Crash2303

1 Lewis Brinson 2 Josh Hader 3 Corey Ray 4 Lucas Erceg 5 Isan Diaz 6 Brandon Woodruff 7 Luis Ortiz 8 Phil Bickford 9 Mauricio Dubon 10 Marcos Diplan 11 Jorge Lopez 12 Jacob Nottingham 13 Taylor Williams 14 Monte Harrison 15 Cody Ponce 16 Jacob Gatewood 17 Nathan Kirby 18 Trent Clark 19 Brett Phillips 20 Freddy Peralta 21 Corbin Burnes 22 Mario Feliciano 23 Ryan Cordell 24 Trey Supak 25 Jesus Aguilar (should still be eligible, no?) 26 Gilbert Lara 27 Kodi Medeiros 28 Demi Orimoloye 29 Devin Williams 30 Jacob Barnes 31 Troy Stokes 32 Brent Suter

If you had to pick a prospect to buy stock in, meaning you think they will rise up the prospect charts by the end of they year and one who is set to fall- who would you choose? Here are my two picks: Buy- Lucas Erceg- he's already pretty highly rated, but from offseason reports he looks great, keeps raking and his glove at third is looking excellent. I think he'll be a top 5 brewer prospect and MLB top 100 by end of year. HM - T. Williams, Walters, T. Stokes, F. Peralta, Harrison, Gatewood, Roache Sell - Brett Phillips - much has been written about his conjested swing and the difficulty in repeating it and getting consistent contact. I would love for him to figure it out, but i think he's someone who's still high status is living off of visions of past success at lower levels. On the other hand, he's had a nice spring- still hoping! HM - Lara, D. Williams, McLanahan, Coulter, Reed, Susac, Houser, J.Ortega, Mederios, Uhen

