The State of the Brewers: Bullpen – Traditional Strength with Some Short-Term Issues

Past Brewers teams may not have had the horses to take the lead in some years, but they often were able to hold the leads they did have. In 2018, Josh Hader, Jeremy Jeffress, and Corey Knebel were the Crew’s equivalent of the “Nasty Boys” the Reds turned to in 1990.

With what we’ve seen from the infield, outfield, and starting rotation, the Brewers can take many leads. Will the 2023 bullpen hold them? Let’s look and find out.

The 40-Man Roster
Devin Williams has been dominating since his Rookie of the Year campaign in 2020, and after the Hader trade, he posted 15 saves. With the departure of Brad Boxberger as a free agent and the decision to put Brent Suter on waivers, the top returning relievers for the Brewers are Peter Strzelecki, Matt Bush, and Hoby Milner. Jake Cousins pitched well when he was healthy; it is a big question if he will need Tommy John surgery.

Of the new acquisitions, Javy Guerra looks promising but only really settled in with the Rays last season. Justin Wilson could be a solid lefty, but he will be on the 60-day DL while recovering from last year’s Tommy John surgery. Joel Payamps, acquired in the William Contreras deal, looks solid. Rule V pick Gus Varland struggled in two years at AA since the pandemic.

The Brewers have some other resources for bullpen help. Corbin Burnes and Aaron Ashby spent a lot of time in the bullpen when they first reached the majors, and some of those in the mix for rotation jobs could find themselves in the pen.

One other note: Abner Uribe and Cam Robinson have both intrigued as relievers in the minors but are more likely to be Opening Day 2024 options than for 2023. Still, they look like a potent 1-2 punch for the Crew in the latter half of the 2020s.

Non-Roster Invitees
Alex Claudio was a valuable asset prior to the three-hitter rule as a LOOGY for the Crew. Lucas Erceg, a converted third baseman, has flashed potential as a reliever and could be an emergency bench asset in some situations. Thomas Pannone was a swingman in two seasons in MLB from the left side. Robert Stock was a swingman in 2022. Thyago Vieira spent the last three years in Japan and posted some good numbers.

X-Factors/Potential Breakouts
Aside from Uribe and Robinson, the Brewers could see some real breakouts in the minors. Clayton Andrews was a promising lefty out of the bullpen who also saw some time in center field and whose offensive profile was more of a slap-hitter, but he is coming off two injury-plagued years. Matt Hardy has posted solid numbers from the bullpen since being signed as an undrafted free agent. Michele Vassalotti sparkled in his first year from the bullpen after scuffling as a starter. Ryan Middendorf jumped from the ACL to Biloxi in 2022. James Meeker dominated from the mound at Brisbane this past winter. Pablo Garabitos was an outfielder but could be a future lefty from the pen. In contrast, 2017 25th-round pick Karlos Morales, another lefty, seemed to settle in the bullpen in 2022 between Carolina and Wisconsin.

Then, of course, there is always the potential for prospects acquired in trades, given the uncertain long-term future of Willy Adames, Corbin Burnes, Brandon Woodruff, and Eric Lauer, among others.

Overview
The losses of Boxberger and Suter leave the Brewers with some uncertainty. The cash for the declined option of Boxberger and giving Suter some form of modest extension would have been relatively small; that said, the Brewers front office did very well in finding some potential replacements, and between the NRIs and the farm system, there are some very intriguing options. Williams has the ninth inning locked down, for sure. The question will be, who can step up to help the Crew get to the ninth? Right now, that looks a little thin.