Brewers Acquire Situational Left-Handed Reliever Brian Shouse

The Milwaukee Brewers have added a significant piece to their bullpen, acquiring 37-year-old left-hander Brian Shouse from the Texas Rangers on Saturday. Shouse, who was designated for assignment by the Rangers, is expected to report to the Brewers today and will provide a much-needed left-handed option for manager Ned Yost.

Key Takeaways:

• The Brewers have acquired left-hander Brian Shouse from the Texas Rangers in exchange for minor league infielder Enrique Cruz and a player to be named later.
• Shouse, a 37-year-old veteran, has a 5-3 record with a 3.57 ERA in 179 appearances with Texas.
• Shouse is expected to report to the Brewers today and will provide a situational left-handed reliever for the first time in manager Ned Yost's four seasons.
• The Brewers will have the option to call on Shouse to face tough left-handed hitters, including Carlos Delgado and Cliff Floyd of the New York Mets and Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, and Bobby Abreu of the Philadelphia Phillies.
• General manager Doug Melvin emphasized the importance of having a left-handed reliever, stating, "We have not had a guy that's had success against left-handed hitters. Those guys are hard to find."
• The acquisition of Shouse is expected to provide a significant boost to the Brewers' bullpen, which has been relying on right-handers to retire lefty hitters.

Statistics:

• The Brewers have acquired 37-year-old left-hander Brian Shouse.
• Shouse has a 5-3 record with a 3.57 ERA in 179 appearances with Texas.
• Shouse has a fastball that tops out in the mid-80s but throws a slider from almost a sidearm angle, which has proved effective in getting lefty hitters out.
• The Brewers will have a total of 25 men on the active roster with the addition of Shouse.

Sources:

• Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Brewers Acquire Left-Hander Brian Shouse from Rangers"
• Associated Press, "Brewers Get Lefty Reliever Shouse from Rangers"