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Where were Stearns' comments? Is there a link to them? Here you go... Brewers GM David Stearns is active in trade talks

As a hypothetical let's pretend the four offers below are presented as each teams "best and final" offer for Lucroy (no other Brewers' trade-chips involved). Which offer (if any) would you be excited about? Which offers would you be disappointed with? Astros David Paulino, RHP Colin Moran, 3B Franklin Perez, RHP Miguelangel Sierra, SS Indians Triston McKenzie, RHP Bobby Bradley, 1B Yandy Diaz, 3B Rangers Luis Ortiz, RHP Yohander Mendez, LHP Leody Taveras, OF Red Sox Rafael Devers, 3B Josh Ockimey, 1B

A few articles with a speculative look at trading Jonathan Lucroy... Very interesting exercise from Baseball Prospectus, The GM Trade Game! Trading Jonathan Lucroy ***** Fangraphs with Predicting the Trade Deadline Moves ***** CBS Sports Dayn Perry looks at the significance of trading for a catcher this time of year, Amid Jonathan Lucroy trade rumors, what trading for a catcher mid-season means

Final (10 innings): Brevard County 3, Charlotte 2 Manatees win fourth straight in 10 innings By Donald Rieber, Jr., 27 Outs Baseball *** Brevard County Box Score Just 5 hits for the Manatees, a pair of which were off the bat of Dustin DeMuth (2-for-5). Clint Coulter (1-for-5, 2B) had the only extra base hit, but unfortunately also struck out 3 times. Brevard County finished 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position. A strong outing for Jon Perrin lasting 6.0 innings and allowing 4 hits, 1 run, 1 walk, and striking out 4. Freddy Peralta went 2.0 innings in relief giving up 2 hits, 1 run, 3 walks, and 2 strikeouts. Brevard County Game Log Malik Collymore manufactures the winning running by making his way around the bases via a pair of errors and a stolen base. Brevard County Top of the 10th Pitching Change: Jose Alvarado replaces Ian Gibaut. Jose Cuas grounds out, third baseman Andrew Velazquez to first baseman Alec Sole. Malik Collymore reaches on a throwing error by third baseman Andrew Velazquez. Malik Collymore to 2nd. Corey Ray called out on strikes. Malik Collymore steals (6) 3rd base. Malik Collymore scores. Missed catch error by third baseman Andrew Velazquez. Wendell Rijo walks. Dustin DeMuth singles on a ground ball to shortstop Jake Cronenworth. Wendell Rijo to 2nd. Clint Coulter pops out to first baseman Alec Sole in foul territory.

Final: Brevard County 1, Palm Beach 0 Ponce shuts out Palm Beach By Donald Rieber, Jr., 27 Outs Baseball *** Brevard County Box Score A series win offers a little something to smile about, and against the Cardinals organization no less! The final line for Cody Ponce was noted earlier in the thread, overall another solid outing. With 3 walks issued it was the first time this season he has issued more than 1 walk in an outing (and it nearly equaled his total number for the season which was at 4). Even after the uncharacteristic free passes, in 36.0 innings this season Ponce has 41 K's to a still low 7 walks. The Manatees had runners in scoring position just twice, luckily they were 1-for-2 in those opportunities. Palm Beach on the other hand was 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position. The only multi-hit effort for the Manatees was Malik Collymore (2-for-3). Brevard County Game Log With two outs in the 3rd inning Corey Ray's first career triple followed by Wendell Rijo's single tallied the games only run. Brevard County Top of the 3rd Jose Cuas bunt grounds out, catcher Steve Bean to first baseman Casey Grayson. Malik Collymore pops out to shortstop Oscar Mercado. Corey Ray triples (1) on a fly ball to right fielder Orlando Olivera. Wendell Rijo singles on a line drive to center fielder Vaughn Bryan. Corey Ray scores. Dustin DeMuth flies out to center fielder Vaughn Bryan.

Typically trading picks up around 8-10 days before the deadline with the highest volume of trades occurring in the last couple of days before the deadline. I don't think it is as much that one trade triggers a series of reactionary moves from other GMs, but more that teams wait until the point where they have the best information possible on their options and their own situation (i.e. who are the sellers, who are the buyers, what are each teams needs, what impactful injuries have occurred and what is their timeline for return, etc.). Also, for reference this year's trade deadline is 3:00pm CT on Monday, August 1st.

Final: Brevard County 6, Palm Beach 5 Cuas comes through, Manatees topple Palm Beach By Donald Rieber, Jr., 27 Outs Baseball *** Brevard County Box Score Marcos Diplan no longer has an 81.00 ERA accompanying his name, the final line in his first FSL start was 5.0 innings, 4 hits, 2 earned runs, 2 walks, and 6 strikeouts. Just 11 days shy of his 25th birthday, Dustin DeMuth (3-for-5, 2B) continues to make a case that he has figured out Florida State League pitching. While he has struggled for much of July, George Iskenderian (2-for-4, 2B) recorded his second straight multi-hit game. Brevard County Game Log Shortstop Jose Cuas (2-for-4) delivered what proved to be a very important 2-RBI single with 2 outs in the 8th inning.

