{"id":752749,"date":"2026-07-09T15:01:15","date_gmt":"2026-07-09T15:01:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/752749\/"},"modified":"2026-07-09T15:01:15","modified_gmt":"2026-07-09T15:01:15","slug":"brewers-trade-deadline-primer-part-two-relief-pitcher-targets","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/752749\/","title":{"rendered":"Brewers trade deadline primer, part two: Relief pitcher targets"},"content":{"rendered":"

In part one<\/a> of this five-part trade deadline primer, I looked at the Brewers\u2019 roster and determined what their primary needs are. While things could certainly shift over the next 25 days (look no further than yesterday\u2019s Brandon Woodruff news, or the injury to David Hamilton, which put the Brewers\u2019 infield in a bit of flux<\/a>), I identified relief pitching as the roster\u2019s biggest area of need, and the area that I felt the team was most realistically likely to address.<\/p>\n

Today, we\u2019ll start doing the work of looking around the league to see which relief pitchers might be available. Remember, the landscape this year is strange; there are a lot of bad teams, which means that there are a lot of teams that feel they might have a real shot with a hot week or two between now and the deadline. So I\u2019m going to break this into two parts: first, which targets are available on teams that definitely look like they\u2019re out of it? Second, which targets could become available if things don\u2019t go well over the next three-and-a-half weeks?<\/p>\n

I also mentioned that the Brewers\u2019 need in this area was for a high-leverage reliever, so I\u2019m going to be aiming high here. Matt Arnold and David Stearns before him have shown a proclivity for acquiring less splashy relievers at the deadline, but I\u2019m specifically looking for players who could push Aaron Ashby for the number-three role in the bullpen behind Trevor Megill and Abner Uribe.<\/p>\n

Targets from teams who look out of it<\/p>\n

As I mentioned, there are a bunch of teams where it\u2019s hard to say with certainty whether they are or are not out of it at this point. But I\u2019ll do my best to first identify some targets from teams who are far enough back that, at this point, they should probably sell.<\/p>\n

The problem is that these teams are bad, so it\u2019s harder to find good players on them. Honestly, I had trouble identifying targets worth acquiring from the six teams that should be declared, with certainty, out of it: the Reds, Mets, Giants, Rockies, Royals, and Angels.<\/p>\n

There are a few interesting names, though, and let\u2019s start in New York. Luke Weaver is having an excellent season \u2014 at the start of play Wednesday, he has a 1.89 ERA and 2.54 FIP in 38 innings pitched \u2014 and has a track record of success in the postseason. The question here is money. While the Brewers could probably afford the prorated bit of his 2026 salary, they probably don\u2019t want to be on the hook for the $12.5 million he\u2019s owed in 2027.<\/p>\n

Money is also a barrier to a Devin Williams reunion. Williams has had a rough go since leaving the Brewers, and that reflects in his 4.85 ERA this season. But Williams\u2019 FIP this year is way lower, at 3.25, and he\u2019s striking out 13 batters per nine innings, so there are some reasons for optimism. However, his walks \u2014 which were always a bit of an issue, even when he was unhittable \u2014 are higher than they\u2019ve ever been, and that\u2019s an issue. But bringing it back around: Williams is owed $12 million in 2027 and 2028, plus there is $15 million in deferred money in his contract. That\u2019s way too much for the Brewers to pay a reliever who might not even be good, and even if the Mets covered some of it, I think it\u2019d still be too much. I\u2019d cross this one off the list.<\/p>\n

Sticking with the Mets for a moment, some lower-profile trade candidates include a couple of old guys in 38-year-old Brooks Raley and 36-year-old Huascar Brazob\u00e1n. I\u2019m skeptical of Raley\u2019s numbers \u2014 they seem flukey \u2014 and while Brazob\u00e1n\u2019s feel a little less flukey, he\u2019s not striking a ton of guys out, and he\u2019s walking a lot. I\u2019d stay away from both.<\/p>\n

