After thoracic outlet syndrome surgery kept Trevor Rosenthal from pitching in 2021, it looks like the 2022 season will also be a total write-off for the veteran reliever. Brewers manager Craig Counsell told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Curt Hogg (Twitter links) and other reporters that Rosenthal will “probably” miss the rest of the season due to a lat injury in a recent Triple-A rehab outing. Counsell compared Rosenthal’s injury to the posterior shoulder issue that kept Freddy Peralta out of action for almost two and a half months of the 2022 campaign.
Rosenthal wasn’t signed during the 2021-22 offseason, but a midseason throwing showcase led to a guaranteed contract with the Giants worth a prorated $4.5MM. At the time of the signing, Rosenthal was recovering from a hamstring strain, and was still sidelined when the Brewers landed Rosenthal (and his contract) at the trade deadline in a swap with San Francisco. While Rosenthal was making good progress in working his way back in rehab, Brewers president of baseball ops David Stearns said that the lat problem is “a completely new injury” that only just surfaced.
“He’s been working exceptionally hard to get back here. He was close, the ball was coming out really good, and now we have a setback,” Stearns said.
The trade with the Giants now looks like a backfired risk for the Brewers, and yet another strange detail in what has been a bizarre five-year stretch for Rosenthal. Tommy John surgery kept off the mound for the entire 2018 season, and he pitched only 15 1/3 innings in 2019 and then 23 2/3 innings in 2020, appearing for four different teams during that two-season span. While his 2019 numbers were poor, Rosenthal looked quite good in 2020, leading to a one-year, $11MM free agent deal with the Athletics that resulted in Rosenthal never making an actual appearance for the A’s, due to thoracic outlet syndrome.
The $4.5MM deal was already something of a surprising total for a pitcher with Rosenthal’s recent injury track record, notwithstanding his strong career numbers. Since it now looks like he’ll go more than two years without throwing a Major League pitch, the right-hander will probably have to settle for a minor league deal this winter. Some questions might have to be asked about whether or not Rosenthal will continue his career in the face of all these health problems, but he is still only 32 years old.
As for Milwaukee, the team gave up minor league outfield prospect Tristan Peters to the Giants, and the lack of return on Rosenthal will surely bring some fresh criticism of the team’s deadline moves. Between dealing All-Star closer Josh Hader to the Padres for a trade package that included Taylor Rogers, as well as the swap that brought Matt Bush from the Rangers, it was a bullpen-heavy set of transactions that (with almost four weeks of hindsight) looks to have not been enough. Milwaukee has struggled to an 8-14 record in August, falling six games back of the Cardinals in the NL Central race and 2.5 games behind in the wild card race.
Most teams played for on major league roster without playing an actual game??
Trivia, I love me some trivia. Well played @The Baseball Fan, well played. And inking 4.5 while on the sidelines to boot. Dude! Who’s his agent, anyways?
Scott Boras
@619bird: shocking. LOL
Trevor who?
Sadly, no matter how good you are, it doesn’t take long for folks to forget you.
We still got Devin Williams. We’ll be ok..
good one!
I think we’re beyond the point of being okay. In that, we’re not. This is one of the worst trade deadlines for the Crew I can remember since trading Carlos Lee and Nelson Cruz to the rangers. Their lack of improving the team has caused them to lose the wheels. It’s easy to say “well yeah, but look how Hader has performed since being trade.” And you’d be right. He’s performing like he’s still on our floundering team.
As a Padres fan I am disappointed with Hader so far. But I still like the trade. Hader will figure it out before the Playoffs. Luckily the Padres tried to improve their team so they will be there. The Brewers tried to be cute and not only gave up their division lead, but will miss the playoffs after their trade deadline moves. Enjoy your prospects.
I like how the Padres removed him from the closer role, since we are starting to close out games better. He will get it figured out and return
VegasSDFan: this didn’t age well!
“The goddamn plane has crashed into the mountain!”
Williams will likely be better, but the team didn’t improve itself with the Hader trade, no matter how terrible he is in SD. Rogers and Bush aren’t what Hader was (prior to July), plus Ruiz is struggling in the minors and it’s not looking good for him to be a big league contributor. The team got worse with the Hader trade, no doubt.
This is our concern, dude.
Tristan Peters better not pan out. Always looked like a dumb move
I’m shocked. He’s been so durable lately.
Farhan: *laughs*
Zaidi now thinks he’s a real genius unloading Rosenthal on the Brewers. Don’t think too hard because you’ve still got Giles.
And Alexander
Anyone know what actually helped cure his Yips? I thought he was done a few years ago then he reappeared. Did he just wake up one morning and remember how to throw again or..??
Tears of joy
Said it on the thread when he signed with SF. You are getting scammed if you sign this guy to anything beyond a minor league deal. Nationals, Athletics, Giants and Brewers. Four teams now. Only KC got something out of him and it was on a prove it minor league deal.
Giants only paid him for like 10 days look what day he signed with them, like July 21st or something haha
Tigers too. Seems like for $10mil. But I forget
Great trading Sterns between this disaster and the terrible Hader trade.
People overrated Stearns so much in his first few years in Milwaukee. He hasn’t drafted well at all (especially with hitters) and he’s had some big stinkers of trades lately. More of an average GM than a great one.
well thanks for Tristan Peters I suppose
Never wanted him. He has to prove himself before you trade for him. In the future, ? ? ?
I wish I could say I was shocked but as a Cardinals fan this move by the Brewers made absolutely no sense.
Hes a former past-his-prime (dare I say washed up) Cardinal. It makes perfect sense.
Let’s see Lament DFA, Rosenthal out for rest of year, no bats, frustrated team, guess Stearns wants to be fired to go else where.
This is a miss on the original signing by the giants. Most general managers would sign him for something in 2022 with a good team option for 2023. Advantage being if he was okay in 2022 be better in 2023 for less money. Like the Braves with Kirby Yates signing
too bad they didn’t keep Lamet instead, what a bunch of weird uncharacteristic Milwaukee moves this trade deadline. I am still in complete shock
Here’s the thing: Stearns isn’t THAT good of a GM.
The Cardinals let him walk because of injuries. It didn’t preclude him from having success past that, but Im still surprised at the number of opportunities he’s received since because of it.
How anyone would offer him anything other than a minor league deal is beyond me. But hey, it’s not my money.