Milwaukee Brewers: 3 Lefty Relievers to Target For the 2017 Season

Oh no! The Milwaukee Brewers are lacking a left-handed option in their bullpen! Fear not, Brewers fans. The team at Reviewing the Brew as worked out three possible targets that will be both cost-effective and capable options to round out the Brewers bullpen.

Tommy Milone still exists, but the soft-tosser is better suited to a starting role, or, better yet, a starting role in Colorado Springs. LHP Brent Suter was the last left-handed reliever left in Milwaukee Brewers camp, and he was recently assigned to Triple-A.

Starting a season with seven right-handers in the bullpen is unusual to say the least. Leaving Brewers manager Craig Counsell without a LOOGY or ‘Left-handed-One-Out-Guy’ limits his options in the late innings, and allows the opposition to stack lefties against right-handed relievers.

The good news is that there may soon be several options available for the Brewers to consider with teams needing to cut down to the 25-man roster limit.

Paco Rodriguez, LHP, FA

Left-hander Paco Rodriguez missed all of 2016 following Tommy John surgery, and was recently released by the Atlanta Braves. He appeared to be healthy in only four spring appearances. When Rodriguez was last in the Majors, he was a key cog in the Dodgers bullpen, logging a 2.53 ERA in 124 appearances from 2012 to 2015.

He also owns a .478 OPS against when facing left-handed hitters. Rodriguez would be an ideal option for the Brewers, but he may be looking to hook on with a team that’s more likely to contend than Milwaukee.

Josh Edgin, LHP, New York Mets

Lefty reliever Josh Edgin is out of options, and may be the victim of the dreaded numbers game in New York. Depending on how the Mets’ starting five shakes out, Edgin may find himself DFA’d and available to be plucked off the waiver wire.

If Zack Wheeler is pushed into the bullpen, Edgin’s situation gets a little dicey. Jerry Blevins is assured of a bullpen spot, and lefty Josh Smoker has enjoyed a fantastic Spring. Edgin could be looking for work come April 1, and the Brewers would be wise to snag him.

Kevin Chapman, LHP, Atlanta Braves

Who? Kevin Chapman is probably the least well-known of these three names, and, sadly, the most likely. He’s already been released and claimed once this Spring, and appears to be on the outside looking in for the 2017 Braves bullpen.

Chapman is capable of getting lefties out…when he isn’t walking them. He’s not an ideal option, but he has experience at the Major League level and may be available. Having a southpaw like Chapman has to be better than not having a lefty reliever to start the season, right?

Next: 5 Lessons Learned From Spring Training

Who do you think the Brewers should target for their bullpen? Are they wise to go with an all right-handed bullpen? Let us know in the comments section, or hit us up on twitter

@ReviewingTheBrew

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