Brewers reliever Jacob Barnes learned that having options can mean being human yo-yo

PHOENIX – Jacob Barnes got his first up-close look last season at how bullpens are managed now in terms of keeping fresh arms on hand, and it was a bit jarring.

After allowing three hits and one run in a wild 11-10 victory in Colorado on May 11, the Milwaukee Brewers reliever was optioned to Class AAA Colorado Springs the next day to allow Alec Asher to be selected from that club. After pitching two innings on May 12, Asher was sent back down but Barnes did not return for 16 days.

“That was tough,” said Barnes, who had a 2.84 ERA in 17 appearances when he was sent out. “One of the down sides of having (minor-league) options is they are used for that. You can end up going up and down a lot. It’s not fun.

“The first time I got sent down, I was a little shocked.”

Barnes went back and forth to Class AAA Colorado Springs three times before the season was done. He still squeezed in 49 appearances with the Brewers, going 0-1 with a 3.33 ERA, with 47 strikeouts in 48⅔ innings. He was not on their postseason roster.

Relief corps are managed more fluidly than a few years ago, in large part because those arms are used more in the era of “bullpening.” Pitchers with options who are not part of the high-leverage subset are vulnerable to becoming human yo-yos as teams try to keep fresh relievers at the ready. As an example, Jorge Lopez was up and down six times with the Brewers last year before being sent to Kansas City on July 27 in the Mike Moustakas trade.

Barnes, 28, has one minor-league option remaining, putting him in the same position as he prepares for the 2019 season. It has been an eye-opening experience for a pitcher who made 73 relief appearances for the Brewers in 2017.

“They do use (options) often,” Barnes said. “It doesn’t always matter if you’re putting up good numbers. A lot of times, they just need a fresh arm. If you have an option, you’re going to be the person sent down.

“You want to be in the major leagues, and you know you can be successful. It’s something you have to get used to and adjust to, and keep the mindset of not worrying about things you can’t control. It’s not easy.”

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Before the ’18 season was done, the Brewers used 23 different pitchers out of the bullpen, some who also made starts. Pitcher/hitter matchups are stressed more than ever, leading to bullpens being shuffled somewhat from series to series, at times.

Manager Craig Counsell said pitchers with options at the low end of the relief pecking order are informed they might be in positions such as Barnes, Lopez and Adrian Houser, among others, were last year.

“I think it’s important to get out in front of it,” Counsell said. “Players know they have options. And they know it’s a possibility. You try to get yourself out of that category (by performance). If you’re performing at a level where we don’t want to consider it, that’s part of it.

“We do have the conversation. They know it’s happening; we know it’s happening. Let’s acknowledge it. Every player wants to be in the big leagues for the whole season. If a player gets sent down, he’s disappointed. We understand and expect it. But oftentimes they’re going to be back.

“As we go through this, there’s going to be players in that group every year. For us to do this effectively, we think it’s a big part of being able to win games, manage workloads, keep guys fresh and healthy.”

For now, Barnes is focusing on making the Brewers’ bullpen out of spring training, no small task considering the number of good arms in camp vying for jobs. Whether he opens the season or not in the majors, he understands that it could be another year of piling up frequent-flyer miles, this time from the new Class AAA affiliate in San Antonio.

“You try not to worry about it,” he said. “You know there’s always a chance it could happen. It’s the reality of it. But all you can control is what you do. We have a very talented bullpen. It’s fun to be part of that.

“It can be frustrating when it happens. Last year was really the first time that happened to me. You learn to deal with it. It’s part of this gig, with how our team is run. The bullpen is our strength.”