3B Caleb Durbin, SS Andrew Monasterio, Util Anthony Seigler and Comp B pick traded to Red Sox for LHP Kyle Harrison, LHP Shane Drohan and 2B/SS David Hamilton

[owbc]

17 minutes ago, Jopal78 said:

Great. In hindsight, it’s easy to look back and say “look at the trajectory”.

What is factual, however, Priester wasn’t with the major league club in Boston, but he was traded. I think that’s pretty compelling evidence that they did not consider him near top of the rotation at the time they traded him.
 

That’s where the patience part comes in. Perhaps Boston  thought with some further refinement he could become a top of the rotation starter, but they’re trying to win as many games as possible in a tough division and need their 40 man roster for players who can help them sooner than later. 

The Brewers are good at what they do, and have earned the benefit of the doubt. But I push back at the notion they are playing checkers while other teams are playing chess, or that every prospect they acquire is without warts and seemingly infallible.

Priester is the latest iteration of Wade Miley. Some guys are development projects and others are optimization projects. Priester is the latter. 

His FIP is never going to go much below 4 but his ERA will always outperform his FIP as long as he has Milwaukee's defense behind him. He induces contact that tends to be league average in terms of exit velocity and strongly favors ground balls.

If you're going to put all of your chips into having a league best defense (at the expense of batting at times), then guys like Priester are exactly who you want in your rotation. Until they become expensive, then it's on to the next one. 

[wiguy94]

7 hours ago, Jopal78 said:

For context, in 2023 MLB had the Giants farm system ranked 21st. It was lower in ‘24.

Harrison was also traded in the Devers deal where San Francisco absorbed $250 million dollars in guaranteed salary and the word on Harrison then was he struggled with command/ developing secondary offerings.

I get unconditional prospect love is paramount here, but I’m not relevance of pointing out what a great prospect Harrison was multiple seasons ago. 

… and yes I am aware the Brewers may have the patience to work with a pitcher to help them reach their apex that Boston doesn’t, but still unless there is another transaction coming, it seems like creating a roster hole in the majors to shuffle pieces around rather than strategic building. Time will tell.

Farm system strength relative to prospect rankings is only relevant for players not in the Top 100. If you're in the Top 100 it doesn't matter if your farm system is strong or weak in terms of valuing by ranking.

[patrickgpe]

I had a day to reflect on this. Here is what I came up with:

What has a better chance of happening; Durbin becomes an all star 3rd baseman or Harrison and /or Droham becomes an all star pitcher? I think its easily the later. Durbin is a good player and will always be but his ceiling is only so high. I think its easy to see that Harrison COULD become an allstar in a few seasons. The way for the brewers to continue to compete is to take a risk like they did yesterday and try to develop a top of the rotation ace and not just be a team full of really decent players.

Its hard to concede that most likely Ortiz or Williams will be manning the hot corner this season, but maybe a guy like Fischer, or Wilken or Pratt forces himself up in Milwaukee if the 2 names above struggle. 

[SF70]

6 hours ago, sveumrules said:

The punchless Brewers offense scored the third most runs in baseball last year, in 2024 they scored the sixth most runs in MLB.

Last two years their 343 home runs are 20th, their .150 isolated slugging is 22nd, and their 1,583 runs scored are 4th in MLB.

Hitting home runs is one way to score runs, having a bunch of really fast guys (+34.9 BsR is 1st in MLB last two years) on base all the time (.329 OBP is 4th in MLB last two years) putting a ton of pressure on the pitcher and defense (3,427 PA with RISP are 1st in MLB last two years) is another way.

Quite possibly my favorite post I’ve ever read on this site. 

[SF70]

5 hours ago, Jopal78 said:

What’s arrogant about it? People who write about minor league baseball players for a living who have actually seen these players play said years ago that Harrison struggles with command because of arm angle.   To date, the lack of command has showed up in the major leagues as evidenced by the BB/9 ratio. 

Boston’s front office may be impatient, but they’re not stupid, and likely to trade away a young controllable arm if they feel the player is close to developing into a TOR starter, and especially not for Durbin who is a useful versatile player but likely not superstar material. So it’s not arrogance it’s skepticism ground in reality. 
 

Yet, on this site to suggest any prospect acquired by the Brewers will end up less than a key contributor is met immediately with claims of being arrogant, stupid etc. 

Like I said, we can wait for the other shoe to drop, but creating a hole in the infield without a ready replacement to get some young pitchers they don’t immediately need, seems like shuffling pieces around to seem active as opposed to a strategy to build the best best 40 man roster they can. 
 

