The Milwaukee Brewers announced their 26-man playoff roster today. Pending any injuries this will be the squad that takes on the Arizona Diamondbacks in the Wild Card Series. There were some surprising choices as Rowdy Tellez and Garrett Mitchell were left off, but Jesse Winker, Joey Wiemer, and Owen Miller were all included despite not finishing the regular season on the big league roster.
Prior to the series starting Craig Counsell met with the media and discussed some of the decisions made in regards to the 26-man roster. He also talked about how he plans to use his outfielders.
Craig Counsell explains 26-man roster decisions for the Wild Card Series between the Milwaukee Brewers and Arizona Diamondbacks.
Prior to the regular season ending Garrett Mitchell was able to play in three big league games. In a sense this was an audition for the playoffs and if he can be a contributor or not. Here is what Craig Counsell had to say on Garrett Mitchell’s three games, the decision to keep him off the playoff roster, and how he plans to use his other outfielders.
“There were other considerations there not just Mitchell, the combination of the group. Essentially, Joey (Wiemer), the roles we were thinking about either of them doing, we thought Joey could do it a little bit better.”
“Sal and Tyrone are going to play in the outfield. That’s who’s going to play. It’s how are we going to use the players and what can the players do when they get out there?”
As for including Jesse Winker on the post-season roster, it boiled down to who they might want to send out in a pinch hit situation.
“I think Jesse has had a rough season here for sure. HE has had injuries, hasn’t performed the way he wanted. Ultimately that decision was we have to pick a bat, and we have to feel – – we have to pick the guy in a pinch-hit situation, who do we want up there? We just had to make that choice.
In total Milwaukee is carrying 11 pitchers for the Wild Card Series and 15 batters. Rosters can change in between rounds in which in a best of three games playoff series seeing four less pitchers than position players is not unusual.
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