The Milwaukee Brewers are actively seeking to bolster their starting pitching. According to Jim Bowden of The Athletic and Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the Los Angeles Angels are expected to trade a high-performing All-Star starting pitcher. This raises the question: could the Brewers target the Angels for a trade?
The Brewers’ starting rotation has been hit hard by injuries. Before the 2024 season, they re-signed Brandon Woodruff, despite knowing he was unlikely to pitch this year. Unfortunately, any hope of his return has since been dashed. Additionally, the team has lost Wade Miley, Joe Ross, Jakob Junis, Taylor Clarke, DL Hall, and most recently, Robert Gasser to injuries. Adding another quality pitcher to support Freddy Peralta is now a priority for GM Matt Arnold.
Reports indicate that the Los Angeles Angels are likely to trade their 34-year-old starting pitcher Tyler Anderson this year. Anderson, in the second year of a three-year, $39 million contract, is set to earn $13 million in 2025. He has been performing well, boasting a 2.63 ERA over 13 starts this season.
Other left-handed pitchers like Garrett Crochet and Jesus Luzardo might command higher trade prices, making Anderson a more feasible option for the Brewers without heavily depleting their farm system. His $13 million salary for 2025 is also manageable for the Brewers, who signed Wade Miley for $8.5 million last winter.
Anderson, familiar to the Brewers from his time with the Pittsburgh Pirates, has excelled in recent years, including an All-Star season with the Dodgers in 2022 with a 2.57 ERA over 178.2 innings. A proposed trade could involve the Brewers sending outfielder Luis Lara and infielder Filippo Di Turi to the Angels. Lara, ranked seventh in the Brewers’ system, and Di Turi, ranked 29th, are promising international prospects.
If you were the Brewers or Angels, would you make this deal?
