The Milwaukee Brewers are temporarily moving on from the team's last two Opening Day starters: Wily Peralta and Junior Guerra.
On Saturday, the Brewers designated Peralta for assignment, and followed it by optioning Guerra to the minors on Sunday.
After being named the 2017 Opening Day starter, Guerra has battled injury and control issues all season long. He posted a 4.96 ERA in 13 outings this year, a far cry from his 2.81 ERA last season. Guerra has not exceeded six innings in a start yet this year.
Peralta started the season in the rotation, but was quickly demoted to the bullpen in May, and continued to struggle to a 7.85 ERA. In possibly his last outing in a Brewers uniform, Peralta allowed seven runs in 1.2 innings of a relief on Thursday against Washington. If no other team picks up Peralta on waivers, he will then be outrighted to Milwaukee's Triple-A club in Colorado Springs.
Peralta was once one of the Brewers' few promising youngsters. In his first three seasons, he tossed over 400 innings with a 3.83 ERA. But the past three seasons have been a mess; injuries and ineffectiveness have limited him to less than 300 innings and a 5.39 ERA. Peralta, 28, quickly slipped from building block to expendable as younger players jumped him on the depth chart.
Command was the main culprit for both Peralta and Guerra. While the two were never control aces at their peak, they completely lost the zone this season. Guerra ranks dead last in walk rate among 185 pitchers with at least 50 innings pitched; Peralta finished with the seventh-worst number.
It's entirely possible that these players return to the major leagues at some point, but don't count on it this season. The Brewers are a combined 11-21 when either Peralta or Guerra pitch. They have been difference-makers for a team that is rapidly losing ground on the red-hot Chicago Cubs.
