Jeff Suppan demoted from rotation to bullpen

Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Jeff Suppan reacts after giving up a two-run home run to Los Angeles Angels’ Bobby Abreu in the first inning of a spring training baseball game Friday, March 19, 2010, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Paul Connors)

AP

The Brewers pulled a card out of the Cubs’ playbook on Sunday and demoted high-priced starter Jeff Suppan to the bullpen, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Anthony Witrado. The Cubs, of course, did the same thing last week with Carlos Zambrano.

Suppan posted a depressing 8.68 ERA and 2.04 WHIP in his first two starts of the season -- both against the division rival Cubs -- and manager Ken Macha decided this weekend that he’d seen enough. The 35-year-old right-hander is earning $12.75 million this season, his last guaranteed year in Milwaukee. He was awful this spring and probably shouldn’t have landed a spot in the rotation out of camp, but Brewers GM Doug Melvin isn’t worried about the stigma that goes with paying so much to a middle reliever.

“The investment part of it, I think people make too much of that,” Melvin said. “People say he’s making more money so he gets more of a chance. I think you give him a chance because the guy’s started 30 games 11 years in a row. That’s what you give the chance to. It’s got nothing to do with the money.”

Left-hander Chris Narveson was promoted to the rotation in Suppan’s place. We’ll see how he fares Wednesday against the Pirates.