Less than two weeks after rolling the dice on veteran pitcher Lance McCullers Jr., the Milwaukee Brewers have officially designated him for assignment. They’ve pulled the plug on a short-lived experiment that saw them give up a minor leaguer and millions to bring him in.
The Swift Exit After Just Two Appearances
Seriously, this move went down fast. The Brewers announced the DFA before their Sunday game against the Colorado Rockies, just a day after McCullers’ last outing. And what an outing it was.
He came in during an 8-5 victory over the Rockies, with Milwaukee already up 8-2 in the eighth inning. You’d think that’s a pretty safe spot, right? Nope. McCullers walked four batters in just 1 2/3 innings of relief. He returned for the ninth, but allowed a hit and two more walks before Trevor Megill had to come in and get the final out. Talk about a tough debut in a new role.
Overall, McCullers went 0-0 with a 3.86 ERA in his two relief appearances for Milwaukee. He struck out five, walked five, and gave up five runs (three earned) across 4 2/3 innings. This bullpen gig was a massive change for him, too, considering he’d started in 148 of his 154 career outings with Houston. It just didn’t click.
A Costly, Short-Lived Bet
The Brewers acquired McCullers and left-hander Colton Gordon from the Houston Astros on July 15 for minor league outfielder Jadyn Fielder. This wasn’t some minor league swap either; Houston agreed to pay Milwaukee a cool $4,227,273 to cover most of McCullers’ remaining salary, leaving the Brewers on the hook for $2.5 million. That’s a chunk of change for a pitcher who only lasted 12 days on the active roster.
He was actually on the injured list with shoulder inflammation when the trade went down, having last pitched for the Astros way back on May 13. His season with Houston wasn’t exactly sparkling either, posting a 2-3 record with a 6.86 ERA in eight starts. Throughout his career, which started in 2015, McCullers owns a 53-40 record with a 3.85 ERA and was part of those 2017 and 2022 World Series champion Astros teams. But injuries have been a recurring nightmare, sidelining him in 2019, 2023, and 2024.
What’s Next For The Brewers’ Bullpen?
With McCullers off the roster, the Brewers recalled right-handed pitcher Garrett Stallings from Triple-A Nashville. Stallings has seen big-league action this season, pitching three scoreless innings in two earlier appearances for Milwaukee. He’s also put up a 3-3 record with a 4.11 ERA for Nashville in 18 appearances, including 13 starts. The Brewers are clearly looking for some stability in that bullpen, and they need it now. Can Stallings provide it? The rest of the season depends on these kinds of moves!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Fox Sports.
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