The Milwaukee Brewers play in one of the smallest markets in MLB, meaning that in order for them to be competitive, they have to win on the margins. Since they can't go out and sign many, if any, high-end free agents, the Brewers need to find bargains, whether that's with lesser free agents, off the waiver wire, or via trade.

In order for the Brewers to win, they need to find hidden gems that big-market teams fail to get the most out of. Fortunately for Brewers fans, they've done so on several occasions, with these three in particular sticking out.

The Brewers stole William Contreras from the Braves

One of the biggest trades of the 2022 offseason saw the Atlanta Braves acquire Sean Murphy in a three-team trade with the Athletics. Murphy was one of the most well-rounded catchers in the sport at the time, so the Braves assumed they were upgrading from William Contreras, whom they were willing to give up. Given the fact that the A's had Shea Langeliers in their organization, they didn't need a catcher, so the Brewers squeezed their way into this deal, acquiring Contreras.

All Contreras has done since that deal is thrive. He has averaged 19 home runs and 85 RBI with a .792 OPS in four regular seasons with the Brewers, and has been even better in this year's postseason. He has also notably improved his defense behind the plate, which had really lacked in Atlanta.

While Contreras has blossomed into one of the best three catchers in the sport with the Brewers, Murphy has had all kinds of trouble staying healthy for the Braves, and hasn't hit much when he's been on the field either. This deal turned out to be a home run for the Brewers, when, at the time, they were really viewed more as the third team in a three-team blockbuster.

Jake Bauers has revived his career with the Brewers, not the Yankees

Jake Bauers finished the 2026 regular season slashing .266/.389/.484 with 26 home runs and 86 RBI. He was one of the best overall hitters in the National League, and carried that momentum into the postseason, as he won the NLCS MVP award, leading Milwaukee to the World Series. Given how good a year he's had, it'd be fair to assume he's been elite for quite a while. That isn't reality, though.

Not only has Bauers never been elite in a big-league season, but the 2026 campaign was his first full season playing regularly. To take it a step further, this is Bauers' seventh big-league season, and his third with the Brewers. The Brewers are the fifth team he's joined, yet is the team he's been on the longest, showing how many teams had him and didn't believe enough in him.

The Rays (ironically enough), Guardians and Mariners had him for a bit before the New York Yankees got him in the middle of the 2022 campaign. He didn't play a big-league game for the Yankees that season, but he was brought back on a minor-league deal in 2023 and played in 84 games for New York. He hit .202 with a .693 OPS that year, leading to the Yankees trading him to the Brewers for prospects Jace Avina and Brian Sanchez.

Obviously, Bauers has figured it out in Milwaukee, while the Yankees continue to search for a lineup that can produce in October.

David Hamilton has gone from Red Sox throw-in to Brewers spark plug

The most surprising offseason move the Brewers made last winter saw them trade Caleb Durbin to the Boston Red Sox in a deal that brought Kyle Harrison to Milwaukee. Those were the headliners, and they played like it for much of the year, with Durbin breaking out during Boston's epic 32-5 run, and Harrison pitching like an All-Star for much of the first half. Well, both Durbin and Harrison slowed down as the season wound down, bringing attention to the other players in that deal.

That's right, this wasn't a one-for-one. It was a six-player deal, with Boston also acquiring Andruw Monasterio and Anthony Siegler and the Brewers acquiring Shane Drohan and David Hamilton. These players might not have lit the stat sheet in the regular season, Hamilton has provided a needed spark for the Brewers.

He plays regularly against righties and while he doesn't hit much, he stole 30 bases, is a good defender, and can bunt with the best of them. In the postseason, Hamilton's bat has perked up, as he's gone 5-for-11 with five runs scored and a home run. Meanwhile, Durbin went just 0-for-7 in his short playoff run this season. I'm not here to say Hamilton is the best player of that deal, but he's gone from a relative afterthought in Kyle Harrison's shadow to a starter in the World Series for the Brewers, and that's pretty cool.