Harold Hutchison

Let’s get one thing clear: Abner Uribe is a very talented pitcher who has the stuff to be Milwaukee’s closer of the future. His fastball is pure heat, and his sinker-sweeper combo can dominate hitters when he is on. Right now, he is in Triple-A Nashville, trying to get back in shape after being clobbered at the MLB level in 2024 (6.81 ERA, 1.88 WHIP). The Case To Keep Uribe When he was on, he was dynamite. The Crew had hopes of Uribe, Devin Williams, Trevor Megill, Joel Payamps, and Hoby Milner forming the core of a dominating bullpen. That is still possible later in the season, which could be crucial, given the injuries that have afflicted the Crew’s rotation. Uribe doesn’t become arbitration-eligible until the 2027 season, and the Brewers control him through at least 2029. That could be a long time to have the closer’s spot locked up. Uribe is also cost-controlled for the short term, which is always an important consideration for the budget-conscious Crew. Furthermore, patience has worked out for the Brewers before. They stuck by Williams after he injured his hand punching a wall just before the 2021 playoffs, and that decision has worked out well. So there is a case to keep Uribe around. The Case To Deal Uribe The Brewers have a lot of bullpen depth. Put it this way: Pat Murphy has twice been able to burn Jared Koenig as an opener in two consecutive games, because the Crew had Milner and Bryan Hudson available as lefties in the pen. As the third-best lefty, Koenig’s posting a 2.45 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP. On the right side, the Crew currently has Megill, Payamps, and Elvis Peguero leading the relief corps, with Mitch White and Enoli Paredes rounding out the bullpen. Williams will, hopefully, be back by the end of July, essentially becoming a major acquisition for the Crew’s bullpen. So, for the short term, the Brewers can do fine without Uribe. It is a much better bullpen with Uribe at top form, but he's something short of indispensable. Down the road, there are plenty of prospects putting up stellar numbers, including Craig Yoho, James Meeker, Shane Smith, Sam Gardner, Rob Zastryzny, Russell Smith, Darrell Thompson, Blake Holub, Harold Chirino, and Justin King. Then, of course, there is the fact that Uribe isn’t just slumping. He also displayed some decidedly poor judgment in instigating that brawl with the Rays, getting hit with a six-game suspension. That has to be figured into the equation. They gave Williams a shot, but Williams had a sustained track record of success. Do you shoot that same shot with Uribe? What The Crew Could Get The return for relievers can be hard to predict, particularly with their volatility, but in this case, it could be more difficult because they don’t often get dealt with a lot of team control. They would want to minimize the chance of facing Uribe themselves, so an American League team is probably the best bet, but teams in the NL East or NL West shouldn’t be ruled out if they are willing to blow the Brewers away. The best hope here might be to find a prospect a couple of years away at the Advanced-A or Single-A level, like Red Sox outfield prospect Allan Castro or Blue Jays pitcher Fernando Perez. Uribe could be packaged with another prospect (say, Brock Wilken) to land some serious assistance at the deadline (think a pickup like CC Sabathia, but for multiple years; perhaps Uribe is the right kind of risk for the Marlins right now). It would be a high cost, but at the same time, relief pitching is one place where (despite injuries and slumps) the Brewers remain very deep. Overview Uribe has immense talent. The Brewers could unlock his potential, but right now, he is also a question mark. They should be willing to make a deal involving Uribe, but only if a team is willing to give up legitimate talent to take their chances on an electric arm with some erratic edges in need of smoothing.

