Harold Hutchison

Let me add that I think Wiemer taking that extra base - going from first to third - in the third inning Sunday was probably crucial. That left second base open for Yelich's steal that turned into two runs. Does that extra base show up in the box score? No. But did it play a BIG part in that seven-run inning? You betcha.

I think Wiemer's growing pains will subside. The Brewers have had a lot of tough opponents, but maybe he will get better as the game slows down for him. In any case, his defense and the fact his arm keeps baserunners honest add a lot of value. I think it may be time to think about cutting Winker and calling up Hiura, and bringing Black to AAA, with an eye to Black getting the call in September. I'm wondering if Black might not be the long-term answer at first.

Varland's not been horrible. Of the folks on the 40-man, I'd have Matt Bush and Bennett Sousa tops on the list for DFA in favor of Andrews and Thompson, then maybe let Claudio walk to add Erceg after the season. Maybe it could be time to deal Milner to open a space, too.

The Brewers bullpen has been tested in the first five weeks of the season, with Brandon Woodruff, Adrian Houser, and Aaron Ashby spending time on the injured list. Relievers Matt Bush and Gus Varland also went to the injured list, the latter after a scary incident involving a line drive off his left arm, and who made his return very recently. Image courtesy of © William Glasheen / USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin / USA TODAY NETWORK Even with Houser and Varland returning, there is a question in the mind of some fans – is any help on the way from the farm? Let’s look over what there is – both on the 40-man roster and some intriguing options off the roster. From The 40-Man Roster J.B. Bukauskas Bukauskas was a waiver wire claim from the Mariners. To date, he’s seen action in three games with Nashville, posting a 4.50 ERA and notching six strikeouts in four innings. He also saw an inning of action with the Mariners. Alex Claudio Claudio has been solid at Nashville and made one appearance when Hoby Milner needed a day off, and the Crew needed a lefty. Given his past track record in MLB, he could be called up again. Jake Cousins Cousins has been up and down, racking up a lot of strikeouts in Nashville while posting a 1.93 ERA. He performed well in 2021 and 2022 before going on the injured list, so he is an option for the Crew. Trevor Megill Megill was acquired from the Twins for the ever-familiar player to be named later and some cash. He got rocked with the Twins AAA affiliate but pitched a scoreless inning in his Nashville debut. He’ll need to show that the St. Paul numbers were an aberration. Tyson Miller Miller dominated in Nashville and posted a 1.93 ERA in Milwaukee despite only a 3.9 K/IP ratio. He could easily help out if called up again. Cam Robinson This Top-30 MLB Pipeline prospect had a rough go in Nashville but has rebounded in Biloxi, posting two saves. He could still be an asset for the Crew, but it may not be until 2024. Ethan Small The Brewers’ first-round pick in 2019, Small, shows solid multi-inning relief capability in Nashville, which could be good news for the Brewers’ bullpen. Bennett Sousa Sousa was purchased from the Reds and pitched decently at Nashville before coming up to handle some “garbage” time in the Brewers’ 9-3 win over the Dodgers. Abner Uribe Uribe has dominated in Biloxi, and his 103mph heat could be very useful for the Brewers. His ERA is 1.00, and he has a couple of saves. Other Options Lucas Erceg The converted third baseman has posted solid numbers since being promoted to AAA in 2022 and has shown he can go multiple innings in a given outing, too. Plus, his bat flashed some OBP and power so that he could be used as a pinch-hitter in a real pinch. Clayton Andrews Andrews has rebounded from two seasons marred by time on the injured list to post a 2.53 ERA and a WHIP of 0.983. While he hasn’t pitched more than one and a third innings in an outing yet, he is doing very well, and like Erceg, he flashed some two-way potential with a high-contact bat and some speed in college and the minors. James Meeker Meeker has dominated since his 2022 promotion to AA Biloxi and could bump Megill or Bukauskas from the 40-man roster (and Nashville) at any point in the 2023 season. Darrell Thompson Like Meeker, Thompson is older than your typical prospect, but he has dominated since his arrival and could be a credible option. Five of his nine appearances have been for over an inning. Overview The Brewers can count on some help for the bullpen from the farm system. Some of the best options are not on the 40-man roster, which could make things very interesting in the next few months. Erceg and Andrews could end up on another MLB roster if not added to the 40-man roster. Meanwhile, Meeker and Thompson could be solid options for a few years. View full article

