2020 Brewers rotation

[brewcrewdue80]

Rotation as of now:

Woodruff

Lindblom barring an awful looking ST

Anderson

Lauer

Houser

#6 as Peralta

You have Burnes and even Brown to dig deeper. Suter is an option. Deeper Supak or Derby. Rasmussen?

 

The X factor here is Lindblom and where he settles in to rotation. Anderson fits as a #3 or 4 just fine when healthy. Lauer has a better Fip than his rookie season and a similar Fip settles as a quality 4 with upside to 3.

Houser is better statistically as a RP but his SP stuff fits fine for a #5 Likewise you can say the same for Peralta who had a poor 2019 starting but was better in 2018 with a consistent stretch of starts

 

Burnes/Brown. 1 of them has to come back from their 2019 season right? That can be more than enough to convice spot starts or replacing an injury or a #5 spot.

 

Suter who knows. He's the Hernan Perez for the Pitching staff heading in to 2020.

 

Supak has had natural progression and that ends up on to the Brewers in 2020 if continues.

Derby is the Aaron Wilkerson for 2020. When it all goes Fubar, Okay Derby you're up.

 

I think the staff stands a good chance to be around 4ERA and just under while pitching at least 2 more outs on average per start.

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

They will add depth in the starting pitching department likely this month and next. There are still a ton of guys out there available. The names who interest me on minor league deals or cheap major league deals include Danny Salazar, Dan Straily and Aaron Sanchez.

[wntrtxn21]

Rotation as of now:

Woodruff

Lindblom barring an awful looking ST

Anderson

Lauer

Houser

#6 as Peralta

You have Burnes and even Brown to dig deeper. Suter is an option. Deeper Supak or Derby. Rasmussen?

 

The X factor here is Lindblom and where he settles in to rotation. Anderson fits as a #3 or 4 just fine when healthy. Lauer has a better Fip than his rookie season and a similar Fip settles as a quality 4 with upside to 3.

Houser is better statistically as a RP but his SP stuff fits fine for a #5 Likewise you can say the same for Peralta who had a poor 2019 starting but was better in 2018 with a consistent stretch of starts

 

Burnes/Brown. 1 of them has to come back from their 2019 season right? That can be more than enough to convice spot starts or replacing an injury or a #5 spot.

 

Suter who knows. He's the Hernan Perez for the Pitching staff heading in to 2020.

 

Supak has had natural progression and that ends up on to the Brewers in 2020 if continues.

Derby is the Aaron Wilkerson for 2020. When it all goes Fubar, Okay Derby you're up.

 

I think the staff stands a good chance to be around 4ERA and just under while pitching at least 2 more outs on average per start.

 

Supak and Derby are, unfortunately, following in Brown's footsteps. All three got to AAA and failed miserably. They all have to prove they can get AAA hitters out before they even can think about the big leagues. Burnes needs to show he too can get AAA hitters out. He, however has a track record (until last year) and hopefully will have somehow figured it out. I don't think Stearns can count on any of those four guys for the 26 man roster.

[JosephC]

Have to admit that I think the rotation currently looks dreadful.

 

For all the belly-aching over third base, I really like the lineup against lefty pitchers and think the 2-6 spots should be very good against righties (at a minimum, overall still feel pretty decent about the lineup against righties).

 

I like Brett Anderson and think he could be a good fit in Miller Park, but I have little confidence in his health. Lindblom has been a really mediocre pitcher in MLB and I don't think the rest of MLB saw him as that great of an option considering the deal he agreed to with Milwaukee (<10 million over three years...next to nothing in today's MLB), Lauer, career 5.44 ERA, 1.59 WHIP, .286/.360/.455/.814 batting line against when pitching outside of San Diego. Optimistic on Houser, but he was a 4.57 ERA/1.35 WHIP performer as a starter last year. Love Woodruff's ability but have to start looking at his inning totals as well. Season high mark was 158 innings in 2016, and last year was his second highest total and that was only 121 2/3 innings. Ace? Maybe, maybe not but hard to say he's the anchor of a rotation with the career inning totals that he has.

