Should The Brewers Consider Trading A Starting Pitcher At The Deadline?

[Harold Hutchison]

Image courtesy of © Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

The Brewers’ starting pitching situation has changed in the space of two months. Injuries and the late signing of Jose Quintana led to a panic deal that cost the Brewers dearly, but now, the Crew contemplates a “happier” (arguably not the right word) conundrum for their rotation: Too many capable bodies.

There has been some talk of using a “piggyback” approach to help alleviate the crunch, and in some ways, it can be beneficial. However, it may also be time for the Brewers to consider entering the market as sellers with some of their starting surplus. But who should they be offering? Here’s a look at five candidates for the Brew Crew to sell among their starters.

Aaron Civale
1-1, 5.19 ERA in 17.1 IP

Civale has missed a significant amount of time due to injuries, which was one of the reasons behind the trade for Quinn Priester. That said, should he rebound, he could be an asset for some teams. Currently, Arizona needs a starter due to the fact that old friend Corbin Burnes is undergoing Tommy John surgery. Civale might be a good stopgap for the D-Backs, especially since his rough start and his time on the injured list make converting on the conditional pick a lot less of a sure thing than it seemed.

Who might the Brewers ask for in this case? How about LHP Yu-Min Lin? It would give the Brewers some added roster flexibility, not to mention Lin is the kind of pitcher who the Brewers have maximized in recent years.

Carlos F. Rodriguez
1-0, 8.10 ERA in 3.1 IP (Milwaukee)

3-2, 2.64 ERA in 47.2 IP (Triple-A Nashville)

Currently on the 7-day injured list, Rodriguez is one of a substantial crop of young pitchers at Triple-A Nashville. While his combined arsenal is an outlier, he hasn’t translated that into success at the MLB level in two small samples. Still, though, he’s done well in his rise through the system, and with the crowded Brewers’ rotation, the best option might be to find a place where he can get an extended opportunity. One possible place? Colorado.

The Rockies need some starting pitching talent, and if the Brewers decide Ryan McMahon is worth the risk to handle the hot corner, then Rodriguez could be part of a package to secure McMahon’s services for the Crew (let’s call the rest of the package Oliver Dunn and Jorge Quintana).

Tobias Myers
1-1, 4.95 ERA in 20 IP (Milwaukee)

0-2, 3.38 ERA in 29.1 IP (Triple-A Nashville)

Myers was a surprise hero in 2024, posting solid top-of-the-rotation numbers for the Crew all season and adding a solid outing against the Mets in the Wild Card series. In 2025, injuries and some initial struggles sent him back to Triple-A. With the Brewers looking at a breakout from Chad Patrick, top prospects Logan Henderson and Jacob Misiorowski knocking on the door of MLB rotation spots, the steep price paid for Priester, and the presence of DL Hall, Aaron Ashby, Robert Gasser, and Coleman Crow, among others, Myers could be a trade asset.

Myers might be an option to send to a team looking to sell an asset for long-term help, or he could be used to help the Brewers increase their options in the farm system. One option could be Baltimore, with the Crew sending Myers for infielder Aron Estrada and catcher/first baseman Ethan Anderson.

Jose Quintana
4-1, 2.77 ERA in 39 IP

Quintana has been a steal for the Brewers in the offseason, but he is going to be a free agent at year’s end. That said, securing some return for him may be an option, especially if he pitches like he did early in the season. One possible option might be to send Quintana to the Blue Jays in return for a prospect.

The Crew will ultimately have to gamble, either with a couple of Rookie-level prospects or talent with some tarnish. In this case, the Crew could consider Ricky Tiedemann, a left-handed pitcher with dominant stuff, but coming off Tommy John surgery.

Freddy Peralta
5-4, 2.92 ERA in 71 IP

Dealing Peralta might be controversial, especially if the team is in the middle of a pennant race, but given his control through 2026 and the relatively cheap price ($8 million salary for 2026), Peralta could net the Brewers a significant haul – one exceeding that obtained in the Josh Hader deal of 2022. Here, the Cleveland Guardians could make for an intriguing partner for Peralta and reliever Nick Mears.

