The Milwaukee Brewers have had a busy and high-profile offseason, pulling off a Shaun Marcum trade and later swinging a Zack Greinke trade as well. Those two moves addressed a weakness in the starting rotation. On Monday, now, they've addressed a weakness in the bullpen, signing free agent Takashi Saito.
Takashi Saito, Brewers Agree On One-Year Contract
Saito is getting a one-year contract, and the physical exam has already been completed. Saito was released earlier in the offseason by the Braves, who didn't want to risk giving him a raise, but according to Ken Rosenthal, his deal with the Brewers is worth a maximum of $3.2 million, which is equivalent to what he earned in 2010. The base salary is lower and comes with incentives based on playing time and time spent on the active roster.
The 40-year-old right Saito has a career 2.19 ERA over 292 games and 299.1 innings, with 366 strikeouts and 94 walks. He spent last season with the Braves and was just as effective as ever, serving as a shutdown reliever in the late innings. The issue with Saito is his unreliability, as he’s struggled with some arm and shoulder injuries. If he’s healthy, he’ll be an effective eight-inning guy in front of closer Jon Axford, but the Brewers got him at a low price because there are no guarantees that he’ll stay off the DL.
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