Seeing as though a few have taken some liberty with the original question, i would like to follow in that vein. There are just too many to highlight- i'm definitely with many of you who said, you'll be looking forward to following all of them! So, to narrow them down i put them in ten different categories: 1) All of 2016 Draft Class Can't wait to see what they all do in year two. Especially Ronnie Gideon and Jose Gomez. Gideon to see if he can still excel against pitchers his own age and Gomez, because who doesn't want to root for Gomeyito. I also love the upside of Braden Webb and think Burnes is going to continue to rise quickly. Guys who fall later in the draft due to signability concerns are often under the radar due to their draft position, guys like Lillis, Zach Clark, Gabriel Garcia, and not under the radar McLanahan. And of course there's our exciting top 3 picks. 2) All the Newbies Always fun to follow fresh faces. But, I'm particularly intrigued by Art Charles- dominating the Indy league, has a similar Eric Thames mystery quality to him. And of course not under the radar, but excited to see what Dubon and Pennington do. Also, not sure if these guys are still considered prospects, but think Ramsey is under most people's radar and would love to see Aguilar get some regular MLB ABs. In addition, i'd also include the guys brought over in trades last year excited to get a longer look at them too. I guess I can add positional newbies here too- particularly Ramirez and Berberet. Hopefully they'll have more success than recent attempts of Max Walla and Hitaniel Arias. 3) Lost Their Luster as several have mentioned, some guys who, even casual brewer fans may have heard of, recently were highly rated prospects, but have fallen off most top lists for variety of reasons including, Roache, Coulter, Demi, Lara, T. Taylor, Medeiros, Phillips, Lopez, Harrison, Gatewood. Coulter had an exciting 2nd half last year, after being called up to AA, Gatewood has looked good this spring, Harrison is healthy, Demi & Lara are still so young, and #Why can't Reed hit for power? From comments around the board i think there are many who feel hope these guys are gonna break out again. 4) Back on the Field Guys who are coming off injury offer additional intrigue as we see if they can regain their form. We've got quite a few who are either starting the year after missing much of last year or will be joining the team later this year. Will pay attention to all of them, especially, T. Williams, Kirby, Nolin, Barrios, Luna, Burkhalter, Missaki and both of the Leals. extra intriguing is we haven't really even had an extended chance to see most of these guys. Barrios & Carlos Leal still barely have any pro time at their current position, so despite the former's age, still are young, developmentally. Kirby is going to come out firing- such a long wait! and the excitement around T. Will has already been building since the rule v draft. 5) Disappointed They Won't Be Joining Us I'll still keep an eye on them and root for them, but was looking forward to following their progress with the Brewers this season. Wish they could have had one more season to see what was what including Denson, T. Perry, Collymore, Terry, Saldivar, and of course higher prospects Liriano & M. Diaz. And an honorary shoutout to Walker and Nading and Decker (not a prospect), who never were- lol. 6) Oldies But Goodies Definitely not considered prospects anymore, but guys who have had a lot of minor league success and hope they do well to get, in some cases, another shot at the bigs. Especially Dillard, Espino, Wilkerson, Burgos. 7) On the Cusp In danger of being in the aforementioned grouping, these guys need to solidify themselves on the MLB team or else they will be lost amongst the incoming slew of prospects in the next 2 years. that urgency will make me follow them a little closer. Cravy, Wang, Suter, Magnifico, Jungmann, Orf, Reed 8) DSL $babies the DSL is often intriguing because of the lack of scouting info that gets back stateside to the public. other than stats, sometimes the most helpful info is what they signed for. so, when you see a half-million dollars tied to a name, you tend to take notice, so i'd include recent signees Pablo Abreu, Jean Carmona, Jose Sibrian, Francis Tolentino, Jesus Lujano, Victor Maria, Antonio Pinero. 10) Just Cause I don't know, we all grow statistical attachments to certain players that we inexplicably root a little more for. maybe we think they're underappreciated or maybe they have the same last name as you. either way, we look extra forward to checking out their box scores. for me, this year, guys who haven't been mentioned yet, i'd include Brandon Diaz- great rookie season, was enamored w a fangraphs article on him after that year, that predicted him to excel- can't separate that out of my mind. Johnny Davis- so fast. so fast. Josh Uhen- call me a homer, but who doesn't want to root for a local guy? Christian Trent- He is one of those guys i kept asking last year, why has he not moved up yet? Ponce- not under the radar, but lost a little luster after his horrid 2nd half last year, but still think he is a fast riser- just have a feeling about him. in the same way as Trent Clark- I know he's not under the radar either, and even though he looks aloof at times, i think he's one of the most natural hitters i've seen in a while. And, among other reasons, the guys who just have cool names- Magnifico, Bubba Derby, Forrest Snow, Troy Stokes to name a few. So Exciting Their tools are electric. Will definitely be following them closely, along with everyone else. Corey Ray, Josh Hader, & Lewis Brinson

And probably not much to do with Stearns, but also don't forget about Gentry Fortuno. http://www.brewcrewball.com/2017/3/28/15086072/gentry-fortuno-opens-up-after-being-released-by-milwaukee-brewers I really like Stearns and think he, by and large, has made positive moves. No GM strikes gold all of the time, and he is bound to make some transaction mistakes. I think the direction and position he has put the ballclub in is exciting and optimistic, loaded with high upside potential, while still trying to field a capable and competitive MLB team. i love that he is sabermetrically driven, and looking for undervalued assets. So, first, it is odd to me that he took such calculated risks losing upside guys like Liriano and Diaz. Who knows if they will ever put it all together, and one could argue that the system is crowded with guys like them, but our system is stronger with them in it and the potential that each of them had should have far outweighed the opportunity or flexibility of keeping 30 year old AAAA journeymen protected on the 40 man roster, especially factoring in where our organization is in the rebuild. Also, there is nothing really to suggest that Stearns doesn't operate and foster in his staff the utmost respect in regard to player treatment. But, as one becomes myopically focused with systems, stats or strategies I hope that we don't lose touch with a strong emphasis that the Brewers built under Melvin as treating players with great respect. Melvin and the front office were held in high esteem across the league and among players of treating them with dignity, even during difficult conversations surrounding roster changes. Counsell seems to have a great repoire and I have no reason to think Stearns doesn't either, but with the three disgruntled players mentioned above, i hope that is not a sign of a growing disregard for how the organization communicates with players. when attracting FA and deciding whether to sign extensions, and clubhouse environments, these factors can't be ignored.

