Stearns still mulling options for relief help
David Stearns laughed when it was suggested that he had set a personal record for inactivity as general manager of the Milwaukee Brewers.
“You think we can get to a month? I think it’s possible,” Stearns said Friday.
Indeed, it has been nearly a month since Stearns’ last major-league personnel move — the signing of free-agent left-hander Tommy Milone on Dec. 14. Baseball business naturally slows during the holidays and Stearns also is getting married later this month, the details of which no doubt are keeping him busy.
But anyone familiar with Stearns knows he is constantly mulling moves. Last year, he made two significant trades after the calendar turned to 2016, sending shortstop Jean Segura to Arizona on Jan. 30 and leftfielder Khris Davis to Oakland on Feb. 12.
Whether Stearns will make any moves of that magnitude before spring training remains to be seen, but he continues to explore the market for experienced late-inning relievers, both via trade and free agency. That area of the club was thinned at the winter meetings when closer Tyler Thornburg was traded to Boston for third baseman Travis Shaw and two prospects.
“Those conversations continue,” Stearns said. “Some appear to be making progress, but you never really know. We’ll keep doing our work and see where it leads.
“We’re still working on adding relievers to the picture, whether it’s via major-league free agency, minor-league free agency or trades. We’re covering all of the options. There are still a fair number of (free-agent) relief pitchers out there to sort through. So, we continue to go through that process.
“We’re also comfortable with a lot of the names we have in-house as we reflect on how our bullpen performed last September. Our entire pitching staff performed well, and they are still largely here. We’re excited to have those guys back. If we have the opportunity to add to that group, we’ll do so.”
There is still a significant group of experienced late-inning relievers on the market, including Greg Holland, Neftali Felix, Sergio Romo, Fernando Salas, David Hernandez and Shawn Tolleson.
As for whether he’d prefer adding relief help via free agency or a trade, Stearns said, “I don’t know that we have a firm preference. We have to explore all avenues. We are considering both of those options.”
Stearns spent the early off-season revamping his infield, signing first baseman Eric Thames after three years in Korea and acquiring Shaw to play third. The latter move put Jonathan Villar at second base, meaning three-fourths of the infield will be different from last season.
“We feel like we have a greater degree of depth and more options throughout our position player grouping,” Stearns said. “That will allow us to construct our roster in a flexible manner. It’s going to give (manager) Craig (Counsell) chances to construct lineups every day that match up best with the opposing pitcher.
“That was one of our goals and a large part of that is getting the left-right balance we were seeking. We’re always looking to upgrade but at this point, we’re comfortable with the group we have, in totality.
“That doesn’t mean we’re going to stop looking. We’re still active on a number of fronts. But this is a group we’re comfortable with. We think it fits well together.”
Stearns has been getting great reports on many players from winter ball. Infielder/outfielder Hernan Perez won the Venezuelan League batting title (.373). Villar has excelled in the Dominican Republic, including the playoffs. Pitching prospect Jorge Lopez has rebounded from a tough 2016 to rank as one of the top pitchers in Puerto Rico (1.56 ERA through nine starts).
“Winter ball is such a great experience for these guys,” Stearns said. “They are playing largely in their home countries, in front of their home fans. It’s a raucous atmosphere but also a lot of pressure. A lot of guys compare it to a playoff atmosphere in the States.
“It gives them experience that will be helpful to them as we progress as an organization.”
Stearns said the Brewers have monitored playing time in the winter leagues to ensure players such as Villar, who saw action in 156 games last season, have time off before spring training opens in mid-February.
“We’re making sure they have sufficient rest before camp,” Stearns said. “We’ve been in communication with the players and agents to outline the best winter-ball strategy for each individual.”
Stearns said he has yet to receive official commitments from international players who plan to play in the World Baseball Classic this spring.
“We hope to get all those names in the next few weeks,” he said.
Tom Haudricourt can be reached at thaudricourt@journalsentinel.com or twitter.com/Haudricourt.