Don’t Waste The 2024 Brewers Offense: Go Get A Starting Pitcher, And Do It Now

[Michael Trzinski]

Should Milwaukee make a move now and not wait until the trade deadline? They could really use the help right now...

Image courtesy of © Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

When the 2024 season started, Milwaukee expected to have Freddy Peralta, Colin Rea, Jakob Junis, DL Hall, and possibly Joe Ross as members of the starting rotation. Although Wade Miley was injured, he was mentioned as a starter, as was minor-league phenom Robert Gasser.

Sixty-four games into the season, only Peralta and Rea have started at least a dozen games. Ross (9) and Gasser (5) have chipped in, but both currently are on the 15-day injured list. Thus far, seven other pitchers have made starts for Milwaukee: Tobias Myers (7), Bryce Wilson (7), Hall (4), Jared Koenig (4), Aaron Ashby (2), Miley (2), and Junis (1). Miley, Junis, and Hall are all on the 60-day IL.

Peralta is the no-doubt ace of the staff, but as of late is pitching more like a middle-of-the-rotation guy. Nobody else has stepped up to take the #2 and #3 spots in the rotation. That said, what can the Brewers do to strengthen the starting staff to make it the equal of the batting lineup?

Gasser, along with minor league aces like Jacob Misiorowski and Carlos F. Rodriguez, who are close to cracking the Milwaukee roster, should give the Brewers hope for future rotational stars.

But for today, the Brewers hope their pitching staff can keep up with their hitters.

Offensively, the team is third in the NL with 321 runs scored, third with 565 hits, fourth with 68 home runs, third with 86 steals, fourth with 226 walks, second with a .257 batting average, second with an on-base percentage of .332, third with a slugging percentage of .409, and fourth with an OPS+ of 109. In other words, the team can hit.

William Contreras (.309/.376/.475) is arguably the best-hitting catcher in baseball; second baseman Brice Turang is on pace for 50 steals while slashing .307/.371/.415, Christian Yelich looks like the ‘Yeli’ of old with an OPS+ of 163 and infielder Joey Ortiz surpasses expectations at the plate with a slash line of .291/.387/.479.

The pitching staff is lagging and needs an infusion of solid starts to help the Brewers cross the finish line into September and hopefully beyond. If Peralta can learn to pitch deeper into games and establishes himself as a staff ace, and one of the young pitchers can consistently step up and be a force, the Brewers would only need another pitcher or two to give them what they need to become a solid contender for the NL title.

Injuries or Decimation of a Staff?
When a team has six starting pitchers on various injury lists, management needs to put together a patchwork staff or make a deal to acquire another pitcher or two. Here is a list of the six pitchers that are on injured lists:

• Robert Gasser (15-day) left flexor strain in elbow, return TBD.
• DL Hall (60-day) left knee sprain, return mid-to-late June.
• Jakob Junis (60-day) right shoulder, return mid-June.
• Wade Miley (60-day) torn UCL, return 2025.
• Joe Ross (15-day) lower back strain, return TBD.
• Brandon Woodruff (60-day) right shoulder, return late 2024/early 2025.

Hall and Junis will likely return to action before Independence Day, while the outlooks for Gasser and Ross are a bit cloudier. Miley, of course, is out for the rest of the season, but an early return by Woodruff in September or October could help strengthen the Brewers staff if he is the same pitcher who made a pair of All-Star appearances in the past and was a Cy Young finalist in 2021.

Out of the Comfort Zone?
During every season, players are thrust into roles they might not be acclimated to, which can affect their performance. Take Bryse Wilson, for example. He was pretty much a starter before he came to Milwaukee in 2023, taking the ball in 43 starts while making just 13 relief appearances for Atlanta and Pittsburgh from 2018-2022. Craig Counsell used Wilson exclusively out of the bullpen last year, where he was very effective.

