Brewers Make a Surprising 40-Man Addition Ahead of Rule 5 Deadline, and More Moves May Loom

Since they got him for Toro, if Patrick does make positive contributions for the Brewers, would that make him the brightest spot for either team in that Wong-Winker deal?

1 hour ago, Joseph Zarr said:

With all due respect...My main 'contention' (I say this lightly here but with some conviction - ie I don't begrudge opinions) is really the lack of evolution in the entire conversation around Patrick's game and his season. He is constantly an afterthought. There simply appears to consistently be reasons he is not taken seriously. He didn't get discussed in the 'Minor League Pitcher of the Year' announcements. Fine. There are many strong pitchers and a handful of worthy arms in the Brewers system. He wasn't even brought into the conversation, however - I definitely took note. There always appears to be a classic modern day baseball referral to his 'stuff' - movement profiles etc. - that don't match up to what the group think of statistical profiles and graphic reads have people saying. I'm not saying these aren't important - they are crucial and rightfully so and many on our board and across baseball can discuss them with infinitely more adept acumen than myself. BUT, there has to be an ability to accept and embrace outliers and there has to be an ability to embrace and celebrate results. Nobody was seriously advocating for or discussing his game when he literally accomplished a feat only three pitchers in the entire history of the International League have accomplished. There were 'Yeah, but(s)...". Like Gasser, he won International League Pitcher of the Year. AND, Matt, with all due respect, instead of celebrating and lifting up his accomplishment by being selected to the 40-Man you literally headline your article by pretty much diminishing it. This is what I mean when I purport to put some respect on his name. I personally don't care if there was inner-organizational doubts. The head man and the likely Manager of the Year in the NL and his staff wanted him on their team and available in their staff. The 'surprise' or the 'doubts', in my humble opinion, 'should' or would ideally come in the body of the article. It most definitely shouldn't be the lead in my baseball world view. I love your stuff and I love your baseball mind. I don't agree with how this article was delivered. And, hey, that's OK. It gets us all talking passionately about Brewers baseball and at the end of the day that's a good thing. Your reasons for going the route you did are your reasons and I accept that. I simply don't agree with the approach. 

 

The only thing I personally find surprising in today's announcements so far is what this possibly says about RHP Shane Smith - in all the various ways this can be interpreted. A pitcher I really like and many of us here do. And, well, a pitcher I certainly hope the Brewers don't lose. Maybe the Brewers and others feel he just isn't far enough along in his attempts to be a starter? Those are conversations I would love to hear.

What Patrick did was truly impressive in that league (remember when the International League was more of a pitcher’s league?). I was only mildly surprised because it didn’t seem like the Brewers were treating him like a prospect. If the stuff ticked up late in the season, though, that helps explain things. I was so used to solid starts by him in a league in which they were rare that I probably would have overlooked granular changes later on.

I thought if they were going to take two, Smith would be the one getting the other spot. Both, though, had absurdly good years.