Brewers Reunion w/ Brad Boxberger Adds Needed Bullpen Depth

The MLB lockout is over, Spring Training is about to begin, Opening Day is less than a month away, and there are plenty of free agents to be signed. As Rick Schlesinger recently told reporters, he expects David Stearns and the Milwaukee Brewers to hit the ground running in free agency.

Some of the bigger needs on this Brewers team at the moment include the corner infield positions, finding a DH, adding to the outfield depth, and as Stearns always does, addressing the bullpen as well.

With four openings — now three — on the 40-man roster, certainly don’t be surprised to see the Brewers add multiple relievers before Opening Day.

With the free-agent market still flooded with players, there are plenty of options for Stearns to address that bullpen need, but the reported reunion with Brad Boxberger does make a lot of sense.

Boxberger was signed last offseason by the Brewers to an inexpensive one-year deal worth $1 million that he easily outplayed. Boxberger appeared in 71 games — the most on this Brewers team — oftentimes working the seventh inning as a setup man. He would go on to record a 3.34 ERA, a FIP of just 3.65, a 1.067 WHIP, and he gave up eight home runs in 64.2 innings of work.

Boxberger would strike out 11.55 batters per nine innings, his most since 2018, and he walked only 3.48 batters per nine, his fewest since 2017. He relies mostly on a four-seam fastball but also mixes in a slider and change-up as well.

In 2022, there could be some regression that takes place as many of Boxberger’s numbers from 2021 were better than his career averages, and his opponent’s BABIP was the lowest it has been since 2014. His hard-hit rate was also at its lowest since 2017, and his opponent’s barrel rate was the lowest of Boxberger’s career.

However, with that said, I do really like this re-signing for the Brewers—it makes a ton of sense. I wouldn’t expect anything drastic in terms of regression — if that happens — even with him outperforming many of his career marks last season.

For starters, Boxberger wasn’t that far off from many of his career averages–or at least not by an amount where one would expect some wild swing. Not to mention that as Craig Counsell often does, he was able to put Boxberger in positions to be successful, which was reflective in his season. Boxberger’s return will also give the Brewers another reliable presence on the back-end.

Boxberger is back on another one-year deal but is now at $2.5 million after a strong 2021 season. And as Passan mentions, Boxberger can earn an additional $550,000 in performance bonuses.

More moves will be made in the coming weeks by the Brewers, but bolstering the bullpen depth with a familiar face, and someone who found success in Milwaukee is a good start.