The Brewers released pitcher Jeff Suppan, reports Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. By my calculation, the Brewers still owe Suppan $10.08MM, which includes a $2MM buyout after the season.
Suppan has spent most of the 2010 season in mop-up duty, posting a 7.48 ERA, 5.0 K/9, and 3.7 BB/9 in 21.6 relief innings. He's been a release candidate dating back to spring. Brewers GM Doug Melvin, who signed Suppan to a four-year, $42MM deal in December of '06, had this to say:
"Jeff has always been a true professional. He gave his best effort to the organization, whether it was on the field or in the community. I am confident that he can return to a starting rotation with another organization. We wish Jeff and his family nothing but the best."
Melvin was overly optimistic to think Suppan was ever anything other than a high 4.00s ERA innings eater, as that's what he was even in his '06 platform year. A strong postseason record may have inflated Suppan's price. On a conference call with Brewers beat writers, Melvin alluded to the many bad free agent pitching contracts signed that winter.
he was in the national league. where does he go from here?
Home.
Take note, Omar Minaya.
About damn time.
Summer softball leagues are filling up fast.
i can add him to my roster if he’d like to play.
He can go back to the Cards and take Penny’s spot
hell no he can’t. i’d rather have a guy at AAA take over.
I’d lay odds that he’s in a Cardinals uniform within 2 weeks. I’m not advocating that, just sayin’…
Not Penny’s spot, but maybe Lohses
I could have given the Brewers better innings.
does he have anything left?
Batting practice.
PRAISE JESUS!!!!
Good signing Doug.
The Brewers had replaced Suppan in his role of “vastly overpaid Journeyman pitcher” anyways, and Randy Wolf is well on his way to filling that role just as well as Suppan did.
Let’s just make sure we don’t learn from this mistake either. Livan Hernandez is having a hell of a year! Maybe we can ink him to a 4 year $39 million dollar deal this offseason! Sweet!
Looks like the dam is starting to break on pitching contract discards of late. Willis, Suppan, could Ollie be possibly next? Could Wilpon mark it off as a stock swindle perhaps?
Suppan was the consolation prize for the Brewers after they lost the “Matt Clement sweepstakes.” As ugly as it turned out, it could have been much much worse.
Happy trails Jeff.
Brewers window of opportunity is closing, they have to do something about pitching, starting and bullpen. Oswalt is available. This is a solid club offensively and defensively that should be competing with the Reds and Cards but Melvin has done a lousy job with the pitching. There is no such thing as too much good pitching. Fielder is leaving after next year, there is no way Boras will allow him to sign something friendly to the team; trade him now to the Giants or AL team for dh duty, and get some established pitching. Reds have an abundance, but no need for Fielder. Tampa Bay does also, but could never afford him. Time for Melvin to be bold.
unless the brewers grow most of their own arms they will always be what we thought they would be
He needs to go back to St. Louis, get some guidance from Dave Duncan, take his lumps as a reliever, and try to regain some value (if that’s possible) before the offseason. I personally think he would be stupid to go to New York (Mets) or Arizona and try too hard to pitch well, and, as a result, he’ll pitch worse. He needs to go back to a place of comfort (St. Louis) and try to pitch consistently. Just my opinion.
I think you’re right, Mike. Suppan is a classy guy, but he’s lost most of his confidence and much of his ability to command where his pitches are going to end up — which is why far too many of ’em ended up as ringing doubles, long RBI singles, or home runs that haven’t landed yet.
An aging pitcher with four successively worse seasons – I’ve got a bridge…actually, several bridges to sell the GM that signs this bum.
Stick a fork in him, he’s done.
Wow. I never would have thought at first glance, that Doug Melvin was as bad a GM as Jim Hendry, but now that I think about it, he did sign Suppan (gone), Trevor Hoffman (ineffective), and we all remember how much of a POS LaTroy Hawkins was with the Cubs. So I guess in hindsight, Melvin may be just as bad as Hendry. Must be something about being North of Gary, or something like that… So for sake of comparison, who’s worse, Hendry (my vote), Melvin, Minaya, Ned Colletti (Dodgers-Time to let the first female GM in baseball have a try [Asst. Dodger GM Kim Ng]) or another one to add… The laa Angels GM Tony Reagins! Let Figgins go (in the same division, no less), didn’t get Beltre’, let Lackey go, lost BOTH Vlad Guerrero and Darrin Oliver to Division Rivals, let Texeria go, and the beat goes on… Any thoughts?