Chicago Cubs: Previewing this weekend’s series with Reviewing the Brew

Chicago Cubs: Without Knebel, who reigns in the bullpen?

Last season, the Brewers rode a three-headed monster in the bullpen deep into October in the form of Corey Knebel, Jeremy Jeffress and Josh Hader. Without two-thirds of that trio, Milwaukee has cruised to a 6-1 record early in 2019, but they also know they’ll be without Knebel for the entire season.

The right-hander will undergo Tommy John surgery, leaving a gaping hole in their pen. But will the other guys step up? Reviewing the Brew seems to believe so.

Q: Corey Knebel is done for the season. Do the Brewers have enough ammo in their belt to hold things down without him?

A: I think they do. Jeremy Jeffress will be back soon and Josh Hader has been as dominant as ever, throwing an Immaculate Inning earlier this year against the Cardinals. Alex Wilson has also been a quality addition so far.

This has been the big question for the Brewers fanbase for a couple of weeks now. Many are pushing to sign Craig Kimbrel, and while he would be a tremendous addition, I think the high contract price and the loss of another draft pick are what’s holding the Brewers back from getting him. After the June draft passes, I could see a deal coming together if he remains unsigned.

The Brewers pride themselves on depth and even though injuries have started to eat away at that depth, I think they have enough there to hold down the fort.