Milwaukee Brewers: A Hypothetical Six Man Rotation

The Milwaukee Brewers starting rotation is an ever evolving question mark. But with pitchers and catchers having reported, the answers will soon come.

Inspired by the Angels and their plan with Shohei Ohtani, I wanted to dive into the potential of a six man rotation for the Milwaukee Brewers. It is a very much unlikely scenario, but it is one that is interesting to think about. There will be a lot of arms vying for a rotation spot this spring. If nothing else, it gives the team an extended chance to see how the arms play out. And it bides time during Jimmy Nelson’s recovery.

If this were to happen, there would need to be six arms who can compete game in and game out. Without the true ace who should be throwing every five games, it could work. As of right now, it the only true locks for a spot are Chase Anderson, Zach Davies, and Jhoulys Chacin.

Beyond the third spot nothing is imminent. There are plenty of options to consider. In this totally hypothetical and largely unlikely strategy, all of the potential candidates for the fourth and fifth slots would have another spot to compete for.

Candidates

There are two arms who would greatly benefit from the move. Brandon Woodruff, who still has prospect status, is a favorite to win a rotation spot anyway. In a six man rotation, it could go as far to say he is a lock for a spot. Barring any craziness during Spring Training, he could walk away as the number four starter.

Yovani Gallardo is the other arm. His contract is flexible to where he lands, so it is not unrealistic to think in a six man scenario he will be in the back end. The former Milwaukee Brewers ace is hoping to bounce back from a string of less than impressive seasons in 2018. With more rotation spots, he would seem to be a favorite to take on a rotation role.

Other names in the mix are current rotation favorite Brent Suter, along with Aaron Wilkerson, Junior Guerra, and recently acquired Wade Miley. Josh Hader’s name might be in the running, except it is already known he will be starting the year in the bullpen. So, how would this shake out?

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.

Brandon Woodruff

Regardless of how many pitchers are in the rotation, it would be foolish not to have Brandon Woodruff in it. He has the potential to grow into a solid number three in the Milwaukee Brewers future rotation, and he proved enough last year to get another look.

The few games that Woodruff threw at the MLB level in 2017 show an ERA close to five. But he came out of the gate throwing very well. He gave up four runs through his first four games. After that, things went downhill. It is still worth giving the number 96 overall prospect the chance to shine.

In a six man rotation, Woodruff would be a mortal lock for a slot. Even in a five man rotation, he should be in it. But, if he is not, it will not be long until he is back to pitching in Miller Park. If he can avoid the downhill slide that he encountered that started against the Pirates in his fifth MLB appearance.

Aaron Wilkerson

This rookie eligible pitcher is far away from being considered a lock for the rotation. But, he is still in the mix for the five man rotation, so he would also be in this mix as well. It might be a long shot for Aaron Wilkerson, however all it takes is a chance.

His MLB career spans three games where he threw for a 3.48 ERA in 10 innings. In the last game of the 2017 season, Wilkerson threw a gem. He lasted seven innings, giving up only two hits against the St. Louis Cardinals. He will have to continue to remain competitive to have a chance at either a five or six man rotation.

Wilkerson would benefit from an extra slot because it gives him an extra chance to make the Milwaukee Brewers roster out of Spring Training. Either way, it does not seem as if the righty will start 2018 with the Crew.

What Does The Rotation Look Like?

This is an extremely unlikely scenario, but it just might work. If it were going to happen then there would likely be a pitcher from each group used. The upside of it is that there can be a competitive pitcher going on five days rest instead of four.

Because the Milwaukee Brewers rotation does not have someone who is a true ace, being more rested might be the way to go. It gives options to Craig Counsell, even though it is a pretty unorthodox strategy.

So, if I am making the decisions, here is the six man rotation I would go with:

1. Chase Anderson
2. Zach Davies
3. Jhoulys Chacin
4. Brent Suter
5. Brandon Woodruff
6. Yovani Gallardo

Will This Even Happen?

No.

Is It Worth Considering?

Anything is if it can give the Brewers a chance to win. This idea is pretty out there and not based in any real whispers. It is just a thought because of the team with Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani. But it might be crazy enough to work.

When Jimmy Nelson gets back, this idea becomes irrelevant. If the injured righty comes back healthy and looking like last year, Milwaukee honestly has a pretty decent rotation. The group will do the job to keep the runs down for the newly revamped lineup.

Next: Adrian Houser Already Behind

Even if this is a longshot, I have been able to talk myself into it. I finally like the idea. To start this, I hated it. But as I looked through all of the stats, it began to look better and better. That being said, don’t count on this, it is just a hypothetical. One thing that is certain is that the battle for the rotation will be fun to watch.