Steve Drumwright

The Milwaukee Brewers are giving right-handed starter Brandon Sproat a chance to reset, but it will be in the minors. Following another rocky start Monday, Sproat was optioned to Triple-A Nashville on Tuesday by the Brewers. Right-handed reliever Garrett Stallings also went to Nashville as the Brewers added right-handers Dustin May and Antonio Senzatela, two of the three players acquired in trades the day before, to the 26-man roster. They were already on the 40-man roster, which had room following the trade of right-handed reliever Codi Heuer to the Baltimore Orioles and right-handed starter Carlos Rodriguez was designated for assignment on Monday. Left-handed reliever JoJo Romero, the other player acquired Monday, was placed on the 15-day injured list, which is where he was with the St. Louis Cardinals, after having an appendectomy in mid-July. Sproat gave up five hits and walked two while allowing four runs and striking out four in three-plus innings of a 4-3 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates. He has given up 12 runs over 16⅔ in his last four starts with 11 walks. He also has 16 walks over his previous six outings. Sproat's pitches have tremendous movement and he has lost the ability to manage that part of his game. Now he will go to Nashville and be in a less-pressurized environment with an eye on returning for the stretch drive and the postseason. View full rumor

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. View full article

One of the more coveted arms at the trade deadline hasn't pitched in an MLB game since mid-May. That is not stopping contenders from pursuing New York Mets right-hander Clay Holmes. According to multiple reports, including Ari Alexander of Boston TV station WHDH, the Milwaukee Brewers, Chicago Cubs and Boston Red Sox are among the chief competitors for the right-handed starter. Holmes has been out since taking a line drive off his right leg, resulting in a fractured right fibula May 15. But Holmes made what was expected to be a final rehab appearance Sunday at High A, pitching 5⅓ innings (73 pitches) and allowing four runs, three earned. He was a bright spot in a dismal Mets season before going down, posting a 3.21 FIP (2.39 ERA) in nine starts and 52⅔ innings, with an 8.4% walk rate and 20.9% strikeout rate. Holmes is being paid $13 million this year (about $3.8 million remaining) and $12 million next year. That plus the number of suitors means Holmes will come at a decent prospect cost. View full rumor

One of the Milwaukee Brewers' spark plugs from the beginning of the season is back. Outfielder Brandon Lockridge was activated Saturday from the 60-day injured list by the Brewers, who also called up right-handed reliever Garrett Stallings from Triple-A Nashville. Lockridge has been out since a slide into the corner of a cement wall on May 8 created a deep gash on his right knee. The moves also fill out the Brewers' 26-man roster following the trade with the Cleveland Guardians that sent right-handed reliever Craig Yoho and outfielder Blake Perkins to the Cleveland Guardians for right-handed reliever Codi Heuer and catcher Bo Naylor. Those two players have yet to report to the Brewers, which is likely to happen Sunday. They were already added to the 40-man roster, which had an opening to accommodate the activation of Lockridge. Lockridge, acquired at last year's trade deadline from the San Diego Padres for left-hander Nestor Cortes and prospect shortstop Jorge Quintana, was slashing .294/.368/.341 with no homers and 12 RBIs in 28 games before he was injured. Stallings is with the Crew for the third time this season and has yet to allow a run in five innings, giving up one hit with two walks and five strikeouts. View full rumor

The battle for Tarik Skubal has forced teams to push more chips into the pot. Who is still in the game is another question. Are the Milwaukee Brewers? According to MLB insider Jon Heyman, the cost to acquire the two-time reigning AL Cy Young Award winner from the Detroit Tigers is "enormous." Heyman uses that word after talking with multiple executives who are interested in acquiring Skubal. That is not a surprise. Skubal is the most coveted player on this year's trade market, with the deadline to make a deal Monday at 5 p.m. CT and a true ace available to bolster a team during a push to make the postseason or to win a World Series. The three teams most often talked about for Skubal are the Brewers, the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Tampa Bay Rays. Other teams such as Atlanta and the Chicago Cubs are thought to be secondary players for Skubal, but could become primary options by increasing their package of players going to the Tigers. The Brewers (NL Central), Dodgers (NL West) and Rays (AL East) are all first-place teams in their respective divisions and possess the prospect capital and young major-league talent to get a deal done. View full rumor

