Burgos hopes to make WBC-to-Brewers leap again
Four years ago, Hiram Burgos used a solid performance in the World Baseball Classic as a springboard to the major leagues.
He hopes to repeat that trend in 2017.
A sixth-round draft pick in 2009, Burgos was a rising prospect for the Milwaukee Brewers, being tabbed the organization's Minor League Pitcher of the Year in 2012 after posting a combined 2.32 ERA at three levels.
At the 2013 WBC, Burgos pitched three games for Puerto Rico, allowing just one run on 12 hits in 13 innings while walking four and striking out 12. He didn't make the Brewers out of spring training, but was called up to make a start on April 20. In his major-league debut he beat the Chicago Cubs, allowing one run in five innings.
Burgos stayed in Milwaukee's rotation and had solid outings his next two starts, but then was bombed for 12 runs -- 10 earned -- in three innings at Cincinnati on May 11. He made two more starts, allowing five runs in 8 1/3 innings combined, before heading to the disabled list with shoulder impingement.
Despite that promising start to his career, Burgos has never returned to the major leagues.
"His opportunity in the big leagues didn't go great, he had an unfortunate outing," Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. "But if you look back on it … was he healthy at that time or was there already an injury there? He keeps pitching well and at some point you think he'll get another shot."
Shoulder surgery curtailed Burgos' 2014 season -- he made just four starts at Triple-A Nashville and was released by the club that September. Thus began his improbable attempt to make it back to Milwaukee.
Burgos decided to re-sign with the Brewers in January 2015 and, despite being 27 years old, agreed to start out the year at Single-A Brevard County. As in 2012, he worked his way up the system, pitching his way to Double-A Biloxi and finally for 15 starts with Triple-A Colorado Springs.
"I feel the last two years after I got hurt, I couldn't take that out of my mind," Burgos said. "Somehow you get where you want to be, and you get to the top and after that you kind of hit the bottom again. That was kind of hard. (The years) 2014, 2015 were kind of hard because I didn't know how my arm was going to respond and they sent me to High-A. Tough times. But we're back here."
Last season, Burgos pitched exclusively at Triple-A and was named Colorado Springs' Pitcher of the Year after going 10-10 with a 4.40 ERA.
Burgos elected free agency after the season. Despite admitting being a bit "scared" because Milwaukee had a new manager and front office from the majority of his days in the organization, he again re-signed with the Brewers and got an invitation to spring training.
Burgos opened Milwaukee's spring training season, starting Friday's game against UW-Milwaukee and pitching two hitless innings with one strikeout. It wasn't exactly the major leagues, but it's a start -- and a lot closer than he's been to the big leagues since making those six appearances back in 2013.
"I take every year like a new chapter, whatever happened in the past is in the past. We have to keep moving forward. Right now that's my mentality," Burgos said. "I had ups and downs before, surgery in 2014 and kind of lost the whole year. The last two years were like a test for me and I think I passed those tests. I will keep grinding. As someone said to me, I keep knocking on the door and somehow I have to find out how to open it. Right now I'm very excited and super happy with the beginning of this spring training."
Burgos' time with the Brewers at spring training will be short, for now, as he readies to head off to train and play with Puerto Rico in this year's World Baseball Classic. It hasn't been lost on him what happened the last time he pitched in the WBC.
"I was talking to my wife about that, I feel like this year that's going to repeat," he said. "In 2013, the Classic was a big step for me and something that opened the door to the big leagues and I feel this year it will happen again."
Even if Burgos doesn't make the 25-man roster of the Brewers -- and it is an uphill climb, not just with the amount of pitchers in camp and lack of room in the rotation, but also by the fact Burgos isn't on the 40-man roster -- it doesn't mean he won't be in Milwaukee in 2017. Counsell said the team has stressed to players this spring training that three of the players who made the biggest impact on the team in 2016 -- Zach Davies, Junior Guerra and Hernan Perez -- were in camp but not on the Opening Day roster.
Beyond Davies and Guerra, Milwaukee didn't have much need for a starting pitcher last season. Wily Peralta, who was the Opening Day starter, was sent down and recalled. Six Brewers pitchers made 19 or more starts.
This year, perhaps there will be a need for someone like Burgos. He's certainly been noticed for what he's done in the organization -- Counsell said that anyone who pitched as well as Burgos has in the high altitude of Colorado Springs will be "in the conversation" -- always working hard, getting results and making a good impression on every coaching staff he's been around.
"A real pro," Counsell noted.
Burgos knows the Brewers have younger players and prospects on their radar as well -- after all, he was once in their shoes -- but he's going to keep grinding and putting up decent numbers which might get him another opportunity to show what he can do in the majors. Consider it a little bit of unfinished business which was derailed by a shoulder injury.
"I know I've been here since 2009. But I keep doing my thing and I feel that's what's going to keep me here," he said. "I'm just going to try to do everything right. Once you release that ball you don't have control of anything else."
