MLB Winter Meetings: Randy Wolf, Brewers Agree on Contract

MLB Winter Meetings - Signing:
Randy Wolf signs a 3 year deal with the Milwaukee Brewers for $29.75 million with a $10 million option in the 4th year. Wolf, a 33 year old lefthander, is coming off his best season with the Dodgers where he won 11 games with a 3.23 ERA and a 1.10 WHIP.

MLB Winter Meetings Contract Analysis:
The career year for Randy Wolf couldn't have come at a better time. The Brewers end up signing him at the Winter Meetings for 3 years in which they hope he can come close to repeating his 2009 season. This looks like a contract that will end up not paying off for the Brewers due to the following reasons:

First, the age of Wolf is a concern. At 33 years old, he is certainly not going to get any better and the odds of injury always increases with age.

Second, he has a very established track record after 11 major league seasons. He has a career 4.13 ERA and 1.32 WHIP. Those numbers most likely resemble that of the real Randy Wolf and not the numbers from 2009. While those career statistics are respectable, for nearly $10 million a year for the next 3 years, Milwaukee must be hoping he is more like Randy Wolf of 2009 than of the rest of his career.

Third, the new environment is also going to hurt his numbers as a Brewer. Dodger Stadium was a pitcher friendly park. His new home, Miller Park, favors hitters. Besides the ballpark, the National League Central opponents have better hitters than the National League West did last season. As a member of the Dodgers last year, he had the easiest schedule in all of MLB with over a 3rd of the team's games coming against 3 of the weakest offensive teams in baseball in the form of the Giants, Padres, and Diamondbacks.

MLB Winter Meetings - Prediction:
The signing of Randy Wolf highlights just how desperate the Brewers are to fill out their pitching rotation with anybody that is decent. Money aside, the addition of Wolf is an improvement for the Brewers. He's a proven veteran pitcher who is left handed and is a good bet to eat up innings. With that in mind he, isn't going to earn the $29.75 million he is getting paid and in a year, this small market team will most likely be wishing they could rip up the contract.