Perhaps as a way to limit the loss of prospects, the Milwaukee Brewers would be willing to pay the remainder of the $32 million salary in order to acquire reigning two-time AL Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported Friday. Skubal will be owed about $9.4 million when he is dealt. The Brewers are MLB's smallest market, yet posted the best record last year and are just 1½ games behind the two-time defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers (69-40) at 67-41 for this year's best record. That $9.4 million matches catcher William Contreras' salary for 2026, which is the third-highest salary for the Brewers behind Christian Yelich's $24,032,625 and Brandon Woodruff's $22,025,000. The Brewers' had the No. 19 payroll on Opening Day at $124.8 million, per Cots. By taking on more salary and relieving that burden from the Tigers, the damage in losing prospects is lessened. Basically, the Brewers are paying to keep prospects. If the Tigers would pay the remainder of Skubal's salary, they would be buying better prospects. The Brewers have baseball's best farm system and can absorb the loss of key prospects, but the hesitancy from a team such as Milwaukee that values prospects like a golden egg, is the rental of Skubal for the rest of the season might be too much of a price to pay. However, if Skubal helps the Brewers get to or win a World Series, that cost could be worth it. View full rumor

The price for Tarik Skubal will be high regardless of what team acquires the reigning two-time AL Cy Young Award winner from the Detroit Tigers. With the Milwaukee Brewers possessing the top farm system in MLB, they are well-positioned to deal for this year's biggest prize on the trade market. The deadline for making trades is Monday at 5 p.m. CT. But what does that package look like? No better expert to put a proposal together than JJ Cooper of Baseball America. Cooper spent the time identifying packages from six teams, led by the Brewers and Los Angeles Dodgers. Without further adieu, here is what he put together for the Brewers: Shortstop Luis Pena Third baseman Andrew Fischer Outfielder Josiah Ragsdale Shortstop Ricki Moneys Cooper said that Pena's path to the majors with the Brewers might be a little tougher with how their infield is currently constructed and with No. 1 prospect Jesus Made soon to join that group. Another top prospect, Cooper Pratt, has taken over as the starting shortstop and Brice Turang is a former Gold Glove second baseman. That leaves third base as Made's likely position, perhaps as soon as Opening Day next year. Fischer, last year's first-round draft choice, is a corner infielder who leads the minors in home runs with 33 entering play Thursday. Ragsdale is having a breakout season that has raised his prospect profile at High-A Wisconsin and Double-A Biloxi. Moneys was the Brewers' top international signing in January who is a power-hitting infielder. What do you think? Is that too much for the Brewers to give up for a chance at the franchise's first World Series championship? View full rumor

It can be a little dangerous at the trade deadline when columnists and beat writers get bored by a lack of activity from MLB teams. So take this with that grain of salt: The Milwaukee Brewers should trade for San Francisco Giants right-handed starter Logan Webb. At least that is the thought of Joel Sherman of the New York Post, who presented outside-the-box deals for three contenders. Webb is a true ace, not just a No. 1 pitcher on a staff. A three-time All-Star, Webb has finished in the top 11 of NL Cy Young Award voting in the last four years, including second in 2023 and fourth in 2025. The Giants need help in resetting their roster and Webb would help that process. Of course, the financially fickle Brewers would have to absorb Webb's contract, which pays him $23 million this year, $23 million in 2027 and $24 million in 2028. Having that type of guarantee of Webb being around for two more full seasons would make dealing away the prospects needed to acquire the right-hander a bit more palatable. Webb has a 3.44 FIP (3.93 ERA) with a 6.2% walk rate and 19.1% strikeout rate. As Sherman points out, Webb would also fit the Brewers' pitching plan and emphasis on defense. He is a groundball pitcher who will give you innings. He averages just about 6⅓ per outing, which would give the Brewers' bullpen a break. Webb slotting in atop the rotation with young right-hander Jacob Misiorowski and former Giants left-hander Kyle Harrison would be a pretty decent trio heading into a postseason series. With the Brewers having just spent a few days in San Francisco, perhaps Brewers president of baseball operations Matt Arnold and his Giants counterpart, Buster Posey, had a chance to discuss a few things. View full rumor

