Brewers Struck Gold, Landed Underrated Star in Caleb Durbin Trade

The Brewers are already seeing one of the prospects they landed this offseason dominate in spring training...

Milwaukee Brewers infielder Caleb Durbin is interviewed on Thursday, January 22, 2026, at Howard Elementary School in Howard, Wis. Durbin visited the school for a stop on the Milwaukee Brewers’ “Frozen Sausage Tour,” in which a teacher receives the Brewers Grand Slam Teacher Award and the school receives a $1,000 donation from the Brewers at each stop. Tork Mason/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin | Tork Mason / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Milwaukee Brewers and their fanbase have become accustomed to rather boring offseasons. Sometimes, the Brewers will make a big trade that sends an expiring contract to a contender. They've done this in the past with Corbin Burnes and Devin Williams, among others. But they came out of their shell this offseason.

The Brewers managed to retain Brandon Woodruff on the qualifying offer worth over $20 million for the 2026 season. This is a bit out of character for Milwaukee. But it was just the beginning.

The Brewers traded Isaac Collins to the Kansas City Royals in a bit of a head scratching deal. Collins was a key piece of last year's team. They also traded Freddy Peralta to the New York Mets in exchange for Jett Williams and Brandon Sproat.

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The Peralta trade fit their style, though it was the biggest blockbuster of their offseason. But it was a bit out of character when the Brewers traded Caleb Durbin and two others to the Boston Red Sox in exchange for Kyle Harrison, David Hamilton, and Shane Drohan. And this deal already looks good for the Brewers.

Shane Drohan was a huge addition in the Caleb Durbin trade

Feb 27, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Shane Drohan against the Chicago White Sox during a spring training game at American Family Fields of Phoenix. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The deal was seemingly made to add Harrison to the starting rotation as early as the first week of the season. Hamilton drew some attention as a potential replacement for Durbin at third base. But Drohan has been looked over since the deal came together, yet he's looked very good in his professional career.

In fact, he dominated in his Brewers debut on Friday. The lefty tossed two innings in relief and allowed one hit, no runs, no walks, while striking out three hitters. He featured five distinct pitches including a cutter, slider, and curveball to keep hitters off balance. Four of his five pitches graded out over 100 in Stuff+.

Drohan is the quiet addition from the Durbin trade that needs to be in the spotlight. With the Brewers pitching factory seemingly ready to turn Drohan into a star, the fans could see him in Milwaukee sooner rather than later. He's a candidate to earn some first half starts at the big-league level if he continues in this direction, all while being the overlooked piece of a late offseason trade.