 

I don't like the bullpen either.

[sveumrules]

Last year we won 89 games with literally thee most average-est pitching staff in all of MLB...

 

SP: ERA- 99 | FIP- 103 | xFIP- 105

RP: ERA- 99 | FIP- 96 | xFIP- 94

All: ERA- 99 | FIP- 100 | xFIP- 100

 

ZIPS projects both the rotation & bullpen to improve upon their 2019 results, for whatever that is or isn't worth. I don't necessarily see it myself looking at the current collection of names, but I'm guessing the Brewers proprietary internal projections also believe impovement upon 2019 is a feasible, though of course by no means certain, outcome.

[tmwiese55]

While I get none of these guys jump off the paper and am also not expecting a ridiculous staff. It's also not hard to top what was out there last year. Basically every opening starter flopped outside of Woodruff and the pen was trash outside of Hader until mid August. I'm not saying these guys are going to be top 5 or anything, but it's not too difficult to top last year (pre mid August). Problem of course is that replicating the last two Septembers seems very very unlikely as well.

 

In general, yea of course I'd prefer one more Woodruff level guy (like if Burnes hadn't flopped) but in general I like that they seem to have put some value into the starters eating more inning this year with these acquisition. Who knows if it comes to reality, but it seems that was the goal here and on paper they seem to have accomplished that

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

Have to admit that I think the rotation currently looks dreadful.

 

Considering the train wreck-level results we saw from 3/5ths of the rotation (Burnes, Peralta and Chacin) for a large portion of the season, "dreadful" would likely be an improvement. I'd be extremely surprised if Lindblom, Lauer and Anderson aren't significantly better than those three. What might be tougher is picking up the slack from not having the solid work of Davies, Anderson, Lyles and Gonzalez. The Brewers definitely need to address the lack of solid depth in the starting pitching department for 2020.

[RollieTime]

Have to admit that I think the rotation currently looks dreadful.

 

Considering the train wreck-level results we saw from 3/5ths of the rotation (Burnes, Peralta and Chacin) for a large portion of the season, "dreadful" would likely be an improvement. I'd be extremely surprised if Lindblom, Lauer and Anderson aren't significantly better than those three. What might be tougher is picking up the slack from not having the solid work of Davies, Anderson, Lyles and Gonzalez. The Brewers definitely need to address the lack of solid depth in the starting pitching department for 2020.

 

Hoping for a Taijuan Walker signing and slotting him into the 5 spot in the rotation, kicking Houser to the pen. I think that would be an inexpensive move with upside that would strengthen both the rotation and the bullpen.

[TJseven7]

I'm not necessarily worried about the guys we have here. I'm worried about the lack of depth we have in the system altogether.

 

The 5 SP we have are completely fine. The problem is that Anderson has an injury history and Houser may not ideally be a starter. Lauer is still young and Lindblom doesn't have experience in the MLB recently. That's a lot of speculation to get through when they only have 5 guys. When you move to the pen you see Peralta and Suter as the next men up in the rotation. That's a good start.

 

The big problem is if we have to move either/both of those two into the rotation due to injury, that leaves you with Hader and who exactly?

 

The team is littered with interesting options but as it currently sits they need a lot of those options to pitch 4 ERA ball and that's no where near a given as we've seen from basically everyone we threw at the wall in 2019. There is a long long list of interesting options but it brings me over to a NFL corner/wr frame of thought. You can have 4 3s and 3 4s and 3 5s on the roster, you are going to struggle because you have to make multiple 3s a 1 and 2.

 

Claudio Black are fine as back end options in the pen. Devin, Feyereisen, Yardley, Wahl, Barker and everyone Clancy likes are interesting options. However, if you think starting 3 of these guys off on the MLB roster is a good thing then you are risking a melt down like they had last year. You want those guys in AAA so that when a domino falls you can replace that domino with one of those guys.

