Recently dominant Giants' southpaw could be Brewers' perfect deadline addition

With the 5:00 p.m. CT trade deadline on August 3 now just 10 days away, rumors around the league are beginning to intensify, and the Milwaukee Brewers' front office is unsurprisingly doing its due diligence. As noted by Brewers beat reporter Adam McCalvy of MLB.com, the team is "prepared to adopt a more aggressive approach" and has already checked in on Tarik Skubal of the Detroit Tigers and Mason Miller of the San Diego Padres.

While McCalvy's report that the Brewers intend to be more aggressive is encouraging, it's also worth noting that Milwaukee's front office wouldn't be doing its job if they weren't at least inquiring about the top starting pitcher and the top closer who could be available at this year's trade deadline.

As Brewers fans know, expecting the club to land either of those pitchers feels slightly unrealistic, as doing so would require a massive prospect haul. Fortunately for Milwaukee, there are several more attainable options on the market. One intriguing target resides with the San Francisco Giants, though it isn't one of the high-priced veterans that president of baseball operations Buster Posey has publicly made available.

Left-handed reliever Sam Hentges of the San Francisco Giants would be an excellent addition to Brewers' pitching staff

Entering the 2026 season, left-handed relief pitching was considered one of the Brewers' biggest strengths. Then the injuries began to pile up, sidelining Jared Koenig, Angel Zerpa, Rob Zastryzny, DL Hall, and Brian Fitzpatrick. Although Hall is currently on a minor league rehab assignment, Koenig has yet to regain his form and was recently optioned to Triple-A in hopes of getting back on track, while Zastryzny has yet to make his 2026 debut and Zerpa and Fitzpatrick are out for the season.

That said, it would not be surprising to see the Brewers add another southpaw, even after the All-Star break addition of Colton Gordon, who is built up to cover multiple innings but has bullpen experience. Out west, Sam Hentges of the Giants makes a ton of sense as a trade target.

Just one year removed from shoulder surgery to repair a torn capsule, a procedure Brewers fans know all too well from Brandon Woodruff, Hentges has looked dominant out of San Francisco's bullpen. The 30-year-old owns a 2.66 ERA across 27 appearances and has recorded five holds.

While his fastball velocity is down 1.2 mph from where it was in 2024, the 6-foot-8 left-hander generates nearly seven feet of extension, giving hitters significantly less time to react to his 93.9 mph heater. That added perceived velocity has made the pitch highly effective, with opposing hitters batting just .087 against it this season, or a grand total of only two hits.

With Hentges playing on a one-year, $1.4 million contract, he should be one of the more affordable bullpen options available at this year's trade deadline, especially given his recent injury history. His modest salary, breakout performance, and ability to make an immediate impact make him an ideal trade target for the Brewers.

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