Following a hellacious 0-5 start to a six-game road trip to Colorado and San Francisco, the Brewers pulled out a win behind a decent outing from Adrian Houser, fresh off the injured list. This leads to a very big question: Should the Brewers extend Houser? Image courtesy of © Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports To understand, we should look at Adrian Houser's tenure with the team. Houser came to Milwaukee as part of the Carlos Gomez trade – along with Josh Hader, Brett Phillips, and Domingo Santana. He’s the last of that return to arrive in Milwaukee. However, the Brewers got a year-plus of Mike Moustakas splitting time between second and third base. The return for Hader included William Contreras, prospect Robert Gasser, and reliever Joel Payamps. He had a brief cup of coffee with the Crew in 2015, then spent large chunks of 2016 and 2017 on the disabled list. He returned in 2018, and starting in 2019, he became a solid #4/#5 starter for the Crew behind Corbin Burnes, Brandon Woodruff, and Freddy Peralta. Of course, he posted a complete game shutout in that timeframe, something the aces haven’t done. Even though he started 2023 on the disabled list, it wasn’t an arm injury this time. Over his career with the Brewers, he’s had a 3.97 ERA, good enough to post an ERA+ of 106, with a FIP of 4.24. In his last two full seasons, he’s given up far fewer home runs than in 2019 and 2020. He was slated to work out of the bullpen this year but took a rotation spot due to injuries to Woodruff and Aaron Ashby. If one thing has been a common thread, it’s been injuries the last two years. Woodruff, Peralta, and Ashby have spent time on the IL in addition to Houser. The Brewers have had to turn to Jason Alexander, Janson Junk, and Colin Rea to fill in. While neither was completely awful, Alexander is on the 60-day IL, Junk’s first (and only) outing so far was rough, and Rea has shown that while he’s solid, he can give up a few gopher balls. Keep in mind the high likelihood that Burnes and Woodruff may be traded this coming offseason. That will affect the team’s depth – even if they have pitchers with a year or two of MLB experience under their belt. Wade Miley could be a free agent due to a $10 million mutual option for 2024 – and he’s been pitching like an ace. But there is another factor. Houser has a proven track record of being a solid contributor. There’s something to be said for having known commodities on the team, especially when a lot of turnover is projected. After the fallout from the Josh Hader trade, the Brewers have been working to improve their mindfulness of the clubhouse atmosphere – as evidenced by the “lunch dates” players are having. Houser’s comps make it a little harder to nail down a good extension. His IL stints could be costly, but when he is out there, he is solid and can put up a spectacular outing. So, what should an extension for Houser look like? Given the nature of the comps from Baseball reference, which range from contemporaries barely in arbitration like Zach Plesac and Jamie Barria to late 1980s two-year wonder Mike Dunne to Negro League pitchers Bill Gatewood and Eugene Smith, it’s hard to ballpark. Tyler Glasnow may be the best bet, but he reportedly will get $25 million in 2024. That won’t happen in one year for Houser, but offering $5 million a year for five years would make sense. Sounds expensive? Probably, but if the Brewers have learned anything from the Hader trade and the spate of rotation injuries for the past couple of years, reliable starting pitching and good fits in the clubhouse are things you can’t have too much of. View full article

And it looks like Wiemer and Turang are starting to adjust to regular-season MLB pitching.

The big problem is the offense is still feast-or-famine it seems, and leaning more toward famine at times. That said, Turang and Wiemer are savign a ton of runs with their gloves. As counter as it is to my instincts, I'd say keep them both up.

Don't forget Cam Robinson, who's been a closer in his minor-league career.

With a fourth pitch... might it be worth considering stretching Strzelecki out to be a starter?

