Stearns separates fact from fiction in Brewers' search for starting pitchers

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Brewers GM David Stearns understands there is some disappointment over not acquiring a big-name pitcher but expressed confidence in his staff.

PHOENIX – David Stearns is well aware that some Milwaukee Brewers fans are upset that he didn’t sign a big-name starting pitcher before the 2018 season.

And the third-year general manager is OK with that.

“I’m glad our fans are engaged with our team,” Stearns said Friday. “I’m glad they have passionate opinions. I’m glad they care about what we’re doing or not doing. For me, all of that is a good sign that we have an invigorated fan base that cares about our team.”

In his first interview on the topic since the last of the “Big Four” free-agent pitchers came off the board, Stearns tried to separate fact from fiction in terms of what he actually tried to do in acquiring an established starter, without revealing too many company secrets.

At one point or another over the off-season, the Brewers were attached to the top two free-agent starting pitchers, Yu Darvish and Jake Arrieta, as well as Lance Lynn and Alex Cobb, both considered on a lower tier.

So, did the Brewers make competitive offers, to any or all of that foursome, Stearns was asked?

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“I’m not going to name specific names,” he said. “Just as a general practice, I don’t think that’s productive to do. I will say we came into the off-season, and I was very open about this publicly, that we felt like we needed to add an arm to our pitching staff.

“So, we had conversations with a variety of agents and players, stretching up and down the entirety of the free-agent gamut. Some of them we made offers to, some of them we didn’t. That’s all normal practice throughout the course of the off-season. We thought we had a chance at other guys as well but it didn’t come through. That’s OK. That’s part of the off-season.”

Stearns, who did sign right-hander Jhoulys Chacin to a two-year deal, admitted to being frustrated by national reports speculating what the Brewers did or didn’t offer the top free-agent pitchers. One report had them making a $100 million offer to Darvish, who eventually signed with National League Central rival Chicago for $126 million.

Sources later indicated the Brewers showed interest in Darvish and suggested what they could do but never made an actual offer.

Reports had the Brewers also in heavy on Arrieta, who eventually signed a three-year, $75 million deal with Philadelphia with a possible two-year extension for another $40 million. But, at that price, there is no way Milwaukee was “heavy” in on the veteran right-hander.

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Which brings us to Lynn and Cobb. The Brewers were not believed to be interested in Lynn, who eventually signed with Minnesota on a one-year, $12 million deal. They did pursue Cobb, and one report indicated they made a similar one-year, $12 million offer to him. But Cobb did much, much better with a four-year, $57 million contract with Baltimore.

So, to summarize, the Brewers never came close to signing any of the “Big Four” free-agent pitchers. Because of national speculation to the contrary, however, many fans of the club were disappointed.

“I found some of it curious,” Stearns said of national reports. “There’s always some misinformed speculation out there. That’s part of it. I did think when it came to us, there was a greater ratio of that this year than I’ve seen in past off-seasons.

“But I also realize this was a relatively slow-moving off-season in baseball. People were looking for news. We were active on a number of fronts. We did check in with a number of agents. While, in a regular off-season, that would not be news, it turned out to be some news. Maybe it got a little more traction than it deserved. But that’s OK.”

Much of that speculation came from the “one plus one equals two” line of thinking. The Brewers made a huge splash with the additions of outfielders Lorenzo Cain (five-year, $80 million deal) and Christian Yelich (five years, $58.25 million remaining on contract, including 2022 option), so the general thinking was they’d also go in big with a starting pitcher to make a real run at the Cubs.

Making that leap constituted flawed thinking, according to Stearns.

“Our goal is to help our team as a whole,” he said. “Adding players such as Lorenzo Cain and Christian Yelich gives us tremendous assets to our organization for a long time. We made larger investments this off-season than this organization has made in its history in any off-season.

