Brewers & Astros Complete Trade For Former All-Star

The Milwaukee Brewers are adding more depth to their pitching staff, as they are completing a trade with the Houston Astros for former All-Star and playoff hero Lance McCullers.

The Milwaukee Brewers are taking a flier on RHP Lance McCullers, who has pitched just 39.1 innings this year for the Astros.@brianmctaggart on it

— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) July 15, 2026

"Taking a flier" on him, as Bob Nightengale describes it, is a good description. McCullers, now 32, was an All-Star with the Astros back in 2017, and finished 7th in Cy Young balloting in 2021. But after missing essentially three straight seasons from 2022 through 2024 due to injury, he hasn't found his groove at all since returning last year. 

A 6.51 ERA last season has been followed by a 6.86 ERA in eight starts this year. 

But the Brewers have a way of salvaging pitchers' careers and turning them into studs. We'll see if they can do the same for McCullers.

The Houston Astros wanted to clear some money for the trade deadline, says Nightengale, and McCullers was making $17M in this, the final year of his contract. But the deal will also nab them a noteworthy name, as Jaydn Fielder, son of former big leaguer Prince, and grandson of Cecil Fielder, heads to the Astros. He’s currently in A-ball, a 21-year-old left-handed hitter with an .813 OPS.