Before getting into my main argument, I would like to preface this post by saying that I fully understand that Mark Attanasio and Doug Melvin have repeatedly said that the team has all but reached their payroll limit.  The Brewers are trying to maintain some payroll flexibility for the coming season.

This means no big money will be spent on starting pitchers.  Doug Melvin recently talked with the agent of Braden Looper, but the consensus is that Doug merely was doing his due diligence.  The team does not expect to ink Looper to any deal, despite his desire to remain in the National League.  Besides the Brewers, the only NL teams to have been linked with Looper are the Dodgers and Pirates.

Then came news that the Baltimore Orioles are reportedly ready to sign the lefty John Parrish to a minor league deal. 

So what, right?

There is nothing too special about John Parrish.  He posted an impressive 2.97 ERA in 91 innings for Toronto's Triple-A affiliate, but had a pedestrian 4.04 ERA once jumping to the big leagues with the Blue Jays.  The 31-year old has a solid career strikeout rate of 7.32 K/9, while struggling quite a bit with his control in the past.  Last season, however, he cut his walk rate to 3.19 BB/9.

Detroit and Baltimore supposedly have been vying for Parrish's services over the past couple weeks, but why not the Brewers?  Why can the Milwaukee Brewers not afford to sign a potential #4-5 starter to a minor league deal like the Orioles are set to do?  It would likely be at the league minimum, perhaps with a few incentives that could push the contract to $600K.

At the least, Parrish could be a non-roster invitee to Spring Training, and the Brewers could allow him to battle with Seth McClung and Chris Narveson for the #5 spot in the starting rotation.  The Crew would not be investing much in the lefty.  There could be two potential outcomes in such a deal.  Either Parrish struggles in Spring Training, starts the season with the Nashville Sounds, and provides much needed depth in the minors (and get paid a minor league salary), OR John Parrish throws the ball well in Spring Training and breaks the season with the big league camp -- making about $600K.  McClung perhaps then finds himself as the set-up man in the 'pen, allowing Carlos Villanueva to be used more effectively by Ken Macha and the Crew.

Why not this guy?  Why can the Brewers not sign a pitcher like John Parrish to a minor league deal with an invite to Spring Training?

Perhaps the Brewers are checking in with pitchers and offering minor league deals with invites to Spring Training, but that seems to not be the case.  Doug Melvin has already said the team is not interested in signing reclamation projects like Jason Jennings or Kris Benson to minor league deals, nor is Milwaukee about to sign a veteran like Victor Zambrano to a minor league deal.

I am at a bit of a loss.  The starting rotation for Milwaukee projects to be average, but the depth is non-existent.  Doug Melvin and the Brewers need to bring in a couple pitchers who can at least start the season in Nashville.  Otherwise, Brewers fans will see Chris Narveson or Sam Narron in the big leagues before too long.

Not necessarily John Parrish, but a John Parrish type pitcher seems to be the solution to the depth issue in the rotation.  So I ask...why not this guy?