Revisiting the Brewers’ Willy Adames-Drew Rasmussen trade with Rays ahead of World Series matchup

Ahead of the 2026 World Series matchup between the Milwaukee Brewers and Tampa Bay Rays, writer Tyler Koerth revisits the major May 2021 trade between both clubs. The deal sent shortstop Willy Adames and Trevor Richards to Milwaukee in exchange for pitchers Drew Rasmussen and J.P. Feyereisen. Rasmussen is slated to start Game 1 of the Fall Classic for Tampa Bay against his former club.

Koerth argues that the trade worked out well for Milwaukee due to Adames hitting 107 home runs and providing crucial leadership before signing with the San Francisco Giants. Meanwhile, Rasmussen overcame multiple injuries to establish himself as Tampa Bay's ace, recording a 2.67 ERA across 30 starts in 2026.