Brewers Acquire Five-Time MiLB Award Winner In Astros, Lance McCullers Trade

The Milwaukee Brewers are acquiring longtime Houston Astros starting pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. in a trade on Wednesday.

Milwaukee officially announced the trade on Wednesday afternoon, a deal that also sees it land left-handed minor league starting pitcher Colton Gordon.

With two World Series titles and one AL All-Star honor, McCullers is the big name in the transaction, but Gordon has a chance to be a steal for Milwaukee as well.

The southpaw hasn't had MLB success with a career 5.95 ERA across his 24 big league games (including 15 starts) in the last two seasons but is having a huge year with Triple-A and is just 27 years old.

Gordon is the reigning Pacific Coast League Pitcher of the Week and has earned the award two times in the last three weeks and three times in 2026.

Gordon Has Won MiLB Honor Five Times In Last Two Years

Apr 14, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros starting pitcher Colton Gordon (61) delivers a pitch during the second inning against the Colorado Rockies at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Astros selected Gordon in the eighth round of the 2021 MLB Draft and he first reached Triple-A Sugar Land in 2023.

Gordon pitched one game for Team Israel in the 2023 WBC and split that year between the Space Cowboys and Double-A Corpus Christi before spending the entire 2024 campaign in Triple-A.

He was solid that season, going 8-2 with a 3.94 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and 124 strikeouts in 123 1/3 innings pitched over 25 games (24 starts) with the Space Cowboys. Gordon earned the first two of his five career PCL Pitcher of the Week awards that campaign as well.

The left-hander made his MLB debut last May and went 6-4 with a 5.34 ERA across 86 innings covering 20 games (14 starts) with Houston in 2025, while making 11 Triple-A starts too.

Gordon has bounced between the majors and Triple-A this season and while he's struggled with his opportunities with the Astros, he's had a big year in Sugar Land.

The University of Florida product picked up his recent accolade after pitching six shutout innings against the Albuquerque Isotopes on Friday while allowing just four hits and one walk with seven strikeouts.

Gordon's award came on the heels of his picking up the honor for the weeks of May 31 and June 28 as well.

He's gone 6-3 with a 3.69 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 55 strikeouts across 70 2/3 innings pitched covering 14 games (13 starts) with the Space Cowboys in 2026.

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