Notes: Better health goal for Gyorko, Woodruff 

PHOENIX -- Jedd Gyorko is going on seven years since getting National League Rookie of the Year Award votes with the Padres, and going on four years since hitting 30 home runs for the Cardinals. He believes the secret to getting back to that sort of success is not much of a secret at all: staying healthy.

The 31-year-old signed a one-year deal with the Brewers coming off an injury-marred 2019 season split between the Cardinals and Dodgers, and he looks poised to share third base with left-handed hitter Eric Sogard. Gyorko is among the notable veteran hitters -- center fielder Lorenzo Cain is another -- who reported early to Spring Training intent on turning the page from injuries.

“My trainer back at home said I look as good as I have in three or four years,” Gyorko said. "Everything is healthy, and hopefully that translates to me playing better baseball.”

He called '19 “probably the toughest year I’ve ever had playing.” He batted .174 with two home runs and nine RBIs while making only 15 starts, limited by a strained right calf and a lower back strain. The latter ailment landed Gyorko on the 10-day injured list on June 8, and he was moved to the 60-day IL in late July.

With the Dodgers down the stretch, Gyorko mostly appeared off the bench. He went 5-for-36 for L.A. and found free agency unforgiving. The Brewers, however, were in the market for a cost-effective option at third base, and Milwaukee was one of the destinations that Gyorko had circled early on. He inked a one-year deal that guarantees $2 million and includes a club option for '21.

“I’m happy to have that all in the rearview mirror, and I'm happy where I'm at,” Gyorko said. “I'm healthy and ready to go.”

Brewers’ biggest hope for Woodruff: More innings
Speaking of staying healthy, that is the Brewers’ biggest hope for presumptive Opening Day starter Brandon Woodruff, who made the '19 NL All-Star team but then missed about two months with a left oblique strain.

“I don’t think Brandon necessarily needs to do anything [different],” manager Craig Counsell said. “Look, we want him out there for as many innings as we can get him out there for. That’s how Brandon Woodruff is going to help the Brewers more this year. He’s going to always try to tweak some things, but there is a really good package there that we saw last year was, at times, dominant. He was an All-Star.

“Brandon is going to help us by being out there every fifth day and making as many starts as he possibly can. That’s a pretty big jump alone for us right there.”

Counsell, Hader meet after arb ruling
Counsell is a team employee now, but he was once an active member of the Major League Baseball Players Association executive committee. So it was with both perspectives that Counsell digested news that Brewers reliever Josh Hader lost his arbitration case on Friday, meaning Hader will earn $4.1 million in '20 as opposed to the $6.4 million he had sought in a bid to become the highest-paid first-year arbitration-eligible reliever ever.

Counsell met with Hader on Saturday to talk about moving forward.

"Look, I'm disappointed for Josh,” Counsell said. “A system that doesn't reward Josh Hader doesn't make sense to me."

Counsell added, “Josh and I have talked about it. He wants to win baseball games, and he knows how we're going to do it. But I think pitchers should be rewarded. I firmly believe [that]. The system is wrong. It's ridiculous."