Article: The Eight Best (Non-Closer) Relievers in Brewers History

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Closers may get the bulk of the credit out of any bullpen, but someone needs to pitch those innings between the starter and closer. Let's look at the best relievers the Brewers have fielded in the middle innings.

Closers may deserve the coffee and get big bucks, but other relievers make up a bullpen and are, in some ways, just as important as the closer themselves. Some are set-up guys who bridge the gap. Others are the long men who step in when a starter has a bad day. Others fill in wherever needed. Here are some of the more unsung heroes of the bullpen, in no particular order.

Bob McClure
45-43, 3.97 ERA, 34 saves in 842 IP over ten seasons, three as a starter, two as a closer

Bob McClure may not have had one of the flashiest careers, but his value was being able to fill in where needed. He started for three seasons, including the 1982 AL Championship year. He served as the primary closer in 1978 and 1980. But most of all, he gave the Brewers a versatile arm when needed. He played seven more seasons after a mid-1986 trade that netted the Brewers a minor leaguer.

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Bill Castro
25-23, 2.96 ERA, 44 saves in 411 IP over seven seasons, two as closer

Castro was a co-closer for the Brewers before the 1980 trade brought Rollie Fingers to Milwaukee. He left as a free agent following 1980 but posted three solid seasons with the Yankees and Kansas City. Might keeping him around have helped in 1982? Castro also was a long-time bullpen coach for the Brewers and eventually became pitching coach.

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Chuck Crim
33-31, 3.47 ERA, 42 saves in 529.2 IP over five seasons

Dan Plesac may have been the closer in the late 1980s, but Chuck Crim was the guy who often bridged the gap between the starter and Plesac. He posted an average of eight saves a season with the Crew before a post-1992 trade that brought Mike Fetters to Milwaukee.

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Jim Slaton
117-121, 3.86 ERA, 11 saves in 2025.1 IP over 12 seasons, ten as starter

While Slaton spent much of his career with the Brewers as a back-end of the rotation starter, he was a key contributor out of the bullpen for the 1982 AL Championship team. Slaton was traded before 1978 for Ben Oglivie, then returned to Milwaukee as a free agent before the 1979 season. Talk about making a trade work out!

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Jeremy Jeffress
24-8, 2.66 ERA, 43 saves in 304.2 IP over seven seasons, one as closer, one as co-closer

Jeremy Jeffress didn’t just help the Brewers on the field, although his role with the 2018 version of the “Nasty Boys” cannot be understated. Twice, in trade, his returns brought the pieces that either helped the Brewers make the playoffs directly or indirectly. Prior to 2011, he was part of the package for Zack Greinke, who was the Crew’s ace in that playoff run. In 2016, he was dealt to Texas with Jon Lucroy for Lewis Brinson and Luis Ortiz. Brinson was part of the package for Christian Yelich, while Ortiz helped the Crew acquire Jonathan Schoop, whose grand slam helped propel the Crew to a crucial win that helped force Game 163 in 2018.

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Jerry Augustine
55-59, 4.23 ERA, 11 saves in 944 IP over ten seasons, three as a starter

Augustine was one of the guys the Crew often called in to mop up during most of his career after three decent seasons as a starter. As a reliever, Augustine was, for the most part, successful in avoiding the gopher ball, which kept the team in games when the starter had a rough day. His role wasn’t to star, it was often to save the rest of the pen, but he did that well.

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Brent Suter
36-19, 3.51 ERA, one save in 394.2 IP over seven seasons, two as a starter

A 31st-round draft pick, Suter outperformed multiple prospects who were more heralded. He was a solid starter at the back end of the rotation for two seasons. After Tommy John surgery knocked him out for most of 2019, he became a valuable relief pitcher for the Crew over the next three seasons and posted 12 wins, more than some starters in 2021.

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Devin Williams
18-7, 1.93 ERA, 15 saves in 155.1 IP over four seasons, one as co-closer

Devin Williams burst onto the scene in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, winning Rookie of the Year as the setup guy for Josh Hader and adding a top-20 MVP finish and a top-10 Cy Young finish. In 2022, after Hader’s trade, he took over the closer’s role and notched 15 saves. What does the future hold? Will he break in and become one of the greatest closers in Brewers’ history? That remains to be seen.

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