BREAKING: Brewers Trade For Dustin May And JoJo Romero

[Steve Drumwright]

Image courtesy of IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

 

While it isn't a huge name, the Milwaukee Brewers have added a veteran to their starting rotation while also bringing in a key bullpen arm.

The Brewers have acquired pitchers Dustin May, a right-handed starter, and JoJo Romero, a left-handed reliever, from the St. Louis Cardinals, according to The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal.

Milwaukee is sending two rising prospects to their NL Central rival, with outfielders Josiah Ragsdale and Alexander Frias going to the Cardinals, according to MLB.com's Adam McCalvy. Ragsdale, who was at High-A Wisconsin, is Brewer Fanatic's No. 16 prospect, while Frias, who was at Double-A, was not in our Top 20.

After losing out on a quest to land back-to-back AL Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal to the Los Angeles Dodgers, May becomes a fallback option, still with a chance to add another key starter before the 5 p.m. CT deadline hits. Romero is currently in the 15-day injured list following an appendectomy and should be ready to come back soon. The Brewers will have to create space on their 26-man and 40-man rosters for both players.

May is making $12.5 million this year with a mutual option for 2027 (mutual options are most always declined), while Romero is earning $4.26 million and is a free agent after the year. Between the two, the Brewers will owe just under $5 million to the pair. May and Romero were two of the top three highest-paid players on the Cardinals' roster.

May is having a bounce-back season in his first year with the Cardinals, which was the 28-year-old's goal when he signed this deal. He has a 3.14 FIP (4.38 ERA) in 21 starts and 109 innings with a 7.6% walk rate and 23.1% strikeout rate this season. He began last season with the Dodgers and was shipped to the Boston Red Sox at the 2025 deadline to create room for other players coming to L.A. Between the two, May had a 4.88 FIP (4.96 ERA) in 25 games, all but two starts, over 132⅓ innings with a 9.6% walk rate and 21.1% strikeout rate.

The 29-year-old Romero figures to alleviate some of the workload on the Brewers' top left-handed reliever, Aaron Ashby. The Brewers lost Angel Zerpa to Tommy John surgery, which could sideline him most of 2027. Romero has made 44 appearances this year, pitching 43 innings, with an 8.6% walk rate and 23.1% strikeout rate this year. Romero had a tremendous 2025 with a 3.28 FIP (2.07 ERA), although that included an 11.6% walk rate and 21.6% strikeout rate.

The Brewers are currently stacked with young outfielders at the major-league level (Jackson Chourio, Luis Lara, Garrett Mitchell, Sal Frelick and Brandon Lockridge), with others prospects including Josh Adamczewski and Braylon Payne ahead of Ragsdale and Frias.

 

Thanks to @ImissDougMelvin for posting this in the forums first.

 

 

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[MilwaukeeBeers]

That is a great pickup

[iKezims]

1 minute ago, ImissDougMelvin said:

LMAO 

 

Feeding a troll and an account that has made this forum miserable over the last few days, but this is not a "LMAO" - this trade makes the team better. Hopefully still a bat in the pipeline. 

[wildcat2237]

1 minute ago, ImissDougMelvin said:

LMAO 

 

I dont know about "LMAO." It all depends on the cost...

[TwinsBrewersWorldSeries]

That is interesting... didn't have a trade with the Cardinals on my radar.   I'm not familiar with either of these players

[titletownking]

HUGE pickup. Love both arms!

[MilwaukeeBeers]

JoJo has always giving us problems. Very funky LHP I like this both rentals can't imagine its a ton. 

 

[folly412]

Without knowing the prospects going to a division rival to plague us for years, I'm a fan of the players we are getting.

[brewers888]

I really hope we didn't give much but Bloom is a really sharp GM that Boston should never have fired.

[adambr2]

2 minutes ago, ImissDougMelvin said:

LMAO 

 

I mean I’d hope we didn’t give up a ton since I believe both are rentals but seems like pretty decent additions to me. 

[ImissDougMelvin]

Oh it's a LMAO...these are "innings eaters" at best. That does NOTHING for them. It doesn't move the needle one iota.

This must have been the "big swing" Arnold was referencing! HUGE HUGE deal. 🙄

[craigharmann]

On first glance, I like it. Depends on what the cost is. But pitching is going to be needed come playoff time. 

[tmwiese55]

of course depends on the cost, but on the surface this checks two big boxes they needed and really shouldn't cost them any of the top prospects we all feel a bit attached to.

Wish Romero wasn't on the DL right now, but this is all about the playoffs and he's been very good for several years now.  

Note: May in the last month is sub 3.00 and above 10k/9.  He's getting more removed from the injury so hopefully can get back to his original self. At the least should be able to eat innings and with our coaching/D there's a good chance he starts playoff games

 

[torts]

Just now, ImissDougMelvin said:

Oh it's a LMAO...these are "innings eaters" at best. That does NOTHING for them. It doesn't move the needle one iota

Cool, thanks for visiting

[brewers888]

I stand by my belief that this team needs a needle moving bat far more than pitching or we may very well end up disappointed once again in October with a lineup of guys that have very poor postseason track records.

[TwinsBrewersWorldSeries]

we do love to trade for injured pitchers :P

[JRob1125]

I wanted Holmes, but May was 2nd on my radar

I don't know anything about Romero

[owbc]

Oh man, I love this.

Also -- what a shock, we pick up a guy with plus fastball velo and extension 🤣

[ImissDougMelvin]

1 minute ago, brewers888 said:

I stand by my belief that this team needs a needle moving bat far more than pitching or we may very well end up disappointed once again in October with a lineup of guys that have very poor postseason track records.

This 10000%

[titletownking]

3.14 FIP for May. Very happy with that pick up. 

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

Just now, ImissDougMelvin said:

Oh it's a LMAO...these are "innings eaters" at best. That does NOTHING for them. It doesn't move the needle one iota

May is a guy who can eat innings in August and September, and keep Miz, Harrison and Henderson fresh for October. He has playoff experience. After Skubal, he is squarely in that next tier of available starters.

And Romero has been a solid LH reliever for a long time. 

[patrickgpe]

There was a few week stretch May was Amazing, but last few starts weren't good. 

[brewers888]

Just a reminder that 2018 was the last time Yelich had a playoff rbi and this idea that we have to play him like he is a franchise icon like Robin Yount is utterly ridiculous.

[True Blue Brew Crew]

Please clean up this forum. Can't have important topics started by people who many presumably already have on ignore

[homer]

Jojo! The idiot circus boy with a pretty new pet!