Brewers still face several key roster decisions ahead of NLDS matchup with Padres

The Milwaukee Brewers’ officially have a date with the red-hot San Diego Padres in the NLDS. As the Brewers enjoy their five days off between the end of the regular season and the start of the NLDS -- the result of a first-round bye brought on by their record-breaking 103-win season -- the Padres were busy sweeping the Chicago Cubs in the best-of-three Wild Card Series in convincing fashion. Now, the two hottest teams in baseball will face off in the NLDS.

Game 1 is set for Saturday, October 3, at 7:30 p.m. CT at American Family Field, just over 48 hours from now. While the first pitch -- which will be thrown by NL Cy Young front-runner Jacob Misiorowski -- is fast approaching, the Brewers still have a few remaining decisions to make in regard to the 26 players they will carry on their NLDS roster.

The Brewers are healthy and well-rested this year, which is seldom the case when the postseason begins, and as a result have a number of different directions they can go with their NLDS roster. Here are the three biggest decisions the Brewers still face in constructing their initial postseason squad.

3 NLDS roster decisions still facing the Brewers as Game 1 draws nearer

1. Did the Brewers see enough from Kyle Harrison to trust him in October?

The biggest question surrounding Kyle Harrison is whether the Brewers saw enough in his final three outings to outweigh the struggles he had in his seven appearances before that. Harrison was absolutely dominant during the first half of the season, but landed on the IL with a flexor strain in early July, and when he returned during the first week of August, simply was not the same pitcher. His arm angle had dropped, his velocity had dipped, and the ride on his four-seam fastball wasn't the same.

As a result, the Brewers switched Harrison to a relief role at the end of the season, and the properties on his fastball returned. Not only was Harrison back his normal cruising velocity of 95-96 mph, but the vertical movement on his four-seamer returned to where it was during the first half of the season. However, concerns with his fastball command and the shape of his breaking ball still remain, and Harrison would therefore be a risky inclusion on the Brewers' NLDS roster.

The question Pat Murphy and his coaching staff face is: in what situations do they trust Harrison? Are they comfortable throwing him with a four-run lead or in a low-leverage situation at the beginning of a playoff game? If the answer is "no," then there really isn't a spot for Harrison on the NLDS roster, especially if Milwaukee only carries 12 pitchers as most fans expect them to. However, if the Brewers believe his early-season effectiveness can return in October, perhaps the upside of having Harrison on the NLDS roster is too great to ignore.

2. Who is the Game 3 bulk pitcher? Is Dustin May's roster spot safe?

The Brewers also have a decision to make regarding their Game 3 bulk pitcher, with Dustin May and Robert Gasser seemingly being the two leading candidates to pitch the Brewers’ first road game of the postseason. May brings a high level of postseason experience, which is part of the reason the Brewers acquired him at the trade deadline, while Gasser has provided the Brewers with more consistency. May finished the regular season with a 4.70 ERA and a 1.32 WHIP over 145.2 innings pitched, while Gasser posted a 3.87 ERA in 109.1 innings pitched and a 1.19 WHIP.

Late-season inconsistency left some questioning whether May's spot on the NLDS roster was safe. May certainly has the "stuff" to be effective in the postseason, but he failed to get results during the regular season, to the point that some are worried about his ability to cover innings for the Brewers in October. Like Harrison, the upside of May hitting his stride in the postseason may be too great to pass up, but do the Brewers have room for both arms on their 26-man NLDS roster?

With the flame-throwing Misiorowski getting the ball in Game 1 and Logan Henderson set for Game 2, the Game 3 pitching decision is perhaps the most crucial question Pat Murphy and his coaching staff still have to answer.

3. Will Bo Naylor or Brandon Lockridge grab the Brewers' final position player spot?

The final roster decision Milwaukee faces is whether to include catcher Bo Naylor or outfielder Brandon Lockridge as their 14th position player (assuming they carry 14 position players and 12 pitchers). Naylor would give Milwaukee a third catcher, allowing the Brewers to be more aggressive with Gary Sánchez as a pinch hitter. However, the Brewers had Naylor on their roster for the entire month of September, and their pinch-hit strategy with the slugging Sánchez didn't see a noticeable change. Therefore, is having an emergency catcher on the bench who may not even see the field a good use of one of the Brewers' coveted roster spots?

Lockridge is unlikely to see significant playing time either, but as one of the speedier players in the organization, he has a clearer path to contributing. The glove-first Lockridge likely would earn very few at-bats, especially considering the Brewers have better right-handed hitting outfield options, but his services could certainly be used as a pinch runner and potentially as a late-game defensive replacement depending on how the game shakes out.

Ultimately, Milwaukee has to decide what it values more from that final roster spot. Naylor would provide catching depth and therefore more flexibility to Sánchez's role, while Lockridge would give the Brewers additional speed and outfield depth.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow