Yovani and Co.: Brewers confident in rotation with ace surrounded by relative unknowns

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Milwaukee Brewers' Mike Fiers throws before the first inning of an exhibition spring training baseball game against the Oakland Athletics on Saturday, Feb. 23, 2013, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

PHOENIX - Most people will view the Milwaukee Brewers starting rotation as Yovani Gallardo and those other guys.

That is certainly understandable considering the drastic changes since last spring that have left Gallardo as the obvious Milwaukee ace, surrounded by some relative unknowns.

Former Cy Young winner Zack Greinke was traded during the season, Shaun Marcum left in free agency and Randy Wolf was let go after a 3-10 season. The only other holdover from the 2012 season-opening rotation is left-hander Chris Naverson, who made only two starts before rotator cuff surgery and is having to earn his spot again this spring.

"I know there's been a lot of talk of guys being young and just trying to fit in," Gallardo said. "But they pitched in some key games last year, they stepped it up whenever we needed them. ... They proved what they're capable of."

And for that reason, there is plenty of optimism going into the season even with that mostly unproven staff.

Milwaukee was 10 games under .500 when Greinke was traded in late July. With 23-year-old Wily Peralta and former first-round draft pick Mark Rogers going into the rotation after that, the Brewers had a 27-12 spurt that kept them in playoff contention until the 159th game of an 83-79 season.

"That gave me encouragement and confidence in the pitching," general manager Doug Melvin said. "They're guys that will go under the radar obviously. They're just young pitchers like any other team's young pitchers that are going to be given a chance, and deserve the have the opportunity to go out and pitch."

Rogers, called up from the minors right after Greinke was traded, went 3-1 with a 3.92 ERA in seven starts but the right-hander was shut down at the end of August because of his total innings. Peralta was 2-1 with a 2.25 ERA in five starts the final month of the season.

"I think a couple of guys have been showing already in September last year that we can pitch in the big leagues," Peralta said. "If we can do it for a month-and-a-half, two months, we can do it for the whole season."

Marco Estrada (5-7, 3.64 ERA in 29 games) went into the rotation after Naverson's season-ending surgery and seemingly is set as the No. 2 starter behind Gallardo. That leaves Mike Fiers (9-10, 3.74 in 23 games) Naverson, Peralta and Rogers competing for the last three spots.

"I keep telling people is that the great run we had last year toward the end of the season, it was because of them," second baseman Rickie Weeks said. "So that leaves some great things ahead for this team."

It certainly helps Milwaukee pitchers that they are backed by an offence that led the National League last season in runs, home runs and stolen bases.

Their big-bashing lineup will basically be intact. First baseman Corey Hart will miss the start of the season recovering from knee surgery, but he hopes to be back by late April.

The Brewers made an offer to free-agent pitcher Ryan Dempster before he went to Boston, but Melvin and manager Ron Roenicke like the pitchers they have in camp — and certainly don't consider the thought that they're just trying to get by with four other guys behind Gallardo.

"I don't look at it that way," said Roenicke, who said the Brewers could have gone out and tried to get a veteran to fill in as a third or fourth starter if they weren't confident in their own guys.

"We have four guys that have a chance to be that type of player, and I would rather see them get an opportunity than to go out and get a guy that's mediocre," Roenicke said. "A mediocre big league pitcher is valuable. ... But we've got some guys that we think can be better than mediocre."

Gallardo has made at least 30 starts with 200 strikeouts or more in each of the last four seasons, going 60-38 with a 3.68 ERA in that span.

Along with being the No. 1 starter, Gallardo now likely also has to fill a role as a mentor, encourager and teacher to the rest of the starters.

"I've definitely got to be a little bit of everything," Gallardo said. "I've been in their situation before when I first came up. ... It's a whole different team, but you know, we're looking forward to the guys competing here in the spring and every guy in here has an opportunity."