Article: Impending Roster Crunch

[BrewCrewBBQ]

May 2 is fast approaching, with it coming roster decisions for the front office and manager, Craig Counsell. Due to the shortened Spring Training, the MLB Players Association and the owners group agreed to expand rosters to 28 through May 1, then to drop to the originally planned 26-man roster on May 2. Adding to the fun, Luis Urías is set to come back from the IL around the same timeframe.

 

The agreed upon roster limitations include a maximum of 13 pitchers on the active roster, with the Brewers currently at 15 - they are using both extra roster spots for pitching staff. Below is a breakdown of the roster, as currently constructed. Any player marked with an asterisk (*) has available options.

 

Rotation		Bullpen		Infield		Outfield		Catchers		IL
Aaron Ashby*		Brad Boxberger		Keston Hiura*		Andrew McCutchen		Victor Caratini*		Luis Urîas*
Corbin Burnes*		Jake Cousins*		Rowdy Tellez		Tyrone Taylor		Omar Narvaez*
Adrian Houser		Trevor Gott		Mike Brosseau*		Christian Yelich
Eric Lauer*		Jandel Gustave*		Jace Peterson		Lorenzo Cain
Freddy Peralta*		Josh Hader*		Kolten Wong		Hunter Renfroe*
Brandon Woodruff*		Hoby Milner*		Willy Adames*
		Brent Suter*
		José Ureña
		Devin Williams*

Pitching Cuts
First things first, which two pitchers will no longer be on the MLB roster? The rotation is set, leaving us the bullpen to cull. Even if they go back to using Ashby out of the bullpen, he isn’t on the shortlist for Nashville. The Brewers could choose to keep all the players that have remaining options, but it would require them to designate another player for assignment (DFA).

For now, I don’t see the Brewers moving on from any of the players that would require a DFA, as they’ve earned their keep - for the here and now. That can change quickly. The two players that fall into the safe from DFA category are Trevor Gott and José Ureña. I see three likely candidates to be optioned, two will head to Nashville and the other is sure to be shuttled at some point this year: Jake Cousins, Jandel Gustave, and Hoby Milner.

Jake Cousins
Cousins is electric, but he suffers because of it. His slider bites so hard that it often ends up at the backstop as a past ball. In 2022 he has worked to a 3.60 ERA over seven innings, allowing five hits, one walk, one hit by pitch, racked up four wild pitches, and accrued seven strike outs. He may get bumped to AAA to get more regular work, where he can pitch in high leverage situations with regularity and get his work in. Even if he is optioned to AAA, expect to see him back at the MLB level this year - he is simply too electric to keep out of the bullpen.

Jandel Gustave
Gustave has gotten regular work for Counsell this year, racking up 5 2/3 innings in the first 13 games. He has pitched in both a mop-up role as well as with a lead. Gustave throws a sinker that acts as more of a fastball along with a slider with nice shape to it. In his 5 2/3 innings, he has pitched to a 4.76 ERA, allowing five hits (one for a home run), three walks, and four strikeouts. While he is holding his own to a degree, he isn’t lights out and doesn’t feature pitches likely to be highlighted by Pitching Ninja. What we are seeing is what we can expect from him, low-leverage innings chosen for him by Counsell. Gustave is not the type of guy you want to roll into the postseason relying on.

Hoby Milner
Milner picked up his first decision, a win, this year and is looking sharp. He is a pitch to contact guy with a weird arm slot, which rewards him with weak contact. He has appeared in five games and picked up 4 2/3 innings. In that time, he has posted a 0.00 ERA, allowing three hits, no walks, and three strikeouts. Milner has looked reliable so far this year but maybe loses a little value as he plays a similar role to Brent Suter on the roster. If optioned, he will appear on the MLB roster again later this year.

I see Jandel Gustave as the sure bet to head to Nashville, joined by Hoby Milner. Cousins pitched very well in Milwaukee in 2021 and is likely to be rewarded for his contributions. He may benefit from the regular innings, but has a much higher ceiling than Milner. I expect Milner will be the first call up to supplement the bullpen when the need arises.

Urías to return from the IL 
Luis Urías is set to begin his rehab assignment with AA Biloxi on Saturday. With Milwaukee’s offense sputtering with occasional signs of life, getting back the 2021 home run leader can’t come soon enough. With his return, the Crew will have to send one of the bench infielders packing for Nashville as well. This time, the options are Keston Hiura and Mike Brosseau. Jace Peterson feels safe as he is a left-handed hitter and doesn’t have any options left.

