The Milwaukee Brewers are already at the limit on their 40-man roster after bringing in Lance McCullers Jr. and Colton Gordon, and that squeeze could force some movement before the August 3 trade deadline.
Milwaukee created two openings by moving Rob Zastryzny to the 60-day injured list and designating Greg Jones for assignment, but that still may not be enough. Brandon Lockridge is expected back around the deadline and will need a spot added once he comes off the 60-day IL, while Zastryzny is also expected to return to the active roster sometime in August.
With Lockridge and Zastryzny both working their way back, the Brewers still have roster housekeeping to do. The likely departure of Braden Shewmake to make room for David Hamilton will handle one of those openings, but not all of them.
If Milwaukee decides it wants to add outside help before the deadline, moving someone already on the 40-man could become part of the equation. That would not necessarily mean a headline-grabbing deal. More likely, one of these players could be included as a secondary piece in a larger trade, the kind of move that helps push a deal across the line.
Tyler Black is one name that fits that profile. The Brewers took him 33rd overall in the 2021 MLB Draft, and he checks a lot of the boxes the organization usually likes: he puts the ball in play, draws walks by working deep counts, and can run.
But he still does not have a clear defensive position, his power remains inconsistent and below average, and there is no obvious route to steady playing time in Milwaukee. A fresh start might be the best outcome for both sides.
Carlos Rodriguez is another possible candidate. He was the Brewers’ Minor League Pitcher of the Year in 2022 and 2023, yet he has only appeared in 11 games for Milwaukee over the past three seasons.
In that span, he has thrown 31.1 innings with a 6.03 ERA. Shoulder injuries have slowed him this year and shown up in the results, too, as he has a 9.00 ERA in Triple-A over 30.0 innings.
At this point, a new organization might be the one to take a shot at getting him back on track.
Craig Yoho looked like a much shakier bet just a few weeks ago. The 26-year-old has had trouble at times with command and with consistently throwing strikes in the majors, but his fastball-changeup mix still gives him a real chance to succeed.
His recent run has changed the conversation some. Over his last seven outings, all in July, he has put up a 2.70 ERA and a 0.50 WHIP, and he picked up the extra-inning win over the Miami Marlins coming out of the All-Star break.
That stretch likely makes him less available, though his role has been uneven enough that he remains worth watching as the deadline nears.
Akil Baddoo rounds out the group. He was one of the Brewers’ few free-agent additions last offseason, but a quadriceps strain in Spring Training sent him to the injured list for a long stretch to start the year.
Once he came back, he mashed in Triple-A, hitting seven home runs with a .992 OPS in 24 games. Then another injury hit, this time an ankle sprain in late June.
With Luis Lara rising, Lockridge expected back, and Blake Perkins sitting on the 40-man roster in the minors, Baddoo does not look essential to the current mix. Even so, finding a trade partner for a player with limited big league playing time this season may not be simple.
In Other News...
Brewers Fans Wont Love Why This Offseason Trade Is Back Today
The Brewers offseason deal with Boston has already become one of those trades that looks better for both sides the longer it sits. Caleb Durbin was part of the package Milwaukee sent to the Red Sox, and Boston has ridden the players it got in return into a much better place in the American League East, with a wild-card spot in hand as the calendar moved through July.
Milwaukee, meanwhile, has had enough from its side of the exchange to feel good about the move, even if the reminder stings a little when Boston keeps stacking wins. Durbins latest contribution came in a game that helped extend the Red Soxs surge, and with the trade pieces on both sides producing, it is the kind of transaction that keeps showing up in the background every time either club makes noise. [Read more 🡒]
Brewers May Be One Deadline Move From Troubling The Dodgers
The Brewers have spent enough time proving they can hang around the top of the National League, but the postseason conversation still circles back to the same question: do they have the kind of frontline starter who can tilt a short series? Milwaukees current rotation has kept the club in position, yet the gap between a good regular-season staff and one built to bother the Dodgers is still pretty clear, which is why the trade deadline looms so large for this group.
A single move could change the tone of the whole race, and the Brewers have at least kicked around a range of possibilities as they weigh how aggressive to be. There are the obvious high-end names, the steadier veteran types and the more complicated fits, but the basic idea is simple enough: if Milwaukee lands one starter who can anchor a playoff rotation, it can start thinking less about surviving October and more about making life uncomfortable for the teams sitting at the top. [Read more 🡒]
Brewers Have A Real Chance To Raid Reds For Needed Pitching Help
With the Reds slipping behind in both the NL Central and the Wild Card chase, the trade deadline is starting to look more like a selling opportunity than a push for help. For the Brewers, that could open a familiar door with a division rival, especially if Cincinnati follows through on its plan to move short-term pieces rather than touch the young starters it sees as part of the future.
Milwaukee has been linked to the kind of pitching depth Cincinnati is expected to shop, which makes this a situation worth watching on both sides of the rivalry. The Brewers need arms, the Reds need to make sense of their deadline direction, and the fit could come down to how much value Milwaukee places on immediate help versus the cost of prying it loose. [Read more 🡒]