Braden Looper signed: 1 year w/mutual option, worth between $5.5 mil and $12.25 mil; Rottino DFA'd (replies #150/151), will report as long as he isn't claimed (reply #181)

[Crewin06]

While I like this move because of the obvious depth added, am I the only one who would rather see McClung start and Looper in the pen?

I don't know how you keep a guy that pitched 199 innings with a 4.16 ERA and a 1.25 WHIP last season out of the starting rotation but everyone is entitled to their own opinion

[Milltownhooker]

Well good move assuming 5M/1 yr or less. Doesn't keep the brewes froming making other moves during the season like Bedard(if healthy)

[Ennder]

The big difference is just health. Wolf has had one healthy season since 2004 and that one he went 190 IP. In that time frame he has hit the DL 7 times with 5 elbow injuries and 1 shoulder injury and has spent 453 days on the DL. This is someone with more of a history than Ben Sheets had only without great stuff either.

[kramnoj]

chansen, you think they will have a 13 man pitching staff to start the season, which leaves them with a 4 man bench? I think your 4 man competition for 1 position is all in the minors, but I don't have all the players and their options memorized. Otherwise, I think you have their staff down. Leaves them a bench of Counsell, 3B platoon, Rivera, 4th OF, Nelson or 5th OF.

[SeriesFinale]

To be honest, I had no idea Looper pitched as well as that last year (I'd been a little fixated on bringing Big Ben back!)...I'll be surprised if he repeats it, but I'll take even an ERA under 5 this season from our #5 starter.

 

And he's not got a bad bat, either...not as much power as CC, but he hits for average better!

[OOOverbay]

I don't know how you keep a guy that pitched 199 innings with a 4.16 ERA and a 1.25 WHIP last season out of the starting rotation but everyone is entitled to their own opinion

Point taken... the optimist in me was hoping that they would work on McClung's endurance in the offseason and he would get a chance to earn a rotation spot in spring training. Heck, if I was really dreaming I would say they should send Soup to the pen but we know that's not going to happen.

[adamb100]

Fun fact: If I remember right, Looper's first career start was against the Brewers and he won.

[sargennm]

OOOverbay wrote:

Point taken... the optimist in me was hoping that they would work on McClung's endurance in the offseason and he would get a chance to earn a rotation spot in spring training. Heck, if I was really dreaming I would say they should send Soup to the pen but we know that's not going to happen.

Come on this is the Brewers were talking about here. McClung will end up being the No. 3 starter by midseason anyway, once the freaky-deaky injury bug hits.

[yount19.u]

6-0 in the postseason. The Crew takes another big game pitcher from the Cardinals!

 

I do like this signing as long as it's no more than a 2 year deal. It strengthens the back of the rotation and bullpen at the same time.

[OOOverbay]

I don't know about being ridiculously excited--I don't think Braden Looper is the puzzle piece that makes this a World Series team--but I am definitely happy to see McClung in the pen and the Brew Crew with some more back-end pitching depth, and think we have a fighting chance to stay in the playoff race long enough to make a splash move similar to last year with CC (if not as large).

Being one of those who got suckered into the excitement of the Suppan signing, I agree that this just adds depth and we shouldn't really expect him to be better than a .500 starting pitcher. But, then again, baseball works in funny ways sometimes (Don't I sound wise and philosophical?).

[TheCrew07]

Pending the money and years I might be pretty irritated with this deal as it means we aren't upgrading the rotation anytime soon. Looper is pretty similar to what we already have at 3-5 so he wouldn't really upgrade the rotation, just the depth. If it's a short contract and less than 6 mil per it wouldn't be so bad, but I'm still unhappy.

 

I was worried Melvin would do this when he mentioned riding out Weeks, Hardy, and Fielder in Hawing's thread from the Capital Times article. I see this as the Brewers being locked into an average to slightly above average rotation while we wait on the young pitchers, I was hoping for something more bold/dynamic like trading for an impact pitching talent. I was hoping we'd upgrade the front of the rotation (no not Peavy), instead he spent money on depth...

[Oldcity]

I don't think you'll be unhappy. I'd be shocked if it was more than one year.

[Bernman23]

He will 100% be a starter. He eats innings and Capuano may be a long shot to start a game this season. There wouldn't really be a need for him in the bullpen. We are actually set there and the pen looks real good.

Looper's ERA away from pitcher friendly "New Busch" the last 2 seasons has been 6.81 and 4.52, or a raw average of 5.67. I think as fans a little ways into the season we're going to be figuring out who could possibly replace him to upgrade his spot rotation, be that a player on our own roster or from the outside. But he was a pretty good reliever before he became a starter out of his former team's necessity, so he'll be an asset to the team.

