Brewers paid a premium prospect price to lure Cardinals into intradivision trade

The Milwaukee Brewers added three pitchers within the final 24 hours leading up to MLB's trade deadline, all of which will almost certainly be rentals. Right-handed starter Dustin May and left-handed reliever JoJo Romero came over from the St. Louis Cardinals in Milwaukee's first "deadline day" deal; May has an expensive $20 million mutual option for 2027 ($500k buyout), and Romero is a true free agent at the end of the season.

Meanwhile, right-handed starter-turned-reliever Antonio Senzatela, whom the Brewers acquired from the Colorado Rockies just hours before the deadline passed, has a $14 million club option for 2027 (no buyout), that Milwaukee is highly unlikely to pick up. He is otherwise on the final year of a five-year, $50.50 million deal that he signed with the Rockies back in 2021.

Before the flurry of deadline deals, the Brewers had already added to their organizational depth by acquiring catcher Bo Naylor and reliever Codi Heuer, whom they later traded to the Baltimore Orioles for cash, from the Cleveland Guardians. In total, four of Milwaukee's five trade additions were pitchers, with Naylor serving as the lone position player.

While Milwaukee's trio of deadline moves didn't include the blockbuster fans were hoping for, President of Baseball Operations Matt Arnold did follow through on his promise to be more aggressive at this year's trade deadline than in recent past. Specifically, the Brewers' addition of May, a playoff-caliber arm, and Romero, a high-leverage relief option, certainly outdid the moves they made at each of the last two trade deadlines. Doing so required them to part ways with two intriguing prospects who are far better than any minor leaguer they dealt at either of the last two trade deadlines.

Brewers justifiably parted ways with two intriguing outfield prospects to add Dustin May and JoJo Romero from division rival Cardinals

May, who immediately will slot in as a middle-of-the-rotation starter for the Brewers, and Romero, who is out until the end of August as he recovers from appendix surgery, both provide veteran experience to the Brewers' pitching staff. May comes with a great deal of playoff experience as well and has premium velocity with the upside to potentially be the club's No. 3 starter in the postseason, whereas Romero is a much-needed, high-leverage southpaw for the Brewers to pair alongside Aaron Ashby.

That said, St. Louis certainly jacked up the cost of these two rentals in order to provide the Brewers with pitching reinforcements as the deal required Milwaukee to part ways with their No. 11 prospect Alexander Frias and No. 13 prospect Josiah Ragsdale. These outfielders were both quickly rising in Milwaukee's loaded farm system too, with the 18-year-old Frias having a .980 OPS through 60 games in the ACL and Low-A, while Ragsdale's stock was trending significantly upwards after belting 12 home runs in 26 Double-A games this year following a promotion.

As well as both outfield prospects were performing, that may have been exactly why Arnold decided this was the right time to move them. Prospect value can fluctuate dramatically from year to year, and cashing in while their stock was high to strengthen the major league roster was clearly the priority.

The Brewers also have a good collection of outfield prospects, with Josh Adamczewski and Braylon Payne not being dealt in any of their other moves, making it easier to justify dealing from a position of strength. With so much talent at the position, both players may have eventually found their paths to Milwaukee blocked anyway, making them expendable in the organization's current state.

Utilizing their prospect depth, without decimating their farm system, to add two high-upside additions to their current major league pitching staff was exactly what the Brewers needed to do at the deadline. The Brewers' ability to acquire and develop talent in their farm system isn't going anywhere, and neither of these two players was that highly regarded before the season began. For the keen observers of the Brewers' farm system, this deal may be difficult to stomach, especially because Ragsdale and Frias now join the rival Cardinals' organization. However, with strong performances from May and Romero down the stretch this year, the Brewers' decision to part ways with these two talented outfield prospects will certainly look far more justifiable.

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