Giants' Robbie Ray now a Brewers' trade deadline option after Jeff Passan's latest report

Reports indicate that the Milwaukee Brewers' top priority before Monday's trade deadline is to add another playoff-caliber starting pitcher to their rotation and form a daunting trio alongside Jacob Misiorowski and Kyle Harrison.

Brewers fans are hoping that "playoff-caliber arm" is none other than Tarik Skubal, the reigning back-to-back AL Cy Young Award winner and clear-cut best available starting pitcher on the trade market. The Brewers have been consistently linked to Skubal, so it's by no means out of the question that Matt Arnold and company swing big for the Detroit Tigers' ace sometime in the next three days.

However, if Milwaukee ultimately does lose the Skubal sweepstakes to another contender like the Los Angeles Dodgers or Atlanta Braves, there are a number of ways in which the Brewers' front office can pivot and still add a veteran arm to their starting staff. Names like Casey Mize, Skubal's teammate who was just scratched from his scheduled Friday night start, Trevor Rogers of the Baltimore Orioles, and even former Brewers' ace Freddy Peralta have been cited as potential back-up plans for the Brewers if they lose the bidding war for Skubal.

After a recent report from MLB insider Jeff Passan of ESPN, another name can be added to that listed of alternate options. Whereas San Francisco Giants' southpaw Robbie Ray may not have been at the top of the Milwaukee's list of deadline options due to his high 2026 salary, the Giants' willingness to pay down some of his remaining contract certainly makes him a more enticing candidate for a team like the Brewers.

Giants' willingness to cover some of Robbie Ray's remaining salary should have veteran southpaw on Brewers' list of Skubal alternatives

Ray hasn't been an oft-cited option for the Brewers at this year's trade deadline, and part of that has to do with the fact that the 34-year-old southpaw is owed roughly $8 million through the rest of the season -- an expensive price to pay for just two months of an aging starter. However, in a recent article for ESPN.com, Passan noted that San Francisco's front office "has suggested to teams it will pay down some of the $8 million-plus Ray is owed for the rest of the season."

With San Francisco willing to cover some of Ray's remaining salary, the veteran starter, who will be a free agent at the end of the season, becomes an interesting deadline option for the Brewers. Ray, a 2x All-Star and former Cy Young Award winner, has put together something of a late-career resurgence with the Giants over the last two years. Across 54 outings in 2025 and 2026, Ray has a 3.42 ERA and a solid 1.24 WHIP. Now in his 13th MLB season, Ray has a ton of experience, including six appearances in the postseason. Additionally, the Giants' southpaw is "in form" right now, as evidenced by the 1.26 ERA he holds in his last seven starts.

Ray would certainly be an impactful addition to the Brewers' rotation, one who would likely slot in as Milwaukee's Game 3 starter behind Misiorowski and Harrison. That said, there are a few reasons for the Brewers' front office to be hesitant about swinging a deal for the Giants' veteran hurler. For starters, Ray's expected ERA (4.43) being more than one run worse than his actual ERA (3.08) this year, indicates that he's been the beneficiary of a great deal of luck, and, based on his home and away splits, the pitcher-friendly environment of Oracle Park in San Francisco. His fastball velocity is down half a tick from where it was a season ago and his "stuff" has taken a small step back across the board. In other words, there's reason to believe Ray is due for some regression over the final two months of the season.

In that regard, Ray should not be viewed as a "top choice" for the Brewers but rather a solid fallback option should their initial deadline plans fall through. With San Francisco willing to eat some of Ray's salary, the veteran southpaw becomes a far more realistic back-up plan for the Brewers should they need one.

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