Harold Hutchison

We’re continuing our look at reasons to be optimistic about each player on the Brewer Fanatic Top 20 Prospects list. When we go over this, it’s to outline just how some of these players could end up contributing to the next successful Brewers team. Image courtesy of © Michael McLoone-USA TODAY Sports We covered the top 10 in the first part, here are the rest of the top 20. OF Luis Lara – OBP/Defense Lara is arguably the 2023 version of one-time Brewer Mike Felder. In his early years, Felder delivered OBP and some defense, and also had good speed. That said, Lara lacks Felder’s value on the basepaths, which means he could wind up a fifth outfielder, with an upside akin to Brady Clark’s years with the Brewers. RHP Justin Jarvis – K/9IP, K:BB ratio Jarvis is punching out more than one hitter an inning and posting almost four strikeouts for every walk issued. The Brewers will likely lose Corbin Burnes and Brandon Woodruff in trades over the offseason (barring miraculous extensions). If so, Jarvis could be one of the pitchers to carry the load. OF Hendry Mendez – OBP/Approach Mendez generates OBP–drawing walks at almost a Barry Bonds-esque rate. This will make him useful, especially if he can add playing some first base to his repertoire. Currently, the stats say he is Terry Francona with OBP skills as a player, but Francona ended up a valuable reserve for several teams across ten seasons. LHP Ethan Small – K/9IP Small may have some issues with walks, and he may have gotten clobbered, but he is also punching out a lot of hitters at the plate–almost one and a half an inning. This puts Small as arguably a poor man’s Josh Hader, a valuable late-inning reliever who can shut things down. SS Freddy Zamora – OBP/Defense Zamora has had some injury problems over his college and minor-league career, but in full seasons, he has shown that he has outstanding OBP skills (.377 career OBP) and he’s also shown he can rap out a lot of doubles (31 in 555 minor-league at-bats). If the Brewers extend Willy Adames, Zamora could be trade bait. If they move Adames, Zamora might be a worthy successor. C Matthew Wood – All-Around Offense Wood was drafted last year and has already forced his way to Appleton after about six weeks. He’s walked more than he’s struck out, and he has shown both power and the ability to hit for average. Add some adequate defense, and he might be joining Jeferson Quero as a potent 1-2 punch behind the plate for the Brewers. 3B/1B Luke Adams – OBP/Speed/Power Adams may be hitting below the Uecker line in batting average, but he also is walking a lot, stealing a bunch, and when he connects, the ball tends to go far. That, and the fact he plays first base and third base could give him a shot in Milwaukee eventually. If Adams can hit for average some more, he would be a fearsome threat in the lineup. RHP Alexander Cornielle – Age and BB/9IP Cornielle is having a rough season, but he has cut the walks down, from 4.5 per nine innings pitched in 2022 to 3.4 in 2023. This is a good sign, and if Cornielle can rediscover the form he had in Wisconsin, he could do well. He’s about two years and three months younger than your average Double A player. IF Rob Moore – OBP/Power/Lack of Ks Moore may be struggling to reach the Uecker line, but he is hitting for power and drawing walks. More importantly, he’s only struck out 31 times in 160 at-bats. It could just be bad luck, and when the hits drop in, Moore could very well be putting up numbers like he did in Brisbane. RHP Stiven Cruz – Lower HBP and HR/9IP Like Cornielle, Cruz has been struggling a bit in Biloxi, and is about two years and three months younger than your average player. But while the walk rate has climbed, Cruz has yet to plunk an opposing hitter, after doing so nine times last year. Cruz has also pushed his home runs allowed per nine innings down slightly. View full article

Bryce Eldridge is right at 18, and would be good pickup, IMO. Power-hitting 1B, but also a big pitcher on the mound.