This year, manager Pat Murphy has started Wilson seven times and called for him in relief eight times. Wilson averages 4.2 innings/start but has a walk rate of 12.2%. Out of the ‘pen, that rate is only 3.5%. But his OPS against is .657 as a starter and .768 as a reliever. Wilson made five consecutive starts in late April/early May but has only started one of his last three appearances. Murphy is playing ‘mix-or-match’ here, depending on who can start. Where will Wilson end up? It seems he will remain as a spot starter for now.

To me, Aaron Ashby is an enigma. He has a career strikeout rate of 26.1% but allows hits and walks to the tune of a 1.388 WHIP. He didn’t pitch badly in his June 5 outing against Philadelphia, but he didn’t throw nearly enough strikes (49 in 91 pitches) and had eight three-ball counts on the 21 batters he faced. That is simply too many. He was optioned to Nashville on Friday and will get a chance to stretch out in the Sounds rotation until further notice.

Carlos F. Rodriguez (CFR) is expected to be called up from Nashville and handed the ball for a start against Toronto on Tuesday at American Family Field. A great piece by Spencer Michaelis on this website details CFR’s struggles and successes this season. Rodriguez will take Ashby’s place in the rotation, at least for one start. Is he out of his depth? History shows he had great numbers at Single-A and Double-A, but thus far, Triple-A stats are a little less impressive. Brewers fans are eagerly awaiting the arrival in Brew City of one of the top Brewer prospects.

Are the Trade Winds Blowing?
If push comes to shove, the Brewers might need to make a trade or two. Here are two possible options and one very long shot.

Trevor Rogers, LHP (Marlins)
The 26-year-old Rogers was an All-Star and runner-up in the ROY voting in 2021. He has struggled to find his way since then, but his last two starts weren’t too terrible. He is expected to take the mound against Cleveland today. Rogers is signed through this season and can’t become a free agent until after the 2026 season. ‘T-Raw’ could be more than just a rental for Milwaukee.

Erick Fedde, RHP (White Sox)
After a good season in Korea in 2023, the White Sox signed Fedde to a two-year, $15 million contract. He could also become a free agent after the 2026 season. Fedde has pitched well in the Windy City, posting an ERA+ of 124 and a WHIP of 1.184 in 13 starts. Given his age (31) and the fact that the White Sox are pretty bad—no, they suck—this season, the Brewers might not have to give away too much in a trade.

Justin Verlander, RHP (Astros)
Like I said, it's a long shot. But something to think about, maybe.

What Will the Brewers Do?
Milwaukee has a few options, but they better not wait too long. They can hope their starters get healthy, their young players live up to expectations, and the injury bug attacks some other team. Or they can be like Monty Hall and ‘make a deal’ sooner rather than later.

Faithful readers, what do you think the Brewers should do? Please comment below, and thanks for taking the time to read this piece!

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[BraunWeeksFielder]

I prefer an acquisition that feels like an upgrade and not one for the sake of adding one, for me personally. 

[GasserFace]

There is no need to rush. No other team in the division is over .500. Let’s see what we have in Rodriguez, Junis, Ashby and Hall. Peralta and Rea are solid. Myers seems to be improving. Wilson is fine when he limits free passes. 
 

The Crew should stay patient and see what the market looks like in late July.  We pitched well against the Phillies. Let’s see how we fare against the Dodgers and Braves before we sell some of our prospects.

[Brian]

9 hours ago, GasserFace said:

There is no need to rush. No other team in the division is over .500. Let’s see what we have in Rodriguez, Junis, Ashby and Hall. Peralta and Rea are solid. Myers seems to be improving. Wilson is fine when he limits free passes. 
 

The Crew should stay patient and see what the market looks like in late July.  We pitched well against the Phillies. Let’s see how we fare against the Dodgers and Braves before we sell some of our prospects.

I agree with the patient part but when good pitcher pops up they have to act ASAP unless if it is a crazy amount they want for him. Trade Deadline July 30. 