 

 

This team has an ace up their sleeve that no team in baseball currently has — the deepest and best farm in the game AND the deepest stable of controlled starters with BL experience in all of baseball, that either of which they can use at any time to add virtually any player they decide they want. 

And like the best FO in the game that they are, they will be patient, and let things play-out in ST before they decide who they want to play 3B on OD, and or late-April, and or at any point in-season. The team has waaayyyyyy more trade-capital now than they did back when they acquired Adames in-season if they need to use it.

The real story of this team is how they’ve been able to accumulate 9 starters with BL experience that are ALL CONTROLLED for 4-6+ years, with all but Ashby added in the last 2 years. That should be the real story.

[brewcrewdue80]

I was pondering Durbin's season. I remember it wasn't glaring on Savant. To remind that savant:

 

 

Then there's  Ortiz' 2024 savant.

 

 

One could think, the emerging group in the minors, that a down season by Durbin, like Ortiz last season,  would cripple his value and with the promotions forthcoming, Durbin wouldn't get a redemption chance to regain his value.  27' strike potential that group in the minors arent being held back any more.

 

Trading Durbin at his highest ceiling with team control, with the defense knowledge he brings currently....This move has an anti Ortiz 25 season avoiding a complete loss on value when pondering it.

[shanedog19]

45 minutes ago, SF70 said:

This team has an ace up their sleeve that no team in baseball currently has — the deepest and best farm in the game AND the deepest stable of controlled starters with BL experience in all of baseball, that either of which they can use at any time to add virtually any player they decide they want. 

And like the best FO in the game that they are, they will be patient, and let things play-out in ST before they decide who they want to play 3B on OD, and or late-April, and or at any point in-season. The team has waaayyyyyy more trade-capital now than they did back when they acquired Adames in-season if they need to use it.

The real story of this team is how they’ve been able to accumulate 9 starters with BL experience that are ALL CONTROLLED for 4-6+ years, with all but Ashby added in the last 2 years. That should be the real story.

Yup, I don't think there is another ball club in MLB that can boast the amount of young, controllable pitching that we do. Frankly, I would keep every last ounce of it and not move any of them for 3rd base help. Treat those young arms like gold, that is our one chance to separate our franchise from the rest of the pack and hopefully contribute to winning a championship one day.

[Jopal78]

1 hour ago, SF70 said:

This team has an ace up their sleeve that no team in baseball currently has — the deepest and best farm in the game AND the deepest stable of controlled starters with BL experience in all of baseball, that either of which they can use at any time to add virtually any player they decide they want. 

And like the best FO in the game that they are, they will be patient, and let things play-out in ST before they decide who they want to play 3B on OD, and or late-April, and or at any point in-season. The team has waaayyyyyy more trade-capital now than they did back when they acquired Adames in-season if they need to use it.

The real story of this team is how they’ve been able to accumulate 9 starters with BL experience that are ALL CONTROLLED for 4-6+ years, with all but Ashby added in the last 2 years. That should be the real story.

Like a golden handcuff? What that really means is there’s no true ace, no clean top of the rotation plan, and a rotation built more to avoid disaster than dominate. 
 

Admittedly the stars just might align and power the Brewers to multiple championships, but more likely, they keep them hovering around respectability like the last coupe years, good enough to avoid collapse, never bold enough to break through. 

[ToolShed55]

This move might work, it might not. However, to suggest, as some here have, that Boston is some sort of powerhouse of baseball strategy is laughable. 

The Devers saga was handled badly, they have consistently underperformed relative to their budget in the last few years, and the Priester trade, for one, looks lopsided. 

Brewers FO has targeted market inefficiencies, and defense and speed over raw power, (at power positions),it seems. Until it doesn't work, it's working. 

[wiguy94]

1 hour ago, Jopal78 said:

Like a golden handcuff? What that really means is there’s no true ace, no clean top of the rotation plan, and a rotation built more to avoid disaster than dominate. 
 

Admittedly the stars just might align and power the Brewers to multiple championships, but more likely, they keep them hovering around respectability like the last coupe years, good enough to avoid collapse, never bold enough to break through. 

Nothing says respectability like having the second most wins in MLB in the last 3 seasons.

[SF70]

1 hour ago, Jopal78 said:

Like a golden handcuff? What that really means is there’s no true ace, no clean top of the rotation plan, and a rotation built more to avoid disaster than dominate. 
 

Admittedly the stars just might align and power the Brewers to multiple championships, but more likely, they keep them hovering around respectability like the last coupe years, good enough to avoid collapse, never bold enough to break through. 

