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.

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.

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.

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.

Aren't those just the weirdest statlines? 2023 has been really odd.

Is Eric Hosmer a healthy free agent? He's only 33.

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.

Haha, I just posted I'd be interested in Blackmon and Moustakas in the other thread.

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!

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.

My suspicion is that if they decide to trade him, the Angels will get at least 2 prospects the caliber of Chourio, Misirowski, and Quero, kind of like the Scherzer/Turner trade. If I'm the Angels' GM, I just don't think you can trade him for guys that *might* pan out. They gotta get sure things.

I hadn't considered Luis Urias as a trade candidate, but he would certainly look valuable to the right team. Hiura, too, of course. Toro, Perkins. Those players have all proven to be MLBers, just probably on non-playoff teams.

Also, if you plan to look at his defensive record, you may want to sit down first.

I've decided that I hope they save a little money to take advantage of the deep draft. Getting 4 or 5 guys would be fun. Misiorowski was paid more than Brown Jr. last season. Let's do that again!

About a month ago, I was hoping for a college pitcher like Waldrep, but my brother talked me out of it (the thought being that college pitchers that end up being good can be found all over the first few rounds). Since then, I can't seem to find any player that I really WANT. I guess Davis is probably the guy. Miller would be really exciting, but his lack of games played has me concerned, only because scouts haven't had as much time to evaluate him. I think the only player that I would prefer NOT to draft would be Troy.

But if they drafted Miller, where would Luke Adams play? It would be fun if they drafted Miller.

Yeah, going through this exercise every few days of trying to scrounge up some modest production in the lineup is a chore. It makes you appreciate that they are at least thinking outside the box by getting guys like Perkins, Tapia, and Jones.

I don't mind at all when they draft shortstops, as in, typically, long, lean, athletic, big armed shortstops. But I don't understand the value of drafting 2B-only guys (Robert Moore, Dylan O'Rae), as those players are just as limited defensively as a big, burly first baseman.

After some consideration, I don't want to trade Chourio for Alonso. With this said, there is a school of thought that says you want to trade a player when they are at their peak value. While I'm not predicting this, it's possible this is perfect time to trade Chourio.

Some former Phillies executive stated on MLB network yesterday that the Mets should trade Alonso, who has yet to sign an extension, but has team control through 2024. Anyone on board with selling Chourio+ to get Alonso? I probably would be. (But I'm sure this would just be Stearns plotting in his dark corner of the Front Office to get his future employer the transcendent teenager!).

Wow. That's a lot of bile-soaked red meat for Blighty, 888 and others to feast on! "reflexively and blindly support every move" "simplistic data like WAR" "simple single" "fans outsmarting the GM" "obviously a stupid pick" "The comedy is the genius fan brigade who will defend Rowdy to death because [counting stats] don't matter" "horrific hit tool" "move Yelich to first" "stubbornly and incorrectly eschew corner IFers in the draft and foreign market has really caught up with them" As one of those who are probably in the camp of obsequious Arnold defenders, I may as well comment. I think I'll start with this. Baseball is hard. Hitting a baseball is hard. Finding players that hit baseballs better than others is hard. I support most of the moves that this front office has made because most of their moves have worked out. Not all of them, but most of them. Coming into the season, any GM in baseball would think it was reasonable to expect a 28-year old Rowdy to replicate his above average offensive production from 2022, including finishing 2nd on the team with 89 RBIs (including a team-leading 35 home runs). They would also believe it reasonable to want to keep that player, as Tellez is on an inexpensive contract and already on the roster. This does not equate with defending Rowdy to death, nor does it suggest that Rowdy's first half stats have been good enough. They haven't been. He's been really bad, and has had a big role in the Brewers' really bad offense. Arnold should look to improve his 1st base options if they want to stay in the hunt. Ray Montgomery SHOULD have been fired for picking Ray instead of waiting all the way until the 4th round to pick... Corbin Burnes. While I am intrigued by the possibility that Yelich could one day play a serviceable 1st base, this possibility is not necessarily a slam dunk option. For all we know, Yelich is a butcher in the infield. And why would the Brewers want to make room for Chourio since it is so obvious that the foreign market has really caught up with them? Any finally, Arnold has only been responsible for roster construction for 8.5 months. We have no idea what opinions he had on the decisions of Stearns. For all we know he hated every good move Stearns made, or perhaps, he was the mastermind behind every good move. For all we know, Stearns wanted Esteury Ruiz to be the Brewers starting CFer so bad that he traded Hader for him despite Arnold's misgivings, so Arnold quickly moved on Ruiz to get William Contreras. We just don't know.

Would having a unique contract that allowed him more days off during the season be feasible? Do we think that would be detrimental to the team as a whole? Probably. An organization can't not have the leadership on site as much as possible.

A lot of folks here have stated that they'd be okay with Yelich at his annual salary if he returned to his Miami numbers. He has basically done that. Thanks in large part to his league average defense, he's been just an all-around very good starting left fielder. Keep it up, Yeli!

Valerio looks to be up to about 5'7" judging by that video. Say what one will, there will never be a 5'5" MLB player.

Holy smokes. Looking at the A-ball leaderboards is very, very interesting with regard to Adams' standing as a prospect. I'm thinking he'd be getting a lot of national notice with even an average BABIP. If the scouting reports on his arm, legs, and hands are accurate, he'd be a prototypical 3B prospect.