Brewers Talking to Lohse

Thanks to the quirky new rule involving draft picks with players who were offered a qualifying offer by their former team, Kyle Lohse is still out of work despite coming off the best season of his professional career. The 34-year-old remains unsigned even as spring training marches steadily toward its second month, but Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com opines that the Brewers might be the best fit.

Milwaukee general manager Doug Melvin confirms having spoken to Lohse about a possible contract with the team, but he seems determined to see what they already have in place first. This is understandable for the Brewers and any team, as Lohse is likely still looking to command a pretty hefty multi-year deal after going 16-3 with a 2.86 ERA for the Cardinals a year ago. The right-hander was also very stingy with free passes, walking just 38 in his 211 innings of work.

All told, it was a banner year for Lohse, who wound up being worth a career high 3.6 WAR per FanGraphs, but as solid as he is, he’s approaching his mid-thirties and it’s not clear whether last season’s performance is truly a new talent level or a modest aberration. If the Brewers can sign him without breaking the bank, he’s a welcome addition that solidifies the rotation, but there are plenty of good reasons why he has yet to find a home this offseason, recent success or not.

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