 

It's not that the staff and pen doesn't have pieces who are enough. It's that the team is a few injuries (likely) or flame outs (possibly) away from being right back in the same spot they were last year throwing stuff at the wall and hoping it sticks. I am ok with that strategy to a degree, but the only way that works is if you give yourself as many options as humanly possible and currently I do not see MKE doing that.

 

If there's a trade, I'd love to see a trade for a SP. If they keep going down the FA route I feel like they need 4 more options pushed into this system to get to the point where the injuries and flames can be overcome. Adding Collin McHugh, Aaron Sanchez, Andrew Cashner and Taijuan Walker to the bull pen would go a long way towards pushing our number of options available into a successful range. Walker would give MKE 7 guys (assuming Peralta's CB SL improvement makes SP a revisited idea) competing for 5 spots. The other 3 have all profiled as quality BP arms much like Pom. All 3 show the ability to be Guerra +. If 1 or 2 actually are, that's 1-2 less spots to worry about. They should not be very expensive and they aren't safe in the least. I'd likely go to Suter Peralta and Burnes before I go to anyone but Walker as a SP. However, they are 4 more guys with MLB talent who have a chance of working out and solving a spot before we have to start looking at Wahl, Devin, etc.

 

I'm very hopeful that the farm will produce a number of guys (Burnes, Ashby, File as starters and BP guys in Rasmussen, Brown and Kelly) for the stretch run (last month) of 2020 and for 2021. I am still concerned about 2020 until August.

[Fear The Chorizo]

If one of Burnes or Peralta turn the same corner Woodruff made at some point between September 2018 and Opening Day 2019, the Brewers' rotation actually looks pretty darn good considering the collective pay of that group...

 

Collectively, the 7 pitcher grouping of Anderson/Lindblom/Woodruff/Peralta/Houser/Burnes/Lauer will make roughly $10.5M in 2020. There is actually a very good chance the entire Brewer Opening Day pitching staff will make less than John Lester or Yu Darvish will in 2020.

[wntrtxn21]

I'm not necessarily worried about the guys we have here. I'm worried about the lack of depth we have in the system altogether.

 

The 5 SP we have are completely fine. The problem is that Anderson has an injury history and Houser may not ideally be a starter. Lauer is still young and Lindblom doesn't have experience in the MLB recently. That's a lot of speculation to get through when they only have 5 guys. When you move to the pen you see Peralta and Suter as the next men up in the rotation. That's a good start.

 

The big problem is if we have to move either/both of those two into the rotation due to injury, that leaves you with Hader and who exactly?

 

The team is littered with interesting options but as it currently sits they need a lot of those options to pitch 4 ERA ball and that's no where near a given as we've seen from basically everyone we threw at the wall in 2019. There is a long long list of interesting options but it brings me over to a NFL corner/wr frame of thought. You can have 4 3s and 3 4s and 3 5s on the roster, you are going to struggle because you have to make multiple 3s a 1 and 2.

 

Claudio Black are fine as back end options in the pen. Devin, Feyereisen, Yardley, Wahl, Barker and everyone Clancy likes are interesting options. However, if you think starting 3 of these guys off on the MLB roster is a good thing then you are risking a melt down like they had last year. You want those guys in AAA so that when a domino falls you can replace that domino with one of those guys.

 

It's not that the staff and pen doesn't have pieces who are enough. It's that the team is a few injuries (likely) or flame outs (possibly) away from being right back in the same spot they were last year throwing stuff at the wall and hoping it sticks. I am ok with that strategy to a degree, but the only way that works is if you give yourself as many options as humanly possible and currently I do not see MKE doing that.

