The Milwaukee Brewers had a quiet start to the day on Monday ahead of the 2026 Major League Baseball trade deadline, but finished it with a bang.
Milwaukee entered the deadline needing pitching . It ended up adding three.
The Brewers acquired starter Dustin May and reliever JoJo Romero from the St. Louis Cardinals . On top of the May and Romero deal, the Brewers acquired Antonio Senzatela from the Colorado Rockies . Overall, the Brewers added the arms they needed to add. The bullpen was already very good and added two more high-leverage options. The Brewers' rotation has been thin and they just added a 28-year-old with front-of-the-rotation upside.
Feb 20, 2026; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Carlos Rodriguez poses for a portrait during photo day at American Family Fields of Phoenix. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
One move that went under the radar on Monday was the aftermath of the two deals. With May, Romero and Senzatela all coming to town, Milwaukee needed to free up a roster spot and did so by designating righty Carlos Rodriguez for assignment, per MLB.com's Adam McCalvy.
"The Brewers have designated right-hander Carlos Rodriguez for assignment in the wake of today's trades. He was a two-time Minor League pitcher of the year for Milwaukee and has pitched in 11 Major League games over the last three seasons," McCalvy wrote.
Rodriguez pitched in four games in the majors this season before being designated for assignment. He had a 3.86 ERA and an eight-to-four strikeout-to-walk ratio in 9 1/3 innings pitched. Overall, Rodriguez pitched in just 11 total games as a member of the Brewers in the majors in three seasons.
He has been in the Brewers' organization since 2022. Now, there's a chance that he could be out of the organization in the coming days. Now that Rodriguez has been designated for assignment, clubs around the league will have an opportunity to claim him off waivers. If he goes unclaimed, he could either be outrighted down to Triple-A, or enter free agency.
For the Brewers, it would be positive if they could find a way to keep him in the organization. It's been a tough season for him down in Triple-A with an 8.76 ERA in 15 outings, but he has a 3.97 career ERA in 111 minor league appearances since 2022. It never hurts to have minor league depth with experience in the majors.
With Rodriguez being designated for assignment on Monday, it's going to take a few days to find out the next steps.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/brewers/onsi as Brewers Cut Veteran Pitcher After 2026 Trade Deadline Frenzy .
