Crash2303

saw that apparently Malik Collymore is playing for the Reds in A-ball. wish he was still in our system- the rattlers could use him. http://redsminorleagues.com/2017/06/22/dayton-dragons-make-several-roster-moves/

an already great outfield of Ray, Clark, Stokes - just got awesome defensively with Harrison added. Carolina is now where hits go to die.

Quite possibly...

if you do this, it should not be done based on pitch count or innings, but rather number of times through the lineup. the better pitchers still fair well 3rd time through, but most back-end rotation guys have inflated numbers the third plus times through, especially in the meat of the order. piggy-backing could really benefit the #4-5 starter. and you obviously still have the flexibility to keep a guy in longer if he's throwing lights out. but, generally, statistically, hitters adjust. and the other positive benefits of potential reduced stress on bullpen

Thanks And That. [sarcasm]I think that only leaves Brandol Perez to account for.[/sarcasm]

According to Game Score 2.0, the more precise version of Bill James' original stat (and provided I did the calculations right) last night's game had a score of 80, which is his 4th best alltime. The MLB game in the video above was his second best outing with a score of 86. However, his best outing of his professional career came last year at AA when he went 8 IP, 3 H, 0 BB, 0 ER, 8 K for a game score of 90! With that said, I used the constant of 40, and did not vary it to league average from year to year nor compensate for the different levels. Considering the 7/11/15 game was in the majors, I think that was the best he pitched as a professional, even if it may not have been his best statistical performance of his career. need to get back to work...

I'm done with our current back-end relievers. time to give an extended look at the next round of guys. has a team ever dropped 3-5 guys and brought up 3-5 new guys from AAA all at once? I would be tempted to do just that. normally, I'd say give them til the end of june then try the next guy(s) for the next 2 months. but, we're in the pennant race- this is ridiculous. obviously, Knebel & Barnes are staying. I'd say the rest of them are on a very short leash at this point (save peralta who is too talented to not let him try to figure out the bullpen til the end of the year. on the other hand unless he is flat out dominant, he'll probably be non-tendered regardless so...) either they start pitching well or they are sent down/DFA/released respectively and immediately. none of Hughes (31), Feliz (29), Scahill (30), Drake (30), Torres (34) factor in our long-term window anyway and all pretty much are who they are at this point without much prospect for getting better. for the most part they are known quantities, as so many on the board have stated we need to give playing time to our unknown quantities who are younger to see what we have in them. all of these type of relievers are a dime a dozen in the offseason, and as shown below, we have plenty of them who should at least do as well as the five mentioned are currently doing. I say keep throwing them at the wall and see who sticks. My Current Relief Que (this isn't even including injured pitchers Barrios & Nolin, or Ortiz who shouldn't be considered until next year): 1) Espino (his K/BB numbers are ridiculously awesome- I think he would be great out of pen) 2) Cravy (just keeps pitching well in relief, away from Colorado) 3) Suter (only if they stop using him as a long man- but only as a change of pace 1 IP back end bullpen piece) 4) Wang (sub 2.00 ERA- doing well- ready for another crack) 5) Hader (would like him to stay at AAA longer to work on his control, but afraid, like others that Colorado Springs is messing him up) either way, would like to seem him start in the bullpen this season and transition to the rotation next season. 6) Jungmann (who are you?) 7) Blazek (past MLB success- doing his job at AAA- but not part of the future, so...) 8) Woodruff (only concern is starting his clock- maybe best to wait til next season?) 9) Archer (not much time in AAA, but doing solid) 10) Burgos (pitching terribly lately and not part of the future- but love him so had to include him) 11) Wilkerson (what else does a guy need to do?) 12) Barbosa (6'8"- what else is there to say, except maybe that he has dominated on the road) 13) Ramsey (he's been pitching great at AA...since 2014) 14) Lopez (where have you gone, Jo?) 15) T Williams (my inclination would be let him get through a season healthy down at AA. then let him compete in Spring Training for a bullpen role.

great move getting the brewers out of there and up to Appleton. yes, dump. a relic, but not in a nostalgic way, in a completely neglected, this must be where Hollywood shoots minor league baseball movies when they want to overly show how crappy the minor leagues are, sort of way. though, worth seeing Harrison and our other young prospects play- absolutely.

