The Brewers announced today that they have selected the contract of right-hander Joel Kuhnel. In corresponding moves, right-hander Carlos Rodríguez was optioned to Triple-A Nashville while left-hander Robert Gasser was transferred to the 60-day injured list. The Brewers also announced their previously-reported deal to acquire Dallas Keuchel from the Mariners.
Kuhnel, 29, has bounced around the league this year. He signed a minor league deal with the Astros in the offseason and made that club’s roster in mid-April. He was later designated for assignment and flipped to the Blue Jays in a cash deal, though that club kept him on optional assignment before eventually designated him for assignment again. He cleared waivers and elected free agency, which led to his minor league deal with the Brewers a couple of weeks back.
Around those transactions, he has tossed 25 Triple-A innings between three different organizations with a 2.52 earned run average, 14.3% strikeout rate, 7.6% walk rate and a lot of ground balls. Those peripherals are fairly in line with his major league track record, which consists of 85 2/3 innings dating back to his 2019 debut with the Reds. In that time, he has a 6.30 ERA, 19% strikeout rate, 6.3% walk rate and 52.2% ground ball rate.
He’ll give the club a fresh arm in their bullpen for the time being. He is in his final option season and can be easily sent back to Nashville at some point if the Brewers would like. He has not yet reached arbitration and could be retained beyond this season if he holds his 40-man spot all year, though he’ll be out of options next year.
Rodríguez was recently promoted for a rotation audition but currently has a 7.30 ERA through three starts. His optioning perhaps suggests that Keuchel will be added to the club’s roster to take that spot shortly. As noted by Adam McCalvy of MLB.com on X, the club lists tomorrow’s starter as TBA, with Colin Rea having previously been in that spot. That perhaps suggests that Keuchel will take the ball tomorrow and Rea will get an extra day of rest, though more information will undoubtedly be forthcoming between now and then.
As for Gasser, it was reported last week that he will require UCL surgery and is done for the year, so this transfer was an inevitable formality.
Tidy piece of business there
Don’t be redundant.
Another Ham and Egger minus,, or 4 A, or never was. Take your pick. I hope I am wrong. However, look at how bad his ML number are. I think he is up for 1 0r 2 days and then DK will get his tryout!
Can’t be any worse than the other fellas they’ve trotted out. Hats off to all of them for contributing! Pretty good defense behind them, so just try not to give up the long ball. Otherwise get out there and throw strikes!
well, kuhnel induces a lot of worm burners so defense should get a chance to shine. see it working out better for him here then cinci or toronto, or even houston for that matter
Continue to throw sh$& against the wall and see if any of it sticks. Life of a poverty franchise
Life of a 1st place club
Hardly poverty. Its the life of a mid market team, living on a budget. The vast majority of teams have not yet thrown in the towel, which makes doing anything else quite difficult,regardless of budget. You can’t make a trade for a pitcher until another team is willing to give one up.