The Milwaukee Brewers have made another trade at the major league level to bolster their roster prior to the trade deadline, as theyve acquired right-handed reliever Nick Mears from the Colorado Rockies for prospects Bradley Blalock and Yujanyer Herrera. Blalock, who came to Milwaukee in exchange for Luis Uras at last years trade deadline, was ranked as Milwaukees No. 17 prospect, according to MLB Milwaukee Brewers are acquiring right-handed reliever Nick Mears from the Colorado Rockies, sources tell ESPN. Right-handed pitching prospects Bradley Blalock and Yujanjer Herrera are headed to the Rockies. Jeff Passan July 27, 2024Mears, an undrafted free agent in 2018 https://www.brewerslocker.com/collections/owen-miller-jersey
, is 27 years old and has been pitching out of Colorados bullpen the last two seasons he has made only four starts as a professional and is purely a reliever. He made brief appearances in the majors in each of the prior three seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He is under team control through the 2027 season but does not have any minor league options remaining. In 124 innings across five minor league seasons, Mears has pitched to a 4.35 ERA with big strikeout numbers 12.9 per nine) but also big walk totals 5.0 per nine). That has translated to the big leagues: in 45 13 innings in 2024 a career-high innings total by some margin), Mears has 11.3 K/9 but also 4.2 BB/9. His results have been rough this season, as he has a 5.56 ERA, but his 2.59 FIP suggests a combination of bad luck, a bad defense behind him, and a bad ballpark to pitch in, though ironically he has been significantly better in Colorado this season than he has on the throws a four-seam fastball that sits in the high 90s https://www.brewerslocker.com
, and he supports it with a slider and curveball, which he splits pretty evenly. His Statcast numbers look quite good, furthering the suspicion that the Brewers believe that a different environment and their pitching lab) will make a big those who dont know Nick Mears, he had an awfully bloody Baseball Savant page. And the Brewers have a pretty established history of taking underperforming bullpen arms and turning them into dudes. Mears stuff especially his fastball is very good, and he could be next. /Fya5uZU8Xj Jeff Passan July 27, 2024Blalock, who is 23, pitched one scoreless inning with the Brewers in his major league debut this season. He has spent the vast majority of the year at Double-A Biloxi, where he has a 4.08 ERA, 7.7 K/9 https://www.brewerslocker.com/collections/colin-rea-jersey
, and 3.2 BB/9 this season in 75 innings pitched. Herrera is a soon-to-be 21-year-old pitcher who signed as an international free agent. He has been good this season: in 68 innings between Single-A Carolina and High-A Wisconsin, he is 9-1 with a 2.91 ERA, 10.2 K/9, and 3.0 BB/9. There will likely be questions about whether it was worth giving up a top-20 organizational prospect plus another lottery ticket to acquire a relief pitcher with a career ERA close to 5, but the Brewers surely believe that a change of venue and a switch to their excellent defensive unit will do wonders for Mears, and the underlying numbers suggest its a decent bet to make. If it goes well, Milwaukee could have a staple of their bullpen for the three-and-a-half years.