3 free agent pitchers who could round out Brewers rotation before the season begins

The Milwaukee Brewers have lost some incredible arms over the last few seasons. They've lost All-Stars like Corbin Burnes, Josh Hader, and Devin Williams on the trade front, and other key contributors like Brandon Woodruff to major injuries. Even with those major losses, the Brewers always seem to find a way to fill the holes in their pitching staff and develop unproven players into major contributors.

Coming into spring training 2025, the Brewers were excited to see some of their most exciting pitching prospects in action. Even though these games are exhibitions and most teams aren't rolling out their usual lineups, this is still an opportunity for young players to show whether or not they're prepared to face major league competition. When those young players aren't able to perform as well as the team anticipated in their spring training appearances, questions begin to emerge regarding who will fill the gaps while prospects continue to develop in the minor leagues.

The Milwaukee Brewers and their questionable 2025 rotation

Last season, the Brewers started a club record seventeen different pitchers. Even though it didn't come back to bite them last season, inconsistency from your rotation is a recipe for disaster. In major league baseball, the best teams often have starters who are known as workhorses, or individuals who can always be relied on to get the job done every time they're called upon. One of the reasons Freddy Peralta is so loved by Brewers fans and front office executives alike is that he is incredibly consistent and rarely misses a start.

As of right now, the Brewers plan on rolling out a rotation that has a mix of Freddy Peralta, Nestor Cortes, Tobias Myers, and Aaron Civale. While Brandon Woodruff will eventually be returning during the 2025 season, the timetable is still incredibly murky. Considering the fact most of their minor league arms haven't shown they're ready to make the jump quite yet, the Brewers should begin exploring veteran options in free agency to round out their rotation for 2025.

3 free agent rotation candidates for the Brewers who are still available

1.) Lance Lynn

Lance Lynn is arguably one of the most consistent arms left on the free agent market. Over the last four seasons, Lynn has started twenty or more games for the White Sox, Dodgers, and Cardinals. He's pitched over 550+ innings in that timeframe and hasn't been on the injured list more than four times since 2021. What the Brewers could really use rounding out their rotation is an inning-eater like Lynn who will consistently show up and do his job.

In a recent interview with Foul Territory TV, Lance Lynn talked about his eagerness to pitch, but his unwillingness to take less than he thinks he's worth financially. With the Brewers' limited spending this offseason, why not take a shot with Lynn and use him to fill the gap in the rotation? His veteran leadership could be an asset to the young arms on the pitching staff. Additionally, if he performs well, he could be traded later in the season for some prospects once Woodruff is ready to return.

2.) Spencer Turnbull

Spencer Turnbull has had an incredibly rough start to his major league career. In his first full season in the big leagues, he led all of major league baseball with seventeen losses in thirty starts. Following that season, he experienced three injury-plagued campaigns from 2021 to 2023. As a result, Detroit let him walk and ended their rocky relationship. He then was scooped up by the Philadelphia Phillies on a one-year, $2 million contract. During the 2024 season, Turnbull found a bit of a groove and posted a 1.049 WHIP in 17 appearances.

Although his season was derailed by a back injury, his performance as a starter to begin the 2024 season was extremely encouraging. He began the year with 36 strikeouts, a 1.67 ERA, and a 0.84 WHIP across a little over 32 innings pitched. The Phillies elected to move him to the bullpen once Taijuan Walker had recovered from his pre-season injury, and Turnbull could not find the same success he had starting ballgames. Knowing that Turnbull has succeeded in the starter role for a really good Phillies team, the Brewers should consider taking a chance on him.

3.) Patrick Corbin

Patrick Corbin's contract with the Washington Nationals is often considered one of the worst in recent memory. While he was a huge factor in the Nationals' 2019 World Series win, his performance from that point on was in a constant state of decline. For a pitcher getting paid $140 million across six seasons, he did not live up to Washington's expectations following 2019. However, even though he struggled mightily for years, he continued to serve as Washington's main workhorse year in and year out. For the entirety of his Nationals contract, excluding the shortened 2020 season, he crossed the 150 innings pitched threshold every single season.

The Brewers are in need of an arm who can eat upwards of 100 innings while Woodruff and their top pitching prospects prepare to make the jump to the major league rotation. Why not take a shot on a guy who has shown he is insanely durable and can be relied on to make the start every five days? Corbin is a guy who no longer is in it for the money. He will be looking for an opportunity to redeem himself and revitalize his career while he still can.

On top of that, lefty inning-eaters are extremely valuable. If the Brewers don't get off to the start they're hoping for in 2025, Corbin on a relatively cheap contract can be offloaded near the trade deadline for some future pieces for the Brewers in their quest for a deep playoff run.

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