With a rotation full of young arms, there is consensus in Milwaukee that a veteran presence is needed. After all, the Brewers run the risk of wasting their powerful lineup if they continue to struggle on the mound.
Yovani Gallardo is the Brewers most capable veteran starting pitcher. At 27 years old, the six-year veteran has been an archetype of consistency since 2009. Since then, Gallardo has averaged 15 wins, 204 strikeouts and 194 innings pitched annually. Clearly the ace of the Brewers, Gallardo has never had much help around him minus Zack Greinke for a year and a half.
With that in mind, the Brewers have been a steady competitor for postseason play since 2009. Therefore it should come as no surprise that Milwaukee is currently engaged in talks with unsigned Kyle Lohse’s agent Scott Boras.
Despite talking with Boras for some time, it is clear that the Brewers have yet to go full throttle on rounding out their rotation with the 16-game winner a year ago.
But it is an intriguing idea.
The Brewers rotation currently consists of ace Gallardo, Marco Estrada, Mike Fiers, Wily Peralta and Chris Narveson. It is uncertain if the phenom Peralta is ready to begin opening day in the Brewers rotation or Narveson can hang for the entire season.
With contracts that never panned out with Jeff Suppan and Randy Wolf, no wonder the Brewers are hesitant to add a veteran arm to the staff. Undesired consequences may ensue by signing Kyle Lohse to a long-term deal. Especially when one considers the cash-strapped, small-market propensity in Milwaukee.
Either way, the Brewers are apparently showing the strongest interest in Kyle Lohse, and whether or not they can get a deal done remains to be seen. It’s apparent the Brewers are more than willing to forgo their first-round pick in the upcoming draft to land an arm that could keep them in postseason contention.