Brewers will add pitcher if opportunity is right
Despite much national speculation to the contrary, there are no indications the Milwaukee Brewers are close to making a major pitching move, either through free agency or the trade market.
Asked Saturday if there had been any progress in his quest to add another starting pitcher, Brewers general manager David Stearns said, "We continue to have discussions on a variety of fronts, but at this point I anticipate going (to spring training) with our current group."
There has been ongoing speculation that the Brewers would sign one of the high-end free-agent pitchers on the market, with much of the focus on Yu Darvish. There were reports that the Brewers made an offer to Darvish, 31, who is thought to be seeking a six- or seven-year deal for about $25 million annually.
The Brewers have not confirmed any of those reports, nor has anyone on Darvish's side. If they did make a proposal, formal or otherwise, it was not enough to lead to a deal.
Reports indicate Darvish would like to return to one of his previous two teams Texas or the Los Angeles Dodgers. He played for the Rangers for more than five years until traded to the Dodgers last season but fared poorly in the World Series, including Game 7, as Houston claimed the title.
But Texas general manager Jon Daniels said in a recent interview that he didn't expect to sign a top-dollar pitcher, and the Dodgers would have trouble signing Darvish and staying below the luxury tax threshold, which is a priority for them. Teams with reported interest include Minnesota and the Chicago Cubs, but to what extent is unknown.
Darvish does not require draft pick compensation to sign but other top freeagent pitchers do, including Jake Arrieta, Lance Lynn and Alex Cobb. The Brewers forfeited their third-round pick in 2018 for signing free-agent outfielder Lorenzo Cain.
The Brewers also have explored possible trades for a starting pitcher and were reported to have touched base recently with Tampa Bay about right-hander Chris Archer, in whom they have shown interest for some time. But it would take a bonanza of prospects to get the Rays to part with Archer, and the Brewers already surrendered three of their top 10 to trade for Miami outfielder Christian Yelich.
After the Brewers shook up an inert market with the moves for Yelich and Cain, it was assumed they would make another big push for a starting pitcher. They have a void with right-hander Jimmy Nelson recovering from shoulder surgery and expected to miss much of the first half of the season.
Brewers principal owner Mark Attanasio fueled that speculation with comments he made last Sunday at the team's "On Deck" fan event.
“Look, you can never have enough pitching. David is working on that,” Attanasio said. “We’ve been working on that all off-season."
The free-agent market has been nearly non-existent for the top players, to the point that agents have begun suggesting owners are colluding and the players association fired a warning shot Friday about its history of responding being "attacked."
If any of the top free-agent pitchers have backed off their original demands as spring training nears, it hasn't been enough for the Brewers to bite.
"If the right opportunity presents itself, we are open to acting," Stearns said. "But we have a high level of confidence in our current group, so it needs to be the right opportunity."
In this strangest of off-seasons for MLB, it wouldn't be shocking if that right opportunity does surface, so stay tuned. Spring camps open soon but there's almost two months before the regular season begins.