Brewers Sign Ricky Bottalico
I think this is a good deal for both parties involved. The 36-year-old Bottalico will get a chance to compete for the closer's role in Milwaukee, something that he did fairly well in Philadelphia. For the Brewers, they get one arm that they can rely upon in a bullpen of question marks. It's a one year deal, so even if Bottalico was to break down or struggle it won't be a huge sacrifice for the Brewers. Bottalico was 3-2 with a 3.38 ERA for the Mets last year. His K/BB was about 2:1 and he averaged nearly a strikeout per inning, both good qualities in a relief pitcher. Bottalico only allowed 3 homeruns in 2004, but that number most likely will jump just from the simple fact that he's going from a pitcher-friendly park in Shea Stadium to a homer-friendly yard in Miller Park.