Milwaukee Brewers Claim Jordan Lyles Off Waivers From Padres

The Milwaukee Brewers said they were going to be active during the August waiver period, and GM David Stearns stayed true to his word. The Brewers claimed Jordan Lyles off waivers from the San Diego Padres.

This may not have been a move many were expecting. David Stearns adding yet another reliever to an already great group. Although this reliever hasn’t experienced much success in the big leagues.

The 27 year old Lyles was let go by the Padres for nothing on waivers. They could’ve worked out a trade or pulled him back. But instead Padres GM AJ Preller chose to let the Brewers take Lyles off their hands for nothing in return. Which is slightly suspicious.

Through his eight seasons in the big leagues, Lyles has never posted a sub-4.00 ERA. He came into the league as a starter, and has moved into a bullpen role and swingman position in recent years. This year, Lyles has a 4.29 ERA in just over 70 innings.

Jordan Lyles Scouting Report

We asked the site experts at Friars On Base, the FanSided blog that covers the Padres what they thought of the Milwaukee Brewers newest acquisition. They said that the Brewers are getting the best version of Lyles that he’s been in recent years. His ERA and FIP are the lowest they’ve been in a while and Lyles could make a good addition to the bullpen as a middle reliever but could be a back end starter if need be.

Lyles is likely to slot into the bullpen as a middle reliever. The starting rotation isn’t in need of a back end starter, especially with Zach Davies and Jimmy Nelson on the mend.

Bullpen Role

Lyles could be a replacement for Matt Albers who has struggled since coming off the DL. There hasn’t been a corresponding move announced at the time of this writing, so it’s pure speculation at this point.

With Brent Suter down with an injury, the long reliever/swingman role has been up for grabs. Lyles has eight starts this season and could fill in during a pinch.

Jordan Lyles Contract

Lyles can be a free agent at the end of the season. He was signed to a $1 million contract for this season, so there isn’t much money owed to him by the Brewes at all. But he does have a club option for next year for $3.5 million with a $250k buyout. So he could be with the Milwaukee Brewers next year as well.

This isn’t the big starting pitching acquisition that some were expecting, but Lyles has looked better this season and can be controlled for another season. And the Brewers got him for nothing.