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Harold Hutchison

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Everything posted by Harold Hutchison

  1. Harold Hutchison
    Based on the last two seasons, I think the Brewers get comparable performance from a Wiemer/Taylor platoon for a few million dollars less.
  2. Harold Hutchison
    My thoughts for a 2023 lineup? 2b: Turang ss: Adames lf: Yelich rf: Wiemer 1b: Tellez dh: Hiura ? Caratini 3b: Urias cf: Mitchell bench: Feliciano, Reyes (OF/IF), Broussard (IF), Taylor (OF), Ruiz (OF) rotation: Burnes, Woodruff, Lauer, Peralta, Ashby bullpen: D. Williams, Boxberger, Cousins, Strzelecki, Milner, Suter, Houser, Alexander, Small * - Renfore traded for prospects/lottery tickets * - Burnes extended for 7 years, $210 million - $70 million deferred to be paid out over 20 years. * - Adames extended for six years, $150 million - $60 million deferred to be paid out over 20 years.
  3. Harold Hutchison
    The Brewers obviously had some issues this season - the first playoff miss since 2017. the offense was... anemic overall, with some good days, but a lot of falling short. The team couldn't stay healthy. The bullpen was not up to the standards of Brewers bullpens. We have some real payroll problems. And it also seems like some basics have been neglected. What should be the top focus for Stearns/Counsell in the offseason? For me, the top three are: 1. Fundamentals - the team needs to be able to do things like the hit-and-run, scoring a guy on third with less than two outs, and even hitting the other way - if for no other reason than to keep other teams honest, even with the shift being banned. 2. Health - This team needs to keep its players healthy. 3. Offensive production - Preventing runs matters, but if Corbin Burnes ain't gonna be around, then the Crew needs to score a ton of runs.
  4. Harold Hutchison
    At the same time... could Taylor handle the position? Wiemer isn't far off, either, a 2023 debut (depending on the scenario it could be opening day or September). So, there is power in the form of Taylor/Wiemer. The bigger issue, to me, is fundamentals. Even with the shift being banned, the Brewers are falling short.
  5. Harold Hutchison
    I can see both still with the Crew. Frelick may be in AAA for a bit brushing up on his college time in the IF (third base, second base). I could see trading Renfroe to give Wiemer the RF slot. Catcher upgrade may well be Feliciano and Caratini over Narvaez/Caratini, with Darrien Miller and Quero shooting up the system. Miller's been one I've liked. He's got some BIG TIME OBP skills. Look how much he's walked in 2019, 2021, and 2022! https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=miller004dar
  6. Harold Hutchison
    Outfield is overstocked, and it is time to see who can be dealt for needs elsewhere. It's going to be painful, because Frelick, Mitchell, Wiemer, Chourio, and Ruiz are either at the majors or knocking very insistently at the door. Does the Crew move Frelick to the infield, where he had some college experience, or maybe use him the way the Reds used Ryan Freel (OF/IF)? Do Weimer and Mitchell form 2/3 of the 2023 outfield, with Taylor and Ruiz as OFs 4 and 5? But that doesn't make figuring out what to do with Lutz, Perez, and Gray easier. Probably trade bait for the next Lauer. And what about Yelich? DH full-time? Move to 1B when Tellez needs to be traded? The Hader trade will be seen as a short term loss, but Gasser and Ruiz can probably contribute for 4-5 years on the big league roster. But Hader was not affordable, and if that meltdown had happened while he was on the Crew... we might be damning Stearns for not dealing him, Narvaez should be allowed to walk. Go with Caratini and Feliciano at catcher. Turang's probably ready to displace Wong at second. To me, the bigger failure is to not teach some fundamental baseball. Runner on third with less than two outs? Get him in. Teach those skills. That has cost the team a LOT in the last five years.
  7. Harold Hutchison
    The fact is, the time to offer Burnes an extension was this past off-season, and even then, the only way to make it work for the Crew financially would have been to go the Bobby Bonilla route - with a LOT of the money deferred. The real issue is that the Brewers are in a small market, and the fact is, they are unable to go toe-to-toe with the Dodgers, Mets, Yankees, Red Sox, Padres, or Angels in terms of payroll. Can they work out something with Yelich to defer more of the contract? I don't know. The MLBPA may get involved with some of this, too. Realistically, Burnes and Woodruff will likely be moved, but the Brewers going to the next guys up. The next generational talent they bring up... especially if it's one of the top prospects... they may need to look to Bonilla to keep them in Milwaukee long-term.
  8. Harold Hutchison
    Given the present realities of baseball's economic system, the Brewers will have to take risks to keep elite-level talent of one sort or another. You can pick one player getting $25-30 million a year, or you can Bonilla a couple and see the payroll take relatively modest hits for two decades down the line, where $5 million is relative peanuts, the way salaries continue to escalate. I'd rather do the Bonilla, because a World Championship probably brings much more for the franchise. Unless you can magically get Milwaukee an extra $150 million a year in revenue to match the Dodgers, Yankees, etc.
  9. Harold Hutchison
    It's very disappointing, but not surprising to hear this re: Burnes. The time to offer the deal was in the 2020-2021 offseason, IMO. He had put stuff together. The best option would be to try to do something akin to Bobby Bonilla. Bonilla should have also been the template for Yelich, too. Lots of deferred money paid out over 20-25 years.
  10. Harold Hutchison
    With a lot of very talents OF prospects, one or two could go for some help elsewhere. It has happened before (Grisham, Harrison, Brinson). It will happen again. If the Crew can't work out a deal with Burnes that includes Bonilla-esque deferred money, then they probably have to make a trade. Burnes+Ruiz/OF prospect could bring a nice haul.
