Brewers' Biggest July Additions May Come From Within

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Photo via Devin Williams - Instagram

Devin Williams

Devin Williams

We’re down to two weeks until the 2024 MLB trade deadline on July 30, and if recent history is in any indication the Brewers will almost certainly be active: The last full MLB season where the Brewers didn’t buy or sell at the deadline was 2013, and that year they had already traded closer Francisco Rodriguez a week before. 

While there will almost certainly be new Brewers in the next two weeks, this year the organization’s biggest additions might come from within.

It’s hard to imagine what a team would have to give up to trade for a two-time All Star closer with a 1.89 career ERA, but within the next few weeks the Brewers might get one of those for free when Devin Williams returns off the injured list. Williams has been out all year dealing with a back issue but made his first rehab appearance with High-A Wisconsin on Sunday and looked like his old self, striking out all three batters he faced and showing both the mid-‘90s fastball and “airbender” changeup that have made him so effective at the MLB level. It’s unclear exactly what the timetable is for Williams to return to Milwaukee but on Sunday he looked like he’s ready to pitch there now, if perhaps in a limited role at first.

Hall Expected Back

Williams isn’t the only pitcher the Brewers are likely expecting back soon, however: DL Hall has made nine minor league rehab appearances between Wisconsin and AAA Nashville, and Tuesday’s start was expected to be his final tune up before returning to Milwaukee. Hall recorded strikeouts for five of the six outs he recorded in that game but suffered a setback when he was hit by a comebacker in the third inning. While that may have pushed his possible return back a few days, on Friday Brewers manager Pat Murphy reiterated that Hall is expected back soon and general manager Matt Arnold said the plan is to keep him stretched out.

And if Hall’s return is imminent, Joe Ross likely isn’t far behind him. Ross has only made two minor league rehab starts, one with Wisconsin and one in Nashville on Wednesday, but he’s already pitched into the fourth inning and has yet to allow an earned run in either of those appearances. He might only be another start or so away from being fully stretched out and ready to return to an MLB rotation.

With all of these reinforcements incoming the question becomes how the Brewers will utilize them. Williams, of course, likely slots right back into a late inning role and reinforces a Brewer bullpen that lost a bit of steam heading into the All Star break. It’s tougher to determine what to do with Hall and Ross, however. The Brewers already have Freddy Peralta, Colin Rea, Tobias Myers and recently-acquired Aaron Civale in their rotation and have bumped Bryse Wilson and Jakob Junis back to the bullpen. One spot appeared to open up over the weekend when the Brewers designated veteran Dallas Keuchel for assignment, but it’s going to require some creative management to clear roster space for everyone that’s on their way back and to find roles for them. Of course, these things have a way of working themselves out: It also seemed like the Brewers had a pending roster crunch in May, and it never materialized.

Nonetheless, at a time of year where most contending teams will be shopping for pitching help the Brewers appear poised to reinforce their staff from within. That could allow them to keep resources available to upgrade elsewhere, or simply hold onto their prospects and try to ride things out with the talent they have.