Brewers Acquire LHP Chase Wright from Yankees for catcher/outfielder Eric Fryer

[PrinceFielder28]

http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/sports/39058352.html

 

Looks like a nice addition to our thin starting pitching depth.

[CheezWizHed]

Seems like a good deal. We sure needed SP depth (and still do)!

[Oldcity]

Not a big strikeout guy, but doesn't walk many either. This makes perfect sense considering the needs of each team. If they don't add another starter I'd expect Wright to get a chance to win the fifth spot in the rotation.

[PrinceFielder28]

Also attached in article: "The Brewers also announced they have signed reliever Ramiro Mendoza, 36, to a minor league deal and invited him to camp." per Tom H

[CheezWizHed]

Hmmmm... I can't find him at milb.com, yet he pitched in the minors for all of 2008... strange.

 

So now we have two left-handed SPs named Wright. Which one makes a Brewer MLB impact first?

[CheezWizHed]

Found it finally: http://web.minorleaguebas...d=t531&t=p_pbp&pid=451657

 

Interesting tidbit from there:

recorded a no-decision in his second start on 4/22 at Boston (3.0IP, 5H, 4ER, 3BB, 3K, 4HR)...in the third inning, surrendered four consecutive home runs to Manny Ramirez, J.D. Drew, Mike Lowell and Jason Varitek (who had a combined 4HR for the season entering the game) in a span of 10 pitches...became only the second pitcher in Major League history to allow four consecutive homers in an inning.

 

That was after he was called up from AA...

 

Yeah, I hope he gets a shot at the 5th starter spot .

[Oldcity]

Here's Wright's minor league numbers CheezWiz

 

http://minors.baseball-re...com/players.cgi?pid=30390

[rluzinski]

FFIW, the CHONE projection system has him at a 6.03 ERA for next season. They project him to have a bad K rate and a mediocre walk rate. He has a really low HR rate and BABIP in the minors last year and CHONE doesn't see that repeating in the majors. of course, you get what you pay for and I'll take any young arm when it costs next to nothing.

[And That]

Wright has never thrown as many as 146 innings in a season in his minor league career, so if we lean on him as a starter, he's going to be maxed out after 170 innings or so. He's a fringe back-end of the rotation guy without an above-average pitch. Meh. Fryer was buried behind Salome, Lucroy and Lawrie and it's better to have some more depth. Still, meh.

 

Edit: FWIW, I believe Wright has one option left.

[brewerguy71]

I guess I wouldnt get too excited about this pick up. Net Zero Effect.

 

He was at best the 21st best pitching prospect in the Yankees system. If he winds up being in this years Brewer rotation, things are much worse than what some of are assuming.

[Tbadder]

It probably is a "meh" move, but at this point since the Brewers can't throw money at a problem, I say throw as many arms at a problem as possible. I'd like to see three more similar moves--maybe they find one cubic zurconia.

[PeaveyFury]

The Brewers need options in case of injury, and Wright helps with some of that depth. Yeah, it's a meh move, but Doug has an astounding history of success with meh moves.

[PlayerHader]

Nothing exciting, but a good trade just to try to strike lightning. Nothing lost.

[patrickgpe]

From what i know about Fryer he seems like a decent catching prospect. Don't know much about Wright but it appears we gave too much up.

[alorrigan]

Does this mean that after months of negotiating Melvin talked Cashman down to Wright and Cashman talked Melvin down to Wright. They are two shrewd negotiators. (That would be in blue if I knew how)

[Fatter than Joey]

depth by definition is "meh".

 

we certainly need pitchers. I'd rather see this sort of thing than a Jorge Julio signing -- or some pitcher that we would be obligated to let to continue to suck because of their salary.

[Roderick]

I'd rather see this sort of thing than a Jorge Julio signing -- or some pitcher that we would be obligated to let to continue to suck because of their salary.

At $950K, I'm not sure the Brewers would feel compelled to let him keep sucking on the major league roster. I'm thinking they would DFA.

[craigharmann]

I really wouldn't mind the rotation being Yo, Parra, Bush, Soup and Wright with McClung in the bullpen. I think that's where Seth is best suited.

[chansen]

Don't care for the Mendoza pick up. He has not pitched in a couple years and is 36 years old. He only threw 86mph for the Yankees in 2005. I don't see him making the roster at all.

 

As far as Wright goes, it is a good trade.

 

10-3 2.72 era in 22 starts last season in the Minors

13-5 3.85 era in 24 starts in 2007

He is a lefty and turns 26 in a few days

Very low hr/9 rate

WHIP of around 1.10

89mph fastball

 

He did give up the 4 consecutive homeruns to the Red Sox but he only had only 2 starts above A Ball before the 2 starts with the Yankees.

 

Very good pickup by the Brewers!

[Mike2k33]

I really wouldn't mind the rotation being Yo, Parra, Bush, Soup and Wright with McClung in the bullpen. I think that's where Seth is best suited.

While I agree with you, I prefer Seth in the pen, Wright would need to have a very impressive spring for the Brewers to consider that move. Also, Seth came up big at times as a starter last year and I think he should get a better shot at the #5 spot than Wright at this point.

[TuesdaysWithRillo]

Our AAA rotation might be headed by the Wright brothers. I hope none of their games are in Kittyhawk, NC. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

[bklynbrewcrew]

This rotation looks really solid now.

[TuesdaysWithRillo]

I don't see how a 6 ERA pitcher turns a rotation into solid, but it's nice to have some depth.

[bklynbrewcrew]

I was being sarcastic. Nothing more to say at this point; if we are that strapped for cash we should have used the money we gave Hoffman to sign a decent starter. This rotation is not nearly good enough to compete for a playoff spot with. There is going to be way too much pressure on Gallardo and Parra to stay healthy and pitch well.

 

Melvin really needs to do better than this to improve our starting pitching. I am sure we could trade Hart and get a decent pitcher in return. At this point if we have one or two starters get injured we will really be scouring the scrap heap for innings and that could get very ugly.

[bamberger]

From March 2007: http://allyankeeinfo.blog...ight-scouting-report.html