Who could the Crew get in return? Consider that Peralta is an ace pitcher with a year of extra control and coming at a relatively low price; they could ask for and get the moon. How about a prospect package starting with OF Jaison Chourio, IF Welbyn Francisca, and catcher Cooper Ingle, along with reliever Hunter Gaddis? It's a short-term hit, but there could be some real long-term gains for the Crew - and with the way Logan Henderson has pitched, the team might not miss a beat.

The need to clear out some starting rotation space is becoming clear for Milwaukee. Perhaps the best route might be to be a seller before the trade deadline.

Which starters would you deal, and what would you want in return? Let us know in the comments below!

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[Hambone]

Please no. Not a full list of the entire starting pitching staff. Send them someone mediocre and get someone decent for that trade. Stop sending our main guys. Nice analysis but it's exhausting the number of pitchers we get rid of. Send Civale somewhere I guess but Peralta? He's our main guy. Maybe send Woodruff packing. $17 million and still getting hurt in the minors. Nice guy and we love him but let's see what he has in the tank before the deadline. If it's suspect in any way, package him up with one of our many valuable "multi-utility" guys and get some promising young pitcher that we can develop into another young phenom that we can sell in their prime. That's what we do best to make ownership money anyways. Right? As long as our goal is a "summer of fun entertainment" as opposed to winning the WS we should continue to do what we do best.

[Snoebird]

17 hours ago, Hambone said:

Please no. Not a full list of the entire starting pitching staff. Send them someone mediocre and get someone decent for that trade. Stop sending our main guys. Nice analysis but it's exhausting the number of pitchers we get rid of. Send Civale somewhere I guess but Peralta? He's our main guy. Maybe send Woodruff packing. $17 million and still getting hurt in the minors. Nice guy and we love him but let's see what he has in the tank before the deadline. If it's suspect in any way, package him up with one of our many valuable "multi-utility" guys and get some promising young pitcher that we can develop into another young phenom that we can sell in their prime. That's what we do best to make ownership money anyways. Right? As long as our goal is a "summer of fun entertainment" as opposed to winning the WS we should continue to do what we do best.

I choose to celebrate the fact that Milwaukee has become a pitching factory. The days of having to trade prospects for Sabathia and Greinke to get into the postseason, or having to dole out piles of money for free agents Kyle Lohse and Matt Garza are over. Chris Hook and his staff are hugely under-appreciated even by Brewers fans for turning water into wine. The Tampa Bay model calls for trading pitchers at the height of their value, and if the Brewers get bowled over for an offer for Peralta, they should want to put themselves in a stronger roster position for the arrivals of Made, Pena, Quero, Wilken, Burke, etc. in two years. That's how this team becomes a postseason power. 

[Bob K]

Peralta should be untouchable. No pitcher has been more effective, reliable, consistent and durable. Attanasio needs to open the checkbook and extend him now. Peralta is not only the face of the franchise but also possesses the character to build a staff around. I don’t care what kind of prospect package another team could offer. 

[wallus]

12 minutes ago, Bob K said:

Peralta should be untouchable. No pitcher has been more effective, reliable, consistent and durable. Attanasio needs to open the checkbook and extend him now. Peralta is not only the face of the franchise but also possesses the character to build a staff around. I don’t care what kind of prospect package another team could offer. 

Peralta said no to an extension. I don't want to be extending small starting pitchers into their 30s.

[Snoebird]

10 minutes ago, Bob K said:

Peralta should be untouchable. No pitcher has been more effective, reliable, consistent and durable. Attanasio needs to open the checkbook and extend him now. Peralta is not only the face of the franchise but also possesses the character to build a staff around. I don’t care what kind of prospect package another team could offer. 

