Milwaukee picks right-handed pitcher Gus Varland in Major League phase
SAN DIEGO – The Milwaukee Brewers selected right-handed pitcher Gus Varland from the Los Angeles Dodgers in the first round of the Major League phase of the Rule 5 Draft held today at the Baseball Winter Meetings in San Diego. The Brewers selected infielder Isaac Collins from the Colorado Rockies in the first round of the Triple-A phase.
The team did not lose a player in the Rule 5 Draft. The 40-man roster currently stands at 39. An updated version of the 40-man roster can be found here.
Varland, 26, appeared in 41 games (7 starts) at Double-A Tulsa in 2022. After beginning the season as a starting pitcher, Varland made his final 34 appearances out of the bullpen, going 4-1 with a 4.67 ERA and 2 saves as a reliever. He went 3-0 with a 3.20 ERA and a save over his final 15 outings, striking out 32 batters and issuing just 5 walks over 19.2 innings during that stretch.
Selected by Oakland in the 14th round of the 2018 First-Year Player Draft out of Concordia University, St. Paul (MN), Varland was traded to Los Angeles on Feb. 12, 2021. He is 7-10 with a 4.30 ERA in 75 career Minor League appearances (36 starts).
Collins, 25, played in 110 games at Double-A Hartford in 2022. He made 105 starts (74g at 2B, 13g in LF, 11g in CF, 5g in RF, 2g at DH). His best Minor League season came in 2021 when he batted .308 with 9 HR and 54 RBI in 95 games between Class-A Fresno (17g) and Class-A Spokane (78g). Collins was selected by Colorado in the ninth round of the 2019 First-Year Player Draft.
