The Milwaukee Brewers are finalizing a deal to acquire right-handed pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. and left-handed pitcher Colton Gordon in a trade with the Houston Astros, with the return to Houston not yet known.
Neither club has yet confirmed.
Per multiple reporters, the trade is primarily a depth deal for Milwaukee and a salary dump for Houston. McCullers, who must waive his no-trade clause for the deal to go through (per Chandler Rome of The Athletic, he’s done just that), is being paid $17 million this year in the final year of his five-year, $85 million contract signed ahead of the 2022 season. Per Bob Nightengale of USA Today, the Astros have agreed to pay down a portion of what’s remaining on the contract.
McCullers, 32, has struggled over the last few years, as he missed all of 2023 and 2024 due to injury before making his return in 2025. Over the last two years, he’s appeared in 24 games (21 starts) with a dismal 6.65 ERA, 5.48 FIP, and 104 strikeouts over 94 2/3 innings. He’s pitched just 39 1/3 innings this year and is currently on the IL, though he’s currently on a rehab assignment with an expected return of late July. In three rehab appearances, he’s pitched well, with a 2.45 ERA and 11 strikeouts across 11 innings.
Gordon, 27, was an eighth-round pick by the Astros in 2021 and hasn’t had much major league success in parts of two seasons. Across 24 games (15 starts) in 2025 and 2026, Gordon has a 5.95 ERA, 5.86 FIP, and 83 strikeouts over 95 1/3 innings. He’s pitched just 9 1/3 innings in the majors this year, with an 11.57 ERA and 10.39 FIP. He’s been much better at Triple-A, however, with a 6-3 record, 3.69 ERA, and 55 strikeouts over 70 2/3 innings this season. Gordon is a controllable arm, as he’s still in his pre-arbitration years.
