Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports that Kyle Lohse was claimed on trade waivers but pulled back by the Brewers after Milwaukee deemed that there wasn't a potential match for a trade (Twitter link). Lohse will not be traded now, as the Brewers would lose the right to pull him back if they tried to pass him through a second time.
The 34-year-old Lohse has a 3.23 ERA with 5.8 K/9, 1.5 BB/9 and a 39.2 percent ground-ball rate in 139 1/3 innings for the Brewers in 2013. He signed a three-year, $33MM contract with Milwaukee late in Spring Training and is owed $11MM in 2014 and again in 2015. That salary seems more than a fair price to pay for Lohse, whose 2013 numbers are nearly identical to his overall numbers since the onset of the 2011 campaign (3.14 ERA, 5.7 K/9, 1.7 BB/9 in 538 2/3 innings). As such, he's likely to have more trade value to the Brewers this offseason when they can negotiate with any team in the Majors.
News that Lohse was on revocable waivers broke yesterday at the same time it was learned that Dan Haren had also been placed on waivers. So far, only three players have reportedly cleared waivers: Michael Young, Jimmy Rollins and Adam Dunn.
