Hiura opts for free agency

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

12 hours ago, rickh150 said:

And maybe they were so stubborn they didn’t want to lose face by bringing him up mid or late season. And maybe the team blew it by trying out 20 some DH instead of their best hitter in AAA? Or maybe they were happy with their 2023 DH output? 

The ship has sailed. Probably time to move on.

[Outlander]

9 hours ago, Baldkin said:

Their best hitter in AAA?

That's not true, Chris Roller in 70 PA destroyed Keston. Even Bruce Two-Rang hit as well as Keston in AAA this year. 

No, it is true. Those guys had minimal at bats and Roller was much less productive in his other AAA home. I agree with Ron Robinson to move on but no need to minimize what Hiura did, he was their best hitter. Unfortunate timing with his injuries but he will be with another organization next year.

[CheezWizHed]

On 10/11/2023 at 7:32 PM, rickh150 said:

And maybe they were so stubborn they didn’t want to lose face by bringing him up mid or late season. And maybe the team blew it by trying out 20 some DH instead of their best hitter in AAA? Or maybe they were happy with their 2023 DH output? 

Maybe it will all come out in 20 years on a Netflix special... Huirer Things

[DHonks]

the tough thing is that Hiura was our 2nd or 3rd best hitter in 2022, but never sniffed the roster despite injuries to our 1b and DH.  Also, might his Sept injury have been the elbow injury that finally leads him to Tommy John surgery?  I'd take him back again, but I have a feeling he'll go elsewhere and carve out some more big league time.  

[sveumrules]

2 hours ago, DHonks said:

but never sniffed the roster despite injuries to our 1b and DH. 

Because Hiura was also injured from May 13th until June 16th. Winker didn’t hit the IL until May 27th. Ruf got hurt June 2nd.

When Hiura did return he didn’t have the same pop with only 114 wRC+ from June 16 through July 31 compared to a 157 wRC+ before getting hurt.

By the time Rowdy went on the IL they had already traded for Santana and Canha to fill 1B/DH down the stretch.

[Playing Catch]

It seems like if Hiura goes and has success, posters will be able to say, "I told you so. the Brewers are so dumb!" and if he never has success, those posters can say, "The Brewers ruined his career!"

I can't wait to find out who the Brewers 2024 pariah will end up being. That could be a fun prediction poll.

[rickh150]

1 hour ago, Playing Catch said:

It seems like if Hiura goes and has success, posters will be able to say, "I told you so. the Brewers are so dumb!" and if he never has success, those posters can say, "The Brewers ruined his career!"

I can't wait to find out who the Brewers 2024 pariah will end up being. That could be a fun prediction poll.

I won’t be in the camp of the Brewers ruined him since he excelled most of the time here over his last two years. I won’t go over 2023 AAA or 2022 MLB because again since the hard stats make the Brewers look silly with the way they managed DH and Hiura. He arguably was a top 5-10 bat in the organization, and the DH position still wasn’t enough to make up for below avg defense.

[rickh150]

1 minute ago, rickh150 said:

I won’t be in the camp of the Brewers ruined him since he excelled most of the time here over his last two years. I won’t go over 2023 AAA or 2022 MLB because again since the hard stats make the Brewers look silly with the way they managed DH and Hiura. He arguably was a top 5-10 bat in the organization, and the DH position still wasn’t enough to make up for below avg defense.

And then asked to stomach 2023 Winker..,, and in playoffs. Too much.

[BrewerFan]

4 hours ago, Playing Catch said:

It seems like if Hiura goes and has success, posters will be able to say, "I told you so. the Brewers are so dumb!" and if he never has success, those posters can say, "The Brewers ruined his career!"

I can't wait to find out who the Brewers 2024 pariah will end up being. That could be a fun prediction poll.

This reminds of that old, "The same people who say X are the same people saying Y right now," and they're always diametrically opposed view points.

1-I will NOT say the Brewers "ruined his career." He's 27 years old.

2-I AM absolutely baffled why they offered him arbitration and then did not bring him up. And splitting hairs by saying, "well, he was ONLY pretty good when he came back, but he was still as hot as he'd been. We brought Mitchell up at the end of the season to give him a couple ABs. The least we could have done is at least bring him up to give him a couple weeks worth of At Bats.

I think that seems wrong. I think what he does next year is immaterial to the argument being made this year. We were sooo desperate for offense and Hiura's crushing RHPing two years ago and then sits after ever productive game and sits vs most RHPing and then this year when our DHs are just atrocious, he is twiddling his thumbs in AAA.

I don't care what he does now. The idea that I'd enjoy "blaming the Brewers" is silly and a weird defense. 

[DHonks]

It's also an interesting shift for the Brewers.  Back in the 2000's we had defensively challenged stud hitters in Weeks, Fielder, and Braun.  Hiura fit the mold as well.   Now we're drafting defensive studs that are superathletic, but we're not sure how much they'll hit in the majors.  Different times, so I get it.  Heck, for the last two years I've advocated drafting more line-drive and contact guys and hoping they'll develop power.  With pitchers throwing harder than ever with pitches crafted in a lab, utilizing all parts of the strike zone better than ever previously, it seems there's value in hitters that have fewer holes in their swings.  

[CheezWizHed]

On 10/14/2023 at 2:24 PM, BrewerFan said:

This reminds of that old, "The same people who say X are the same people saying Y right now," and they're always diametrically opposed view points.

1-I will NOT say the Brewers "ruined his career." He's 27 years old.

2-I AM absolutely baffled why they offered him arbitration and then did not bring him up. And splitting hairs by saying, "well, he was ONLY pretty good when he came back, but he was still as hot as he'd been. We brought Mitchell up at the end of the season to give him a couple ABs. The least we could have done is at least bring him up to give him a couple weeks worth of At Bats.

I think that seems wrong. I think what he does next year is immaterial to the argument being made this year. We were sooo desperate for offense and Hiura's crushing RHPing two years ago and then sits after ever productive game and sits vs most RHPing and then this year when our DHs are just atrocious, he is twiddling his thumbs in AAA.

I don't care what he does now. The idea that I'd enjoy "blaming the Brewers" is silly and a weird defense. 

Agreed.  If he fails somewhere else, the Brewers are more vindicated as they didn't waste MLB ABs on him.  But seeing the hot garbage we rolled out (and continue to roll out in the playoffs), it is head-scratching that Huira wasn't given a single chance.  Winker's continued ABs was a joke.