Guerra opened as the No. 2 starter at Colorado Springs, going 0-2 with a 4.63 ERA for the SkySox, with consecutive quality starts on the road to begin the season, followed by two less productive starts in which he surrendered nine earned runs in 10 1/3 innings. He will pitch for the Brewers on Tuesday on seven days' rest. They hope he can help a starting rotation that finished April with a 6.32 ERA while going 5-for-23 in quality starts, worst in the Major Leagues on both counts.
Guerra's baseball career can definitely be described as an odyssey, one that began back in 2001 when the Braves signed him as a 16 year old catcher out of Venezuela. He eventually transitioned to pitching failed but to gain a footing with the Braves and was eventually released in 2007. He caught on with the Mets and made 18 appearances in the lower minors in 2008 before getting suspended for PEDs and subsequently released.
Juni G continued to persevere, however, pitching in unaffiliated leagues all over the world from 2009-2014. He spent time in independent leagues in the US, the Mexican League, and happened to be pitching in Italy when the White Sox signed him to a minor league contract prior to the 2015 season.
Back in affiliated ball for the first time in six years, Guerra began the 2015 season with AA Birmingham and posted a 2.29 ERA and 2.90 FIP in 19.2 innings. He struck out 26 of the 74 batters he faced before getting bumped up to AAA, where he spent a majority of the 2015 season. In 63.2 innings for Charlotte, Guerra worked to a 3.39 ERA and 3.11 FIP with a 79:28 K/BB ratio. He even got the opportunity to make his big league debut with the White Sox, fourteen years after his professional career began, pitching four innings in relief while allowing three earned runs.
The Sox placed Guerra on waivers shortly after the end of the regular season and on October 7th, he was claimed by Milwaukee in Stearns' first official transaction as General Manager. Guerra began the year in AAA Colorado Springs, where made four starts and posted a 4.63 ERA and 4.03 FIP across 23.1 innings. He struck out 23 batters while walking nine.
I published a report on Guerra shortly after the Brewers claimed him...Guerra is a three-pitch starter with a fastball that has been in the 92-95 MPH range during his time with the Sky Sox this season and has even touched 99 MPH. He also throws a slider in the 81-83 MPH range but his best pitch is a devastating split-finger changeup that serves as his strikeout pitch. He usually throws it in the 86-88 MPH zone and it just absolutely falls off the table as it gets to the plate.
Guerra strikes out plenty of batters and typically generates an above-average rate of ground balls, but he'll battle his command from time to time and will walk his share of hitters.
At 31 years old it's rather unlikely Junior Guerra will be any sort of long-term piece, but I'm still quite excited to see what he can do at the big league level after finally earning the opportunity to get an extended look in the starting rotation. In my "Bold Predictions" article prior to the season, I forecasted 114.2 innings with a 3.18 ERA and I'm sticking to it!
Junior Guerra may not experience that much success, of course, but he has in front of him what will likely be the best opportunity of his career to carve out a role in the major leagues with the rebuilding Milwaukee Brewers. Whether he sticks around remains to be seen, but I don't think there's anyone more excited than I am to see how this turns out.
---
Meyer, who was called up from Triple-A Rochester on Monday to pitch in long relief, has yet to make an appearance, and will instead be a member of the rotation after excelling in three starts at Rochester. The 6-foot-9 right-hander went 1-1 with a 1.04 ERA with 19 strikeouts and four walks in 17 1/3 innings. Meyer is ranked as Minnesota's No. 11 prospect by MLBPipeline.com. He made two relief appearances with the Twins last year, allowing five runs in 2 2/3 innings, but this will be his first Major League start. It's also Meyer's first start since April 20, so he could be used in long relief Friday. If not, he'll throw an extended bullpen session Saturday.
Here's how things stood at the beginning of spring training, from the 2016 Baseball Prospect Book:
Alex Meyer, RHP, Minnesota Twins
Bats: R Throws: R HT: 6-9 WT: 220 DOB: January 3, 1990
2012: Grade B; 2013: Grade B+; 2014: Grade B+; 2015: Grade B+
Alex Meyer entered 2015 with a chance at the major league rotation. He finished 2015 hoping for a bullpen spot sometime. He struggled as a starter early in the year at Rochester then moved to relief in June. He was more effective in that role (7.09 ERA as a starter, 3.08 in the pen) and that?s his most likely deployment going forward. At his best Meyer features an overpowering mid-to-upper-90s fastball, two different breaking balls, and a change-up. Like many tall pitchers he struggles with his command due to mechanical inconsistency. This was less of an issue in the pen but he still has to tighten things up if he wants a larger role; he blew all three save chances he received for Rochester and such opportunities won?t come in the majors without significant improvement. I still like Meyer?s upside but he?s 26 now and went backwards last year. Grade B-, which is generous.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTARY:
Meyer suffered continued control problems in big league camp, walking four men in 4.2 innings on the way to giving up three runs, but he was throwing well with Triple-A Rochester (1.04 ERA, 19/4 K/BB in 17 innings) with greatly improved command before yesterday's promotion. He was starting again in the minors but will move back to the bullpen at present.