Even after going 0-for-10 over the first three games of the Brewers' series against the Cubs this week, Jake Bauers is hitting .205/.297/.402. In this year's starved offensive environment, that's essentially league-average production, and Bauers's combination of speed, power, and defense at first base has been energizing for the lineup. This is a small sample, and his recent success following an adjustment is an even smaller one, but even with those caveats, Bauers is looking like a real bargain in 2024. The Crew has team control through 2026. But could they do better than Bauers in-house? The Case For Keeping Bauers Bauer is, when it comes down to it, a solid complement for Rhys Hoskins. Should Hoskins opt in for 2025, he and Bauers make for an excellent platoon at first base (with the other either DHing or sitting on the bench, depending on the matchup). The Brewers' other main options for first base in 2025 would be to promote Tyler Black or to shift Christian Yelich from left field to the infield, in order to keep their young, talented outfielders (Sal Frelick, Jackson Chourio, Garrett Mitchell, and Joey Wiemer), while also maintaining Blake Perkins and Chris Roller for depth. It's possible neither of those things will happen: Yelich’s back may result in him seeing more time at DH, while Black’s defense is a work in progress. So, there’s a case to keep Bauers around. That said, there are also reasons to consider pivoting away from him right away. The Case To Move Bauers Why move Bauers? Think of it this way: the Brewers could soon face a crowd at the first base and DH positions. Yelich is spending time at DH since his return from the injured list. Hoskins may do the same when he returns from his hamstring tear. Gary Sánchez was signed to be the DH and backup catcher. Those are, of course, the veteran options at those slots. The farm could give the Crew a few more choices. The aforementioned Black has been knocking at the MLB door since an outstanding 2023 performance in Nashville, and he’s spending a lot of time at first base. Black’s offensive skill set could turn out to be similar to what Paul Molitor displayed in the 1987-1994 timeframe – and he will have plenty of team control. That would be one potential replacement for Bauers. But Black is not the only option. There is the under-the-radar battle between Wes Clarke and Ernesto Martinez, both of whom are clobbering the ball down on the farm (Clarke with an .821 OPS, Martinez with a .740 in the Southern League, which is making MLB's offensive downturn look minor). All three of these options in the minors could be better for the Crew in certain contexts, offering more team control at a lower cost. For the short term, Black offers a bat that is quite dynamic, and additional positional coverage (he’s played third base, second base, and the outfield as a professional). Over the medium-to-long term, a Clarke/Martinez platoon could offer solid production, while also providing more positional coverage than Bauers (Clarke has seen significant action at catcher, while Martinez could handle all three outfield positions). What Could The Crew Get For Bauers? This becomes a big question. Bauers is a solid first baseman, but those don’t tend to draw a huge return. Two or three players at the Rookie level (either the Dominican Summer League, the Florida Complex League, or the Arizona Complex League) might be a potential return. That might seem underwhelming, but then again, the Crew got a similar package for Adam Lind, and I don’t think Brewers fans are complaining too much about how that trade worked out (in the form of Freddy Peralta). But if the Brewers don’t want to have that sort of wait time, there may be a few teams whom they could make a deal with. The Miami Marlins, Colorado Rockies, Chicago White Sox, Oakland A's, and Pittsburgh Pirates all seem to be struggling to get good performance from their primary options at first base. The Brewers might be able to get a decent return from at least one of these teams that would be eager for some improvement, Pittsburgh is an especially interesting possible landing spot, since they might not have given up on the 2024 season yet, and could be more willing to part with far-off prospects in exchange for a medium-term upgrade. Overview Jake Bauers has been a solid performer for the Brewers. While he can certainly help the Crew win games, it may be time for the team to think seriously about flipping him now in order to open up a spot for some young prospects--and maybe to pick up some more.

