The 2024 MLB Trade Deadline is in full swing and the Colorado Rockies have entered the fray by sending right-handed reliever Nick Mears to the Milwaukee Brewers for a pair of right-handed pitching prospects Bradley Blalock and Yujanjer Herrera.

While rumors have swirled about the Rockies’ potential trade chips the choice to trade a controllable reliever with upside may come as a shock to most. After all, the Rockies are always in need of pitching, and choosing to move one of their better arms may be seen as contradictive of their modus operandum.

Mears, 27, began his professional career when he signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates as an amateur free agent in 2018. He worked his way through the system and eventually made his big league debut in 2020 where he posted a 5.40 ERA in four appearances. He then bounced between Triple-A and the big leagues in 2021 before sticking with the Pirates from the end of July to the conclusion of the season that year. He made 30 appearances with the Pirates that year, posting a 5.01 ERA in 23 1/3 innings of work.

He missed the majority of the 2022 season due to right elbow surgery and was designated for assignment in December after posting a 4.80 ERA in 30 innings. He was quickly claimed by the Texas Rangers before they also designated him for assignment at the end of December. The Rockies took a chance and snagged him for some bullpen depth. In 19 1/3 innings, Mears posted a 3.72 ERA over 16 games while spending most of the year in Triple-A.

2024 marks his fifth Major League season where he owns a 5.56 ERA in 41 relief appearances this season, with 57 strikeouts and 21 walks in 45 1/3 innings. But that includes a 3.68 ERA in seven appearances this month, with 10 strikeouts and three walks in 7 1/3 innings.

Beyond Mears’ surface numbers are underlying metrics that make him an intriguing option for the Brewers’. His average four-seam fastball velocity (96.7 mph) ranks in the 90th percentile in the Majors. His career-best 28.1 percent strikeout rate this season ranks in the 85th percentile while his 11.3 K/9 led the Rockies.

The flaw that has followed Mears throughout his career has been control. Despite a blistering fastball with some movement and other quality pitches, Mears has struggled to find the zone. In conjunction with his above-average strikeout numbers, Mears owns a career 13% walk rate, five points higher than the MLB average. He owned a 5.01 BB/9 in the minors but there has been some growth in 2024. His 10.3% walk rate represents the best mark of his career at the Major League level and a move to the Brewers could help continue that trend. He’ll to throw strikes more consistently before he can step into more high-leverage innings for the Brewers, but with him under control through 2027, he’s worth the project.

Mears slots in alongside Joel Payamps, Trevor Megill, Elvis Peguero and Hoby Milner in the relief corps while the Brewers could also welcome Devin Williams back in a few weeks.

Blalock, 23, was the No. 17 prospect in the Brewers’ system per MLB Pipeline and will help build the Rockies’ starting depth. He was originally drafted by the Boston Red Sox in 2019 in the 32nd round, eventually missed the 2022 season due to Tommy John surgery and was sent to Milwaukee in a 2023 trade for Luis Urías.

He made his big league debut this season tossing a scoreless inning of relief, but his history has been as a starter. He carries a 4.08 ERA in 75 innings spanning 16 starts at Double-A this season. His 20.2% strikeout rate is below average, but his 8.5% walk percentage is league average. He fills Mears’ spot on the Rockies 40-man roster.

Herrera, 20, ranked 28th among Milwaukee prospects at Baseball America. They credit him with a mid-90s fastball and an above-average slider. He owns a 2.91 ERA with an above-average 27.2% strikeout percentage and an 8.1% walk rate this season between Low and High-A and is Rule-5 draft eligible this winter.

Moving Mears is a surprising move for the Rockies but may point to a willingness to think outside the box to move more players than they typically would at the Trade Deadline. If so, it could be a welcome sight for fans in Colorado.