Trade to Brewers brought Gasser family full circle

PHOENIX -- Robert Gasser, the left-handed pitching prospect in Brewers camp after coming over in last summer’s Josh Hader trade, grew up looking at the Western Union telegram on the wall of his parents’ El Dorado Hills, Calif., home. Dated June 6, 1984, it is addressed to Gasser’s father, Jim, from then-Brewers scouting director Ray Poitevint.

Congratulations, you are hereby notified that the Milwaukee Brewers Baseball Club selected your name in the 27th round of the regular phase of the Rule 4 summer free agent selection meeting for the purpose of negotiating a professional baseball contract.

The elder Gasser, a right-handed pitcher in his day, has fond memories of his brief brush with the Brewers. Milwaukee scout Guy Hansen introduced Jim Gasser to the circle change and helped him blossom when he declined the Brewers’ offer and instead pitched at Moorpark College. The decision to forego pro ball with the Brewers looked good after the Giants drafted Jim Gasser in the eighth round in 1986.

An elbow injury, however, derailed his career. Tommy John surgery was still in its infancy.

“That was the end of me,” Jim said.

Nearly four decades later, his son is living the dream denied to his dad. Jim and Sheila Gasser had two children who would grow up to be athletes; Hannah was on the rowing team at San Diego State and her younger brother Robert “ate, drank and slept sports” as a boy, his dad said. But Robert didn’t start pitching full time until his sophomore year of high school (he idolized Oakland lefty Barry Zito and his big breaking curveball) and didn’t feel like he gained momentum until his senior year.

He played college ball at New Mexico in 2018, then broke through in '19 after transferring to Delta College, and later to the University of Houston. The Padres made Robert a second-round pick in 2021. The transformation from undersized center fielder to top pitching prospect happened fast.

“A bunch of us dads coached a group of kids that were super good and super into baseball, so we started our own travel ball team,” Jim Gasser said. “I think there were 10 or 11 Division I college kids that came off that team, and Robert was the little guy with a cannon. But he was a little guy.

“So, he was our center fielder, our bunt guy, hit-and-run, move-the-runners-over guy. All of a sudden, he started to grow. Once he started growing into his body in high school, that’s when he started to shine in high school.”

That development continued at Robert’s various college stops.

And he continued to grow.

“Honestly, the COVID year helped me out,” Robert Gasser said. “It allowed me to take a step back and think about, ‘What do I need to improve upon to go to the next level?’ I’ve never thought about working a regular job. I’ve never thought about doing anything other than baseball, so it was like, 'I need to figure out a way to improve.'”

A successful pro debut with the Padres in 2021 lifted Gasser into the top half of MLB Pipeline’s list of San Diego's top prospects. He knew the Padres were active on the trade market and prepared himself for a potential move to the Nationals, knowing San Diego was pushing hard for Juan Soto.

Instead, it was the Brewers. Milwaukee sent Hader to San Diego for Gasser, outfield prospect Esteury Ruiz (later flipped for All-Star catcher William Contreras) and pitchers Taylor Rogers and Dinelson Lamet. It was a bona fide blockbuster.

Outfielder Monte Harrison, one of the then-Brewers prospects traded to Miami for Christian Yelich in 2018, has spoken in recent days about the pressure that goes along with being dealt for a star. Gasser handled it well; the Brewers pushed him to Double-A Biloxi, then to Triple-A Nashville to finish last season. All told, he posted a 3.94 ERA and better than 11 strikeouts per nine innings in a career-high 27 starts over the year.

“When you’re traded for a player like that, it’s absolutely a big deal,” said Brewers manager Craig Counsell. “It tells you something about who you are, and I think it also tells you something about the expectations people have for you. Sometimes the expectations can be heavy and cause anxiety and weigh on you. But that’s part of why this is a hard job.”

“This is a great organization because they moved me quick, so obviously they see some value in me,” Robert Gasser said. “They’re invested in me. As long as I put the work in, I think it will be a great relationship.”

It begins Sunday. Gasser is on the list to pitch in one of the Brewers’ split-squad games, probably on the road at the Rockies. He’s never stepped on a big league field and never pitched in a Major League Spring Training game.

“Confidence is the biggest thing. I want to be confident,” he said. “Everyone has said, ‘If you just be yourself, it’s going to go well.' I think that’s my goal.”

So far, so good. Even last season after the trade, when expectations were ratcheted up.

“I think he pretty much kept his head down and kept grinding at it,” Jim Gasser said. “I think that was hard. He held his cards close to his chest, anyways. But he has a good opportunity, and God willing, he’ll make that a good trade for Milwaukee.”