The Brewers announced Tuesday that they’ve selected the contract of veteran right-hander Brad Boxberger. He’ll join the club for their matchup against the Cubs and take the recently traded Orlando Arcia’s spot on the active roster. Righty Justin Topa was transferred to the 60-day injured list to open a spot on the 40-man roster.
Boxberger, 32, is a veteran of nine big league seasons who has ample experience as both a closer and setup man. He spent the 2020 season setting up for Brandon Kintzler in Miami, pitching to a 3.00 ERA with a 22.8 percent strikeout rate and 10.1 percent walk rate. It’s been awhile since his peak at this point, but Boxberger posted a 2.94 ERA through his first 177 1/3 MLB frames from 2012-15 and led the American League with 41 saves for the 2015 Rays.
In the five seasons since that stretch, Boxberger’s entire body of work has been solid enough, but he’s lacked consistency on a year-over-year basis. He’ll look to continue last year’s success while hopefully putting a rocky Spring Training effort behind him; in nine spring frames with the Brewers, Boxberger was tagged for eight earned runs on 10 hits, although his 14-to-1 K/BB ratio was certainly more encouraging.
Decent pitcher
If Boxberger is with the Brewers… Now he can start a sports bar!
You know how last names can represent the historical trade of someone’s family? Like Schumacher = shoemaker or Schmidt = -smith?… Absolutely no clue what “of stone boxes” would even mean in Germany Austria.
If you writing about his history in the league, shouldn’t you mention he is a former AL All Star? This guy was truly legit elite for a couple of years, not just a solid reliever.
Solid RHP reliever describes Boxberger. He was never elite though. Even in his one All-Star season, he had a 3.71 ERA/4.26 FIP/1.365 WHIP. Only has ever once had an ERA and FIP both below 4, that being in 2017.
Depends on what you look at. You can cherry pick any stat to back up an argument. In 2014 he had a 2.37 ERA and a WHIP of 0.835 in 64 games. That is elite. Regardless if you get chosen (not fan elected) for an All Star Team at any time, you are an elite baseball player.
Yes, the word Star is right there in the name of the game. Seems obvious enough. I guess it’s an argument of semantics regarding the word elite.
That’s not elite for a reliever. Elite for a reliever would be like 0.00 to 1.50 ERA level. 2.37 would fall in the elite category for a starting pitcher, but probably more like “very very good” for a relief pitcher.
Well, he got a one out save today with a 94 MPH fastball right down the middle that Happ popped out to left field with bases loaded in 4 to 2 Brewer win. Funny, in 2019, he did exactly the same thing for Royals on opening day (one out save on a fat pitch) and then got rocked the rest of the year with no more saves. Happ must have been looking for the change up or trying to go to left to beat the shift and tie the game with a single.
Don’t think Boxberger was ever quite “elite.” Seems like a good guy though. I hope he does well.
Old Royal favorite LoCain hit two HR’s today to provide all runs in the Brewer victory at Wrigley.