Last week, we discussed the “caution lights” for the prospects on the Brewer Fanatic Top 20 list. But there are also reasons to be very optimistic about each of these prospects. Some of them have very high ceilings. Others have skills that will make them valuable as bench assets. But all of them clearly have the potential to really help the Brewers in the future. Image courtesy of © Dan Powers/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin / USA TODAY NETWORK OF Jackson Chourio – Where He Is Let’s face it: For all the quibbles about Chourio’s low walk rates, he is making these adjustments at Double A at the age of 19. That is five years younger than your average player at that level. This means that the Brewers have a very valuable commodity: time. Chourio currently could spend a full year at Biloxi and a full year at Triple-A Nasvhille before Rule 5 eligibility even becomes a question. Given the wealth of outfield talent the Crew has, this is a good thing. OF Sal Frelick – Hit Tool and Speed Prior to going on the injured list with a thumb injury, Frelick flashed the ability to get on base and hit for average, and he has plenty of speed. I’ve said in the past that Frelick looks like the early seasons of Paul Molitor or Ichiro Suzuki. This is a reason to be optimistic, because those two players were always threats–even if they didn’t blast home runs out of the park. IF/OF Tyler Black – Offense and Versatility Black has played second base, third base, left field, and center field. All the while, he has been a dangerous hitter with excellent OBP skills. We’re talking Barry Bonds-type ability to draw walks, and this year, Black has also flashed a real power bat, at the cost of some batting average. Black is taking off a lot on the basepaths, too. A left-handed Jeff Cirillo with speed could be the best outcome, but a player with three-true-outcome offensive upside and speed could also be nice. C Jeferson Quero – Age, Power, and Defense Quero is only a year older than Chourio, and yet he, too, is in Double A, and his offense–at least the power–has been there. Plenty of catchers with power and defense have good careers in MLB, and Quero could easily be one of them. He’s done decently drawing walks in the past, so if he can rebound to the OBP he maintained in Wisconsin, that would be good. If his walk rate goes to what it was in the Arizona Fall League, Quero could make a run at displacing Jonathan Lucroy as the best catcher in Brewers history. RHP Jacob Misiorowski – His Stuff Misiorowski hasn’t quite been able to go deep into games, but his stuff is simply dominating. He’s striking out 16.3 batters per nine innings, and only walking 2.6 per nine frames. He could arguably replace Devin Williams as the closer today, and the Crew wouldn’t be hurt by that move, but if he can stretch out… it’s lights out for opposing offenses. RHP Carlos F. Rodriguez – Age, Results Rodriguez draws concern over his walks, but everything else is pointing upwards for the 21-year-old hurler, who is pitching like an ace at a level where players are about three years older than him, on average. It would be nice to see him go deeper into games, and hopefully, that happens soon. Worst case, Rodriguez becomes a guy who can go 2-3 innings per outing, bridging a short start to the guys who close the door in the late innings. LHP Robert Gasser – High K/9, Low HR/9 Gasser might be having some issues with walks, but he is also punching out more than one hitter per inning and avoiding the go-fer ball. At the very least, Gasser could become a crucial member of the bullpen with that sort of profile, but it’s always better if he could emerge as a viable starter. RHP Abner Uribe – Fastball and K/9 How dominating is Abner Uribe? Most innings, two of the three outs he will get will be via the strikeout. A fastball hitting triple digits can do that. So can a superb slider. Even with the walks, he could be an asset in the Brewers bullpen today–and the Brewers did protect him on the 40-man roster in the 2022-2023 offseason. SS Eric Brown Jr. – OBP/Speed/Defense Brown may not be a big bopper, but he is showing an OBP/speed combo that could be quite useful in a reserve role at the very least. Think of a right-handed Bill Spiers or Mark Loretta, albeit with the ability to steal 25-30 bases a season. Both Spiers and Loretta proved to be extremely useful players throughout their careers. IF Daniel Guilarte – OBP/Hit-For-Average/Speed/Defense Guilarte is proving to be an OBP god who hits for average as well. Add in speed and his defense, and you have the kind of player that could very well have been the difference in the 2018 NLCS, where the Crew would have a runner at third, but the hitter would strike out. He lacks the pop of even Spiers or Loretta, but he’s still a competent backup. View full article