So, you're saying you would like the Brewers to mimic the Arizona Diamondbacks, whose season just fell apart with Corbin Burnes' elbow injury. Matt Arnold spent nine years in the Tampa Bay front office trying to avoid those circumstances. The face of this franchise is Christian Yelich, and there is a lot of money riding on his return to a semblance of MVP form.

[wntrtxn21]

Peralta will be far too expensive to re-sign, so I would look to trade him at the deadline IF Milwaukee can get immediate, cntrollable help (3B or SS) as part of the return. Getting a bunch of low, low level maybes like the writer suggested from Cleveland doesn't help for years and maybe never. The Brewers aren't that far away from contending and Yelich and Contreras aren't getting any younger. 

[Snoebird]

17 minutes ago, wntrtxn21 said:

Peralta will be far too expensive to re-sign, so I would look to trade him at the deadline IF Milwaukee can get immediate, cntrollable help (3B or SS) as part of the return. Getting a bunch of low, low level maybes like the writer suggested from Cleveland doesn't help for years and maybe never. The Brewers aren't that far away from contending and Yelich and Contreras aren't getting any younger. 

The return for Peralta would be sizable given his credentials, health and team control for 2026. An established slugger would have to be part of the return, and it could be a corner infielder or an outfielder, given that the Brewers will lose Hoskins and that Mitchell remains suspect as a lineup mainstay. 

[Lathund]

If the pitching staff is really healthy come the deadline, then it would make some sense to trade one or two of the impending free agent pitchers (so Civale, Quintana, Cortes). But with them being free agents (Along with Woodruff. Mutual options are designed to be declined) it makes little sense to trade guys with multiple years of control and options left. That is unless the team have completely given up on them; in which case the return is likely minimal anyway. 

[Bob K]

1 hour ago, Snoebird said:

So, you're saying you would like the Brewers to mimic the Arizona Diamondbacks, whose season just fell apart with Corbin Burnes' elbow injury. Matt Arnold spent nine years in the Tampa Bay front office trying to avoid those circumstances. The face of this franchise is Christian Yelich, and there is a lot of money riding on his return to a semblance of MVP form.

So you’re saying you would like the Brewers should never pay the going rate for a legitimate ace?  I don’t buy the small market BS the owners are selling. Attanasio has money. Any pitcher can get injured but Peralta has been relatively durable. He has started at least 27 games in 3 of the last 4 seasons and is on pace to hit 30 this year. I would rather pay a homegrown fan favorite than keep bringing in retreads on the cheap. Hope is not a strategy. 

[wiguy94]

7 minutes ago, Bob K said:

So you’re saying you would like the Brewers should never pay the going rate for a legitimate ace?  I don’t buy the small market BS the owners are selling. Attanasio has money. Any pitcher can get injured but Peralta has been relatively durable. He has started at least 27 games in 3 of the last 4 seasons and is on pace to hit 30 this year. I would rather pay a homegrown fan favorite than keep bringing in retreads on the cheap. Hope is not a strategy. 

Peralta isn't an ace, but to answer your question, yes the Brewers should never pay market value for a good SP in FA.

[Snoebird]

29 minutes ago, wiguy94 said:

Peralta isn't an ace, but to answer your question, yes the Brewers should never pay market value for a good SP in FA.

Agree. That's the beauty of being a pitching factory -- and of having Chris Hook on a new multiyear contract. Those of us who have followed the Brewers from their start have suffered through enough pitching shortcomings. The org is on a new trajectory and is stacking kids. With all the pitches these kids are being taught, we'll probably see more breakdowns like Burnes' after they turn 30. (Pay attention to Woodruff.) I'm not thrilled to be defending ownership, but the Brewers are spending a lot of money on the development side, including a new Latin America academy. I foresee more Chourio type contracts as Made, Pena, etc. arrive. 

[brewmann04]

I hate trading pitching but the team needs hitting so yes 

[Snoebird]

6 minutes ago, brewmann04 said:

I hate trading pitching but the team needs hitting so yes 

They're trying to add hitting on the cheap by signing Eddie Rosario and Bobby Dalbec to  minor league contracts, but the lack of bonafide slugging is leaving their pitchers with no margin for error. 

