Playing Catch

I really want to see a stronger half here, win or lose.

Alonso to the O's is a classic example of how middle-class clubs get squeezed in the market. They MUST overpay in order to sign players, and even then, they are getting players, like Alonso, that the really big spenders don't really want. Not usually due to the cost, but due to needing to commit a roster spot to that player for years.

I get it. BF needs clicks like everyone else on the internet, but c'mon. Pressure mounting?? It's December 10th.

I don't have any interest in trading Megill. $4M for an established closer is a bargain. Much like for Peralta, I think the player is more valuable for the Brewers than what the Brewers would get back in a trade. This is primarily because of the depth at the top levels of the organization. It isn't always who you acquire in a trade, but who you will cut from the 26-man and 40-man rosters in order to roster the guy you acquire. Or who will not get to play because the team has invested in a new player at that position. Are the Brewers really going to send Ortiz or Durbin to the bench, and block Pratt/Made? Are they really going to just have Vaughn as the short side of a platoon while blocking Black/Burke/Adams? Are they going to start the season with Patrick or Myers in the minors? Then what about the shiny-new pitcher they acquire? Will Kuehner, CRod, and Hardin just sit there in Nashville again? The answer to many of these questions very well could be, "yes," but that still puts the onus, then, on making the 2026 team better, and that's really hard to do when you are talking about players like Peralta and Megill. I'm not saying it can't be done, but trying to marginally improve a 97-win team is pretty damn hard. And trying to marginally improve the 2027-2030 rosters through trades now, would also be pretty damn hard.

No paywall, in case you are conditioned to not click on BA links. Aside from winning the Commissioner's Trophy, this organization has performed beyond my wildest dreams in a league that is so engrained. Turning a franchise around in just about any other major sports league (even college football!) is feasible these days. Just pause to consider how far behind the Los Angeles Angels are to the Brewers. Even if Moreno suddenly decided to go for an all-out franchise re-build it would take them how long to catch up? Even English soccer teams (e.g. Wrexham) can turn their fortunes around more quickly than in baseball. It takes dedicated belief in visionary leadership to accomplish what Attanasio has accomplished. And as the article states throughout, it really comes down to truly valuing good people and taking no shortcuts. I loved the Yelich quote at the end. People keep wanting to know the one secret. The secret is that there isn't one thing. It's all of the little things.

- I very much like moving Rapp to the microwave-role, as well as moving Winter to the 4 with Bieliauskas starting at the 5. Good job, Gard. - It looks like Blackwell's pre-season tour of letting the other Badgers settle into their roles is over. I'm so glad that we've seen Super-John the last couple of games, and I liked seeing some of his vocal leadership, too. He's on a path to Badger legend status even though his shot's follow through looks awkward. - In my humble opinion, Blackwell and Winter are the two most talented players on the roster, (with all due respect to how awesome Boyd and Rohde have been), and this team will only go as far as Blackwell and Winter will take them. - I liked that Blackwell was pushing the limits of physical play. Too often, I think Gard's Badgers waste first half possibilities by fearing fouling so much that other teams just walk to the rim, or shoot comfortably, knowing they won't get touched. Sometimes laying out a good shooter early make put some doubt in the back of their mind the next time they rise up. Elite defenders are able to find the referee's limit, push the limit, and still avoid fouling out. - Rohde. I'm not sure what to say. What an amazing addition. Like Carrington and of course, Boyd, he just fits what Gard wants from the role so, so well. Is he better than super-senior Gasser? I think he's better than Max. He's got a little Koenig in him, with his ability to use the dribble. - The last few iterations of Badger teams have missed so many bunnies, but this team is hitting them.

Yesterday was the Boyd we were sold. Every team wants to stop the ball, but he makes that primary task very difficult. Winter has been outstanding, so far. He's going to be a tough matchup for B1G teams that want to bully their way to the offensive glass. Between him, Rapp, and Bieliauskas, they've got just enough height/weight/rim protection to defend the post --- my annual, nay perpetual, concern. It looks like Gard's 6, 7, and 8 are pretty well set with Janicki, Bieliauskas, and Carrington. I approve. Torvik has Michigan favored in all of their remaining games after destroying Gonzaga, and giving Mark Few his career-worst loss. To my eye, though, they don't look quite as intimidating as all that. I'm not sure if I've seen a team that I fear in that way this season, but I probably just don't watch enough basketball. TCU made it a game against Michigan, and of course, beat Florida yesterday. Torvik has TCU a quad-II, which kind of puts today's game as an okay win, or an unfortunate loss. I really dislike those games. It should be interesting if TCU's pressure can turn over and withstand Boyd's breakneck-but-ball-secure Bucky, as well as if the Badgers can indeed neutralize a team that likes to rebound the ball.

