First look at Brewers’ 2010 AAA rotation

It will be announced later today (Friday) whether Brewers’ starter Yovani Gallardo will be shut down for the remainder of 2009 and if Josh Butler will make Gallardo’s scheduled start on Saturday.

Butler would be the 10th pitcher to start for the Brewers this season–besides the original five starters, Mike Burns, Carlos Villanueva, Seth McClung and Chris Narveson have all made at least one start for the Crew.

While McClung and Villanueva are likely to return to the parent club’s bullpen in ’10, Narveson and Burns are likely to be the top starters for AAA Nashville next year provided, of course, that the pitching coaches feel that they project as starters and have success in Maryvale next year.  Their starter numbers for the Brewers to date and their overall AAA stats are:

Burns:

Brewers:  3-4, 6.86 ERA, 8 GS, 40.67 IP, 30 K’s to 13 BB’s;

AAA:  8-3, 2.62 ERA, 14 GS, 92.67 IP, 63 K’s to 16 BB’s (also starter stats)

Narveson:

Brewers:  0-0, 6.00 ERA, 1 GS, 3.0 IP, 2 K’s to 3 BB’s

AAA:  4-4, 3.70 ERA, 6 GS, 75.33 IP, 76 K’s to 26 BB’s

…as a starter at AAA: 1-1, 4.08 ERA, 6 GS, 35.33 IP, 33 K’s to 15 BB’s

If Butler makes two or three starts–and is somewhat successful–he’ll likely get a shot at the Sounds’ rotation next year, too.  Butler went 1-1, 3.60, 3 GS, 15.0 IP, 15 K’s to 1 BB at Nashville this year as a 25 year-old.

Besides Burns, Narveson, and Butler, look for Chris Cody (8-8, 4.90 in AAA) to remain in the Sounds’ rotation next year; Cody was acquired from the Tigers and was promoted to AAA midseason, and cooled off after a hot start.  The fifth starter will likely be former #1 pick Mike Jones (1-2, 6.53) or former Brewer starter Chris Capuano.

This means that ’09 Sounds’ starters Tim Dillard, Lindsay Gulin, and Chase Wright will either be traded, released, or sent to the bullpen.  It also means that the Brewers will have five bonafide options for their parent club rotation should an injury occur or one or more starters struggle.

Also look for Mark Rogers to join AA Huntsville sometime next year.