.
What the Brewers Got: Willy Adames
Milwaukee's pursuit of Adames nearly materialized at the end of spring training in 2021, but the deal collapsed at the last moment. Talks revived in mid-May, and after a week of negotiations, an agreement was reached. Despite Adames's cold start with Tampa Bay that season—he was hitting .197 with a .675 OPS—the Brewers' thorough scouting convinced them he was poised for a breakout.
That faith was rewarded immediately. In 2021, Adames batted .285 with a .521 slugging percentage and an .886 OPS, 35 percent above league average, while clubbing 20 home runs and driving in 58 runs. He finished 16th in MVP voting and became a fixture at shortstop for the next three seasons, posting a .780 OPS with 107 homers and 14 WAR (per Baseball Reference) during his Brewers tenure.
"We knew we were getting a really talented player and we thought we were getting a player who had a very high ceiling and could impact the game in multiple ways," Brewers president of baseball operations David Stearns said in 2022. "I don't know that we recognized the immediate impact that would have on our organization both in terms of on-field performance right away, and what he was able to do in our clubhouse and becoming really an energy leader in our clubhouse from the day he showed up."
Adames also stabilized a premium position for Milwaukee, which had traded Orlando Arcia a month earlier and watched Luis Urías struggle on both sides of the ball. Adames departed after the 2024 season, signing a seven-year, $182 million contract with the Giants. While his overall numbers have declined precipitously since, the Brewers' decision to let him walk appears sound, though they lost a beloved clubhouse leader.
For the Rays, Adames was expendable because he was blocking Wander Franco, then the consensus top prospect in baseball. Franco, however, is now on MLB's restricted list after being found guilty of sexual abuse of a minor, among other offenses.
What the Brewers Got: Trevor Richards
Reliever Trevor Richards, who once worked at the Miller brewery, appeared in 15 games for the Brewers with a 3.20 ERA, but his stay was brief. Milwaukee later traded him and minor-leaguer Bowden Francis to the Toronto Blue Jays for Rowdy Tellez. Tellez became the Brewers' primary offensive weapon in the 2021 playoffs and remained with the team through 2023.
Richards stayed in Toronto until midway through the 2024 season and remains in the majors, pitching for the playoff-qualifying Chicago White Sox this year. The 33-year-old owns a career 3.69 ERA. Francis reached the big leagues with the Blue Jays, posting a 3.87 ERA in 62 games, but missed all of 2026 due to injury.
What the Rays Got: Drew Rasmussen
The Brewers had internal discussions about converting Rasmussen into a starter, but a surplus of young arms in the rotation prevented that from happening. "We were at that point in the mode of 'let's get him to stretch out' from a multi-inning reliever standpoint, but it doesn't surprise me that he's taken to the starting role," Stearns said in 2022. "I think that's probably where his heart is a little bit and he's done a very nice job."
Rasmussen was a savvy draft-day selection in 2018, taken in the sixth round largely because he had undergone a second Tommy John surgery in September 2017. He had been a first-round pick by the Rays in 2017, but medical concerns complicated the signing, and he ultimately did not sign. He made his MLB debut during the shortened 2020 season and showed improvement in 2021 with a 4.24 ERA in 15 games before being traded.
Injuries have remained part of his story—he missed most of 2023 after internal brace surgery and didn't return until August 2024—but he has been effective when healthy. He posted a 2.84 ERA with the Rays in 2022, 2.62 in an abbreviated 2023, and 2.83 in an abbreviated 2024 before a breakout 2025 campaign in which he had a 2.76 ERA in 31 starts and 150 innings, earning his first All-Star selection. Now 31, he is a two-time All-Star with a 2.77 ERA in a career-high 172 innings (30 starts) this year, and the Rays hold a team option on his contract for next season.
What the Rays Got: J.P. Feyereisen
Wisconsinite J.P. Feyereisen, a native of River Falls, was excellent for the Rays but saw his career dramatically shortened by injuries. He is out of baseball now, though his MLB career included stints with all four franchises that reached the championship-series round of the postseason. Feyereisen did not allow a single earned run in 24 innings with the Rays in 2022, but a shoulder injury cut that season short and kept him out all of 2023. He was unable to rediscover his form with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Arizona Diamondbacks thereafter.
Originally reported by yahoo.