I like wRC+ for direct comparison with peers in said league as well as a way to weed-out guys (in my own mind). If one looks at big league players, there just aren't many guys that didn't routinely put up 100+ wRC+ in their minor league stops. Which stands to reason. If one proves to be one of the more effective hitters in his league as a 22-year-old, it's reasonable to expect he'll be decent as a 28-year-old in a different, higher league, even if he's got flaws. Imperfect, and quick and dirty. But it allows me to keep dreaming on a guy like Adams, whom scouts have had a lot of questions. Just keep proving scouts wrong. Performance nearly always trumps the eye-test, except for aging prospects that are blocked by better players in MLB (or at least more well-rounded players that have better roster fit/role).

I agree. He's basically a finished product. But that doesn't change the fact that he'll need to be better with the bat going forward to maintain the amount of playing time he's received. I expect the Brewers will stand pat with him because of the proximity their prospects are to the big leagues and the dearth of obvious big-league replacements. If he's going to keep starting, he'll need to fend off the internal candidates as well as any additions. That is likely, but if we really want more offense out of the position, Made is probably better right now than many other options, and he's already in the org.

Primo post from Sveum. There isn't anything wrong with Ortiz. He's a good starting MLB shortstop, and would benefit nearly every team in baseball to have him on the 26-man. He will need to continue to develop, however, if he wants to keep getting the 500+ ABs to rack up that WAR with his glove, instead of becoming a utility IFer. We wouldn't be having this conversation if the Brewers were able to find/develop/play a platoon partner with Ortiz. Or at the very least a consistent option to pinch-hit off the bench. Don't make it so easy for teams to gameplan the Brewers order. He probably shouldn't have had 500 ABs with which to rack up positive WAR with his glove. The Brewers needed to have a guy on the bench to make teams think about the nine-spot in the order, instead of allowing teams to pitch to the easy-out. After the last 2 or 3 player-acquisition windows, it's abundantly clear that there simply aren't very many non-negative shortstop defenders that can hit. I find the age-old fan's-lament, "It's not my job to find a good platoon/bench option, I'm sure they exist," tedious, but that doesn't mean the Brewers should end the search to try and improve. I think I prefer the Brewers just hang tight, though. Expect that Ortiz will improve enough to be a really good starter, and if not, bring up Made. If the switch-hitting-machine, Jesus Made, is what he's supposed to be, and say that he's raking in AA, I don't see any on-field reason why he isn't on the 26-man by June (promoting him quickly, w/o an extension, of course, would have other ramifications down the road). He could platoon at short and third with Ortiz and Durbin, and be a Brewers do-it-all super-sub. He could gain a ton of reps in practice with the Brewers staff and integrate into the team/city without any pressure to perform. I'm less interested in Pratt, because while I think he's probably, ultimately, the better player than Ortiz, I'm not sure he's so much better than Ortiz/Monasterio that he is going to get a lot of opportunities on a playoff team.

It's easier to avoid turnovers if you are willing to jack up the first semi-open shot your team gets. Playing faster leads to more looks, and if your team is mostly getting good looks, more looks is good. In terms of the optimal ratio of 1s/2s/3s a team takes, I think "too many" 3's is a fallacy. They need to maximize opportunities to get to the line, and take open shots. They've been doing a good job with this balance. Very few forced shots, heat-checks, late-shot clock chances. I think "too many" 3's usually means either that the opposition defense is really good (tough to get good looks), or really bad (lazy offense). There haven't been many poor stretches of offense, though. It seems to me that the offense is basically, (Plan A), Boyd fastbreak layup/foul, (Plan B) Get the ball to Blackwell to score/create-and-dish, (Plan C) get the ball to the best matchup/iso that takes advantage of height (e.g. Rohde/Winter/Rapp spot-up or drive against shorter defender). And I think this is a pretty good plan. These plans will be harder to implement as the competition improves, but so far, this team looks really, really fluid. Like all 10 of them have been playing together for years, and are just passing it around for fun. The defense is well behind the offense so far, which I think is probably a good thing. They've had some stretches of strong defensive play, and their defense will be tough enough --- and deep enough --- to slow down decent teams. We'll see if they can continue to force turnovers and slow down B1G-quality teams.

