Austin Nola Signs Minors Deal With Brewers

[IntentionalHBP1]

2nd catcher signing of the offseason, I like this move.

[jay87shot]

I like this move a lot as well, he is kind of the same as Haase. The both were bad last year but have been solid players. Nola has played a little 1st and even 2nd. I think between Haase and Nola I am super confident in our catcher group.

[TURBO]

POUR IT ON!

[JefferyLeonard]

My god this team is just killing the offseason thus far! Holy crap these signings/trades they have made are what championship level teams do! Love the aggressiveness they have shown thus far this offseason. Just when you think the acquisitions can't get any better, they go and do something like this move. Matt Arnold...if he won't doesn't win GM of the year during the season, he certainly deserves it for the offseason! These moves have been so impactful it's hard to wrap one's head around them! 

[wiguy94]

8 minutes ago, JefferyLeonard said:

My god this team is just killing the offseason thus far! Holy crap these signings/trades they have made are what championship level teams do! Love the aggressiveness they have shown thus far this offseason. Just when you think the acquisitions can't get any better, they go and do something like this move. Matt Arnold...if he won't doesn't win GM of the year during the season, he certainly deserves it for the offseason! These moves have been so impactful it's hard to wrap one's head around them! 

Here are the moves the reigning WS champions made in December. Someone needs to let them know they aren't championship level anymore.

[liveforoctober]

1 minute ago, wiguy94 said:

Here are the moves the reigning WS champions made in December. Someone needs to let them know they aren't championship level anymore.

I think he was just sarcastically pouring it all into one response so we don't have to listen to the endless replies of people's displeasure.

[JefferyLeonard]

22 minutes ago, wiguy94 said:

Here are the moves the reigning WS champions made in December. Someone needs to let them know they aren't championship level anymore.

So what exactly is your point? Who cares who the Rangers sign, and/or when they sign them? I'm a Brewers fan, NOT a rangers fan. People seem to use the excuse that just because other teams aren't signing any impact guys yet, that it's okay the Brewers haven't either. That's nonsense. How about being aggressive, and beating other teams to the punch? Just because other teams haven't signed impact guys, is there a rule saying the Brewers couldn't have thus far? Weird rule if so. 

Besides, the Rangers already have championship pieces in place, the Brewers are far from that. When you already have the pieces, you can get away with signings like they have made thus far. Apples to oranges comparison.

[IntentionalHBP1]

39 minutes ago, JefferyLeonard said:

My god this team is just killing the offseason thus far! Holy crap these signings/trades they have made are what championship level teams do! Love the aggressiveness they have shown thus far this offseason. Just when you think the acquisitions can't get any better, they go and do something like this move. Matt Arnold...if he won't doesn't win GM of the year during the season, he certainly deserves it for the offseason! These moves have been so impactful it's hard to wrap one's head around them! 

Don’t fall for the bait guys, honestly pretty funny.

[wiguy94]

2 minutes ago, IntentionalHBP1 said:

Don’t fall for the bait guys, honestly pretty funny.

I just thought it was too good to pass up. The crying about these minor league depth signings always cracks me up because every team makes these moves. We just don't hear about it because they aren't in the national spotlight.

[JefferyLeonard]

23 minutes ago, wiguy94 said:

I just thought it was too good to pass up. The crying about these minor league depth signings always cracks me up because every team makes these moves. We just don't hear about it because they aren't in the national spotlight.

It's not that they are signing these guys, it's that they are signing them BEFORE they sign anyone impactful(they probably won't sign these guys anyway). It's not like you have to get these guys signed now because there is huge competition for them, and if you don't jump now they will be gone. To me, it's a backwards way of doing things. You fill your needs, and get your impact guys FIRST, then after evaluating your team a bit more after those signings, then circle back to guys like this to fill in any holes/depth you think you might have. Plus, there is zero doubt in my mind that this organization views guys like Nola and Ross etc as being "hugely impactful". Their definition of hugely impactful is much different then mine, or I would say most people's. 

[Brewcrew82]

19 minutes ago, JefferyLeonard said:

It's not that they are signing these guys, it's that they are signing them BEFORE they sign anyone impactful(they probably won't sign these guys anyway). It's not like you have to get these guys signed now because there is huge competition for them, and if you don't jump now they will be gone. To me, it's a backwards way of doing things. You fill your needs, and get your impact guys FIRST, then after evaluating your team a bit more after those signings, then circle back to guys like this to fill in any holes/depth you think you might have. Plus, there is zero doubt in my mind that this organization views guys like Nola and Ross etc as being "hugely impactful". Their definition of hugely impactful is much different then mine, or I would say most people's. 

