Milwaukee Brewers Rumored to be Shopping Neal Cotts

When the Milwaukee Brewers signed Neal Cotts this winter, it was a move that left me scratching my head. With cheaper and more successful lefties available, I didn’t understand why the Brewers were going to shell out money to an arm that had such a rough 2014. But with the team heading towards a rebuild, Ken Rosenthal is reporting that the Brewers’ a reportedly shopping Cotts. If they were able to execute a deal that would be outstanding news for the future in the bullpen.

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In his report, Roesnthal noted that Cotts numbers are not great, but he has kept lefties to a .546 OPS. As a left handed reliever, he could become a hot commodity as the deadline approaches.

While I do not see the return on a pitcher like Cotts being very high at all, dealing him could give more flexibility and options on the current roster. By moving his arm pitchers like Ariel Pena or David Goforth could get opportunities to pitch at the major league level.

Goforth not only excelled in his limited role in Milwaukee, but he also has had a solid season in Colorado Springs, where many of his teammates have faltered. This year in AAA, Goforth has a 2.79 ERA while allowing just one home run. Although his walk rate is high, he still has excellent stuff that could help him to become a late inning arm in Milwaukee.

In his first season as a reliever, Pena has not been without struggles but he has pitched much better as of late. With a power fastball, a call-up in 2015 would not be out of the question, especially with if there was an opening.

With the season going nowhere, it is time to see what these relief arms can bring to the future. After a rough spring, I never thought that moving Cotts would be an option this season. By moving arms like his, the Brewers won’t get much in the rebuild but they will have the opportunity to see what the future holds for the bullpen.

Next: Michael Reed Having Breakout Year

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