Brewers' Game 4 starter decision could undo one of the worst trades in franchise history

Milwaukee Brewers fans are waking up a bit more tired this morning, after the team fell in an epic Game 3 of the NLDS that saw the San Diego Padres rally to save their season. It was a back-and-forth game in which the Brewers had plenty of opportunities to tie or take the lead late, but strong defense from the Padres and a few disappointing at-bats ultimately landed them short of a three-game sweep.

The Brewers still have one game to play with, though they would certainly prefer to close out the series on Wednesday night. After the marathon contest on Tuesday night that saw Pat Murphy go to the bullpen in just the 4th inning after a short start by Dustin May, the question now shifts to who will pitch in Game 4.

After last night's game, Murphy declined to formally announce a starter for Game 4, but he did name both Chad Patrick and Robert Gasser as options. Whether it's as a true starter or a bulk pitcher after a potential right-handed opener, Gasser feels like the best bet to cover the most amount of outs in Game 4 tonight.

Not only is Gasser on an incredible run over the last month, which certainly should be the main selling point in this decision, but there is more to it than that. Should Gasser get the nod as the Brewers' bulk arm tonight, the Brewers could, to some extent, undo one of the most disastrous trades in franchise history.

A strong postseason performance from Robert Gasser could give Brewers further redemption for ill-fated Josh Hader deal

While 2022 is not all that long ago in the grand scheme of life, it is a lifetime ago in the world of the Milwaukee Brewers. Only Christian Yelich, Garrett Mitchell, Aaron Ashby, and Brandon Woodruff remain from the 2022 season, which, for those lucky enough to forget, may ultimately go down as one of the biggest collapses in team history.

Milwaukee was in first place in the NL Central at the trade deadline that year, but faced a problem. Their All-Star closer, Josh Hader, had hit a rough patch, and with his club control set to expire after the following season, the Brewers' front office staff wanted to maximize his trade value.

As a result, the Brewers made a deal at the deadline, sending Hader to the Padres in return for the talents of Esteury Ruiz, Taylor Rogers, Dinelson Lamet, and Robert Gasser. Rogers was awful, Lamet was designated for assignment just two days after the deal, and Ruiz ultimately played three games for the Brewers' big-league club before being traded to the Oakland Athletics as part of the three-team trade that landed William Contreras in Milwaukee.

Only Gasser remains from that deal, and it's been a long road to get here. Gasser was in Double-A at the time of the trade, and spent time with both the Biloxi Shuckers and Nashville in 2022. He spent all of 2023 with the Triple-A Nashville, and posted an impressive campaign that earned him the International League Pitcher of the Year award. Gasser rejoined the Sounds for the start of the 2024 season, but in May, the Brewers made the call to promote him to the big leagues for his MLB debut.

Gasser had an incredible start to his big-league career, making five starts for Milwaukee, during which he posted a 2.57 ERA. Unfortunately, tragedy struck, as Gasser tore his UCL and underwent Tommy John surgery that ended his red-hot start to his major-league career. After a lengthy recovery process, the southpaw was finally activated on August 30th, 2025 and optioned to Nashville, where he appeared in 10 games before getting the call to rejoin the Brewers to close the season. He made two regular season starts, and two postseason bullpen appearances, to very mixed results.

Gasser started the 2026 season back in Nashville, ping-ponging between the big-league team and Triple-A, before ultimately rejoining the team for good on July 11. Results were mixed for July and August, as the young lefty settled into his role as the 6th man in the Brewers' rotation. However, as the calendar turned to September, Gasser was able to rediscover what made him so special at the start of his career.

In his final seven appearances of the 2026 season, Gasser posted a 2.50 ERA with a 1.08 WHIP in 36.0 innings pitched. He was one of the most effective arms for the Brewers down the stretch and had many fans believing he would be named the team's Game 3 starter in the postseason. Though he was ultimately passed up for the more experienced May, Gasser could now play a pivotal role in Game 4.

This season has been all about casting out the demons that have plagued the franchise. Milwaukee notched 100+ wins for the first time in franchise history. They won the NL Central for a 4th straight year, which had never been done by any team before. Christian Yelich broke his postseason RBI-less streak. Now, Gasser has the chance to undo a disastrous trade, against the team that drafted him and sent him to the Brewers. A trip to a second straight NLCS rides on this game, and if Gasser turns in a memorable performance, the Hader trade will further fade in the minds of Brewers fans.

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