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Brewers' Trade of Trent Grisham After Wild Card Game Error Means He Can't Avenge His Mess

By Tyson McDowell

Wild Card Round - Milwaukee Brewers v Washington Nationals
Wild Card Round - Milwaukee Brewers v Washington Nationals / Will Newton/Getty Images

When the lights are brightest, unexpected moments can sometimes define games all on their own. Previous context is lost. Only the here and now matters. In the blink of a nervous eye, one play can make or break an entire season for a team in desperate need.

In one of those moments most recently, young outfielder Trent Grisham made a critical blunder to send the Brewers home from the playoffs.

Much like J.R. Smith's now-iconic blunder in Game 1 of the 2018 NBA Finals, this moment will be the final page of Grisham's legacy as a Brewer, though unlike Smith, there was nothing previously assigned to said legacy. He was just getting started in Milwaukee, and now it's a wrap. Grisham was traded to the Padres Wednesday morning as a signature piece of a package that will net the Brewers highly-valued middle infielder Luis Urias.

For those who worked hard to forget, the error was the pivotal moment that gave the Nationals a 4-3 lead in the eighth inning of the Wild Card Game. Grisham fumbled an easy scoop in right field, allowing all three runners to score on what would've likely been a game-tying single, at worst, from Juan Soto.

Grisham shouldered essentially all of the blame, despite Josh Hader looking terrible and giving up the hit that the error occurred on. The hit likely would have tied the game anyway. The optics all fell in Grisham's column, however, and now, Grisham will not have an opportunity to redeem himself for a momentary lapse.

This is a good trade for the Brewers, as Urias was the No. 23 overall prospect entering the 2019 MLB season, and he fills a hole in the infield, created by the likely departure of Mike Moustakas and the struggles of Orlando Arcia and Travis Shaw. It is just an unfortunate turn of events for Grisham, as he will end a relatively good season (and Brew Crew career) being defined instead by the blunder that cost the Brewers their season, and sent the Nationals on what would end up as a World Series run.