This team has more controlled, prime-aged, playoff worthy BL talent than any team in baseball. They also have the deepest and best farm system in the game. They also have one of the top, if not the top prospect-procurement systems in the game. Then add an elite PDS to the mix with a reigning 2-time executive of the year and reigning 2-time manager of the year. It’s almost comical how fortunate we are to have an organization as great as the one we have to root for. 

It’s an embarrassment of riches when one really stops to think about it. 

[owbc]

5 minutes ago, SF70 said:

This team has more controlled, prime-aged, playoff worthy BL talent than any team in baseball. They also have the deepest and best farm system in the game. They also have one of the top, if not the top prospect-procurement systems in the game. Then add an elite PDS to the mix with a reigning 2-time executive of the year and reigning 2-time manager of the year. It’s almost comical how fortunate we are to have an organization as great as the one we have to root for. 

It’s an embarrassment of riches when one really stops to think about it. 

The only thing missing is a World Series appearance, but that will come sooner rather than later if the current organizational trajectory continues. I always thought we would have to do it as underdogs but what's probably going to happen is there will be a year that we are just so freaking good that not even the Dodgers can stop us. 

[MNBrew]

1 hour ago, SF70 said:

This team has more controlled, prime-aged, playoff worthy BL talent than any team in baseball....

I've missed something....New(er) lingo help, please.  What's BL?

[TURBO]

1 minute ago, MNBrew said:

I've missed something....New(er) lingo help, please.  What's BL?

You aren't the only one...   lol

[wallus]

3 minutes ago, MNBrew said:

I've missed something....New(er) lingo help, please.  What's BL?

Big League 

[Team Canada]

2 hours ago, owbc said:

what's probably going to happen is there will be a year that we are just so freaking good that not even the Dodgers can stop us.

Let's not get too crazy.

[ToolShed55]

2 hours ago, owbc said:

The only thing missing is a World Series appearance, but that will come sooner rather than later if the current organizational trajectory continues. I always thought we would have to do it as underdogs but what's probably going to happen is there will be a year that we are just so freaking good that not even the Dodgers can stop us. 

Dodgers cannot be killed by conventional weapons!

[wntrtxn21]

6 hours ago, owbc said:

The only thing missing is a World Series appearance, but that will come sooner rather than later if the current organizational trajectory continues. I always thought we would have to do it as underdogs but what's probably going to happen is there will be a year that we are just so freaking good that not even the Dodgers can stop us. 

Don't get too carried away. This current team still has a black hole at 3B, a big question mark at SS, a question in the OF, and a lot of unproven starting pitchers. The young talent coming up is one of the best groups in baseball, but they are still unproven. I've seen three MLB rankings so far and none of them have Milwaukee with 90 or more wins. All have them have the cubs winning the division. However all of them have the Brewers making the playoffs. I hope the questions can be answered in S.T. and the Crew once again proves the pundits wrong. 

[wiguy94]

Call me crazy but I think the Brewers opening day lineup is going to feature Ortiz at 3B, Turang at SS, and Hamilton at 2B and I’m talking myself into believing Hamilton could be a strong side platoon guy at 2B this year. 
 

Fenway Park is a tough park for LHH tweener guys because it’s so deep to right field. If you don’t adopt an opposite field approach you’re going to hit into a lot of fly outs to RF that could be HR elsewhere. Hamilton has been way better outside of Fenway in his career largely because he’s hit for much better power outside of Fenway. These are career numbers against RHP.

Home - 255 PA, .203/.273/.307 and 4 HR

Road - 222 PA, .251/.312/.453 and 9 HR

Hamilton has also graded out elite defensively at 2B in his career. For a comparison here’s Turang’s platinum glove season compared to Hamilton’s career at 2B.

Turang’s platinum glove season - 1277 innings, 22 DRS, 6 OAA

Hamilton at 2B in his career - 679 innings, 16 DRS, 6 OAA

Hamilton in his career at 2B has graded out better on a rate basis than Turang did in his platinum glove season.

Maybe I’m crazy and this is just coping because the 3rd infield starter doesn’t look great but I don’t know I think there’s reason to believe Hamilton could put 2-3 WAR getting like 400 PA as the strong side platoon 2B.

[SF70]

8 hours ago, Team Canada said:

Let's not get too crazy.

It’s not too crazy.

He said trajectory, which with the current state of the team’s infrastructure and organizational talent-level, is actually where this thing is headed.

Trajectory—

2 years from now, when the pitching factory they’ve established down below in combination with having 7+ BL starters controlled for 4+ years gives the team the ability to have enough pitching to start trading-off in a big-way. Ashby-Hall will return talent that can improve the system and or big-club. Then excess minors pitching (Holobetz) will return more talent.

