Harold Hutchison

Love Taylor and Eldridge.

The other option is to ban players from having their head over the railing in the dugout. That should have been a team rule.

They have to at this point. Maybe also let Alex Jackson/Brian Navarretto go and move Quero up to AAA, although I'm a little worried about his very low walk rate.

The offseason signing of Brian Anderson didn’t generate a ton of waves, but Anderson has proven to be a solid acquisition so far for the Brewers. Through Thursday, he has posted a 108 OPS+, and has held down both third base and right field at various points of the season. Should Milwaukee try to keep him around for the long term? Image courtesy of © Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports The Brewers have had some difficulty keeping third base nailed down, with a different primary starter every season since Travis Shaw posted 4.5 wins above replacement in 2018. Now, some of those who ended up as the primary third basemen, like Jace Peterson and Luis Urias, often played other positions in addition to third base. Anderson is no different, having split time between third base and right field. But is he worth keeping around? Miami Marlins Anderson came up with the Miami Marlins, where he posted a career .750 OPS while primarily playing third base and right field, with brief stints at first base, second base, left field, and shortstop. His best seasons, 2018-2020, saw him put up a 162-game average of 35 doubles, 20 homers and 80 RBI, per Baseball Reference. In 2021 and 2022 he declined, dealing with injuries, but still put up an OPS+ of 87 and had a total of 9.7 WAR, or about 1.9 WAR a season. His worst year, 2022, saw him put up 0.5 WAR. However, the Marlins lost patience, and granted him free agency this past November. The Brewers signed him for $3.5 million, and he becomes a free agent after the season. So Far With The Brewers Anderson has been a crucial player for the Crew, holding down third base in the absence of Luis Urias, who is on the 60-day injured list. Through the games of May 25, he is hitting .236/.326/.430, for a .756 OPS and a 108 OPS+. The Brewers carry a 1.5-game lead into the weekend, and Anderson has been a superb offensive contributor. He clearly has earned a spot in the lineup, even when Urias returns from the IL. But at age 30, is he worth keeping around beyond 2023? Prospects In The Minors The Brewers, of course, have Tyler Black hitting up a storm in Biloxi, and it seems like he will force his way to Nashville sooner rather than later, while Patrick Dorrian is handling third at Nashville and Cam Devanney has struggled at AAA. Black, though, is a left-handed hitter, and in 2022, he spent a lot of time on the shelf, which not only affected his regular-season performance, but also his time in the Arizona Fall League. There is also the fact that AA to MLB in a year is a huge jump, and the Brewers have seen other prospects (Brice Turang, Joey Wiemer) struggle in the majors at first. So, it would seem prudent for the Brewers to keep Anderson around, given that Urias missed significant time in 2022 and 2023 with injuries. But what will he cost? Comparable Players Danny Santana earned comparable money to Anderson prior to 2023, but since his August 2022 release, he has not been in a league per Baseball Reference. Jeff Baker played from 2005-2015, and earned a maximum of $2.1 million from the Marlins in 2015, his last season. Jeremy Hermida bounced around five teams from 2005-2014, and earned $3.345 million in 2010. It looks like Anderson could command some sort of pay increase for his performance with the Crew. Should the Brewers decide to lock Anderson down, it would make a lot of sense both as a hedge against the injury history of Urias and Black and to maybe serve as a platoon partner for Black in the 2024-2025 timeframe. The best choice would be to offer him a two-year contract at $5 million a year, with a team option for 2026. It might seem expensive, but given the massive rash of injuries the Brewers have seen in 2023, Brian Anderson is probably one of the better insurance policies to have around. View full article

