Lance McCullers Jr. is in the final season of a five-year, $85 million contract extension. Kenneth Richmond / Getty ImagesJuly 15, 2026 Updated 11:27 am EDTHOUSTON — In an effort to trim payroll and provide clarity to their muddled pitching staff, the Houston Astros are finalizing a trade of veteran starter Lance McCullers Jr. to the Milwaukee Brewers, two league sources with knowledge of the plans not authorized to speak publicly told The Athletic on Wednesday.Triple-A left-hander Colton Gordon is headed to Milwaukee as part of the Astros’ package, a source said. Gordon, an optionable arm with five more years of team control, has thrown 95 1/3 major-league innings since debuting last season.McCullers is in the final season of a five-year, $85 million contract extension he signed prior to the 2021 season. It is unclear how much of the money Milwaukee will absorb in the deal. The Astros have tried to trade McCullers for most of the past year, according to multiple team sources.
McCullers was, at one point, involved in a package Houston prepared to send to the St. Louis Cardinals before the 2025 season in exchange for Nolan Arenado. Arenado exercised his no-trade clause and vetoed the deal.A fan favorite and figurehead of Houston’s golden era, McCullers’ career has been ravaged by injuries since 2021. He underwent Tommy John surgery in 2018 and flexor tendon repair in 2023. The latter operation caused him to miss the 2023 and 2024 seasons.Since undergoing Tommy John surgery, McCullers has thrown 359 2/3 innings. More than half of them came in 2021, the only major-league season in which he’s made more than 22 starts.McCullers has made just eight starts this season and owns a 6.86 ERA. He is currently on the injured list with a rotator cuff impingement, but made his third minor-league rehab start last week, during which he increased his pitch count to 77.This story will be updated.