What on god's green earth makes you think this organization views Nola as being "hugely impactful"? Because "hugely impactful" players don't tend to get minor league deals...

These moves are made on the fringes because CUMULATIVELY they can make a difference in the end. You cannot win in Major League Baseball in 2024 without effective depth. Look at the Padres this past year if you want to see what a top heavy roster laden with "hugely impactful" additions accomplishes. 

[homer]

A few of you have asked about this....

- To ignore another user, hover over their username next to one of their posts.

- Click the "ignore" button on the bottom right

Make sure you check "Posts". 

[homer]

1 hour ago, JefferyLeonard said:

My god this team is just killing the offseason thus far! Holy crap these signings/trades they have made are what championship level teams do! Love the aggressiveness they have shown thus far this offseason. Just when you think the acquisitions can't get any better, they go and do something like this move. Matt Arnold...if he won't doesn't win GM of the year during the season, he certainly deserves it for the offseason! These moves have been so impactful it's hard to wrap one's head around them! 

We get it. You want them to be more aggressive. You don't have to repeat this in every single transaction thread.

[JefferyLeonard]

34 minutes ago, Brewcrew82 said:

What on god's green earth makes you think this organization views Nola as being "hugely impactful"? Because "hugely impactful" players don't tend to get minor league deals...

These moves are made on the fringes because CUMULATIVELY they can make a difference in the end. You cannot win in Major League Baseball in 2024 without effective depth. Look at the Padres this past year if you want to see what a top heavy roster laden with "hugely impactful" additions accomplishes. 

Cumulatively, sure they MAY make a smidge of a difference. But why sign these guys first? Aren't they also going to be there closer to spring training? You have GAPING crater like holes at first and 3rd, and they are out signing guys to minor league deals BEFORE addressing those gaping holes. If they think Tyler Black and Carlos Santana are the answers...the ONLY reason they would think they are the answers is because they are cheap, and fill those holes. Hardly adequately(maybe more middling), but hey, they won't cost much so..you do you Brewers. 

[Ro Mueller]

I was expecting something along this line: below Haase in contract status, above Navarreto in MLB experience.

I wouldn’t expect Quero to be promoted early in the season, so any injury time (God forbid) for Contreras or Haase in April/May would very likely see a Nola or Navarreto call-up for that period.

Having retained Navarreto and added Haase, Nola, R. Rodriguez and D. Garcia, I think we’ve nearly re-established our catching depth, though we still need Jose Sibrian or another player for High-A Wisconsin (I think).

[liveforoctober]

5 hours ago, JefferyLeonard said:

Cumulatively, sure they MAY make a smidge of a difference. But why sign these guys first? Aren't they also going to be there closer to spring training? You have GAPING crater like holes at first and 3rd, and they are out signing guys to minor league deals BEFORE addressing those gaping holes. If they think Tyler Black and Carlos Santana are the answers...the ONLY reason they would think they are the answers is because they are cheap, and fill those holes. Hardly adequately(maybe more middling), but hey, they won't cost much so..you do you Brewers. 

Oh my gosh you weren't being sarcastic and that was a real post.

Good gracious.

[bigred]

10 hours ago, JefferyLeonard said:

So what exactly is your point? Who cares who the Rangers sign, and/or when they sign them? I'm a Brewers fan, NOT a rangers fan. People seem to use the excuse that just because other teams aren't signing any impact guys yet, that it's okay the Brewers haven't either. That's nonsense. How about being aggressive, and beating other teams to the punch? Just because other teams haven't signed impact guys, is there a rule saying the Brewers couldn't have thus far? Weird rule if so. 

Besides, the Rangers already have championship pieces in place, the Brewers are far from that. When you already have the pieces, you can get away with signings like they have made thus far. Apples to oranges comparison.

Milwaukee is a small market. Better try your best to get used to it. 🤷‍♂️

[JohnBriggs12]

Brewers are a small market but they draw a lot more fans than other small market teams and it's not just that they haven't made any significant acquisitions at the major league level, they've let go serviceable major league veterans either by not picking up relatively modest option on Mark Canha, essentially gave away Taylor and Houser, and apparently made zero effort to re-sign one of the better backup catchers in the game.  Over what is essentially the last 1/3 of 2023, Canha and Taylor combined for 13 HR and 61 RBI and Caratini hit .333 in September.  Forget improving the offense, who's going to replace that production?  Joey Wiemer and Jake Bauers?  Really?

