Tough decisions await Brewers on Bandy, Guerra
Just last year Jett Bandy and Junior Guerra were thought to be a part of the present and future of the Milwaukee Brewers. Now, when spring training ends in 2018 there's a chance both could no longer be with the organization.
Welcome to life in Major League Baseball.
Both players are fighting for a spot in Milwaukee's 25-man roster. If they don't make it, they'd have to clear waivers to be sent to the minors as both are out of options.
Bandy was acquired from the Angels in December 2016, ostensibly to battle for the starting job at catcher, if not as a backup. He got off to a hot start (.327 batting average, four home runs in March/April) -- as did Manny Pina, and the two shared time as the season got under way, with Bandy starting 28 games through May and Pina 25.
But Bandy fell off in May (slash line of .218/.306/.382) and cratered in June (.053/.143/.053). With the Brewers in first place and hoping to make the postseason, they grabbed Stephen Vogt off waivers from Oakland and sent Bandy to Triple-A. A rib injury would limit his playing time in the majors as well, but Bandy played in just 17 major-league games -- with six starts -- from July to the end of the season and had no home runs. Bandy also saw his caught stealing percentage dip from 40 percent with the Angels in 2016 to 17 percent in his time in Milwaukee.
"Last season, when we got into a mode where every win was precious and try to capture them, you don't stick with guys as long," Brewers manager Craig Counsell explained. "That's what happens. It happened to Jett Bandy at some point last year and it happened to Johnny (Villar) a little later in the season. And then we also had players that really performed in those spots. That's how it worked, and that's how it's always going to work."
As spring training began, Bandy appeared to be the odd man out in Milwaukee's catcher group for 2018. Counsell has already declared that Pina will be on the roster and Vogt appears to have the leg up as the backup, as long as he shows enough defensively in spring training. A left-handed hitter with power, Vogt makes a nice complement to the right-handed hitting Pina.
"Jett's in a little bit of a tough spot," Counsell said. "Jett was a little bit of a victim of our success last year in that he got off to a great start (and then) he had a slump. And when he was in the depths of that slump we were playing really well and we were looking to address it and we had an opportunity to address it with Stephen. And then he got hurt. I do think he was a major part of establishing the clubhouse last spring, he played a very valuable role in that. If we get to the end of the spring and Stephen has proven he's ready to go, then we're going to have a tough decision."
Guerra at least appears to have a better opportunity to make the club.
After coming out of nowhere in 2016 to post a 2.81 ERA and 1.126 WHIP in 20 starts for the Brewers, Guerra slipped to a 5.12 ERA and 1.470 WHIP (partly due to a big increase in walks) over 70 1/3 innings in 21 games (14 starts) in 2017.
One possible reason for Guerra's drop-off last season was that the Brewers asked him not to pitch in winter ball, which he had always done previously.
"Because he threw a ton of innings last year and he had the injury in August of '16, we were concerned about winter ball and about him pitching still, so we wanted a break to happen," Counsell explained. "I think our intentions were right. With someone who's always done it, maybe we learned our lesson there."
Guerra returned to the Venezuelan Winter League this past offseason and in 48 1/3 innings looked more like the pitcher he was in 2016, posting a 2.98 ERA over 48 1/3 innings with a 1.179 WHIP.
"I'm really encouraged by the fact that he was able to be on the mound this winter. The thing I liked from his winter ball statistical line is that he threw a lot of strikes," said Counsell.
One advantage for Guerra making the 25-man roster is he'll be considered for a role as a starter and reliever. Not that there's a lot of openings in either, with Yovani Gallardo, Wade Miley, Brent Suter, Aaron Wilkerson and Brandon Woodruff also battling for a spot in the rotation.
There's plenty of relievers trying to earn a spot as well. Corey Knebel, Matt Albers, Josh Hader and Boone Logan should all be safe. But then there's Gallardo, Miley and Suter, all of whom, with Guerra, Counsell has mentioned as pitchers who could slot in as either a starter or reliever. And those on the 40-man roster, such as Jacob Barnes, Oliver Drake (out of options), Jeremy Jeffress (out of options) and Tyler Webb, as well as non-roster invitees Michael Brady, Ernesto Frieri and J.J. Hoover.
"It's the area where we have the most decisions," Counsell admitted of his pitching quandary.
Counsell did say Thursday he plans on keeping eight relievers -- and thus 13 pitchers -- to start the season. That could be bad news for another player without any minor-league options remaining.
Jesus Aguilar made the Brewers as a non-roster invitee with a strong spring training. He then backed up that decision by posting a slash line of .265/.331/505 with 16 home runs in just 311 plate appearances during the season. He even started 55 games, 52 of those at first base.
However, with a shortened bench and Ryan Braun taking grounders at first base, Aguilar could be the odd man out in Milwaukee.
After all, the players might not have options, but Counsell and the Brewers have plenty of them.
Dave Heller is the author of Ken Williams: A Slugger in Ruth's Shadow (a Larry Ritter Book Award nominee), Facing Ted Williams - Players From the Golden Age of Baseball Recall the Greatest Hitter Who Ever Lived and As Good As It Got: The 1944 St. Louis Browns
