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Brewers Sign Pitcher Zach Kroenke To A Minor League Deal

The Brewers haven't signed an elite bullpen arm yet this winter, but they've certainly made up for it in volume.

Jared Wickerham

As noted last night on MLB Trade Rumors, the Brewers have signed former Diamondbacks pitcher Zach Kroenke to a minor league deal. Kroenke is 28, left handed and a veteran of seven major league appearances, all made with Arizona in 2010 and 2011.

Kroenke has spent most of the last three seasons pitching in AAA Reno, a notorious hitters' park, and posted a 5.67 ERA this season while splitting time between the bullpen and rotation. It's hard to tell how seriously to take those numbers, though: The last eight pitchers to throw at least 100 innings in a season for Reno have all had ERAs over 5. The entire PCL carried a 4.69 ERA this season.

Kroenke's best chance to make the 2013 Brewers may be as a lefty specialist, and there's a little potential there: He faced 170 lefties in AAA in 2012 and held them to a .242/.301/.342 line, and again you have to remember that was in the offense-happy PCL.

The Yankees drafted Kroenke in the fifth round in 2005, and he was selected in the Rule 5 Draft by the Marlins in 2008 (they returned him) and the Diamondbacks in 2009 (they kept him).