Final (11 innings): Brevard County 5, Palm Beach 4 Manatees comeback twice, beat Cardinals in 11 innings By Donald Rieber, Jr., 27 Outs Baseball *** Brevard County Box Score Corey Ray (2-for-4, 2B, BB) continues to collect hits, his streak now at 9 games. While the bat has heated up, Ray still seems to be getting his bearings on the base paths. Tonight he was picked off second base. Hey, some positive streaks building for the Manatees batters! Elvis Rubio (2-for-5) extended his own hitting streak to 7 games. Left-handed reliever Brad Kuntz with some high leverage outs in extra innings. Brevard County Game Log The Manatees with a bevy of defensive switches after failing to score in the top of the 10th inning (2B-->SS; 1B-->C; SS-->1B; new 2B). The new look Manatees defense managed to strand a runner on third base with no outs. Palm Beach Bottom of the 10th Defensive switch from second base to shortstop for Wendell Rijo. Defensive switch from first base to catcher for Fidel Pena. Defensive Substitution: Blake Allemand replaces Malik Collymore, batting 8th, playing second base. Defensive switch from shortstop to first base for Jose Cuas. Oscar Mercado doubles (12) on a line drive to left fielder Elvis Rubio. With Casey Turgeon batting, wild pitch by Jon Olczak, Oscar Mercado to 3rd. Casey Turgeon grounds out, pitcher Jon Olczak to first baseman Jose Cuas. Pitching Change: Brad Kuntz replaces Jon Olczak. Offensive Substitution: Pinch-hitter Vaughn Bryan replaces Andrew Brodbeck. Vaughn Bryan strikes out swinging, catcher Fidel Pena to first baseman Jose Cuas. Cole Lankford walks. With Casey Grayson batting, Cole Lankford advances to 2nd on defensive indifference. Casey Grayson grounds out, first baseman Jose Cuas to pitcher Brad Kuntz. The Manatees get the winning run across on a ground out to the pitcher. George Iskenderian (2-for-5, 2B) had a one out double and advanced to third on a wild pitch before tallying the run that would prove the difference. Brevard County Top of the 11th Defensive switch from third base to second base for Casey Turgeon. Vaughn Bryan remains in the game as the center fielder. Defensive switch from left field to third base for Cole Lankford. Defensive switch from center field to left field for Thomas Spitz. Elvis Rubio pops out to shortstop Oscar Mercado. George Iskenderian doubles (7) on a line drive to left fielder Thomas Spitz. With Fidel Pena batting, wild pitch by Blake McKnight, George Iskenderian to 3rd. Fidel Pena grounds out, pitcher Blake McKnight to first baseman Casey Grayson. George Iskenderian scores. Blake Allemand strikes out swinging.

The New York Daily News Article also mentions the Brewers are scouting the Mets lower levels. Regarding Mets lower level prospects, an interesting one is last year's Mets 3rd round pick LHP Max Wotell. Wotell started for the Kingsport Mets on Saturday and has had some early (albeit small sample size) success in Rookie ball. Wotell also has a somewhat funky delivery that appears to cause some deception and timing issues for hitters.

Final: Palm Beach 10, Brevard County 6 Cardinals fast start dooms Manatees By Donald Rieber, Jr., 27 Outs Baseball *** Brevard County Box Score Forgettable outings on the mound for Bubba Derby and Zach Hirsch. Top offensive efforts courtesy of Dustin DeMuth (3-for-5, 2B) and Fidel Pena (3-for-4, 2B). Brevard County Game Log The original box score credited both Corey Ray (1-for-5) and Wendell Rijo (1-for-4, BB) with two hits apiece, but now each is listed with a lone hit (total team hits also changed from 13 to 11). Looks like the culprit may have been 8th inning "hits" that were changed to errors. The Palm Beach Cardinals were assessed 4 errors total for the game. While it wasn't apparently a multi-hit game the good news is Ray did extend his hitting streak to 8 games. Brevard County Top of the 8th Fidel Pena grounds out to first baseman Cole Lankford. Malik Collymore strikes out swinging. Corey Ray reaches on a fielding error by second baseman Andrew Brodbeck. With Wendell Rijo batting, wild pitch by Davis Ward, Corey Ray to 2nd. Wendell Rijo reaches on a fielding error by third baseman Andrew Sohn. Corey Ray scores. Wendell Rijo advances to 3rd, on a missed catch error by left fielder Thomas Spitz. Dustin DeMuth singles on a ground ball to center fielder Vaughn Bryan. Wendell Rijo scores. Clint Coulter grounds out, shortstop Oscar Mercado to first baseman Cole Lankford.

