So as long rumored, the Brewers do trade away second baseman Jonathan Koch for not one, but two shortstops.
From the El Paso Dawgs the Brewers get former 1st overall draft pick Rich White, who is expected to take over as the starting Brewer shortstop immediately. White is in the midst of his rookie season and hasn't been particularly successful thus far, but he has a reputation as a supremely gifted defensive infielder with very good speed, and eye at the plate that has potential to be elite, and an overall bat tool that is not so bad and not so good. There are some concerns about White's personality, which can be a bit abrasive, but the team decided that with their strong leadership they could probably weather any ruffled feathers his presence might provoke, and he was by far the most talented shortstop they could get in trade.
They also pick up 24-year old Jason Hopper, who is a good candidate for a utility back-up role both in the infield and the outfield. He is a hard-working strong fielder with plus plus speed and ability on the base paths. He doesn't have much of a bat but could be a decent contact hitter ans should rarely strike out.
The deal was a net gain for the Brewers in terms of fan interest (White, as a former 1-1, has good name recognition) and while in the short term it doesn't alter the budget, it does favor the Brewers in the long term as White is under team control for the next 7 seasons and isn't arbitration eligible until 1979.