Trade Post: Kevin Seitzer

This installment of Trade Post proves a bit more difficult than others because this particular trade involves two of my favorite Brewers all-time. On August 31, 1996 the Milwaukee Brewers sent third baseman Kevin Seitzer to Cleveland for a fairly unknown outfielder named Jeromy Burnitz.

Before Leaving Town:
At age 34, Seitzer had been to two all-star games, including one as a Brewer in the preceding 1995 season. In 1987, as a member of the Royals, Seitzer led the American League with 207 hits. Including the partial (132 games) in ’96, he’d surpassed the .300 batting average mark in three straight seasons (.314, .311, .316) prior to being dealt.

The Return:
At 27, Jeromy Burnitz was on his second team and had yet to do anything significant at the big league level apart for hitting a respectable 13 homers in his rookie season. At the time of the waiver trade with Milwaukee, Burnitz was amid a decent, albeit abbreviated season in a part time role. The Indians were in the running for the AL Central title (which they eventually won) and the Brewers were… well, not. With the Brewers on the hook for Seitzer’s, at the time, crippling $1.25 M salary and Burnitz under-utilized and unproven at $190,000 – the deal made sense for both teams involved.

The Payoff:
Seitzer finished 1996 hitting .386 as an Indian (32 for 83) and was perfect in the field. He proved a quality component in Cleveland’s playoff run. However, in the 1997 season – the last of his 12-season career, he hit .268 in just 64 games with just 24 RBI.

As most Brewer fans know, Jeromy Burnitz blossomed in a Brewers uniform. He hit a total of 165 homers and thrice reached the 100 RBI plateau in Milwaukee. He played in one all-star game (1999) and co-starring with Richie Sexson and Geoff Jenkins in parts of his five-plus years as a Brewer. Burnitz’s career ended in 2006 with over 300 HR and just under 1000 RBI.

Turned Into:
Prior to the 2002 season, Jeromy was the gemstone of a three-team, 10-player trade between the Brewers, Rockies and Mets. The Brewers sent Burnitz and three other players to New York for (ugh) Alex Ochoa, Lenny Harris and Glendon Rusch.

The Winner:
Milwaukee - hands down. Beyond the extra playoff help in 1996, Kevin Seitzer did little to help the tribe, whereas Burnitz put together some great (and cheap) seasons for some terrible Brewer teams. His name will live on in Brewers lore, despite his only racking up some very impressive numbers in some of the teams’ worst chapters.