While the Brewers are atop the NL Central, the team is not really sitting pretty. Injuries have ravaged the team, particularly the starting rotation. The offense has struggled to generate runs consistently. The situation is not desperate, but it is beyond dispute that the Brewers need to turn some things around. How do they do that? Here are four ideas: Image courtesy of © Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports 1. DFA Jesse Winker, Luke Voit, and Darin Ruf; call up Keston Hiura, Tyler Black, and Eddy Alvarez; option Brice Turang Jesse Winker and Luke Voit have not gotten the job done as designated hitters, and the Brewers need to be willing to cut bait. It’s time to roll the dice with Keston Hiura, who seems to have made strides in Nashville, and who can also fill in at first, second, and in left field, as soon as he's healthy. Tyler Black has hit well enough that he probably should get the call up as well to help at third base, and he is a viable option at second or the outfield and DH. Eddy Alvarez has performed well in Nashville, and warrants some time at the MLB level, while Turang goes to Nashville and hopefully rediscovers the OBP skills that have seemingly vanished in Milwaukee. 2. Stretch out Peter Strzelecki Strzelecki’s addition of a sinker has helped him out as a late-inning reliever, but that could be selling his potential short. With four pitches, Strzelecki arguably could have the type of arsenal that could make him a decent back-end starter. With Brandon Woodruff and Aaron Ashby on the 60-day injured list, and Wade Miley also injured, the Brewers might need to look for some starting pitching help. Stretching out Strzelecki might provide that in the short term for the team, at no cost in prospects. 3. Reacquire “The Raptor” Plus One Even with the addition of Julio Teheran, the Brewers may well decide to bolster the staff some more. If that is the case, they may want to swing a deal with Colorado to bring back a proven clubhouse commodity in addition to a pitcher who has posted some dominating numbers so far. That would be Brent Suter. With an ERA of 0.94 through the games of May 21, Suter has averaged over an inning pitched per game, and has past experience starting. In addition, the Crew could also bring back old friend Chase Anderson to bolster the pitching staff. Anderson was a solid pitcher for the Crew from 2016-2019, and he has worked both out of the pen and the rotation since, appearing to rebound from struggles over the three previous seasons. 4. Look for other starters The Crew may want to start calling some teams that are struggling–or completely out of it–at this point of the season. They shouldn’t be looking for deals that could cost them prime prospects, but instead seek to find some “castoffs” who could add depth until Woodruff and Miley return. Zach Plesac of the Cleveland Guardians comes to mind right away, but the Crew should talk to San Diego, Seattle, the White Sox, and even give division rivals like the Cubs or Reds a call. Best to make the call now, before the injury bug strikes again and desperation forces the Crew into a deal that will cost them over the long term. Conclusion The 2023 season has not been horrible. If anything, the Crew has, given the rash of injuries, exceeded expectations by holding a lead in the NL Central. But the team needs to make some moves to turn things around, lest the Crew repeat their non-postseason appearance of 2022. View full article

The Brewers have had a tradition of cobbling together a bullpen and seeing it perform well, for the better part of 40 years. That is holding true so far in 2023. Just what has this bullpen accomplished? Well, they have taken up the slack for a rotation that has been hit hard by injuries. Let’s look at the state of the bullpen in the Brewers system. Image courtesy of © Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports Major League Roster Devin Williams has settled into the closer’s role, with six saves and a 0.64 ERA through May 20. Peter Strzelecki has stepped into the setup role and performed solidly. Joel Payamps has also dominated as a short reliever, after being acquired in the William Contreras trade. Jake Cousins and Elvis Peguero have also been solid, while Bryse Wilson has found a long relief niche that has been valuable. Hoby Milner has been more than adequate as a lefty neutralizer, and Trevor Megill seems to be holding up so far. Gus Varland wasn’t bad, but was designated for assignment after that comebacker in San Diego sidetracked him and put him in the middle of the team’s inevitable roster crunch. Injuries have hit the Brewers bullpen, too, with Matt Bush and J.B. Bukauskas going on the injured list. 40-Man Roster Options Tyson Miller did well in a brief call-up, as did Alex Claudio. Both are at Nashville with Bennett Sousa, acquired from the Reds for cash considerations. Abner Uribe was lights-out at Biloxi before he went on the shelf, while Cam Robinson has struggled so far in 2023 after appearing to break out as a relief option in 2022. Ethan Small has been strong as a reliever in Nashville, and could be called up to piggyback with some of the starters in a patchwork rotation. In The Minors In Nashville, Clayton Andrews has rebounded from two seasons where he spent a lot of time on the injured list. Tyler Herb and Thyago Viera have both been competent, while Luis Contreras, Ryan Middenorf, and Darrell Thompson have forced their way to Nashville from Biloxi. In Double A, James Meeker has proven human, but is still dominating as a reliever. He’s joined by Harold Chirino and Justin Yeager as righties, while Nick Bennett has rebounded from a rough 2022 to serve as a lefty out of the pen. Robbie Baker has also broken out, to a degree. At the very least, the Shuckers have some shutdown bullpen options. In Wisconsin, the Timber Rattlers have seen Max Lazar rebound from significant lost time to become a decent reliever, while Kaleb Bowman has broken out as their closer. Taylor Floyd, Ryan Brady, and Brannon Jordan are also dominating in Appleton, joined by lefties Russell Smith, Karlos Morales, and Justin King. The Mudcats have also seen some superb pitching out of the bullpen, with Quinton Low taking to the mound a lot more than he is at the plate. Tanner Shears and Miguel Guerrero have both emerged as relief options in Carolina, while Nick Merkel and Chase Costello have been solid. Nate Peterson has split time between the rotation and the bullpen for the Mudcats. Overview As has been the case in the past, the Brewers bullpen has held onto leads when the team’s offense can put the Crew on top. With the rotation decimated by injuries, the bullpen may be called upon to keep the team afloat until Brandon Woodruff, Wade Miley, and others can come back. Some of the hotter relievers might be flipped to get help for the rotation or the offense if things get to that point. It will hurt, because a lot of them could do very well, but the Brewers bullpen depth from the majors to full-season Class A is a strength that may need to be tapped into in more ways than one. View full article

