How Brewers' Lance McCullers trade with Astros affects their trade deadline outlook

The Milwaukee Brewers will begin the second half of the 2026 season with two new pitchers in their organization. On Wednesday, July 15, the day after the Midsummer Classic, the Brewers' relentless front office swung a trade with the Houston Astros, acquiring right-hander Lance McCullers and southpaw Colton Gordon in exchange for taking on $2.5 million of McCullers' remaining salary and 21-year-old outfield prospect Jaydn Fielder, son of the legendary Prince Fielder.

For Milwaukee, a trade for a starting pitcher seemed almost inevitable following the hits their starting rotation took during the final week of the first half, though few expected to happen this early. Brandon Woodruff was placed on the 60-day injured list after imaging revealed a new injury to the anterior capsule that he had surgically repaired back in 2023. Jacob Misiorowski missed his last start due to fatigue and won't be available for the first series back, and Kyle Harrison landed on the injured list with forearm tightness and won't be back until at least the final week of July.

As a result, the Brewers added some much-needed depth in McCullers and Gordon. That said, it is worth noting that adding McCullers comes with injury risk. The veteran right-hander has battled significant injuries in recent years, missing the entire 2023 and 2024 seasons before logging just 55.1 innings last year. He also hasn't pitched in the majors since May 13 this season, though he did already log three strong starts on a minor league rehab assignment before the All-Star break.

Meanwhile, Gordon, a former eighth-round pick in the 2021 MLB Draft, is now 27 years old and brings extensive Triple-A experience. He finished the 2022 season at that level and has spent each of the past four seasons (2023-26) there. He'll likely report to Triple-A Nashville to begin his Brewers tenure, but his experience makes him a viable depth option who could be called upon whenever the need arises.

With roughly two and a half weeks remaining until the trade deadline, all of this raises an important question: Should the Brewers still pursue another starting pitcher?

Brewers bought themselves time with Astros trade, aggressive deadline still needed to topple Dodgers in postseason

It's rarely wise to doubt the Brewers' front office, especially when it comes to acquiring pitchers, as Milwaukee's coaching staff seemingly always finds ways to quickly maximize their talent. Still, the additions of McCullers and Gordon feel like safe moves to help provide valuable inning coverage and strengthen the club's depth over the remainder of the regular season.

However, the Brewers' deadline strategy this year should not focus on moves that can get the NL powerhouse back to the postseason, but rather on impact moves that can help them finally advance past the NLCS. Therefore, the question that Milwaukee must answer in the weeks leading up to the deadline is: Do they have a clear No. 3 starter behind Misiorowski and Harrison who can realistically beat the Los Angeles Dodgers in the postseason? If the answer is "yes," due to McCullers' presence on the roster, or Milwaukee's belief in rookie right-handers Logan Henderson and Brandon Sproat, then the Brewers can focus their attention elsewhere at the trade deadline. However, if the answer is "no," finding a clear-cut No. 3 starter on the trade market should still be the Brewers' top priority.

Milwaukee bought themselves time with their surprise three-player All-Star Break swap with the Astros, while also adding an experienced arm in McCullers who could emerge as a legitimate candidate to start a postseason game, which is why the trade was another wise one from the Brewers' front office, but that shouldn't prevent them from being aggressive at the deadline if the right opportunity presents itself.

Whether it's a game-changing addition to their rotation, an impact bat to the left side of their infield, or another high-leverage weapon for their bullpen, the Brewers still have more work to do before the August 3 deadline. The Brewers' disheartening performance against the Dodgers in the NLCS last year proved what can happen when a team plays things safe at the trade deadline. Maybe no one was beating the Dodgers in a four-game series when their stable of aces pitched that well, but the Brewers' lack of improvement at the deadline seemingly didn't even give them a chance. Milwaukee's surprising early trade with the Astros shouldn't prevent them from making the same mistake this year.

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