Another high-profile trade target this deadline could be the Kansas City\u2019s Daniel Lynch IV. The Royals\u2019 bullpen has been a major disappointment, but Lynch has been good. He holds a 2.41 ERA and 3.23 FIP, and while he isn\u2019t a big strikeout guy, he\u2019s done a good job keeping the ball in the ballpark, and he hasn\u2019t been giving up many hits. The scary thing here is that Lynch is having a way better season in this, his sixth year, than he ever has before, so I don\u2019t have a lot of confidence.<\/p>\n

If you were looking for a reclamation project on the Royals \u2014 and the Brewers shouldn\u2019t really be looking for reclamation projects right now, to be clear \u2014 you could check in on Lucas Erceg and Matt Strahm. Erceg, who was drafted as a position player by the Brewers in 2016, was really good the past couple of years, throws hard, and gets a lot of ground balls, but this season has been a disaster; he hasn\u2019t been able to strike anyone out, he\u2019s been walking everyone, and he was stripped of the closer job. Strahm has been one of the league\u2019s more reliable relievers over the past three years, but he\u2019s been terrible in 2026, and there\u2019s not a lot in the data to give much confidence that he\u2019ll get better.<\/p>\n

Lastly, there are a couple of Rockies relievers who are having good seasons. Antonio Senzatela has essentially been a starter for his whole career, but after back-to-back rocky (get it) seasons in 2024 and 2025, he\u2019s been moved to the bullpen. It\u2019s worked out quite well: Senzatela has a 2.93 ERA (169 ERA+) and 3.36 FIP in 46 innings, and with his background as a starter, he\u2019s capable of pitching multiple innings (those 46 innings are across 27 relief appearances). He\u2019s never been a strikeout pitcher whatsoever, but he\u2019s seen a slight uptick in his numbers with the move to the \u2018pen.<\/p>\n

The other guy is Jimmy Herget, who has put together back-to-back good seasons in the Rockies\u2019 bullpen \u2014 not an easy task. Last season, Herget had a 2.48 ERA and 3.32 FIP in 59 appearances, and this season he\u2019s at a 3.52 ERA and 3.34 FIP in 23 outings. Herget isn\u2019t a hard thrower and actually throws way more breaking balls than fastballs; an intriguing type of player, particularly in the thin air of Denver.<\/p>\n

There are no targets that I\u2019d advocate a move from any of the Reds, Giants, or Angels. Cincinnati\u2019s Brock Burke and Tejay Antone have gotten pretty good results this season, but there is enough reason to be dubious that I\u2019d avoid them. Los Angeles has a couple of dudes \u2014 Ryan Zeferjahn and Chase Silseth \u2014 who would intrigue me as long-term projects, but for now both walk way too many batters to be trusted in any sort of leverage situation.<\/p>\n

Targets from teams who might sell<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s where things get good, for the most part. These are players from teams that sit roughly four or five games back of the Wild Card \u2014 they\u2019re not out of it, but they\u2019re all under .500 and could fall out of it with a bad couple of weeks. The big-time, headlining relief options that could be available at the deadline all come from these teams.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ll start with the biggest name: Aroldis Chapman. Boston is 41-48, but in the terrible American League, they\u2019re just four games back in the Wild Card. It feels like a good season for Boston to sell, but we\u2019ll see. Chapman, in any case, has still got it; he was the best reliever in baseball last season, and this year he\u2019s pitched to a 2.36 ERA\/2.44 FIP and is still striking out nearly 12 batters per nine innings. He doesn\u2019t throw quite as hard as he used to, but even at age 38, he\u2019s still averaging 97.5 mph on his fastball.<\/p>\n

The hangups with Chapman: first, there\u2019s the fact that he\u2019s not exactly an easy guy to root for, given his history of domestic violence issues. Second, the money isn\u2019t small. Chapman has a $13 million salary in 2026, and while Milwaukee could probably handle the prorated amount, he\u2019s also got a conditional option for another $13 million in 2027 that reportedly vests if he surpasses 40 innings \u2014 which he will do if he is healthy enough to get traded before the deadline.<\/p>\n

