The Brewers wasted little time bringing Bryse Wilson back into the fold.
Milwaukee announced a new big league deal for the right-hander after he elected free agency yesterday, returning him to the bullpen almost immediately. To make room on both the active roster and the 40-man, the Brewers designated Lyon Richardson for assignment.
The move essentially flips what Milwaukee did last Saturday. Back then, the club selected Richardson’s minor league contract and sent Wilson out of the organization.
That decision was tied to timing, not a judgment on Wilson’s work. He had thrown three innings on Friday and used 34 pitches, which would have kept him unavailable for Saturday and likely through the rest of the weekend.
Wilson has given Milwaukee solid work since signing just before the All-Star Break. In six outings, he’s logged 13 2/3 innings and allowed four runs while striking out 10 and walking none. His one ugly night came in San Francisco on July 29, but outside of that he’s been a dependable source of low-leverage innings.
The 28-year-old has found far more success in Milwaukee than anywhere else. Across 93 appearances for the Brewers, Wilson owns a 3.37 ERA.
With every other team he’s pitched for, his ERA sits above 5.00, not counting a lone appearance for Philadelphia earlier this season. He’s now been with six teams overall and three this season alone, with three combined appearances for the Phillies and Cubs before circling back to Milwaukee.
Because Wilson is out of options, the Brewers couldn’t simply stash him in the minors without exposing him to waivers first. He also has the right to elect free agency each time he clears, which is exactly how this sequence played out. Now, after three days of rest, Milwaukee can drop him right back into the bullpen as a fresh arm.
Richardson is in the same roster bind. He’s also out of options and can choose free agency whenever he clears waivers. The 26-year-old right-hander got what may have been his only Brewers appearance last night, working 1 2/3 scoreless innings with a walk and a strikeout in a 3-2 loss in San Diego.
Richardson entered after Logan Henderson surrendered a go-ahead homer to Jackson Merrill. He did his part to keep Milwaukee within reach, but the Brewers couldn’t answer against Adrian Morejon and Mason Miller at the back end.
Before that outing, Richardson’s major league work had all come with the Reds across parts of four seasons. He posted a 6.67 ERA over 56 2/3 innings in Cincinnati. Like Wilson, he’ll head to waivers this week and appears likely to clear and test free agency again, just as he did after the Reds designated him for assignment in June.
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