Though they still have three years of control left via his original contract extension, the Brewers might be wise to talk to Freddy Peralta about another one before 2023 is out. What would that look like? Image courtesy of © Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports The Brewers’ starting rotation has been rocked with injuries the last two years. The team planned to have Corbin Burnes, Brandon Woodruff, Freddy Peralta, Aaron Ashby, Wade Miley, and Eric Lauer as their top six starters, with Adrian Houser moving to the bullpen. In the last two years, only Burnes has avoided the injured list, and Houser’s been starting. Back in Feburary 2020, Peralta signed a team-friendly deal with team options through 2026, but that year is beginning to feel relatively close. Meanwhile, the Brewers are very likely to lose one or both of Burnes and Woodruff via trade or free agency. There is an outside shot of retaining their aces, but it is very unlikely, given that there seems to be no movement in terms of locking up Matt Arnold and Craig Counsell. Peralta has been the third ace of the Brewers rotation. He came up during the 2018 season, and was a key part of getting the Brewers to the playoffs, but he was underused–almost an afterthought–in the NLCS, aside from stepping in when Gio Gonzalez was injured in Game 4. In 2019, he struggled, after mostly being in the bullpen that year, but he rebounded in 2020 and broke out in 2021. In 2022, he had a shoulder injury and went on the injured list. Since then, he’s returned to form, albeit in short outings in 2022. In 2023, he’s had some rough outings, including giving up 10 runs (four earned) against the Giants. He may warrant a mulligan for that one, based on that scary incident involving close friend Willy Adames for that 15-1 loss, but it is time to ask what to do about him. For starters, let’s assume that the 2025 and 2026 options will be exercised. At $8 million, Peralta is a bargain, especially if he is at his 2021 form. Even at his current level, teams could do far worse. In 2023, Peralta has been a lot more hittable than he was in the past. He’s also giving up homers at a slightly lower rate than he did in 2019. That said, he has kept the Crew in games more often than not, and currently has a 5-4 record. He’s also stayed on the mound in 2023, as opposed to going on the injured list. Taking a look at similar pitchers, the names Jake Odorizzi and Lance Lynn come up, along with Dakota Hudson and Cal Quantrill. Odorizzi and Lynn probably provide the best guidance for the Brewers, pulling in salaries ranging from $8 million to $19 million a year. Peralta will be 28 at the end of 2026, though, while Odorizzi and Lynn are 33 and 36, respectively. That said, the Brewers should not hesitate at this point. Assuming Peralta rebounds as he did following his IL trip last season, the best option might be to offer Peralta a four-year deal at $13.5 million a year. This splits the difference of the salaries, but gives the Brewers a proven commodity in the rotation. Extending Peralta a second time is not without risk, given his shoulder injury and 2023 struggles. That said, with Burnes and Woodruff likely to be too pricey to keep around, Peralta might be the best option to anchor the rotation in 2025 and beyond. View full article

We’re continuing our look at what might be called “caution lights” for the Brewer Fanatic Top 20 list. Discussing these is not saying these players are going to fail to make the majors, but it is something to keep an eye on, and hope for the players to improve over the 2023 season and beyond. Image courtesy of © Michael McLoone-USA TODAY Sports We covered the top ten in the first part; here are the rest of the top 20. OF Luis Lara – Power Luis Lara was given an aggressive promotion to full-season Class-A Carolina, and he’s hitting for average, providing excellent defense, and has walked many more times than he’s struck out (16 walks to 10 strikeouts in 82 at-bats). But the power deficiency (two doubles, one home run) will be a concern going forward. While Mike Felder had a good career, even he could hit one out of the park. RHP Justin Jarvis – Walks/How Long Can He Go? Justin Jarvis is having a bit of a breakout since arriving in Biloxi late last year, posting a 2.67 ERA. However, he still gives up four walks per nine innings, and he is averaging less than six innings a start. If he can lower the walks and get through the sixth inning more, he’ll be an asset. Otherwise, the team may need someone to piggyback with him. OF Hendry Mendez – Injury/Power Mendez has shown great OBP skills, but he hasn’t displayed the power one would expect or need from a corner outfielder. In addition, he’s only played in eight games this year, due to an injury. Mendez has the OBP skills to be a very dangerous hitter at American Family Field, but he has to be on the field to be valuable, and he has to adjust his swing. LHP Ethan Small – Walks Ethan Small has done reasonably well since moving to the bullpen. However, the walks are still high. He did avoid some walks during the 15-1 loss to the Giants that had a very scary moment involving Willy Adames, but he needs to keep them down more consistently if he wants to have a shot at a late-inning, high-leverage role. SS Freddy Zamora – Injuries/Power Zamora missed a lot of time in 2020 and 2022 with injuries. Other than that, he’s delivered at the plate and on defense. With Adames slated to become a free agent after 2024, Zamora could slot right in as a replacement. He has flashed some power, with 5 home runs in 117 at-bats so far this year, as opposed to 6 in 347 in 2021. But he has to stay healthy to deliver. C Matthew Wood – How Fast Can He Move Up?/Full-Season Stamina Wood is already showing a lot of good signs. He draws walks, has some pop, and forced a promotion from Carolina to Wisconsin in May. His continued rapid rise could be crucial, as Milwaukee needs a replacement for Victor Caratini. His ability to hold up for a full season is also going to be tested, and could determine his fate. So far, so good. 3B/1B Luke Adams – Defensive Home/Hitting for Average Luke Adams is a physical specimen, but so far in Carolina, his batting average is below the Uecker line. While he’s drawing a lot of walks, he’s also striking out a lot. In addition, where does he play? Is he a third baseman? Is he in the outfield? Does he play first base? Inquiring minds want to know. RHP Alexander Cornielle – Hits Allowed Cornielle looked like he was a potential breakout, but results so far in 2023 have been rough, to say the least. He’s allowing more than one hit per inning, and that’s a good way to give up runs and not go deep into games–he’s averaging less than five innings per start. IF Rob Moore – Batting Average Moore dominated in Brisbane over the winter, but in Wisconsin, he’s had a sub-Uecker line batting average. The OBP skills are there, and Moore is rapping a lot of extra-base hits. Moore can turn things around, but the middle infield is crowded in the Brewers farm system. RHP Stiven Cruz – Hits/Walks Like Cornielle, Cruz seemed like he would have a huge season in 2023. However, everything seems to be going the wrong way. He’s walked 18 in 34.2 innings, compared to 24 walks in 91.1 innings pitched in 2022. He’s also averaging more than one hit allowed per inning, and less than four innings per start. Cruz is young, but will need to turn things around. View full article

