I have reviewed the acquisiton of Badenhop and I have graded the signing of Gorzelanny. There’s only one more Brewers signing that must be judged; Michael Gonzalez.

September 4, 2012; Washington, D.C., USA; Washington Nationals pitcher Michael Gonzalez (51) pitches in the ninth inning against the Chicago Cubs at Nationals Park. The Nationals defeated the Cubs 11 – 5. Mandatory Credit: Joy R. Absalon-USA TODAY Sports

Let me start off by saying I absolutely love left-handed specialists, which is exactly what Gonzalez is. Having a left-handed specialist as part of the bullpen arsenal is virgin territory for Milwaukee. You can include Mitch Stetter in that category but I refuse to. Although he was lethal against lefties at times, Stetter battled injuries during his time in Milwaukeee and was never as effective as bullpen gurus expected him to be. With that being said, Gonzalez will be much appreciated in Milwaukee.

Gonzalez, 34, left our nation’s capitol and became the final addition to Milwaukee’s revamped bullpen when he signed a one-year deal worth $2.25 million. Gonzalez will join Gorzelanny as the team’s only left-handed relievers. He owns a career ERA of 2.94 in nine big league seasons that launched in Pittsburgh in 2003. For the Nationals, Gonzalez posted a 3.03 ERA but was most noticeably suffocating against lefties (.179/.257/.269), as a lefty specialist should be.

He mainly focuses on a four-seam fastball and a slow-moving slider, but also mixes in a change-up and a sinker. He managed only 39 strikeouts last season but he’s mainly known as a contact pitcher rather than a blow-it-by-you flamethrower like Aroldis Chapman. So settle down Brewers fans; there are other ways to get batters out.

Gonzalez will only be used against left-handers when Ron Roenicke decides to play the matchup card. Now, I know what most Brewers fans are thinking. Why did the Brewers throw $2.25 million down the drain by signing a guy who can only get left-handers out? Well, for one thing, Milwaukee pursued Mike Adams and Sean Burnett in free agency but quickly found out the two relievers were above their pay scale. Second, by signing Gonzalez, they have a perennial lefty in the bullpen which is a signifcant advantage, especially late in the game. This was money well spent.

Gonzalez will have uber-amounts of success in Milwaukee and soon we will all forget about the Bullpen Crisis of 2012.

Grade: B+

What are your thoughts on Michael Gonzalez? Leave comments and questions below! Follow Justin and @ReviewngTheBrew on Twitter. Be sure to like us on Facebook, too.

Aug. 11, 2012; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Washington Nationals pitcher Tom Gorzelanny (32) during a game against Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Hilderbrand-USA TODAY Sports

In late December, Gorzelanny and the Milwaukee Brewers agreed to a two-year deal after the Washington Nationals decided to non-tender the left-hander rather than offer him arbitration. The deal is worth $5.7 million, plus a $300,000 signing bonus. From the very beginning, the Brewers have been unwilling to offer free agents a three-year deal, so when Gorzelanny, coming off a tremendous 2012 season, inked a two-year deal, it was big news.

When Gorzelanny came to the big leagues with the Pittsburgh Pirates and later the Chicago Cubs, he was a starter. It wasn’t until 2011 with the Nationals that he was magically transformed into an adequate reliever. As a starter, Gorzelanny owns a dreadful ERA of 4.61. But in relief mode, he has a respectable 3.32 ERA. What a brilliant move by the folks in Washington. His failure as a starter is a result of only throwing three pitches; two fastballs and a slider. After once or twice through the lineup, hitters had him figured out.

Gorzelanny, 30, posted a career-low 2.88 ERA with 7.8 K/9 and 3.8 BB/9 in 45 appearances (one start) last season and was just as masterful against right-handed hitters (.245 average) as he was versus lefties (.237 average).

The Illinois native will fill a key cog in Milwaukee’s bullpen. The Brewers have been without a reliable left-handed reliever since Mitch Stetter in 2008. And he could only get out lefties. Gorzelanny is the new Manny Parra, without the awfulness. He could also be a nice fill-in starter if the baseball gods turn their wrath on another Brewers starting pitcher again. Look out, Chris Narveson.

Signing Gorzelanny was a clever and cheap move for the Brewers. They hooked him in on a two-year deal and will only be paying him about $2.5 million a season. Hopefully, Gorzelanny’s magic from 2012 will find its way to Milwaukee.

Grade: A-

What are your thoughts on Tom Gorzelanny? Leave comments and questions below! Follow Justin and @ReviewngTheBrew on Twitter. Be sure to like us on Facebook, too.

Badenhop, you’re up.

April 28, 2012; Arlington, TX, USA; Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Burke Badenhop (31) during the game against the Texas Rangers at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. The Rangers won 7-2 beating the Rays. Mandatory Credit: Jim Cowsert-USA TODAY Sports

The Brewers acquired right-hander Burke Badenhop from the Tampa Bay Rays for minor-league outfielder Raul Mondesi Jr. in early December, adding the first piece to a decimated bullpen. Badenhop, 29, enjoyed the best season of his career in 2012 as he pitched to a 3.03 ERA in 66 appearances.

His biggest strength is generating ground balls. Last season, 52.9% of his outs came via the ground ball as a result of his splitter and sinker that he uses almost exclusively. He also manages to work in an effective slider. While this may prove troublesome for Milwaukee’s average infield, giving up ground balls is significantly better than long fly balls. As expected, Badenhop keeps right-handed hitters at bay (.239/.260/.350 last year), while lefties torment him (.300/.356/.488 last year).

Badenhop will most likely be used as a middle-to-late inning reliever, to replace Jose Veras and Kameron Loe, neither of whom had the nerve to get the job done in high-pressure situations for Milwaukee. The Brewers hope Badenhop can contribute to the resurgence of their bullpen and provide stability that was nowhere to be found in 2012.

The Brewers gave up a minor-league outfielder, who is only recognized because of his father (former MLB player Raul Mondesi), for a veteran pitcher who has proven to be reliable at crunch time. Badenhop is no Mike Adams or Rafael Soriano, but this was a advantageous move by the Brewers. This trade was a no-brainer and Milwaukee received the better end of it.

Grade: B

 What are your thoughts on the acquisition of Burke Badenhop? Leave comments and questions below! Follow Justin and @ReviewngTheBrew on Twitter. Be sure to like us on Facebook, too.

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Now, no one expected Milwaukee to jump right into the free agent and trade market with a big splash. Doug Melvin and Company stayed true to their word and toed around in the edge.

Did they pull a up a winner in Badenhop?

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