[Brock Beauchamp]

12 hours ago, GasserFace said:

There is no need to rush. No other team in the division is over .500. Let’s see what we have in Rodriguez, Junis, Ashby and Hall. Peralta and Rea are solid. Myers seems to be improving. Wilson is fine when he limits free passes. 

The Crew should stay patient and see what the market looks like in late July.  We pitched well against the Phillies. Let’s see how we fare against the Dodgers and Braves before we sell some of our prospects.

I see your point but disagree in that the Brewers could effectively win this division well before the trade deadline given how the rest of the teams are playing. Target a guy then just go get him. Pay the premium, the Crew has the farm system to weather it.

[jesusoftheapes]

I do not care what you think of the guy there is only one pitcher worth signing and ONE who would not cost us our future to acquire. .  PERIOD .  He is the best pitcher available for the least money .  I do not care if you do not like the guy or do not agree but this crap needs to stop and that guy needs to be pitching at the highest level because he a true STUD who has not one criminal charge against him and all the other reasons are completely made up by people who simply disagree with him .  I do not care .  Sign  The Pitcher who cannot be named and stop being hyperbolic.   There is nothing the man has done to keep him out of baseball and I am sick of hearing all the made up silly reasons all you who hate the man use to keep him out of baseball for NO REAL REASON! All I ask of those of you who have a problem with the man is to STOP trying to get in the way of it!   Your own personal bias is not good enough! There is nothing ! NOTHING the man has EVER done that should keep him out of baseball and you have had your soapbox for far to long on this topic~!   I WANT TO WIN A WORLD SERIES ! Trevor would help us do that .   GROW UP! 

[Joseph Zarr]

There's one more starting arm in Nashville that deserves an opportunity to see how his stuff fares at the MLB level - trade or no trade. That arm is RHP Chad Patrick. He was our return in the nationally recognized INF Abraham Toro trade 🤥. AND, simply put: he's been consistent and solid as a rock for that pitching staff. He tends to scuffle out of the gates for some reason but gets stronger and stronger as his outings progress. 7-of-11 GS's are Quality Starts. Legit mix of pitches to lean on. Never seems to lose control of an outing. On the season, batters are hitting 0.221 BAA while he sports a 1.14 WHIP. In his two June starts? 0.159 BAA and a 0.71 WHIP. In the very least, I'd love to see him get the opportunity Tobias Myers has gotten.  

I am not averse to going after a starting pitcher whatsoever. BUT, we also have one more candidate in house to potentially provide an important stop-gap given the broader starting pitching injuries at hand. Junis' velo is way down. Ross had a set back. Gasser likely done for the year etc. etc. They'll need more than a trade candidate. Patrick might be a serious option.

[Jim French Stepstool]

Going out & getting someone NOW & having him for over half the season sounds attractive. But the other side of the coin is that you're paying a premium for that extra 6 or 7 weeks. That's why I always temper the idea of acquiring this or that guy with wanting to know what it would cost. They DO have some attractive prospect capital. I'm guessing someone will be picked up, it won't be imminent & the cost will involve mostly if not totally people in low-A and/or rookie ball.

[jesusoftheapes]

5 hours ago, Brock Beauchamp said:

I see your point but disagree in that the Brewers could effectively win this division well before the trade deadline given how the rest of the teams are playing. Target a guy then just go get him. Pay the premium, the Crew has the farm system to weather it.