Despite the early ups and downs not much has changed with Meyer's profile. He has excellent stuff and his recent run at Rochester shows what happens when his command is working. Whether he can take that progress into the major league environment remains to be seen but there's not much point in keeping him down right now. Let him pitch and see what happens.
-----
Eddie Butler
.
He will fill the spot of veteran lefty Jorge De La Rosa, who is likely headed to the 15-day disabled list with a left groin strain that forced him from Tuesday night's 9-4 loss to the Pirates. It was not immediately known when or whether Butler, 25, a supplemental first-round choice out of Radford University in 2012, would be added to the starting rotation. In Major League stints the last two years, Butler is a combined 4-11 with a 6.04 ERA in 19 starts. Last year, he made the Opening Day roster and went 3-10 with a 5.90 ERA in 16 starts over two stints.
Butler has been so-so in four starts for Albuquerque this season, posting a 4.09 ERA while allowing 28 hits and six walks -- and striking out 14 batters -- in 22 innings. The 25-year-old, former top 30 overall prospect entered the season without much of a shot to start the year in the rotation after having virtually no success in two big league stints. He owns a 6.04 ERA while walking more batters (49) than he's struck out (47) in 95⅓ innings spanning 19 starts.
SAN DIEGO ? The last time Eddie Butler started a game for the Rockies, he left the mound shaking his head.
That was Aug. 13 at New York's Citi Field, where the Mets pounded the right-hander for six runs on seven hits in four innings. He needed 88 pitches and induced just five groundball outs and had 10 flyball outs.
Butler, who starts Tuesday night's game against San Diego, says he's a different, more confident, more flexible pitcher now.
"I've been attacking the zone and using all of my pitches, early and late," he said Monday. "I'm also trusting my catchers a little more."
In his first start at Triple-A Albuquerque this season, Butler shook off catcher Dustin Garneau a few too many times.
"Those balls were getting hit too much," Butler said. "We talked afterward, and he told me: 'I think you are putting too much pressure on your (four-seam and two-seam fastballs). You already have it set in your mind.' Since then, I've really started trusting my catchers more."
Butler looked sharp in 2 2-3 innings of relief duty for the Rockies on Wednesday, allowing one run on two hits with one walk and four strikeouts. His sinker, his bread-and-butter pitcher, was under control. Rather than breaking over the plate where it could get hit, the ball was effectively diving off the plate at the moment.
Guerra's baseball career can definitely be described as an odyssey, one that began back in 2001 when the Braves signed him as a 16 year old catcher out of Venezuela. He eventually transitioned to pitching failed but to gain a footing with the Braves and was eventually released in 2007. He caught on with the Mets and made 18 appearances in the lower minors in 2008 before getting suspended for PEDs and subsequently released.
Juni G continued to persevere, however, pitching in unaffiliated leagues all over the world from 2009-2014. He spent time in independent leagues in the US, the Mexican League, and happened to be pitching in Italy when the White Sox signed him to a minor league contract prior to the 2015 season.
Back in affiliated ball for the first time in six years, Guerra began the 2015 season with AA Birmingham and posted a 2.29 ERA and 2.90 FIP in 19.2 innings. He struck out 26 of the 74 batters he faced before getting bumped up to AAA, where he spent a majority of the 2015 season. In 63.2 innings for Charlotte, Guerra worked to a 3.39 ERA and 3.11 FIP with a 79:28 K/BB ratio. He even got the opportunity to make his big league debut with the White Sox, fourteen years after his professional career began, pitching four innings in relief while allowing three earned runs.
The Sox placed Guerra on waivers shortly after the end of the regular season and on October 7th, he was claimed by Milwaukee in Stearns' first official transaction as General Manager. Guerra began the year in AAA Colorado Springs, where made four starts and posted a 4.63 ERA and 4.03 FIP across 23.1 innings. He struck out 23 batters while walking nine.
I published a report on Guerra shortly after the Brewers claimed him...Guerra is a three-pitch starter with a fastball that has been in the 92-95 MPH range during his time with the Sky Sox this season and has even touched 99 MPH. He also throws a slider in the 81-83 MPH range but his best pitch is a devastating split-finger changeup that serves as his strikeout pitch. He usually throws it in the 86-88 MPH zone and it just absolutely falls off the table as it gets to the plate.
Guerra strikes out plenty of batters and typically generates an above-average rate of ground balls, but he'll battle his command from time to time and will walk his share of hitters.
