Reds shouldn't overlook this Brewers journeyman if Milwaukee cuts ties

As you might expect from a defending champion fresh off one of the most dominant postseason runs in recent memory, the Milwaukee Brewers' roster is loaded from top to bottom.

Still, they'll need to clear some roster space to make room for new additions this offseason, which could push a few quality players into the non-tender (or DFA) camp. This is where the Cincinnati Reds enter the equation.

Cheap, quality pitching depth can be hard to find these days, especially if you're not developing it in-house. The Brewers, however, have been a factory for arms that fit that description, including Bryse Wilson, who finds himself firmly on the non-tender radar.

That speaks more to the quantity of depth in Milwaukee than anything Wilson did wrong. The 28-year-old has bounced around a lot in his nine-year career, but he gave the Brewers 25⅔ solid innings this season, recording a 3.51 ERA and 2.94 FIP. Notably, he walked just one hitter in that time, ending the campaign with a scant 2% walk rate.

The Reds, who are already making moves to round out their pitching depth, should be first in line to sign him to a deal if he becomes available.

Bryse Wilson could be a poor man's version of Nick Martinez with Reds

Despite his success with the reigning champions, one major thing is working against Wilson; he's out of minor-league options. That means that, so long as he's on the Brewers' 40-man roster next year, he'll have to be in the big leagues, removing a lot of flexibility from their pitching plans.

If that leads to a non-tender, the Reds should be all over him. He may not have the added bonus of option flexibility, but Wilson does have ample experience as a starter (57 career starts) and as a reliever (122 career relief appearances). That's exactly the type of versatility that made Nick Martinez such a valuable member of Terry Francona's pitching staff, and it's a role Wilson could fill in Cincinnati next year for a projected salary of just $1.1 million.

It's worth noting that the Brewers' devil magic might be working overtime with him. In 100 career games with the organization, he owns a 3.43 ERA and 2.6 bWAR. With every other franchise he's ever pitched for — which spans six different teams — Wilson has been worth -2.0 bWAR. The Reds would have to feel comfortable in their ability to replicate what he's been doing in Milwaukee in order to justify a major-league contract.

But if they can get that formula down, they'd be getting a versatile pitcher who hardly walks anyone for a ridiculously cheap price. It's hard to beat that kind of value.

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