Projected Brewers starting rotation after Frankie Montas trade

The Brewers used the Trade Deadline to patch up their beleaguered starting rotation. Injuries have hampered the group since the very beginning of the season and Frankie Montas is the last addition to the group to help this team get through to the postseason.

Montas was the Reds Opening Day starter this season, and he's struggled of late, but he's been healthy all season which is something the Brewers desperately need.

Milwaukee added Montas to the active roster on Wednesday, and he's expected to make his first start for the Crew on Friday against the Nationals.

Now that Montas is in the fold, how does this Brewers starting rotation look?

Here's how the Brewers starting rotation projects following the addition of Frankie Montas:

1. RHP Freddy Peralta
2. RHP Frankie Montas
3. RHP Aaron Civale
4. RHP Tobias Myers
5. RHP Colin Rea
6*. LHP DL Hall/RHP Joe Ross

This is not a ranking in order of the best pitchers in this rotation, but rather the order of the rotation itself, it's slated to go down in this order.

Montas is going to slot in right behind Freddy Peralta and right ahead of fellow July acquisition Aaron Civale.

The real question comes with the sixth spot in the rotation. Joe Ross is back on the active roster, but he had some struggles in his first outing and perhaps could be kicked to the bullpen. There's also the impending return of DL Hall, who is finishing up yet another rehab assignment. Hall hasn't pitched in the majors since April with a knee injury, then a setback, then was hit by a comebacker.

When Hall returns, things will get interesting. Perhaps the Brewers will go with a six man rotation for a while, perhaps Hall also gets moved to the bullpen.

However, it seems quite clear that, at least for the time being, Peralta, Montas, Civale, and Rea are going to remain as regular starters. Tobias Myers has minor league options and technically could be sent out if the Brewers want Hall back in the rotation, but Myers has arguably been their best starter, pitching to a 3.10 ERA in 15 starts. So there's no reason to take out Myers.

How the Brewers plan to fit Hall and Ross into the pitching plans with the addition of Montas remains unclear. A six man rotation is possible, pushing both to the bullpen is also possible. At the very least, those two will provide rotation depth which is something the Brewers have been running low on for most of the 2024 regular season.