For those interested we have begun a Lucroy Trade Deadline Poll. Encourage everyone to cast their vote, the poll will close next Sunday (or when Lucroy is dealt if that should occur first).

With the trade deadline approaching we are hosting a new poll to see which team the Brewerfan.net community thinks Jonathan Lucroy is going to be playing for following this year's trade deadline? The poll will remain open for one week and you will be able to change your vote until the poll closes on the evening of Sunday, July 24th. If you choose to vote for the "Other" category feel free to share which team you had in mind below. The Lucroy trade speculation will continue as normal in the Lucroy Trades/Proposals thread.

With Cleveland looking like a real possibility as a Lucroy landing spot, here are a couple of recent resources discussing Indians prospects. Fangraphs Scouting Indians Prospects 2,700 miles apart Everybody Hates Cleveland Podcast #59: Indians Top 20 Prospects Lots of impressive individual performances in the Indians farm system this season. After taking a closer look at the system I think the Indians are indeed a team that could put together an inticing package without sacrificing one of their top 3 prospects. Guys outside their top prospects that intrigue me the most include C Francisco Mejia, 3B Yandy Diaz, SS Yu Cheng Chang, and the LHP's Justus Sheffield and Juan Hillman. I know he is likely destined to be a major league starter in the near future, but it seems like the Brewers already have enough arms in the RHP Mike Clevenger mold. I am not sold that 1B Bobby Bradley is more than a power bench bat at the major league level based on the feedback given, but hard to say for sure about a 20-year old putting up his numbers. CF Greg Allen mentioned earlier in this thread sounds like a future fourth outfielder. One interesting question here, if the Red Sox offered Rafael Devers but little else, and the Indians offered a trio of guys that weren't top 50 prospects, let's say Diaz, Mejia, and Sheffield (who is a top 100 prospect for some), which of those two returns would you prefer?

Final: Jupiter 3, Brevard County 1 Peralta has solid outing in first Manatees start By Donald Rieber, Jr., 27 Outs Baseball *** As usual the game story includes excellent photos, quotes, and an overall recap of the game so make sure to check it out. Brevard County Box Score Freddy Peralta's first start with the Manatees went well, 5.0 innings, 3 hits, 1 earned run, 3 walks, and 4 strike outs. As noted in the game story Peralta also flashed some defensive prowess on the mound. The other half of tonight's tandem, Jon Perrin was solid as well over 4.0 innings pitched, giving up 5 hits, 2 earned runs, 1 walk, and 5 strike outs. Corey Ray (2-for-4, 2B) recorded his first extra base hit as a professional. He also extended his hitting streak to 7 games, 5 of which have been multi-hit games. The streak has raised Ray's BA to .255, but with only one walk thus far his OBP remains a paltry .259. Ray was thrown out trying to swipe second base, it is the second time he has been caught stealing in 3 attempts this season. The only other Brevard County batter with two hits was Wendell Rijo (2-for-4, 2B) who added a stolen base as well. Brevard County Game Log

More of the mid-season prospect countdown from Minor League Ball, this time #31-#50.

Another fun Robin Yount article, Baseball America's 1973 Draft Spotlight: Robin Yount. It provides a retrospective of his draft signing (one of the last first rounders to sign that year) and quick ascension to the majors.

Final: Brevard County 4, Jupiter 3 Ponce pitches Manatees to win over Jupiter By Donald Rieber, Jr., 27 Outs Baseball *** Brevard County Box Score Cody Ponce's line was noted earlier. With 8 strikeouts tonight, Ponce now has 20 strikeouts over his last two outings (12.0 innings). On the season Ponce has 37 strikeouts while walking just 4. His season WHIP now sits at a cool 1.00. Corey Ray (1-for-4) extended his hitting streak to six games. With another hitless night Wendell Rijo falls to just 2-for-23 since joining the Brewers organization. The Sea Cows #4, #5, #6 hitters each finished with a pair of hits, Clint Coulter (2-for-4, 2B), Elvis Rubio (2-for-4), and Blake Allemand (2-for-4). Brevard County Game Log Ponce struck out 4 of the first 5 Jupiter batters of the game including striking out the side in the 1st inning. Jupiter Top of the 1st Jeremias Pineda strikes out swinging. Junior Sosa strikes out swinging. John Norwood singles on a line drive to center fielder Malik Collymore. With Brad Haynal batting, John Norwood steals (10) 2nd base. Brad Haynal called out on strikes. The Manatees claimed the lead for good with a pair in the 6th inning. Brevard County Bottom of 6th Pitching Change: Juancito Martinez replaces Luis Castillo. Blake Allemand singles on a line drive to left fielder Dexter Kjerstad. Dustin Houle lines out to right fielder John Norwood. With Jose Cuas batting, wild pitch by Juancito Martinez, Blake Allemand to 2nd. Jose Cuas walks. Malik Collymore strikes out swinging. Corey Ray singles on a line drive to right fielder John Norwood. Blake Allemand scores. Jose Cuas scores. Corey Ray to 2nd. Throwing error by catcher Chris Hoo. Wendell Rijo lines out sharply to shortstop Rony Cabrera.

