Harold Hutchison

There's always the commercial break...

Two 8-team divisions per league: AL East: Baltimore New York Yankees Boston Cleveland Tampa Bay Detroit Toronto White Sox AL West: Los Angeles Angels Seattle Kansas City Texas Oakland Minnesota Houston Portland, Oregon (exp.) NL East: Montreal (exp.) New York Mets Philadelphia Miami Atlanta Washington Cincinnati Pittsburgh NL West: Milwaukee Chicago Cubs St Louis Colorado Los Angeles Dodgers San Diego San Francisco Arizona

Baseball Mogul usually has Sveum healthy at the start of 1989. Still... it is a big might-have been. One other trade that almost always goes through: Braves get: Ted Higuera Brewers get: John Smoltz Tom Glavine David Justice

Well, it is 1989... +1. I really only started following the Brewers in 1986. I thought he was great for a couple years, but we hung on to him way too long. Knowing what I know now, I'm not sure he was even that great those couple years. And I has a similar encounter with him at one of the very few games I got to attend. It's my 30-year anniversary, too.

You think the best prospect in our system is a left-handed Mike Fiers? The topic Clancy responded to was his sleepers, not who the best prospects are. I did put Suter on the top of my last two "Top 25" ballots. Honestly, I think 2015 was a huge breakout for him, and I think he probably can put up similar numbers to Fiers. Now, I think he could be eclipsed by Jorge Ortega. Why? If Suter is a left-handed Fiers (a #2/#3 starter), Ortega could be a Greg Maddux in the making.

My five: Brent Suter - I think he's a late-round steal, a left-handed Mike Fiers. Jorge Ortega - Want to see what he does after a breakout 2015. Troy Stokes - OBP skills, speed, and doubles power 1B/3B Garrett Cooper - A right-handed Lyle Overbay UT Nate Orf - Versatile infielder with beaucoup OBP skills

I moved Bill Spiers to second, kept Molitor at third, and had Sheffield at shortstop. But they did have Dale Sveumhealthy to start the 1989 season... Maybe I should do Sveum at second, Sheffield at short, Molitor at third...

Record: 79-83 Team MVP: Ryan Braun HR Leaders: Braun 38, Carter 36, Santana 30, Lucroy 22 Wins: Jungmann, Nelson, Peralta 14 (tie) Bold Predictions: Lucroy stays with Milwaukee, and the Brewers exercise the option. Middlebrooks, Cecchini, and Hill all slump and Gennett gets hurt, forcing Counsell to move Braun back to third base. Brent Suter is called up when Chase Anderson and Matt Garza fa, and proves to be a left-handed Mike Fiers. Michael Reed forces his way into the Milwaukee Brewers lineup after dominating in Colorado Springs.

I was fiddling around with Baseball Mogul, and for kicks, I decided to have Baltimore try to trade for Jim Gantner. They ask for Gantner, I hit "Get Counter-Proposal," and the Brewers ask for... Curt Schilling (a recent acquisition for Mike Boddicker). So... in the spring of 1989, if Baltimore were to offer Curt Schilling in exchange for Jim Gantner... would you make the deal?

With one tweak, the lineup is even more stacked: C: Lucroy 1B: Fielder 2B: Gennett SS: Hardy 3B: Braun LF: Davis CF: Cain RF: Brantley Congatulations you just found the worst possible defensive team in MLB history! Maybe, but this lineup makes Murderer's Row look like a buncha wimps.

With one tweak, the lineup is even more stacked: C: Lucroy 1B: Fielder 2B: Gennett SS: Hardy 3B: Braun LF: Davis CF: Cain RF: Brantley

McCalvy forgot about Garrett Cooper, a Jeff Cirillo/Lyle Overbay type bat at... first base.

They need to get to the Carolina League. Maybe take Potomac if the Nationals go to the Florida State League...

