Brewers' 2026 trade deadline evaluation won't be complete until October

One month after the passing of the trade deadline, the Milwaukee Brewers finally have all of their 2026 trade-deadline additions in uniform. As part of September call-ups, which expand active rosters by two players, the Brewers added pitcher JoJo Romero and catcher Bo Naylor, both of whom were acquired at the deadline.

When the Brewers acquired Romero, he was still recovering from appendix surgery. He looked sharp during a minor league rehab assignment, and once activated, he was immediately thrown into action. Romero entered an inning against division-rival Chicago Cubs with a two-run lead and a runner already on base -- one left behind by fellow trade-deadline acquisition, Antonio Senzatela.

Romero allowed two hits in his Brewers debut, but he pounded the strike zone, throwing nine of his 11 pitches for strikes. He ultimately recorded a hold as Milwaukee ended up getting some insurance runs later on in what ended up being a 9-4 victory. Then, on Wednesday night, Romero turned around and made his first back-to-back appearance with the Brewers, during which he was even sharper than his Tuesday-night debut -- he collected one strikeout in a clean inning of work.

On the other hand, Naylor has yet to make his debut with the Brew Crew. He has, however, looked sharp in the minor leagues, driving in an impressive 17 runs over 14 games. Much of that surge has been fueled by putting fewer balls in play to the pull side and using the entire field more effectively.

Romero and Naylor aside, the Brewers have already gotten an extended look at Senzatela and starting pitcher Dustin May. Since the trade deadline, the two have posted ERAs of 4.63 and 6.41, respectively, making the early results on this year’s deadline additions look like another example of a familiar trend in which new pitchers struggle after arriving in Milwaukee.

Still, it’s far too early to draw any definitive conclusions. The true evaluation of the Brewers’ trade-deadline moves won’t come until the season is over.

The Brewers' 2026 trade deadline additions were acquired to impact the team in the postseason

Of the Brewers’ trade-deadline acquisitions this year, May undoubtedly possesses the most upside, and perhaps the most importance come the postseason. With a Brandon Woodruff return unlikely, despite amazingly avoiding surgery, May currently projects to be one of the team’s four starters in October. If that holds, he’ll be called upon to pitch meaningful innings in the postseason for the first time since 2020.

While May has looked shaky over his last few outings, he has also delivered several strong performances this season. He tossed six innings of two-run ball in his team debut, followed that with seven innings of one-run ball against the San Diego Padres, and before joining Milwaukee recorded a complete-game shutout.

If May can deliver a performance along those lines in October, his rougher outings in August will quickly become an afterthought. The same can be said for Senzatela, who endured a stretch of three consecutive outings in which he allowed a run early in his Brewers tenure. Since then, however, Senzatela has settled in, tossing six scoreless outings in his last eight appearances.

In the end, strong postseason performances from May and Senzatela could completely reshape the narrative surrounding the Brewers’ trade-deadline moves. Romero and Naylor’s contributions down the stretch will also play a role in determining how the deadline is ultimately viewed. For now, though, it’s simply too early to draw any definitive conclusions.

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