Brewers' Trevor Megill Dealing With Lost Closer Role in Best Possible Way
The Milwaukee Brewers haven't explicitly said that Trevor Megill is no longer their closer, but they've shown it in practice.
Megill last picked up a save in extra innings on April 17, and the last time he pitched the ninth inning was the 14th, when he gave up three runs to the Toronto Blue Jays to send the game to extras. Abner Uribe likely holds the key to the ninth inning for now, but he's had a rough start to the year as well.
Megill has lowered his ERA to 7.20 on the season by racking up five straight appearances without an earned run on his ledger. That's likely instilling confidence for the Brewers, and his thoughts on the hierarchy of the bullpen should as well.
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Megill has right mindset about bullpen roles
In a Tuesday article, Megill's thoughts on pitching the seventh and eighth inning instead of the ninth in the wake of his early-season struggles served as a good indicator that the 32-year-old has his head in the right place.
"You get your little tests here and there, different situations for trust or whatever you want to call it," Megill told Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "So, it just kind of seems like we're just running through some of these tests, but also just trying to help the team win.
"So, I mean, it is what it is. And you can either be a little baby about it or just continue to get your work in. There's money everywhere in the bullpen."
Megill was an All-Star for the first time last season, and he's arbitration-eligible for one more year after this one. It's already a borderline lock that he won't make the All-Star team again this year, and whether he racks up more saves this year could be a real factor in how big a raise he gets from his $4.7 million salary this year.
But Megill knows that if he goes out there and gets three outs before a run crosses the plate enough times in a row, all that other stuff will take care of itself. Milwaukee is already watching as he turns a corner, and it might soon be time to give him another big opportunity in the ninth inning.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/brewers/onsi as Brewers' Trevor Megill Dealing With Lost Closer Role in Best Possible Way .

