Cardinals (Liberatore) vs Brewers (Misiorowski): 5/25/26, 1:10pm

[adambr2]

17 minutes ago, sveumrules said:

It's not that you can't do anything about Sal, it's that he's a guy who from 2023 to 2025 put up 6.4 WAR ranking 29th among all outfielders. That kind of past performance, coupled with whatever intangibles / leadership role he has on the team is gonna buy him more than 51 games. Especially when the team is playing so well despite his struggles.

Small sample of only 46 PA against LHP, but Bauers has a 119 wRC+ versus southpaws so far this year. Missing two of their best RHP for half the year (plus Yelich who had a fine 109 wRC+ vs LHP from 2024-25) and they've still managed an 11 W - 5 L against LHP this year. If they were getting owned by LHP there might be more urgency but that hasn't been a problem so far.

The Brewers aren't going to add Lara to the 40 Man, start his service clock, then possibly burn an option year down the road just to see what he's got for a couple few weeks until Lockridge is ready to return. Are you really losing anything or doing any harm? The Brewers are on an 18 W - 7 L run that is 2nd best in MLB over that stretch, there is a lot more downward mobility from there than there is upward.

Injuries to Chourio, Vaughn, Yelich, Priester, Woodruff, Koenig...plus Megill, Uribe, Zerpa combining for a 5.81 ERA and six losses in their 48 IP...plus getting -39.6 batting runs from Matos, Hamilton, Jones, Ortiz, Frelick, Perkins, Rengifo...and the Brewers are playing at a 98-99 win pace, with a 2.5 game lead on the best division in baseball, scoring the 4th most and allowing the 4th fewest runs per game for a +71 run differential that is 3rd in MLB and one of only four teams even above +40.  

The Brewers will likely play worse from here on out no matter what they do. I don't think anyone believes they are a true talent 98-99 win team like they are currently on pace for, a true talent 105 win team like their Pythag would imply over 162 games, and they definitely aren't a .720 W% team like they have played over their last 25 games, that's 2001 Mariners territory.

But that performance as a team to this point, especially considering all the obstacles they have faced to get there, buys them more time to be patient in their movements, let the kids develop and call them up when the front office thinks they are ready (unless injury dictates otherwise in the interim) instead of calling them up hoping to improve on an already rolling team.

If Bauers can continue to hit LHP and at least play a passable OF I am ok with most of this, even if I would prefer to see Lara get a look. Though the service time, assuming we’re past super 2, and the option are overstated and overblown to me. If we are concerned with Lara being out of options by 2029 then he was probably not what we were looking for anyway and we’ll know that by then.

However for his career Bauers owns a 73 wRC+ versus LHP and though he might have improved on that I am guessing that is probably closer to his future splits than the 119 for 2026 that you mentioned.

[titanrick]

Someone with greater knowledge can correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't we also dealing with the unknown of a lockout next year, which has the potential to get quite long and drawn out.  My understanding is no one on the 40-man roster is allowed to play while they are locked out, but our minor leaguers not yet on the 40-man, will be allowed to continue to play during the lockout.  That would mean bringing up a prospect this year could interrupt his development next year.  

I can't really imagine using this as justification to keep Jett or Pratt down in Nashville all year, but guys like Made, who may get a look in September under normal circumstances?  It may benefit him in the long run to skip the "cup of coffee" if it means he can play during a lockout next spring/summer.

Is that accurate?

[owbc]

20 minutes ago, titanrick said:

Someone with greater knowledge can correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't we also dealing with the unknown of a lockout next year, which has the potential to get quite long and drawn out.  My understanding is no one on the 40-man roster is allowed to play while they are locked out, but our minor leaguers not yet on the 40-man, will be allowed to continue to play during the lockout.  That would mean bringing up a prospect this year could interrupt his development next year.  

I can't really imagine using this as justification to keep Jett or Pratt down in Nashville all year, but guys like Made, who may get a look in September under normal circumstances?  It may benefit him in the long run to skip the "cup of coffee" if it means he can play during a lockout next spring/summer.

Is that accurate?

The odds of the lockout lasting long enough to reduce the 2027 schedule to less than 162 have to be close to zero. Lot of posturing going on right now but at the end of the day both sides are making record revenue and they won’t do anything to jeopardize that.