I will withhold a grade for Arnold for the offseason as there's still a lot of time to make significant moves but as each day goes by, there's less and less faith that there's something out there that will excite this fan.

[SF70]

13 minutes ago, JohnBriggs12 said:

Brewers are a small market but they draw a lot more fans than other small market teams and it's not just that they haven't made any significant acquisitions at the major league level, they've let go serviceable major league veterans either by not picking up relatively modest option on Mark Canha, essentially gave away Taylor and Houser, and apparently made zero effort to re-sign one of the better backup catchers in the game.  Over what is essentially the last 1/3 of 2023, Canha and Taylor combined for 13 HR and 61 RBI and Caratini hit .333 in September.  Forget improving the offense, who's going to replace that production?  Joey Wiemer and Jake Bauers?  Really?

I will withhold a grade for Arnold for the offseason as there's still a lot of time to make significant moves but as each day goes by, there's less and less faith that there's something out there that will excite this fan.

Gave away Houser and Taylor?

Houser was our worst projected starter and Taylor was our 5th/6th OF going into this year.

You are a quality poster and I respect your takes, but to ignore getting a starter prospect with the talent of Coleman Crow just because he’s recovering from TJ, and isn’t likely to impact MKE until 2026/‘27 makes no sense, imo.

[brewerfan82]

On the surface, I like it as a depth move. From 2019-2022, he had a wRC+ of 105 (8th of 23 qualified catchers) before falling off a cliff last year.

According to MLBTR (https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/01/brewers-sign-austin-nola-to-minor-league-deal.html), "Nola discussed his offensive woes back in September, revealing that he had been diagnosed with oculomotor dysfunction, an issue that impacts the brain’s ability to coordinate eye movement and comes with symptoms such as fogginess and headaches." A quick Google search makes it sound like there are vision therapy treatments. So hopefully it's something he can treat moving forward and will bounce back from now that it's diagnosed.

Regardless, it's a nice low-risk pickup for some depth and we'll see how he's looking in the Spring!

[sveumrules]

2 minutes ago, brewerfan82 said:

On the surface, I like it as a depth move. From 2019-2022, he had a wRC+ of 105

Haase was also at 105 wRC+ over 732 PA from 2021-22.

Obviously they both stunk last year, but if one of them can bounce back near their past performance at the plate, plus get the patented Brewers defensive boost behind it, they should have no problem replacing Caratini’s 1.1 WAR from last year.

[LouisEly]

16 hours ago, JefferyLeonard said:

It's not that they are signing these guys, it's that they are signing them BEFORE they sign anyone impactful(they probably won't sign these guys anyway). It's not like you have to get these guys signed now because there is huge competition for them, and if you don't jump now they will be gone. To me, it's a backwards way of doing things. You fill your needs, and get your impact guys FIRST, then after evaluating your team a bit more after those signings, then circle back to guys like this to fill in any holes/depth you think you might have. Plus, there is zero doubt in my mind that this organization views guys like Nola and Ross etc as being "hugely impactful". Their definition of hugely impactful is much different then mine, or I would say most people's. 

Maybe, just maybe, it's the impactful players who don't want to sign and not the Brewers because it's early January and the impactful players are trying to see if someone will give them more years/$$ than they're worth.

Last I checked, your saviors Rhys Hoskins and Matt Chapman haven't signed with anyone.

[sveumrules]

57 minutes ago, JohnBriggs12 said:

Forget improving the offense, who's going to replace that production?  Joey Wiemer and Jake Bauers?  Really?

I will withhold a grade for Arnold for the offseason as there's still a lot of time to make significant moves but as each day goes by, there's less and less faith that there's something out there that will excite this fan.

Wiemer, maybe. Bauers, unlikely.

The better answers to that question would be Jackson Chourio and Tyler Black, who are both pretty exciting and difficult to overlook.

Last year Adrian and Tyrone combined for 2.2 WAR, this year they project for 1.5 WAR. That kind of production shouldn’t be difficult to replace.

Just last year we got 2.5 combined WAR from unheralded/maligned pick ups Rea and Perkins at the same positions.

[brewerfan82]

Piggybacking on @sveumrules post, looking at last year's wRC+ and fWARs compared to Steamer's '24 projections, here are some places we could see some improvement...

