The Brewers have added two arms from St. Louis, landing Dustin May and JoJo Romero in a trade with the Cardinals, according to sources who spoke to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon.
Milwaukee is sending minor-league outfielders Alexander Frías and Josiah Ragsdale back to St. Louis, a source told The Athletic’s Katie Woo.
May gives the Brewers another option in the rotation picture. The 28-year-old right-hander has posted a 4.38 ERA and 3.14 FIP over 21 starts this season, piling up 109 innings along the way.
His 97-mph fastball has shown up well in the numbers too, ranking in the 94th percentile in run value and the 84th percentile in velocity. May’s contract also carries a $20-million mutual option for 2027.
Romero arrives as a bullpen piece after being a steady presence for the Cardinals. The left-hander has turned in a 3.35 ERA with 9.0 K/9 across 44 appearances in 2026, and he now joins a Brewers relief group that already owns a 3.64 ERA. For manager Pat Murphy, he adds another arm to mix into an already effective unit.
The 29-year-old has been more effective against right-handed hitters this year, limiting them to a .640 OPS. Lefties have fared better, posting an .810 OPS against him.
On the other side of the deal, Frías leaves Milwaukee as the club’s No. 11-ranked prospect, according to MLB Pipeline. The 18-year-old has been on a tear in the Arizona Complex League, batting .441/.518/.678 with 34 RBIs and 12 steals.
Ragsdale, 22, was Milwaukee’s No. 13-ranked prospect. The New Jersey native has put together a 1.022 OPS with 51 RBIs and 31 steals in the minors this season.
In Other News...
Brewers May Be Trying Another Deadline Turnaround Fans Have Seen Before
The Brewers were active again at the deadline, working a four-player deal with Cleveland that added catcher Bo Naylor and reliever Codi Heuer to a roster built around constant roster churn and opportunistic bets. In return, Milwaukee sent reliever Craig Yoho and outfielder Blake Perkins to the Guardians, another reminder that this front office is rarely afraid to swap pieces if it thinks theres a path to squeezing more out of them.
Naylors arrival is the part that makes the move feel familiar to longtime Brewers watchers. He is at a similar stage in his career to Andrew Vaughn when Milwaukee brought him in previously, and the club has shown before that it believes a fresh setting can unlock a player it thinks still has room to grow. Both Naylor and Heuer were optioned to Triple-A after the trade, so the next phase of this move will play out away from the majors while the Brewers see whether another deadline swing can produce the kind of turnaround they have chased before. [Read more 🡒]
Brewers Fans Just Got Another Trade Deadline Twist In Relief Market
Another familiar bullpen name is on the move at the deadline, and this one has a Milwaukee tie. Brent Suter, the left-handed reliever who recently faced his former club, has been dealt from the Angels to the Braves, according to ESPNs Jeff Passan, with Atlanta sending infielder Nacho Alvarez Jr. back the other way.
For Brewers fans, it adds another layer to a market that has already been buzzing around relief help. Suter is heading to a contender for the stretch run, and there is at least one more twist to monitor if the schedule lines up, because the Brewers could see him again when the Braves come to town later this month. [Read more 🡒]