At 31 years old it's rather unlikely Junior Guerra will be any sort of long-term piece, but I'm still quite excited to see what he can do at the big league level after finally earning the opportunity to get an extended look in the starting rotation. In my "Bold Predictions" article prior to the season, I forecasted 114.2 innings with a 3.18 ERA and I'm sticking to it!
Junior Guerra may not experience that much success, of course, but he has in front of him what will likely be the best opportunity of his career to carve out a role in the major leagues with the rebuilding Milwaukee Brewers. Whether he sticks around remains to be seen, but I don't think there's anyone more excited than I am to see how this turns out.
---
Meyer, who was called up from Triple-A Rochester on Monday to pitch in long relief, has yet to make an appearance, and will instead be a member of the rotation after excelling in three starts at Rochester. The 6-foot-9 right-hander went 1-1 with a 1.04 ERA with 19 strikeouts and four walks in 17 1/3 innings. Meyer is ranked as Minnesota's No. 11 prospect by MLBPipeline.com. He made two relief appearances with the Twins last year, allowing five runs in 2 2/3 innings, but this will be his first Major League start. It's also Meyer's first start since April 20, so he could be used in long relief Friday. If not, he'll throw an extended bullpen session Saturday.
Here's how things stood at the beginning of spring training, from the 2016 Baseball Prospect Book:
Alex Meyer, RHP, Minnesota Twins
Bats: R Throws: R HT: 6-9 WT: 220 DOB: January 3, 1990
2012: Grade B; 2013: Grade B+; 2014: Grade B+; 2015: Grade B+
Alex Meyer entered 2015 with a chance at the major league rotation. He finished 2015 hoping for a bullpen spot sometime. He struggled as a starter early in the year at Rochester then moved to relief in June. He was more effective in that role (7.09 ERA as a starter, 3.08 in the pen) and that?s his most likely deployment going forward. At his best Meyer features an overpowering mid-to-upper-90s fastball, two different breaking balls, and a change-up. Like many tall pitchers he struggles with his command due to mechanical inconsistency. This was less of an issue in the pen but he still has to tighten things up if he wants a larger role; he blew all three save chances he received for Rochester and such opportunities won?t come in the majors without significant improvement. I still like Meyer?s upside but he?s 26 now and went backwards last year. Grade B-, which is generous.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTARY:
Meyer suffered continued control problems in big league camp, walking four men in 4.2 innings on the way to giving up three runs, but he was throwing well with Triple-A Rochester (1.04 ERA, 19/4 K/BB in 17 innings) with greatly improved command before yesterday's promotion. He was starting again in the minors but will move back to the bullpen at present.
Despite the early ups and downs not much has changed with Meyer's profile. He has excellent stuff and his recent run at Rochester shows what happens when his command is working. Whether he can take that progress into the major league environment remains to be seen but there's not much point in keeping him down right now. Let him pitch and see what happens.
-----
Eddie Butler
.
He will fill the spot of veteran lefty Jorge De La Rosa, who is likely headed to the 15-day disabled list with a left groin strain that forced him from Tuesday night's 9-4 loss to the Pirates. It was not immediately known when or whether Butler, 25, a supplemental first-round choice out of Radford University in 2012, would be added to the starting rotation. In Major League stints the last two years, Butler is a combined 4-11 with a 6.04 ERA in 19 starts. Last year, he made the Opening Day roster and went 3-10 with a 5.90 ERA in 16 starts over two stints.
Butler has been so-so in four starts for Albuquerque this season, posting a 4.09 ERA while allowing 28 hits and six walks -- and striking out 14 batters -- in 22 innings. The 25-year-old, former top 30 overall prospect entered the season without much of a shot to start the year in the rotation after having virtually no success in two big league stints. He owns a 6.04 ERA while walking more batters (49) than he's struck out (47) in 95⅓ innings spanning 19 starts.
SAN DIEGO ? The last time Eddie Butler started a game for the Rockies, he left the mound shaking his head.
That was Aug. 13 at New York's Citi Field, where the Mets pounded the right-hander for six runs on seven hits in four innings. He needed 88 pitches and induced just five groundball outs and had 10 flyball outs.
Butler, who starts Tuesday night's game against San Diego, says he's a different, more confident, more flexible pitcher now.
"I've been attacking the zone and using all of my pitches, early and late," he said Monday. "I'm also trusting my catchers a little more."
In his first start at Triple-A Albuquerque this season, Butler shook off catcher Dustin Garneau a few too many times.
"Those balls were getting hit too much," Butler said. "We talked afterward, and he told me: 'I think you are putting too much pressure on your (four-seam and two-seam fastballs). You already have it set in your mind.' Since then, I've really started trusting my catchers more."
Butler looked sharp in 2 2-3 innings of relief duty for the Rockies on Wednesday, allowing one run on two hits with one walk and four strikeouts. His sinker, his bread-and-butter pitcher, was under control. Rather than breaking over the plate where it could get hit, the ball was effectively diving off the plate at the moment.
