Last year, the Brewers took eight candidates to spring training to fight for five spots in the rotation. With less than a month to go before spring training 2009, the Brewers have only five acknowledged starters.
The group consists of right-handers Yovani Gallardo, Dave Bush, Jeff Suppan and Seth McClung, and lefty Manny Parra. Despite losing top-of-the-rotation starters CC Sabathia and Ben Sheets to free agency, the Brewers have not signed or traded for a starting pitcher. There's still time to do so, but the team doesn't appear to be in a rush.
"Last year we had too many, but that worked itself out pretty quickly," said Bush, who is 33-31 with a 4.57 ERA in three seasons with the Brewers. "In the end, we were looking for pitchers.
"If this is the five we're going with, then great. We'll make it work. But you never know what's going to happen."
The eight-into-five puzzle was solved last spring when Gallardo had knee surgery, Chris Capuano went down with an elbow problem that later required surgery and Claudio Vargas was released in an economic move.
With plenty of pitchers available on the free agent market, the Brewers still could make a move. But they're already pretty close to their payroll budget, factoring in upcoming arbitration cases.
"I do like to keep some (payroll) flexibility in the case of injuries," general manager Doug Melvin said. "And teams are going to move players at some point.
"Right now, I don't anticipate (a major signing of a pitcher)."