 

If there's a trade, I'd love to see a trade for a SP. If they keep going down the FA route I feel like they need 4 more options pushed into this system to get to the point where the injuries and flames can be overcome. Adding Collin McHugh, Aaron Sanchez, Andrew Cashner and Taijuan Walker to the bull pen would go a long way towards pushing our number of options available into a successful range. Walker would give MKE 7 guys (assuming Peralta's CB SL improvement makes SP a revisited idea) competing for 5 spots. The other 3 have all profiled as quality BP arms much like Pom. All 3 show the ability to be Guerra +. If 1 or 2 actually are, that's 1-2 less spots to worry about. They should not be very expensive and they aren't safe in the least. I'd likely go to Suter Peralta and Burnes before I go to anyone but Walker as a SP. However, they are 4 more guys with MLB talent who have a chance of working out and solving a spot before we have to start looking at Wahl, Devin, etc.

 

I'm very hopeful that the farm will produce a number of guys (Burnes, Ashby, File as starters and BP guys in Rasmussen, Brown and Kelly) for the stretch run (last month) of 2020 and for 2021. I am still concerned about 2020 until August.

 

I'd like to see McHugh and Walker also (if both are healthy). Neither would be expensive and McHugh may be a huge asset in the pen. Walker would be a nice come-back type pitcher. I'm just wondering about the health of both because there has been no rumors about either one of them going to anybody. However, neither Sanchez (5.89 ERA/5.25 FIP - 1.62 WHIP - 10 hits and 5 BBs per 9IPs) nor Cashner (4.68/4.66 - 1.35 WHIP - 3.5 BB/6.5K per 9 - made $9.5M) would be worth even looking at. Imo Stearns could get at least equal to and probably better than, that type of production from guys already on the 40 man roster.

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

Call it a hunch, but I'd be willing to bet that Sanchez is better than Walker this year.

[TJseven7]

However, neither Sanchez (5.89 ERA/5.25 FIP - 1.62 WHIP - 10 hits and 5 BBs per 9IPs) nor Cashner (4.68/4.66 - 1.35 WHIP - 3.5 BB/6.5K per 9 - made $9.5M) would be worth even looking at. Imo Stearns could get at least equal to and probably better than, that type of production from guys already on the 40 man roster.

 

Again it's super cool that you look at the surface numbers and use that to discredit my thoughts. How about these numbers for Aaron Sanchez.

2018 1st 2nd 3rd innings ERA 2.95. 1st inning ERA 3.15.

2019 1st inning ERA 2.33. 1st 2nd innings ERA 3.66.

Career 1st inning ERA 2.62 Career 1st and 2nd inning ERA 3.46.

Career ERA as a RP 1.67.

 

I think he looks pretty good 1 time through. Looks like a guy with nasty stuff who doesn't know how to pitch. That's a reliever. Also his FB as a reliever was 97. It was 95 as a starter.

Maybe I did my research before I spoke up.

 

Cashner as a reliever last year 3.86. K/9 went up. Whip went down. Eliminating the CB from his arsenal would help him. FB CH SL would work well in the pen. That's also good cuz he cut out his cutter and sinker last year because they weren't working. He's now a 3 pitch guy because those work. If anyone wanted to pay Cashner go right ahead but he's been kicked around the league like a can and there's value in guys who have talent who look like they are just about to fall through the cracks of FA. If we can't nab him for 2 mil or under (you know a cheaper Guerra) I don't want him.

[wntrtxn21]

However, neither Sanchez (5.89 ERA/5.25 FIP - 1.62 WHIP - 10 hits and 5 BBs per 9IPs) nor Cashner (4.68/4.66 - 1.35 WHIP - 3.5 BB/6.5K per 9 - made $9.5M) would be worth even looking at. Imo Stearns could get at least equal to and probably better than, that type of production from guys already on the 40 man roster.

 

Again it's super cool that you look at the surface numbers and use that to discredit my thoughts. How about these numbers for Aaron Sanchez.

2018 1st 2nd 3rd innings ERA 2.95. 1st inning ERA 3.15.

2019 1st inning ERA 2.33. 1st 2nd innings ERA 3.66.

Career 1st inning ERA 2.62 Career 1st and 2nd inning ERA 3.46.