Keston Hiura
Hiura is looking to bounce back after a really rough 2021 campaign, during which he hit .168/.256/.301. This was good for an OPS+ of 49, which means he was 51% worse than your average MLB hitter. Hiura has appeared in seven games in 2022, totaling 17 plate appearances - hardly an exhaustive data set. During those 17 PA, he is hitting .222/.333/.453. On Wednesday he did drive a ball out to deep right field, picking up three RBI and cementing the Brewers win. Keston has limited opportunities to prove his way back into the everyday lineup, blocked by Rowdy Tellez, Kolten Wong, Andrew McCutchen, and Christian Yelich. Part of the trouble is that Hiura has reverse splits, where he bats significantly better against right-handed pitching than he does lefties. The lineup may opt to keep a bench bat with a better platoon advantage.

Mike Brosseau
Brosseau doesn’t have a shining resume on the year either, sporting a measly .154/.214/.385. He has 14 plate appearances in seven games for 2022, the highlight of which was the home run in Chicago. Brosseau has not appeared in a game for Counsell at all during the Pirates series, although they featured all right-handed starting pitchers. Historically, against southpaws, Brosseau has an OPS+ of 127, making him a valuable piece off the bench or for a spot start against LHP. He is also more versatile and can play any of the infield positions, as opposed to Keston’s limitation of first base, second base, or left field.

I think they’ll both get more opportunities before the decision is made, and if either player is hot they’ll stick around. If nothing changes, I do see Hiura heading to AAA for regular at-bats where he can continue his development. Brosseau carries a lot of value in his defensive versatility and is more valuable off the bench against LHP. This is by no means a clear-cut decision, and the coming week may play a major role in the coming decision.

One other caveat: should Urías return to the MLB roster prior to May 2, I think Jandel Gustave will be optioned before a decision will have to be made on either Hiura or Brosseau. Milwaukee will want to delay the infield move longer than losing one of their bullpen group.

Which relievers do you think will no longer be on the big league roster come May 2? Do you think Hiura or Brosseau get to hang around, for now? Let us know what you think in the comments!

 

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[djoctagone]

important to note:

any pitcher who is optioned or placed on the injured list prior to the deadline to contract rosters by two players will require a minimum stay of only 10 days, instead of 15.

thus, i wouldn't be surprised to see the brewers option the struggling devin williams, with the assurance that he'd only be down for 10 days.

[djoctagone]

important to note:

any pitcher who is optioned or placed on the injured list prior to the deadline to contract rosters by two players will require a minimum stay of only 10 days, instead of 15.

thus, i wouldn't be surprised to see the brewers option the struggling devin williams, with the assurance that he'd only be down for 10 days.

[djoctagone]

important to note:

any pitcher who is optioned or placed on the injured list prior to the deadline to contract rosters by two players will require a minimum stay of only 10 days, instead of 15.

thus, i wouldn't be surprised to see the brewers option the struggling devin williams, with the assurance that he'd only be down for 10 days.

[djoctagone]

important to note:

any pitcher who is optioned or placed on the injured list prior to the deadline to contract rosters by two players will require a minimum stay of only 10 days, instead of 15.

thus, i wouldn't be surprised to see the brewers option the struggling devin williams, with the assurance that he'd only be down for 10 days.

[BrewCrewBBQ]

6 hours ago, djoctagone said:

important to note:

any pitcher who is optioned or placed on the injured list prior to the deadline to contract rosters by two players will require a minimum stay of only 10 days, instead of 15.

thus, i wouldn't be surprised to see the brewers option the struggling devin williams, with the assurance that he'd only be down for 10 days.

This is a good point, and could also be applied to Cousins. Fun thought, I do think Devin could use it. I am not sure they will do it, but it would not be the most surprising move the team has made. 
 

On the flip side, it just takes an injury to avoid the 10/15 altogether. 

[BrewCrewBBQ]

6 hours ago, djoctagone said:

important to note:

any pitcher who is optioned or placed on the injured list prior to the deadline to contract rosters by two players will require a minimum stay of only 10 days, instead of 15.

thus, i wouldn't be surprised to see the brewers option the struggling devin williams, with the assurance that he'd only be down for 10 days.

