Jump to content
Brewer Fanatic

Playing Catch

Verified Member
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    2,207

  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    12

 Content Type 

Profiles

Forums

Blogs

Events

News

2026 Milwaukee Brewers Top Prospects Ranking

Milwaukee Brewers Videos

2022 Milwaukee Brewers Draft Picks

Milwaukee Brewers Free Agent & Trade Rumors, Notes, & Tidbits

Guides & Resources

2023 Milwaukee Brewers Draft Picks

2024 Milwaukee Brewers Draft Picks

The Milwaukee Brewers Players Project

2025 Milwaukee Brewers Draft Pick Tracker

2026 Milwaukee Brewers Draft Tracker: Picks & Bonuses

Store

Downloads

Gallery

Everything posted by Playing Catch

  1. Playing Catch
    I dunno, If I were Hiura, I might be feeling like the luckiest player in the league after no other team in baseball wanted to pay me 2.2 million dollars to play baseball... and in Nashville! Not even in Omaha or El Paso. I think this might be my first post in this saga, but you certainly seem to be taking Hiura's plight personally. In addition, you seem to believe that the organization has made it personal, and that they truly must not know what they are doing. This isn't to say that we can't disagree with their decisions or criticize them when their decisions fail, but to essentially accuse them of being vindictive and incompetent is ignoring a lot of other evidence to the contrary.
  2. Playing Catch
    I just don't like the guy. I'll be accused of being old-fashioned, but I don't like his showing up pitchers for throwing him balls/walking him. I like bat-flips and celebrations and think old school retribution for such things is ridiculous. But his taking a close pitch? It's so annoying.
  3. Playing Catch
    Who are the recent comps for guys that get "premature" extensions? - The Braves' core-4: Acuna, Albies, Riley, Harris II. - Wander Franco - Scott Kingery Any others of note? I'm blanking on others. I guess I'm trying to figure out the cost-benefit risk/reward of these extensions. I just don't think they've seen enough from Wiemer to be convinced that they really need to buy out FA years for some players.
  4. Playing Catch
    My interpretation of the question was that he'd be traded this offseason... With that interpretation in mind, I think they should absolutely trade away his contract. Nearly all of the big extensions are offered with the understanding that that last couple of years are sunk costs. With those savings (along with the savings available with a young roster over the next few years), the team could make a run at signing someone like Woodruff AND a good FA bat (a Cain-type FA). And yes, I too, love Yeli. I'd miss him. He'll probably end up as an all-time favorite player of mine.
  5. Playing Catch
    I think the Cubs are pretty good. I'm going to take a shower now.
  6. Playing Catch
    I think that many of us are dreaming that he becomes Ronald Acuna. In actuality, that's probably setting us up to be disappointed. I'm thinking he looks like a Justin Upton: 5-tool, teenage sensation/top prospect. About the same size. As career moves forward, he becomes a 20/20 guy with one or two 30 HR seasons, decent batting average, 4 all-star appearances. Goes to free agency at first chance. Signs a deal that probably won't age well. Is an outcome like that still one that we dream on?
  7. Playing Catch
    I wonder if they try to stay away from arms that are overworked. It seems like the organization is very disciplined with monitoring pitch counts and innings as guys climb the ladder. They also, obviously, trust their method of coaching pitchers.
  8. Playing Catch
    Is it more likely that the Brewers get close-to-average production from 1B/DH by hoping Tellez/Winker turn things around, or that Hiura, Toro, or a collection of Nashville nobodies (written with respect) will do it? Same question applies to most of the likely trade targets. While the truism applies that you can't just keep going with Tellez/Winker and expect different results, projecting baseball production is often a fool's errand, and quite possibly, a DFA'd Winker could get picked up by some coastal team and play well down the stretch. I'm sure this is still the conversation in the Front Office.
  9. Playing Catch
    I was always concerned that Turang, the prospect, would never hit enough to be a starter on a first-division club. However after watching Turang, the big-league 2nd baseman, I absolutely think he will reach that level. I'm not sure he'll ever become a league average bat, but the rest of his game is really, really good. His defense saves runs and wins games. His speed is 96th percentile. Being that he's on the strong side of the platoon, and brings so much to the table in the other facets, I believe we'll end up feeling like he's an "important" contributor, if not a star. Someone else mentioned his BABIP. His BB/K rates haven't been like in the minors. He seems to "get it," and have a good baseball mind. I just think he's going to figure it out and be an 85-range wRC+ for a long time with a couple of league average seasons before he leaves the Brewers.
  10. Playing Catch
    The best thing about this list is that the acquisition cost of these guys isn't very high. None of the hitters will be SO sought after that teams will cave and give up a really good prospect. I guess I could be wrong, but I just don't see Cron or Santana requiring much.
  11. Playing Catch
    Aren't those just the weirdest statlines? 2023 has been really odd.
  12. Playing Catch
    17-year-old pitchers from the Northeast haven't typically fared very well.
  13. Playing Catch
    I agree. I hadn't realized that the CF/2B stuff was completely non-existent this season. I have to think the Brewers believe that he's their 3-bagger of the future.
  14. Playing Catch
    Is Eric Hosmer a healthy free agent? He's only 33.
  15. Playing Catch