1. LHP Brent Suter - Still impressed by his 2015 season, particularly in Colorado Springs. 2. SS Orlando Arcia - Opening Day 2017 shortstop. Will he develop power? 3. RHP Jorge Ortega - Just produced. Rating increased after an offseason of reflection. 4. OF Michael Reed - OBP skills, doubles power, and speed look great, but will new acquisitions crowd him out? 5. OF Keon Broxton - A poor man's Carlos Gomez, but flashing superior OBP skills in spring training. 6. OF Trent Clark - OBP skills, speed, and a pure hitter. 7. OF Brett Phillips - hits doubles, triples, and OBP, but lack of power worries me. 8. 1B/3B Garrett Cooper - A right-handed Lyle Overbay 9. SS/2B Isan Diaz - Dynamic offensive prospect could make the Aaron Hill deal a big steal for the Brewers 10. OF Troy Stokes - OBP skills, speed, and doubles power 11. C Jason Nottingham - Becomes the top catching prospect for the system. 12. OF Demi Orimoloye - Power bat, but can he learn to draw walks? 13. LHP Josh Hader - Could be in the 2017 Brewers' rotation. 14. RHP Jorge Lopez - Power pitcher developed into potential ace. 15. RHP Zach Davies - Superb performance in Milwaukee in 2015 16. 2B Colin Walsh - Versatile and a good bat. Mark Loretta with more power? 17. 3B Garin Cecchini - Change of scenery could do former Red Sox prospect good 18. LHP Wei-Chung Wang - Pitched his way into a top 25 spot and back to prospect status. 19. RHP Cody Ponce - Did well in small sample last year. 20. OF Victor Roache - Flashed power and some OBP skills in AA. 21. OF Clint Coulter - What caused OPS to drop 200+ points, Brevard County or something else? 22. SS Gilbert Lara - Were struggles in AZ fatigue or attitude? 23. RHP Adrian Houser - Could find a spot in the Brewers bullpen for 2016 24. UT Nate Orf - Versatile infielder with beaucoup OBP skills 25. UT George Iskenderian - shows the ability to hit for average and some OBP skills 26. RHP Tyler Crvay - Solid at AAA, rough go in the majors 27. SS Jake Gatewood - Helena numbers offer hope, but past struggles leave me skeptical 28. LHP Hobbs Johnson - Avoids the gopher ball. 29. OF Monte Harrison - First overmatched, then injured. 30. OF Tyrone Taylor - Overshadowed as CF prospect by Reed and Phillips 31. C Adam Weisenburger - OBP skills and a good arm. 32. RHP Damien Magnifico - Actually closing at Biloxi and doing well 33. UT Malik Collymore - Versatile, OBP skills, some speed, a little pop. 34. LHP Sean Nolin - Got hammered in cup of coffee with Oakland, didn't go far in 2015 AAA starts. Swingman out of the pen? 35. OF Joangtel Segovia - Hits for average. 36. 1B Tyrone Perry - Could he emerge as 1B of the future? 37. LHP Brad Kuntz - Could he be dominant arm in bullpen? 38. RHP Gentry Fortuno - Just dominated in rookie ball. 39. SS/2B Blake Allemand - switch-hitting SS/2B who hits for average 40. OF Rymer Liriano - If Jeff Cirillo were a RF, he'd be Liriano. Notes: I'm keeping Suter high, upped Jorge Ortega to third based on his production, and made other adjustments based on an offseason of reflection. The addition of Walsh and Diaz resulted in me dropping Lara significantly. I am wondering if the Brewers shouldn't package guys like Tyrone Taylor or Monte Harrison for help elsewhere, given that there may be better prospects in the system.

I curious as to how? Imo there is not much similarities between the two at all outside of both had questionable hit tool. Outside of that, no aspects of their game come close to lining up. It is like comparing Gomez to Khris Davis because both don't have an outstanding approach to the plate. Reed if he proves his hit tool and contact are for real, he is a legit 5 tool stud who can do everything. Roache from day one was a one tool guy who got drafted based on his pure power stroke. This report seems to only question the power (2/5). The contact is 3/5. http://www.fueledbysports.com/buddy-reed-scouting-report/ Honestly, my vibe from him is a switch-hitting Carlos Gomez. Not bad, but maybe the fact he went to college will help him develop that hit tool.

