David Hamilton believes his return to the Milwaukee Brewers has brought him back to the version of himself that fits best on the field. The 29-year-old infielder, back in Milwaukee after his 2023-25 run with the Boston Red Sox, said the move has helped him settle into a role that now looks more substantial than the one he had in Boston.
That matters because Milwaukee did not simply add a familiar name. It brought back a player whose speed, improving bat-to-ball skills and positional flexibility have already made him useful in key moments, even if the Brewers did not trade for an established everyday regular the first time around.
Murphy saw the fit before the return
Pat Murphy made it clear Milwaukee never viewed Hamilton as a throw-in when he left the organization on Dec. 1, 2021. The Brewers manager said the club knew it was dealing a good player, and that the chance to get him back created a different kind of conversation.
“I think when they traded David, they knew they were trading a good player,” Murphy said. “Then when we had the opportunity to get him back, it was like, ‘Hey, this guy might be a full-time player.’”
That is the key shift in this story. Hamilton had never become an everyday player with the Red Sox, where he was used mostly as a utility infielder. In Milwaukee, the door has opened wider.
Why Milwaukee likes what it got back
Hamilton’s value is not built on one tool alone. He led all major league rookies with 33 stolen bases in 2024, and he also showed he could contribute in more than one way when he hit a game-tying two-run homer in the eighth inning in Detroit on May 13, 2025.
He said the Boston years changed how he approached the game.
“I feel like I learned how to not play every day,” Hamilton said. “Coming up through the minor leagues, everybody’s playing every day. In Boston, I learned how to stay ready when you weren’t playing. It wasn’t something that I wanted to learn, but it helped. I learned a lot from the coaches and some of the players.”
That experience is part of why Milwaukee has no complaints about the deal, even if Boston’s side of the trade has produced the better combined bWAR so far. This season, Durbin, Monasterio and Seigler combined for 5.5 bWAR, while Hamilton, Harrison and Drohan had 2.8.
A bigger role has followed the skill set
Hamilton has already been used in a more important way by the Brewers. This season he settled in as the third baseman for Milwaukee, and he started five of the team’s first 10 postseason games.
That usage suggests the Brewers do not see him merely as a depth option. They see a player who can move around, stay ready and deliver value in different spots, which is exactly the kind of profile Murphy seemed to have in mind.
There is also evidence that Hamilton can contribute when the stakes rise. Going into Game 3 of the World Series on Monday night, he was 6 for 17 with a double, a homer, three RBIs and three stolen bases. In five postseason games, he has been part of the lineup mix Milwaukee has trusted most.
The broader point is simple: Milwaukee did not just get Hamilton back. It got back a player who appears more complete now than the one it sent away. And after 204 games in Boston, 110 of them in 2021-era development and the rest spread across a utility role, Hamilton sounds like someone who believes the lessons of those years have made him better prepared for what comes next.
“I feel like myself again,” he said. For the Brewers, that may be the most encouraging development of all.
