30-year-old Adrian Houser, who initially came to the Milwaukee Brewers through trade in 2015, has primarily been used in a starting role over each of the past three seasons. In 2019, he made 17 relief appearances, but injuries to other starting pitchers resulted in him drawing 18 starts. Looking ahead to 2023, it appears that he is trending back toward a bullpen role.
A look at the Brewers current depth chart shows that they currently have five starting pitchers in Corbin Burnes, Brandon Woodruff, Freddy Peralta, Eric Lauer, and Wade Miley. This leaves Houser, who has been a consistent member of that starting group since 2020, on the outside looking in.
Other pitchers who could potentially see opportunities in the starting rotation include Aaron Ashby, Janson Junk, Jason Alexander, Ethan Small, and Tyson Miller. Unfortunately, Ashby is currently injured. Small has been working primarily as a reliever in spring and Junk, Alexander, and Miller all have minor league options remaining.
The last time Houser had a consistent bullpen role was 2019. That year, he was forced back into the starting rotation due to injuries to other players, but he was dominant as a reliever. Over 30.2 innings he pitched to a 1.45 ERA and 33 strikeouts.
Career numbers-wise, Houser has thrown 56.2 innings out of the bullpen. He has a 1.76 ERA with 51 strikeouts. It’s hard to argue against the success that he has had as a reliever and hopefully that trend will continue during the 2023 season.
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