  11. Harold Hutchison
    I don't think things are THAT bad for the Crew requiring such desperate measures. It's not 2002. Don't get me wrong. I'll take offense over defense a lot of the time. Yelich at SS is not an answer for the present problems, but Yelich in CF, where he's been solid, probably should have happened more this year. Keep Adames at short, have Turang take over second next year. Catcher? Feliciano is probably due for a shot there, and I have my eye on Darrien Miller in the system as well. Of course, there's also Quero. Third? A Urias/Peterson platoon is okay, but maybe see if Frelick could work there - he played infield during some collegiate summer leagues, and I'd like that bat in the MLB lineup ASAP. Tyler Black's probably the long-term answer there, but he's still in high-A.
  12. Harold Hutchison
    Maybe the Brewers need to do those things well. They can't spend $250 million in payroll. So, maybe, just maybe, it is worth making sure the team can do those things well, or at least, better than other teams.
  13. Harold Hutchison
    He's with the main focus of evil in MLB (the Yankees, Braves, and Dodgers each operate as a lesser focus of evil).
  14. Harold Hutchison
    Part of the problem with Counsell is the higher expectations from the previous four seasons. I'll say it, he is not a major cause for the problems. I do think, though, that this team needs to get better at some offensive fundamentals (hit-and-run, going the other way, stealing bases, executing the squeeze, getting the runner on third in with less than two outs, etc.), and this should be priority 1 this offseason.
  15. Harold Hutchison
    I'd agree. I had my concerns as well (not using Peralta in the 2018 NLCS, no Braun at 3B against lefties, the seeming lack of some basic fundamentals and skills among players), but he's been an excellent manager. I'll say it: Counsell is probably the best manager in Brewers history. The last managers I saw who could get more from teams were Ned Yost (look at the 12-game improvement from 2002 to 2003, among other things) and Tom Trebelhorn (whose teams dealt with lots of injuries).
  16. Harold Hutchison
    I'd agree. I had my concerns as well (not using Peralta in the 2018 NLCS, no Braun at 3B against lefties, the seeming lack of some basic fundamentals and skills among players), but he's been an excellent manager. I'll say it: Counsell is probably the best manager in Brewers history. The last managers I saw who could get more from teams were Ned Yost (look at the 12-game improvement from 2002 to 2003, among other things) and Tom Trebelhorn (whose teams dealt with lots of injuries).
  17. Harold Hutchison
    That would be... ideal. Get a multi-year deal, though.
  18. Harold Hutchison
    Nothing less than a sweep will do.
  19. Harold Hutchison
    Good execution of those skills like hitting the other way, laying down bunts, etc., would help eliminate - or greatly reduce - the shift on its own. This has been a HUGE failure by Counsell, and looking back, I think it cost this team the 2018 NLCS.
  20. Harold Hutchison
    Suter booster since 2015, with the Top 25 ballots to prove it.
  21. Harold Hutchison
    EXACTLY! How does someone like Rowdy Tellez get teams to stop playing a shift? He makes them pay by blooping a single to left. Runner on third, less than two outs? Squeeze play. When you have Burnes/Woodruff/Peralta, getting that run in matters, This needs to be fixed at the next spring training, and if Counsell can't do it, it's time for the Brewers to find someone who can.
  22. Harold Hutchison
    This is exactly the problem. It's a one-size fits all approach, with no consideration for a player's natural talents or the situation they're in. The same sort of mistakes Matt Nagy made with Mitch Trubisky. Some players (Tellez, Renfroe) are doing great with this approach. Others (Taylor, Urias, Caratini/Narvaez) are serviceable. But Yelich and Adames are MVP-caliber talents who don't need to and should not be asked to try to loft the ball on every pitch or in any situation. LET THEM HIT! In addition, the situational hitting is atrocious. When you have a big three like Burnes, Woodruff, and Peralta, and there's a runner on third with less than two outs - SQUEEZE PLAY! At least that's what I do in Baseball Mogul. But it isn't just that. Use the hit-and-run more often. Sabremetrics can work a lot of the time, but it's not a panacea.
  23. Harold Hutchison
    This is exactly the problem. It's a one-size fits all approach, with no consideration for a player's natural talents or the situation they're in. The same sort of mistakes Matt Nagy made with Mitch Trubisky. Some players (Tellez, Renfroe) are doing great with this approach. Others (Taylor, Urias, Caratini/Narvaez) are serviceable. But Yelich and Adames are MVP-caliber talents who don't need to and should not be asked to try to loft the ball on every pitch or in any situation. LET THEM HIT! In addition, the situational hitting is atrocious. When you have a big three like Burnes, Woodruff, and Peralta, and there's a runner on third with less than two outs - SQUEEZE PLAY! At least that's what I do in Baseball Mogul. But it isn't just that. Use the hit-and-run more often. Sabremetrics can work a lot of the time, but it's not a panacea.
  24. Harold Hutchison
    Perhaps his long-term role is as a 4th IF, spelling the players at third, short, and second. His bat's not horrible, his defense isn't atrocious. And given that injuries happen (sometime disproportionately to the Brewers) he might be worth offering a deal on that basis. Give him more work in the OF, maybe, but even with a universal DH, he's a huge asset off the bench.
  25. Harold Hutchison
    Perhaps his long-term role is as a 4th IF, spelling the players at third, short, and second. His bat's not horrible, his defense isn't atrocious. And given that injuries happen (sometime disproportionately to the Brewers) he might be worth offering a deal on that basis. Give him more work in the OF, maybe, but even with a universal DH, he's a huge asset off the bench.
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