Worrisome Marlins injury might throw wrench in Brewers' trade deadline plans

Though Milwaukee's front office has been near spotless during the organization's ongoing "Golden Age," the one blip on their resume has been trade deadline bullpen additions. When the Brewers are in contention, as they have been for much of the last decade, it's almost a guarantee that the front office will make some type of addition to the relief core at the midseason trade deadline.

However, for the most part, these additions have not worked out in Milwaukee's favor. Names like Drew Pomeranz, Nick Mears, Joakim Soria, and, if you go back to 2017, Anthony Swarzak, make up the short list of success stories in regards to bullpen additions at the trade deadline. However, the list of relief pitcher trades that didn't work out in Milwaukee's favor is significantly longer. It includes names like Andrew Chafin, Daniel Norris, John Curtiss, Matt Bush, Jake Faria, Ray Black, Taylor Rogers, and Trevor Rosenthal.

Last year, the Brewers made one addition to their bullpen group at the deadline, executing a last-minute trade for Arizona Diamondbacks' right-hander Shelby Miller, who posted a 5.59 ERA in 11 appearances before a season-ending elbow injury cut his campaign short in early September.

Hopefully, this unfortunate trend comes to an end this year. While the 2026 trade deadline is still months away, it's looking like the Brewers may need to make an addition to their relief corps once again this season. Early injuries to Jared Koenig and Ángel Zerpa, paired with inconsistency from 2025 All-Star Trevor Megill, suggest that come July, the Brewers' front office will once again be scouring the relief pitcher market for help.

One reliever, who was bound to be a popular name at this year's deadline, just went down with a concerning injury that could eventually make the relief pitcher market look much thinner in late July.

Projected Brewers' deadline target Pete Fairbanks lands on IL with concerning nerve injury

The Miami Marlins are off to a decent start in 2026, with a 15-17 record through the first month of the season to prove it. However, in a loaded NL East division, that will almost certainly see the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies improve on their slow starts to the 2026 season. Remaining competitive will be no easy task for the Marlins' young roster. It's not difficult to see the potential in Miami, but for a team that still feels like it's a year or two away from being a contender, it's likely their departing free agents will become trade targets at this year's deadline.

Perhaps the most intriguing Marlins veteran who will be a target at this year's trade deadline is closer Pete Fairbanks, who tossed two scoreless outings against the Brewers back in mid-April. Fairbanks is a proven reliever who racked up 75 saves over the last three seasons and owned a combined 2.87 ERA from 2020-2025. In other words, he's the type of reliever that any contender would love to add to the back-end of their bullpen in the middle of the season.

Unfortunately, Fairbanks suffered a significant setback earlier this week, when a nerve issue caused numbness in his right hand. Loss of feeling relating to a nerve injury is never a good sign for a pitcher and could lead to a lengthy rehab process for Fairbanks -- one that causes him to miss a significant chunk of the 2026 season.

Should Fairbanks not be an option at the deadline, the market for relievers will look a little bit thinner, impacting the Brewers' ability to make their usual midseason addition. If Fairbanks' injury doesn't end up holding long-term concern, look for him to be a top-tier name that Milwaukee could consider adding to their roster in late July.

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