The Milwaukee Brewers concluded the offseason by facilitating a six-player trade with the Boston Red Sox that saw the departure of third baseman Caleb Durbin for Fenway Park. 

Durbin, along with infielder Andruw Monasterio and utility man Anthony Seigler, were moved from Milwaukee on Monday in exchange for left-hander Kyle Harrison, left-handed prospect Shane Drohan and infielder David Hamilton. 

The Brewers’ decision to move on from Durbin drew the skepticism of former MLB executive Jim Bowden. 

In an appearance on Foul Territory TV after the news of the trade, Bowden provided his thoughts. 

“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 also said that he reached out to Milwaukee’s president of baseball operations, Matt Arnold, but had not heard back from him. 

“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 added. “I've seen the arm. I see the delay. I see everything.” 

After spending the first two years of his MLB career with the San Francisco Giants, Harrison came to Boston as part of the package in the trade that sent Rafael Devers to the Giants. Harrison’s time with the Red Sox was short lived as he only appeared in three games and started two. 

Harrison has appeared in 42 games (37 starts) over three years in the majors. In that time, he has logged a 4.39 ERA over 194.2 innings of work. Bowden did not express a ton of confidence for Harrison to develop into a higher-level pitcher in terms of control and command but acknowledged that time is on his side. 

“I just don't know if it's going to get there," Bowden said. "But you know, 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. So, you know, do you have people in your pitching room that you can improve the secondary pitches?  

"Can you improve the delivery, the release point?" Bowden asked. "Can you improve the command and control? I mean, my pitching people think they can.” 

Harrison has a five-pitch arsenal that is headlined by a four-seam fastball (59% usage rate, according to Baseball Savant). In Bowden’s eyes, there is a belief that the Brewers will work with Harrison in the hope that he turns into a legitimate piece in due time. 

“My guess is going to be that they think Harrison eventually, whether it be in a year or two, can become a guy,” Bowden said.  

Another aspect concerning Harrison that instills confidence in Bowden is that the latter has seen firsthand what a pitcher can turn into when given the right guidance. 

“I remember way back when I had a pitcher by the name of Pete Schourek; I claimed him on waivers from the New York Mets, and he didn't have command and control,” Bowden said. “The velo was a little bit down. And then my pitching coach at the time, Don Gullett, made some adjustments.” 

The adjustments worked, and Schourek had a breakout season in 1995. He finished with an 18-7 record and a 3.22 ERA that made him the runner-up for the National League Cy Young Award. After taking a flier on Schourek, Bowden wonders if Harrison’s career can be revived by the Brewers. 

“Kyle Harrison, at this age, is it possible that they maybe have a secret formula? That's the only thing I can think of.” 

Conversely, Bowden seemed to express more confidence in Milwaukee’s infield situation despite the departure of Durbin given the number of high-level prospects the organization possesses such as Jesus Made (No. 1, 2025) and Jett Williams, who was the New York Mets’ No. 3 prospect before he was dealt to Milwaukee in the Freddy Peralta trade. 

The Brewers also have ready-made MLB talent like Joey Ortiz and Brice Turang who have the ability to play multiple infield positions. 

“Made is going to be a superstar, but he's a couple years away,” Bowden said. “But he's going to be a star. And the other thing is, you could put Ortiz to third. 

"You could move Turang from second to short and play Jett Williams at second base," Bowden continued. "Or you could leave Turang at second; put Jett at short with Ortiz at third. So, you know, the Jett Williams trade may have made them believe that Durbin was kind of expendable, perhaps.” 

Don't miss out on our ROUNDTABLE community and the latest news!

It's completely free to join. Share your thoughts, engage with our Roundtable writers, and chat with fellow members.

Download the free Roundtable APP, and stay even more connected!