Gio Gonzalez reacts to getting traded from the Nationals to the Brewers on Friday night. (0:43)

The Milwaukee Brewers were active Friday, hoping a flurry of trades would bolster their lineup over the season's final month and then potentially into the playoffs.

The Brew Crew made three deals, including one for veteran left-hander Gio Gonzalez of the Washington Nationals, and another for veteran slugger Curtis Granderson of the Toronto Blue Jays.

A player must be on a club by Aug. 31 to be eligible for the postseason. Milwaukee is four games behind Chicago in the NL Central after Friday night's 4-1 win against the Nationals and currently holds the second NL wild-card spot.

Gonzalez is 7-11 with a 4.57 ERA in 27 starts this year. He has a 6.53 ERA since the start of June, which ranks 73rd out of 74 qualified starters during that span, ahead of only the Texas Rangers' Bartolo Colon (7.01).

Gio Gonzalez didn't have to travel far after Friday's trade was announced; the Nationals hosted the Brewers in Washington. AP Photo/Alex Brandon

Gonzalez has a 6.75 ERA in five career starts at Miller Park, including a 9.82 ERA in three starts there over the past three seasons.

"I think everyone needs a fresh start now and then," Gonzalez said Friday night in Washington, where he watched the Nationals lose to the Brewers 4-1. "It's unfortunate I put myself in this situation, and now it's time I get myself out of it. Milwaukee took a shot with me, and I'm going to do my best to make it happen."

Gonzalez, who will be a free agent after the season, spent his past seven seasons in Washington and ranks first in franchise history in wins (86), WAR (21.4) and strikeouts (1,215). A two-time All-Star, he is 124-97 with a 3.71 ERA in 11 major league seasons overall.

He called leaving the franchise emotional.

"I made my trip around the stadium quite a few times," he said. "I walked down to the bullpen, talked to some of the guys over there. I actually interacted with some of my teammates about it. And it was just -- it was emotional."

Brewers manager Craig Counsell couldn't say where Gonzalez would fit in Milwaukee's rotation, which he said is set until Wednesday. Counsell didn't rule out using him out of the bullpen.

"Look, we're at the stage where we're just getting outs and we're gonna try to get 27 outs a game,'' Counsell said. "If there's a spot to use him in relief, I would consider that as I would for all these guys.''

In exchange for Gonzalez, Washington gets back minor league catcher/first baseman KJ Harrison and infielder Gilbert Lara from the Brewers. Harrison, a third-round pick in 2017 out of Oregon State, was hitting .228 with 12 homers and 51 RBIs for Class A Wisconsin. Lara, of the Dominican Republic, was hitting .249 with 45 runs scored at Wisconsin.

Milwaukee also received $250,000 in international slot money as part of the deal.

Granderson, meanwhile, is batting .243 with 11 home runs and 35 RBIs in 103 games for Toronto this year. A three-time All-Star, he signed a one-year, $5 million deal with the team in the offseason.

Granderson has 330 homers in 15 major league seasons and has played in 57 postseason games, batting .227 with nine homers.

"You're surprised, because you never know what's going to happen,'' Granderson said after he had a pinch-hit single in Toronto's 6-5 win over Miami. "You hear all kinds of rumblings and things. There's no reason to get worked up over anything until something happens.

"But I'm also excited getting a chance to go to a team that has a chance to get to the playoffs. So I am super excited to join them."

Going back to Toronto is Demi Orimoloye, an outfielder for Class A Carolina who is hitting .248 with 12 home runs, 55 RBIs and 57 runs scored this season.

Also Friday, Milwaukee acquired left-handed reliever Xavier Cedeno from the Chicago White Sox. He is 2-0 with a 2.84 ERA in 33 appearances after signing with Chicago as a minor league free agent in January. The left-hander is 10-7 with a 3.81 ERA in eight seasons with Houston, Washington, Tampa Bay and the White Sox.

The White Sox got outfielder Bryan Connell and right-hander Johan Dominguez in the deal.

In discussing the Cedeno deal, Counsell said, "We're just trying to fortify the roster as best we can and give ourselves options and depth for whatever happens in this month."

Information from ESPN's Eddie Matz and The Associated Press was used in this report.