Brewers Assert Dominance Over Cubs Thanks To These Trade Acquisitions

The Milwaukee Brewers are rolling, and it's due in large part to a pair of trades that have paid major dividends.

Quinn Priester saved the Brewers' rotation at a time they really needed it, and now looks like a sustainable piece moving forward. And Andrew Vaughn, acquired off the Chicago White Sox's scrap heap, has been on fire at the plate.

On Tuesday, the Brewers beat the Chicago Cubs for the second night in a row to take a two-game lead in the National League Central for the first time all year. It was a commanding 9-3 win, and Vaughn (grand slam) and Priester (winning pitcher) were the two stars.

After his 5 2/3-inning, two-run performance to earn his 10th win of the season, lowering his ERA to 3.27 in the process, Priester spoke about how infectious the Brewers' energy has become, and how it's impacted both him and Vaughn.

“We both came into the team in a similar role in the sense that there were some injuries and we needed somebody to step up,” Priester said, per Adam McCalvy of MLB.com. “When you have a team like this and they believe in each other, it’s intoxicating. You can’t help but believe in yourself.”

Vaughn, the former number-three overall pick in the 2019 MLB Draft, had an OPS of .532 with the White Sox before he was optioned to the minors earlier this year. But since coming to Milwaukee, he's managed a 1.210 OPS with five home runs, including the grand slam, in 15 games.

“It’s just being confident,” Vaughn said Tuesday. “Winning is fun, especially when the crowd is electric like it was tonight.”

The Brewers are succeeding not just this season, but this decade, because of their wizardry when it comes to players like Priester and Vaughn.

Getting the most out of the talent you have is a massive advantage in baseball, and the Brewers are doing it better than anyone else these days.