Brewers Trade Deadline: Meet Newly Acquired RHP John Curtiss

The Major League baseball trade deadline passed without a major splash from the Milwaukee Brewers, but what the Brewers did was add some more pieces to the bullpen, one of them being John Curtiss.

John Curtiss was acquired from the Miami Marlins for catching prospect Payton Henry. Curtiss has appeared in 35 games for the Marlins this season, pitching a total of 40 innings. Across those 40 innings John Curtiss has accumulated a 3-1 record and a 2.48 ERA. Curtiss is already a little bit familiar with the Brewers, having faced them twice this season.

John Curtiss’ pitching style could be compared to Brett Anderson, whom Brewers fans should be familiar with. Curtiss is a ground ball pitcher more than he is a strikeout pitcher, so seeing Curtiss come in with men on base could mean that Craig Counsell could be looking for a double play ball to end an inning or halt a rally.

John Curtiss is 28 years old and in true fashion with other players David Stearns has acquired, is under team control through the 2025 season. Curtiss won’t be eligible for arbitration until 2023.

John Curtiss’ move to the Milwaukee Brewers will mark his fifth major league ball club, having formerly played for the Minnesota Twins, Los Angeles Angels, Tampa Bay Rays, and aforementioned Marlins.

John Curtiss will reunite with former teammate Willy Adames, the beloved shortstop acquired by Stearns in May, as Curtiss and Adames were both involved in the Rays world series run in 2020. Curtiss, while maybe dealing with some jitters in his first playoff series, gave up five runs in just 2.1 innings versus the Yankees in the ALDS, settled in during the ALCS and World Series, giving up just two runs in 7.1 innings during the two series. So John Curtiss is no stranger to the big moments that the Milwaukee Brewers have their sights set on for the postseason.

John Curtiss may not have been the big splash some fans, myself included, were hoping for, but he can be a useful addition to a bullpen that lost Jake Cousins and Jandel Gustave to the injured list for COVID-19 related reasons.

Curtiss made his Brewers debut Saturday night against the Atlanta Braves, pitching 0.2 innings and giving up five earned runs after a ground ball to Willy Adames resulted in a throw to first base that popped out of recently acquired Eduardo Escobar’s glove was ruled a hit and was followed up by a Dansby Swanson grand slam.

Although his first appearance with the Brewers didn’t go as well as he may have hoped, Curtiss should be a key piece of this bullpen going forward.

Unfortunate luck for the newcomer, but his track record suggests he can settle in and hopefully contribute to the Milwaukee Brewers making it to the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season.