As the likelihood of the Detroit Tigers trading reigning two-time AL Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal increased with Wednesday's devastating defeat, the heat is being turned up with the clock ticking toward Monday's trade deadline. With one NL executive telling MLB.com's Mark Feinsand, "The offers should start flowing in any minute," another source said there are three teams that are the clear top suitors in terms of prospects for what it would take to pry the left-handed starter away from the Tigers. One of those teams is the Milwaukee Brewers. "The Brewers, Rays and Dodgers have the most high-end prospects to move,” one source said. “It would be somewhat surprising if he didn’t wind up with one of those three teams." For fans of the Crew, that shouldn't be surprising. After all, the Brewers have the consensus top farm system in MLB. Per MLB Pipeline, the Brewers have six players on that Top 100 list. Baseball America has seven Brewers prospects on its Top 100. For the Brewers, that begins with Double-A shortstop Jesus Made, still the No. 1 prospect in baseball (and not surprisingly at Brewer Fanatic) on most every list. With that quality as well as young controllable starting pitching already in the majors, the Brewers can definitely put together an attractive package, it is just a matter of will they be willing to meet the Tigers' asking price. The Dodgers and Rays have multiple players on those Top 100 lists. View full rumor

As the Milwaukee Brewers look for a way to limit the regular-season innings from their young starting rotation, that creates opportunities and good stories. One of those is left-handed starter Thomas Pannone, who had his contract selected from Triple-A Nashville and will start for the Brewers in Wednesday's series finale against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park. Right-hander Garrett Stallings was optioned to Nashville. The Brewers had two openings on the 40-man roster, so a move there was not necessary. Pannone is back in MLB since a one-game stint in 2023 with the Brewers. Before that, he made 49 appearances over the 2018-19 seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays. Also, left-handed reliever DL Hall's rehab assignment was moved from Triple-A to High-A Wisconsin. Hall is making his way back from a left pectoral strain. The 32-year-old Pannone missed all of the 2025 season after sustaining a flexor tendon injury in his left forearm in spring training with the Brewers. He has posted a 4.13 ERA in 16 games (all but one a start), walking 22 and striking out 57 in 72 innings. Left-hander Shane Drohan, Wednesday's scheduled starter, has earned a regular spot in the rotation, but has also pitched 95⅔ innings between Triple-A and the Brewers, already far more than the 54 innings he threw in 2025 as he came back from shoulder surgery and forearm inflammation. Stallings, in his second stay with the Crew this year, pitched two innings in Monday's 3-0 loss to the Giants. View full rumor

With the Detroit Tigers now having lost three in a row and having to leapfrog five teams in the AL wild-card standings, suitors are starting to contact the team about adding two-time reigning AL Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal. One of five teams mentioned by The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal on Tuesday, a day after the Tigers' 8-5 loss to the Baltimore Orioles, is the Milwaukee Brewers. As expected, it would take a huge haul for the prize of this year's trade deadline. On top of being a two-time Cy Young, the left-hander has regained that form after having some bumpy starts (from a Skubal perspective) following a nano-needle procedure to remove a single bone chip from his left elbow. In his last start, Skubal struck out 12 over 7⅓ innings in a 2-1 win over the Kansas City Royals on Friday. Skubal is scheduled to make his final start before Monday's trade deadline Wednesday. Rosenthal notes that front offices kept their distance as the Tigers hovered on the line of contending, but following Monday's loss five teams had plans to touch base again and possibly ramp up negotiations for Skubal. Joining the Brewers in that pursuit are the Los Angeles Dodgers, Tampa Bay Rays, New York Yankees and Atlanta. The Brewers have the No. 1 farm system in all of baseball, according to several outlets, so there is no shortage of prospects to pull from. Rosenthal says that Scott Harris, the Tigers' president of baseball operations, would likely ask to have access to every player in any suitor's system. For the Brewers, that would include Double-A shortstop Jesus Made, the No. 1 prospect in all of baseball by most outlets and obviously the No. 1 by Brewer Fanatic, as well as High-A shortstop Luis Pena, Brewer Fanatic's No. 2 prospect. The Tigers would no doubt be in search of a young pitcher as well, which could put right-hander Logan Henderson in play. A move for Skubal by the Brewers would harken back to the 2008 blockbuster for left-hander CC Sabathia, who put together a storybook run en route to getting the Brewers to the postseason for the first time since 1982 and then cashed in with a huge free-agent contract. Like Sabathia was, Skubal will be a free agent following the season. He is making $32 million this year. View full rumor

