Milwaukee Brewers: Mike Zagurski Signs a Minor League Deal

HOUSTON, TX - AUGUST 19: Will Nieves
HOUSTON, TX - AUGUST 19: Will Nieves

The Milwaukee Brewers are relatively silent to this point in the offseason. They came to terms with Yovani Gallardo yesterday. But other than that nothing is going on.

Well, there is another pitching signing to talk about. Jerry Crasnick reports that the Milwaukee Brewers have come to terms on a minor league deal with Mike Zagurski. The big lefty has 75 innings in an MLB uniform. It is not pretty.

An ERA above 7.00 and 46 walks is the damage. Hitters have a field day against Zagurki, hitting almost .300. Luckily this is not a signing guaranteeing him in the big leagues. That would be bad. However, having another lefty in the organization is not the worst thing.

Zagurski does not give up a lot of weak contact. In fact, his career high in that category is 25 percent. The next highest percentage is in the teens. But he did go to pitch in Japan for a short time after the 2014 season. He returned to America to pitch in the Tigers farm system in 2017.

His time in Japan is more successful than his time with MLB organizations, but still not great. In two seasons, Zagurski went 3-1 with a 4.15 ERA overseas. That being said he did strikeout just over a batter an inning.

This signing is overall just confusing. There are a lot of seasons that all point to a high ERA. David Stearns would not sign someone he did not see as potentially helpful, but this does not look promising. After Double A, his Zagurski’s numbers tend to skyrocket.

Either way, he is now a part of the Milwaukee Brewers system. He will do his best to work up into the majors. Him being a lefty is something that is very good if he can make it. It certainly fills a need for the team if he makes it.

Next: Remembering GM David Stearns first moves

This is just the second move made since Winter Meetings. And, of course, the Gallardo signing is pending a physical. Either way, two moves in two days means there is confirmed life in the Milwaukee Brewers front office.

Schedule