Brewers Dubbed ' The Biggest Loser' After Lackluster Trade Deadline

The Milwaukee Brewers' performance at the trade deadline was underwhelming after missing out on trading for Tarik Skubal.

Apr 21, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; A Milwaukee Brewers hat and glove in the dugout during the seventh inning against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: David Reginek-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Milwaukee Brewers made a few moves before the trade deadline, but nothing nearly as major as fans had anticipated.

With the Brewers holding onto the best record in baseball, it was believed this might be the season the team was finally willing to part with multiple top prospects to make a big trade at the deadline. Tarik Skubal was the biggest name available, but even though Milwaukee showed plenty of interest in acquiring the superstar pitcher, Skubal ultimately was dealt to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Brewers did make additions after missing out on Skubal

Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Tarik Skubal (29) smiles as he stands in the dugout alongside Justin Verlander during their game against the Baltimore Orioles at Comerica Park in Detroit on Wednesday, July 29, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Milwaukee quickly pivoted after whiffing on Skubal. The Brewers acquired Dustin May and JoJo Romero from the St. Louis Cardinals and followed that up by trading for veteran hurler Antonio Senzatela from the Colorado Rockies. Despite bolstering their starting rotation and bullpen, the Brewers were still dubbed "the biggest loser" of the trade deadline by ESPN's David Schoenfield.

"If any team would have been able to outbid the Dodgers for Skubal, it would have been the Brewers, who could have kept top prospect Jesus Made and still had plenty of talent to offer from a loaded farm system," Schoenfield wrote on Monday. "This absolutely should have been the season the Brewers went all-in trying to claim the first World Series title in franchise history.

"Imagine facing Skubal and Jacob Misiorowski a combined three times in a best-of-five series or four times in a best-of-seven. It could be that the Tigers demanded Made or Luis Pena and the Brewers said no way. Or that the Brewers didn't want to part with Logan Henderson, who has a 2.66 ERA in nine starts (lower than Skubal's 2.79 ERA, by the way). Milwaukee did end up adding a starting pitcher, Dustin May, in a deal with the St. Louis Cardinals on Monday, but that's no Skubal-Miz 1-2 punch."

Even though the Brewers failed to bring in a big star like Skubal, president of baseball operations Matt Arnold still believes the team accomplished a lot before the trade deadline.

“I think we did what we can to help the team, and when you’re in on a lot of stuff, there’s some things where you come up short,” Arnold said, per MLB.com's Adam McCalvy. “You just have to pick yourself up and dust yourself off, and do what you can to get the next thing. Ultimately, I think we were able to accomplish a lot over the last 48 hours to get some stuff done to really help the team.”

Milwaukee did address its biggest needs at the trade deadline by bolstering its thin starting rotation and acquiring high-leverage arms for the bullpen. Still, with expectations so high before the deadline, this feels like a flop by the Brewers.