Fear The Chorizo

Sogard's 2017 season was only 94 mlb games, so stop acting like it was a full year. Calling that a full season is alot like calling his 2018 a full year at this point. His 2017 numbers are inflated due to an insanely hot 3-4 week stretch when he was first brought in. Aside from that, he reverted to his career averages of being bad. Although I guess if he's a late inning pinch hitter extraordinaire the brewers could probably get some great value by trading him when their roster runs out of room...sheesh Of all the MIF outcasts on the roster, Sogard would travel the farthest if you threw him out, partially because he weighs 75 pounds, but mostly because he's the worst player.

If Saladino's and Sogard's 2018 offensive #'s were exactly the same brutal 0.141 BA and 16 OPS+ (lol) and I had to pick one for the roster, I'd still take Saladino over Sogard because he's the better and more versatile defensive player. Simple as that.

Saladino is the superior defender at 2B, SS, and 3B compared to Sogard. Since Sogard doesn't even have a pitcher's ability to hit this season, any offensive comparison between the two is a waste of time. In my perfect world for rest of the 2018 season, Saladino comes back healthy right around the time the Brewers acquire Machado. Saladino slides into the roles currently manned by both Perez and Sogard (utility IF / backup 3B), and Sogard is finally put out of his misery. Then you probably send Arcia down to AAA and keep Perez around as the team's funky haircut and super utility guy that can still get a decent amount of starts to spell regulars if he keeps hitting.

So we did get something for the 5th overall pick? (Jason) didn't you hear, Jason likes to be called Mark... oops!

I don't think it really matters what their ages are considering where they are currently with the Brewers - Phillips and Santana are OF's currently on the 40 man who are running out of minor league options, and the positions they primarily play are manned by veteran MLB starters that either have unmoveable contracts (Braun) or multiple years of team control with every expectation of them playing for the Brewers the next 3-4 seasons (Yelich, Cain). Throw in guys like Thames, where they put him in the OF to keep his bat in the lineup and the fact there are a pile of younger OF prospects just behind Phillips and Santana, and those two are going to be squeezed out as Brewers if they don't produce. 2018 was the year when Santana was supposed to establish himself as a legit middle of the order bat and Phillips could've proven to be a quality 4th OF option - both fell flat on their face, unfortunately.

Too often we wind up overvaluing players like Broxton acquired via trade to try and validate "winning" a deal - the Brewers got Broxton and Supak for another AAAA player in Mark Rogers. Broxton had solid MLB stints over the past few seasons, but in the end his extended cold spells at the plate are just too much for a team with an eye on contending to take the good with the bad - and those same cold stretches are what gives Broxton basically no trade value considering his age. The Brewers still got more value in the combo of Broxton and Supak than what they gave up in Rogers - much more, actually. If he's still with the Brewers come September, I could see them calling him up when rosters expand - but even then he's not going to be a factor unless they have a late inning pinch runner need or their current outfield depth is devastated by injuries. I wouldn't be surprised at all if Broxton finds himself mashing in Japan or Korea next season, or if a rebuilding team in need of MLB roster filler takes a shot at him manning an OF position for 2019 (much like what the Brewers did when they first acquired him). Phillips has been one of my biggest disappointments across the organization this season - him and Santana really need to turn things around, or else they aren't going to be Brewers much longer.

Injury prone refers to people who are prone to injury. All ACL tears are freak injuries in baseball, but Stroman suffered one and missed basically 1 of his 3 full seasons. Then after logging 200 ip the last two years he opens 2018 with shoulder problems that basically have cost him 2 months. Shoulder fatigue on any pitcher, particularly a guy who is small in stature, is a big concern. Stroman has missed almost as much time as he has been healthy since first being called up back in late 2014. That's being injury prone. No way would I back up the prospect truck for him at the deadline - this offseason maybe, if he proves to be healthy and effective.

Since the Reds apparently forgot to read that article, I guess the Cubs will get to show the Dodgers again starting tomorrow - 4 game set against the Dodgers in LA. Wonder what cute outfit theme Maddon came up with for that quiet flight from Cincy to LA late this afternoon...

Ask the cubs about an inconsistent offense - when they win they bludgeon teams, but when they lose they look alot like the brewers do when they aren't scoring. Today was a rarity for them - they scored a bunch but still lost because their strained pitching blew up. It's a mlb-wide issue that has been brought about by how the game has evolved.