Time to move Miller to first base and send him to Biloxi?

The starting rotation was considered a strength of the Brewers going into spring training. If the Brewers were to do well, the rotation’s performance would be crucial. Well, the Brewers are sitting in first place right now, but their position is precarious. One reason is the state of the rotation. Image courtesy of © Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports Major League Roster Corbin Burnes is the only member of the Brewers rotation to have not spent time on the injured list in 2022 or 2023. In fact, in 2023, of the seven potential starters the Brewers were going to have, four (Brandon Woodruff, Adrian Houser, Aaron Ashby, and Wade Miley) have spent time or are currently on the IL, and Woodruff and Ashby are on the 60-day version, with Jason Alexander, an emergency fill-in in 2022, joining them. Miley and Woodruff were pitching well when they were suddenly sidelined, and both are missed sorely, especially with the team’s offensive struggles. The good news is that Burnes is pitching a bit more like Burnes, after a rough start. Colin Rea has been called up to take a spot again, and he’s been a gritty competitor. Freddy Peralta has also kept the Crew in games, notching quality starts, even if he isn’t at 2021 or 2022 levels. Adrian Houser has been solid and keeps the team in games, as he has since he came up for good. That said, Eric Lauer has struggled this season, mostly due to giving up a team-high 13 gopher balls. 40-Man Options At this point, the only starter the Brewers have left in the depth chart on the 40-man in Janson Junk, who got lit up in one start, but who has been solid in Triple A since then. Junk was part of the return for Hunter Renfroe in an offseason trade. In The Minors Other options at Nashville include Robert Gasser, acquired in the infamous Josh Hader trade, who is also putting up decent numbers. Thomas Pannone and Pedro Fernandez are putting up good numbers and could be called up if absolutely necessary. In Biloxi, the Brewers have some young guns in Justin Jarvis and Carlos F. Rodriguez, while Brandon Knarr and Adam Seminaris have struggled a bit. Knarr’s regression (after what looked like a breakout 2022) is a concern. Tobias Meyers has been solid for the Shuckers in 2023. The Timber Rattlers also feature some promising prospects, with Tyler Woessner breaking out as the ace of the staff. Stiven Cruz, Cameron Waggoner, and Alexander Cornielle have all struggled in the early part of the season, while Joseph Hernandez, acquired in the Kolten Wong deal, has been solid, if unspectacular in Appleton. In Carolina, Jacob Misiorowski has drawn the attention with his pure stuff, even though his numbers look rough as he is slowly being brought along. However, while Misiorowski has wowed on the MLB Pipeline and the Brewer Fanantic prospects lists, Will Rudy, Patricio Aquino, Yujanyer Herrera, and Alexander Vallecillo have all been pitching lights-out ball. Overview At the major-league level, the Brewers have been through a gauntlet of lost time and inconsistent performances. Hopefully, the team can get at least Woodruff and Miley back relatively soon. In essence, the rotation has been patchwork, but has done well enough to keep the team in first place. Hopefully, the team can hang on long enough for Woodruff and Miley to return. Otherwise, it may be time to look at acquiring some help. View full article

