Brewers acquire pitchers Dustin May and JoJo Romero from Cardinals

The Milwaukee Brewers have completed a trade with the St. Louis Cardinals, acquiring starting pitcher Dustin May and reliever JoJo Romero. In return, the Cardinals will receive prospects Alexander Frias and Josiah Ragsdale, according to reports from MLB.com and The Athletic.

May, a 28-year-old who signed a one-year, $12.5 million contract this winter, has made 21 starts this season, posting a 4.38 ERA over 109 innings with a strikeout rate of 23.1 % and a walk rate of 7.6 %. The Brewers plan to add him to a rotation that already includes Jacob Misiorowski and Kyle Harrison, potentially moving Robert Gasser to a different role.

Romero, 29, is recovering from an appendectomy and is expected to join Milwaukee’s bullpen once fully healthy. He recorded a 3.35 ERA this season, striking out 23.1 % of batters and walking 8.6 %, and will likely work behind left-hander Aaron Ashby in the bullpen hierarchy.

Both players are pending free agents. May is on a $12 million salary with a $500,000 buyout on a $20 million mutual option, while Romero earns $4.26 million for the season. The trade will raise the Brewers’ payroll to roughly $140 million, absent any additional cash considerations.

"Milwaukee can afford to be patient given their cushion in the NL Central," a Brewers spokesperson said, noting the team’s aim to have Romero ready for the postseason.

The Cardinals, meanwhile, add two prospects whose reputations are rising, aiming to bolster their farm system.