Brewers Get Much-Needed Bullpen Boost in Antonio Senzatela

Jul 20, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Colorado Rockies relief pitcher Antonio Senzatela (49) pitches in the seventh inning against the Washington Nationals at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Brewers Get Much-Needed Bullpen Boost in Antonio Senzatela

Originally posted on Milwaukee Brewers on SI
By Patrick McAvoy | Last updated Aug 3, 2026 5:37 PM ET

Add us as a preferred source on Google

The Milwaukee Brewers entered the trade deadline needing another high-leverage bullpen arm.

With time still to go until the deadline, Milwaukee has added two. First and foremost, the Brewers went out and acquired JoJo Romero and Dustin May from the St. Louis Cardinals. Romero is currently on the Injured List, but he will be a high-leverage arm for the club from the left side when he's healthy and ready to roll.

Now, another arm is reportedly coming to town. The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal reported that the Brewers are "working" to land Antonio Senzatela from the Colorado Rockies. Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel followed up and reported that Milwaukee is, in fact, set to acquire Senzatela.

The Brewers Are Adding An Intriguing Arm

"Brewers are acquiring Antonio Senzatela, per source," Hogg wrote.

Senzatela is a big-time get for Milwaukee. The 31-year-old has appeared in 34 games for the Rockies this season and has a 3.61 ERA and a 46-to-17 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 52 1/3 innings pitched. He actually has recorded 1.1 wins above replacement already this season, which is very solid for a reliever. To put into context how good of a season he is having, he hasn't finished a season with a WAR as high as he currently has since 2021 when he had 1.9 wins above replacement as a starter.

Senzatela currently is in the 87th percentile in fastball velocity and 78th percentile in barrel rate. Milwaukee already has one of the best bullpens in baseball. Milwaukee currently has the fifth-best bullpen ERA in the league at 3.64. Now, they are adding a high-leverage lefty arm in Romero and a high-leverage righty arm in Senzatela. Plus, May for the starting rotation.

Overall, it hasn't been an explosive deadline for the Brewers, but they have done enough to improve a team that already was the biggest threat in the National League to the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Brewers arguably need more, but have addressed the rotation and bullpen well. If the Brewers could get a bat just before the deadline passes, it would go a long way for the organization.

The Dodgers are still the favorites in the league. Of course that is the case after landing Tarik Skubal. But the Brewers aren't far behind and have gotten better. There is still time left to add. Now, it's just a matter of seeing if the Brewers could get another deal done before the buzzer.

This article first appeared on Milwaukee Brewers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: