Brewers' Colton Gordon Wasn't Just a Throw-In in Lance McCullers Trade

The Milwaukee Brewers made a very good move on paper on Thursday.

Milwaukee acquired former All-Star Lance McCullers Jr., left-handed hurler Colton Gordon, and cash from the Houston Astros in exchange for outfield prospect Jadyn Fielder.

We've agreed to the following trade with Houston pic.twitter.com/I9T9yZUrOC
— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) July 15, 2026

The Brewers got a legit, former All-Star who could help in the rotation right away with injuries all over the place. On top of this, Gordon is an intriguing pickup himself. In fact, he wasn't just some sort of throw-in to the deal. Brewers general manager and president of baseball operations Matt Arnold said on Wednesday that Gordon is someone the club has "targeted for a while."

The Brewers Struck Early

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

"He's a guy that we've targeted for a while," Arnold said, as transcribed by Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "He's got very good pitchability. We really like his secondary weapons."

Gordon is a 27-year-old lefty with great size at 6'4'' and 225 pounds. On top of this, he's under team control through the 2031 season. In 2025, he made his big league debut as a member of the Astros. He pitched in 20 games, including 14 starts, and had a 5.34 ERA and a 72-to-19 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 86 innings pitched. So far this season, he has pitched in just four games in the majors, including one start, and has an 11.57 ERA to show for it.

This doesn't tell the whole story, though. He has a 3.69 ERA in 70 2/3 innings pitched in Triple-A this season and, again, has five season left of team control. Rosiak noted that Gordon is being viewed as a starter right now by Milwaukee and will likely kick off his career with the organization Triple-A.

So, the Brewers are not only getting McCullers, who has had success in the majors in his own right when he has been healthy. But they are also getting five years of a hurler who could end up being at least a depth starter for them at some point. The fact that Arnold specifically noted that the club has been targeting Gordon for a while is the most interesting part. Milwaukee knows what it's doing when it comes to young pitchers.

Two recent — and big examples — have been Kyle Harrison and Quinn Priester. The Brewers' front office clearly saw something in both of them and acquired them both from Boston. When both have been healthy, they have been nails for Milwaukee.

Last year, Priester had a 3.32 ERA and a 13-3 record. This year, Harrison has a 3.01 ERA in 17 starts. Milwaukee's front office deserves the benefit of the doubt right now when it comes to targeting pitching. If the Brewers like Gordon and have for a while, Milwaukee fans should be excited about him.

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