Brewers' Out-of-Nowhere Lance McCullers Jr. DFA, Explained

Or at least, our attempt at an explanation

Jul 20, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. (50) throws a pitch during the sixth inning against the New York Mets at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Typically, when you trade for a pitcher in the middle of a first-place season, you don't immediately turn around and cut him.

But the Milwaukee Brewers have become one of Major League Baseball's model organizations in large part because they don't do things in expected fashion. And on Sunday, only 11 days after acquiring him from the Houston Astros, the Brewers designated right-hander Lance McCullers Jr. for assignment. Garrett Stallings was recalled from Triple-A Nashville in a corresponding move.

Today's transactions pic.twitter.com/rrDD8pfG0X

— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) July 26, 2026

Even if McCullers wasn't playing a huge role in his short time in Milwaukee, it's reasonable to say the DFA was a surprise. But there were signs from the jump that the Brewers weren't making the deal because they believed in the former All-Star righty, and that notion quickly bore fruit.

What McCullers trade was really about

Jul 20, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. (50) throws a pitch during the sixth inning against the New York Mets at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Backing up to the day of the deal, the Brewers acquired McCullers, his $2.5 million in cash obligations, and left-handed pitcher Colton Gordon in exchange for outfield prospect Jadyn Fielder. Milwaukee now clearly seemed much more keen on picking up Gordon for the future than they did on giving McCullers a chance to reclaim his former glory.

Gordon went to Triple-A when the Brewers acquired him, and has picked up the loss in each of his first two starts for the Nashville Sounds, allowing nine earned runs in 11 innings. His major league ERA sits at 5.95 through 95 1/3 innings, but the Brewers have to see something in the 27-year-old that they can fix.

In his 4 2/3 major league innings for the Brewers, McCullers allowed two earned runs and three more unearned runs. He walked five batters, struck out five, and gave up three hits. He was poised to play a swingman role at best, and the Brewers either didn't think there was much they could do to revitalize his career at this stage, or they're counting on him passing through waivers.

Because he's a veteran with over 10 years of service time, McCullers could also elect free agency if he clears waivers and sign with any team for the rest of the season.

Whether McCullers throws another pitch for the Brewers is still an open question. But it's clear now that Milwaukee's intention when acquiring him was unrelated to the production it thought he might be bringing to the table.