This is a good point, and could also be applied to Cousins. Fun thought, I do think Devin could use it. I am not sure they will do it, but it would not be the most surprising move the team has made. 
 

On the flip side, it just takes an injury to avoid the 10/15 altogether. 

[BrewCrewBBQ]

6 hours ago, djoctagone said:

important to note:

any pitcher who is optioned or placed on the injured list prior to the deadline to contract rosters by two players will require a minimum stay of only 10 days, instead of 15.

thus, i wouldn't be surprised to see the brewers option the struggling devin williams, with the assurance that he'd only be down for 10 days.

This is a good point, and could also be applied to Cousins. Fun thought, I do think Devin could use it. I am not sure they will do it, but it would not be the most surprising move the team has made. 
 

On the flip side, it just takes an injury to avoid the 10/15 altogether. 

[BrewCrewBBQ]

6 hours ago, djoctagone said:

important to note:

any pitcher who is optioned or placed on the injured list prior to the deadline to contract rosters by two players will require a minimum stay of only 10 days, instead of 15.

thus, i wouldn't be surprised to see the brewers option the struggling devin williams, with the assurance that he'd only be down for 10 days.

This is a good point, and could also be applied to Cousins. Fun thought, I do think Devin could use it. I am not sure they will do it, but it would not be the most surprising move the team has made. 
 

On the flip side, it just takes an injury to avoid the 10/15 altogether. 

[Joseph Zarr]

I don't have the answers for any of this and it certainly has the look of a tough set of decisions - not to mention, I think what you lay out is perfectly depicted. BUT, what it does bring up for me is: the Brewers have an absolute embarrassment of riches when it comes to end of the bullpen and end of the bench options. If we look at the bullpen in Nashville: beside the struggling Rex Brothers, really, you could take your pick. Mejia and Perdomo, specifically, have been lights out and clearly have Big Club stuff. Then, you go positional and you have savvy AAA/AAAA veterans like Weston Wilson, Jon Singleton, Tyler White, David Dahl, and Garrett Whitley all showcasing the consistency and reliability that a Big League manager would love to add into the mix. These are good problems to have.

[Joseph Zarr]

I don't have the answers for any of this and it certainly has the look of a tough set of decisions - not to mention, I think what you lay out is perfectly depicted. BUT, what it does bring up for me is: the Brewers have an absolute embarrassment of riches when it comes to end of the bullpen and end of the bench options. If we look at the bullpen in Nashville: beside the struggling Rex Brothers, really, you could take your pick. Mejia and Perdomo, specifically, have been lights out and clearly have Big Club stuff. Then, you go positional and you have savvy AAA/AAAA veterans like Weston Wilson, Jon Singleton, Tyler White, David Dahl, and Garrett Whitley all showcasing the consistency and reliability that a Big League manager would love to add into the mix. These are good problems to have.

[Joseph Zarr]

I don't have the answers for any of this and it certainly has the look of a tough set of decisions - not to mention, I think what you lay out is perfectly depicted. BUT, what it does bring up for me is: the Brewers have an absolute embarrassment of riches when it comes to end of the bullpen and end of the bench options. If we look at the bullpen in Nashville: beside the struggling Rex Brothers, really, you could take your pick. Mejia and Perdomo, specifically, have been lights out and clearly have Big Club stuff. Then, you go positional and you have savvy AAA/AAAA veterans like Weston Wilson, Jon Singleton, Tyler White, David Dahl, and Garrett Whitley all showcasing the consistency and reliability that a Big League manager would love to add into the mix. These are good problems to have.

[Joseph Zarr]

I don't have the answers for any of this and it certainly has the look of a tough set of decisions - not to mention, I think what you lay out is perfectly depicted. BUT, what it does bring up for me is: the Brewers have an absolute embarrassment of riches when it comes to end of the bullpen and end of the bench options. If we look at the bullpen in Nashville: beside the struggling Rex Brothers, really, you could take your pick. Mejia and Perdomo, specifically, have been lights out and clearly have Big Club stuff. Then, you go positional and you have savvy AAA/AAAA veterans like Weston Wilson, Jon Singleton, Tyler White, David Dahl, and Garrett Whitley all showcasing the consistency and reliability that a Big League manager would love to add into the mix. These are good problems to have.

