Reviewing the Brew » tom gorzelanny http://reviewingthebrew.com A Milwaukee Brewers Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and More Tue, 18 Jun 2013 19:35:44 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 Brewers Offseason Report Card: Michael Gonzalez http://reviewingthebrew.com/2013/01/30/grading-the-brewers-offseason-moves-part-three-michael-gonzalez/ http://reviewingthebrew.com/2013/01/30/grading-the-brewers-offseason-moves-part-three-michael-gonzalez/#comments Wed, 30 Jan 2013 23:24:36 +0000 Justin Schultz http://reviewingthebrew.com/?p=6612 The Brewers bullpen was a disastrous mess in 2012, a fact which the front office made no bones about. So what did the money-tight organization do? They went out and improved their laughingstock of a bullpen by trading for Burke Badenhop and signing Tom Gorzelanny and Michael Gonzalez, both at a very reasonable price. I [...]

Brewers Offseason Report Card: Michael Gonzalez - Reviewing the Brew - Reviewing the Brew - A Milwaukee Brewers Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and More

]]> The Brewers bullpen was a disastrous mess in 2012, a fact which the front office made no bones about. So what did the money-tight organization do? They went out and improved their laughingstock of a bullpen by trading for Burke Badenhop and signing Tom Gorzelanny and Michael Gonzalez, both at a very reasonable price.

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.

]]> http://reviewingthebrew.com/2013/01/30/grading-the-brewers-offseason-moves-part-three-michael-gonzalez/feed/ 3 Brewers Offseason Report Card: Tom Gorzelanny http://reviewingthebrew.com/2013/01/28/grading-the-brewers-offseason-moves-part-two-tom-gorzelanny/ http://reviewingthebrew.com/2013/01/28/grading-the-brewers-offseason-moves-part-two-tom-gorzelanny/#comments Mon, 28 Jan 2013 21:37:44 +0000 Justin Schultz http://reviewingthebrew.com/?p=6572 In my last post, I took an in-depth look at the Burke Badenhop trade. Now, it’s Tom Gorzelanny‘s turn to go under my analytical microscope. At the end, I will give this signing a grade based on the needs of the team and Gorzelanny’s overall skill set. In late December, Gorzelanny and the Milwaukee Brewers agreed to a two-year deal after the Washington [...]

Brewers Offseason Report Card: Tom Gorzelanny - Reviewing the Brew - Reviewing the Brew - A Milwaukee Brewers Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and More

]]> In my last post, I took an in-depth look at the Burke Badenhop trade. Now, it’s Tom Gorzelanny‘s turn to go under my analytical microscope. At the end, I will give this signing a grade based on the needs of the team and Gorzelanny’s overall skill set.

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.

]]> http://reviewingthebrew.com/2013/01/28/grading-the-brewers-offseason-moves-part-two-tom-gorzelanny/feed/ 0 Better Know a Brewer: Tom Gorzelanny http://reviewingthebrew.com/2012/12/26/better-know-a-brewer-tom-gorzelanny/ http://reviewingthebrew.com/2012/12/26/better-know-a-brewer-tom-gorzelanny/#comments Thu, 27 Dec 2012 05:48:04 +0000 Colin Bennett http://reviewingthebrew.com/?p=6369 And you thought nobody in the free agent market would take a two-year deal. Last week, the Brewers finally broke through the three-year ceiling and inked a deal with another relief pitcher. Tom Gorzelanny, a lefty with both relief and starting experience, signed a two year, $5.7 million contract laced with incentives. Will the effort [...]

Better Know a Brewer: Tom Gorzelanny - Reviewing the Brew - Reviewing the Brew - A Milwaukee Brewers Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and More

]]> And you thought nobody in the free agent market would take a two-year deal.

Last week, the Brewers finally broke through the three-year ceiling and inked a deal with another relief pitcher. Tom Gorzelanny, a lefty with both relief and starting experience, signed a two year, $5.7 million contract laced with incentives.

Will the effort that Milwaukee put into bringing Gorzelanny to town pay off in the win column?

(more…)

]]> http://reviewingthebrew.com/2012/12/26/better-know-a-brewer-tom-gorzelanny/feed/ 0 Tom Gorzelanny Is Too Little, Too Late http://reviewingthebrew.com/2012/12/26/tom-gorzelanny-is-too-little-too-late/ http://reviewingthebrew.com/2012/12/26/tom-gorzelanny-is-too-little-too-late/#comments Wed, 26 Dec 2012 18:44:04 +0000 Lou Olsen http://reviewingthebrew.com/?p=6374 Last week the Brewers blew all of our minds and spent a couple of bucks on a left handed pitcher.  That pitcher is former Pittsburgh Pirate and Chicago Baby Bear Tom Gorzelanny.  Gorzelanny spent last season working behind a solid Washington Nationals starting rotation.  Now he will have to deal with our “6 year-old’s birthday [...]

