Milwaukee Brewers: Bullpen remains incomplete

After losing key contributors from the 2017 team, the Milwaukee Brewers bullpen faces an uphill climb in 2018.

The Milwaukee Brewers bullpen has taken a hit over the course of the offseason. To start, Jared Hughes was non-tendered and recently signed a two-year deal with the rival Cincinnati Reds. The decision to not bring Hughes back with his $2.2 million tender option was puzzling after a solid 2017 campaign.

Carlos Torres appears to have played his last game in Milwaukee. Torres threw 72 2/3 innings with an unimpressive 1.52 WHIP. Torres was the Milwaukee Brewers second most utilized reliever last season.

Late season acquisition Anthony Swarzak was a hot commodity in free agency and deservedly so; in 2017 he pitched 77 1/3 innings and had a career-low 1.03 WHIP. The New York Mets quickly swiped Swarzak from free agency. Milwaukee Brewers GM David Stearns said that while he would have liked him back he was unwilling to match the Mets offer.

There is a lot of slack to be picked up in the Milwaukee Brewers bullpen from the 2017 season.

Josh Hader will play an important role in the 2018 season, but it is still unclear whether he will contribute to the bullpen or the rotation. Still, moves need to be made in order for the 2018 Brewers to have a solid bullpen.

Miller Park is by no means a “pitchers ballpark” and having quality relievers is a must to limit runs. Oliver Drake and Jeremy Jeffress put together less than optimal seasons and while Jacob Barnes put together a decent year he will need help.

Boone Logan has joined the Brewers, but he owns a career 1.44 WHIP and he’s prone to injury. Logan has only pitched 50 or more innings twice in his career and hasn’t done so since 2012.  While he can be considered a LOOGY, the bullpen needs another arm to fill innings.

Yovani Gallardo could be helpful as a long inning relief option, but he has regressed and it’s unclear if he will regain his touch from the reunion.

The Brewers need another proven commodity who can fill innings and be trusted in key situations.

Here are five relievers who would greatly strengthen the bullpen.

 David Hernández

Acquired by the Diamondbacks during their playoff run last season David Hernández was a quality reliever. Hernández had his second-lowest WHIP of his career with an elite 1.03 mark. His FIP was also the second lowest of his career at 2.76. Hernández also had a career-low BB/9 of 1.5. While he was at pitcher-friendly Angel Stadium for the majority of the season, he has shown that he can handle the daunting challenge of Chase Field. During his 2011-2013 seasons with the D-Backs Hernandez posted WHIP’s of 0.98, 0.83, and 0.88 at Chase Field. His past success at Chase Field would bode well at hitter-friendly Miller Park.

 Matt Albers

Matt Albers had one of his best years in the Bigs by putting together a nasty 0.85 WHIP in 2017. Albers had an excellent 0.64 WHIP at a neutral to hitter-friendly Nationals Park. He had his second highest ERA+ of 274. His H/9 was at a career low of 5.2. Albers would pay dividends for the Milwaukee Brewers as he would bring a veteran presence to a young team and contribute to the pen.

 Matt Belisle

The fourteen-year journeyman proved he had some gas left in the tank in an impressive 2017 season. Matt Belisle pitched 60 1/3 innings and had a 1.16 WHIP. He recorded his second highest K/9 of his career (8.1) and the lowest H/9 of his career (7.2). Surprisingly, Belisle pitched better at hitter-friendly Target Field in comparison to his road outings. Still, he did well on the road with 27.2 IP and a 1.23 WHIP. Along with being successful at Target Field he did tremendous at the feared Coors Field. From 2010-2013 he navigated Coors Field impressively with 162 2/3 innings and had a 1.30 WHIP while being elite on the road. Belisle has shown he can handle the toughest ballparks while being effective.

Addison Reed

Addison Reed is one of the most coveted free agent relievers remaining on the market. There is good reason behind his popularity. Reed has come into his own the past two seasons with the New York Mets and the Boston Red Sox most recently.

While Citi Field has been categorized as one of the more pitcher-friendly ballparks in the league Reed has proved himself with his road splits. He logged 39 innings and had a WHIP of 1.03 away from Citi Field in 2016. Reed regressed slightly from 2016 and had a WHIP of 1.21 in 22.1 innings pitched away from Citi Field while being a Met in 2017. Once traded to the Red Sox he only stepped up his game and in 27 innings had a 0.93 WHIP. Reed is likely to come with a hefty contract, but adding another piece to compliment Knebel and Hader would do wonders for the Brewers bullpen in 2018 and beyond.

Next: Are the Marlins looking to deal relievers?

Any of these arms would greatly strengthen the Milwaukee Brewers bullpen. Stearns has maintained a conservative approach to the rebuilding process, but adding another arm to the bullpen is necessary in order to improve on last season’s success.