The Milwaukee Brewers, currently leading the National League Central in Major League Baseball (MLB), have bolstered their pitching staff through a trade.
The Milwaukee club announced on July 16 that they acquired right-handed pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. and left-handed pitcher Colton Gordon from the Houston Astros in exchange for infield and outfield prospect Jadyn Fielder.
As part of the trade, Milwaukee will also receive $4,227,273 in cash from Houston to help cover the remaining salary of McCullers.
Consequently, the actual salary for McCullers to be paid by Milwaukee has been reduced to $2.5 million.
This deal is the result of aligning interests between Milwaukee, which urgently needed to strengthen its roster due to a series of injuries to its starting rotation, and Houston, which needed to adjust its total team payroll.
Milwaukee finished the first half of the season in first place in its division, but has been seeking to reinforce its pitching staff as key starters such as Brandon Woodruff and Kyle Harrison were placed on the injured list.
Veteran pitcher McCullers Jr., who will now wear a Milwaukee uniform, is a pitcher who contributed to Houston's World Series championships in 2017 and 2022.
He holds a career record of 53 wins and 40 losses with a 3.85 ERA, but has been plagued by frequent injuries.
This season, he has appeared in 8 games, recording 2 wins and 3 losses with a 6.86 ERA, and was on a rehabilitation assignment in Triple-A after being placed on the injured list due to shoulder inflammation.
Fielder, who is heading to Houston, is known as the son of Prince Fielder, who was a star hitter for Milwaukee in the past, and the grandson of Cecil Fielder.
Houston General Manager Dana Brown evaluated him by saying, "He is a player with a great pedigree," and added, "We will look to acquire a left-handed hitter based on the financial flexibility secured through this trade."
(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)