    I have a completely unsubstantiated theory that the Brewers have become a destination club for players. A good reputation throughout the scouting/agent world. If true, Player X may decide to take a small discount to play for the Brewers instead of a club that has a lousy reputation. Presumably the Brewers wouldn't be the ONLY such club. Obviously, the Yankees, Dodgers, Astros, etc. also have excellent reputations, but those teams, too, would be more likely to stash you in the minors as long as possible.
  16. Playing Catch
    Nothing groundbreaking here in a Rosenthal piece for the Athletic. Paywalled. But clearly topical... Rosenthal: A year after the Josh Hader trade.
  17. Playing Catch
    This seems like a better spot than the optimism thread... Bring up Misiorowski? Best stuff in the minors? Check. Never enough pitching in bigs? Check. Have him in long-relief like Burnes/Woodruff/Peralta? Check. Monitor workload? Check. Master the changeup? Check. John Smoltz once said that pitching out of the bullpen allows guys to tinker with stuff and practice new pitches. The Brewers pen might be the perfect spot for Jake the Snake to cut his teeth. This would give the Brewers important info going into this offseason, too. Allows them to get a sense of Misiorowski's timetable to the bigs when considering trading Burnes/Woodruff. Also, the Brewers pen would have to be on a shortlist of nastiest bullpens in MLB history, even though they may be a little wild.
  18. Playing Catch
    Per the concerns for Adams, Fangraphs nailed it with part of their assessment. Paraphrasing, they state that he's a stiff lower-body athlete with an unconventional swing, but a good "sleeper bat". That's dead-on. I'd make him do yoga all off-season and start smoothing out the swing.
  19. Playing Catch
    150k is a significant increase from 50k. Probably enough to entice a number of high schoolers who don't relish the idea of going to college, OR entice those that want to pay for college.
  20. Playing Catch
    Haha, I just posted I'd be interested in Blackmon and Moustakas in the other thread.
  21. Playing Catch
    It's probably worth its own thread, but I've been thinking about this a lot lately. It seems like in recent seasons, baseball is paradoxically a pitching-dominant game, but that there's never enough pitching. Teams are trying to combat 3TO with unhittable pitches in the zone (most relievers), OR by having elite command to pick the corners (mid-rotation starters). Teams like the Brewers stock up on any guys that have 1.5 plus pitches and options, and stash them on the 40-man. THOSE types of pitchers flood AAA. They represent a lot of swingman starters and backend relievers with control issues. AAAA hitters feast on these guys, but can't hit in MLB. I still think triple-A has "better" competition for young hitters. Double-A may have more "talented" pitchers, but usually they have control issues. Hitters that rely on taking walks tend to struggle a lot more at the higher levels if they are unable to do damage in the zone on a consistent basis. (Sorry to derail the thread, and these are just mullings, I haven't yet formulated any strong opinion on this).
  22. Playing Catch
    Jackson ChourioSal FrelickJeferson QueroJacob MisiorowskiRobert GasserCarlos F RodriguezAbner UribeTyler BlackEric Brown JrLuke AdamsLuis LaraLogan HendersonMatthew WoodHendry MendezBrock WilkenCooper PrattDaniel GuilarteRobert MooreJustin JarvisJosh Knoth I maintain that I prefer tiers to rankings. There just isn't that much difference between the 20th ranked prospect in baseball and the 120th. Same can be said for the Brewers prospects. I also have a strong preference for performance, and players closer to MLB, rather than scouting reports and projection because when one looks at established MLBers' minor's performance, they very rarely have poor minor league numbers for full seasons. Tier 1 - Chourio Tier 2 - Frelick, Quero, Misiorowski (only because Frelick and Quero have already had success in AA, Misiorowski will pass them soon and join Chourio in Tier 1). Tier 3 - Gasser, Rodriguez, Uribe, Black, Brown Jr., Adams, Lara - I'm not as high on Black as others are, but if he finishes the season strong, I'll be a believer. I LOVE Adams, and while many questioned EBJr. as a draft pick, I'm high on him as well. I think Lara has seperated himself from many of the other youngsters. Tier 4 - Everyone else, including prospects 21-40, many of whom are simply too young/inexperienced for anyone to properly rank them. But I'm very excited about several of them!
  23. Playing Catch
    I'm the opposite. I like EBJ more than Wilken. I think EBJ's first round skillset is about OBP, barrels and the ability to stay at SS. But talk me into it; I WANT to believe! Who are some recent vintage NCAA power bats that have made it to MLB?
  24. Playing Catch
    While I agree they wouldn't be WS favorites, it would significantly improve the team. If the Brewers suddenly traded for 2022 Aaron Judge and 2008 Sabathia, I think the rest of their roster, especially the pitching and defense, would be plenty to expect a big run in the playoffs. The thing about Ohtani is that if there has ever been a "sure" thing to give your team a shot at a World Championship, Ohtani is it. Prospects come and go. Babe Ruth is forever.
  25. Playing Catch
    I suspect the Brewers are having these internal discussions about Black. Some of the arguments against bringing him up... 1 - Disruptive to his development. They look at him as a long-term piece 2 - Starts service clock earlier than ideal 3 - No guarantee of success. If he fails miserably, does that set him back? 4 - He needs to play (in the field) every day and they can't do that at MLB-level 5 - 40-man roster crunch/who to remove from 40? I will acknowledge that while I'm hopeful and optimistic that Black will be a good player for the big club in the next couple of years, I'm not as bullish on him as the rest of the board. I think I'd just prefer to use our platoon utility bats that are already on the 40-man in the 1B/DH role... Tapia/Jones/Urias/Miller/Perkins. I just don't see Black outperforming them in that role this season.
×
×
  • Create New...