Tyler Black has been a man without a position he can call home. Originally drafted as a second baseman and playing there in 2021, he split time between second base and center field in an injury-plagued 2022 season, before moving to the hot corner in a breakout 2023. He slid over to first base in late 2023 and has primarily played there in 2024. Black still hasn’t stuck in Milwaukee, only notching 22 at-bats in a brief cup of coffee. But could the Brewers solve multiple problems by putting him in left field? Why left field? Partially, it’s where teams have historically hidden defensive liabilities who still need to be in the lineup due to their bats, and Black seems to be developing that reputation. It worked for the Brewers once before, when they moved Ryan Braun to that position in 2008 despite him winning the National League Rookie of the Year Award at third base in 2007. Khris Davis also handled left field for the Brewers before they traded him to Oakland (a deal they probably wanted back, given his performance in the 2016-2018 timeframe). As of the morning of May 28, Black has posted an .862 OPS at Nashville, with 10 of his 12 extra-base hits being triples or homers. He’s also added seven stolen bases, while drawing 20 walks in 143 at-bats. This isn’t much slippage from his 2023 numbers with the Sounds, nor his breakout numbers at Double-A Biloxi. Left field is also where Black’s bat could help the Brewers offense the most, with players like Sal Frelick, Jackson Chourio, and Blake Perkins each posting an OPS of .662 or lower entering Monday's game. If Black were to man left field, it could allow the Brewers to give Chourio time to make adjustments in Nashville. Putting Black in left field most of the time could be a huge boon for Christian Yelich, by freeing him up to play some first base and spend a bunch of time at designated hitter. Yelich’s back issues have already cost him time this season, and probably contributed to struggles from 2021-2022. Earlier this year, Yelich offered the hope that he was back to the MVP form he displayed in 2018-2019. More time at DH could probably help him maintain that form. In addition, Black does offer some positional versatility. During his time in the minors, he was at least able to hold his own at second base, third base, first base, and center field. The universal DH leaves Milwaukee with four bench players – one of whom is the second catcher. While Black’s initial cup of coffee saw him post a .579 OPS, there is much to suggest that he can make the adjustments to handle MLB pitching with enough at-bats. Those at-bats can't be accumulated anywhere but the big leagues, at this stage of his development. It is, in essence, the same situation Chourio is facing, needing big-league reps to adjust to the strike zone (no computer-called strike zone in MLB) and to get used to the speed of the MLB game. The fact of the matter is that the Brewers need Black’s bat at the MLB level, particularly given the struggles of Oliver Dunn and Frelick (although the latter, at least, delivers some OBP skills and solid defense) at the plate. For the short-term and medium-term future, the best move for the Brewers – and for Tyler Black – may be to have him in left field.

It’s not like such a move would alter the service time dynamics--not with that massive extension Jackson Chourio signed over the winter. But in the series against St. Louis, he did not start any of the first three games, and in the last game of the series, he went 0-for-2 and drew a walk. There is a reason for the recent lack of playing time, of course. Look at the numbers to date. A .214/.262/.333 line after the game on May 12 isn’t exactly world-beating. He’s a little better than the 2023 version of Brice Turang at the plate, but that is a very low bar, and this is a team that is currently leading the NL Central. Winning playoff series requires setting and clearing a higher bar. The team needs to get better production – and as of now, Sal Frelick, Blake Perkins and Jake Bauers are putting up better numbers alongside Christian Yelich than Chourio is. Chourio’s weaknesses at the plate are being attacked, as noted earlier on this site. They will continue to be attacked until he figures out how to make pitchers pay, either by laying off the low outside pitches, or by starting to make solid contact on them. The only way for Chourio to be less vulnerable (and thus, to get better at the plate) is to get plenty of at-bats. That means he needs to play regularly. But can the Brewers afford to accept a .595 OPS in a corner-outfield spot over the long term? For a contending team, that's a rhetorical question. So, does Chourio need to make his way to Music City for a bit to get regular plate appearances, and work on handling those outside pitches? It would be a bit embarrassing (for both the player and the organization) to take a concrete step backward at this stage, but let’s also keep in mind that for all intents and purposes, Chourio has been asked to make the jump from Double-A Biloxi to the majors at an exceptionally young age. Both player and organization could have a lot to gain by having Chourio sojourn in Nashville for a month or so. Recall that Brice Turang’s turnaround really came after his 2023 reset, and the move to take an offensive approach more in line with his skill set. The Brewers had a similar plan for Joey Wiemer to fix his swing, before Yelich’s injury brought Wiemer to Milwaukee earlier than the Brewers planned. For the short term, sending Chourio to Nashville would be painful. But Chourio is expected to be a long-term fixture for the Brewers, and he has the type of contract one gives to a long-term fixture. The Brewers may need to embrace the short-term pain and give Chourio a couple of weeks in Nashville to refine his skill set. It may be the best move they could make for 2024 and beyond.

