Earlier this week, while the Winter Meetings were ongoing in Orlando, a rumor surfaced that the Milwaukee Brewers were receiving interest in their talented, right-handed reliever Nick Mears. With the eye-popping cost of free agent relievers this winter, Mears and his projected arbitration salary under $2 million offered a cheaper alternative for teams searching for right-handed relievers. From the Brewers’ point of view, a deal made sense because of the team’s lack of optionable relief pitchers and their knack to seemingly create elite high-leverage relievers out of thin air.
Then, just after the Winter Meetings concluded, the Brewers made their first major league free agent signing of the offseason, adding former Detroit Tigers breakout star Akil Baddoo to their 40-man roster.