The MLB draft can make or break a team’s future – and that team may not realize whether it was good or bad for years after making the picks. Image courtesy of © Benny Sieu, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel via Imagn Content Services, LLC But while many people focus on the first round, there are many more rounds – and sometimes, the biggest contributions come not from the first round but way after that, with almost no fanfare. These later rounds can be very hit or miss, but there is one round where the times the Brewers have hit that it has been huge. Five players made it to the majors with the Brewers from the 11th round. Four made at least an honorable mention as among the best at their respective positions in Brewers' history. Let’s look at these five players. LHP Kevin Kobel (1971) Kobel made his debut in 1973, with a rough debut. In 1974, though, he proved a solid starter for the Crew, posting a 3.99 ERA in 24 starts and another ten relief appearances. Arm trouble derailed his 1975 season, and he returned to the majors as an expanded roster callup in 1976. His contract was purchased by the Mets, where he had some success before he faded away. OF Darryl Hamilton (1986) Hamilton was nowhere near heralded as Gary Sheffield in the 1986 draft, but he took to Milwaukee much better, posting 11 of his career 16.7 Wins Above Replacement with the Brewers. Hamilton was primarily a backup who covered all three positions but took over center field in 1995. He played with four teams over the next six years. Hamilton was an excellent fourth outfielder. 3B Jeff Cirillo (1991) The 1991 draft was, in many ways, a disaster for the Brewers. Pitchers Ty Hill and Judd Wilstead never got past AA. Fifth-round pick Nomar Garciaparra probably comes up as one of the biggest “ones that got away” in Brewers draft history. Mike Matheny was a decent catcher but was 1.5 wins below replacement value. Cirillo was arguably the second-best third baseman in Brewers history, posting 26.2 wins above replacement for the Crew in two stints. OF/1B Corey Hart (2000) The 2000 draft was another one of those drafts the Brewers would like to have back for the most part. First-round pick Dave Krynzel made it to the majors briefly in two seasons, and his biggest contribution was as part of the trade that brought Johnny Estrada to the Brewers after the 2006 season. But Corey Hart turned out to be one of the best right fielders in Brewers history, picked in the 11th round, producing 15.5 Wins Above Replacement in his tenure with the team. RHP Brandon Woodruff (2014) The 2014 draft is a real mixed bag. Some players provided the Brewers key assets for the magical 2018 season directly (Jordan Yamamoto and Monte Harrison were key parts of the Christian Yelich trade) or indirectly (Cy Sneed was traded for Jonathan Villar, who was traded for Jonathan Schoop). One pick they held on to was Woodruff, taken in the 11th round. All he’s done is become the Brewers’ all-time leader in ERA and adjusted ERA+, not to mention providing some offensive help before the universal DH took hold. Future Currently, the Brewers still have two 11th-round picks in the system: Cameron Wagoner and Max Lazar, both right-handed starters. Lazar looked like a big steal on the order of Woodruff before injuries derailed things, and Wagoner’s career is just getting started, but he already showed flashes last year. It’s rare for 11th-round picks to make the majors, but when a Brewers 11th-round pick makes the majors, their success on a scale from one to ten is an 11. View full article

Based on the draft board, I'd like the Brewers to get LHP/1B Bryce Eldridge (Madison HS, Virginia) and SS Walker Martin (Eaton HS, Colorado).

Which makes extending him almost impossible.