As I have said elsewhere, Matt Bush was a better candidate to waive at that point, given his age (36) and the gopher ball issues. Suter would probably be the best acquisition for that "do anything" guy, plus Counsell/Arnold know what type of clubhouse presence he provides. Not that there aren't other pitchers out there who can do that, but in my view, the best bullpen has a closer, one or two guys for the 7th/8th, a fireman or two (think Hader in 2018), and the rest are the multi-inning guys. Also, I'd see which of the guys in the position player group might be able to go one or two innings in a blowout loss.

Very true. Or, at the very least, stock up more on multi-inning relievers than short guys who only go one inning.

They probably need to build Houser up some more, given the plan was to use him out of the pen. That said... maybe he ought to stick around for a bit. When he's on, he's very good.

Let's kick this article up after Houser's latest scoreless outing. He's making the case with how he is pitching.

Houser's red-hot in this start now. Seriously... get him extended!

Almost two months into the season, the Brewers outfield has been superb in some aspects, but has struggled in others. Down the system, the same can be said for the farm. Let’s review how the outfield is doing. Image courtesy of © Michael McLoone-USA TODAY Sports Major League Roster Christian Yelich has flashed a bit more power than 2022, but the walks have gone down. The baserunning and defense have remained superb. Joey Wiemer has taken over center field since Garrett Mitchell went on the 60-day injured list with a shoulder injury that could cost him the balance of 2023. Both provided excellent defense, but Wiemer has struggled offensively. Tyrone Taylor’s defense since his return from his elbow injury has been excellent, even with some offensive issues. Brian Anderson and Owen Miller have also seen time in the corner outfield spots, and both have hit well. While primarily filling the DH role, Jesse Winker has seen some time in the outfield, while Darin Ruf hasn’t been in the outfield for the Crew, but did see action there in previous seasons with other teams. Other 40-Man Options Blake Perkins has been the other outfielder on the 40-man roster. While he played well at AAA, his brief stint in Milwaukee wasn’t much to write home about, at the plate or afield. Should an outfielder go down, he’s likely the first call-up. In The Minors Sal Frelick struggled at Nashville, then went on the shelf after an impressive spring. The real shame is that, were he healthy, he could help the big-league team right now. Keston Hiura settled into primarily playing left field, but is also on the injured list. Skye Bolt has been solid for the Sounds, while Monte Harrison and Tyler Naquin have both struggled a bit. Jackson Chourio has played well for a 19-year-old in Doub;e A, but his OPS is barely above .700. Noah Campbell has had a legitimate breakout so far in Biloxi, but Joe Gray Jr., Tristan Lutz, and Lamar Sparks have all hit some developmental walls. Carlos D. Rodriguez has flashed excellent OBP skills and some speed. Micah Bello’s retirement still leaves Wisconsin with some struggling prospects. Je’Von Ward, Terrence Dotson, and Hendry Mendez all are posting sub-.650 OPSs, and Eduarqi Fernandez has flashed power since a promotion from Carolina. Luis Lara is a bright spot for the Mudcats since being given an aggressive promotion. Jace Avina and Hedbert Perez have slumped after starting the season in Carolina, with Perez’s bright spot being improved OBP skills. Kay-Lan Nicasa is getting on base at a high rate (.392 OBP) for the Mudcats as well. Overview The Brewers have been snakebitten by injuries in 2023, but the real problem has been their offensive performance. Ideally, Wiemer would be playing every day in Nashville, but injuries at the major league level to start the season (Luis Urias, Tyrone Taylor) and later on (Garrett Mitchell) have pushed him to Milwaukee, where he will likely remain, barring a trade or recovery by Frelick and Hiura, whose injuries have bought Winker and Luke Voit time in Milwaukee as well. That said, over the long term, the Brewers outfield picture still looks pretty bright, and the team is holding onto first place through May 23, but to stay there, the team will have to see improvements at the plate from these players. View full article

Hand it to Colin Rea for stepping up big tonight.