Some Brewers managers have become well-known. George Bamberger led the Crew to its first run of success, before a heart attack sidelined him for a good chunk of the 1980 season. Harvey Kuenn led the Brewers to their only World Series appearance. Ned Yost brought the Brewers to contention after the 2002 nadir. Craig Counsell has taken the Brewers to the postseason four times–or, to put it in perspective, he’s seen the postseason as often as all of his predecessors combined. Image courtesy of © Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports However, one remarkably successful manager doesn’t get a lot of credit. In today’s playoff system, he arguably would have taken the Crew to the playoffs. Let’s go over each year of his tenure. 1986 Tom Trebelhorn managed the Brewers for the last nine games of the 1986 season, following Bamberger’s second retirement, going 6-3. That stint came after serving as third-base coach in place of Tony Muser following the infamous clubhouse explosion at their spring training facility in Chandler, Ariz. Perhaps the signature moment was sweeping a doubleheader to close out the season against the Blue Jays, who had some exciting talent back then. 1987 Brewers fans know this as Team Streak, with the highs of going 13-0, including a moment of history on April 15, when Juan Nieves no-hit the Orioles; Paul Molitor’s 39-game hitting streak; and a 91-71 record. The team had its lows, too: there was a 12-game losing streak in May, and a fair number of injuries, with Jim Gantner playing only 81 games and Molitor missing 44. It also was a victim of the two-division format and the lack of wild cards–had either been in play, this team would have made the postseason. The team’s Pythagorean record of 85-77 was not horrible, but Trebelhorn eked out another six wins. 1988 The team was almost as good (in its way) as the 1987 version, finishing 87-75, two games back of the Red Sox in the two-division format. With the three-division alignment (plus wild cards), it becomes an open question if they make the playoffs. If only one wild card, they barely miss. But with two, the team probably would have faced off against the Blue Jays in a Game 163 situation, and with three, they would have been in the playoffs again. The team finished two games below their Pythagorean record of 89-73, but it was a playoff-caliber team. 1989 This was the first of two years where injuries really took Trebelhorn’s teams out. Molitor played 155 games, and Robin Yount was in 160, but many of the supporting Crew were out with injuries, including ace Ted Higuera; keystone man Gantner; Dale Sveum, and Greg Brock, forcing the Brewers to have Gus Polidor, Dave Engle, and Terry Francona (among others) see a lot of playing time. The team finished 81-81 against a Pythagorean record of 84-78. 1990 This was the only year the Brewers finished under .500 on Trebelhorn’s watch, going 74-88 versus the Pythagorean record of 78-84. Again, injuries decimated the team, with Molitor missing 59 games, among others. It was a team that never quite got untracked, despite bringing in Dave Parker to be the full-time DH. 1991 Despite injuries, Trebelhorn’s Brewers ended 1991 with a record of 83-79, three games below their Pythagorean record of 86-76. Molitor stayed healthy, but Yount was only in 130 games that season, and declined from his near-MVP form. The pitching staff was particularly hard-hit, with injuries to Higuera and ineffectiveness from other contributors. The injury bug also hit some position players, and the team missed the playoffs in Trebelhorn’s final year. Overview The late 1980s and early 1990s were a good run for the Brewers–one that could have been great, if not for injuries. Managers can’t control that, but Trebelhorn was able to finish his tenure with the Brewers with 422 wins and 397 losses. It was a superb run, and one that is underappreciated due to the way baseball’s playoffs were set up. In today’s three-division, multi-wild card team format, Trebelhorn would have secured two playoff appearances and a division title, matching the record of all combined prior managers of the Brewers, and when he left, he led all managers in wins and had managed longer than any other manager in Brewers history to that time. Author’s note: From 1989-1991, I had occasional correspondence with Trebelhorn, culminating in a 1991 letter that secured me an A on a high-school English project as a freshman. View full article