Could the Milwaukee Brewers reunite with former ace Freddy Peralta? In the latest edition of his podcast "Sources Tell Jeff Passan," ESPN's MLB insider sorts through a bunch of names as Monday's trade deadline approaches and, when talking about Peralta, Passan brings up a potential return to the Brewers for the right-hander, who Milwaukee shipped to New York in the offseason for two key prospects in infielder-center fielder Jett Williams and right-handed starter Brandon Sproat. The Mets were expected to be a contender in the NL East with the addition of Peralta, but enter play Tuesday at 45-62, the second-worst record in the NL and fourth-worst in MLB. The Brewers, meanwhile, sit atop the NL Central at 66-40 and trail the Los Angeles Dodgers for the best record in MLB by one game. Peralta's 4.47 FIP is the worst of his career and his 4.99 ERA is second-worst behind the 5.29 he put up in 2019, his first full season in the majors. Last year, Peralta had a 3.64 FIP and career-best 2.70 ERA, finishing fifth in NL Cy Young Award voting. "He's been terrible and it hurts playing in front of a Mets defense that (has been bad)," Passan said. While also mentioning and then dismissing the Chicago Cubs as a potential destination in a discussion with co-host Richard Staff, Passan broached the reunion possibility, which would mean David Stearns, the former Brewers president of baseball operations who now runs the Mets' front office, would ship Peralta back to not only the pitcher's former team, but the executive's ex-franchise as well. "One thing I did hear this week, Richard, is that the Mets have been talking with the Brewers about Freddy Peralta," Passan said. "I don't know if that's going to happen, but it's the kind of deal where you see what they would get back from Milwaukee, considering what they gave up, is that a trade that David Stearns politically—already just getting fileted every time he's mentioned in New York—is that something he can pull off? Could he actually deal him back to Milwaukee?" Staff, a Mets fan, retorted that the conspiracy theories would flood the radio talk shows with the much lesser return for Peralta than what the Mets gave up. View full rumor

The Milwaukee Brewers don't often swing and miss with draft picks, but they did with one high-profile selection. Right-handed starter Aidan Knaak announced on Instagram on Monday that he was returning to Clemson for his senior season, a blow to the Brewers, who had selected him in the fifth round. Knaak's decision also had an effect on the Brewers' bonus pool as his slot value of $425,400 was subtracted from their available money, which was $8,042,900 to begin with. Knaak was the 117th-ranked prospect by Baseball America and 210th by MLB Pipeline when he was taken by the Brewers with the 163rd pick of the draft. Players had until Monday at 4 p.m. CT to sign. However, Knaak was not the only draft pick the Brewers did not sign. Of their 20 selections, the Crew brought 17 into the fold. The two others who did not decide to begin their pro careers now are 14th-round left-hander Daunte Bell of Milliken High School in Long Beach, Calif., and 16th-round right-hander Bradyn Havard of George County (Miss.) High School. Bell has a college commitment to Houston and Havard to Pearl River Community College. Here is a rundown of the Brewers' draft picks and their signing bonuses as reported by Baseball America: Trey Ebel, SS, $2,800,000 Sawyer Strosnider, OF, $2,100,000 Kyle Jones, OF, $675,000 Julian Garcia, RHP, $1,497,500 Aidan Knaak, RHP, did not sign Ryan Oshinskie, RHP, $222,500 Grant Hill, RHP, $200,000 Kellan Tom, 1B, $175,000 Chase Mora, RHP, $5,000 Andrew Gaines, RHP, $5,000 Gavin Perry, RHP, $150,000 Marcus Kruzan, RHP, $150,000 Carson Hart, OF, $380,000 Daunte Bell II, LHP, did not sign Keaton Maiorana, RHP, $230,800 Bradyn Havard, RHP, did not sign Chance Ruby, SS, $150,000 Brady Smith, RHP, $150,000 Sam George, LHP, $100,000 Carsten Sabathia III, 1B, $50,000 Players drafted in Rounds 11 to 20 did not count toward the Brewers' bonus pool unless they surpassed $150,000. For example, Maiorana, the 15th-round pick, signed for $230,800, but only $80,800 counted toward the bonus pool. Teams are allowed to surpass their bonus pool by 5% with a financial penalty of a 75% tax on the overage. According to Brewer Fanatic's Draft Tracker, the Brewers went $50,400 over their allotment. View full rumor