Nearly two months into the season, it is time to revisit the state of the Brewers, to see how things are looking overall. We will start out by looking over the infield, to include catcher and designated hitter, and then go through the rest of the position groupings. Image courtesy of © Paul Halfacre-USA TODAY Sports Major League Roster At catcher, both William Contreras and Victor Caratini have provided solid offense and defense on the major-league side, and the improvement behind the plate by Contreras has been very helpful for the team, which is in a dogfight for first place with the surprising Pirates. First baseman Rowdy Tellez is making the case for an extension with his bat, posting an .833 OPS through May 20. Luke Voit has disappointed, despite a promising spring training, though. Brice Turang has been providing Gold Glove-level defense, and has delivered some surprising power a quarter of the way through the season, but hasn’t brought along the OBP skills he showed in the minors, resulting in Owen Miller seeing time at second. Brian Anderson has spent a lot of time at third with Luis Urias stashed on the 60-day injured list with a hamstring injury suffered on Opening Day. Anderson has been one of the team’s most quietly but consistently competent hitters, and is now on his second hot streak in the power department in as many months. Mike Brousseau hasn’t done too badly, either, showing some pop from the right side. The glovework has been shaky, though–especially from Brosseau. With Willy Adames at shortstop, the good news has been that his walk rate is up to about what he did in 2021, but his offense has been below par in a couple of other aspects. The Crew may still want to talk extension, though, given what doesn’t show up in the box score. Jesse Winker has drawn a lot of walks and posted a solid OBP, but the power he was supposed to provide has been absent, with only three doubles in almost a third of the season. Darin Ruf was signed to provide some punch against lefties, diminishing the roles of Winker and Voit in a single stroke. Other 40-Man Options The Brewers are in a precarious spot at catcher, having outrighted Payton Henry to Nashville. There is nobody on the 40-man besides Contreras and Caratini at catcher. Abraham Toro is the other infield option on the 40-man, and he has been a doubles machine in Nashville, splitting time at third and second while also showing superb OBP skills. Another rough week or two might compel the Brewers to reach down for Toro, at the expense of Brosseau. In The Minors Henry, Brian Navarretto, and Alex Jackson have been solid at Nashville, while Jeferson Quero has posted good offensive numbers at Biloxi. Darrien Miller is rebounding some from a slump, while Matthew Wood already forced a promotion to Wisconsin with superb offensive numbers. Jon Singleton has performed well at Nashville, while Wes Clarke and Zavier Warren have split first base at Biloxi. In the lower minors, Ernesto Martinez, Jesus Chirinos, Jesus Parra and Tayden Hall have all struggled. Eddy Alvarez has broken out a bit at Nashville, while at Biloxi, Ethan Murray and Felix Valerio have both been so-so offensively. Robert Moore is flashing some power at Wisconsin, while Carolina has struggled to find a regular second baseman. Patrick Dorian is emerging to an extent at third base for Nashville, while Tyler Black is making a case for a promotion at Biloxi. Eduardo Garcia has moved to the hot corner in Wisconsin, and has made some OBP strides, while Ben Metzinger is also doing well at third there. Luke Adams has posted a .391 OBP at Carolina. Andruw Monasterio is putting up solid numbers at Nashville as Cam Devanney is struggling, but Freddy Zamora is breathing down his neck with a legitimate breakout season in Biloxi. Eric Brown Jr. has rebounded after a slow start in Wisconsin, while Daniel Guilarte is breaking out in Carolina. Overview At this point, the Brewers have a huge offensive hole at designated hitter, one that needs to be filled quickly. It may be time to think about cutting Winker loose, and calling up a hot hand in the minors. First base post-Tellez could be an issue, with just about everyone but the 31-year-old Singleton struggling. Second base looks to be in solid hands with Turang, if he can eventually achieve consistency at the plate. On the other hand, third base and shortstop could have plenty of options. View full article

Or, to put it another way, 47 games in in 2018, the Crew was 1.5 games ahead. This team has time to turn things around.

