Developed - Devin Williams to the Yankees for Nestor Cortes and Caleb Durbin

[Austin Tatious]

1.  By eschewing prospects as the return, I think the Brewers are far more comfortable with their long range prospects as is, especially with the recent draft classes, a number of top international prospects and six high draft picks slots coming in 2025.  The bigger gap was at the MLB level.  
2.  I would have hoped for more roster control on a SP but clearly they felt they needed to get a quality guy there. 
3. Regarding Durbin, they certainly liked his profile. I’m hoping he’s our new utility guy who can move around.  I hope his arm is strong enough for third.  If we go take a risk on a 3B with pop who may not be a sure bet, Durbin might be a hedge and hopefully be a big upgrade over Monasterio in that role.  
4.  I hope Tyler Black goes into the Jake Bauers spot.  Would like to see him get some consistent ABs.  I can’t see him at third or second.  

[Underachiever]

2 hours ago, umphrey said:

Cortes isn’t a dime a dozen. He is probably on track to get the Frankie Montas contract or something like that. 

I agree with this. Averaged 6 innings a start, that’s so valuable for how the Brewers win.

[Matt]

Would have preferred lottery tickets or one "legit" prospect but if Cortes stays healthy it's hard to see how the Brewers don't come out well ahead in this deal. Can't complain.

[Scooterfletcher]

3 hours ago, jay87shot said:

With the pitching market like this, could Cortes, Civale, and Woody all get QO if they pitch really well. Are we allowed to give multiple QO's and get picks for each? It wouldn't surprise me to see each of these guys put up 150+ innings with low 3 era's. I would say that would be better than guys like Kikuchi, Severino. Pivetta (if Pivetta gets over 50 million).

Probably not Civale. But if woodruff returns to form obviously yes.   And I think Cortes will too.   I’d like to extend one of the two if deemed healthy.

[markedman5]

https://fansided.com/mlb-insider-emptying-the-notebook-from-mlb-winter-meetings-and-what-comes-next

[MadScientist]

10 hours ago, liveforoctober said:

Do we know of any recent examples where a guy had a similar injury and shortly after returning had to have major surgery?

Chris Sale, Adbert Alzolay.  I'm sure there are others, but I can't find them with a quick search.   My mind linked the two right away, but didn't save the sources.

[long ball]

The return on this trade was initially a bit of a shock to me. After sitting on it for a day, I have come around to it.

We really did need another starting pitcher. We now have a more reasonable shot at running with a 6 man rotation : Freddy, Cortes, Myers, Civale, Woodruff, and Hall seem to be the top of that group. 

We essentially 60 elite, high leverage innings for 160 mid rotation innings with top of the rotation upside. We have seen the Brewers crank out quality relief pitching and the 40 man roster easily has 9 big league relievers on it right now and a couple other potential options there too. Then there are guys like Mis and Yoho who aren't on the 40 man yet who will likely factor in at some point, 

 

I fear that we are already maxed on out payroll though, We need to find someway to add a bat on the infield, That Adames hole is huge right now and I don't think its a hole they can fix with money, 

[Mr Southpaw]

I am looking for Yoho to have a similar 6 years as Williams did.  I imagine he could be our closer in years 4-6.

[KurtRussell]

A walk or single and a stolen base is much easier to get than a double. Sure you have to drive those guys in, but the Brewers may be all in on this strategy in 2025. 

[brewers888]

I think relying on a guy like Durbin when this team is lacking power is extremely dangerous. We didn't have enough pop in the lineup with Willy but without him its dire. A lineup with Frelick, Turang, and Durbin just isn't good enough.

We can't count on three regulars with the extremely low EV that these three guys offer and really hope this isn't the everyday replacement for Adames. Odds are Durbin is another AAAA guy like Monasterio vs being anything close to an everyday fixture in a playoff level lineup.

[wibadgers23]

I still think we’ll go out and grab a 3B or SS and have Durbin replace Monasterio in the super utility role. I really don’t think the Brewers are planning on just giving Durbin a starting spot.

[sveumrules]

6 minutes ago, brewers888 said:

Odds are Durbin is another AAAA guy like Monasterio vs being anything close to an everyday fixture in a playoff level lineup.

Monasterio AA (771 PAs) Age 22-25
269/348/393 (106 wRC+)
10.0 BB% | 20.6 K%
20 SB / 12 CS

Monasterio AAA (604 PAs) Age 24-27
256/364/365 (97 wRC+)
13.9 BB% | 23.2 K%
24 SB / 5 CS

Durbin AA (224 PAs) Age 23-24
271/353/412 (114 wRC+)
8.0 BB% | 5.4 K%
23 SB / 8 CS

Durbin AAA (375 PAs) Age 24
287/396/471 (129 wRC+)
12.5 BB% | 9.9 K%
29 SB / 3 CS

Durbin has out hit, out run and made contact at a significantly higher rate than Monasterio ever did in the high minors and hasn't lingered at each level for three plus seasons like Andruw did either.
 

[Thurston Fluff]

I wonder if one of the starters with a year left on their contract gets traded at some point. Maybe in a package deal to get another starter with more years of control.

[SRB]

The cost of staying competitive every season is that when you trade a star player the return is less exciting than if you go into rebuild mode and roll the dice on prospects alone.