I do not believe that we should spend on pitching to deeply as  .  We are where we are today because we are smart with our prospects and grow our own talent and do not trade it off right before the payoff with the player almost ready for the Bigs.   So while I do want a pitcher and want to win this season with THIS offense as bad as the next guy I do not think trading off the Brewers next 10 years of developmental stars to get to that this season is probably the wrong move.  Crochet from the White Socks is a really really good pitcher who has everything the Brewers covet in a pitcher.  I think he becomes a Cy Young winner in our system or any system for that matter as long as his arm holds together.  That being said the current buzz surrounding him is driving his price up. That and every single start he makes drives him up the value chart because even after missing his entire career 2024 happened and now we are looking at a possible Diamond and he is currently second in baseball in strike outs. His 3.33 ERA would be much better if he had a team to defend the bases and he has 2 years of arbitration left to come along with him .  If the Brewers had made this trade a month ago they could have gotten him for  prospects like Weimer, Owen Miller and players like that and none of them would be players Brewers fans would have missed.   NOW however Crochet is going to cost Tyler Black, Cooper Pratt, Zach Green, Aaron Ashby and then some.  So I call that not worth the investment .    Simply put Crochet does fix our pitching issue. He give the Brewers a headliner they do not have now.   However leave the blockbusters that gut the Farm to teams who never win games as usual.  Or teams who can afford to lose the Farm for one player like the Yankees.   Crochet is now so overpriced I doubt he is ever a Brewer.   

 Tyler Megill  of the NY Mets would be an option who could also give the Brewers a trade partner for pitching that would not cost the world to get.  His brother has been nothing but a success here and having Tyler and Trevor on the same team would be wildly entertaining.   Tyler is holding a 3.00 ERA now for the Mets as a starter and is soon to break out as one of the better starting pitchers in baseball.  This is being overshadowed by the fact the Mets are TERRIBLE but Megill would be a pitcher the Brewers would not have to pay through the nose to acquire and would have a huge window to fit in here with his brother already in this Bullpen.    I believe the press would be very good and the brothers together would be one of the best stories going into a post season run . Tyler is much like his brother in size. They pitch differently a bit with Tyler of course having more pitches than his brother as a starter but both are towering over 6'7'' tall and it would be fun to see them both in Brewers colors this season and into the future.   He is Arbitration eligible in 2025.  He would be a name you are not hearing a lot about in 2024 trade rumors who could fit here super well .     

Jesus Luardo is OVERRATED and Miami want to much for him. Even though he is big talk in the trade rumor mill I do not love him as a solution and his 5.30 ERA is on him and not the team behind him.  I do not see him as any solution for this Brewers team and they should not even pick up the phone unless he is near free.  

 Eric Fedde is that other pitcher from the White Sox who would be an available starter the Brewers could trade for and he is pretty good despite all the hype around Crochet overshadowing Fedde is still having a pretty good season . Holding 3.10 ERA and is a  strike out king.    77 strike outs is not bad . Much better than anyone currently on the Brewers not named Freddy.   Like Crochet his ERA numbers would dive lower if he had a defense like ours behind him.   I think this would be a pitcher we could get for next to nothing who could pay off in a big way in a playoff push.   He is no solution but if you acquired he and Megill the pitching room would instantly be in a great spot come playoff time and those two trades would not completely gut our farm system like Jesus and Crochet would cost to acquire.    

Trades are great and all but the truth is the future of the Brewers pitching is NOT coming in a blockbuster trade.   The future of the Brewers pitching is already here on our Farm rosters.   Misiorowski is ready, Blalock is ready, Rodriguez is super ready .Ashby sure looked good and is almost there with shoulder rehab.   The chance the Brewers fans are screaming for the Brewers to take should only be taken AFTER they make sure those kids they have already cannot do the job.   The Brewers have golden pitching in the Farms right now.  Carlos Rodriguez could come up tonight and never leave.  That is the kind of potential he has.    Misiorowski could be a Superstar Diamond the day he walks onto an MLB mound.  Blalock is a stud already and has a lot more to give and simply does not walk batters and could help this 2024 team win big games if he got a shot and is already on the 40 man.      The Brewers have a Farm group they could use to trade off and help win now like you suggest .   However they have just as much of a chance to correct the pitching issues inhouse and we as fans should give them every opportunity to do that.    

