Brewers: 10 Brewers who could be on the move by trade deadline
By Phil Watson
Jun 10, 2015; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Milwaukee Brewers manager Craig Counsell (30) takes the ball from starting pitcher Kyle Lohse (26) as catcher Jonathan Lucroy (C) looks on against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the seventh inning at PNC Park. The Pirates won 2-0. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
10. Kyle Lohse, RHP
Kyle Lohse started the season as the No. 1 starter in the Brewers’ rotation. He opened the campaign by getting rocked for eight runs in 3.1 innings by the Colorado Rockies and the beatings have continued almost unabated since.
In 13 starts covering 74.2 innings, Lohse is 3-7 with an ugly 6.27 ERA—helped along by allowing at least four runs in eight of his 13 outings.
He is among the league leaders in gopher balls, allowing 15 homers, while walking only 16 batters—something that might be a corollary.
Lohse’s stuff isn’t as good as it has been in the past. Combine that with hitters knowing he’s always around the plate and, boom goes the dynamite.
His trade value is hurt by the fact he’s pitched so poorly, but he is in the final year of a three-year contract that pays him $11 million this season and the 36-year-old could be attractive to a contending team looking to add a veteran presence with postseason experience.
That is something Lohse has—he has made eight postseason starts and was on a World Series winner in 2011 with the St. Louis Cardinals. For an upstart contender such as the Houston Astros—whose general manager, Jeff Luhnow, was in the Cardinals’ scouting department during Lohse’s entire tenure there—there could be a potential fit.
Next: Another Struggling Starter