Brewers alumni home run derby is a hit
The Milwaukee Brewers held an alumni home run derby as part of their 25th anniversary celebration of American Family Field on July 25, 2025.
The Milwaukee Brewers have reunited with Shelby Miller – yet again.
In a deal that came in just under the wire on what proved to be a wild and wooly trade deadline day in Major League Baseball, the right-handed reliever was acquired by Milwaukee from Arizona. Left-hander Jordan Montgomery, a starter sidelined for the season by injury, also comes over in the trade.
“We felt like this was a really good target for us, and a really nice fit,” general manager Matt Arnold said, referring to Miller, who was an under-the-radar, cost-effective pickup in a market that saw other contending teams pay astronomical prices in the form of top prospects for bigger bullpen names.
Milwaukee instead will pay a reported $2.5 million of Montgomery’s remaining salary in place of parting with any of their prospects.
Not long before consummating the deal with Arizona, Arnold and his team traded left-hander Nestor Cortes, minor-league infielder Jorge Quintana and cash to the San Diego Padres in exchange for outfielder Brandon Lockridge.
“I can’t thank Mark Attanasio and his family enough for their support in us in something like this, because we’re taking on cash to access a player like this, and we’re able to maintain prospect capital,” Arnold continued. “We think that’s a great outcome for us.”
Miller, 34, was 3-3 with a 1.98 ERA, WHIP of 0.96 and 40 strikeouts in 36 ⅓ innings over 37 appearances for the Diamondbacks.
He also saved 10 games as injuries to Arizona’s other high-leverage relievers earlier this season pushed Miller into the closer’s role.
His acquisition comes with a caveat, however: Miller last pitched on July 5 and was then sidelined with a forearm injury, although Arnold indicated he has recovered enough that he could be pitching out of the Brewers’ bullpen sooner than later.
“I spoke to him earlier, and he said he feels great, and that’s obviously music to our ears,” Arnold said. “Everything we had heard was that he was very close, and he’s already been throwing live (bullpen sessions) with good velocity, so we were able to get some some comfort there with him and where he is.
“My guess is we’re going to get him in and get him evaluated. Maybe, a quick rehab assignment and then, hopefully, here to help the big-league team very soon.”
Whenever he does join the Brewers, Miller will begin what will actually be his third tenure with the organization.
He signed a free-agent deal in 2019 and made eight minor-league appearances before being shut down and then reunited with Milwaukee on a minor-league deal with an invitation to spring training in 2020 before ultimately opting out for the Covid-19 pandemic.
Miller has pitched in the major leagues with nine different teams, including 46 appearances with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2023 and 51 with the Detroit Tigers in 2024.
The 2009 first-round pick of the St. Louis Cardinals is a fly-ball pitcher, but has exhibited elite swing-and-miss traits and consistently generated weak contact this season with the Diamondbacks. His three-pitch mix features a four-seam fastball (64.9% usage rate) that is averaging a career-best 95.2 mph.
Once healthy, Miller should fit seamlessly into manager Pat Murphy’s high-leverage group in front of closer Trevor Megill that includes Abner Uribe, Nick Mears and Jared Koenig.
Overall, Milwaukee’s relief corps has thrown the sixth-most innings in baseball at 419 ⅓ while ranking seventh in strikeouts (406) and ninth in WHIP (1.25) and opponents’ average against (.232).
“He’s made some really good adjustments,” said Arnold. “He’s got really good stuff, and (he’s a guy) who’s been a long-time, big-league pitcher, with experience both in a starter’s role, and as a closer. Just having the ability to not just know how to pitch, but but have good stuff behind it, is something that we’re really excited to have.”
The 32-year-old Montgomery, meanwhile, is out for the season after undergoing Tommy John surgery this spring. He’ll be a free agent this winter after being paid $22.5 million for 2025.
“He said something to me about maybe coming out to see us in Arizona,” Arnold said. “But he’s currently rehabbing at home. He may come see us from time to time, and he’s absolutely welcome. I told him he’s welcome to be around us whenever he can make it.
“We want to treat him like a first-class Brewer. I’ve heard nothing but great things about him.”
With Milwaukee surprising many by not trading for any sort of impact bat to help bolster an offense that’s lacked slug all season, Arnold was asked to grade the organization’s trade deadline performance.
“I’ll leave that to you guys,” he said. “It’s important to me to do the right thing for the Brewers, and we’re trying to win a championship here. I’ve made that clear since since I’ve been here. And, obviously, we have a really good team.
“We felt like we helped the team today, and we’re also in a great position to hopefully sustain a really good team here for a long time, because that’s what we want to do.”