Career ERA as a RP 1.67.

 

I think he looks pretty good 1 time through. Looks like a guy with nasty stuff who doesn't know how to pitch. That's a reliever. Also his FB as a reliever was 97. It was 95 as a starter.

Maybe I did my research before I spoke up.

 

Cashner as a reliever last year 3.86. K/9 went up. Whip went down. Eliminating the CB from his arsenal would help him. FB CH SL would work well in the pen. That's also good cuz he cut out his cutter and sinker last year because they weren't working. He's now a 3 pitch guy because those work. If anyone wanted to pay Cashner go right ahead but he's been kicked around the league like a can and there's value in guys who have talent who look like they are just about to fall through the cracks of FA. If we can't nab him for 2 mil or under (you know a cheaper Guerra) I don't want him.

 

There are many teams in desperate need of relief help and with all the metrics out there today, Sanchez is still unsigned. Do you think if any team, including Tor and Houston (teams he played for) thought Sanchez could be a pen stud, he would still be out there? How about these numbers for Sanchez. High leverage situations BA .300 - OBP .400 - OPS 1.054.... If the game is within one run: .305/.385 - OPS .885.....Within 2 runs: .288/.375 - .852..... Cashner has been with 5 different teams in the last 4 years. I think he has more value than Sanchez and I agree, if they can get him for under $2M, he may be worth a look.

[TJseven7]

Was there a bidding war over Pom at the trade deadline? He was a bad starter. He turned into a 9 mil reliever. Someone's going to buy low. Also, why did Houston bother starting him?

Everyone knows that doesn't work by now.

 

High leverage numbers? Pretty much a fluke. (as those are numbers from 91 AB) Those aren't his career numbers. Please do not use small sample size numbers to prove your point. His leverage numbers over his career are greatly effected by his terrible 4th through 6th inning work as a starter. When you put a guy in position to fail and then put him into leverage spots it's not surprising he fails. If you are still concerned, can we add him and not make him the closer? I surely wouldn't mind a low 3s pen arm who pitches when Peralta Suter Hader Knebel aren't available or needed.

[Jaylyn]

Call it a hunch, but I'd be willing to bet that Sanchez is better than Walker this year.

Do you know the status of Sanchez? Been looking and not finding much.

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2019/09/aaron-sanchez-to-undergo-season-ending-shoulder-surgery.html

[clancyphile]

I'm of the opinion that as with the bullpen, a lot of the depth has to come from AAA.

 

At least one of Burnes-Supak-Brown-File-Jankins needs to emerge as a contributor by the end of 2020. Maybe there are some potential NRI types, but at some point, the Crew needs to develop the players.

[TJseven7]

I'm of the opinion that as with the bullpen, a lot of the depth has to come from AAA.

 

At least one of Burnes-Supak-Brown-File-Jankins needs to emerge as a contributor by the end of 2020. Maybe there are some potential NRI types, but at some point, the Crew needs to develop the players.

 

They can buy some stop gap types on the cheap until the farm forces them out of the job.

 

As it stacks up currently.

Woodruff Anderson Lindblom Lauer Houser/Peralta is starting.

Knebel Hader Houser/Peralta Suter are the 1st 4 in the pen.

 

That leaves Claudio and I guess Black. Both of those feel like 7 8 guys in the pen. Who is 5-6 and who is 4 if/when a starter gets hurt? At minimum they need 2 pen arms who can be trusted to some degree.

[brewcrewdue80]

Rotation as of now:

Woodruff

Lindblom barring an awful looking ST

Anderson

Lauer

Houser

#6 as Peralta

You have Burnes and even Brown to dig deeper. Suter is an option. Deeper Supak or Derby.

Burnes/Brown. 1 of them has to come back from their 2019 season right? That can be more than enough to convice spot starts or replacing an injury or a #5 spot.

 

Suter who knows. He's the Hernan Perez for the Pitching staff heading in to 2020.