I like Buddy Reed. Five-tool center fielder, looks like he will advance quickly.

I like this deal - and the big reason is Isan Diaz. Diaz looks to be ready for a full season in Low A (I'd probably keep Lara at Helena for 2016, given his struggles with the bat in 2015). Wagner for Anderson is a slight gain for Milwaukee. Tyler Wagner could be a back-of-the-rotation starter or bullpen are, while Anderson is definitely a solid contributor in a major-league rotation. At face value, Segura for Hill looks to be a slight loss for Milwaukee, but if Hill has a decent comeback season , the Brewers can flip him at the deadline for prospects or help elsewhere. That could make this deal a big win for the Brewers. Hill could be an option at third base. For shortstop, Villar and Hernan Perez could be short-term stopgaps until Arcia is ready (although, I think a big spring could have Arcia at shortstop). Gennett's okay at second base, and Carter's at first.

Hard to see him getting a shot. A lot would need to go his way. Brewers have already gave Davies, Lopez, Wagner, Houser, Pena (who is still younger than Suter) opportunities to pitch at MLB level. Hader will be high on the list. He seems to be in a pretty tough spot. I mean if you want a left who are picking? One of the top lefties and prospects in all the MILB or a 26/27 year old control pitcher? Like Briggs said, he will not get a long look if he gets one at all. By Brent Suter being #1 to start next season (2017), that means our #1 prospect will be 27 (turning 28 late into the season). At what age does a player stop being considered at top tier prospect? I think it may depend on the player. A control pitcher may have a lengthy career. Someone who relies on athletic prowess might fall off drastically. 2016 is a lost year. So why start Hader's clock so soon?

So you think a left handed Mike Fiers is the best this system has to offer? I think Lopez, Davies, and Hader will graduate from rookie status (and a prospect list). I see the Brewers cutting bait on Garza and eventually trading Peralta at the deadline. I'm not sold on Medeiros, while Ponce has too small a sample for me to judge where 2016 might go. That said, Mike Fiers is not a bad outcome to have, and Suter's performance last year was VERY good, both at Biloxi and especially at Colorado Springs (where pitchers go to be clubbed like baby seals). A 3.31 ERA at Colorado Springs and a sub-2 ERA at Biloxi? Those speak pretty loudly to me.

My prediction: 1. Brent Suter 2. Trent Clark 3. Michael Reed 4. Jorge Ortega 5. Garrett Cooper Suter, I think already broke out a bit in 2015 - and probably will cement himself as a left-handed Mike Fiers. Clark and Reed are just pure hitters, with Clark having a high ceiling while Reed will force his way into the lineup after the Brewers exhaust other options in center field (Nieuwenhuis, Broxton). Ortega's also going to prove he's for real after huge flashes of potential in 2015. Finally, Garrett Cooper will emerge as the Brewers' 2017 first baseman.

I think the best plan was Davis in left, Santana in center, Braun in right for 2016. Nothing against Broxton or these other players, but I view Peterson and Reed as decent CF options for what 2016 is likely to be should that best plan not be possible.

What I think it will be: ss: Villar 3b: Cecchini rf: Braun 1b: Carter lf: Davis c: Lucroy 2b: Gennett cf: Broxton What it should have been: ss: Villar c: Lucroy rf: Braun cf: Santana lf: Davis 1b: Carter 3b: Cecchini 2b: Hernan Perez

In the 1980s, I remember injuries derailing the Brewers in more than one season. How about what happened to Rickie Weeks? And how many prospects got derailed by injuries?

Seeing as he only has 3.159 years of service time, can't the Brewers control him for 3 years under arbitration? He can be a brewer through 2018? I am not sure how this works but hope someone here does. Baseball Reference says he was granted free agency.

My problem is that it's just a one-year deal. At least get an option year in the mix.