 

[jesusoftheapes]

32 minutes ago, Jim French Stepstool said:

Going out & getting someone NOW & having him for over half the season sounds attractive. But the other side of the coin is that you're paying a premium for that extra 6 or 7 weeks. That's why I always temper the idea of acquiring this or that guy with wanting to know what it would cost. They DO have some attractive prospect capital. I'm guessing someone will be picked up, it won't be imminent & the cost will involve mostly if not totally people in low-A and/or rookie ball.

I do not see that as a way to fix anything .  Low A trades do not produce Diamond pitching which is what the Brewers need.  They have more than enough guys to get through 2024 and still make a playoff and win the Central .  Getting mid level pitchers that cost low A prospects alone is pointless because we have that level of pitching already.  It would change nothing and remove people the Brewers are invested in for people they are not.   Crochet makes sense because he still has 2 years of control that comes with him.      Tyler Megill comes with the rest of 2024 and into 25 before Arbitration eligibility.   But most of the rest of Available pitchers come with nothing but loss.   They have to do something to improve the starting pitching because this team is the best Brewers team in a long long time and wasting this opportunity would be hard to take.  However i believe there are several solutions that cost nothing to explore inhouse.  I think giving Carlos Rodriguez, Ashby, Blalock, even Misiorowski a shot before they make the move is smart.  This team has time to wait for the deadline and not push this to happen right now.  In that time seeing if your own developmental pitching group can give this team that added boost it is looking for is only the proper move to make right now.      

Then sign that guy in Mexico for nothing and you really have something here.  Perhaps a World Series for the first time in my life .    Winning matters more than silly personal grudges .   

[jesusoftheapes]

8 hours ago, Brian said:

I agree with the patient part but when good pitcher pops up they have to act ASAP unless if it is a crazy amount they want for him. Trade Deadline July 30. 

depends on cost.  If it is wildly expensive I do not think they should do it. 

[jesusoftheapes]

6 hours ago, Brock Beauchamp said:

I see your point but disagree in that the Brewers could effectively win this division well before the trade deadline given how the rest of the teams are playing. Target a guy then just go get him. Pay the premium, the Crew has the farm system to weather it.

 

18 hours ago, GasserFace said:

There is no need to rush. No other team in the division is over .500. Let’s see what we have in Rodriguez, Junis, Ashby and Hall. Peralta and Rea are solid. Myers seems to be improving. Wilson is fine when he limits free passes. 
 

The Crew should stay patient and see what the market looks like in late July.  We pitched well against the Phillies. Let’s see how we fare against the Dodgers and Braves before we sell some of our prospects.

Agreed .  I do not think rushing makes sense.  The fact they did nothing before the season and actually though DL hall was some sort of solution is the cause of this .   They obviously believe in the kids in the minors or these moves for pitching would have happened before the 2024 season happened.    Misiorowski is there and I believe will make an appearance in 2024 at some point.  Blalock is a really really good pitcher too.  Carlos is exciting and if Ashby keeps improving like he has he will be a starting Brewers pitcher sooner rather than later.    They have enough to be smart about this.   You are not wrong. 

[jesusoftheapes]

19 hours ago, BraunWeeksFielder said:

I prefer an acquisition that feels like an upgrade and not one for the sake of adding one, for me personally. 

Agreed.  trading for some mid level pitcher just to have another pitcher is pointless and costly.   Getting a diamond pitcher on the other hand would pay dividends.  However that cost in trade is probably out of reach and Crochet is the only one who give you an upgrade vs just another arm that they probably already have inhouse.       If he is not better than Wilson, Ashby or Rodriguez then what is the point? 