Why isn't Cravy an option for the future? I'm not saying he's a high ceiling cornerstone pitching prospect, but he certainly deserves another shot and to be mentioned as a possible supporting bullpen piece moving forward. since the beginning of last year he has pitched really well in relief (and away from Colorado springs). 2017-AAA - at Colorado springs his numbers are terrible 7.59 ERA, but away from the thin air, did you know he has not allowed a run in 14IP and has 13K along with a 0.837 WHIP. 2017- MLB Spring Training (not much meaning in these stats, but reinforces he has consistently been pitching well for the last year)- 2.03 ERA, 13IP, 11K, 0.60 WHIP 2016-MLB - 0.81 ERA in 22IP and 17K and 0.940 WHIP as a reliever. 2016-AAA - 2.38 ERA in 41IP, 40K and 1.176WHIP as a reliever. those numbers get even better when you isolate him away from Colorado Springs. To me, he's the next reliever you bring up.

crazy because right before then, he was putting together an excellent season. especially against right handed hitters. and he still has been okay away from Colorado Springs, in fact it seems he's a bit of a sacrificial lamb of sorts- especially last year- in 2016 he pitched 37 innings at home and only 9 away.

thanks for the clarifications!

Some additional notes: First, Henry Medina was listed above as part of the split squad. Also, interesting that Alberto Paulino was listed as part of the DSL Brewers when he was reported released by them in Mid May. Must be more to this story, as And That suggested back when he first reported the release. In addition to the missing players listed, the following players were also not noted anywhere and wondering if they are stateside or released: Jorge Quiterio, Yancarlos Cruz, Felix Paulino.

out from the oblivion, Coulter has quietly been increasing those season totals thanks to a torrid streak hitting .990OPS over the last month. Jungmann has put together some nice outings since joining Colorado Springs, makes you wonder if he was pitching w/ restricted orders just working on something specific and now is allowed to open it up. who knows. and Ray & Nottingham have also gotten hot over the last month. nice to see those guys get going. and geez, Cooper just continues to hit. he really is, as others have noted, Overbay's statistical twin. In Overbay's last full AAA season at 25 years old, he hit .343/.396/.528 for a .923OPS he also had 40 doubles and 19 HR. In Cooper's age 26 season at AAA this year, he's hitting .341/.387/.555 for a .942OPS and if he plays the same amount of games and stays at the same pace, he'd end up with 39 doubles and 23 HR. crazy. and still crazy under the radar for many (albeit not on this board), buried beneath a considerable treasure hoard of high profiled AAA prospects.

Gatewood's on pace for 50 doubles. Isan Diaz has only 12 hits in last 62 ABs, however 9 of them have been for XBH.

assuming no trades are made this season with these players (which may indeed happen), beginning next season, the brewers have six outfielders who are in the mix for being a part of the Brewers competitive window. Braun, Santana, Broxton, Cordell, Brinson, Phillips (sorry wren). However, realistically there is only room for four of them, as we would receive way more in trade value than the value of a young OF prospect relegated to fifth wheel sitting the bench. in addition, we'll have a similar issue at 1B, with Aguilar, Thames and Cooper, with the latter two being able to play competent corner outfield spots that could factor in to which outfielders we keep. So the way I see it, starting next season, out of these nine guys there's only room for six, and that's if the sixth person can be the 5th OF/back up 1B and the rest should be dealt to maximize trade value. No use keeping any of these guys in AAA next season, if they continue to play even remotely as well as they're playing right now, especially if some could be packaged in to getting a current/future TOR. So, first do you agree with that? and if you do, which six would you keep and which three would you trade? What a great problem to have! * side note- this does not factor in the second wave (taylor, reed, coulter, davis) or third wave (clark, ray, Harrison, stokes, Segovia, orimoloye) OF prospects.

wow- over the last three weeks, Knebel has an astounding 22.7 K/9 rate! I know its only 8.1 innings, but dang.

Peralta moved to the bullpen on Rosiaks tweet. Sorry can't link right now. Best news in a while

