Brewers Trade Aaron Civale To White Sox For Andrew Vaughn

[Playing Catch]

"Vaughn isn’t making more contact, but he’s making higher-quality contact, perversely, by lowering his average launch angle."

That was the money line for me, from that article.

I maintain that the Brewers are deliberately countering FIP-based, launch-angle attack pitching. Short strike zones also mitigate those 4-seamers up in the zone.

[TURBO]

1 hour ago, Brian said:

And as of today Eugenio Suarez hitting .107 since trade to Mariners. 

I was NOT on board with trading what it would have taken to get him, however, had he been traded here, the circumstances that have had him hitting .107 in Seattle wouldn't have been the same as the circumstances in Milwaukee.  Just can't even have that conversation to be honest.

I'd like to say I told you so though...lol

[narwhalattack]

39 minutes ago, TURBO said:

I was NOT on board with trading what it would have taken to get him, however, had he been traded here, the circumstances that have had him hitting .107 in Seattle wouldn't have been the same as the circumstances in Milwaukee.  Just can't even have that conversation to be honest.

I'd like to say I told you so though...lol

Maybe he would’ve been successful in Milwaukee, or maybe he would’ve faceplanted just as hard. But I think we can both agree that we’re not exactly regretting anything right now lol

[Brian]

3 hours ago, Frisbee Slider said:

Seems like something Geoff Jenkins could have done 🙂

LOL, Luke Voit type of #'s. 

[Brian]

1 hour ago, TURBO said:

I was NOT on board with trading what it would have taken to get him, however, had he been traded here, the circumstances that have had him hitting .107 in Seattle wouldn't have been the same as the circumstances in Milwaukee.  Just can't even have that conversation to be honest.

I'd like to say I told you so though...lol

That was bulldogboy I think the Suarez promoter/marketer. 

[tmwiese55]

3 hours ago, Playing Catch said:

"Vaughn isn’t making more contact, but he’s making higher-quality contact, perversely, by lowering his average launch angle."

That was the money line for me, from that article.

I maintain that the Brewers are deliberately countering FIP-based, launch-angle attack pitching. Short strike zones also mitigate those 4-seamers up in the zone.

I was thinking something similar in the last few days as someone like Frelick hit some simple grounder through the right side and I thought how that would've been an easy out before the shift ban. Several of our guys would theoretically be greatly hurt without the ban, so yea I thought maybe we've targeted or found a little niche in the market befofre everyone else that base hits can actually happen again.   

[Jim French Stepstool]

8 hours ago, Playing Catch said:

So, he hasn't! I could've sworn he played some mop-up there for a few innings-worth when they first brought him up. I guess I don't like his versatility as much as I have been imagining.

Switch-throwing (supposedly he can do that) is a pretty versatile trait lol. Durbin played there for an inning or two; maybe you're thinking of that?

I think the Brewers have always liked someone on the bench that can play SS in addition to other spots, as opposed to moving so-and-so there from another position. It's why I believe Monasterio is safe, and also why I thought there was at least a fighting chance they'd inquire on Kiner-Falefa.

[Jim French Stepstool]

1 hour ago, tmwiese55 said:

I was thinking something similar in the last few days as someone like Frelick hit some simple grounder through the right side and I thought how that would've been an easy out before the shift ban. Several of our guys would theoretically be greatly hurt without the ban, so yea I thought maybe we've targeted or found a little niche in the market befofre everyone else that base hits can actually happen again.   

Yeah that, and having MINFs that can cover a lot of ground, making the inability to shift a little less hurtful. A LOT of balls hit to Turang & Ortiz this year where they've wound up on the 'other' side of 2B & made the play.

[Jim French Stepstool]

5 hours ago, Playing Catch said:

"Vaughn isn’t making more contact, but he’s making higher-quality contact, perversely, by lowering his average launch angle."

That was the money line for me, from that article.

I maintain that the Brewers are deliberately countering FIP-based, launch-angle attack pitching. Short strike zones also mitigate those 4-seamers up in the zone.

Lowering his average launch angle. And he's STILL hit seven bombs in 22 games.

Take THAT, analytics.😁.

[igor67]

Granted he had some time in the minors, but even if they are relatively small it still sounded like a lot of little adjustments to still get everything clicking as soon as he did is pretty remarkable as well.

