The Milwaukee Brewers have not been very big spenders in free agency (again) this offseason. That being said, they did make one of the more significant trades of the MLB offseason. Of course, this alludes to the trade that saw Milwaukee send two-time All-Star closer Devin Williams to the New York Yankees for left-handed starting pitcher Nestor Cortes and infield prospect Caleb Durbin.
Sans Williams at the back end of the bullpen, many believe that Trevor Megill will, once again, fill the closer role for the Brewers in 2025. He was largely tasked with that job last season when Williams missed the first several months of the year as he recovered from stress fractures in his back.
Trevor Megill Had a Solid 2024 Season for the Milwaukee Brewers
After two subpar seasons with the Chicago Cubs and Minnesota Twins to begin his career, Megill found a home in Milwaukee. In 2023, he appeared in 31 games and posted a 1-0 record to go with a career-best 3.63 ERA and 1.36 WHIP.
He was even better in 2024.
With Williams out to start the season, Megill earned the interim closer job with his consistent pitching. By the time the year ended, he had a 1-3 record to go with a 2.72 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, and a team-leading 21 saves.
With a blazing 100 mph fastball, Megill can be one of the most feared closers in the game if he is able to build on his strong 2024 campaign.
That being said, bullpen depth is always something worth monitoring, and one MLB analyst believes Milwaukee should look to add more in the form of an aging nine-time All-Star.
MLB Analyst Urges the Milwaukee Brewers to Sign Craig Kimbrel
In a recent article posted by Sports Illustrated, Patrick McAvoy wrote that he believes the Brewers would do well to take a flyer on 36-year-old former All-Star Craig Kimbrel, who is still a free agent.
“Milwaukee has done a phenomenal job in recent years building out the bullpen,” McAvoy wrote. “Adding someone like Kimbrel to the mix could be a cheap option as he’s 36 years old and coming off potentially the worst season of his career. But, he did have a 3.26 ERA in 2023 across 71 appearances so it wouldn’t be a shock if he had something left in the tank.”
That “worst season of his career” saw Kimbrel go 7-5 with a 5.33 ERA in 57 games with the Baltimore Orioles last season while posting 23 saves. As McAvoy notes, though, he did have a stellar season with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2023 when he was 8-6 with a 3.26 ERA and 23 saves in 71 games.
While McAvoy argues that signing Kimbrel would be “a low-risk, high-reward move,” it does not seem like the kind of move this version of the Brewers would entertain.
Back in 2008, they tried something similar with former Cy Young Award winner Eric Gagne, and it was a disaster. This is not to say Milwaukee does not take on reclamation projects, but when they do they prefer them to be a bit younger.
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