The reason that elite relievers are perhaps undervalued by WAR is that it is not always so easy to just slot another guy into a ninth-inning role. That's where Williams derives most of his value. But we already went without Williams for half of last season and Megill looked fantastic. I think that's the real reason the front office made this trade; we have a proven replacement closer for cheap, and a bigger need in the rotation than in the bullpen. I'm guessing they are also very high on Durbin, who seems like the classic type of player that is severely underrated by non-team-affiliated prospect evaluators and rankings lists (nontraditional size, continued success in the minors but no prospect pedigree)

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

57 minutes ago, sveumrules said:

Monasterio AA (771 PAs) Age 22-25
269/348/393 (106 wRC+)
10.0 BB% | 20.6 K%
20 SB / 12 CS

Monasterio AAA (604 PAs) Age 24-27
256/364/365 (97 wRC+)
13.9 BB% | 23.2 K%
24 SB / 5 CS

Durbin AA (224 PAs) Age 23-24
271/353/412 (114 wRC+)
8.0 BB% | 5.4 K%
23 SB / 8 CS

Durbin AAA (375 PAs) Age 24
287/396/471 (129 wRC+)
12.5 BB% | 9.9 K%
29 SB / 3 CS

Durbin has out hit, out run and made contact at a significantly higher rate than Monasterio ever did in the high minors and hasn't lingered at each level for three plus seasons like Andruw did either.
 

But that doesn't fit the "this team sucks" and the "front office is stupid" narrative! 

[brewers888]

2 hours ago, sveumrules said:

Monasterio AA (771 PAs) Age 22-25
269/348/393 (106 wRC+)
10.0 BB% | 20.6 K%
20 SB / 12 CS

Monasterio AAA (604 PAs) Age 24-27
256/364/365 (97 wRC+)
13.9 BB% | 23.2 K%
24 SB / 5 CS

Durbin AA (224 PAs) Age 23-24
271/353/412 (114 wRC+)
8.0 BB% | 5.4 K%
23 SB / 8 CS

Durbin AAA (375 PAs) Age 24
287/396/471 (129 wRC+)
12.5 BB% | 9.9 K%
29 SB / 3 CS

Durbin has out hit, out run and made contact at a significantly higher rate than Monasterio ever did in the high minors and hasn't lingered at each level for three plus seasons like Andruw did either.
 

He's probably better than Monasterio but he should not be under consideration as an every day player.  

[brewers888]

1 hour ago, Ron Robinsons Beard said:

But that doesn't fit the "this team sucks" and the "front office is stupid" narrative! 

Not a matter of being stupid but somehow the 24th ranked prospect in a bad yankees system is the next Altuve because thats the likely end result with any 5'6" infielder that we acquire. 

[liveforoctober]

19 minutes ago, brewers888 said:

He's probably better than Monasterio but he should not be under consideration as an every day player.  

I reckon we give the kid a glove and a bat and the whole month of March against MLB* Arizona competition and he will let us know if we should be considering him for an every day spot.

[MNBrew]

2 hours ago, liveforoctober said:

I reckon we give the kid a glove and a bat and the whole month of March against MLB* Arizona competition and he will let us know if we should be considering him for an every day spot.

Exactly!  To elaborate . . . No one's handing him a starting IF spot, let alone before ST even starts -- at least not from the Brewers organization.  Upon acquiring a Durbin-type, no MLB would do that.  Nor are they publicly going to shred him or say something like "hopefully he can at least out-produce Monasterio'."  They went after (or agreed on - however you look at it) Durbin for a reason and what we're reading about him from the trade is always going to highlight his positives.  If he lives up to what they see his potential is, then that's great.

[brewmann04]

I hope they add some power to that infield 

[MadThinker88]

On 12/13/2024 at 7:42 PM, jay87shot said:

With the pitching market like this, could Cortes, Civale, and Woody all get QO if they pitch really well. Are we allowed to give multiple QO's and get picks for each? It wouldn't surprise me to see each of these guys put up 150+ innings with low 3 era's. I would say that would be better than guys like Kikuchi, Severino. Pivetta (if Pivetta gets over 50 million).

IMHO Highly doubtful.  The QO cost for this year was $21M & that number will go up with larger contracts being signed (Soto, Fried).

Lets be conservative and suggest its only $22M next off-season.  Can you see this ownership & FO spending $66M for three 1 year offers?  Even if free agency is an option, would all 3 players turn that down??

Remember, by rule a player can only be subject to a QO 1 time during their career & some clubs do not pursue those players with a rejected QO that year. Some players have accepted a QO because they know their entry in free agency will be better/ easier if they dont have to deal with that tag attached.

[brewfanmn]

6 hours ago, brewmann04 said:

I hope they add some power to that infield 

I hope they just keep adding good baseball players.

[igor67]

Woodruff and Cortes if they pitch close to career numbers would definitely take the QO because they stand to make a ton more in FA, both but Woody in particular is old enough that this would be his last chance to really get paid in FA. Civale is probably fair to question if they would.

[Brewcrew82]

Turang to stay at 2B, per Rosenthal. 
 

Easy decision to not move the Platinum Glove winner imo. 

[liveforoctober]

18 minutes ago, Brewcrew82 said:

Turang to stay at 2B, per Rosenthal. 
 

Easy decision to not move the Platinum Glove winner imo. 

Rosenthal also dropped this little nugget in his story:

*As one might suspect, the budget-conscious Brewers are open to moving first baseman Rhys Hoskins, who will earn $18 million next season and also is owed a $4 million buyout on a mutual option for 2026.

The problem for the Brewers is that the first basemen on the free-agent market include not just Pete Alonso and Christian Walker, but also Paul Goldschmidt, Anthony Rizzo, Josh Bell, Carlos Santana and Justin Turner.

To move Hoskins, the Brewers might need to both add cash and attach a prospect."