With Brandon Woodruff returning and Freddy Peralta seemingly staying, aside from free agent Jose Quintana, the Milwaukee Brewers will be returning every starter from last season. However, with Quintana now gone, the fifth spot in the starting rotation is undecided. Starters like Logan Henderson, Robert Gasser, Chad Patrick, and Tobias Myers will be competing for the job. With the amount of starting pitching depth Milwaukee has, Manager Pat Murphy has a tasty decision this coming spring. The battle for the final spot in the Brewers’ starting rotation will be one to pay attention to this spring.

The Brewers Have Options To Choose From

With Brandon Woodruff returning and the team unlikely to trade Freddy Peralta, the Brewers will be returning every starter from last season except Jose Quintana. Peralta and Woodruff are projected to be at the top with Quinn Priester and Jacob Misiorowski taking the middle spots. However, there is no decided starter at the fifth spot in the rotation. This means that there will be a competition this coming spring training to determine who will be the Brewers’ fifth starter. Pitchers like Logan Henderson, Robert Gasser, Chad Patrick, and Tobias Myers all have starting experience. It should be noted that all four pitchers made starts at some point for the Brewers last season. Given the amount of depth the Brewers currently have, this gives Manager Pat Murphy a tasty problem this spring.

Chad Patrick Embed from Getty Images

One could argue that Chad Patrick was one of the players who single-handedly saved the Brewers’ season last year. While the team initially planned to use him as a reliever, injuries forced Patrick into the starting rotation, where he didn’t disappoint. In 23 starts, he went 3-8 with a 3.42 ERA, 115 strikeouts to just 35 walks, and a WHIP of 1.2290. However, despite his success, the 27-year-old was sent down to Triple-A Nashville in early July to make room for the return of Brandon Woodruff. Upon being recalled in August, Patrick would make just two more starts before being demoted again later that month.

Upon returning to the big club, he spent the entire month of September pitching out of the bullpen. That month as a reliever, he had one hold with a 3.07 ERA, 21 strikeouts to just six walks, and a WHIP of 1.1972. Arguably, the highlight of his season occurred in the decisive Game Five of the NLDS against the Chicago Cubs. He pitched a scoreless 1.2 innings with three strikeouts, including finishing getting the Brewers out of a jam with two runners on in the sixth inning. He would then make way to Abner Uribe, who would finish off the Cubs, resulting in the Brewers advancing to the NLCS.

The big question the Brewers must answer is whether they want Chad Patrick to be a starter or a reliever. I personally believe the 27-year-old proved he was a capable starting pitcher last season. On any other team, Patrick would’ve remained in the starting rotation all season. He’ll have opportunities this spring to prove that 2025 was no mirage and that he can be in the rotation permanently. It’ll be very telling this spring what Milwaukee’s plans are with Chad Patrick.

Logan Henderson Embed from Getty Images

Logan Henderson is currently ranked as the Milwaukee Brewers’ fifth-best prospect in the organization. Last season, he was initially sent back down to Triple-A Nashville. However, due to the ineffectiveness of Elvin Rodriguez and a plethora of injured starters, Milwaukee would recall him. However, he only made five starts due to an elbow injury that kept him out for the entire season. Despite his season being cut short, he showed promise. Despite the limited amount of starters, they all showed some promise. Henderson went 3-0 with a 1.78 ERA, 33 strikeouts to just eight walks, and a WHIP of 0.987.

Milwaukee has high hopes for the 23-year-old, who was ranked as the fifth-best prospect in the Brewers’ farm system. Given the promise he showed in a small sample size, Henderson will have opportunities to win the job. However, his innings might be limited due to last season’s elbow injury.

Tobias Myers Embed from Getty Images

Tobias Myers has almost become a forgotten man. It was just two years ago that Myers had a standout rookie season. In 2024, Myers went 7-6 with a 3.11 ERA, 120 strikeouts to just 36 walks, and a WHIP of 1.2030 in 25 starts. For his efforts, he even won the Brewers team MVP award. However, Tobias Myers had a season to forget in 2025. He began the year on the injured list and upon returning, he struggled badly with command and control. In six starts, Myers went 1-1 with a 4.43 ERA, 12 strikeouts to 12 walks, and a WHIP of 2.0765.

It should also be noted that he only gave the Brewers a total of 18.3 innings. Upon returning to the team in July after his second demotion, the 27-year-old pitched out of the bullpen. Given his struggles last season and the number of younger arms he’ll be competing against for a starting job, Tobias Myers faces an uphill battle to be in the rotation again.

Robert Gasser Embed from Getty Images

Robert Gasser originally came over in the 2023 trade deadline deal that sent star closer Josh Hader to the Padres. He would go on to make his debut the following season and show a lot of promise. In five starts in 2024, he went 2-0 with a 2.57 ERA, 16 strikeouts to just one walk, and a WHIP of 1.036. However, in June of that season, it would later be announced that Gasser had undergone UCL surgery, which would end his season. The 26-year-old spent most of last season recovering on the injured list and wouldn’t make his debut until late September.

Despite limited availability during the regular season, Gasser did appear in two postseason games for the Brewers. Given how he’s just recovered from elbow surgery, Gasser will most likely be on an innings count next season, meaning he won’t be Milwaukee’s full-time fifth starter. It’s reasonable to expect he’ll make some spot starts and perhaps pitch out of the bullpen as well.

Pat Murphy Has A Tasty Decision Embed from Getty Images

In this league, there is no such thing as having too much pitching. With pitchers like Logan Henderson, Robert Gasser, Chad Patrick, and Tobias Myers all on the roster, the Brewers have some strong starting pitching depth. Barring the addition of another starter, the fifth spot in the rotation is going to be decided this spring between Henderson, Gasser, Patrick, and Myers. All four players have had success as starters before leaving Manager Pat Murphy with a tasty decision in spring training.

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