Brewers: Trevor Rosenthal Could Be A Good Bullpen Addition

The Brewers bullpen has been lauded for its elite performance over the past several seasons, and behind Josh Hader and Devin Williams a steady rotation of pitchers has filtered in to fill in when needed. Trevor Gott is the most recent of those pitchers to be added to the injured list, creating a hole in the bullpen that free agent Trevor Rosenthal could fill.

With the Brewers pitching staff depleted by injuries, free agent Trevor Rosenthal is an intriguing option for the team to add.

Although Rosenthal has not thrown in the Majors since 2020 when he spent time with San Diego and Kansas City, before missing the 2021 season as he recovered from a torn hip labrum, there appears to be interest from clubs in bringing him back.

Jon Heyman reported 14 teams were present at a showcase that had him averaging  95.6 MPH with a max Velo of 98.5 before a hamstring cramp ended the outing.

96 MPH is a decline from where he was throwing in 2020, when he averaged 97.9 MPH on his 4-seam fastball and 98.7 MPH with his sinker.

When looking at his spin rate, per the data he provided, it was slightly below his 2020 averages for fastballs and slider, but his changeup was up.

In addition to spin, Rosenthal saw a considerable increase in vertical movement, recording an average of 18.3 inches of drop, when he averaged 10.5 inches of drop with his 4-seam and 11.2 inches on his sinker.

Ending with a cramp is not particularly good news, but what Rosenthal showed should be enough for the Brewers to be in contact with his representation.

Keep in mind, it was not reported which teams were all present or if the Brewers were there. However, given Stearns’ reputation for leaving no stone unturned, seeking out as much information as possible, and interest in Rosenthal in previous years, it’s likely Milwaukee at least had some representation at the showcase.

Throughout David Stearns’ tenure the Brewers have prided themselves on depth, and even the large amount of depth they’ve accumulated has been tested as of late. Currently the Brewers have five bullpen members out of the action: Trevor Gott, Luis Perdomo, and Jandel Gustave on the 15-day IL while Jake Cousins and Justin Topa are on the 60-day Injured List.

While call-ups such as Miguel Sanchez and Luke Barker have done a good job of providing some relief, adding an additional veteran presence is something the team should consider to bolster their tested depth.