The Brewers and Royals made their three-player trade official, with Milwaukee sending Isaac Collins and Nick Mears to Kansas City in exchange for left-hander Angel Zerpa. But the real intrigue isn’t just in the names-it’s in what the Brewers might do with Zerpa.
Milwaukee’s president of baseball operations, Matt Arnold, confirmed the team is open to giving Zerpa another look as a starting pitcher. That’s notable, because while Zerpa’s been working mostly out of the bullpen lately, he’s got a starter’s background-and the Brewers have a track record of turning arms like his into something more.
“We have some scouts that think he can do it,” Arnold said. “He has done it in the past. This guy also has postseason experience, too, which we obviously value a lot.”
That postseason experience, combined with his versatility, is what caught Milwaukee’s eye. And in today’s MLB landscape, where the line between starters and relievers is blurrier than ever, the idea of stretching Zerpa back out isn’t as far-fetched as it might’ve sounded five years ago.
Teams aren’t necessarily asking their starters to go seven strong anymore-getting through five innings or two trips through the lineup can be enough. That opens the door for pitchers like Zerpa, who may not have the traditional starter profile but bring enough tools to be molded into one.
Zerpa, 26, started his pro career in the rotation and made three starts across his first four MLB appearances back in 2021-22. But in 2023, he shifted mostly to relief, and that’s where he’s stayed since-aside from a few opener-type outings.
In 2024-25, he logged 118 1/3 innings out of Kansas City’s bullpen, posting a 4.03 ERA with a 20.8% strikeout rate and an 8.0% walk rate. The standout stat?
A massive 60.6% groundball rate, which tells us he’s getting a ton of weak contact on the ground-always a good sign for someone who might be asked to go deeper into games.
Still, there are areas that need work. Right-handed hitters gave him trouble, and he allowed a fair amount of hard contact overall.
His strikeout and walk numbers, while serviceable, don’t scream "rotation-ready." But the Brewers clearly see something they can work with.
Zerpa’s fastball averaged 96.2 mph this past season, but it hasn’t been his most effective pitch. Instead, his 96.6 mph sinker has emerged as his go-to weapon.
He leaned heavily on his slider in 2025-throwing it 44.6% of the time-while mixing in a changeup and the occasional four-seamer. The changeup, in particular, could be a key piece if he’s going to make the jump back to starting.
Adding that third pitch consistently is often the difference between a solid reliever and a viable rotation arm.
Right now, Zerpa’s pitch mix doesn’t scream “starter,” but Milwaukee isn’t just any team when it comes to developing pitching. The Brewers have made a name for themselves by turning overlooked or underutilized arms into real contributors.
If they think Zerpa has starter potential, that says something. This is an organization that’s earned the benefit of the doubt when it comes to pitcher development.
Arnold even noted that the Brewers had “been trying to access [Zerpa] for a long time,” adding, “This was a really strong arm to access with really, really good ingredients. We’re very excited to get him with our coaches who have done a great job tapping into arms like this for a number of years.”
From a roster standpoint, Zerpa enters an interesting situation. The Brewers already have a crowded rotation, at least on paper. Freddy Peralta, Brandon Woodruff, Quinn Priester, Chad Patrick, and Jacob Misiorowski project as the starting five, with a deep pool of depth options behind them-Logan Henderson, Robert Gasser, Carlos Rodriguez, Tobias Myers, to name a few.
But as every team knows, “too much pitching” is a myth. Injuries happen.
Roles shift. And with both Peralta and Woodruff set to hit free agency after next season-and trade rumors swirling around Peralta-there’s a real chance Milwaukee’s rotation could look very different in the near future.
That makes Zerpa’s versatility even more valuable. Whether he ends up in the bullpen or earns a shot at a rotation spot, he gives the Brewers options.
And in today’s game, that’s everything.
Financially, Zerpa is a nice fit, too. He’s arbitration-eligible for the first time this offseason, with a projected salary of just $1.2 million. That’s a solid value for a high-leverage bullpen arm-and a potential bargain if he can handle starter innings during his arbitration years, which run through 2028.
Bottom line: This is a classic Brewers move. They see a pitcher with raw tools, untapped upside, and a price tag that fits their model.
Whether Zerpa ends up as a multi-inning weapon out of the bullpen or a back-end rotation piece, Milwaukee is betting on their ability to unlock more from his game. And given their recent track record, that’s a bet worth watching.