Milwaukee.Brewers.MLB.com

By Adam McCalvy and JR Radcliffe / MLB.com

The Brewers acquired outfielder Peter Bergeron from the Expos on Monday. (Alan Diaz/AP)

The Brewers on Monday acquired Bergeron, an outfielder, and a player to be named from the Montreal Expos for a pair of prospects: Triple-A closer Jason Childers and Double-A outfielder Jason Belcher.

Bergeron, 26, never established himself as an everyday player in parts of four seasons with Montreal. He was the Expos' Opening Day center fielder this year but batted only .214 (9-for-42) with 16 strikeouts in 11 games before going on the disabled list with a right rib sprain suffered against the Phillies on April 18.

The Expos outrighted him to Triple-A Edmonton on May 24. Bergeron batted .512 with a home run and five RBIs in 11 games for Edmonton.

"They gave him the opportunity and he didn't cash in on that opportunity," Brewers assistant general manager Gord Ash said. "I think you get to a point with a lot of players that are young; they don't feel like that opportunity is going to be there for him. ... If you don't feel like you're going to get an opportunity in this league, the mental part of it becomes overriding at some point."

The left-handed-hitting Bergeron is a career .226 hitter in 308 games.

"Bergeron is a guy that we've liked, one of those guys that we feel with a change of scenery has a chance to excel," Ash said. "He's got tremendous speed and had a productive Triple-A year to this point. We've been fortunate with that kind of acquisition in the past.

"He could fit as the 25th guy on a roster, he could fit as a guy that can come in and battle for right field, can battle for the left field position."

But almost all of Bergeron's big league experience is in center field, where the Brewers are set with Scott Podsednik. The team plucked Podsednik off waivers from Seattle after the 2002 season and he enjoyed a breakout rookie season at the relatively ripe age of 27.

But he has struggled this season with a .257 batting average in his first 55 games.

Bergeron was assigned to Triple-A Indianapolis, which started the season with center fielder Dave Krynzel, one of the organization's top 10 prospects. Krynzel suffered a broken foot on a foul ball and has been out more than a month.

Childers was 1-0 with an International League-leading 15 saves and a 1.26 ERA in 24 games at Indianapolis. He is 39-39 with 29 saves and a 2.89 ERA in 235 career games, during which he has struck out 8.6 batters per nine innings pitched.

The Expos assigned him to Edmonton and likely view him as insurance for beleaguered closer Rocky Biddle (0-4, 7.32 ERA, three blown saves this season).

"Jason Childers was well down on the depth chart even though he's had a pretty good year to this point," Ash said. "I think in fairness to him, we're giving him an opportunity to get with a club that could perhaps give him a chance to make it to the big leagues."

Belcher, who will report to Double-A Harrisburg of the Eastern League, batted .289 with three home runs and 17 RBIs in 47 games at Double-A Huntsville. He was the Brewers' fifth-round draft pick in 2000.

"Belcher is more of an American League player, we didn't feel he had a position," Ash said.

Also on Monday, the Colorado Rockies claimed right-hander Tim Bausher off waivers from the Brewers. Bausher was moved off the 40-man roster last week.

Adam McCalvy is a reporter for MLB.com. JR Radcliffe is a contributor for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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