I get why the Cubs aren’t particularly liked. Yes, their fans traveled up to Miller Park/American Family Field. But the dollars a Cubs fan spends at American Family Field are just as good as those of a Brewers fan when it comes to hiring scouts, investing in facilities for training, paying for the analytics guys who give the data that make Brewers players and coaches better, or even helping to cover the contracts signed by Ryan Braun, Christian Yelich, or Jackson Chourio. The Cubs (and their fans) may be annoying in the best of circumstances, but they have some redeeming qualities. The same cannot be said for the St. Louis Cardinals. We owe that team for the heartbreak they inflicted on Milwaukee… with almost 42 years of interest having accrued just for the 1982 World Series. That alone is something to keep in mind. It was the one appearance legends like Paul Molitor and Robin Yount had in the Fall Classic… and the Cardinals ruined it for our Crew. In addition to that World Series, with 40+ years of interest compounding, there was the 2011 NLCS, the closest Rickie Weeks got to the Fall Classic alongside Prince Fielder. So the Cardinals have spoiled the postseasons for the best Brewers to have played at all four infield positions (Molitor and Yount in 1982, Rickie and Prince in 2011). Contrast that to the Cubs. In 2018, in Game 163, with the National League Central on the line, the Crew came away with that title (and a bye from the Wild Card game). A decade earlier, with the playoffs on the line in Game 162, it was again the Crew over the Cubs in a gem pitched by CC Sabathia. The Cubs can also be very thoughtful. In player terms, Brooks Kieschnick, Casey McGehee, Tyler Houston, Jose Hernandez, and Jason Kendall are among the players who made their way to Milwaukee and did reasonably well after the Cubs couldn’t figure them out. They also gave some Brewers players like Jeromy Burnitz and Jonathan Lucroy a bit more time in MLB near the end of their distinguished careers. The thoughtfulness of the Cubs even extends to social media, with a September 2017 tweet that had their fans in mind but was also extremely considerate to the Brewers' social media team. Contrast that to the Cardinals. We can talk about the Cardinals' classlessness and pettiness all we want. Yeah, I’m looking at you, Albert Pujols, and your comments about Prince Fielder. Signing Lance Berkman for the 2011 season, a guy who benefited from a balk call in 2004 that was about as clueless (albeit far less costly) as the Aaron Judge interference non-call that derailed a weekend series against the Yankees, was the typical speed of St. Louis. Plus, the Cardinals are the definition of entitlement in the NL Central, with 11 World Series titles, two of which came through our Crew, and 23 NL pennants (one of which came through the Crew). Look at the cash they drop for veteran players to fill holes in free agency. Look at the trades they make to bring in players like Nolan Arenado and Paul Goldschmidt or the money they dropped for Kyle Gibson and Lance Lynn this offseason. On the other hand, the Cubs haven’t been too much trouble since their 2016 World Series win – okay, they did get to the NLCS in 2017, but again, they didn’t go through the Crew to get there. The team that beat us out by one game for that last wild card slot… well, the Brewers settled the account with the Rockies in the 2018 NLDS with the brooms. Look, I get why the Cubs might be annoying. But think of it this way… the only way they could have any smidgen of hope to avoid an early hibernation for the next five years was to hire the best manager Milwaukee ever had, and they had to break the bank to do it. Even then, the Crew still has momentum, and they’re just playing catch-up. On the flip side, the Cardinals are, when it comes right down to it, the team that really represents the heartache Brewers fans have suffered for so many years. For that heartbreak, a reckoning is long overdue. So, when it comes down to it, day in and day out, I root for two teams to win: the Brewers and whoever plays the Cardinals, even if it means cheering for the Cubs.

