Brewers should be interested in this "inevitable" 2026 trade candidate

In 2024, the Milwaukee Brewers added four pitchers in the month leading up to the trade deadline: RHP Aaron Civale, RHP Nick Mears, RHP Frankie Montas, and LHP Tyler Jay. This year, the front office has already added necessary innings eaters in RHP Lance McCullers Jr. and LHP Colton Gordon, during a surprise All-Star Break swap with the Houston Astros that cost the Brewers' outfield prospect Jadyn Fielder.

Despite their three-player swap with the Astros, Milwaukee is likely to add at least one more pitcher to their roster ahead of the deadline, as one of their remaining top priorities is finding someone they can depend upon to be their No. 3 starter for a potential postseason series. Logan Henderson has shown flashes of being capable of filling that role, but he has yet to pitch beyond six innings in a start this season and has limited big-league experience.

With how the Brewers operate, their preference will be to target a more affordable option rather than surrender significant prospect capital for a bigger and flashier move. One "inevitable" trade candidate that fits their needs almost perfectly, even if he hasn't generated much buzz around the league, is Washington Nationals' southpaw Foster Griffin.

Nationals' southpaw Foster Griffin would be an intriguing deadline addition to Brewers' rotation

30-year-old left-hander Foster Griffin is enjoying a breakout MLB season after spending the past three years overseas with the Yomiuri Giants of Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan, where he went 18-10 and posted a 2.57 ERA across 315.2 innings.

Through 20 starts this season, Griffin has posted an impressive 2.68 ERA, but what stands out even more is his exceptional command. He has attacked the strike zone all year, walking just 5.7% of the batters he has faced.

His cutter has been his most effective weapon, limiting opponents to a .203 batting average, but the rest of his arsenal has been equally sharp. His four-seam fastball, sweeper, changeup, curveball, and sinker have all been effective, giving him a deep, well-rounded pitch mix capable of keeping hitters off balance despite not having exceptional velocity.

After signing a one-year, $5.5 million contract with the Nationals last winter, Griffin has emerged as an ideal rental target for contending teams. His affordable salary and breakout season make him an attractive trade candidate, especially for clubs looking to bolster their rotation without much sacrifice.

Although Washington remains in the National League Wild Card race, The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon recently described a Griffin trade as "inevitable." If he does become available, the Brewers should certainly be among the teams aggressively exploring a deal. His dominant performance this season, combined with his relative unfamiliarity around the league, could give Milwaukee a valuable edge in a postseason series.

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