The Brewers are still sorting through a season that has swung from dangerous to frustrating and back again. The lineup has gone quiet at times - including a rough stretch over the last week when it couldn’t cash in runners in scoring position - while the pitching staff has remained a strength. Entering Tuesday night’s game, Milwaukee’s staff ranked second in baseball behind only the New York Yankees, and it still owns the best mark in the National League.
Even with that, there are obvious places for Matt Arnold to keep poking around before the August 3 trade deadline. The bullpen remains the biggest concern, especially with playoff memories still hanging over it.
Another starter would never hurt, either, even with the rotation depth the Brewers already have. And on the position-player side, the left side of the infield has been a question mark since Willy Adames left in free agency two years ago.
With that in mind, here are five former Brewers who could make sense as reunion candidates.
Grant Wolfram is the first name on the list, even though he never actually threw a pitch in a Brewers uniform. The left-hander was traded to the Orioles in April 2025 for Daz Cameron, and his second season has been a step forward.
In 31 games, Wolfram has a 3.96 ERA and 29 strikeouts. Baltimore sits 11.5 games out in the American League East, so it could be in sell mode.
Bryan Hudson is a different kind of reunion. He’s the one that got away.
The White Sox claimed him off waivers in August 2025, and after a rough 2025 split between Chicago and Milwaukee, he’s back to looking like the pitcher the Brewers saw in 2024. That season, Hudson put up a 1.73 ERA in 43 appearances.
This year, he has a 2.13 ERA in 38 games with 35 strikeouts and 16 walks. Milwaukee needs left-handed help, but with Chicago holding a one-game lead in the AL Central, this one might cost something.
David Fry is another former Brewers draftee who never reached the majors with Milwaukee, but his profile fits what the Brewers tend to like. A seventh-round pick who spent plenty of time in the minors, Fry can move around the field and bring some postseason clutch with him.
He’s been compared to David Hamilton, just without the speed. His numbers aren’t at the All-Star level he reached in 2024, and last season was the worst of his career as injuries played a part.
Still, he owns the second-best on-base percentage of his career this year, and that matters to a Brewers team that values getting on base. Cleveland, though, is in a similar position to Chicago, which could make him hard to pry loose.
Willy Adames is the name that jumps off the page. He was a clubhouse fixture from 2021 through 2024, and he could fill the hole on the left side of Milwaukee’s infield.
Cooper Pratt is trying to establish himself at shortstop, but a move to third base could open the door for Adames, who has never played the hot corner in the majors. The Giants are said to be willing to move him, but the contract is the issue: he’s in the second year of a seven-year, $182 million deal.
If the Brewers wanted San Francisco to absorb part of that money, they’d likely have to part with one of their top five prospects. Even so, Adames brings more than familiarity.
He finished top 10 in MVP voting in 2024 and produced four seasons of some of the best baseball of his career in Milwaukee.
Eric Lauer rounds out the group. The Dodgers left-hander spent four seasons with the Brewers and had two of the best years of his career there.
He’s opened this season with the best start of his career, posting a 2.88 ERA in six appearances for the defending World Series champions. Lauer is on a one-year, $4.4 million deal, and the Dodgers rarely look like a team eager to help a rival.
Still, if Milwaukee wants a lefty who can work as both a starter and a reliever, this is the kind of move that could tempt Arnold.
In Other News...
Brewers Turn To A Long Awaited Arm As Bullpen Pressure Builds
With the bullpen taking on more and more importance in a season that has already started with a franchise-best 51-31 record through 82 games, the Brewers turned to a familiar name in the system and gave Garrett Stallings a long-awaited opportunity. Milwaukee brought up Stallings from Triple-A Nashville and sent Robert Gasser to the Arizona Complex League to clear a spot, adding another arm at a time when every inning in the middle and late frames matters more than ever.
Stallings arrived in the organization through a 2024 trade with the Baltimore Orioles, and his media session reflected just how long he has worked for this moment. He spoke about the path through the minors and the weight of finally getting the call, with more than enough mileage logged along the way to make this promotion feel earned even before he throws a pitch for Milwaukee. [Read more 🡒]
Pat Murphy's Cooper Pratt Decision Will Have Brewers Fans Talking
Cooper Pratts early run in the majors has been a reminder that even the Brewers best prospects can need time to settle in. The infield prospect was promoted earlier this year, but the offense has lagged behind the expectations that come with that kind of move, leaving Milwaukee to balance patience with the day-to-day demands of a contending lineup.
Pat Murphys decision to sit Pratt for Game 2 against the Reds only added to the conversation, especially with the club still trying to chart his long-term path. The numbers have been uneven since the call-up, but the Brewers have seen this before with young players who needed a slower climb, and the comparison to Brice Turangs early growing pains is one reason Pratts development remains such a watchable subplot. [Read more 🡒]
Brewers Could Finally Face A First Round Draft Dilemma
The Brewers are headed toward one of the more interesting decisions of their draft season, with their first-round selection sitting at No. 25 in 2026. That is late enough to put them in a different kind of board than usual, and it comes after a stretch in which they have leaned toward position players with their first-round choices since 2020. This time, though, the pool could force a rethink.
Several college arms are expected to be within reach, and that is where the debate starts to get real. Tennessee right-hander Tegan Kuhns, Arizona State left-hander Cole Carlon and Mississippi right-hander Cade Townsend all fit the kind of upside that can pull a club off its usual path, which leaves Milwaukee weighing whether to stay with its recent draft tendencies or finally take a pitcher in the first round again. [Read more 🡒]