ultimately, as with all speculative roster moves, the players will decide, as others have said. however, what fun is that? I tried to do a roster decision flow chart based off of realistic contingencies, but it was too cumbersome to describe without visuals so here are some extended thoughts on what to do with our current rotation. Preface: * this does not account for any possible injuries that unfortunately, may happen. * contract info from sportrac * all moves should be seen through the eyes of forming a contending window beginning next year and maintaining that window as long as we can. * obviously if you get an overwhelming offer for anyone- you pull the trigger. also obviously the market is dictated by what you can actually get. this is factoring in likely trade-values for each player in each contingency. ROTATION VARIABLES: A) Matt Garza If Garza is continuing to deal (not likely) than keep him in the rotation. Garza's main value to the Brewers at this point is what he could potentially bring back in a trade mid-summer. That only happens as a viable starter, if he can't do that and is moved to the bullpen, he would not have the track record of success to really net anybody of note even if he does okay there. as it were, I doubt he would bring much back regardless. More importantly, however, he is keeping the Brewers from finding out what we have in some of the younger guys this season. If by July he has reverted back to Garza of old and is not able to build off his last two outings by stringing together 4-5 more quality starts, it is unlikely that he could build enough trade value even if he turns it on after the all-star break and is time to cut the cord. simply put, come the All-Star break there is no place for Struggling Garza on this team, regardless of standings- it would be a sunk cost and he should be released. B) Jimmy Nelson & Wily Peralta Nelson is signed through 2020 & Peralta through 2019 As mentioned many times on these forums, both pitchers have been theorized by multiple sports analysts to be prime suitors for the bullpen. Much like Thornburg & Smith, who found moderate success as starters, when moved to the pen were lights out and actually increased their perceived trade value. both Nelson & Peralta have been given longer opportunities to succeed as starters than the aforementioned brewer alumni and still have not lived in to their potential. but time is running out as the prospects at AAA are pushing on the door and would expect some callups in the latter half of the year. unless they start stringing together some outstanding outings it makes a lot of sense to try both of them in relief and give someone else a shot in the rotation. Because Peralta's contract time is nearer, I would give him the first trial if both are floundering. C) Guerra Guerra needs to be given every opportunity to succeed as a starter. Although signed on a rookie scale through 2021, at 32, he is on the wrong side of 30. even if he continues excelling where he left off last year, it is more likely than not, that he would not be able to maintain that success and health through age 36 when the contract runs out. I think he is a ‘trade high,’ rather than a fixture for the rebuild. If he does well and is able to establish himself the rest of this year as a quality starter, his value greatly increases and you pull the trigger and trade him in the offseason for high end prospects. though with little track record and a recent injury, it is doubtful you'd get much for him now. there is little risk in letting him play out as a starter. if he does not do well upon his return. there is always a move to the bullpen later in the season. And like Nelson & Peralta, there is a strong case (perhaps even stronger), as many speculated before his Thames'esq emergence last year, that his stuff would translate extraordinarily well out of the bullpen and could be a dominant reliever. D) Anderson & Davies Both pitchers have not been projected by most analysts to have high ceilings. both are cost-controlled, mid/back end starters; Anderson signed through 2020 & Davies signed through 2021, respectively. I think davies might be an interesting 'change of pace' bullpen guy (IMHO also Suter’s niche potential), but realistically both of their values are most tied to finding sustained success as starters. there is value for sure as back of the rotation inning eaters, but unless something has changed where the Brewers see either of them as potential top of the rotation potential (w/ any recent developments that we're not privy to), both should be looked at as future trade pieces. We have plenty of guys in the upper minors who more than likely can provide what they do who need a chance to see if they could do anything more. However, at this point, the trade value for Anderson or Davies is not very high. Since it seems they've already established a solid back of the rotation as their floor, there is little risk in letting them ride out as starters the rest of the year and provide average innings for our young, but competitive team. however, if either of them show success this year through the trade deadline, they should be traded while they're hot for all we can get. E) Wilkerson/Espino/Burgos These three guys are no longer prospects in the sense that they’re developmental peak has more than likely already been reached. With that said, we don't really know what that peak is at the MLB level. All three have found varied success in the upper minors, and need to be given a shot to see what they can do in the big show. Most likely all are AAAA guys, like Cravy, who could be serviceable back-end bullpen arms or spot starters, but it is possible, especially with Espino that they are currently in their prime and could be long-term pieces or build some value this season to be dealt after the season or next year’s trade deadline. A fair comparison might be Michael Fiers, who was entering in his prime, killing the minors and was given a shot, made the most of it, and the Brewers sold high and were able to unload for prospects. As it is, these three currently offer little in trade value, but could potentially net some value with meaningful success at the next level. F) Hader/Woodruff/Lopez At some point, if these higher end prospects continue to progress, they will be given a shot. And due to their higher ceilings will be given a much longer shot than the aforementioned trio, but we need to see what we have first in the older guys. Because, assumingly once Hader/Woodruff/Lopez come up, there won’t be many opportunities for those other guys to see what they can do. As tempting it is for the fanbase to see our top prospects come up early a la Arcia last year, I think it is more sensical to use this flex year to more closely evaluate and potentially expand one’s assets, especially since all three have options and there is little rush. G) Bullpen There is plentiful MLB bullpen fodder depth. So it is important to give ample time to sort through who is fodder and who is cream, to mix metaphors. Seemingly so far, only Knebel and Barnes have demonstrated that they are long-term pieces as both are signed through 2021/2022, respectively. So let’s see what we’ve got. Drake seems for real, his elite K rates in the minors have translated to the majors and has been doing well, hopefully he can continue as he’s signed through 2022 and could form the back end of a great 1,2,3. Feliz, a free agent after the year, will be given a long shot at re-discovering his game in order to be dealt at the trade deadline. Regardless, we have too many bullpen guys to evaluate, so at the trade deadline we need to deal him for whatever we can get or release him. Torres and Hughes are only signed through 2018 making them probable trade candidates and should definitely be dealt at any point before the trade deadline next year. Neither mark to be top-end guys, but if they play well this season, could provide some bolstering to another bullpen at the deadline or after the season. But since we would likely get little for them anyway, see last year’s Blaine Boyer, if either of them aren’t performing well by July I would DFA them and give a shot to their fellow, but longer team controlled, ‘back-end bullpen fodder but may be more’ bucket. This includes Scahill, Marinez, Cravy, Blazek, Wang, Suter, Ramsey and Nolin & Barrios if they ever get healthy. These guys all probably have similar ceilings and floors and would be fairly interchangeable as back-end bullpen arms to pull from during our contending years. If they haven’t already, each should be given shots as spots allow, but could also be nice guys to package in larger deals, much like Wagner was last year. Some Minor Moves FWIW: * Not sure if Wilkerson & Ramsey are down in AA the same reason that Lopez & Jungmann are, but what else do either of them have left to prove down there? Ramsey has been lights out and has a 1.58 ERA in 85 innings of relief at AA over the past three years! I would swap both of those guys up for Oliver & Kohlscheen. * I would only use Suter only in the pen, as that is where he is best utilized and where his future is and let Wilkerson have his starts. * I would drop Colton Cross down to A ball and bring up Parker Berberet, who like Ramirez has shown a deft feel for pitching so far. * I think you could remove Jungmann & Houser from the 40 man without either being claimed, so if there was an opportunity to pick anyone else up off waivers in the near future, I say grab em and take the risk.

