The Milwaukee Brewers fortified their pitching staff for the stretch run by acquiring starting pitcher Mlbtraderumors and relief pitcher Jsonline from their NL Central rival, the Fox2now, on August 3. In exchange, the Brewers sent two high-ceiling outfield prospects, Alexander Frias and Josiah Ragsdale, to St. Louis.
Brewers Add Dustin May and JoJo Romero in Intra-Division Deal With Cardinals
The trade addresses immediate depth needs for a Milwaukee club sitting atop the division. Lefty relief emerged as an unexpected necessity due to injuries suffered by Angel Zerpa and Rob Zastryzny, while the rotation welcomed further reinforcement.
Pitching Profiles of the New Additions
Dustin May has made 21 starts this year for the Cardinals, posting a 5-7 record with a 4.38 ERA and 106 strikeouts over 109 innings. Although his ERA stands at 4.38, his underlying metrics paint an encouraging picture: he holds a 3.14 Fielding Independent Pitching mark and a 3.91 expected ERA. Since a rocky first two outings of the 2026 campaign, May has pitched to a 3.54 ERA and a 2.91 FIP. His performance caught the attention of opponents and teammates alike, including a May 27 outing where he carried a no-hitter into the eighth inning against Milwaukee at Jsonline.
It’s just wicked sweepers, wicked sinker [with] arm side movement, changeups that fall off the table,
said Brewers starting pitcher Kyle Harrison, who played with May in Boston last year. He’s a fun guy to bounce ideas off of, and his stuff is nasty.
JoJo Romero has served as a late-game relief mainstay for St. Louis from the left side, compiling ERAs below 3.40 in each of his last three seasons, including a 2.07 ERA in 61 innings in 2025. This season, Romero has made 44 appearances with a 3.35 ERA and 43 strikeouts across 43 innings. He has been on the 15-day injured list since July 17 after undergoing an emergency appendectomy in mid-July, but he is expected to return to action by the end of August and slot into Pat Murphy’s bullpen behind Aaron Ashby.
Financial Terms and Contract Statuses
Both incoming pitchers are impending free agents at the end of the season. May is playing on a $12.5 million salary and is owed a little over $4 million between his remaining salary and a $500,000 buyout on a $20 million mutual option for 2027. Romero is earning a $4.26 million salary, leaving him to make roughly $1.26 million for the remainder of the year.
High-Upside Prospects Heading to St. Louis
To acquire the two veteran pitchers, the Brewers parted ways with two fast-rising outfield prospects.
- Alexander Frias: An 18-year-old international signee out of the Dominican Republic in January 2025, ranked as Milwaukee’s No. 11 prospect by Brewcrewball. He has shown massive exit velocities and significant offensive upside from the lefty batter’s box.
- Josiah Ragsdale: A 22-year-old seventh-round pick in the 2025 MLB Draft out of Boston College, ranked as the Brewers’ No. 13 prospect by Brewcrewball. He has hit .316 with 19 home runs and 31 stolen bases between High-A and Double-A this season.
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