“We have a commitment from ownership on a number of fronts, whether it’s our major-league payroll, renovating our spring training facility, a new Dominican complex, acquisitions of a minor-league franchise, that rivals any in the industry. And, so we’ve been able to invest in our team and invest in our infrastructure, and I’m pleased with where that has put us.”

Fueling speculation that the Brewers would bid on the top pitchers was the perception they had plenty of money to spend after operating in 2017 with a $60 million payroll, one of the lowest in the majors. With the additions of Yelich and Cain, as well as raises to returning players on their roster, they will field a club on opening day with an actual player payroll of about $90 million.

But the Brewers also have deferred payments on the books this year to former players Aramis Ramirez, Kyle Lohse and Matt Garza. Factoring in those commitments as well as funds allocated for bonuses, minor-league call-ups, etc., the club considers its payroll to be above $100 million, a stretch in their market.

“There are costs to everything,” Stearns said. “Some of those costs are prospect costs and some of those costs are financial costs. If you trade prospects, you don’t have them here and don’t have them in the future to trade. If you spend more money, that will take away from money you can spend in the future, whether it’s later this year, next year or the year after.

“So, we have to be cognizant of all of that. These are difficult decisions. It also comes down to the extent of the upgrade, if it is an upgrade, that you think you might obtain via any particular transaction."

Outsiders also underestimated the confidence that Stearns and Co. have in their returning pitchers, even with Jimmy Nelson out indefinitely after shoulder surgery. Beyond that, the Brewers’ grand scheme in contending for years to come in large part centers on the assimilation of minor-league prospects into the starting rotation.

“We feel comfortable with where we are pitching-wise,” said Stearns, whose staff ranked fifth in the National League (4.00 ERA) last season. “I think we have a very deep staff when you look at the guys that not only are going to start at the major-league level but also the guys who will be in our Triple-A rotation.

“I do think we have eight to 10 starters right now who we’d feel comfortable making starts at the major-league level. So, that’s a good place to be heading into a season.

“Our entire strategy is based on a philosophy that young players need to play. We will continue, regardless of what stage we’re in, to take chances on young players. We cannot block young players. We think we have a number of young starting pitchers, whether it’s this year or next year, who have the ability to make an impact on the major-league level."

Those already disappointed with the failure to add a top-notch starter became more alarmed when rotation candidate Wade Miley was sidelined this week with a groin injury. Miley is expected to miss at least a month after being on the verge of clinching a job.

Which brings us to the last component that has irked general manager wannabes. It is no secret that the Brewers have a glut of outfield depth after adding Cain and Yelich. So, why not trade one of those outfielders, such as slugging rightfielder Domingo Santana, for a starting pitcher?

“We were close a couple of times,” Stearns said. “That’s normal. You get close with deals and sometimes they get over the finish line and sometimes they don’t. It’s an analysis of the pitchers available in trade and the talent we think we have internally, at any particular position.

“We really think depth is very important, and it has served us very well over the last couple of years. We know we’re going to have injuries; we know we’re going to have players under-perform. Having quality players you can call up is really important. Good teams have that.

“So, we’re not necessarily just looking to trade from areas of depth. If we can make a good deal that helps us elsewhere, we’re open to it. But just because we have an extra player at a particular position doesn’t mandate we move that particular player. That player is going to help us over the course of the year.”

So, there you have it. Stearns, who deemed it "unlikely" he'd make a big move before opening day, understands that some folks are disappointed that he didn’t add a big-name pitcher. But he also encourages everyone following the club to keep the big picture in mind for a team that surprised many with 86 victories in 2017.

“This isn’t a one-year race,” he said. “We’re here to create a consistently competitive team that can compete in our division, compete for playoff spots, year in and year out. That’s been our goal since I got here, and it remains our goal. So, we’re not going to do something that sacrifices that.

“We have confidence in our pitching. We have confidence in the arms that are coming. We have confidence in our plan. We think that will continue to show in the coming years. This continues to be a marathon, not a sprint. We’re in this for long-term success. That’s going to be our continued goal.”