[markedman5]

Civale gave up a 5 baggers in the first tonight.

[wildcat83]

2 hours ago, markedman5 said:

Civale gave up a 5 baggers in the first tonight.

His hot streak came to an end, gave up 9 tonight!

[valpocrewsader]

Did we know about there being a past connection between Jason Lane and Andrew Vaughn, with Lane advocating for his acquisition? From BA in this interview at the ~5:22 mark: 

 

 

[Playing Catch]

18 minutes ago, valpocrewsader said:

Did we know about there being a past connection between Jason Lane and Andrew Vaughn, with Lane advocating for his acquisition? From BA in this interview at the ~5:22 mark: 

 

 

The part about Jason Lane's relationship with Vaughn was new to me.

[JCREW]

21 hours ago, Jim French Stepstool said:

Lowering his average launch angle. And he's STILL hit seven bombs in 22 games.

Take THAT, analytics.😁.

Doesn't this just mean he quit hitting pop-ups?

[Jim French Stepstool]

2 minutes ago, JCREW said:

Doesn't this just mean he quit hitting pop-ups?

The decreased launch angle would theoretically mean fewer pop ups, sure. But despite lowering it the ball still travels well enough for him to homer at (I assume) a higher rate than any time in his career. He's barreling more often, which is really all he needs.

[liveforoctober]

That Jason Lane bit is super interesting. Great find. I love this board.

[igor67]

His RBI pace with us is still high enough that if he played all the remaining games he'd finish with 102 for the year. Crazy

[Ando Calrissian]

On 8/9/2025 at 11:51 AM, valpocrewsader said:

Did we know about there being a past connection between Jason Lane and Andrew Vaughn, with Lane advocating for his acquisition? From BA in this interview at the ~5:22 mark: 

 

 

I recall Rottino noting this in a broadcast right around Vaughn's call-up.

[Outlander]

Every time I think Vaughn is going to start reverting to his old self he produces a big hit. That 2 out, 3 run HR was enormous last night.

[LouisEly]

In 193 PAs with the White Sox he had an OPS of 0.531.

In 120 PAs with the Brewers he has raised his overall OPS to 0.723.

That's incredible.

[YelichPosse]

So when the coaching staff told him to swing at strikes only, he took it to heart, and now is a stud? Nobody thought to tell him that in Chicago?

Kidding aside, I have been impressed with his takes, and when he makes contact, he seems to scald the ball. Most of his outs have been hard hit. I saw he has a high BABIP, but even some of those outs have been hard hit.

He's exactly what this lineup needed.

[MadScientist]

He was told to hit line drives when the Brewers called him up.  It seems that mindset with the other minor changes have him focused on good contact and not max power, and good things happen with good contact.

[valpocrewsader]

On 7/30/2025 at 1:54 PM, valpocrewsader said:

15 games logged with the Brewers at this point and hitting .375/.439/.771/1.209.

Lazy math to multiply x10 for an entire season's production and the counting stats look like 100 runs, 180 hits, 40 doubles, 50 HR, 210 RBI (!), 70 walks, and 70 strikeouts.

Incredible.

Updating for 30 games in as a Brewer (stats x5)... 90 runs, 180 hits, 25 doubles, 45 HR, 175 RBI (!), 60 walks, and 90 strikeouts. ... And on the averages now hitting .330/.395/.624/1.019.

 

[Samurai Bucky]

On 8/16/2025 at 9:26 AM, YelichPosse said:

So when the coaching staff told him to swing at strikes only, he took it to heart, and now is a stud? Nobody thought to tell him that in Chicago?

Kidding aside, I have been impressed with his takes, and when he makes contact, he seems to scald the ball. Most of his outs have been hard hit. I saw he has a high BABIP, but even some of those outs have been hard hit.

He's exactly what this lineup needed.

 

On 8/16/2025 at 2:41 PM, MadScientist said:

He was told to hit line drives when the Brewers called him up.  It seems that mindset with the other minor changes have him focused on good contact and not max power, and good things happen with good contact.

I have been critical of the hitting coaches in the past.  It seems like they have made a major philosophical change.  As Statcast has shown, they are shorter to the ball (shorter time to get to the point of letting the top hand go through the zone), but still maintaining the bat speed and even improving it.  That also allows them to hit the ball in front of their front leg thereby generating more power.  Great job, coaches!

Short to... long through.