Milwaukee Brewers: What’s the latest on free agent pitchers?

Yu Darvish, Eric Hosmer, and J.D. Martinez have finally signed the mega-deals that were predicted in November. However, there are still three big name starting pitchers still on the market. Should the Milwaukee Brewers finally pull the trigger?</h2?

Jake Odorizzi went to Minnesota. Jason Vargas is now a part of the Mets eight-man rotation. Even Wade Miley found a home. Lance Lynn, Jake Arrieta, and Alex Cobb have yet to awkwardly put a new jersey on over a suit. Is there any movement in the market on the three remaining top free agent starting pitchers?

Lance Lynn

A report surfaced a week ago that Lynn had seven or eight teams interested in him. The Milwaukee Brewers are believed to be one of the teams sniffing around Lynn, but they’ve sniffed around everyone. The Dodgers and Yankees are also believed to have interest. It looks like Lynn’s market is moving away from the Brewers and towards a major market club.

Jake Arrieta

Now this should have the Milwaukee Brewers paying attention. If Arrieta were willing to bet on himself with a one-year deal, the Brewers make a lot of sense for him. First, the Brewers still have money to spend. Second, they should contend for a Wild Card spot. Third, another fantastic season could still allow Arrieta to cash in after his age 32 season. Arrieta has likely received several multi-year offers and should take one of them. However, if he hasn’t, a short term deal doesn’t seem as impossible as it was a few months ago.

Alex Cobb

When we first heard from Cobb, he was reportedly seeking a five- or six-year deal worth over $20 million per season. His demands have come down a bit since then, but it will still take a deal worth around $15 million per year for more than three years to land Cobb. Signing Cobb to a four-year deal worth $60 million is a lot easier for the Milwaukee Brewers to handle than five years for $100 million. Cobb still makes sense for the Brewers. He’s not the ace they need, but he still adds depth to a rotation that looks awfully thin without Jimmy Nelson.

Chris Archer

It’s safe to say that Chris Archer is staying put…for now. A deadline deal is still a possibility, but it would require Keston Hiura, Corbin Burnes, and more.

Next: Should the Brewers deal Aguilar, move Braun to first?

Time is running out for the remaining free agent starters and trade targets, but based on the deals Martinez, Darvish, and Hosmer received, they don’t have to hurry. The pay days are out there, but they’re not quite as big as the 2017-18 free agent class had hoped. Lynn, Arrieta, and Cobb can still get the multi-year deal with life-changing money, but they’re not going to get the ridiculous contracts their agents promised. The market has told them what they’re worth, and now it’s time to admit it.