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When the Brewers signed Tom Gorzelanny in the 2013 offseason, he was brought in to strengthen the bullpen after a bad year. While his role started in the bullpen, circumstances forced Gorzelanny to do more than just take a bullpen role. Fortunately for the Brewers, Gorzelanny was ready to help.
Gorzelanny began the season in the bullpen and his good results earned him a late-inning role. He recorded six holds in the first month and a half as he was used as a 7th & 8th inning guy. However, he ended up on the DL on May 12 due to shoulder tendinitis. He only spent the minimum time on the DL, and returned to the bullpen for the next month and a half (while making one short spot start during that time). He then shifted into the rotation in early July due to injuries, and would make nine more starts for the Brewers. With the team getting healthier, he returned to the bullpen at the start of September, but another shoulder injury ended up taking him out for the rest of the season.
When you look at the splits for Gorzelanny by month, there are some odd splits out there:
| Month | GS | GR | IP | ERA | FIP | K/9 | BB/9 | Batting Line |
| April | 0 | 14 | 11.2 | 1.54 | 4.16 | 6.94 | 4.63 | .108/.233/.194 |
| May | 0 | 7 | 7.1 | 3.68 | 8.23 | 7.36 | 8.59 | .174/.387/.478 |
| June | 1 | 9 | 18.0 | 2.50 | 2.99 | 10.50 | 2.00 | .232/.284/.333 |
| July | 2 | 4 | 26.2 | 3.38 | 3.01 | 8.10 | 2.36 | .228/.280/.350 |
| August | 5 | 0 | 21.2 | 6.65 | 4.29 | 9.55 | 2.91 | .315/.364/.516 |
Looking at the stats, they suggest a few things. First of all, the high FIP and walk rate suggest that he wasn't pitching as good as the ERA and batting average say that he was in those first few months. Control was a problem with his walk rate incredibly high, though he was managing to work around it in those months. As his control stabilized in June & July, his results improved and so did his stats. He then ended the year with the opposite problem that he had to start it: a high ERA and batting average but a decent FIP and plenty of control.
Going into 2014, the starting rotation looks like it will be filled, and Gorzelanny should be back in the bullpen to start the year. Gorzelanny could be a key reliever next year with some of the changes in the offseason. The Brewers will be counting on him to strengthen that bullpen and keep them competative.
Best Game
Tom Gorzelanny made ten starts in 2013, but the best of those came on August 10. Hisashi Iwasuma started for the Mariners that day and pitched an extremely good game for six innings. Tom Gorzelanny matched him pitch for pitch to keep the game scoreless, and allowed the Brewers offense to get going in the seventh inning. In total for the day, Gorzelanny pitched seven shutout innings, allowing three hits and two walks while striking out seven. Here are some highlights from his start:
Contract Status
Tom Gorzelanny will enter the second and final year of the two-year/$5.7 million contract he signed before the 2013 season. He will make $2.8 million in 2014.
Previous MVBrewers posts can be seen at the links below:
#1: Carlos Gomez
#2: Jonathan Lucroy
#3: Jean Segura
#4: Kyle Lohse
#5: Norichika Aoki
#6: Jim Henderson
#7: Brandon Kintzler
#8: Yovani Gallardo
#9: Wily Peralta
#10: Scooter Gennett
Honorable mentions: Marco Estrada, Ryan Braun, Khris Davis, Tyler Thornburg, Aramis Ramirez