3 scenarios for Milwaukee Brewers after trade of Yovani Gallardo
By Phil Watson
Sep 26, 2014; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Jimmy Nelson (52) pitches in the first inning against the Chicago Cubs at Miller Park. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports
Scenario 3: Promote From Within
With the emergence of Mike Fiers as a legitimate big-league starter in August and September, the Brewers were looking at going to Arizona with six starters and five rotation slots.
With Gallardo gone, that opens up a spot for Jimmy Nelson, who was the top prospect in the system not all that long ago.
It was a rough indoctrination for Nelson, who had a 4.93 ERA and 1.457 WHIP in 14 appearances—12 starts—and 69.1 innings, with 57 strikeouts.
Nelson has the raw tools—he just has to figure out that constantly pitching in those 2-0 and 3-1 counts will kill you.
He only walked 19 batters, but Nelson had a problem with falling behind hitters, something that can be cured with experience.
Nelson will be 26 in June and it would be a positive step for the organization for one of their recent drafts to produce something.
There are worse things to do organizationally than to get a pile of prospects in return for a free-agent-to-be that was unlikely to be seriously pursued next winter, while at the same time freeing up a spot for one of your few big-league ready youngsters to take on a permanent, prominent role.
At this point in their respective careers, Lohse and Garza are who they are—their upside is in the rearview mirror. Fiers may be fairly close to whatever ceiling he has, but if it’s anywhere near that ridiculous 2.09 ERA, 0.835 WHIP, 9.9 strikeouts per nine inning pace he showed in his 10 starts in August and September, we’ll take it.
And that’s not including Wily Peralta, who made a huge leap forward as a 25-year-old last season and has plenty of room for more improvement.
If it winds up being Door No. 3 for the Brewers, things could be worse.
But let’s be clear—Gallardo was not the ace of the staff anymore. He had been so in name only for two seasons now.
And that is a decent haul of prospects to get in return for a fading power pitcher who already has nearly 1,300 innings under his belt.