Brewers trade with Phillies. Acquire Oliver Dunn

[markedman5]

 

[markedman5]

 

[Brewcrew82]

Love this trade!

[markedman5]

 

[Brewcrew82]

Dunn was 25 in AA this year, but he's really looking like a late bloomer. Turned some heads in the AFL. Hopefully he can push Turang. We needed this kind of IF depth. 

I'm not high on Moore or Mendez. Moore probably never going to be anything more than a utility IF. Mendez still young, but Chourio is the hit from that IFA class and you tend to only get one of those per class at most. 

[Brock Beauchamp]

Interesting deal, gonna need to sit on it and think for a bit. But on the surface, trading excess depth for a need is a good thing.

[MVP2110]

The trade for Dunn is interesting. Was really solid at AA last season(21 HR, 16 SB, .396 OBP), also had a very good AFL. I have no idea what his defense is like but I wouldn't be shocked if he makes it to the Big leagues this year

[Harold Hutchison]

10 minutes ago, Brewcrew82 said:

Dunn was 25 in AA this year, but he's really looking like a late bloomer. Turned some heads in the AFL. Hopefully he can push Turang. We needed this kind of IF depth. 

I'm not high on Moore or Mendez. Moore probably never going to be anything more than a utility IF. Mendez still young, but Chourio is the hit from that IFA class and you tend to only get one of those per class at most. 

Moore is someone I liked a lot - switch-hitter, really blew up big in Australia last winter. Just all-around solid, decent pop, OBP skills, could play short.

Mendez, I was ready to move - great OBP skills, excellent physique, but the swing was just messed up. 

Dunn... not sure what he offers that Tyler Black doesn't do better. Depth is always nice, but the Crew had Patrick Dorrian as a 3B/2B option at AAA if need be.

[Luke99]

Also may clear up some roster spots in the minors for prospects they like more/acquire in a trade.  

[CheeseheadInQC]

Positive view: We got an AFL breakout in exchange for a player who made pretty much 0 progress on his biggest flaw and another who was probably going to be promoted to double-A to make room for younger prospects despite having borderline production.

Negative view: Bypass protecting Isaac Collins. Trade a guy with plus contact skills who has been young for his league at every level and a guy who has some decent utility infielder traits for the Phillies’ version of Isaac Collins.

Don’t know enough about Dunn to know which is more likely to be correct.

[LouisEly]

I would have never guessed that Mendez didn't steal a single base this past season and that for his career he has more CS than SB.  

Mendez and Moore are still young and might become something, but I didn't have either in my top 30 prospects.  Worth a shot for a 2B/3B with a little pop.

[Brewcrew82]

7 minutes ago, clancyphile said:

Moore is someone I liked a lot - switch-hitter, really blew up big in Australia last winter. Just all-around solid, decent pop, OBP skills, could play short.

Mendez, I was ready to move - great OBP skills, excellent physique, but the swing was just messed up. 

Dunn... not sure what he offers that Tyler Black doesn't do better. Depth is always nice, but the Crew had Patrick Dorrian as a 3B/2B option at AAA if need be.

Dunn offers the ability to play 2B, which Black doesn't really anymore. I would compare him more to Brice Turang anyways. And he seemingly offers more offensive upside than Turang. Granted, he's older. 

Moore is fine, but he really disappointed in Appleton this year. I'm not sweating his departure with all the upside IFers we nabbed in the draft this year. 

[wiguy94]

13 minutes ago, CheeseheadInQC said:

Positive view: We got an AFL breakout in exchange for a player who made pretty much 0 progress on his biggest flaw and another who was probably going to be promoted to double-A to make room for younger prospects despite having borderline production.

Negative view: Bypass protecting Isaac Collins. Trade a guy with plus contact skills who has been young for his league at every level and a guy who has some decent utility infielder traits for the Phillies’ version of Isaac Collins.

Don’t know enough about Dunn to know which is more likely to be correct.

Dunn has flashed legit power so I don't think he's really comparable to Collins. I very much doubt Brewers make this trade for a guy with Collins offensive profile.

[Lathund]

Dunn is a late bloomer, but I imagine that the Brewers see the combination of power and on-base ability and see enough in the underlyign data to make them feel that it's real. Whereas Moore and Mendez are more toolsy players for scouts to dream on; like if they ever get it together, their ceiling is high. I would think the Brewers see those chances getting smaller, and even if it does happen it's likely years away. And it's not like there aren't a lot of toolsy outfielders and middle infielders in the Brewers Arizona and A-ball levels. 