For fans, the prospects on the farm system provide a lot of hope. But at the same time, they don’t always work out. So, it seems worth looking over the prospects on Brewer Fanatic Top 20, and taking a glance at what might be called “caution lights” for them. Now, we’re not saying they won’t break out or have great careers; we’re just noting what could go wrong. Image courtesy of © Dan Powers/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin / USA TODAY NETWORK OF Jackson Chourio – Low Walk Rates Jackson Chourio is an exciting prospect to be sure, but like Keston Hiura, who rocketed through the system five years ago, he is showing a low walk rate along the way. This could be a concern, as we see from how Hiura struggled in 2021 and (to a lesser extent) 2022. Chourio’s youth means there is a lot of time for him to develop, but this has to be a concern for Brewers fans. OF Sal Frelick – Thumb Injury A thumb injury can wreck a hitter for a while. Just look at Ryan Braun’s 2013-2014 odyssey following his injury. While Frelick’s injury doesn’t seem as severe, it could delay his MLB debut to 2024. IF/OF Tyler Black – Injury History/Batting Average Drop Tyler Black’s play at third base with Biloxi has been a very bright spot for the Brewers farm system. His injury history, particularly 2022, is a worry. The other concern has to be the fact that his batting average has dropped to .234. While Black has OBP skills (he’s walked more than he’s struck out), he can do far more for the Brewers offense as a left-handed Jeff Cirillo with speed than by trying to be the next Russell Branyan. C Jeferson Quero – Walk Rate Quero’s got great defense, and his bat certainly is showing pop. The worry here can be expressed by the number seven. That’s how many walks he has through the games of June 1. Like Chourio, he is young and can develop, and he is not rocketing through the system like Chourio did in 2022 and Hiura did in 2018-2019. But if he can’t walk, the Crew may want to bank on Matthew Wood and Darrien Miller for the future. RHP Jacob Misiorowski – Can He Start? Misiorowski has Brewers fans who follow the farm system seeing a new ace in the late 2020s. But the real question is whether he can actually be a starter. To date, he has averaged less than three innings per outing in his eight starts. That puts a lot on the bullpen. Getting him to where he can go 6-7 innings will be crucial. RHP Carlos F. Rodriguez – Walks Rodriguez has dominated since his promotion to Wisconsin in 2022, but at the same time, he has walked 33 batters in 81 innings, adding five hit batsmen and a wild pitch to the total. If Rodriguez can lower the walks, he could be a very nice piece of the rotation in 2025 – or even 2024. But walks can kill a team. LHP Robert Gasser – High WHIP Gasser was part of the return for closer Josh Hader. While he’s striking out a lot of hitters, he’s also walking a lot and giving up hits. Are his struggles in Nashville an attempt to work on some stuff, or is it a sign hitters at the AAA and MLB levels have figured him out? Gasser could always be a bullpen option, but that would make the Hader deal look a little worse. RHP Abner Uribe – Health and Walks Uribe, with a lot of heat in his fastball and a devastating slider, is reminiscent of Derrick Turnbow, who was a late-inning mainstay for the Brewers in the mid-2000s. Turnbow’s Achilles heel, though, was walks, meaning that at times, hits were much more devastating. Uribe also spent time on the injured list this season. SS Eric Brown Jr. – Power If there is caution light for Brown, it’s a lack of power. To date, he has only five home runs in 232 at-bats in the minors. Otherwise, his defense, speed, and on-base skills look quite strong, but pitchers may decide to risk contact if he isn’t able to punish them for it–see how Brice Turang is doing in Milwaukee. IF Daniel Guilarte – Power Guilarte is in the same boat as Brown, only more so. Brown at least has hit some home runs. Guilarte has none, in 254 at-bats. Like Brown, his defense, OBP skills, and speed contribute to wins, and Guilarte is hitting for average. But this profile, similar to one-time second baseman Jeff Pickler, may not be enough to get Guilarte to the majors. View full article

