Tyler Black Needs Playing Time In 2025, Here's How The Brewers Can Do It

Not a chance he gets 20-30 starts at 3B.  I think that ship has sailed.

Full time DH ?

It would nice to be able to move Hoskins but with that contract not likely.  Black's lack of power doesn't fit great with 1B but if the bat is humming it would get him in the lineup.  I think we're at the point with Yeli he may find much more time as DH and if not him I don't think Black has earned the designation at least for now.   I think Black is still at the point where he needs to earn and prove his status bat wise.  He's not a 3rd baseman.  He is a prime candidate to be moved in a trade, part of a package likely.  

44 minutes ago, sveumrules said:

Last year Bauers got 60 starts at 1B, nine in the OF, and eight at DH, plus 33 pinch hit appearances which added up to 346 PAs.

I’d plan to divvy up the starts something like this entering the season…

First Base
Hoskins (100) Black (62)

Designated Hitter
Yelich (70) Contreras (42) Hoskins (25) Black (25)

That would give Black ten extra starts over Bauers last year, which should get him up around 400 PAs for the year.

I agree, I would bet Yeli starts like 100 games at DH assuming he doesn't get hurt and Contreras is less.

Black= 62 1st, 20-30 DH, 5-10 OF, 2-5 2B/3B That puts him around 100 with injuries making the potential for more. With maybe like 20-30 pinch hitting appearance that should be enough playing time to see what he can do. Then next year the door is open for full time 1st or a trade to a team with an OF opening. 

First thing he needs to do is fix that stupid massive front leg lift.

Till then it wont matter because he will continue to get eaten alive by speed change.

I'm just trying to figure out why the accompanying photo is of Frelick

7 hours ago, Trax said:

It would nice to be able to move Hoskins but with that contract not likely.  Black's lack of power doesn't fit great with 1B but if the bat is humming it would get him in the lineup.  I think we're at the point with Yeli he may find much more time as DH and if not him I don't think Black has earned the designation at least for now.   I think Black is still at the point where he needs to earn and prove his status bat wise.  He's not a 3rd baseman.  He is a prime candidate to be moved in a trade, part of a package likely.  

Hoskins contract isn't that much of an impediment. They can pick up part of the contract and still get some salary relief if all else fails. I'm sure there would be some team willing to take Hoskins for $8 million for example. While paying $10 million for him to be on another team isn't optimal no need to compound the mistake. It still leaves us with $8 million to spend elsewhere.

36 minutes ago, Thurston Fluff said:

Hoskins contract isn't that much of an impediment. They can pick up part of the contract and still get some salary relief if all else fails. I'm sure there would be some team willing to take Hoskins for $8 million for example. While paying $10 million for him to be on another team isn't optimal no need to compound the mistake. It still leaves us with $8 million to spend elsewhere.

I just don't want to be reactionary. He had the worst year of his career coming off an ACL. It's an additional 14M to the payroll. You start hacking away further and...it really doesn't make sense to me to eat more of that money and spend..8 M if a trade leaves us paying 10M to facilitate a trade. 

You get rid of Hoskins and I'd be willing to bet he goes somewhere else, puts up an 800 OPS again, hits 25-30 HRs and you're left with a hole at 1B.

As for Black being Hiura...I don't think he is....but we're not going to know until he gets regular playing time. We at least gave Keston a couple chances. Black's not really been given that yet...and I don't see a scenario in which he has the holes in his swing that Keston does, but nobody's mind is going to be able to be changed in the off-season with ~50 ABs in his MLB career.

They're similar in that they don't have a definitive home. The Brewers have seemingly been moving him around with an eye on the short term future to where they MIGHT need him. 

9 hours ago, sveumrules said:

Last year Bauers got 60 starts at 1B, nine in the OF, and eight at DH, plus 33 pinch hit appearances which added up to 346 PAs.

I’d plan to divvy up the starts something like this entering the season…

First Base
Hoskins (100) Black (62)

Designated Hitter
Yelich (70) Contreras (42) Hoskins (25) Black (25)

That would give Black ten extra starts over Bauers last year, which should get him up around 400 PAs for the year.

I think this breakdown might be close to how he's used assuming he isn't dealt. And despite his value not being what it was at, say, this time last year I wouldn't rule out him being part of a trade. I just don't know if him not fitting the defensive profile the team likes will allow him to be part of the plan. And while LF might be his best landing spot the OF isn't exactly a spot of need.

20 hours ago, BrewerFan said:

I just don't want to be reactionary. He had the worst year of his career coming off an ACL. It's an additional 14M to the payroll. You start hacking away further and...it really doesn't make sense to me to eat more of that money and spend..8 M if a trade leaves us paying 10M to facilitate a trade. 

You get rid of Hoskins and I'd be willing to bet he goes somewhere else, puts up an 800 OPS again, hits 25-30 HRs and you're left with a hole at 1B.

 

 

Keep in mind this is all premised on needing to find playing time for Black. If trading Hoskins would leave a hole at first there is already a hole at third. We have a viable inexpensive option at first in Black. While there is risk in trusting a rookie there is also a risk Hoskins isn't an 800 OPS guy next season. If that $8 million gets us a better option at third and Black turns out to be serviceable at first the combination of both would probably be better overall than an 800 OPS poor fielding first baseman would be on his own in either event. All that assumes we'd have to pick up over half his contract. I'm not so sure that's the case though the more we pick up the better the return.