I\u2019d like to also address two more top-line closers from teams in this category: San Diego\u2019s Mason Miller and Toronto\u2019s Louis Varland. Both teams have been disappointing this year, but both closers have been absolutely lights out. Here\u2019s the issue, though: if San Diego trades Miller, they\u2019ll want to recoup something close to the value they gave up for him last season \u2014 which was a top-five overall prospect. Miller still has three years of control, so his value is enormous, but I don\u2019t think the Brewers would trade Jes\u00fas Made for him, especially given that they\u2019ve got a good closer. Varland is under control for even longer \u2014 he\u2019s not a free agent until 2031 \u2014 and the Blue Jays, even if they decide to sell this year, will expect to compete next year, and they\u2019ll want him then. I don\u2019t think either Miller or Varland gets traded.<\/p>\n

San Diego and Toronto both have other players who could be available, though. A player who will certainly be moved if San Diego is out of it is lefty Adri\u00e1n Morej\u00f3n. By his standards, his 3.52 ERA this season (119 ERA+) isn\u2019t very good. But the underlying numbers are strong: he\u2019s got a 2.47 FIP and a 4.91 K:BB ratio. He\u2019s also coming off a two-year run of being a solid reliever for a good team with postseason experience. The fact that he\u2019s left-handed also would make him a desirable target for the Brewers, whose top two relievers are both right-handed. Morej\u00f3n is still only 27, but he\u2019s been in the big leagues since he was 19, so he becomes a free agent after the season, which should make him relatively attainable. From a financial perspective and fit perspective, Morej\u00f3n would be one of the targets that would make the most sense for Milwaukee, but every team wants another good lefty reliever.<\/p>\n

Another Padre, Wandy Peralta, has a lot of experience and a 3.05 ERA over the past seven years. He\u2019s always managed to outperform his FIP, which for his long career is a whole 1.35 runs higher than his ERA, but it\u2019s still somewhat concerning, and Peralta\u2019s strikeout numbers have gone from \u201cnot very good\u201d (career 7.3 per nine) to \u201calarming\u201d (5.8 per nine this year). I\u2019d stay away.<\/p>\n

The Toronto reliever who makes sense in a vacuum is Tyler Rogers, who has been awesome this season and has put together an underrated career. But money is a problem here: Rogers signed a three-year, $37 million contract before the season that includes a vesting option for a fourth year at an additional $11 million. If that option vests, Rogers will be 38 in the last year of the contract, and this is the kind of big money deal that the Brewers have taken pains to avoid. Maybe a wealthy team will get desperate, but I\u2019d expect Rogers to stay with Toronto as well.<\/p>\n

A lesser but still prime target from Boston is Garrett Whitlock. Whitlock, who is 30, was excellent in 2025 and has been basically just as good in 2026, with a 2.40 ERA, 2.75 FIP, 10.2 K\/9, and just 1.8 BB\/9 in 30 innings pitched. He doesn\u2019t throw all that hard, but he\u2019s got a ton of extension \u2014 a trait the Brewers like. Whitlock is under control for two more seasons, but that\u2019s via not-all-that-cheap $8.25 million and $10.5 million options (in 2027 and 2028, respectively).<\/p>\n

Baltimore\u2019s Yennier Cano is another big target. He\u2019s got two more years of control after this season, and aside from a blip in 2025, he\u2019s been quite good for four years running. Cano doesn\u2019t throw as hard as some of these other guys, and his strikeout numbers aren\u2019t great for a reliever, but he\u2019s an extreme groundball pitcher (99th percentile) who keeps walks down and, this year at least, isn\u2019t allowing home runs.<\/p>\n

There are two players on the Diamondbacks who I\u2019d be interested in as well: Jonathan Lo\u00e1isiga and Juan Morillo. Lo\u00e1isiga is another groundball guy, one who throws harder than Cano and is a free agent after the season, so if Arizona decides to sell, he\u2019d be an obvious one to go. Morillo is much less likely to get traded; he\u2019s by no means a proven quantity, as he just debuted last season, but he has five more years of control and is one of the hardest throwers in the league. Both pitchers have performed well this season.<\/p>\n