Brewer fans have been spoiled by the recent development of Corbin Burnes, Brandon Woodruff, and Freddy Peralta into a trio of aces. But the team has also benefited from seeing some surprise pitchers develop. They don’t get the hype of a Jacob Misiorowski or Abner Uribe, but then again, how many fans thought Brent Suter would blossom into such an asset? Let’s look over the “overlooked” pitching prospects in the Brewers system, Image courtesy of © Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports Starters RHP Max Lazar Lazar missed a lot of time in 2022, but seemed to return to form in Brisbane over the winter. So far, he’s seeing more time as a long man out of the bullpen, and has some excellent peripheral numbers–despite his last outing being a little rough. RHP Kevin Briceno Briceno appears to be slated to return to the ACL Brewers this summer. RHP Cameron Wagoner Wagoner was aggressively pushed to High-A Wisconsin after a total of 20 innings at the ACL and Carolina, with a solid showing in Brisbane. He’s struggled with a 7.33 ERA, and has looked a bit more hittable than he did last year. LHP Brandon Knarr Following a 2022 breakout season, Knarr’s had a start and a bullpen outing, and it’s been a bit of a rough go, with a few more walks than usual. Knarr’s kicked his strikeout pace up a bit, though, and he still looks promising. LHP Anferrny Reyes Reyes will likely start at the ACL this year. LHP Osbriel Mogollon Mogollon, like Reyes, will make the jump from the DSL to the ACL this year. Relievers RHP Michele Vassalotti So far, he’s not had any saves at Appleton, but he’s punched out 15.8 batters per nine innings, which is a very encouraging sign. Will he create a closer controversy in Appleton with Kaleb Bowman? RHP James Meeker Meeker put himself on the map in Brisbane with sheer dominance. He recently moved to Biloxi’s development list, but so far, the dominance has continued. Since being promoted to Biloxi in 2022, Meeker has an ERA of 0.00. RHP Lucas Erceg Erceg has reinvented himself the last couple of seasons after struggling as a position player. In Nashville, he’s been a solid part of their bullpen and is making himself relevant if the team continues to churn through bullpen options as the season wears on. RHP Jeison Pena Pena’s adjustment to full-season ball has had a bumpy start, but the 20-year-old has rebounded in his last two outings. Pena has given up a pair of go-fer balls so far. RHP/1B/DH Quinton Low Low looked to be a potential option as a closer, but is being stretched out in Carolina for what looks to be multi-inning work at the very least, if not a move to the starting rotation. How this might affect his development at the plate is a fascinating but open question. LHP Clayton Andrews Andrews looks to be rebounding very nicely from a rough 2021 and 2022. He’s not quite flashed the multi-inning capability he showed prior to the lost 2020 season, but he can still be an excellent replacement for Hoby Milner. LHP Pablo Garabitos Garabitos started the season on the 60-day injured list. LHP Karlos Morales Morales has dominated in Wisconsin so far, with a 0.79 WHIP and 1.24 ERA. In addition, he has notched four outs or more in three of his four outings to date. As a 2017 draftee, Morales could be a free agent, and the Brewers would be well-served to find a way to keep him on board. Overview Many of the pitchers who don’t make the prospect lists are performing well, which gives the Brewers a lot of options. This is a good thing, as they could not only fill many roles without breaking the bank, but also become useful as trade assets. View full article