Making use of the extra 40-man slots to take a player who likely is available mostly for his Rule 5 status. Also a trade that lines up more with trying to have a pipeline of guys ready to come up and contribute in '24 and '25 alonside Frelick/Mitchell/Wiemer/Chourio/Turang/Uribe/Gasser/Rodriguez (x2?)/Black/Wilkens/Quero and perhaps other guys who have proven themselves in AA or above. 

[CheeseheadInQC]

18 minutes ago, wiguy94 said:

Dunn has flashed legit power so I don't think he's really comparable to Collins. I very much doubt Brewers make this trade for a guy with Collins offensive profile.

It was more of a comment on late bloomer, broke out after getting picked in minor league Rule 5 draft, but yah. I definitely agree there seems to be more upside.

[sveumrules]

Old for the level, sure, but Dunn just put up a 148 wRC+ at AA.

I doubt Moore or Mendez ever come close to that kind production.

[wildcat2237]

This trade is really about whether you think Dunn's breakout is real. 

The dude went from almost no power to 21 bombs last year. If the breakout is real I see this as the Brewers second baseman of the future and a possible Turang replacement. Or at least someone to allow Turang to get time at AAA. 

Here is a pretty good, and recent, article on Dunn: 

https://www.forbes.com/sites/chuckmurr/2023/11/10/phillies-sleeper-prospect-oliver-dunn-awakening-in-arizona-fall-sun/?sh=784828306ced

[Jose Cardenal]

Just want to point out how quickly out of date prospect lists can get.  The trade was the #15 & #27 Brewers prospect (via MLB Pipeline) for Dunn who was not on the Phillies list.  I wonder who will take the two new spots on the Brewers list. 

[Brock Beauchamp]

45 minutes ago, Jose Cardenal said:

Just want to point out how quickly out of date prospect lists can get.  The trade was the #15 & #27 Brewers prospect (via MLB Pipeline) for Dunn who was not on the Phillies list.  I wonder who will take the two new spots on the Brewers list. 

Go vote where you think Dunn should be on the BF list!

 

[Jim Goulart]

 

[tmwiese55]

Obviously don't know much on the specific guys here.  But, getting someone this close to AAA/MLB could also prove relevant if Turang is moved to SS due to trading Adames.   Not that it means a move is imminent or anything, but could be a factor in getting some depth at these positions. 

[TURBO]

1 hour ago, wildcat2237 said:

This trade is really about whether you think Dunn's breakout is real. 

 

Since the Phillies just traded him, that tells me they are not buying into it...

[TURBO]

I'm disappointed, but only because I liked Moore a lot in Appleton.  I know nothing about Dunn other than what I have read in this thread.

Mendez just seems like a guy who isn't going to put it together, so I'm cool with moving him.

Moore is so short, I mean, noticeably short when you see him on the field.  Yeah yeah yeah, Altuve, but not a chance in hell he ends up being Altuve.

Like I said above, disappointed we lost Moore, but hopefully, Arnold knows what he is getting in Dunn.

[BrewerFan]

2 hours ago, Brewcrew82 said:

Dunn offers the ability to play 2B, which Black doesn't really anymore. I would compare him more to Brice Turang anyways. And he seemingly offers more offensive upside than Turang. Granted, he's older. 

Moore is fine, but he really disappointed in Appleton this year. I'm not sweating his departure with all the upside IFers we nabbed in the draft this year. 

Sure...seems like we've got a log jam of SS/2B prospects in A and HiA and Pratt, Bitonti just add to that. Guilarte, Areinamo, O'Rae, Brown Jr(AA probably), and then Ereu, Baez and Di Turi. I get there's some 3B in there and again, Brown is likely ticketed for AA along with Adams.

Just looking at Dunn's numbers don't inspire a ton of confidence. Guys who break out at 25...meh, but the Brewers have earned the benefit of the doubt when it comes to player evaluation.

3 hours ago, Brewcrew82 said:

Mendez still young, but Chourio is the hit from that IFA class and you tend to only get one of those per class at most. 

Not sure this is the strongest argument😅

But it's good enough for this particular trade. 

(Just kills me to think about all that money we're wasting in LA when we could be adding a MRP in Free Agency!)

[BrewerFan]

18 minutes ago, TURBO said:

Since the Phillies just traded him, that tells me they are not buying into it...

Sure...or they're just more set at those positions and they need the 40-man roster spot more.

He was just at the AZF League for everyone to see, so I'll trust the Brewers scouts. I doubt they're expecting his breakout to translate into a 1st division starter, but perhaps a versatile utility player with some pop. That'd be plenty for me.