Well I have no idea what exactly happened regarding Blake Lillis, but I am ecstatic the report I linked turned out to be wrong! Here is the same publication standing by their original statement that he had told the Arkansas coaches he was coming to play college ball... Lillis changes mind, signs with Brewers. The job this front office did signing these picks is truly remarkable. It is astonishing to have signed almost the entire class when the MLB draft signing rate I believe is usually south of 75%.

Final: Jupiter 3, Brevard County 1 Mader masterful in win over Manatees By Donald Rieber, Jr., 27 Outs Baseball *** Brevard County Box Score CF Corey Ray was 2-for-4 including a bunt single to start the game. Ray has hit safely in 5 straight games, and 4 of those 5 games have been multi-hit efforts. The other multi-hit game came from the usual suspect, Dustin DeMuth (2-for-4). After drawing a lone walk in yesterday's 16 inning contest, the Manatees drew ZERO walks this evening. Just 1 earned run credited to Kodi Medeiros as the pair of 6th inning runs were unearned after the inning opened with a George Iskenderian error at 3B. Medeiros also allowed 4 hits, 4 walks, and recorded 2 strikeouts. As noted in the game story a 7th inning ground rule double cost Brevard County a run. Brevard County Game Log

Today's Baseball America Prospect Report includes Brandon Woodruff. It also features a player (Chris Paddack) the Brewers were rumored to be discussing with the Marlins before his recent trade to San Diego as well as a pair of intriguing Red Sox prospects.

Final (16 innings): Brevard County 4, Jupiter 3 DeMuth blasts walk-off homer in 16th inning By Donald Rieber, Jr., 27 Outs Baseball *** Brevard County Box Score Dustin DeMuth (3-for-6, 2B, HR) has been an offensive bright spot for Brevard County recently and came through as the hero in this one. Corey Ray (2-for-7) recorded his first professional stolen base. Unfortunately, as documented in the game story Ray had trouble with a routine fly ball that would have ended the game with two outs in the 9th inning. The ball that Ray lost in the Space Coast Stadium twilight allowed the tying run to score and extended the game an additional 2 hours and 9 minutes. Nice to read there were some strong defensive efforts from the Manatees infielders led by multiple nice plays from newcomer 2B Wendell Rijo. On the offensive end Rijo did not fair as well (0-for-7). In a game where Brevard County sent almost 60 players to the plate they drew just 1 walk and struck out 14 times. Manatees hurlers included Eric Hanhold, Kender Villegas, Jon Olczak, and Josh Uhen. Each went no less than 3.0 innings and over 16 innings combined to allow 12 hits and 3 earned runs while walking 9 and striking out 9. Att: 829... That was the published attendance, wonder how many of those folks stuck around long enough to see the Manatees capture the walk-off win? Brevard County Game Log A lot of reading material to go through in the game log, but the final chapter is too good not to read first... Brevard County Bottom of the 16th Wendell Rijo pops out to third baseman Avery Romero. Dustin DeMuth homers (6) on a line drive to center field.

Manatees win in the 16th inning on a Dustin DeMuth walk-off home run to dead center! Game story and more details to come in the early AM.

It's gotten buried in this thread now, but the Rosenthal speculation was posted and subsequently discussed in both post #156 as well as post #190. While it could certainly turn out to be a case of "where there is smoke, there is fire", I got the sense it was also very much speculative on Rosenthal's part in a couple of ways: 1) The Brewers were far from the only team with a scouting presence at the game. They did say the Brewers had multiple scouts, I would be somewhat curious if that means 2, 3, 4, etc.? 2) There are obviously other Brewers players the Rangers could potentially be interested in outside of Lucroy. It is nice to hear the Brewers scouts are doing their due diligence on the Rookie League prospects, a level where seemingly quality scouting can help identify future elite talent before they become more prominent prospects.

Minor League Ball is doing their own mid-season top prospect countdown. They are only down to #51 so far and Brett Phillips is the Brewers only listing at this point (surely more to come).

Yes, he leads the Midwest League in HRs at 12. Between last year and this year (154 games) he has hit 25 homers. Obviously the Pioneer League is well known as an offensive environment, but I believe last year Isan had the highest OPS (1.076) by a teenager in the Pioneer League (with a minimum of 200 AB's) since Billy Butler in 2004.