During the offseason, we looked over some of the prospects in the Brewers system who have been “overlooked,” in the sense that they don’t get the hype or coverage of Jackson Chourio, Sal Frelick, or even Jeferson Quero. But these are the prospects who can often come out of nowhere to be valuable contributors to a team. Image courtesy of © Curt Hogg / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK We broke them into five groups: Catchers, first basemen, and designated hitters; middle infielders and third basemen; outfielders; starting pitchers; and relief pitchers. So how are the overlooked prospects doing? Let’s take a look around the farm at the position players first. C Darrien Miller Miller drew attention for his superb OBP skills and his bat. Surprisingly, he’s returned to Appleton to open the season, and the OBP skills are still there, but in the early going, he has slumped. His defense seems to have taken a step up, though. C Edgardo Ordonez Ordonez has not seen the field yet, and is expected to be with the ACL Brewers in 2023. 1B Ernesto Wilson Martinez Martinez is repeating at Appleton after missing most of 2022. To date, the OBP and power are there, while the batting average is a little low. Still, things look promising for the young slugger. 1B/C Jesus Chirinos Like Martinez, Chirinos is flashing both power and OBP, but the batting average seems to be down some. At worst, he and Martinez make for an excellent platoon at first base, but if they reach their potential, it is a 1-2 punch at 1B and DH. 2B Felix Valerio Valerio’s seen the field in six games, splitting time with Isaac Collins and Ethan Murray at the keystone. He’s put up good numbers in the past, though. 2B Zack Raabe Raabe was a surprising release at the end of March, despite superb OBP skills. SS Andruw Monasterio The two-time minor-league free agent signee has held down shortstop in Nashville, due to Brice Turang winning the second-base job for the parent club. He’s walking a lot, but not getting hits to drop in yet. SS Eduardo Garcia Splitting time at short and third, Garcia’s OBP skills took a step up. That’s the good news. The bad? His batting average is below the Uecker line. Then there’s the downright ugly: 18 strikeouts in 39 at-bats. 3B Weston Wilson Wilson ended up signing with the Phillies as a minor-league free agent. 3B Zavier Warren Warren is hitting well, and drawing a lot of walks. The surprise is that he is primarily playing first base for the Shuckers, while Wes Clark is catching more often than expected. OF Tristen Lutz Lutz has split time between left field and DH, but started slowly. The surprise emergence of Lamar Sparks has complicated his efforts. OF Thomas Dillard Dillard was released over the offseason, despite flashing power and OBP skills. OF Noah Campbell Campbell has had a huge offensive start, posting a four-figure OPS in eight games, mostly playing left field, but also seeing some action at first base and DH. OF Joe Gray Jr. Gray has started hot, rebounding from a somewhat rough 2022 season. OF Luis Castillo Castillo has not seen the field yet, instead finding himself on the disabled list. OF Hedbert Perez Perez is drawing more walks in the first part of his second stint at Carolina, but not much else seems to be going right for the one-time top prospect, and his strikeouts are pretty high (14 in 31 at-bats). Overview It is still very early in the season, but some of the overlooked prospects I identified before the season are making their case to get some notice, both from fans and the professional scouts. View full article

Actually, after the way Matt Bush and Javy Guerra imploded in the 8th inning today... I think I'll stand by my thoughts in the article.

Less than a month into the season, the Brewers have suffered a couple of injuries to their pitching staff, and seem to have narrowly averted another with Corbin Burnes. Their depth is already being tested. With that in mind, it’s time to take a way-too-soon look at one of the early moves in the Brewers 2022-2023 offseason: the decision to place Brent Suter on waivers. Image courtesy of © Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports A 31st-Round Steal Brent Suter was taken in the 31st round of the 2012 draft after a collegiate pitching career at Harvard. The lefty did not have the velocity or the stuff of the more highly-touted Jed Bradley, a first-round pick in 2011, but in 2015, he broke out, with a 2.36 ERA between Double A and Triple A. While Bradley was eventually traded and got a cup of coffee with the Braves, Suter came up in 2016, and became a solid bullpen asset. Versatile Asset On The Pitching Staff Suter then was a rotation asset for 2017 and 2018, until sidelined by Tommy John surgery. Upon his return, he primarily worked out of the bullpen, but took some starts in 2020 and 2021. In 2022, he filled out the back end of the bullpen, and his numbers slipped, with a 3.78 ERA as opposed to the 2.70 figure he posted from 2019-2021. The Brewers had been looking to clear some salary obligations, given that Corbin Burnes and Brandon Woodruff were due some big raises in arbitration. Suter’s $2.7 million looked like a good place to get some economic gains. So, with a potential $3 million salary for 2023, the Brewers placed Suter on waivers, where the Colorado Rockies claimed him. The Brewers later purchased Bryse Wilson from the Pirates; Wilson is now filling the long-man role Suter held down for the Crew in 2022. Results So Far In his first month with the Rockies, Suter has posted a 1.38 ERA in eight appearances, with a 1.08 WHIP over 13 innings. To put it mildly, this is a superb performance, and in four of those appearances, Suter has gone two full innings. In another three, he got the Rockies four outs. He’s walked a few batters over his last couple of outings, but he’s avoided giving up the big hit when the team has needed him to clean up others’ messes or navigate a tricky part of the opposing lineup. This ability would, quite frankly, have been a boon to a team that saw Woodruff and Freddy Peralta miss plenty of time. In Wilson’s six appearances, he’s posted a 1.35 ERA and notched two three-inning saves, while costing $732,600. So, one can say that this deal hasn’t been bad for the Brewers… so far. That said, a hard look at some of the other members of the bullpen is warranted. Matt Bush has already given up two homers and five walks in eight appearances in 2023. By comparison, he gave up eight walks and six homers in 25 appearances in 2022, following his acquisition for Antoine Kelly and Mark Mathias. The latter performed well for Texas, but is struggling with the Pirates, while Kelly looks like he is finding a groove as a potential closer following some injury struggles in 2021 with the Brewers. Javy Guerra has been so-so with the Brewers, and the cost for him turned out to be starting pitching prospect Victor Castaneda, who seemed slated for Triple A this year. The Way-Too-Early Evaluation Given the 2022 injuries to Woodruff and Peralta, and the current injuries in the rotation, the decision to place Suter on waivers looks bad. Had the Crew kept Suter (perhaps jettisoning Bush instead), the team might be better positioned to weather this period of being short-handed on the mound. More spot starters and long relievers seem to be their biggest need at the moment. View full article

