Milwaukee Brewers And Chris Capuano A Gentleman’s Agreement?

Who Else Would You Rather Have In Capuano’s Roster Spot?

Chris Capuano was a Brewer from 2004 to 2007, then he rehabbed and worked hard to come back from injury for two years. In 2010, he again pitched in the major leagues for the crew, before eventually departing for teams like the Mets and Dodgers among others. In his career, he has played on the same team as Craig Counsell in parts of four seasons.

This spring, Chris Capuano was a nonroster invite signed to a minor league deal. At the initial outset of the signing, reports indicated that “Cappy” still wanted to be a starting pitcher, and if he were to make this team it would be a starter.

With guys like Garza, Jungmann, Peralta, Nelson, Zach Davies and others in camp, it was evident Capuano was not going to crack the starting rotation unless a trade, injury or release happened.

To complicate matters more, Chase Anderson found himself added to the fold, and that pretty much made it impossible for Cappy to sniff the possibility of taking the ball every fifth day as a starter for the Milwaukee Brewers.

When you are 37 years old, and you are in camp as a nonroster guy, and your major league career record is 76-91 with an ERA of 4.39 before you pitch in a major league game for the 2016 Milwaukee Brewers, you probably are not taking the world by storm.

Capuano’s chief competition for a roster spot was Franklin Morales, a 30-year-old lefty who had last pitched for the World Series Champion Kansas City Royals.

In Brewers Spring Training, Morales had an ERA of Zero in 4 innings pitched. He was given his release on 3-28. Morales was let go so that Capuano could get a roster spot. There were no injury concerns at the time of Morales’ release.

As it turned out, this made Capuano the only lefty on the Milwaukee Brewers roster in the pen because of all the recent injuries that have decimated the pitching staff of the team.

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While I have nothing against Capuano, and I know how hard it may be to figure out roster spots and things like that, it does seem like Counsell may have had a hand in this decision. Most bullpens do not want a finesse pitcher with mediocre results and a low velocity. I am sure there is something “intangible” that I cannot see such as a veteran presence or something like that, but I just found a flat out release of Morales to be a curious decision.

Anyone else could have been sent to the minors to make room for Morales so that there were a guaranteed two lefties in the pen. It didn’t happen.

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Just recently, the Brewers picked up Sam Freeman from the Rangers; a left-handed pitcher who is 28 years old. I like the Freeman pick up, but it does seem that the Milwaukee Brewers did not have their heads in the right place when they made the Capuano over Morales move.

As I said, I have nothing against Cappy at all, and I really like him as a person, but I just really feel like he does not bring much to a rebuilding team compared to a guy like Morales who is 30 years old coming off playing for the world champ Royals. Yet, Morales was cut in favor of Cappy.

Eventually, it seems the Milwaukee Brewers came to their senses by picking up a guy who is 28 years old coming off playing for the Rangers in Freeman. I do know that Cappy had some good memories with the Milwaukee Brewers, and believe it or not he is eligible for the Brewers Wall of Honor.

Whatever happens this season, I root for every Brewer to do well, and I really do like Capuano. I just feel like his roster spot and ultimate place on the team was a bit sketchy.