Milwaukee Brewers: Free Agent pitchers to avoid

The team at Reviewing the Brew has spent a lot of time breaking down the free agents that the Milwaukee Brewers should target. But which names should they stay away from?

There are several obvious choices that we’re going to ignore. Wade Miley, for one, is a name that the Milwaukee Brewers should avoid for performance reasons, but there are several names that aren’t quite as obvious.

Yu Darvish

Do you want to see a contract that will eventually kill a pitching staff? Yu Darvish will turn 32 next summer and he’s probably going to seek a contract at least six years in length. He has a ton of miles on his body from pitching in Japan, already has one Tommy John surgery under his belt, and looked awful in the playoffs. A lengthy contract to Yu Darvish would tie up tens of millions of dollars for years. For a team like Milwaukee that needs flexibility to compete, a contract like the one Darvish will command could set the team back years.

Brandon Morrow

Morrow turned in an excellent season for the first time in his lengthy career. Did you know that he’s been on a Major League roster since 2007? Brandon Morrow is going to turn 34 next year! He’s throwing harder than ever, but how many times has a guy with a checkered injury history turned in a great season right before he hits free agency? The best predictor of future injury is past injury. Morrow has more ‘past injury’ than just about any pitcher in the 2017 free agent class. While an arm like his would look great next to Corey Knebel, the health of his right arm can’t be trusted with a multi-year deal.

Jhoulys Chacin

Chacin is one of the few names the Reviewing the Brew staff hasn’t connected to the Milwaukee Brewers…yet. Jhoulys Chacin posted a solid season in 2017 with a 3.89 ERA over 32 starts. His 7.64 K/9 and 3.59 BB/9 last year. Both numbers were in-line with his career averages. The issue with Chacin isn’t in his strikeout or walk totals. The issue is with his home road splits. In San Diego, Chacin was fantastic. He posted a 1.79 ERA at Petco Park. Away from San Diego? A 6.53 ERA in 80 innings. Chacin’s profile simply isn’t suited to starting in Miller Park. The Brewers need to stay away.

Next: Is there a perfect trade with the Blue Jays?

Adding to the relief corps and starting rotation is absolutely key to the 2017 off season for the Brew Crew. While the Milwaukee Brewers are set to make a few moves in the coming week, but hopefully not these three. There’s a fit for Darvish, Morrow, and Chacin with other teams, but not with the Brewers.