Milwaukee traded longtime starter Yovani Gallardo for three young players in January. The Brewers saved some money in the transaction and theoretically opened up a rotation spot for Jimmy Nelson.
Unfortunately, the side effect of the Gallardo deal was that it seriously weakened the starting pitching depth for the club. The Brewers now have question marks at the sixth starter spot, and virtually no feasible options for a seventh starter, should one be needed. Enter Kevin Correia, 34, a soft-tossing control pitcher who could be had on a minor league deal to provide depth, at least until the beginning of the season.
Presumably either Matt Garza or Kyle Lohse will be Milwaukee’s Opening Day starter in 2015. That will end Gallardo’s impressive streak as the Opening Day man. So the rotation will look something like this:
Matt Garza / Kyle Lohse
Lohse / Garza
Wily Peralta
Mike Fiers
Jimmy Nelson
The order doesn’t matter so much after the season gets underway because guys will pitch every fifth day or so regardless of what number is assigned to them conceptually. However, Milwaukee’s rotation now looks mighty thin beyond the first three.
I like Mike Fiers and Jimmy Nelson, but what if Nelson falters right out of the gate and could use time at Triple-A? Further, what if Fiers can’t handle the heat to start the season? The Brewers could be in a hot mess early on if the starters don’t perform or an injury occurs.
Brewers GM Doug Melvin has indicated that he’s not too worried about the starting pitching depth because players may become available via other clubs toward the end of camp as teams sort out their rosters. That may be true, but by then any development a starter could have had with Milwaukee players throughout March will have been lost. In addition, there’s no guarantee the Brewers could find a serviceable No. 5 starter at that point.
Two or three weeks ago there were starters left in free agency, like Roberto Hernandez and Kyle Kendrick. Now only Correia, Chris Young, Randy Wolf (no way, especially at 38), and perhaps one or two others even less likely to be decent pitchers in 2015 remain. It’s understandable that Melvin wouldn’t give $5 million to a pitcher like Kendrick, but acquiring some insurance would be a smart idea.
http://gty.im/450132638
Chris Young was passable with Seattle last season, but he’s going to be 36 in May. Correia is no spring chicken either, but he’s pitched more innings over the last five years by far and has been more consistent in recent years. Since 2011, Correia has made 111 starts, Young only 53.
Young actually had a pretty good year with the Mariners in 2014, posting a better ERA (3.65) than Correia (5+), throwing more innings and making more starts. But Young could just as easily come down with a career-ending injury this spring as repeat that performance. Correia, on the other hand, is more of a rubber-armed kind of guy who isn’t often hurt.
Potentially both Correia and Young could be waiting on the market to summon them on major league deals. Or perhaps they aren’t sure about pitching in 2015. Correia split time with two teams in 2014, spending the bulk of the season with Minnesota and the tail end with the Dodgers. Rumors circulated earlier this winter that the Astros had some interest in him, but nothing has come of it.
Way back in 2009, the Brewers were linked to Correia. That doesn’t mean anything, really, only that the same GM that directs the Brewers’ roster now potentially was interested in the pitcher in the past. Certainly, Milwaukee would not want to sign any of the remaining starters to a guaranteed, major league deal. The Brewers should be interested in a minor league pact, though, with several opt-out dates for the player if he’s not placed on the roster.
The Brewers may be OK with the depth that they currently have. But flip a coin and they are scrambling for a starter. Taylor Jungmann has no MLB experience, and Tyler Thornburg is coming back from injury that took him out of the game for nearly a year. Kevin Correia, on a no-risk deal, would be a guy that could shed some experience for the young players and if the club needs him, there he is. If he’s not needed come April, Milwaukee could simply allow him to decide to pursue other opportunities if he’s so inclined.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