Tom Gorzelanny Is Too Little, Too Late - Reviewing the Brew - Reviewing the Brew - A Milwaukee Brewers Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and More

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If you look at this picture closely, it appears as if the newest Brewer is throwing this into the dugout. Or his curve ball is wicked awesome. Photo by: Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports

Last week the Brewers blew all of our minds and spent a couple of bucks on a left handed pitcher.  That pitcher is former Pittsburgh Pirate and Chicago Baby Bear Tom Gorzelanny.  Gorzelanny spent last season working behind a solid Washington Nationals starting rotation.  Now he will have to deal with our “6 year-old’s birthday party gift-bag” pitching roster.  My pessimism is already in mid-season form.   

 
While I do think Mr. Gorzelanny (I am already sick of typing out his last name, by the way) is going to be a nice veteran presence in our bullpen, I just don’t think his signing is enough for me to feel like the pitching staff is going to be anything more than it already is.  This is not the kind of signing that makes me stand up and say “We had a successful off-season”.  All this does, is gives me something to complain about…for the first time since I said goodbye to K-Rod, may he rest in prison.  
 
To be clear, I am not complaining because I dislike the signing…I am complaining because I do not see the point in any signing this late in the game. It’s like bringing an aardvark to Antarctica, sure it is cool at first…until the poor things dies due to lack of ants.  In that scenario, I am the aardvark and the ants are Brewers signings.  One ant will not keep me alive in a barren wasteland.    
 
Adding one veteran to a group of newbies, does not a bullpen make either.  John Axford will be back to hold down the 9th inning and I think that we have some nice young arms who will make a name for themselves in the pen this season.  Which is very exciting.  And is also why this signing just doesn’t do anything for me.
 
Now we have one left-handed pitcher in the bullpen…ONE!!  What happens if he gets hurt?  Do we have any sort of back-up plan?  My guess is, he will get hurt and we have no back-up plan.  And such is the life of a Brewers fan.
 
If the Brewers really want to make waves, trade away someone for a real bullpen piece.  Look at what the Braves have to offer in the way of bullpen power (a lot, in case you don’t feel like looking), or maybe the Blue Jays (now flush with talent) can afford to part with some young arms.  At this point, I have no reason to suspect that Mat Gamel is a Brewer by the time the 2013 All-Star Game rolls around.  So why not start shopping the guy now?  Teams are going to want a guy with his pedigree and years of minor league power numbers.  This seems like a no-brainer, but as always…what do I know? 
 
Gorzelanny is a nice piece.  But I am spoiled now and nice doesn’t cut it anymore.  The Reds, Pirates, and Cubs have all added multiple pieces to improve their teams.  The Brewers and Cardinals seem to be more than content to sit back and hope that the World Series trophy falls into their laps.  If you, as a fan, are really excited about this signing…what does that say about where we are as a team?  I would hope that no one is dancing in the streets about a guy who appeared in 45 games last season and posted a 2.88 ERA out of the bullpen, but I am wrong a lot.  
 
I say again, this deal is nice.  It is also too little, way too late.   
 
Hope everyone had a safe and Merry…Winter Celebration weekend.  You know me, always trying to be politically correct…
]]> http://reviewingthebrew.com/2012/12/26/tom-gorzelanny-is-too-little-too-late/feed/ 1 Brewers’ moves shouldn’t halt cause of Gorzelanny signing http://reviewingthebrew.com/2012/12/21/brewers-moves-shouldnt-halt-cause-of-gorzelanny-signing/ http://reviewingthebrew.com/2012/12/21/brewers-moves-shouldnt-halt-cause-of-gorzelanny-signing/#comments Fri, 21 Dec 2012 17:26:28 +0000 Benjamin Orr http://reviewingthebrew.com/?p=6357 Okay, so the Milwaukee Brewers finally made a move. However, was it a move worth making? For now, yes it was. Tom Gorzelanny has been scouted as basically a more successful version of Manny Parra so let’s just have that sink in. While Gorzelanny is a lefty, he is our only left-handed pitcher aside from [...]

Brewers’ moves shouldn’t halt cause of Gorzelanny signing - Reviewing the Brew - Reviewing the Brew - A Milwaukee Brewers Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and More

]]> Okay, so the Milwaukee Brewers finally made a move. However, was it a move worth making? For now, yes it was.

Tom Gorzelanny has been scouted as basically a more successful version of Manny Parra so let’s just have that sink in. While Gorzelanny is a lefty, he is our only left-handed pitcher aside from Chris Narveson. The Brewers had been talking to a few relievers, namely Mike Gonzalez, who is another left-handed pitcher.

So even though the Brewers may have nabbed Gorzelanny, the work is still far from done. This is a bullpen that may not exactly be fail proof, but will hopefully be more consistent than this year’s disaster.  (more…)

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