It became obvious during their series with the Cleveland Indians that the biggest need for the Milwaukee Brewers is starting pitching. Unfortunately, trying to find that pitcher to acquire is going to be much easier said than done.
There are good options, bad options, and options that are more wishful thinking than anything that could be reality.
Pedro Martinez, Tom Glavine, and Ben Sheets are the top free agent options out there. Martinez seems to be leaning towards the Cubs or Rays at the moment. He has big game experience, but he has lost velocity in the past few years. It is also unclear how long it would take Martinez to be ready for big league ball.
Tom Glavine was recently released by the Atlanta Braves, but all reports indicate that Glavine has no interest in pitching for any other teams. Sadly, his Hall of Fame career will end with being cut by the team where he saw his greatest success.
Ben Sheets may be a free agent but he isn't an option for the Brewers. The relationship between the two has sailed its course, and Sheets will likely sign with the Texas Rangers when healthy.
The Brewers have been linked to all the "big name" pitchers on the trading market. Jake Peavy, Roy Halladay, Erik Bedard, and Cliff Lee have all been mentioned as possible options in trade talks.
Fate has stepped in and made most, if not all of those pitchers non-options.
Everyone knows my feelings about Peavy to Milwaukee. I think his salary over the next few years and his numbers at Petco Park create a bad match for the Brewers. He recently was placed on the disabled list, and he could miss anywhere from a month to the rest of the season, which would take away any value he might have.
Roy Halladay would look absolutely amazing in a Brewers uniform. A Halladay acquisition would be bigger, in my opinion, than CC Sabathia coming to the Brewers last year. The Blue Jays are playing very good ball this year, and they are in position to make a playoff push. Along with the fact that Halladay just went on the disabled list, there is very little chance he'll be coming to Milwaukee.
Erik Bedard is having a great year, and he would serve as a great one-two punch along with Yovani Gallardo. The Mariners are under .500, but like Peavy and Halladay, Bedard is calling the disabled list home for the time being. He will likely come off the disabled list the earliest of the three. If the Mariners continue to stumble, talks between the two teams could heat up in July.
Cliff Lee is my personal choice for the pitcher the Brewers should obtain. Lee is having a very good year, and he shouldn't cost the Brewers as much in prospects as any of the other three. The Indians may not be a willing trade partner though. With so many players on the disabled list, they feel that they will still be playoff contenders when everyone returns to their lineup.
Although it may not be the flashy choice, the Brewers may have to look internally for a pitcher to help stabilize their rotation. To many Brewers fans dismay, the pitcher they need to add is Manny Parra.
Parra was sent down to Triple-A Nashville and made his first start yesterday. He pitched six innings, struck out and walked four, and gave up two runs. It's not a great start but it is something to build on.
No one has ever questioned the abilities of Parra. His heart and confidence are what he needs to improve on.
Parra needs to focus less on trying to throw so many pitches and more on working his fastball and off-speed pitch.
He has the ability to be a left-handed version of Ben Sheets. He has a plus-fastball with great movement. His main objective when on the mound should be to throw that for strikes and then work in his change-up and breaking pitches.
Jason Kendall seems to want Parra to throw all his pitches, but that may be too much for Parra to handle at this stage of his career. There is nothing wrong with basing your foundation as a pitcher off of two pitches. He can add on from there to become a more complete pitcher.
Veterans like Jeff Suppan and Braden Looper can handle the load of throwing four different pitches at different times in the count and situation. Parra just needs to mature, believe in himself and his abilities, and his success will begin to show.
Parra will look to replicate the success that Dave Bush found after being sent down to the minors last year. Bush became the Brewers most valuable pitcher in the second half of the year not named Sabathia.
The Brewers won't be in a rush to recall Parra until he can prove he has overcome his control and confidence issues. Tim Dillard could be called on to start a few games until Parra returns.
There is still over a month to the trade deadline, and many options could become possible for the Brewers. If a deal can't be made, the Brewers will have to depend on Parra to be the pitcher everyone expects him to be. Hopefully, Parra can step up his game and be the pitcher to save the season.
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