The Brew Haus - Corder-uh-oh
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Francisco Cordero is the newest Cincinnati Red. At least that's what sources are telling FOX Sports and ESPN. So what does that mean for the Milwaukee Brewers?
A whole lot of trouble.
With news also circulating about a reported deal between the Chicago White Sox and former Brewer reliever Scott Linebrink, the Brewers are beginning to run out of options, especially in a very thin closer market this winter.
- Sign an aging reliever: Bob Wickman, Keith Foulke, and Troy Percival are still on the market, but all are over 35 years old are their primes may be behind them.
- Take a huge risk: Proven pitchers are on the market. Eric Gagne was once the most dominant closer in the game, despite falling off the planet the last few years, and Kerry Wood is also there, although injuries have all but ruined his career.
- Trade: Ben Sheets is rumored to be a commodity, and the Brewers could probably get an above average closer in return, but I don't see them trading anyone else. The field has been built around a strong nucleus of young players, and GM Doug Melvin will not want to break that up.
- Promote from within: The Brewers have Derrick Turnbow, a former 30-plus save closer, still on their roster, but he had an absolutely disastrous second half last year, which doesn't bode well for his chances here. The only other option is probably Dave Bush, who closed in college before being moved to a starter role in the Blue Jays organization.
It's safe to say the Brewers are in trouble. Their best option right now may be to move Bush into the closer role. The Brewers have plenty of talent in the starting rotation, including two young stud pitchers who Ned Yost will probably be reluctant to move back into the bullpen.
Seeing Cordero go is a huge disappointment, and it's the second year in a row the Brewers have seen their most prized free agent sign to a division rival. The Cordero deal is reported to be a 4-year contract worth $46 million and a fifth-year option worth $12 million. The Brewers' offer of $42 million over four years with a fifth-year option worth $13 million fell just short.
With Cordero gone, however, the Brewers have a lot of money to play with -- depending upon how much the Jason Kendall deal is worth -- and may be involved in one big deal yet this offseason.
- Corey Kempf covers the Milwaukee Brewers beat for ArmchairGM. His other "Brew Haus" entries can be found here.