interesting article on the Blue Jays' controversial waiver pickup strategy- to claim as many players as possible and DFA them to hopefully pass through waivers again and add quality depth to the AAA club less expensively than signing minor league FA. It seems Stearns is using a similar strategy. http://www.foxsports.com/mlb/story/toronto-blue-jays-gm-alex-anthopoulos-uses-waiver-claims-to-maximum-advantage-at-minimal-cost-042413 Not including guys like Scahill & Rowen who were claimed and optioned successfully during the season. Here is a list of the five players that Stearns claimed off waivers this offseason, of which all (except Aguilar, the most recent claim) were subsequently exposed to waivers again. If the intent of claiming them is the hope of squeezing them through to AAA, it has not had the most effective results this offseason- but i think its a good strategy. Adam Walker -re-claimed off waivers Ehire Adrianza - within 7 day DFA limbo Jesus Aguilar - 40 man...for now Blake Parker - passed through, but denied assignment Steve Geltz - passed through, but denied assignment

Brewers signed right hand reliever, Ryan Webb: http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/milwaukee-brewers

also Snow dominated as a reliever last year, but was mediocre as a starter. a good flex option to have.

anybody know anything about Art Charles? looks like last year he killed Indy ball and was Indy Player of the Year. but is struggling this winter in the carribean. Here's a BA write up on his Indy time- looks intriguing- classic Stearns pick. http://www.baseballamerica.com/minors/art-charles-regains-swing-confidence-jersey/#pRKRvcgEiXrSOYtj.97 I also really like the Matt Ramsey pick. he'll have to battle with a stacked AA/AAA bullpen but his statistical track record is very positive. he missed all of 2015 and most of 2016, with I assume an injury. couldn't find any info on that- but hope he's healthy and ready to go. Here's a write up from John Sickels before the 2015 season, who rated him #19 in the Marlins system:

as disappointed as I am to see Diaz lost, I was more frustrated at the loss of Liriano as I did not think the risk was worth the gamble. though, Goforth over Diaz was atrocious too. and although I of course don't want to root against anyone trying to make it- it would be hard to see either of these guys go on to be successful with another team.

the bucks are the third best team in the east?

a healthy Khris Middleton means...

I'd also like to bring back Gian Rizzo to the states, particularly Milwaukee, or even more particularly Biloxi

at the time of the proposed trade, Puig had lost significant value and was sent to the minors. The Brewers thought they could capitalize on this, as it was not too long ago that Puig was one of the most valuable young talents in baseball, and place a bet that he would re-establish himself the next season and they could re-trade him for a lot more, at the deadline or after the season, and by then Brinson and/or others would be ready to step in. as it so happened, Puig went off and did exactly that, at least in a limited number of games. it'll be interesting to see if in fact talks do re-emerge.

If Jones is really expected to be a great reliever in a year then the Brewers should draft him again. should have clarified that my list was solely based off of the "cream of the crop" link from BA. is there a complete listing of rule v eligible guys somewhere? I know it would be huge, but if anyone knows of one- please link it here or direct me if I missed it already on the site.