please tell me this has been posted somewhere here already, if so- no apologies. his own theme song?

Did you read the article? He had 20/20 when they drafted him. Yearly eye exams are not only normal, but inexpensive. If they didn't know he needed glasses, they should've... this reminds me of a similar dialogue that many had when Jason Kendall had Lasik surgery- and many questioned then, too if the team gave yearly eye exams. http://forum.brewerfan.net/viewtopic.php?f=63&t=10695&start=60

is this a Milwaukee team? if so, is there any interest in a Madison team again?

Gabe Kapler would like to speak with you... I believe Angel Salome might have a say in that... http://i47.tinypic.com/jug51k.jpg

Forgot all about the Hurricane!

My top five: 1) Bill Hall 2) T-Plush 3) Derrick Turnbow 4) John Axford's mustache 5) Bucky Jacobsen apologies to Kieschnik, the Muscle, Hank the Dog (on behalf of my daughter) and Yuny B (loved to hate) btw- also tons of other minor league guys, who may not necessarily fit in this conversation- but may in a separate list sometime "brewerfan.net love"- guys like Capn Lou, Maverik Lasker, Dillard, Rottino, Neuge (may have been the most excited I've been over a prospect)

With each additional HR and audacious media quote, it seems Thames' fan following continues to grow. Which brings back sentiments of the cultish fervor surrounding T-Plush (and "his" twitter account) in 2011 and Bill Hall in 2006 and all the chuck norris Bill Hall jokes. So, where does Eric Thames (insert official brewerfan nickname suggestion) currently rank on your alltime brewerfan.net cult heroes list? of course, when he breaks Bonds' single season HR record by July- he may become ineligible for "cult" status. loose basis of definition of brewerfan.net cult status: * often a sudden, unexpected, & (somewhat) sustained rise of success. * often a meme or huge thread devoted to subject on site * may or may not be that popular among mainstream brewer fans * often a distinguishable characteristic ie mustache, walk up song, cool name etc And we're talking peak cult status.