Exciting Possible Rookie Debuts (projections only):

• Jackson Chourio (#1 Brewers prospect, #2 MLB) - proj. 93 wRC+, 1.4 fWAR, 524 PAs)
• Tyler Black (#4 Brewers prospect, #51 MLB) - proj. 104 wRC+, 1.2 fWAR, 381 PAs)
• Jeferson Quero (#2 Brewers prospect, #32 MLB) - Insignificant projection (1 PA), but could be a wildcard this year as well (wRC+ of 148, 111, 134, and 107 in the minors)
• Also possible debuts by pitchers Jacob Misiorowski (#3 Brewers prospect, #36 MLB), Robert Gasser (#5 Brewers prospect), Carlos F. Rodriguez (#6 Brewers prospect)

Young Players Continuing to Develop and Gaining Larger Roles:

• Sal Frelick - proj. 103 wRC+, 2.1 fWAR, 583 PAs (2023: 92 wRC+, 1.4 fWAR, 223 PAs)
• Joey Wiemer - proj. 88 wRC+, 0.2 fWAR, 245 PAs (2023: 75 wRC+, 1.1 fWAR, 410 PAs) - If you believe in his defense, that will propel his proj. fWAR much higher as currently it's projecting below average defense from him
• Garrett Mitchell - proj. 88 wRC+, 0.6 fWAR, 310 PAs (2023: 103 wRC+, 0.4 fWAR, 73 PAs) - Another guy I could easily see outperforming his projections
• Brice Turang - proj. 88 wRC+, 1.4 fWAR, 484 PAs (2023: 60 wRC+, 0.2 fWAR, 448 PAs)
• Aaron Ashby - proj. 3.70 FIP, 1.3 fWAR, 82.0 IP - Another big wildcard this year. If he returns to health, he could more than makeup for the loss of Houser
• Abner Uribe - proj. 3.67 FIP, 0.6 fWAR, 60 IP (2023: 2.77 FIP, 0.6 fWAR, 30.2 IP) - Another modest projection for a guy that looked filthy last year

Bounceback Candidate (if he's still on the team):

• Willy Adames - proj. 103 wRC+, 3.1 fWAR, 654 ABs (2023: 94 wRC+, 3.4 fWAR, 638 PAs) - A return to his 2021/22 self (114 wRC+, 7.9 combined fWAR) at age 28 isn't an unreasonable possibility

Addition by Subtraction (we had some miserable performances last year):

• Rowdy Tellez - 78 wRC+, -0.9 fWAR in 351 PAs
• Jesse Winker - 65 wRC+, -0.8 fWAR in 197 PAs
• Mike Brosseau, Luke Voit, Jon Singleton, and Raimel Tapia impressively combined for a -1.6 fWAR while accounting for 245 PAs
• Eric Lauer - 5.58 xFIP, -0.8 fWAR in 46.2 IP
• Matt Bush - 4.98 xFIP, -0.7 fWAR in 10.1 IP

New Players Still to Come

• Still a lot of time left in the offseason!
• 30 of 55 FAs proj. for at least a 1.0 fWAR are still available (incl. bigger name guys like Snell, Montgomery, Imanaga, Chapman, Stroman, and Bellinger, and maybe more in our range guys like Rosario, Paxton, Hoskins, Soler, Ryu, Tim Anderson, Bauer, Pederson, Teoscar Hernandez, Lorenzen, Urshela, and Pham). The Brewers have already signed 2 of the 25 players signed in this group to this point (Miley and Rea, each proj. for 1.3 fWAR)
• 40 of 55 FAs proj. between 0.5 and 0.9 fWAR are still available. The Brewers have signed 1 of the 15 players signed in this group so far (Ross proj. for 0.8 fWAR)
• 71 of 107 FAs proj. between 0.1 and 0.4 fWAR are still available. The Brewers have signed 2 of the 36 players signed in this group so far (Nola and Haase, each proj. for 0.1 fWAR)
• And endless possibilities in the trade market

 

[Playing Catch]

Just a note to say that teams can't MAKE a guy sign in January. Lots of players wait to sign because their agents recommend waiting for bigger and better contracts/situations. For all we know, the Brewers currently have the best offer on the table for any number of guys, but those guys are hoping some other team offers a bigger deal, or another team is closer to family, or closer to the beach, or the nightclubs.

It bothers me when people act like these players are just playing cards that one needs to purchase and take home. The players decide when to sign, not the teams.