I'd take a waiver on Wang the guys I would take are: 1) Tyler Webb- could be a major league contributor as a lefty specialist this year and in year's to come- also like the K numbers. if he sucks come june, send him back- no real loss. 2) Drew Muren- I'm a sucker for converted pitchers who throw 100mph. with only one pro season under his belt, has shown advanced feel for pitching. I don't think would be a terrible waste of space on the MLB roster, any more so than Goforth, but with a higher upside for the future. Depends Phillip Evans- the Brewers currently don't have much utility infield depth- I think this is probably best addressed in FA whether major or minor leagues, but even though evans has not hit above AA, he is intriguing. If they see his breakout year as a developmental change with enough upside to be a valuable major league commodity in the next few years, I could see them taking a flyer on him and could probably hold his own as much or slightly better than Walsh did last year enough to last the whole year. the scouting department would obviously be key (as it would be in any of these) in investigating his adjustments and his play during winter ball. Almost, but no: Justin Haley- would rather have a "surer" thing in Scahill to possibly bring back a lottery ticket at the trade deadline. don't see him with big upside nor much better than anyone else we have. Zack Weiss- numbers remind me a lot of Zack(h) Jones and unfortunately, I think would net a similar result. though I still think Jones is going to be a great MLB reliever in a year or so. I tried to use a criteria of would I rather have 'this guy' instead of Goforth/Scahill (assuming one of them makes the 25 man). also factoring in potential trade values for those current guys, depending on how their season goes.

fwiw- my top "10" guys I'd look to sign. They are ranked in groupings of position based on need/talent and I wouldn't sign more than one player from each positional grouping. (I re-edited it based off of the original minor league free agent list and updated signings as of 11/21). Position Players: 1B/OF 1a) David Washington - (for all the reasons people have mentioned above) 1b) Jesus Montero - (his 50 game drug suspension would give cooper time to see what he can do) C 2a) Michael McKenry - (resign for AAA depth and outside shot at MLB if Maldy is dealt) 2b) Josmil Pinto - (resign- bat is MLB capable, c/1b and other parts of game, well...) 3B 3a) Colin Walsh- 3b/2b (resign- now with some AAA time under belt- ready for the MLB challenge again) 3b) Garin Cecchini- 3b/1b (resign- still hasn't reach potential- would be a nice AAA starting 3b with some upside) 3c) Travis Denker - 3b/2b/of (intriguing- spent like five years in independent and Mexican leagues- came back and crushed AA last year, but is 30 years old) 3d) Gabriel Quintana -3b/2b/of (only 24 and has big power- not much else) 3e) Jermaine Curtis - 3b/2b/of (think Orf, but 29 years old) 2B/SS 4a) Daniel Castro - (brought up at 22 and still only 24, not much bat but good D for AAA middle infield utility depth) 4b) Jose Vinicio - (only 23- worth a flyer for infield depth) OF (if braun is traded and major league outfield is filled with young in house options) 5a) Ramon Flores - (ok, last year sucked- agreed, but wish we could keep his talent in the system) 5b) Shane Peterson - (great organizational outfield depth and 1b depth) 5c) Cesar Puello- (high OB% and 25 years old) 5d) Yorman Rodriguez- (solid all around and only 24- was out most of last year) Pitchers: intriguing position player turned pitcher 1a) Yhonathan Barrios (resign- coming off injury, but still so new to pitching- too intriguing to let go) 1b) Luis Ramirez- (nice K numbers) organizational depth 2a) Cesar Valdez (my pick for this year's Junior Guerra) 2b) Hiram Burgos (resign- but if he has a shot at MLB elsewhere- hope he takes that instead) 2c) Tim Dillard (resign for morale- but hope he continues in marketing in some capacity) younger talent to take a flyer on 3a) Kender Villegas (resign- only 23) 3b) Jhondaniel Medina (only 23 and pitched well at AAA) 3c) Peter Tago- (recently turned 24 with nice numbers through AA including some big Ks this past season) 3d) Kendry Flores (only 24 and in majors with good looking minor league numbers) left-handed relief depth 4a) Adam Wilk 4b) Adam Kolarek veteran right-handed relief depth (only if we lose some AAA pitching depth in trades) 5a) Maikel Cleto (big K numbers) 5b) Ben Rowen (did not do well after trade, but good track record) 5c) Austin Ross (stuck in Colorado for too long- one more go round?)

