A steep 2027 mutual option likely turns Dustin May into a rental for the Milwaukee Brewers.
While it was great to see the Milwaukee Brewers make a trade for right-handed pitcher Dustin May, the reality is this is likely a rental.
Milwaukee stayed quiet for most of the morning on Monday, August 3, but they finally struck a deal, one that just happened to be with a division rival.
May, who is owed $12.5 million this season, has a $20 mutual option in 2027.
Obviously, that's a steep price to ask. For reference, the Brewers brought Woodruff back on a one-year, $22.025 million deal this season, but that ended up backfiring as he went down with a season ending surgery.
The reality is, Milwaukee doesn't often pay that much money for a one-year deal. Woodruff was an exception, especially with all he's done for the team, but things could be different with May.
This was a great trade, and it was fantastic seeing the Brewers actually make a move, but May must be treated as a rental moving forward.
May joins fourth team since 2025
The 28-year-old has been a bit all over the place, and there's a real chance he could begin 2027 with a different uniform than one of the four he's now worn dating back to last season.
The St. Louis Cardinals got 21 starts out of him, and for the most part, he lived up to the contract he signed. May is 5-7 on the year with a 4.38 ERA, but that's down from the 4.96 it was a year ago.
May is a 0.7 WAR pitcher, and that's the highest it's been since 2023 when it was 1.5. Obviously, this is a guy who's pitched extensively with the Los Angeles Dodgers and has nine games of postseason experience, including three starts.
Opponents are hitting .255 against May this season. His WHIP is down to 1.28, and somehow that's still higher than the 1.22 his career average would suggest.
Having been in the league since 2019, it'll be interesting to see if the Brewers bring him back through 2027. If anything, the option is at least there, so that's what makes this deal better than a true three-month rental.
That said, Brewers fans shouldn't get too attached. May's final two to three months will likely determine whether or not Milwaukee decides to spend that much on him for next season, but it's worth noting they'll have Quinn Priester back in the fold, so that could directly impact their decision, as long as everyone else stays healthy.
