Lance McCullers Jr. Reportedly Being Traded to Brewers from Astros amid MLB Deadline Rumors
The Houston Astros are reportedly preparing to part ways with veteran right-hander and two-time World Series champion Lance McCullers Jr.
The Astros are "finalizing a trade" that would send McCullers to the Milwaukee Brewers, MLB.com's Brian McTaggart reported Wednesday. The New York Post's Jon Heyman confirmed the news.
McCullers was placed on IL in May due to right rotator cuff impingement and is expected to return in July.
He is playing on the final year of a five-year contract paying him $17.7 million this season, according to Spotrac.
Left-handed pitcher Colton Gordon is also going to the Brewers as part of the trade, per Heyman.
The news comes shortly after Gordon was honored as Pacific Coast League Pitcher of the Week for his work with Triple-A Sugar Land.
McCullers waived his no-trade clause to approve the trade to the Brewers, per USA Today's Bob Nightengale.
The Astros are paying out some of his 2026 salary as part of the deal, which Nightengale described as a salary dump.
The move comes after the Astros "tried to trade McCullers for most of the past year," per The Athletic's Chandler Rome.
McCullers was also a part of the failed 2024 trade for Nolan Arenado that fell apart when Arenado vetoed the deal, per Rome.
The Astros were 47-51 and third in the AL West at the time of the trade, while the Brewers sit atop the NL Central with a 59-37 record.
McCullers is currently set to hit unrestricted free agency ahead of his age-33 2027 season.
The pitcher has spent the entirety of his MLB career with the Astros, who selected him in the first round of the 2012 draft.
He made his MLB debut in 2015, the earned an All-Star nod in 2017 before making five postseason appearances during the Astros' run to a World Series title.
McCullers missed the 2019 campaign after undergoing Tommy John surgery, but returned the following season. Two years later, he made three starts during the Astros' run to the 2022 title.
He missed all of the 2023 and 2024 seasons due to injury before making another comeback with the Astros in 2025.
So far this season, McCullers recorded a career-high 6.86 ERA with a 1.525 WHIP over eight starts and 39.1 innings before he was placed on IL in May.
He later said his rotator cuff issue had been bothering him for at least some of those starts.
McCullers has been preparing for his return to MLB by undergoing rehab starts with Triple-A Sugar Land. He has a 2.45 ERA across three minor-league starts since June 25.
The Astros can now use the space acquired by dumping some of McCullers' salary to potentially add to their roster ahead of the trade deadline.
The Brewers will hope McCullers can bounce back with a stronger back half to the season when healthy.
