Brewers add OF Hunter Renfroe from Red Sox in exchange for OF Jackie Bradley Jr. and two prospects

Just a half hour before Major League Baseball shut down with the expiration of the league’s collective bargaining agreement the Milwaukee Brewers pulled off a major trade to bolster their offense.

The club announced late Wednesday night that it had acquired outfielder Hunter Renfroe from the Boston Red Sox for outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr., along with minor league infielders David Hamilton and Alex Binelas.

Renfroe’s addition is significant in the wake of Avisaíl Garcia signing with Miami in free agency. In his lone year in Boston, Renfroe batted .259 with 31 home runs and a career-high 96 RBI. His .816 OPS would have ranked third on the team last year and just a sliver behind Garcia. Milwaukee also still has two years of control with the 26-year-old before he is eligible for free agency.

Bradley Jr. remained one of the best defensive outfielders in the league, but he is heading back home to Boston after a nightmare of a season at the plate for Milwaukee. He batted just .143 with six home runs and 29 RBI.

Hamilton was ranked as the 16th-best prospect in Milwaukee’s organization, while Binelas was 17th.