 

The one thing I will say I like about him as a starter is his above average hitting ability. .254/.632 could be worth a couple extra wins as opposed to what a bad hitting pitcher does at the plate. Although he wasn't quite as good the previous season, when in all fairness he was transitioning to starter from reliever where he probably hadn't swung the bat for real in a while. Still, in spite of his hitting, his win/loss record didn't make it above .500 last season, or in 2007.

 

Cappy has proven multiple times he can pitch with pain. He didn't do it well, but that was more likely because there was structurally wrong with his arm all along. If his arm is structurally better he should return more quickly than most pitchers would. He's not a Sheets who nurses injuries.

[PeaveyFury]

Looper is pretty similar to what we already have at 3-5 so he wouldn't really upgrade the rotation, just the depth.

 

Not a single person in our 3-5 threw 199 innings last year, and only one of them posted a sub 4.2 ERA in the innings that they did pitch. I fail to see how this is not an upgrade.

 

I suggested over the weekend in the Sheets thread that not getting the picks for Ben might free up a couple million to sign a starter, and the timing of this (along with the abrupt about-face in the organization's stance on rotation depth) really makes me wonder if that was indeed the case.

[RU Rah Rah]

OK, I will temporarily stop my annoying hand-wringing over the rotation. At least now there's a little more depth.

[PeaveyFury]

Looper's ERA away from pitcher friendly "New Busch" the last 2 seasons has been 6.81 and 4.52, or a raw average of 5.67.

 

According to ESPN, New Busch was only one ranking higher as a pitcher friendly park than Miller Park (22 for the Keg, 23 for Busch).

 

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/stats/parkfactor

[Ennder]

Dave Bush pitches worse on the road too... I don't read much into home vs road splits. Nobody is expecting Looper to be an ace, he just keeps McClung who very likely is over a 5.00 ERA starter out of the rotation and in a backup role which is a good thing. This deal is probably worth a win or two to the Brewers which very well could be the difference between the playoffs and sitting at home given how the last 2 seasons have ended.

[Patrick425]

6-0 in the postseason. The Crew takes another big game pitcher from the Cardinals!

 

I do like this signing as long as it's no more than a 2 year deal. It strengthens the back of the rotation and bullpen at the same time.

 

Actually, I think he's 4-0 in the postseason: EDIT: Take that back ....2-0

 

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/L/Ploopb001.htm

[endaround]

Just a quick CHONE projection comparison:

 

Looper : 4.85 ERA 130 innings 4.75 FIP

 

Suppan: 5.31 ERA 161 innings 5.01 FIP

 

Looper is likely about a 1-1.5 win improvement over McClung. Better than what the Brewers had but given the available pitchers this offseason not really exciting.

[PeaveyFury]

Tom's latest blog:

 

Also, a reader who knows a friend of Looper heard from the friend that Looper expects to come to an agreement with the Brewers today. The reader said the friend had been in touch with Looper.

 

So, if I'm reading his post correctly, he's basing his belief that we're signing Looper on the above, and because Looper's wife wouldn't deny the report when she was reached for comment? Guh...

 

http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/sports/39319807.html

[yount19.u]

6-0 in the postseason. The Crew takes another big game pitcher from the Cardinals!

 

I do like this signing as long as it's no more than a 2 year deal. It strengthens the back of the rotation and bullpen at the same time.

 

Actually, I think he's 4-0 in the postseason: EDIT: Take that back ....2-0

 

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/L/Ploopb001.htm

You're right. His team has won all six games he pitched, so at worst, he's a good luck charm.

[PeaveyFury]

Looper is likely about a 1-1.5 win improvement over McClung. Better than what the Brewers had but given the available pitchers this offseason not really exciting.

 

But that's not the whole picture- how much better is McClung than who he replaces in the bullpen?

[patrickgpe]

side note, but the park factor for miller park has taken a great fall since opening in '01. I guess that has to be contributed to the brewers having much better pitchers since those motley crews were had in the early naughts. The offense for the team has gotten much better and we have still seen a 0.05 decrease in the park factor.

[Crewin06]

Looper is likely about a 1-1.5 win improvement over McClung. Better than what the Brewers had but given the available pitchers this offseason not really exciting.

 

But that's not the whole picture- how much better is McClung than who he replaces in the bullpen?

Exactly what I was going to say. I would like to see McClung become a long-man in the Pen reminiscent of the closers of old. comes in in the 6th or 7th inning and pitches the remainder of the game every 3rd or 4th day.

[kramnoj]

So, if I'm reading his post correctly, he's basing his belief that we're signing Looper on the above, and because Looper's wife wouldn't deny the report when she was reached for comment? Guh...

 

He seems to have previously heard that Lopper and the Brewers were in negotiations. He has small pieces of evidence/rumor that it will happen today. I think he's using the smaller pieces to move him percentage points in confidence, not as the base of the story.