A few names to keep an eye on who are not as proven as those above but could still conceivably help:<\/p>\n

I\u2019m skeptical, but Arizona\u2019s Taylor Clarke (a former minor leaguer in Milwaukee\u2019s system) has put up pretty good numbers for two years in a row, and he\u2019s a free agent after the season.Sticking with the Diamondbacks, 26-year-old Brandyn Garcia is another hard-throwing groundball pitcher who has been good in a small sample. He\u2019s also got a lot of control, like his teammate Morillo.Another San Diego pitcher with a solid ERA but who I\u2019d stay away from: Yuki Matsui. Too many walks.One more intriguing Boston pitcher: Tyron Guerrero is 35 and has almost no MLB track record \u2014 before this season, he hadn\u2019t pitched in the big leagues since 2019 \u2014 but he\u2019s having a good season and throws as hard as almost anyone in the league. He\u2019s also a big extension guy and a groundball machine, traits that the Brewers tend to value. The samples are tiny, though, and there\u2019s not a lot in his history that makes you trust him.A former almost-Brewer, Grant Wolfram, has a 4.15 ERA for Baltimore this season. That\u2019s bad, but his FIP in 26 innings is just 1.81, and he\u2019s got 29 strikeouts to only four walks. He\u2019s not really a leverage arm, but he could help bolster things if Milwaukee wanted to go that way.In a near-opposite case, Kyle Finnegan has just a 2.18 ERA for the Tigers this season, but he\u2019s got just 6.8 K\/9 compared to 5.4 BB\/9 in 39 games and has a 4.69 FIP. Stay away!One Tiger that intrigues me but also has red flags: Will Vest. He\u2019s hurt at the moment with what has been described as a \u201cnon-ligament-related\u201d elbow injury, so it\u2019s a question whether he\u2019ll even be healthy enough to pitch (and given what happened with Shelby Miller last year, the Brewers might be wary of pitchers with health questions). Vest also has a 6.08 ERA this year\u2026 but his FIP is just 3.42, and he\u2019d been quite good every year from 2023-25, which is a long run for a reliever in today\u2019s game.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ll have to wait and see on the Padres, Blue Jays, Red Sox, Diamondbacks, and Orioles \u2014 a couple of good weeks, and any of them could be right there in the Wild Card hunt. But of all the options that seem like they could be realistically available, here\u2019s how I\u2019d rank them:<\/p>\n

Aroldis Chapman, Red SoxAdri\u00e1n Morej\u00f3n, PadresLuke Weaver, MetsYennier Cano, OriolesJonathan Lo\u00e1isiga, DiamondbacksGarrett Whitlock, Red SoxJimmy Herget, RockiesAntonio Senzatela, Rockies<\/p>\n

I think it\u2019s at least reasonable that the guys I\u2019ve listed above will be traded, and while a few (Chapman, Weaver, Whitlock) would require some real financial support from the ownership level, I don\u2019t think any of them are unrealistic from a cost perspective.<\/p>\n

Anyone else I\u2019ve mentioned in this article falls into one of three categories:<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t think they\u2019d be a meaningful upgrade (Strahm, Raley, Peralta, etc.)They make too much money (Williams, Rogers)I don\u2019t think they\u2019ll be traded (Miller, Varland, Morillo, etc.)<\/p>\n

What do you think? Anyone I\u2019ve missed?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"In part one of this five-part trade deadline primer, I looked at the Brewers\u2019 roster and determined what…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":752750,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[65],"tags":[292994,307331,34978,363,99],"class_list":["post-752749","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-mlb","tag-milwaukee-brewers-analysis","tag-milwaukee-brewers-discussions","tag-milwaukee-brewers-roster","tag-mlb","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/752749","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=752749"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/752749\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/752750"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=752749"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=752749"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=752749"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}