Think you can outwit and outwork Craig Counsell, Matt Arnold, and the rest of the Brewers' team builders and managerial staff? Now's your chance. Image courtesy of © Michael McLoone-USA TODAY Sports If there is anything that can stir up discussion at a sports bar, it’s often some criticism of the manager of a team, the front office, or both. Many fans feel they can make better calls than the manager, or build a team better than the GM or President of Baseball Operations. Testing those boasts isn’t easy. Mark Attanasio isn’t about to let any random fan take a crack at revamping the Brewers just to make a point to fellow fans. That said, there is something that might still allow you to prove your point… or end up eating a lot of humble pie. Baseball Mogul has been around since 1997. With the latest version, Baseball Mogul 2023, you can play with not just major-league rosters for all 30 teams, but also a number of their prospects. The Good Baseball Mogul has a superb ratings system that generally reflects performance, including the ability to replay a given season based on performance. It also allows one to adjust ratings for players and create new ones. Players also will be able to manage the minor-league system– figure out who to promote, draft, and, if necessary, trade. A player of this game also gets a chance to negotiate extensions or contracts, and even handle arbitration. As the manager, players have realistic issues with which to deal as well during the gameplay over a season. Do you have just one lineup, or do you adjust for lefties or righties on the mound? Players get tired, so who gives Willy Adames or Christian Yelich a day off? Will you move Ryan Braun back to third, or find a free agent? Relievers get tired, too. How do you manage the workload of Devin Williams, Peter Strzelecki, and the others? Are your starters holding up, or is it time to send Ben Sheets or Corbin Burnes out on short rest? Play-by-play in the game is just as important, for those who choose to manage. Do you bring the infield in to keep a run from scoring? When do you bring the reliever in? At a bare minimum, a fan gets an appreciation of the decision-making gauntlet through which Craig Counsell passes in a given game. The simulation isn’t just for 2023 – you can start with any team in the American or National League (sorry, we’re out of luck with regards to the Federal League of 1914-1915, and with the Negro Leagues) since 1901. You can even go multiple years. See if you can match the 2018-2021 run, or even beat it, or see if you can exceed what the Brewers did in the 1980s, or avoid the doldrums of 1993-2002. What Could Be Better The Computer GMs of the other 29 teams will make trades with each other, and they aren’t necessarily logical. So, don’t be surprised if a player you know is on one team is dealt. Roster management is a lot more simplified than in reality. You don’t have to deal with waiver claims, the Rule 5 draft, or some of the more esoteric manipulations of the 40-man roster. In fact, you can stash prospects for as long as you want. The financial modeling is also quite solid, but simplified. Fan excitement doesn’t climb if you ink Burnes to an extension, which it certainly would in reality–although maybe we overestimate the real impact on the organization of that additional goodwill. In addition, the prospects list is not complete, and an occasional glitch can be found. For instance, Brewers prospect Eric Brown Jr. gets mixed up with a different Eric Brown who would be in his 70s, and Jeferson Quero, who is third on the MLB.com Pipeline Top 30 for the Crew and fourth on the Brewer Fanatic Top 20, is missing. Some of the managerial decisions are pretty simplified as well. There is no “shifting” the defense. Players can try to hit the ball or handle the pitching–but that can be time-consuming. The game also could be better at handling a Hernan Perez or Javier Baez. Players who play 25-30 games at multiple positions in the course of a season often end up sitting on the bench. There also are some glitches, particularly when it comes to implementing MLB’s new “runner on second” extra-inning rules. This will throw some things off. Finally, aspiring GMs who may try to avoid the horrendous 2002 season or who want to build a team for a season will be frustrated by the fact the game starts on March 1, as opposed to November 1 of the previous year, thus locking players into a not-so-ideal roster situation. Overall Brewers fans will find Baseball Mogul to be an excellent way to spend the months where there is no baseball as a fun pastime, but it can even entertain during the season. While its graphics may not be killer, and it looks pretty dry, it can run on just about any Windows PC, and when it comes to the strategy that goes into a game, series, season, or an entire dynasty, this game is the best choice out there. Baseball Mogul 2023 is available from SportMogul.com. View full article