DEC. 15: Milone will receive a $1.25MM base salary plus incentives, on his non-guaranteed deal, tweets ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick. He can earn up to $2MM if he maxes out the incentives package, Jon Heyman of Fan Rag tweets.
DEC. 14: The Brewers announced on Wednesday that they’ve signed left-hander Tommy Milone to a one-year, Major League contract. His addition gives the team a full 40-man roster, though Milone did not receive a fully guaranteed contract, tweets Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.
[Related: Updated Milwaukee Brewers Depth Chart]
Milone, 30 in February, was arbitration eligible this offseason but was outrighted by the Twins back in mid-October, thus sending him to the free-agent market earlier than had been forecast. He had been projected by MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz to take home $4.9MM in arbitration — a slight raise on last year’s $4.5MM salary.
A soft-tossing lefty (~87.5 mph average fastball), Milone posted solid numbers with the Nats, A’s and Twins through the first four-plus seasons of his career, delivering a 3.97 ERA with 6.5 K/9 against 2.2 BB/9 in 619 innings (106 starts, four relief appearances). However, he limped to a 5.71 ERA in 69 1/3 innings with Minnesota last year. Milone’s strikeout and walk rates remained similar to his previous marks, and he actually posted a career-best 45.7 percent ground-ball rate last year, but he also became enormously homer-prone. More than 21 percent of the balls put in the air against Milone turned into home runs, and his hard-contact rate skyrocketed while his infield-fly rate dipped from 15 percent to five percent.
Milone joins an already crowded Brewers rotation picture that currently features Junior Guerra, Matt Garza, Wily Peralta, Chase Anderson, Zach Davies and Jimmy Nelson. It’s possible, of course, that one of those names is ultimately moved this offseason — Guerra has drawn trade interest, and the Brewers would undoubtedly love to shed some of Garza’s remaining contract — though the addition of Milone at what figures to be a low-cost rate doesn’t exactly guarantee that such a move is forthcoming.
Milone did spend time in both the bullpen and the rotation with the Twins last season, so perhaps the Brewers simply envision him occupying a swingman role and functioning as somewhat of a safety net if the team either incurs an injury or does find a taker for one of its current rotation options. He also gives the team a left-handed option in the rotation that wasn’t otherwise present, as each of the six aforementioned starters throws right-handed. Brewers general manager David Stearns told reporters, including MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy (Twitter link), that Milone will compete for a rotation spot in Spring Training.
With four years and 113 days of Major League service time under his belt, Milone also gives the Brewers an arm that can be controlled beyond the 2017 campaign. In the event of a rebound, Milone would still fall a good bit shy of reaching six total years of service time, meaning the Brewers can control him through the 2018 season by way of arbitration should he prove worthy of such a commitment with a bounceback campaign next year.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
30* instead of 3o.
Yuck
Hoping he’s juicing now…
I didn’t understand why the Braves didn’t make a play for Matt Garza instead of Jaime Garcia. I know he has a vesting option on his contract but I wouldn’t think that would have been a terrible situation.
Because a healthy Garcia is way better than Garza.
And when has he been healthy ? I would rather take the chance Garza plays out the year than Garcia. Dude is always hurt. Garza is as well though 6 of 1 half dozen the other I guess.
Look at upside and last couple years track record. They made smart bet with Garcia and then flip them for a prospect at the deadline.
As a Cubs fan, I love this deal.
I will caution you not to turn into the same thing Cardinals fans have been for the last decade.
This is why I’ve been sick of the Cubs winning the World Series for two years.
Any cubs fan commenting about the 40th man on a roster of a team projected to have the Major’s lowest payroll is little more than a bored troll.
From 2012 to 2015. Milone averaged a 1.05 WAR, which is fine for a 5th starter. That was all in the AL where he wasn’t facing pitchers in the lineup 90% of the time. Amidst an all RH rotation, he could be pretty effective. He’s no lock to make the rotation however, and his contract isn’t guaranteed. As to AddisonStreet’s comments, the Brewers with added LH punch can’t wait to face over the hill John Lackey and their base stealers salivate running wild against Lester once again.
A guy who gives up a ton of homers pitching in Miller Park. This is not a great idea.
He’s already pitched 17 2/3 innings in Miller Park, and has allowed 1 HR. against a power laden RH lineup. Park factor is overrated. He’ll get plenty of HR support too.
Haha, park factor is over rated, but a 17 2/3 inning sample size is something to base a conclusion on.
A cheap reclamation project that can be flipped or dumped. This is EXACTLY the type of player the Brewers should be signing at this time.
I agree completely. I can’t believe the tone on so many of the comments on this site. That’s the price of success, I suppose.
It’s because those that take that tone are clueless. The 2016 Brewers are at the same stage the 2004 Brewer team was.
We sent him packing and we lost 103 games. And extremely pitcher thin. Have fun with him!!!
If you hadn’t written Milone off as of this past year, you will after the coming season.
I like Milone. He seems like a good dude. He and his wife just had a kid last year.
He has his moments of looking good. Hopefully he has more of those than the getting obliterated moments.
Are the financial terms of the 1 year deal known?
Tommy Milone was dreadful last season, but I really like the signing. He made $4.5MM last year. Brewers signed him to a non-guaranteed $1.25MM. Even if he just ends up being a long man out of the pen or a reliever used to face LH hitters, he’s worth that money. He was very bad last season, but his peripherals were in line with career norms. His issue that contributed to his 5+ ERA was being extremely HR prone. Hopefully that propensity to give up bombs normalizes enough to make him serviceable as a fill-in SP, long man, or reliever.
I thought all major-league contracts were guaranteed?
Remember the Randy Wolf thing with the Mariners a few years ago?
Who cares lol. I guess if we trade a starter we need some sort of plan b before the season starts just in case no one is ready to come up from aaa