HOUSTON — The Astros have traded Lance McCullers Jr. — the veteran right-hander who helped Houston win a pair of World Series titles in 2017 and 2022 while pitching in some of the biggest games in franchise history — and left-hander Colton Gordon, plus cash considerations, to the Brewers on Wednesday for outfield prospect Jadyn Fielder, the son of Prince Fielder and grandson of Cecil Fielder.
McCullers, who has been on the IL since May 19 with right shoulder inflammation, posted a 6.86 ERA in 39 1/3 innings across eight starts with the Astros this season, which was the final year of a five-year, $85 million contract. McCullers had limited no-trade protection in his contract, but he also has “10-and-5 rights,” which gives him complete veto power on any trade proposal. A 10-and-5 player has accrued 10 years in the big leagues and five with the same organization.
TRADE DETAILS
Astros get: Minors OF Jadyn Fielder
Brewers get: RHP Lance McCullers Jr., LHP Colton Gordon, cash
With Hayden Wesneski and Ronel Blanco likely coming off the IL later this month and having acquired Tatsuya Imai, Peter Lambert and Mike Burrows in the offseason, the Astros had enough depth that they could move McCullers and save some money by trading him.
His departure leaves star second baseman Jose Altuve and the injured Carlos Correa as the lone remaining members of the 2017 World Series championship team. McCullers made his only All-Star Game that season, posting a 4.25 ERA in 22 starts. His best season came in ’21, when he went 13-5 with a 3.16 ERA in 28 starts and finished seventh in AL Cy Young voting.
McCullers missed the 2019 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery and injured his flexor tendon in Game 4 of the ‘21 ALDS and missed most of the next two seasons.
In his first start this year, he threw seven innings to beat the Red Sox on March 30, striking out nine batters while allowing one run and four hits.
McCullers was part of a terrific Astros Draft in 2012, the first under new general manager Jeff Luhnow. The Astros took shortstop Carlos Correa with the No. 1 overall pick and signed him to a below-slot deal, using the savings to select McCullers out of Tampa Jesuit High School at No. 41 overall. He received a $2.5 million signing bonus, more than twice what was slotted for the 41st pick, to forgo his scholarship to Florida.
He made his Major League debut on May 18, 2015, at 21 years old and became a mainstay in the Houston rotation and a fan favorite. McCullers held the Royals to two runs and two hits in 6 1/3 innings in the 2015 ALDS in his first postseason start and wound up posting a 3.47 ERA in 19 career playoff games (12 starts).
McCullers’ most notable postseason moment came in Game 7 of the 2017 ALCS against the Yankees, when he threw the final four innings in relief in Houston, allowing no runs and one hit to clinch the AL pennant. He famously threw 24 consecutive curveballs to end the game.
McCullers started Game 7 of the World Series at Dodger Stadium that season and tossed 2 1/3 scoreless innings — a game more notable for him hitting four batters and driving in a run with the bat — to help Houston win its first World Series.
He also threw the first six innings in the Astros’ 1-0, epic 18-inning win over the Mariners in Seattle in Game 3 of the 2022 ALDS, combining with seven relievers to pitch the Astros into the ALCS, where they swept the Yankees en route to their second championship.
The son of former big league pitcher Lance McCullers, he is 53-40 with a 3.85 ERA and 904 strikeouts in 813 1/3 regular-season innings in his career.