The fact is, the Brewers may have some serious roster crunches coming. The answer may be to sell some hot performers “high” to get additional assets for the present, future, or possibly both. Who might the Brewers consider as among those to “sell?” Let’s take a look at three candidates. 2B Brice Turang The difference between Turang’s rough rookie year and his sophomore surge is like night and day. Turang’s taken his offensive game up a level or two while providing Gold Glove-caliber defense at second base. As of this writing, Turang has posted a .778 OPS, with 14 stolen bases in 14 attempts and adding eight extra-base hits. Turang could fetch a solid return, including some help for a rotation beset by injured list trips (Wade Miley’s Tommy John being the latest blow). That might help the Crew hold on to their NL Central lead against the Pirates, Cubs, and Reds. Why would Turang be a “sell-high candidate?” Ask yourself this question: Can he sustain this production? It’s a given that he’s not as bad as his .585 OPS in 2023. But is he as good as the 126 OPS+ he is currently posting? That is a tricky question. Do the Brewers want to bet on this, or do they want to open up second base for Isaac Collins, who has dominated at Triple-A Nashville? OF Blake Perkins Like Turang, Perkins is having a sophomore surge. While Perkins has a higher offensive floor than Turang, he is an outfielder, albeit one with excellent defense. Think of Perkins as a switch-hitting Keon Broxton, albeit with superior OBP skills. His .803 OPS is second only to William Contreras among those listed as starters by Baseball-Reference. Perkins may not fetch as big a return as Turang, partially because he is older and wasn’t a first-round pick. However, he is the kind of fourth outfielder, or decent starter in center field, that many MLB teams can use and would be an upgrade for Oakland at any of the positions. Like Turang, his ceiling is probably better than 2023 would point to, but the questions about his ability to sustain his 2024 production to date would be legitimate. In this case, the Brewers have options to take over for Perkins, including the currently-injured Wiemer (who provides the defense and more pop), Garrett Mitchell (upon his return from injury), Chris Roller, and the aforementioned Isaac Collins (who could push Sal Frelick to center field as an indirect replacement for Perkins). RHP Elvis Peguero Peguero is starting 2024 like he started 2023 – red hot as an option in the innings before the Crew turns to its late-inning group of Abner Uribe, Joel Payamps, and Trevor Megill. With Devin Williams slated to return at some point and DL Hall headed back to the bullpen, it looks as if someone may have to go. The big issue with Peguero isn’t that his performance is in question. It’s that the Crew will need to move some relievers by September, especially if top prospects Jacob Misiorowski and Carlos Rodriguez get called up (see Corbin Burnes and Brandon Woodruff in 2018) to bolster the bullpen. Peguero is the type of reliever who could help the team fetch a good return, even if he isn’t one of the team’s late-inning group. How? The team could include him with Perkins or Turang as part of a package for a starter to hold the line, or he could be dealt for an asset who could help in the future, say in a trade with the Diamondbacks or Rays (who need short-term help in the pen). Indeed, Payamps, the Crew’s de facto closer, could also be argued as a sell-high candidate, but that may keep him around – at least for 2024. Overview Whether they are dealt as a package for a higher-end starter or individually to other teams, the Crew might benefit from dealing these three players, partially because they are ready replacements and partially because, later in the season, they could come down to earth.

For the most part, the Crew has been doing well. That said, even in success, there may be some hard questions the Crew will need to start thinking about this early in the 2024 season. Let’s take a look at them. 1. How Do You Deal With DL Hall When He Returns? Hall’s transition to a major-league starter has been rocky. Among Brewers starters, his 7.71 ERA, 7.02 FIP, and 2.27 WHIP are the highest by wide margins. To put these numbers into perspective, in 2019, Corbin Burnes posted better WHIP and FIP numbers than Hall has now, which everyone considers a disastrous year for the eventual Cy Young winner. What should the Brewers do? MLB Pipeline has described Hall’s stuff as “premium” and “elite,” – but right now, it’s a question of whether his continued presence in the Brewers’ rotation is sustainable. He went on the injured list with a mild knee sprain. That's only postponing the hard question. The Crew may need to move Hall back to the bullpen (and get a high-end relief option) or send him to Nashville to work out the kinks of returning to the rotation. It may be time for Tobias Myers or Chad Patrick to get a prolonged chance at eating innings in the rotation, given their dominance at Nashville. Myers is receiving his chance now but questions remain. Hall as an ace reliever might not be a bad thing—he could pair with Abner Uribe and Devin Williams (when the latter returns from the injured list) to be a "Nasty Boys" pen akin to the trio of Josh Hader, Corey Knebel, and Jeremy Jeffress on that 2018 team. This would allow the Crew to have Joel Payamps and Hoby Milner cover the 6th and 7th innings while shopping Elvis Peguero for some future lottery tickets. 