 

Supak has had natural progression and that ends up on to the Brewers in 2020 if continues.

Derby is the Aaron Wilkerson for 2020. When it all goes Fubar, Okay Derby you're up.

 

I think the staff stands a good chance to be around 4ERA and just under while pitching at least 2 more outs on average per start.

 

Supak and Derby are, unfortunately, following in Brown's footsteps. All three got to AAA and failed miserably. They all have to prove they can get AAA hitters out before they even can think about the big leagues. Burnes needs to show he too can get AAA hitters out. He, however has a track record (until last year) and hopefully will have somehow figured it out. I don't think Stearns can count on any of those four guys for the 26 man roster.

 

I don't know I'd believe that. Brewers clalled up Devin Williams (i think forgotten in bullpen inclusions) after 3appearances under 4IP.

2020 new season new beginning. Roll with the hot hand after Spring training. If thats Brown or Supak over Burnes then that's who it will be. They clearly did with Williams and stayed with him during a 2month stretch to get in the playoffs. Maybe the guy who wins out of ST becomes a 2018 Burnes bullpen dominator.

 

Can we not see the youth depth for the bullpen? I had no clue Devin Williams was basically on the team the last 2months of the season with effective results in the bullpen. I cant allow myself to turn my back on Burnes. He was so dominant in 2018, why not just return to being dominant in 2020? Peralta or Houser have Starter or much better RP ability. Kneble returns at some point. And Hader. Suter.

Supak and Brown=depth. Rasmussen-depth.

Went in fo 2019 with very high hopes on Peralta, Burnes, and who am I forgetting? Was it just Woodruff? We're going in to 2020 with even more names to put out there and hopefully the odds of success work in our favor vs last year.

[TJseven7]

They were adverse to go to Devin. They went to Jay Jackson before they'd go to Devin. I see the depth of youth. They need to be in AAA proving they are the best of that group and moving up when injury or implosion arises. Devin didn't pitch much but he also wasn't very good.

 

I'm not concerned about Hader Knebel Suter Peralta/Houser in the pen. That's the back bone of the pen. It's putting Black and 2 of the youth into the pen immediately and needing a number of those young options to pitch well that bothers me. Everyone they threw at the pen worked in 2018. Everyone they called up into the pen in 2019 flopped except for Houser and an already established Suter down the stretch.

 

As for Burnes, I'm not writing him off at all. I'm putting him in AAA until he can start because that's what MKE needs from him. He has the stuff and pitch mix to do it. They need him to pan out there. You don't take a guy with his profile and toss him into the pen before you know he can not start.

 

If you are talking about pushing Rasmussen into the pen early this year, you are rushing him. I said earlier, I think late 2020 and into 2021 the farm has a chance of graduating a few good pieces into the pen and rotation. I don't want 3 guys like Black who could trigger a 3 man shuttle of guys coming up to see if they can hang in the MLB by May. That's risking a lot of bad innings.

[brewcrewdue80]

I think the way it will work is the team will break camp with their crew with 2 RPs in mind to shuttle. Well with a 26man, maybe just 1 in mind for shuttling. Corbin Burnes started the season and after 5 starts went to the bullpen and pitched there poorly til July 14th last season. So keep that in mind when I talk about depth and list the guys you'd expect to be some AAA time away. They can easily accrue a month or two to "earn" the promotion. The idea is, is that option exists as you mention end of 2020 to in to 2021. We don't necessarily have to acquire a RP at the Deadline but find one just in the AAA. Such as Rasmussen. In July or August. Williams was serviceable in his first look at the Majors. He only appeared in a game top 9th down 1run to Stl. Otherwise the team had 3runs or more lead or were behind by 2runs or more. Just under a 4ERA albeit a 4.82Fip. Anything below 4.4ERA I'm sure can be managed and is useful. And that's just sorta it, I feel there are a lot of guys that can beat a 4.4ERA If they start beating a 3ERA they are a strength. That must be an extra win over the season.

