Zack

Brown

Brown spent the last seven years in the Brewers’ system, and was finally shifted full-time to a relief role last season, posting a solid 3.93 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 51/19 K/BB ratio across 50 1/3 innings (49 appearances) last season for Triple-A Nashville. The 28-year-old righty provides the Reds with some extra organizational relief depth this season.

Brown was one of the team’s better starting pitching prospects a few years back, but he pitched out of the bullpen last year after dealing with shoulder issues and it appears the move will be permanent. The 27-year-old is not on the Brewers’ 40-man roster.

Counsell said he doesn’t consider Brown’s shoulder fatigue a big setback but, “You likely won’t see him in any more Cactus League games.” Brown was named Milwaukee’s minor-league pitcher of the year in 2018 after posting a 9-1 record with a 2.44 ERA across 125.1 innings in Double-A. However, the right-hander struggled mightily upon his promotion to Triple-A, seeing is K/9 drop to 7.56 with a 5.79 ERA and 4.64 BB/9. The 26-year-old spent his entire 2020 season at the Brewers alternate site.

Brown allowed just four hits in the outing, and he struck out 10 without a walk. Milwaukee took Brown in the fifth-round out of Kentucky in 2016, and he’s having an excellent 2018 season; with a 2.76 ERA and 62 strikeouts in 65 1/3 innings. His curveball is plus, and his fastball gets into the mid 90s with decent life. The control gets better each year, and if his change can be an average pitch, he can start. If not, he could be very effective in relief.