Brewers' latest bullpen signing comes with some very real concerns

When the Milwaukee Brewers signed lefty reliever Tyler Alexander this week, it mostly flew under the radar. Alexander is a swing man type that can provide some length out of the bullpen as well as be a spot starter if the need arises. While not a sexy signing, pitching depth is pitching depth and Alexander should at least be able to cover some innings that were lost to free agency and trades this past offseason.

However, the quality of the innings matters and a closer look at Alexander's profile suggests that he may not be quite as good as Brewers fans are hoping he will be in his role on a team that is looking to contend.

New Brewer Tyler Alexander's upside on the mound is very questionable

One can only expect so much from a very late offseason bullpen signing and Alexander's presence does have value assuming he doesn't implode. With Brandon Woodruff still working his way back, having a guy that can throw multiple innings early in the season and start to give regulars off days makes a lot of sense. Alexander's breaking stuff is also very good and at least gives Milwaukee something to work with.

Unfortunately, the rest of Alexander's profile is pretty questionable. Aside from the fact that he sports a 4.55 career ERA and is coming off a 2024 season with an ERA north of 5 which is decidedly not great, it is hard to find something to hang your hat on when it comes to optimism with Alexander.

He doesn't miss a lot of bats, doesn't keep the ball on the ground, doesn't throw hard AT ALL, and gives up too many barrels. He does pound the strike zone which is nice, but living in the strike zone with questionable stuff and a bottom 10% whiff rate is often a curse instead of a blessing. The one hope here is that when Alexander does throw pitches out of the zone, he can usually get guys to chase and swing at that stuff.

Ultimately, Alexander isn't going to make or break the Brewers season. If Nestor Cortes performs well and Milwaukee's young players take a step forward, they will be in good shape. However, if there are any real hiccups especially early on in 2025, having Alexander as a backup plan could get pretty dicey.

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