Tuesday evening, the Milwaukee Brewers signed free agent Jose Urena to a minor league deal. Urena has never been a flashy front of rotation type of pitcher, but he does have an effective sinker. Now at the age of 30, he may not have much left in the tank after playing for two mediocre teams during his previous years.
Urena made his MLB debut in 2015 with the Miami Marlins before signing with the Detroit Tigers in 2020. When he signed with the Tigers, they intended to try and evolve him into a regular dependable starter. Unfortunately, that plan did not follow through as Detroit Tigers pitching coach Chris Fetter couldn’t get Urena to breakout. If Chris Fetter, the best pitching coach in the American League, cannot bring out Urena hopefully Chris Hook and company will be able to.
Here is a quick glance at Urena’s 2021 stats.
100 2/3 IP
4-8 Record
18 Games Started, 26 appearances
5.81 ERA
67 Strikeouts
42 Walks
119 hits
70 Runs Allowed
65 Runs Earned
1.599 WHIP
Some common themes from Urena throughout his career are the following:
He has trouble locating his fastball even though his best pitch is his two-seam.
He struggles with command but his stuff is not an issue. Remember, command is correctable.
He does not always miss bats.
He is the third starter on his best days, back end to DFA on an off day.
As for what he can do with the Brewers this year, it will largely depend on how he does in the minors. Milwaukee has one of the best pitching staff in the Majors. If we see Urena on the Major League roster, it will most likely be due to moves with the injured list or for bullpen relief. He is on the 40 man roster which does help his case. Last year we saw emergency starts from Zack Godley and Jordan Zimmerman, so seeing Urena make an appearance or two is not out of the question.
Follow me on Twitter @markmusgraveiii. Follow us @WiSportsHeroics for more great content. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in Wisconsin sports, click here! Also, check out our merch store for some amazing WSH merchandise!