Anyone who wants sogard over Villar straight up has some deepseeded disdain for villar for something that has nothing to do with baseball. Additionally, i agree that ultimately villar is part of the glut of current MIF depth that needs sorting out, particularly when hiura should be given every opportunity to be an everyday 2B around this time next year. That said, 2017 villar would be better than this year's version of sogard, and 2018 villar is a much better option. So yeah, even when slumping, villar is the better of those two options. There is just no statistical argument that makes sense otherwise unless sample size and objectivity get thrown out the window.

Cubs just lost the first 3 games of a series against the Reds, including today's 11-2 pounding where Maddon got cute and started a middle reliever in effort to try and squeak out a bullpen game in the midst of an extended run of games with no off day (they got a day off awhile back due to a rainout, but then had to play a doubleheader the next day followed by a getaway day game). Their pitching is stressed right now due to its lack of depth and a few minor but key injuries. Also, their offense continues to be Jekyl and Hyde - despite the talent, that team has some warts they will struggle to clear up this season due to a lack of prospect capital to improve their roster. They still don't have a scheduled off day for another 9 days, with a 4 game road series at the Dodgers coming up. As a Brewer fan, it's a good for them to be scuffling during these extended runs of games on their schedule that don't provide the Cubs much time to breathe.

That almost has to be done with a continuously moving event that would take almost 3 hours to complete without any caution flags/action stoppages, where nobody knows when something crazy will happen. It's not like when regular NASCAR commercial breaks happen, all the cars are waiting at a stop light. The used to just take the breaks without showing the race while it was going on. Baseball has plenty of stoppages naturally carved into the game for commercial breaks - the problem is that some of the delays during actual innings of play are almost long enough for commercial breaks now. Statistical advancements have basically caused a paralysis by analysis effect on baseball. Defensive shifts and a combination of pitching game plans and hitters' approach have bogged down most every at bat. I think 1/2 the time guys are redoing their batting gloves they're trying to remember what a pitcher's tendency is for a certain count, while many pitchers and catchers catch themselves taking the same amount of time calling a pitch based on hitters' scounting reports based on mountains of data. I'd love to see a comparison between 3 ball counts in today's game compared to 20, 30, 40, and 50 years ago. It's not even that hitters today have no 2-strike approaches - a strikeout is a pretty quick out once you have 2 strikes. The death of the sac bunt and largely of the hit an run and giving yourself up to advance a runner into scoring position have taken away plays in baseball that generate action and outs. The faster teams get outs, the faster games go. I also feel like today's pitcher is focused tons more on strikeouts compared to pitching to contact. I'd argue Greg Maddux would have really struggled to have a long career in today's game. He made 2.5 hour games routine by pitching to contact and not having to get bogged down with several 3 ball counts every inning. Today's game is actually becoming more and more like slow pitch softball in terms of action beyond pitcher vs hitter, and that's a shame.

This is SOP for the team. it always takes them a few days to realize that. I predict they'll finally do it tomorrow. They'll retroactively put him on the 10 day DL 8 games into missed action for him

Sogard is hitting .136 this season..... That is all - he is terrible and should not be on a mlb roster for a team with postseason aspirations. Defensively he is average, not nearly good enough to justify carrying a pitcher's bat on the bench. Wish villar hadn't tweaked his leg a few weeks ago - he has been in a funk ever since and now appears to be headed back towards playing time purgatory. I agree with sending santana down to get regular at bats, but at some point the glut of bad MIF players littering the mlb roster have to just be thinned out.

If miller acclimates himself ok, then once santana starts hitting he has to take Sogard's spot in the mlb roster. I can't stand Sogard being a ph option on this club, especially when there will be plenty of utility if options available.

I can't wait to see Hiura in Milwaukee, but they should probably leave him in the minors this season unless injuries/poor performance crater their MLB 2B production. Villar has acclimated himself well there since he was losing playing time to Sogard for no reason, and Perez is serviceable especially when he's swinging the bat well. I think the Brewers will focus on upgrading other positions (SS, SP, potentially C) if they want to make a deadline splash - and I really hope they don't use Hiura in a trade to make that happen. IMO, Hiura should be an early season 2019 callup provided he's in good health and there's nothing left for him to prove in the minor leagues - we have to remember he's still played less than a full season of professional ball at this point. It's great he's playing everyday at 2B to get him those defensive reps and it's helping to calm his old arm concerns, but he does need to prove that the daily grind isn't an issue for it - there isn't a better place than Biloxi for that to happen right now in the Brewer organization, so I'm glad he's there. Hiura's ceiling at the MLB level could be Chase Utley in his prime, when he was consistently producing 7-8 WAR seasons. For context, Scooter Gennett's 2017 was a 2.4 WAR season. I don't think Hiura has quite the power Utley once had and would be surprised if he's ever close defensively, but I see him as a higher average hitter that will hit 20-25 HR and have plenty of doubles mixed in. There may be a decent amount of good 2B options routinely available, but the difference between decent and great offense at that position is incredibly valuable - particularly when you've got a shot at getting great production for pre-arbitration prices.

