Brewers Pre-Memorial Day Status Updates: The Bullpen

The Brewers have had a tradition of cobbling together a bullpen and seeing it perform well, for the better part of 40 years. That is holding true so far in 2023. Just what has this bullpen accomplished? Well, they have taken up the slack for a rotation that has been hit hard by injuries. Let’s look at the state of the bullpen in the Brewers system.

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Major League Roster

Devin Williams has settled into the closer’s role, with six saves and a 0.64 ERA through May 20. Peter Strzelecki has stepped into the setup role and performed solidly. Joel Payamps has also dominated as a short reliever, after being acquired in the William Contreras trade. Jake Cousins and Elvis Peguero have also been solid, while Bryse Wilson has found a long relief niche that has been valuable. Hoby Milner has been more than adequate as a lefty neutralizer, and Trevor Megill seems to be holding up so far. Gus Varland wasn’t bad, but was designated for assignment after that comebacker in San Diego sidetracked him and put him in the middle of the team’s inevitable roster crunch. Injuries have hit the Brewers bullpen, too, with Matt Bush and J.B. Bukauskas going on the injured list.

40-Man Roster Options

Tyson Miller did well in a brief call-up, as did Alex Claudio. Both are at Nashville with Bennett Sousa, acquired from the Reds for cash considerations. Abner Uribe was lights-out at Biloxi before he went on the shelf, while Cam Robinson has struggled so far in 2023 after appearing to break out as a relief option in 2022. Ethan Small has been strong as a reliever in Nashville, and could be called up to piggyback with some of the starters in a patchwork rotation.

In The Minors

In Nashville, Clayton Andrews has rebounded from two seasons where he spent a lot of time on the injured list. Tyler Herb and Thyago Viera have both been competent, while Luis Contreras, Ryan Middenorf, and Darrell Thompson have forced their way to Nashville from Biloxi.

In Double A, James Meeker has proven human, but is still dominating as a reliever. He’s joined by Harold Chirino and Justin Yeager as righties, while Nick Bennett has rebounded from a rough 2022 to serve as a lefty out of the pen. Robbie Baker has also broken out, to a degree. At the very least, the Shuckers have some shutdown bullpen options.

In Wisconsin, the Timber Rattlers have seen Max Lazar rebound from significant lost time to become a decent reliever, while Kaleb Bowman has broken out as their closer. Taylor Floyd, Ryan Brady, and Brannon Jordan are also dominating in Appleton, joined by lefties Russell Smith, Karlos Morales, and Justin King.

The Mudcats have also seen some superb pitching out of the bullpen, with Quinton Low taking to the mound a lot more than he is at the plate. Tanner Shears and Miguel Guerrero have both emerged as relief options in Carolina, while Nick Merkel and Chase Costello have been solid. Nate Peterson has split time between the rotation and the bullpen for the Mudcats.

Overview

As has been the case in the past, the Brewers bullpen has held onto leads when the team’s offense can put the Crew on top. With the rotation decimated by injuries, the bullpen may be called upon to keep the team afloat until Brandon Woodruff, Wade Miley, and others can come back. Some of the hotter relievers might be flipped to get help for the rotation or the offense if things get to that point. It will hurt, because a lot of them could do very well, but the Brewers bullpen depth from the majors to full-season Class A is a strength that may need to be tapped into in more ways than one.