Installations of Made-Pena and the best of a ridiculously talented positional farm plus extensions to Made-Pena gets 5+ years of Chourio-Made-Pena, 8+ years of Made-Pena.

Trajectory—

The team’s among the BIB prospect-procurement systems continue to feed the team’s farm system keeping it monstrous indefinitely. Add in the trade-off talent received for Contreras-Turang-Ortiz-Vaughn-Mitchell-Frelick and this organization has as much or more talent than any team in the game — and for an extended period of time.

 

[Turning2]

17 hours ago, brewcrewdue80 said:

Agreed as Quero needs to prove he can catch at least 100 games in a season. Though I wouldn't be shocked after trading 3 3b he is a backup C used for PH abs. He has some pop.

Conventional wisdom would seem to dictate they let him get everyday playing time in Nash at least to start the year. But you're right, he could very well be the backup from the start. MIL isn't conventional for better or worse.

[Mr Southpaw]

5 hours ago, wntrtxn21 said:

Don't get too carried away. This current team still has a black hole at 3B, a big question mark at SS, a question in the OF, and a lot of unproven starting pitchers. The young talent coming up is one of the best groups in baseball, but they are still unproven. I've seen three MLB rankings so far and none of them have Milwaukee with 90 or more wins. All have them have the cubs winning the division. However all of them have the Brewers making the playoffs. I hope the questions can be answered in S.T. and the Crew once again proves the pundits wrong. 

The 2026 Brewers kind of remind me of the Baltimore Orioles of 3-4 years ago.  Tons of talent in the minors., but unwilling to let any of it go.  The Brewers just need to manage this talent wisely.  I have tons of confidence in our front office to do this.

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

5 hours ago, wntrtxn21 said:

I've seen three MLB rankings so far and none of them have Milwaukee with 90 or more wins. All have them have the cubs winning the division.

2024 ... 2025 ... 2026. Rinse and repeat.

The Cubs spend big money. Rankings algorithms like teams that spend big. But when push comes to shove, what happens on the field is more important. The Brewers have been better than the Cubs the last two seasons, and there is no reason to expect that trend not to continue in 2026, despite what the rankings services, experts, and pessimists right here on this forum say.

[CheezWizHed]

I'm still here waiting for the other shoe to drop... 

In a way this trade reminds me of the Micah Parson's trade.  We traded for the upside potential (though not comparing Harrison to Parsons directly), but it created a big hole in the lineup right before TC started (DT for the Packers - 3B for the Brewers). 

I think there are more options for the Brewers to fill 3B short term - often AAAA level guys become available at the end of ST - but we do seem to be more setup for next year (Jett, Cooper, Made, Quero as potential rookies) than this year.  Even Harrison might need another year in the minors.  

ST will be interesting how this approach 3B this year. 

[SeaBass]

18 hours ago, Jopal78 said:

Great. In hindsight, it’s easy to look back and say “look at the trajectory”.

What is factual, however, Priester wasn’t with the major league club in Boston, but he was traded. I think that’s pretty compelling evidence that they did not consider him near top of the rotation at the time they traded him.
 

That’s where the patience part comes in. Perhaps Boston  thought with some further refinement he could become a top of the rotation starter, but they’re trying to win as many games as possible in a tough division and need their 40 man roster for players who can help them sooner than later. 

The Brewers are good at what they do, and have earned the benefit of the doubt. But I push back at the notion they are playing chess while other teams are playing checkers, or that every prospect they acquire is without warts and seemingly infallible.

"but they’re trying to win as many games as possible in a tough division and need their 40 man roster for players who can help them sooner than later."

So Boston is really trying to win and I guess the Brewers are not? (Also, isn't taking Yophery Rodriguez in exchange for Quinn Priester doing the opposite of getting players that can help them now sooner than later?)

2025
Brewers - 97-65
Red Sox - 89-73

2024
Brewers - 93-69
Red Sox - 81-81

2023
Brewers - 92-70
Red Sox - 78-84

2022
Brewers - 86-76
Red Sox - 78-84

2021
Brewers - 95-67
Red Sox - 92-70

I had to go back to 2018 to find the most recent season where Boston won more games than the Brewers and the Brewers still won 96 games that season. Throw in 2017 when Boston had 93 wins and the Brewers had 86 and we're getting awful close to the 10 year mark.

Why are Boston's choices any more or less relevant than the Brewers' choices when it comes to success?

I think it's pretty fair to say that Boston would really like to have Quinn Priester back on their team after his performance last season. They just didn't have the patience or know-how to get that type of production out of him. It's not because they're trying harder to win than the Brewers are.