2014 Milwaukee Brewers: Starting Rotation Possibilities

Greetings Brew Crew fans!

I hope you enjoyed last week’s blog post pertaining to a possible starting lineup scenario. It was the first of many blog posts to come. This blog is very much a work in progress as I continue to iron out kinks along the way. As they say, Rome wasn’t built in a day!

As promised, I will be discussing a possible starting rotation scenario in this post. As with the starting lineup, the starting rotation is suspect to undergo changes between now and the start of the 2014 season. Pieces can always be added or subtracted. Regardless, it is never too early to speculate about which five arms may occupy the Brewers’ starting rotation in the season to come.

1: Yovani Gallardo
Despite his first half struggles and overall inconsistencies over the past few seasons, Gallardo is still the Brewers’ ace and one of the faces of the franchise. He has won at least twelve games each of the past five seasons, leading the staff in victories in each of the past four. Though strikeouts were down for Yovani in 2013 (144) and ERA was up (4.18), he did have an impressive second half and seems to have made some helpful mechanical adjustments. Gallardo has sped up his delivery, allowing him to attack the strike zone more aggressively. Barring injury, expect Gallardo to take the hill March 31 against Atlanta.

2: Kyle Lohse
Lohse had a solid 2013 campaign with his new team. Though he was inconsistent in the first half, some of that can be attributed to a lack of run support. Lohse’s mates did not score many runs in his first several starts, pinning Kyle into an early hole. However, he worked his way out of the hole and put together a very strong second half. Lohse finished the season with eleven wins, a 3.35 ERA, and 125 strikeouts. The Brewers signed Lohse late into Spring Training in 2013 and are committed to keeping him near the top of their rotation. Expect an increase in wins for Lohse in 2014, having a full season in his new surroundings under his belt.

3: Wily Peralta
Peralta may be the true enigma of the Brewers’ starting staff. After impressing late in 2012, Peralta was largely inconsistent throughout 2013, seemingly alternating between solid and poor starts. Like many of his teammates, Peralta picked it up a bit in the second half, finishing the season with eleven wins and 129 strikeouts. Being a young pitcher, the Brewers expect struggles and learning curves throughout Peralta’s development. However, they expect for Peralta to start to put it all together and find consistency on the mound. He will be 25 in May and is still highly touted by the organization. Though Peralta has always been considered one of the Brewers’ top pitching prospects, it is time for Wily to take his game to the next level and finally shed the “prospect” label.

4: Tyler Thornburg
The offspeed specialist was impressive in limited duties in 2013, posting a 2.03 ERA and striking out 48 batters in 66 2/3 innings. Though he may return to Nashville in 2014 for more minor league seasoning, it seems more likely that the Brewers will give Tyler his much deserved opportunity at the big league level. He has been one of the organization’s top pitching prospects for the past several years, despite his recent struggles in the minor leagues. The Brewers would rather not bury Tyler in the minor leagues, especially since he showed enough promise in the closing weeks of 2013. Thornburg just turned 25 in September and may get his opportunity to crack the starting rotation out of Spring Training.

5: Marco Estrada
Estrada battled injuries throughout 2013, tossing just 128 innings. Despite the lost time, Marco did strike out 118 batters and compiled a 3.87 ERA while on the mound. As someone who can start and pitch in long relief, Estrada is invaluable to the organization. Despite the occasional forgettable start, Marco is also good for the occasional dominant start. Beyond the two occasional extremes, Estrada is a solid pitcher who helps to stabilize the Brewers’ starting rotation. Look for Marco to get every opportunity to secure a back end rotation slot for 2014.

Don’t Count ‘Em Out:
Hiram Burgos, Mike Fiers, Alfredo Figaro, Tom Gorzelanny, Donovan Hand, Johnny Hellweg, Chris Narveson, and Jimmy Nelson may get looks and receive rotation consideration in Spring Training.

It seems that many fans are hoping for Yovani Gallardo to be traded. Though it’s not beyond the realm of possibility, I simply don’t think that would be practical at this point. Gallardo is set to earn $11.25 million in 2014, the final year of his guaranteed contract. The Brewers hold a $13 million team option on Gallardo for 2015.

The argument can be made that the Brewers should deal Yovani so as to free up payroll. However, the Brewers are thin at starting pitching as it is. They simply aren’t in a position to be trading starting pitchers, especially a veteran like Gallardo. Though he might not be an ace on many staffs, Gallardo is the Brewers’ number one starter.

Regardless of how the starting rotation shakes out for 2014, one thing is for certain. The Milwaukee Brewers must perform more consistently on the field. This is not limited to starting pitching. The bullpen arms, bats, and gloves must find ways to play a more consistent brand of baseball for an entire season. It is no secret that Doug Melvin is disappointed with his team’s first half struggles each of the past two seasons.

"I can't stand here every year and say we had a great second half. That doesn't work. We've done that two years in a row, gotten off to bad starts. For the past two years we've relied on younger players, but for us to get better, for us to perform, our star players have to perform. They have to come to the forefront."

-Doug Melvin

Thanks for reading!
-Barrel Man