Brewers land Cardinals pitchers Dustin May, JoJo Romero

Field Level Media|published: Mon 3rd August, 19:57 2026

Jul 29, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Dustin May (3) pitches against the Chicago Cubs in the first inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Puetz-Imagn Images

The Milwaukee Brewers added depth to their starting rotation and bullpen with the additions of right-hander Dustin May and left-handed reliever JoJo Romero in an intra-division trade with the St. Louis Cardinals on Monday.

The Brewers sent a pair of outfield prospects, Alexander Frias and Josiah Ragsdale, to St. Louis in the deal.

Both May and Romero will be free agents at the end of this season.

May, 28, was 5-7 with a 4.38 ERA during his first season for the Cardinals. The Brewers are set to become the fourth team he's played for in the last two seasons as the Los Angeles Dodgers traded him to Boston at last year's trade deadline before he elected free agency and signed with St. Louis last December.

His 21 starts this season are already two off his career high set last season. He battled injuries early in his career, undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2021, right arm surgery in 2023 and an esophageal tear in 2024.

Over seven major league seasons with the Dodgers (2019-23, 2025), Red Sox and Cardinals, May has a 24-27 record and 3.99 ERA over 92 outings (78 starts).

Romero, 29, has been sidelined since July 17, when he underwent an emergency appendectomy. However, he's resumed baseball activities and is set to return to action this month. The southpaw is 1-3 with a 3.35 ERA over 44 relief appearances this season.

Over seven major league seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies (2020-22) and Cardinals (2022-26), Romero is 16-14 with a 3.51 ERA and 12 saves in 241 outings, all out of the bullpen.

Frias, an 18-year-old native of the Dominican Republic, signed an international contract with the Brewers in January 2025. He's hit .342 with eight homers and 62 RBIs in 60 games at two different minor league levels this season, including .236 with four homers in 28 games at Low-A Wilson.

Ragsdale, 22, has risen fast since he was a seventh-round draft pick last year, ranking as the Brewers' No. 13 prospect according to MLB Pipeline. He had a .316 average with 19 homers and 51 RBIs in 86 games this season between High-A Wisconsin and Double-A Biloxi.

--Field Level Media

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