Milwaukee Brewers: A Hypothetical Six Man Rotation

Yovani Gallardo

It was once a lock for Yovani Gallardo to be in the Milwaukee Brewers rotation, but times have changed. Since departing from the Crew, his numbers have seen a pretty significant drop off. In the last two seasons, the righty has not posted an ERA or FIP under five.

Gallardo will be 32 years old at the start of the 2018 season. His resurgence is not impossible, but it is not something to bank on. His walk numbers have gone up and his strikeout numbers are down. This is a big season for him, and a poor showing in Spring will most certainly end with him in the minors.

In this six man scenario, I see him fitting in at number six to start the year. The magic that pitching coach Derek Johnson worked with Chase Anderson might do wonders for Gallardo as well. Anderson saw a drop in walks and rise in strikeouts upon joining the Brewers.

Junior Guerra

The unfortunate injury to Junior Guerra hindered his 2017. After being the Opening Day starter, he struggled mightily, to the point where he found himself in Colorado Springs. It would not be crazy to see him back in the rotation, though he might be a better fit in the bullpen.

It is not difficult to find the issues for Guerra last season. His BB/9 sat over five and his HR/9 sat over two. That is not a good combination by any stretch of the imagination. He did post much better numbers in Triple A, with his ERA in the low two’s through six appearances.

During his breakout 2016, Guerra’s FIP sat at 3.71. If he can find even a little bit of what he had two years ago, he will be a productive member of the Milwaukee Brewers pitching staff. If he cannot, his name will not be relevant at the MLB level.