2020 Brewers season preview: Who needs a starting rotation?

With perennial MVP candidate Christian Yelich leading the way, the Milwaukee Brewers have emerged as a bonafide contender.

After losing Mike Moustakas, Yasmani Grandal, and Eric Thames to free agency, the Brewers had to rejig the starting nine and were active on the open market to fill the void. While Omar Narvaez may not be at the same level as Grandal, he is coming off a season where he hit 22 homers for the Seattle Mariners. And all he cost in return was a minor-league right-hander and a supplemental draft pick that became Connor Phillips.

The expectation is simple: win. Despite the roster's glaring weaknesses, this is a team that is supposed to push for playoff glory even if projections aren't exactly kind.

2020 Breakdown

2019 record: 89-73 (2nd in NL Central)
Payroll: $120,323,096
Projected record: 29-31 (4th)
World Series odds: +2800
3-year trend: 2017 (2nd); 2018 (1st); 2019 (2nd)
Key addition: Avisail Garcia
Key subtraction: Yasmani Grandal, Mike Moustakas
Highest projected WAR: Christian Yelich (1.8)
X-factor: Corbin Burnes
Prospect to watch: Drew Rasmussen
Winter report card: C-

Projected Lineup

Bench

*Bold indicates player acquired during offseason

The Brewers' lineup went through a surprising amount of changes this offseason, but Yelich remains the focal point. With Hiura coming even more into his own, they could form a fearsome one-two punch. The NL's adoption of the DH greatly benefits Braun, who will be able to get regular ABs without risking another injury while playing the field.

Rotation

The rotation remains the team's Achilles' heel on paper. Woodruff has shown he has the stuff needed to be a frontline starter, but after him, it's anyone's guess how this turns out. Lindblom is a wild card as he returns from overseas. With Eric Lauer (COVID-19) and Brett Anderson (blister) sidelined to start the season, the door has reopened for Burnes and Peralta, who have both had mixed results when deployed as starters. If they can live up to their promise, the Brewers' rotation may not be as bad as initially projected.

Bullpen

The relief corps - particularly the back end - more than makes up for the issues facing the rotation. Hader is possibly the most elite bullpen lefty in the game and he can go multiple innings. Knebel should be fully healthy at the outset of the season, which should make Jeremy Jeffress a distant memory. Basically, the starters don't even have to be great, just good enough to consistently get through five innings.

Lauer was in quarantine due to being in contact with someone who tested positive for the coronavirus. He might miss some early games, but it's possible he could still be available for the opener.

Key injuries/Absences

(Projected WAR/ERA source: FanGraphs)