QUICK HIT: Minimizing the Downside

The Milwaukee Brewers are looking into every option in their desperate attempts to solve their pitching woes after last season’s mound meltdown cost them any chance at a repeat appearance in the playoffs.  Unfortunately all of the currently available free agents, as well as others mentioned as possible trade acquisitions, are either at or approaching their mid-30s in age with various levels of injury or consistency concerns.  All of them will be looking to land multi-year contracts which makes them a risky proposition in regard to health and/or performance.

It’s clear that General Manager Doug Melvin has to do something with his pitching staff before next season, if only to appease a restless fan base as well as give his team some hope that last year won’t be repeated.  The suggestion here is that Melvin take a page out of his own book in pursuing free agent pitchers.  Instead of signing these guys to a number of years, why not try to entice one or two of them with a well ’above market’ one year deal as he did with Eric Gagne?  If need be, he could throw in an option year with a buyout the same way he did with Braden Looper.  Obviously neither of those signings worked out the way Milwaukee would have like but it’s far better for the Brewers, given their financial limitations, to overpay someone in the short  term than to be saddled with a player underperforming his contract in the manner of Jeff Suppan.  At least that way, Melvin gives himself some budget flexibility and roster decisions can be made without contract considerations clouding the picture of putting the best team on the field.

Tags: Braden Looper, Doug Melvin, Eric Gagne, Jeff Suppan, Milwaukee Brewers