All good points, but the Brewers should be staying away from known quantities with limited upside this next year, but instead be targeting guys with higher upsides who haven't gotten much of a shot to see what they can do. Outside of finding our young, high upside major league ready third baseman of the future through a trade, I also like And That's idea of Segedin and Rivera. Although they may not be future potential stars, they are at risk of turning into AAAA players because of being blocked at the MLB level. I love the idea of giving guys like them extended looks to see what they can do.

it's not that he's not a valuable 4/5th OF, it's that we know he's a valuable 4/5th OF. He's a known quantity. what frustrates/puzzles me is the letting go of guys with greater upside, physical toolsets, and strong minor league records of success who are still young and projectable in favor of a guy like Kirk, who at 29 has a far less likelihood of being anything but a 4-5th OF. Whereas young guys like Rymer Liriano and Ramon Flores still have a shot at reaching a much higher ceiling. Especially Liriano, who (mental recovery from being hit in the face notwithstanding) has a ceiling on par or even higher than Broxton, but who's only major league action was a limited opportunity as a 23 year old rookie. Losing Liriano seems in stark contrast to what Stearns has been all about so far too. If we were contending this year it might be different, but if we are sticking to Stearns' developmental plan its that this year, as was the case last year, we have the luxury to give higher ceilinged guys extended opportunities to succeed. Any floor expectation for Liriano or Flores for this upcoming year is not that far off from what Nieuwenhuis would predictably provide. But, if given the chance, could show enough promise to be special players. and if they don't live into that potential after another season, nothing was really lost- Brinson and others will be up anyway. but, we potentially could have just created another attractive trade piece. For that matter, if Nieuwy does in fact have trade value- then why hasn't he been traded already- there have been lots of opportunities. whatever we conceivably could get for him, I doubt will return anyone with the amount of upside that Liriano, or for that matter, Flores has.

yay

Yes, and the fact that we still have Nieuwenhuis, together makes it all the more disappointing to me that we risked losing Liriano prematurely.

great list- our composite wisdom will prevail! however, I do not see Rymer Liriano listed anywhere, but should be listed with Mallen & Houser as "mr. irrelevant" as he was #22 on my list. unless I missed somewhere that he is no longer with Milwaukee or ineligible for the list

Top 25 1 Lewis Brinson 2 Josh Hader 3 Luis Ortiz 4 Corey Ray 5 Phil Bickford 6 Marcos Diplan 7 Isan Diaz 8 Brandon Woodruff 9 Brett Phillips 10 Trent Clark 11 Jorge Lopez 12 Jacob Nottingham 13 Freddy Peralta 14 Gilbert Lara (his surge at the end of the year gave me hope, but Kusiolek's scouting reports from instructionals gives me pause) 15 Kodi Medeiros 16 Devin Williams 17 Trey Supak (improved control, combined with excellent stuff and solid year at a young age jumped him from 57 to 17) 18 Lucas Erceg 19 Cody Ponce (reports of a 89-90 FB in instructionals is worrisome, but writing it off as instructionals) 20 Corbin Burnes 21 Nathan Kirby 22 Rymer Liriano (the forgotten talent in the system. lots of upside. recent injuries have cost him 2 years of experience- still only 25, in terms of developmental timeline, is probably closer to that of a 23 year old- i predict he's this year's Keon Broxton) 23 Monte Harrison 24 Clint Coulter (welcome back, Clint- hope you stick around) 25 Ryan Cordell Apologies to: 26 Jacob Gatewood (at this point, i think his ceiling might be Brandon Wood, which is actually a compliment) 27 Miguel Diaz 28 Mario Feliciano 29 Demi Orimoloye 30 Jacob Barnes

Andy Wilkins

Was hoping it would be Kyle Wren. thought he earned a September call up. not to mention reed is with us regardless next year, I'd think wren is the guy you'd want an extended look at to better gauge if you should protect him from the rule 5 draft.

can't a man dream...