[JohnBriggs12]

Have to admit that I think the rotation currently looks dreadful.

 

Considering the train wreck-level results we saw from 3/5ths of the rotation (Burnes, Peralta and Chacin) for a large portion of the season, "dreadful" would likely be an improvement. I'd be extremely surprised if Lindblom, Lauer and Anderson aren't significantly better than those three. What might be tougher is picking up the slack from not having the solid work of Davies, Anderson, Lyles and Gonzalez. The Brewers definitely need to address the lack of solid depth in the starting pitching department for 2020.

 

Burnes and Peralta made a grand total of 12 starts between them. In Peralta's first start he threw 8 shutout innings fanning 11. In two of his other 7 starts he allowed one earned run. The difference last year was that Peralta and Burnes were clearly on short leashes. Chacin wasn't that bad the first 6 weeks either. The guys they added this year, Brett Anderson, Lauer, and Lindblom are going to be given much longer leashes as is Houser who still has a rather limited track record. Last year they also had proven major league quality starters in their prime in Davies and Anderson, and their best starter down the stretch was Lyles. Now all 3 are gone and replaced by guys will lesser track records.

 

Despite losing tons of lineup punch in Moustakas, Grandal and Thames, it's plausible this year's lineup can be just as productive, but the pitching staff and rotation in particular is a complete crap shoot, not unlike many many years of Brewer history where team ended up sub .500. Compared to the Reds, Cardinals and Cubs, it's clearly inferior. Being unwilling to pay Anderson and Lyles was simply dumbfounding to me.

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

Have to admit that I think the rotation currently looks dreadful.

 

Considering the train wreck-level results we saw from 3/5ths of the rotation (Burnes, Peralta and Chacin) for a large portion of the season, "dreadful" would likely be an improvement. I'd be extremely surprised if Lindblom, Lauer and Anderson aren't significantly better than those three. What might be tougher is picking up the slack from not having the solid work of Davies, Anderson, Lyles and Gonzalez. The Brewers definitely need to address the lack of solid depth in the starting pitching department for 2020.

 

Burnes and Peralta made a grand total of 12 starts between them. In Peralta's first start he threw 8 shutout innings fanning 11. In two of his other 7 starts he allowed one earned run. The difference last year was that Peralta and Burnes were clearly on short leashes. Chacin wasn't that bad the first 6 weeks either. The guys they added this year, Brett Anderson, Lauer, and Lindblom are going to be given much longer leashes as is Houser who still has a rather limited track record. Last year they also had proven major league quality starters in their prime in Davies and Anderson, and their best starter down the stretch was Lyles. Now all 3 are gone and replaced by guys will lesser track records.

 

Despite losing tons of lineup punch in Moustakas, Grandal and Thames, it's plausible this year's lineup can be just as productive, but the pitching staff and rotation in particular is a complete crap shoot, not unlike many many years of Brewer history where team ended up sub .500. Compared to the Reds, Cardinals and Cubs, it's clearly inferior. Being unwilling to pay Anderson and Lyles was simply dumbfounding to me.

 

I think of Woodruff, Houser, Lauer, Lindblom and Anderson, four out of five will likely be just fine, health permitting. The key is going to be finding another 3-4 guys who can take starts without getting embarrassed. Perhaps they consider Peralta one of those guys, but his value might be better in the pen. Burnes is a complete crapshoot at this point. Suter could make starts, but he proved he can be a very effective weapon out of the pen last year. They need more starting depth in the organization, and I expect 2-3 guys signed to minor league deals in the next month or so.

[JosephC]

Call it a hunch, but I'd be willing to bet that Sanchez is better than Walker this year.

Do you know the status of Sanchez? Been looking and not finding much.

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2019/09/aaron-sanchez-to-undergo-season-ending-shoulder-surgery.html

 

Last I heard it was a torn capsule with an estimated recovery time of 12-14 months.

[brewmann04]

Add Walker and call and let them battle it out in Spring training.