A few MLB postseason storylines you might not know

It’s rare enough that you see an in-season trade between contenders, rarer still that it involves four players at the major league level, but that’s exactly what happened in May when Tampa Bay sent Adames and Richards to Milwaukee for Feyereisen and Rasmussen. And they’re not the only guys to play for both the Rays and Brewers this year.

A World Series winner with the Giants in 2014 and Nationals in 2019, the hard-throwing but homer prone reliever started this year with the Rays, posted a 1.69 ERA in 13 games, and was surprisingly sold to the Angels, where he was dreadful, giving up three homers in 6.1 innings over nine appearances. Strickland then was traded for cash again, to the Brewers, and pitched to a 1.73 ERA with 38 strikeouts in 36.1 innings. So, like Adames, Feyereisen, Rasmussen, and Richards, if it’s Rays-Brewers, Strickland is getting a third ring.

The subject of one of the great hype videos of all time when he arrived in North America with the Rays, Tsutsugo only started to hit consistently in the majors after he got to Pittsburgh this summer. The Pirates, of course, are nowhere near the postseason, but Tsutsugo did begin this season with the Rays, who traded him to the Dodgers in May for a player to be named later. Tsutsugo went 3-for-25 with Los Angeles and got released, which is how he wound up with the Pirates, but if we get a rematch of last year’s World Series, this time Tsutsugo can’t lose.

Once a big-time prospect for the Red Sox, Shaw when to Milwaukee in a trade after the 2016 season, then to the Blue Jays last year, before returning to the Brewers to start this season. After hitting .191 in 56 games, Shaw was waived, and the Red Sox picked him up, completing a very weird multi-part round trip of a career. Shaw hit three homers in 42 at-bats for the Sox after his return to Boston.

He’s not on the active roster now, but after coming over from the Yankees in an April trade, Tauchman made a catch in May to rob Albert Pujols of a walk-off homer at Dodger Stadium, setting the stage for the Giants to win in extra innings — pretty important, considering San Francisco won the NL West by one game. The other part of that deal, Peralta, meanwhile, was brilliant out of the Yankees’ bullpen, posting a 2.95 ERA in 46 appearances (one start) with three wins and three saves to help New York win the wild-card. If it’s the first Yankees-Giants World Series since 1962, both men will be assured of a ring.

We already know that the Rays are baseball’s Rumpelstiltskin when it comes to relievers, but this one is ridiculous. Wisler has a 4.82 ERA in his career since 2015, and was at 6.05 in 21 appearances this season when the Giants shipped him to Tampa Bay for minor leaguer Michael Plassmeyer. With the Rays? Wisler has a 2.15 ERA and 36 strikeouts in 29.1 innings. Of course he does.

The Yankees released the righty reliever in September, capping a bizarre season in which Romano started with the Reds, was released in May, signed with the Yankees, was claimed on waivers by the Brewers in August, released after making one appearance, returned to the Yankees, and was released again after pitching two more times.

Known best for his time catching for the White Sox, Smith started this season with the Rays, but only played in three games for Tampa Bay. Sent to Atlanta for cash considerations, Smith hit .165 in 30 games, and was let go in August. But if the two East champions meet in the World Series, it’ll be Smith who’s the big winner no matter what.

This trio had a slightly different multi-team experience this year. Olympic silver medalists for Team USA in August, the three pitchers now find themselves chasing an unprecedented double for the trophy case. Baz made his major league debut in September — the veteran Robertson was one of the relievers for Tampa Bay in that game — and went 2-0 with a 2.03 ERA in three starts. Kazmir, who hadn’t pitched in the majors since 2016 before returning this year, was 0-1 with a 6.35 ERA in five appearances with the Giants, and went on the injured list with a hamstring strain in the last week of the season.