2. Should The Crew Swap Out Sanchez At DH And Call On Christian Yelich? We’re only 25 games into the season, but so far, Gary Sanchez’s numbers are not as bad as Jesse Winker’s, but they're not as good as hoped. His .680 OPS is bad enough, but he’s only drawn two walks as of April 27. Winker at least got on base and made pitchers face the next guy on a reliable basis, despite his other offensive issues. The Brewers have some other options on their 26-man and 40-man roster for DH at-bats in the short term. One option could be to rotate Sal Frelick, Jackson Chourio, and Joey Wiemer into the DH role while Christian Yelich is on the injured list. As the only other catcher on the Crew’s 40-man, Sanchez can back up William Contreras, but the DH role doesn’t seem to work out. That said, a .680 OPS is somewhat sustainable for a backup catcher. But should Sanchez backslide, the Brewers have Eric Haase and Francisco Mejia at Nashville, and both are performing well. On the flip side, the return of MVP-level Yelich in 11 games was very good news for the Brewers until his back put him on the injured list. He averaged 7.1 Wins Above Replacement in 2018 and 2019. From 2021-2023, he averaged 2.5 WAR a season. That’s a 4.6-WAR difference. But the real issue is that the Crew needs Yelich hitting at MVP level to get the bulk of that WAR, and he can’t do it when he’s on the IL. Sanchez’s performance opens a path. The Brewers can move Yelich to designated hitter full-time and open a space for one of the young outfielders (Garrett Mitchell? Joey Wiemer?) or someone else (Tyler Black? Brewer Hicklen?) to handle left field. 3. Move Adames, Or Roll with Willy? Yelich is not the only Brewer with an offensive resurgence. Willy Adames has posted 144 OPS+ so far in 2024. He’s not only contributed on the field; he’s also been an excellent clubhouse leader. Right now, the Crew could deal with Adames and move either Joey Ortiz or Brice Turang to shortstop and not lose much, if anything, on the field. Off the field, though, the specter of the 2022 Josh Hader trade hangs over a potential Adames deal. Do the Brewers risk disrupting the clubhouse with an Adames deal that could land prospects who can help the team in the future one way or another? The Hader trade eventually gave the Brewers William Contreras, but the short term didn’t go well. The alternative: They stick with Adames in 2024, make a qualifying offer, and see what compensation emerges in a future MLB draft. Or Adames could take the QO, and the Brewers lose him without compensation after 2025. Could they sign Adames to an extension? That could end up being $20 million a year, but the Brewers could end up in a payroll crunch. The Brewers don’t have bad options at shortstop, but each comes with some risks. 4. How Does The Crew Patch Up The Rotation? The fact that multiple rotation members (Wade Miley, Jakob Junis, DL Hall) have spent time on the injured list is a big worry. The Crew is going to have to make a move to get help. Do they rush up Bradley Blaylock and bet on Tobias Myers for the short term? Do they turn to Aaron Ashby, who is still recovering his pre-injury form? Do they stretch out Bryse Wilson or Bryan Hudson? They could trade, but which prospects do they give up? Jeferson Quero and Brock Wilken are on the shelf with injuries that will need surgery. Do they trade Tyler Black, who looks like a left-handed Paul Molitor? Do they deal one of their emerging prospects, like Gregory Barrios or Tayden Hall? Or do they package one of their MLB-ready young outfielders and thin themselves more than they probably should at that position? They could also go the free-agent route, which raises the question of who is designated for assignment. Furthermore, which free-agent pitcher do you call on? Trevor Bauer has talent but comes with more baggage than a season of the late Jerry Springer's talk show (to put it mildly). Could Zack Greinke be enticed to return to Milwaukee to help eat innings? Who else could come back? There are lots of questions for a rotation that is a step down from the 2021-2022 dominance. What are the hard questions the Brewers are facing early in the season? Let us know in the comments below.