The Brewers are much more likely to include OF and P prospects in any substantial trades before the deadline, because those are positions where there is organizational depth that will eventually force transactions to happen. Hiura isn't going anywhere.

Cubs manage to win game 2 of their doubleheader tonight in 10 - couldn't figure out why Morrow wasn't used at all today considering a 9th inning blown lead in game 1 and extras in game two...then I read he got back spasms while taking off his pants after he got home the other night after their last game in STL. They are already without Carl Edwards in their pen - being stuck with an unavailable closer due to a balky back really thins out the late inning relief they've leaned on to close out games.

He has also made his way into "untouchable" territory in my mind. A second baseman that can hit like that.. If there's one thing he has done this year, it's certify himself as a legit centerpiece in a big trade. I think he's a legit Top 15 guy at this point, and dangling him will put the Brewers in position to acquire pretty much whichever big name they may possibly want at the deadline. Legit top 15 guys with no positional logjam in front of them at the MLB level shouldn't be dangled by small market clubs in trades - they become organizational cornerstones.

Montgomery racking up a ton of pitches early tonight for the Cubs, who basically used every prominent reliever aside from Morrow in the earlier game today and lost - hoping he either gets hung out to dry during a big Dodger inning, or gets an early hook to further gas a bullpen that won't see another off day until July 2nd. If they have any home games all it takes is a sprinkle to have a rainout. They are just about out of future off days for that cute option to occur - faking one now screws them even more later. Even after their doubleheader today, the Brewers have 3 games on them in hand due to other legit rainouts early in the year when there are already a bunch of extra days off compared to now through the end of the season.

Montgomery racking up a ton of pitches early tonight for the Cubs, who basically used every prominent reliever aside from Morrow in the earlier game today and lost - hoping he either gets hung out to dry during a big Dodger inning, or gets an early hook to further gas a bullpen that won't see another off day until July 2nd.

I think you just told us why we should worry. Heat of the pennant race and we must depend on call ups to keep us afloat...sounds real promising. So you got that out of a post that said either Peralta's up as part of a showcase that would deal him (if that's the case, who cares what his innings limit is?), or guys like a healthy Davies and Jimmy Nelson added to MLB rotation options would give the Brewers the flexibility of shelving Peralta for a week here and there (the only young arm currently on the 40 man with an innings limit concern at this point)?? Guys brought up in September wouldn't be shoved into an every 4th day starting role - having a pile of pitchers with MLB experience extending beyond a typical 25 man gameday roster would give the Brewers a ton of flexibility on how to use the bullpen or even establish a "bullpen game" without worrying at all about taxing late inning relievers. Would going into a September game with the mindset of giving Peralta the first 3-4 innings followed by Miley or Suter for 2-3 more before turning the game over to a pile of quality relievers be such a bad thing?

I still think the Mets would be insane to trade either one of them this season - where's the upside for them? They really hit on 1 of the prospects brought back for either of these guys and that player might turn out to be as good as either DeGrom or Syndergaard? Then they are in contention say 2 seasons from now but need to put together a package of prospects for a front line starter with similar traits to the one they traded away? It's not like they are Tampa Bay - they play in New York! Regardless of their financial situation, they have no reason to trade either of them unless they are just blown away by a trade offer the likes that Milwaukee doesn't have the pieces to reach. And Syndergaard terrifies me from the standpoint of what he'd require to trade for and the distinct possibility his arm blows out and would cost the Brewers 1-2 years of team control.

I wouldn't worry about inning limits too much, because the Brewers can easily utilize September callups to preserve arms with all their SP options. For all we know this could also be a good spot to showcase Peralta at the MLB level a few times for teams viewing him via trade to get a really good look at outside of CO Springs.

I agree, and he is already in untouchable territory for me - if not for the questions about his arm last year at draft time, no way hiura would have still been on the board by the time the brewers picked last year. In a weird way, Hiura's arm troubles were a blessing to the brewers, since that's the only reason he is in this organization and not tearing it up with one of the teams that picked in front the brewers last year. Again, scouts' main concern was that they had limited info on what hiura was as a defender since his arm kept him off the field - it's not like there was a significant body of defensive work that was dreadful prior to his elbow troubles.