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Milwaukee Brewers: 3 moves the Brewers Could Make Before Spring Training

By Sam Brahm

DENVER, CO - OCTOBER 07: Manager Craig Counsell of the Milwaukee Brewers pulls starting picther Wade Miley #20 in the fifth inning of Game Three of the National League Division Series against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on October 7, 2018 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)
DENVER, CO - OCTOBER 07: Manager Craig Counsell of the Milwaukee Brewers pulls starting picther Wade Miley #20 in the fifth inning of Game Three of the National League Division Series against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on October 7, 2018 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images) /
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MILWAUKEE, WI – OCTOBER 13: Wade Miley #20 of the Milwaukee Brewers throws a pitch against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the first inning in Game Two of the National League Championship Series at Miller Park on October 13, 2018 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
MILWAUKEE, WI – OCTOBER 13: Wade Miley #20 of the Milwaukee Brewers throws a pitch against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the first inning in Game Two of the National League Championship Series at Miller Park on October 13, 2018 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /

2. Signing A Starting Pitcher

Starting pitching has always been an area of need for the Brewers and this offseason, they are still searching. They have a solid group of players that could fit in the rotation, but if the Brewers are cutting payroll (trading Anderson, maybe Davies) and Nelson coming back from a devastating injury, the Brewers may need to make an addition.

Wade Miley

The Brewers rode the Wade for almost all of the playoffs and he was a huge part of their success. Miley had a breakout season in 2018 after making adjustments with the help of former pitching coach Derek Johnson. The Brewers have been in contact with Miley’s agent, but nothing has been imminent. Miley would be a huge addition for the Brewers. Adding a lefty to an all righty rotation would help the Crew in a huge way. People may say that last season was a fluke, but according to reports, scouts were watching him this offseason and he’s still the same Wade. If the Brewers add a pitcher, there’s a good chance the Brewers faithful will see him back in Milwaukee.

2018: 5-2/2.57 ERA/80.2 IP/50 K/.237 OPP AVG (w/ Brewers)

2018 Playoffs: 1.23 ERA/14.2 IP/9 K/.185 OPP AVG

Sonny Gray

Gray is on the trade block and the Brewers have been a fan of him since he’s been in Oakland. He had a miserable year and a half with the Yankees, but with Gray’s 3.17 ERA away from Yankee Stadium, he is considered a bounce-back candidate in 2019. The Brewers are one of many teams in on him and they seem to be falling back in the race.

There are around eight teams involved and another reason they’re falling back is that of the price. It was said that the Yankees wanted a top-five prospect, which could equal out to Corey Ray, which is a very high price for someone like Sonny Gray. There’s a slim chance the Brewers will get him, but anything can happen.

2018: 11-9/4.90 ERA/130.1 IP/123 K (w/ Yankees)

Dallas Keuchel

This may not be the most realistic option, but the Brewers reportedly had interest in Keuchel early in the offseason. Keuchel is another lefty, a former Cy Young Award winner and a World Series Champion. He has faltered the past few years, but he is still a reliable pitcher and would most likely be the ace of the Brewers pitching staff. The issue with signing him though is that the price is pretty high (multi-year worth15-20M a year) and he has come out that he’s against bullpen games, which the Brewers are famous for doing.

2018: 12-11/3.74 ERA/204.2 IP/153 K (w/ Astros)

Drew Pomeranz

The Brewers haven’t been connected to Pomeranz, but he’s someone to watch out for. He’s a lefty that had an awful year in 2018 that was filled with injuries and no success whatsoever. But you can’t judge him off of last year. People forget that in 2017, he went 17-6 with a 3.32 ERA. And in 2016, he had the same ERA with a record of 11-12. Pomeranz is a bounce-back candidate that wouldn’t cost the Brewers much. He could be a hidden gem in free agency. Maybe the 2019 version of Wade Miley.

2018: 2-6/6.08/74.0 IP/66 K (w/ Red Sox)

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