Yophery Rodriguez received a $1.5 million bonus in the 2023 international free-agent signing class. Ideally, he'd follow the Jackson Chourio route on a fast track to Milwaukee. The same goes for Brice Turang, the 2018 first-round pick who has been doing a solid job at second base the last two seasons. Succeeding with these sorts of high-investment young players should be the basic expectation. For a big-money international free agent signee ($1 million signing bonus or higher) or a high-round draft pick (through the Competitive Balance-B picks), the definition of success should be that they either become a big-time contributor to the Brewers for a half-decade or they help acquire a key contributor to the team (see Matt LaPorta in 2008 or Jhonny Severino in 2023). We all know that not all such signings or picks will be successful; that's not in the nature of baseball scouting. No player who costs seven figures to acquire is providing positive value on that investment, though, until they help the big-league team win games for multiple seasons. Because of the unavoidably high failure rate, you have to get a large positive return on those who pan out. So, who can be clearer, easier markers of success for a scouting department? For instance, let's look at Milwaukee's history with the 11th round of the June draft. Darryl Hamilton, Jeff Cirillo, Corey Hart, and Brandon Woodruff all had solid (if not excellent) careers in Milwaukee. Woodruff is one case to highlight: He became one of the best Brewers starters of all time, while the more highly-touted 2014 draft picks Kodi Medeiros and Monte Harrison's major contributions to the success of the MLB team were being used to acquire key contributors to the 2018 NL Central team. Woodruff's bonus for signing isn't listed, but Medeiros and Hamilton both got seven-figure bonuses. Corey Hart, who isn't Pink's husband, is another classic example from that 11th round. His time with the team coincided with the 2008 Wild Card run and the 2011 NL Central title, and he was a valuable contributor alongside Rickie Weeks and Prince Fielder, the best players to man second base and first base in Brewers history. Only two other players drafted by the Brewers in 2000 made MLB: Krynzel (whose time was limited) and Jon Coutlangus, who the Crew didn't sign (and who had 64 appearances in one season as a LOOGY). Cirillo, picked in the 1991 draft behind "one that got away" Nomar Garciaparra and such luminaries as Ken Henderson, Ty Hill, and Derek Wachter, was arguably the team's second-best third baseman of all time. In that draft class, he was the top player (albeit multiple Gold Glove-winning catcher Mike Matheny would like to make his case). That's going back a fair bit in time, though. Another recent example of a steal was Cooper Hummel, an 18th-round pick in the 2016 draft. He’s not the team’s biggest success story from that draft (fourth-round pick Corbin Burnes has that honor by a mile). Still, he was arguably the second-most important contributor by being part of the package sent to Arizona for Eduardo Escobar, who fueled the Crew’s run to the 2021 NL Central Division title. Hummel's bonus? $98,500. Again, of those with higher bonuses, only Burnes has definitively outperformed him. Who’s probably likely to be the next big steal? Let’s look at Yophery Rodriguez’s teammate on the Mudcats, Juan Baez. Despite questions about his defensive home, he’s flashed a dynamic bat. In a small sample at Carolina, he’s walked six times to five strikeouts, upping his OBP game (he had 27 walks in all of his professional career before 2024). He became a Brewers farmhand for a $10,000 signing bonus. Yet he could find himself as an infield cornerstone – even if the exact position is disputed. Another potential steal is Noah Campbell, who may not be a big star but could become a valuable bench asset with his versatility (he’s played all over the field), OBP skills, and solid bat (not to mention taking the mound here and there). Initially, he was a 19th-round pick who didn’t sign in 2017, but he was an undrafted free agent in 2020 who’s performed well at the plate and on the field. It goes without saying that, hopefully, the scouts who caught on to Hummel and Baez have also been called in and have outlined what they saw in those players when offering the contracts they signed to help the team refine its scouting operations. This could be more important than a big free-agent signing or extension. Why? First, knowing how to pick out those gems can help the Brewers draft them a little earlier or offer that bigger bonus to lock them in. It could also enable them to draft them higher and then use draft-slot savings to pull off a surprise like the way Cooper Pratt and Bishop Letson were wooed from their NCAA options. Second, given Milwaukee’s harsh hot-stove economic reality, the more hits they can generate in the farm system, the better for the team. The more the farm can fill the roster, the less they need to fill in via free agency—and it becomes easier to find the cash for generational players like Christian Yelich and Jackson Chourio, potentially avoiding the need to trade Corbin Burnes. Finally, the more players in the farm system, the more assets the team will have when it comes to making that deadline deal for players who could be the difference between a near-miss, a brief playoff foray, or a deep run that could culminate in the Crew’s first World Series Championship. So, when Brewers fans want to talk about the scouting department’s success in the upcoming draft, it may not hurt to look at a different metric than just how well the top picks do and instead see how well they hit in late draft rounds, undrafted free agents, and the unheralded international signings.