[jesusoftheapes]

2 hours ago, Joseph Zarr said:

There's one more starting arm in Nashville that deserves an opportunity to see how his stuff fares at the MLB level - trade or no trade. That arm is RHP Chad Patrick. He was our return in the nationally recognized INF Abraham Toro trade 🤥. AND, simply put: he's been consistent and solid as a rock for that pitching staff. He tends to scuffle out of the gates for some reason but gets stronger and stronger as his outings progress. 7-of-11 GS's are Quality Starts. Legit mix of pitches to lean on. Never seems to lose control of an outing. On the season, batters are hitting 0.221 BAA while he sports a 1.14 WHIP. In his two June starts? 0.159 BAA and a 0.71 WHIP. In the very least, I'd love to see him get the opportunity Tobias Myers has gotten.  

I am not averse to going after a starting pitcher whatsoever. BUT, we also have one more candidate in house to potentially provide an important stop-gap given the broader starting pitching injuries at hand. Junis' velo is way down. Ross had a set back. Gasser likely done for the year etc. etc. They'll need more than a trade candidate. Patrick might be a serious option.

I like Patrick and think he is overdue for a shot.   He is a LOT like Colin rea in that he starts soft and works his way into the game as it unfolds.   Patrick gives the Brewers another arm but I don't think he moves the needle which is why he is a AAA Nashville guy still .  He had a 12 strike out game 2 weeks ago followed by a 9 and a 8 strikeout start the following two games and has been better than ever this 2024.       He has to get a day in the Bigs.   i do not believe he is the last option there though and the two AA guys are also well into the mix of possible staring help.      Blalock especially .   

I think they are giving a shot to a kid tonight that could change the pitching situation with Carlos.    They have Ashby too who is obviously healing well and seems to have found his confidence again .    I am with you on seeing the entire group of pitching we have been developing before spending our prospects on dreams of a pitching trade saving our Series possibilities .       Chad Patrick has to be the next one called up though.  He has enough to play in the Bigs.    I think there is 2 starting pitching openings however .  I do not believe in Bryce Wilson is working out as well as his stats say.   He should be replaced in the starting rotation .    

Other options .      I think we have two relief pitchers who could start and STAR right now in Hudson and Koeing and would love to see what either pitcher would do with more innings under their belts.   Hudson looks like a Diamond in the rough just waiting to be polished up.    Koeing is someone who could be worked into a starting rotation with great success by the looks of him .   Both of those guy are possible solutions or a combination of both .    If you could get even 4 innings from one and 3 out of the other in a starting rotation the two combined would equal one diamond pitcher .   

[jesusoftheapes]

One other question I will ask the field of commentors.    Why not start Koeing ? Let him pitch more than 2 innings and see if he can do that over the long haul?  If he does not look like a starting pitcher to others he sure does to me.   I would LOVE to see what he could do with a start and from what he has shown he sure looks like he would instantly be this teams 2nd best starting pitcher if Freddy keep self destructing.      I cannot say for sure because  I did not pay any attention to him coming up so I would love to hear what you all think on that idea. 

Another pitcher on the current roster and someone proving to be lights out talented and who used to be a starter until he was downgraded to the Bullpen to reestablish his career is Bryan Hudson .   He has has a starters frame and his pitching is about as good as anyone in baseball right now.       I would really dig it if they gave him a start to see how he would play that out over a longer period of a game. 

With both guys you could construct a starting pitcher with both together.  Perhaps Start Koeing for the first 4 and Hudson following him as a duo that together equal one starting pitcher or in a perfect world you could pull real starters from them after a season of giving them the Duo rotation as stand alone starters in following seasons.      Koeing and Hudson are stars no matter where they came from and without a cent of investment could lock down a rotation spot together to get the Brewers a high level start constantly .    

Another question I pose .... What would Trading Fastball Freddy bring this team?  WE could haul a bunch of pitching talent by trading Freddy .   It sounds like a bad idea at first.   But is it?

[Matt]

LOL holy hell. 

[Brian]

I see this rumor isn't going away.

Amid these challenges, the Brewers have been linked to breakout starter Erick Fedde of the Chicago White Sox in trade rumors, according to Rymer. Fedde, who has impressed this season with his ability to provide innings and limit home runs, would be a valuable addition to Milwaukee's rotation.