The lowest of the Brewers’ full-season minor-league affiliates, the Carolina Mudcats are a major proving ground for prospects. The Arizona Complex League and the Dominican Summer League don’t get underway until June, and they play 50 or 60 games. Carolina played 131 in 2022, a massive leap that will test these prospects. Image courtesy of © Curt Hogg / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK It’s a big leap, and not all players can handle it. Let’s take a look at the Mudcats roster, and see which players have something specific to prove. Pitching One notable stat jumps out when looking at the Mudcats roster: Eight pitchers are on the injured list for at least 60 days, if not the full season. The rotation could see a mix of Jeferson Figueroa, Yujanyer Herrera, Alexander Vallecillo, Fernando Olguin, and Edwin Jiminez return to the Mudcats, with Patricio Aquino, Tyler Wehrle, and Shane Smith coming up from the ACL. The bullpen has some promising arms, from the 2022 draft and from free agency, including Nick Menzel, Nate Peterson, Aidan Maldonado, and Chase Costello. They will be joined by other farmhands, including Jeison Pena, Miguel Guerrero, and Jakob Brustowski. Much of this pitching staff is raw, but some of them could rocket up the way James Meeker and Ryan Middendorf did in 2022. Quinton Low, pursuing the two-way career like Shotei Ohtani, started in the bullpen in the ACL, but may become a starting pitcher. Catching Matthew Wood, the Brewers’ fourth-round pick in the 2022 MLB amateur draft, will get the nod as Carolina’s primary catcher. Jhonnys Cabrera, who showed power and OBP skills, joins Tayden Hall and Blayberg Diaz behind Wood. Hall and Diaz have also flashed some real offensive potential, although catcher is a secondary position for Hall, who spent most of his time at first base in 2022, and also saw time in the corner outfield positions. Infield Low will be the primary first baseman or designated hitter, where he has shown some real offensive skills to go with his skill on the mound. Luke Adams will be handling third base for the Crew, while Daniel Guilarte, a high-average hitter with OBP skills, will take most of the starts at shortstop. Gregory Barrios and Jadher Areinamo will compete for playing time at second, while Jesus Parra and Kaylan Nicasia will provide a lot of versatility. Outfield Hedbert Perez, Jace Avina, and Eduarqui Fernandez will be the primary starters. The fourth outfielder on the roster, Alberis Ferrer, is on the 60-day injured list, and didn’t play the outfield in 2022. However, Nicasia and Tayden Hall have seen time in the outfield, and Avina, Fernandez, and Perez all have played center field capably in their professional careers. Overview It will be an interesting season in Carolina. While a lot of the players there are on the rise, for some of those who have returned from last season–notably, Hedbert Perez, and some of the starting pitchers–it is arguably a make-or-break season. That being said, this is a chance for some of these players to figure out how to make it through a full 131-game season, and for the Brewers to see just how to maximize the production from these players as well. View full article

One of the big reasons: Right now, bringing Suter in (say for Lutz or some other blocked OF prospect like Gray) would probably NOT disrupt the team chemistry. The Hader trade's taught the Brewers front office that.