I like Schanuel and Williamson - and think both could move up quickly.

For the long-term success of the Brewers, the farm system is critical. In this day and age, with the harsh hot-stove realities, the team needs a constant flow of players from the farm. The system looks pretty good, but could it be better? Here are a few things that could be done. Image courtesy of © Dan Powers/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin / USA TODAY NETWORK Move Darrien Miller to 1B/LF/DH Darrien Miller’s bat is arguably more than ready for Double A or Triple A. The problem has been that he is not the best option to have behind the plate, because runners can (and do) take off and steal bases at will. That said, the Crew does have a need for a first baseman to replace Rowdy Tellez in a couple of years. Jon Singleton is 31, and not quite a prospect, while Wes Clarke and Zavier Warren have been slumping for most of the season. Moving Miller to first and sending him up to Biloxi to split time in those three positions would help the Crew out over the long run if they can’t extend Tellez. Worst case, Miller becomes a valuable left-handed bat off the bench and emergency catcher. Best case? He’s a regular at first base and/or designated hitter. Push Noah Campbell to Triple A, and Get Him on the Mound The Brewers need to look more to the future, and the switch-hitting Noah Campbell looks like one of those bench assets that can boost a team. He’s played every infield and outfield position, and even saw four games of action on the mound in 2021, collecting a save, making him a legitimate two-way threat. Unlike Hernan Perez, he has legit OBP skills, and has developed a little power. The Crew should look at him as a future bench contributor. Stretch Out Nick Bennett Nick Bennett looks to be having a breakout year as a reliever, but the Brewers should look at his emergency start as something to build on. With the current and past injury troubles of Eric Lauer, Freddy Peralta, Wade Miley, and Brandon Woodruff, the team may well want to have a lot of guys who can come up and go two or three innings at a time to help those pitchers avoid excessive wear and tear down the stretch. Keep Quinton Low Hitting Regularly While currently on the injured list, Quinton Low should be getting plenty of time at first base and DH over the long term, in addition to keeping the pitching up. He’s flashed a competent bat in Arizona, while he’s dominated on the mound to date. The question is, what type of pitcher is Low? Is he a starter? If not, then what type of reliever is he? Regardless of that, Low’s left-handed bat looks to be very useful. Promote Jeferson Quero to Triple A Quero’s bat has been red hot in Biloxi, and while he is still young, the Brewers may want to consider calling him up to Nashville. Yes, Payton Henry and Brian Navarreto are holding things down there, but Quero is the future of the Crew behind the plate, and moving him to Triple A gives the Brewers some options: they can flip Navarreto or Henry for some pitching help, use Quero as trade bait, or cut bait on Jesse Winker, add Quero, and have William Contreras take over at DH. Promote Luis Amaya and Karlos Morales to Double A These two left-handed relievers have pitched well in Wisconsin. Amaya is posting a 4.4 strikeout-to-walk ratio, while Morales has held opponents to a .484 OPS. Both also can go multiple innings in a given outing. The Crew needs to develop a lot of young pitching with the impending departures of Corbin Burnes, Miley, and Woodruff this offseason, and these two could be huge assets out of the bullpen. Overview The Brewers have a lot of reasons to be excited about the farm system, but there is always room to make the system even better. With some aggressive promotions and a few tweaks, the team could be in superb shape for years to come. View full article

Is the problem turnover at catcher? One could argue that the catcher-pitcher relationship is something that doesn't entirely show up in the box score, but it could be a big deal.

Too bad we can't get some draft picks in the deal...

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