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The pitching pick-ups the Brewers passed on
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The Brewers roster, and in particular, it’s pitching staff was decimated this year by injuries and ineffectiveness.
True Brewers fans perhaps wouldn’t be as disappointed — and haters seem as prescient — if a crystal ball could have foretold the travails of Weeks, Suppan, Bush, Parra, McClung, Hardy, Hart and Hall.
But around midseason, when it was apparent the Brew Crew was motley, there were some former big-name pitchers available for little. The acquisition of one of these players could have slowed the team’s slide to the middle, or at least shown fans management was still desperate to win now.
These are the types of players you pass on when you’re not in contention.
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St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher John Smoltz delivers in the first inning against the Milwaukee Brewers during the baseball game, Thursday, Sept. 3, 2009, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Kyle Ericson)
John Smoltz
As a starter, reliever and closer, the 21-year veteran is a future Hall-of-Famer. He declined an over to stay with the Braves after a shoulder injury ended his 20-year tenure in Atlanta, and declined an offer from the Red Sox to go to the minors when he struggled miserably in eight games with his new team. Boston released him, and the Cardinals picked him up.
Smoltz had his first mediocre start of the season last Thursday against the Brewers, while Manny Parra pitched his best game in months for the 4-3 win. They’ll have a rematch tonight at Miller Park. Smoltz could stay in the Cards rotation until the postseason, and was a great grab for a team racing toward the playoffs with its top two starters contending for the NL Cy Young Award.
AirTran Airways Signs Pitching Great Tom Glavine to Roster of Sports Endorsers. (PRNewsFoto/AirTran Airways)
Tom Glavine
After four years in Queens, Glavine returned to the Braves, where he played for 15 years, and like Smoltz, amassed a Hall of Fame-worthy resume. Glavine received a rousing ovation from Miller Park fans a few years back while he was chasing his 300th win with the Mets, exiting a game with a 2-1 lead and 299 wins. The Crew came back and he would have to wait five more days to win it at Wrigley.
The Braves released him while he was preparing to pitch another year in the big leagues, which was no doubt frustrating and hurtful for Glavine. After two weeks of apparently little serious interest from other teams, he announced he would not pitch again this year. The Brewers could have signed him with something to prove against his former team, à la Trevor Hoffman.
There’s no way to tell how Glavine would have pitched in 2009 as he sat out. But on Aug. 20, he signed an endorsement deal with AirTran Airways, according to a press release, which would have at least fit nicely with the Airtran promotions already in place at Miller Park, such as the Airtran Airways Landing Zone in right field. They could’ve branded the bullpen the Airtran Airways Air Traffic Control.
Billy Wagner
Boston Red Sox pitcher Billy Wagner delivers to Tampa Bay Rays' Carl Crawford during the seventh inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2009, in St. Petersburg, Fla. Wagner struck Crawford out. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
Wagner is less of a sure thing to make it into the Hall of Fame than Glavine or Smoltz, but he had arguably as good of a chance for a good 2009 season, after being placed on waivers by the Mets while recovering from Tommy John surgery.
In fairness, the Brewers would have had no chance to land Wagner. He reconsidered waiving his no-trade clause for Boston on the condition the Red Sox decline his option for next year. He’s sitting at 385 saves and has said he wants to end his career as a closer — in theory improving his HOF chances by reaching 400 saves, moving him up from sixth on the all-time list. Wagner certainly wouldn’t waive his no-trade clause to come to Milwaukee, with all-time saves leader Hoffman already on the roster. The Brewers also would not have had the two players the Red Sox offered the Mets to get him.
Wagner has been fantastic as a set-up man for the Red Sox, and should get his wish to pitch as a closer next year if he continues his performance. And on the off chance the Brewers can’t work out Hoffman’s club option for 2010, could he end up in Milwaukee?
Pedro Martinez
Philadelphia Phillies' Pedro Martinez pitches in the seventh inning of a baseball game against the San Francisco Giants, Thursday, Sept. 3, 2009, in Philadelphia. Philadelphia won 2-1. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
As to the curious case of free agent Pedro Martinez, the Brewers apparently sent two scouts to watch him throw in the DR and he never showed up. Perhaps he never intended to listen to serious offers from Milwaukee, and perhaps Brewers management never intended to make such an offer.
But in another example of a team in hot contention for the playoffs taking a flyer on a future HOF’er with the hopes of a pitching renaissance, the Phillies signed Pedro, and the team is now 5-0 in his starts. The wily righty will see a real test tonight when he tries to help pull Philadelphia out of their season-high five game road losing streak.
In contrast to the Brewers, of course, the Phillies had the staff to make room for a former superstar at the back of their rotation. When Pedro came to Philly, Jamie Moyer was pushed to the bullpen, often coming in as relief for Pedro in a nice 1-2 punch of sorts. Moyer is 12-9 with a 4.98 ERA, which is a better win-loss percentage than all Milwaukee’s pitchers, and slightly worse than Suppan’s 4.97 ERA, third-best among all Brewers starters.
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