Brewers pick up pitcher, catcher in exchange for LHP Will Smith

MILWAUKEE -- The Milwaukee Brewers announced on Monday, August 1st that they acquired right-handed pitcher Phil Bickford and catcher Andrew Susac from the San Francisco Giants in exchange for left-handed pitcher Will Smith.

Brewers officials say 21-year-old Bickford was selected by San Francisco in the first round (18th overall) of the 2015 First-Year Player Draft. He entered the 2016 season ranked by Baseball America as the third-best prospect in the Giants organization. He is currently ranked by MLBPipeline.com as the top prospect in their organization (65th overall in baseball), and appeared in this year’s All-Star Futures Game in San Diego.

Bickford this season went a combined 5-6 with a 2.71 ERA in 17 starts between Class-A Augusta (11gs, 3-4, 2.70era) and Class-A San Jose (6gs, 2-2, 2.73era). He has held opponents to a .208 batting average (70-for-336, 5hr) with 105 strikeouts in 93.0 innings pitched. He made his professional debut last season, going 0-1 with a 2.01 ERA in 10 starts with the Rookie Arizona Giants. He produced 32 strikeouts in just 22.1 innings pitched as he held opponents to a .169 batting average (13-for-77, 0hr).

26-year-old Susac was batting .273 (57-for-209) with 8 HR and 36 RBI in 58 games at Triple-A Sacramento this season. He has Major League experience with the Giants, batting .240 (53-for-221) with 6 HR and 33 RBI in 87 games from 2014-15. Selected by San Francisco in the second round of the 2011 First-Year Player Draft, Susac was a member of the 2014 world champion Giants.

DENVER, CO - JUNE 22: Relief pitcher Will Smith #13 of the Milwaukee Brewers delivers against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on June 22, 2014 in Denver, Colorado. The Brewers defeated the Rockies 6-5. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)



The Brewers news release indicates Smith, 27, was acquired by Milwaukee from Kansas City on December 5, 2013 in exchange for outfielder Norichika Aoki. He went 9-8 with a 3.28 ERA and 1 save in 181 relief appearances as a Brewer, including 1-3 with a 3.68 ERA in 27 outings this season.

Smith is 1-3 with a 3.68 ERA this season in 27 games and 22 innings.