Brewers have deal in place with left-handed reliever Boone Logan pending physical exam

Tom Haudricourt
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Boone Logan

The Milwaukee Brewers had a free-agent deal in place Friday with veteran left-handed reliever Boone Logan, pending results of a physical examination.

The results of the physical were key to the deal because Logan, 33, had a season-ending latissimus dorsi strain behind his pitching shoulder last year with Cleveland. The Brewers awaited those results and therefore made no official announcement of the agreement.

MLB.com reported that Logan would be guaranteed $2.5 million when the deal is official. He would get a $1.875 million salary in 2018 with a club option for $4.125 million in 2019 that included a $625,000 buyout. FanRag Sports reported Logan could make as much as $3.2 million each season in incentives.

When the deal becomes official, the Brewers will have to open a spot on their 40-man roster to accommodate Logan.

The side-arm specialist was 1-0 with a 4.71 earned run average in 38 games for the Indians last season before being sidelined July 19 with the high-grade lat strain. He elected not to have surgery but did not pitch the remainder of the season. Cleveland declined its $7 million option on Logan for 2018, instead paying a $1 million buyout.

Logan pitched only 21 innings over those 38 appearances because he was used almost exclusively to come in to retire left-handed hitters. He issued nine walks and logged 28 strikeouts, but both lefties and righties batted .250 against him. 

Logan has pitched 12 seasons in the majors for the Chicago White Sox, Atlanta, New York Yankees, Colorado and Cleveland. He has posted a 29-23 record and 4.47 ERA over 619 appearances. Over 431 1/3 innings, Logan has allowed 434 hits and 189 walks with 465 strikeouts.

In his career Logan has limited left-handed hitters to a .234 batting average and .672 OPS with 308 strikeouts in 906 at-bats. Right-handed hitters have batted .292 with a .846 OPS. 

The primary left-hander in the Brewers' bullpen in 2017 was rookie Josh Hader, but he was not used as a specialist against lefty hitters. With a background as a starter, he was used to cover multiple innings at key stages of games.

The Brewers have not said whether Hader will return to starting in 2018, but the presence of Boone could influence that decision.