It was recently announced that the Milwaukee Brewers acquired Yankees' pitcher Sergio Mitre in a deal that sent outfielder Chris Dickerson to New York in return.
At the moment, this seems like a win-win situation for both teams: New York announced that Ivan Nova and Freddy Garcia will round out the rotation, and Bartolo Colon will move to the bullpen, most likely as a long reliever, a role which Mitre possessed last season.
Dickerson, on the other hand, has seemed like a bit of a nuisance for the Brewers. At age 28, he was acquired from Cincinnati in the deal that sent Jim Edmonds there from Milwaukee. Once in Milwaukee, he posted a very slight .206/.250/.268 split last season, though he was a bit in 2009, where he posted a .275/.370.373 split. However, he's still only 28, so he's got time to develop.
This is hailed as a smarter move for the Brewers, whose rotation is currently suffering. Zack Greinke is currently on the DL due to a cracked rib and will miss a handful of starts at the beginning of the season, and Shaun Marcum, who was acquired from the Blue Jays this offseason is experiencing some shoulder issues, though he will only miss one regular season start, which is good news for Brewers fans.
Because of these issues, the Brewers are lacking some depth.
Yovani Gallardo, who has been an outstanding pitcher for the Brewers and is currently predicted to pitch 219 strikeouts this season, will most likely make the start on Opening Day, though the Brewers have yet to confirm who will start for them against the Reds for the season opener.
Slated to start after Gallardo for Opening Day weekend is Randy Wolf and Chris Narveson, respectively. While this currently doesn't pose too many risks, the Brewers need a pitcher to fill the role.
This is most likely why they went after Mitre.
Mitre, who is 30 years old, has made at least one start each of the past seven seasons, but he has primarily served as a reliever in the past. Could this be his opportunity to become a starter again?
For right now, it looks like the Brewers plan on using him as a starter until Greinke is healthy again, and he could potentially be the long reliever once Greinke returns.
But is this really a smart move to make?
Mitre's career record is 13-29, and his career ERA stands at 5.27. He's posted a 1-1 record this spring training for the Yankees with a 5.73 ERA.
ERA that is consistently over five and a 31 percent win rate over his career? Are these the stats of a truly reliable pitcher?
While Mitre may get more opportunity in Milwaukee, there's still not a lot of certainty with him as to whether he will succeed or fall.
Like Dickerson, Mitre still has time to develop in the minors if necessary, but that's probably not the reason the Brewers pursued him.
Regardless of what role he plays, can Sergio Mitre get the job done in 2011?
Please share your thoughts.
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