[djoctagone]

1 hour ago, BrewCrewBBQ said:

On the flip side, it just takes an injury to avoid the 10/15 altogether. 

by this, i presume you mean a serious injury requiring an absence of longer than 15 days. any player placed on the injured list prior to 2 may can be activated after just 10 days (placement can be backdated as much as three days). on 2 may and beyond, only position players can be activated after just 10 days.

[djoctagone]

1 hour ago, BrewCrewBBQ said:

On the flip side, it just takes an injury to avoid the 10/15 altogether. 

by this, i presume you mean a serious injury requiring an absence of longer than 15 days. any player placed on the injured list prior to 2 may can be activated after just 10 days (placement can be backdated as much as three days). on 2 may and beyond, only position players can be activated after just 10 days.

[djoctagone]

1 hour ago, BrewCrewBBQ said:

On the flip side, it just takes an injury to avoid the 10/15 altogether. 

by this, i presume you mean a serious injury requiring an absence of longer than 15 days. any player placed on the injured list prior to 2 may can be activated after just 10 days (placement can be backdated as much as three days). on 2 may and beyond, only position players can be activated after just 10 days.

[djoctagone]

1 hour ago, BrewCrewBBQ said:

On the flip side, it just takes an injury to avoid the 10/15 altogether. 

by this, i presume you mean a serious injury requiring an absence of longer than 15 days. any player placed on the injured list prior to 2 may can be activated after just 10 days (placement can be backdated as much as three days). on 2 may and beyond, only position players can be activated after just 10 days.

[djoctagone]

35 minutes ago, Julio Muchacho said:

 the Brewers have an absolute embarrassment of riches when it comes to end of the bullpen and end of the bench options.

not to mention flexibility with an open spot on the 40-man and the potential to transfer justin topa to the 60-day injured list if the 40-man is full.

[djoctagone]

35 minutes ago, Julio Muchacho said:

 the Brewers have an absolute embarrassment of riches when it comes to end of the bullpen and end of the bench options.

not to mention flexibility with an open spot on the 40-man and the potential to transfer justin topa to the 60-day injured list if the 40-man is full.

[djoctagone]

35 minutes ago, Julio Muchacho said:

 the Brewers have an absolute embarrassment of riches when it comes to end of the bullpen and end of the bench options.

not to mention flexibility with an open spot on the 40-man and the potential to transfer justin topa to the 60-day injured list if the 40-man is full.

[djoctagone]

35 minutes ago, Julio Muchacho said:

 the Brewers have an absolute embarrassment of riches when it comes to end of the bullpen and end of the bench options.

not to mention flexibility with an open spot on the 40-man and the potential to transfer justin topa to the 60-day injured list if the 40-man is full.

[BrewCrewBBQ]

33 minutes ago, djoctagone said:

by this, i presume you mean a serious injury requiring an absence of longer than 15 days. any player placed on the injured list prior to 2 may can be activated after just 10 days (placement can be backdated as much as three days). on 2 may and beyond, only position players can be activated after just 10 days.

I mean if any of the 26 man players go on the IL, a player does not need wait the full 10/15 days. 

[BrewCrewBBQ]

33 minutes ago, djoctagone said:

by this, i presume you mean a serious injury requiring an absence of longer than 15 days. any player placed on the injured list prior to 2 may can be activated after just 10 days (placement can be backdated as much as three days). on 2 may and beyond, only position players can be activated after just 10 days.

I mean if any of the 26 man players go on the IL, a player does not need wait the full 10/15 days. 

[BrewCrewBBQ]

33 minutes ago, djoctagone said:

by this, i presume you mean a serious injury requiring an absence of longer than 15 days. any player placed on the injured list prior to 2 may can be activated after just 10 days (placement can be backdated as much as three days). on 2 may and beyond, only position players can be activated after just 10 days.

I mean if any of the 26 man players go on the IL, a player does not need wait the full 10/15 days. 

[BrewCrewBBQ]

33 minutes ago, djoctagone said:

by this, i presume you mean a serious injury requiring an absence of longer than 15 days. any player placed on the injured list prior to 2 may can be activated after just 10 days (placement can be backdated as much as three days). on 2 may and beyond, only position players can be activated after just 10 days.

I mean if any of the 26 man players go on the IL, a player does not need wait the full 10/15 days.