[Jim French Stepstool]

They should certainly consider trades; but the question always is (and needs to be) at what cost? Every year at deadline time, and I'm sure we'll hear it this year as well, is ADD A BAT!!!!!! ADD TWO BATS!!!!! We've had bats available on the market in past years, but I've refrained from complaining when we don't get them because unless you're a fly on the wall you don't know what the cost would've been. They've built a foundation on pitching depth, defense, and upped the level of speed & baserunning while trying to develop hitting. That won't, and shouldn't change. Black(?), Wilken & Boeve missing huge swaths of time hasn't helped.

There does seem to be an excess of rotation arms, but that probably necessitates dealing with a contending team which makes it a little trickier.

[Snoebird]

17 hours ago, Jim French Stepstool said:

They should certainly consider trades; but the question always is (and needs to be) at what cost? Every year at deadline time, and I'm sure we'll hear it this year as well, is ADD A BAT!!!!!! ADD TWO BATS!!!!! We've had bats available on the market in past years, but I've refrained from complaining when we don't get them because unless you're a fly on the wall you don't know what the cost would've been. They've built a foundation on pitching depth, defense, and upped the level of speed & baserunning while trying to develop hitting. That won't, and shouldn't change. Black(?), Wilken & Boeve missing huge swaths of time hasn't helped.

There does seem to be an excess of rotation arms, but that probably necessitates dealing with a contending team which makes it a little trickier.

The Braves are in the unusual position of being sellers, plus their minor league system is nowhere near what it used to be. So, with the Braves in Milwaukee, I would suggest the Brewers take a hard look at acquiring Marcell Ozuna, whose contract expires this year. The Brewers have to go out of their comfort zone to replace the slugging that Contreras, Mitchell and most of the infield haven't been giving them. To be clear, I'm not at all suggesting Peralta as trade bait for Ozuna. But the Crew needs to act soon with series against the Cardinals and Cubs coming up.  

[Jim French Stepstool]

1 hour ago, Snoebird said:

The Braves are in the unusual position of being sellers, plus their minor league system is nowhere near what it used to be. So, with the Braves in Milwaukee, I would suggest the Brewers take a hard look at acquiring Marcell Ozuna, whose contract expires this year. The Brewers have to go out of their comfort zone to replace the slugging that Contreras, Mitchell and most of the infield haven't been giving them. To be clear, I'm not at all suggesting Peralta as trade bait for Ozuna. But the Crew needs to act soon with series against the Cardinals and Cubs coming up.  

The mechanics of that line up pretty well; I like the concept. Ozuna K's quite a bit but that's been somewhat tempered by his drawing a lot of walks as he's matured. And when he hits one of those stretches where he's seeing the ball well..........

The only thing is, this would appear to be strictly a bat-for-prospect deal as you alluded to. But I'd definitely check on what they're thinking.

We have this Rosario kid in AAA; maybe they'd be interested.

[Snoebird]

This is off topic, but I read that pregame programming for tonight's and Tuesday's games will start an hour before the games because the Brewers' and Braves' TV crews will jointly be covering the story of the Braves' move from Milwaukee to Atlanta after the 1965 season. Featured prominently will be Henry Aaron, Bob Uecker and Skip Caray. I'll never forget attending the 1965 opener at County Stadium, sponsored by a local group instead of the already Atlanta-based Braves, in which stars traded by the Braves such as Spahn, Burdette and Logan returned to take a final bow. The largest crowd of the season attended the game, which felt more like a farewell than an opening day. The stadium's upper deck was then closed for most of the season. 

[Frisbee Slider]

On 6/8/2025 at 10:28 AM, Bob K said:

Peralta should be untouchable. No pitcher has been more effective, reliable, consistent and durable.

This is all true but does not lead me to the conclusion that we should extend Peralta into his 30s.