I think your idea has merit, but as you mention, the Brewers seem to be disregarding the conventional wisdom in terms of valuing those types of players, and their overall roster construction. I think that we, Brewers-centric fans, don't realize just how spoiled we are with outfield defense, and the impact it has on our pitching. If Chourio goes down, the Brewers are willing to live without his power and hitting, but not his tough ABs, baserunning, and superior outfield defense. So they acquire Lockridge to at least duplicate (or even improve upon), those skills. But I get it, I'm constantly looking for ways to add a stick, too. I don't like Duran, for some reason, so that doesn't appeal, but like Bleday, he seems like a reasonable trade target if the Brewers were trying to improve on the edges of their squad; maybe balance the lineup a little.

I'm going to link again to that same Yahoo! article, about the Rockies GM Search, and point out that there are some really interesting tidbits at the end of the article regarding the upcoming CBA.

I think all three are already experiencing/demonstrating their peak as baseball players. Which is good! They are good, average, everyday players, and I think they all had enough innings to prove to themselves that their skills translate to the big leagues. The Brewers have proven adept at squeezing every ounce of talent out of their players, and getting them to perform effectively in their roles. I think Durbin (26 years old next year in '26), has 20 HR upside that would come with a full-season's worth of starts and a couple of hot stretches during the year. He has just enough power/speed/toughness (no elbow pad?!) that pitchers have to execute good pitches to beat him. I have to think that after his rookie year, and his post-season performance, that he will be oozing with confidence next season, but will maintain his humble approach to the game. His defense was above-average as well. I think he'll put together another +2.5 WAR season with a wRC+ in the 115 range. I love players like Collins. I love rooting for him to succeed, and I feel confident when he's at the plate. But Collins is 29 next August. There isn't any "potential" left. He is what he is. A really nice bench piece that can fill-in for long stretches of the season without hurting your team. Patrick, though, is a dog. As SF70 alluded, he showed up in some really difficult circumstances and performed. I just love his arsenal. He commands all three fastballs in all four quadrants. He's all business. He's unflappable. He can do anything the manager asks him to do as a pitcher. He can throw strikes against lefties and righties, pitching to contact, and eating innings. Or he can come in in a 7th inning jam with runners on and get a big strikeout/popup against righties or lefties. He might be the Brewers most trustworthy arm.

Rumors state that two guys turned the Rockies down first. I've read that baseball execs salivate at the possibilities at Coors Field, but is that true? If they're having trouble finding a guy willing to be the GM, it suggests there's a problem. Probably with ownership, either in resources available, or with the owner being too hands-on. The quote from Dick Manafort at the presser (bolded emphasis mine), “Today is an exciting day for the Rockies organization as we welcome Paul as our new president of baseball operations,” Rockies owner, chairman and CEO Dick Monfort said. “Paul was the very first person we interviewed, and throughout our conversations with him, Walker and I were both intrigued by his understanding of the game, his positive attitude, his process-based mindset and his influence on the game. This is a special guy with great vision and a great plan. He is a winner, and he is going to win in Colorado.” I don't think someone could convince me that DePodesta was a good, or even a cagey/crafty hire. He's been out of baseball for TEN years. The game has changed so much in ten years. And as sveumrules alludes in the OP, what on earth has he done with the BROWNS, that makes him some sort of sports management savant? I think I would feel so defeated and deflated if I were a Rockies fan. After their big pronouncement that the Rockies were going in a fresh, new direction, they've somehow managed to take their $#!*-show and make it even worse. Here's a yahoo editorial that sums it up.

It seems to be too much to give up for Jansen in hindsight, but if Contreras would have gone down, Jansen's value would've been all too obvious for a team with World Series aspirations. I'm sure the Brewers weren't the only team interested in Jansen. It's possible that the Brewers and Rays agree that Areinamo is a really valuable prospect, and that the Rays turned down seemingly "better" offers for Jansen in order to acquire Jadher.

I think the comp I was hoping for out of Jones this season was Bronson Koenig. Slightly different playing styles, perhaps, but Koenig was ready to play right away. Jones may still prove to have some of that kind of dynamism to his play as a freshman, which would be really exciting. But this year's team seems deeper (less talented at the top, of course) than that '13-'14 squad, so I don't know that Jones will be asked to play such important minutes as Koenig did that season.

For LouisEly and anyone else that is comparatively patient with Mac/Fickell... Do you feel confident that say, a Fickell-led Wisconsin program in 2027 is solidly back to the middle-of-the-pack in the B1G? Or are you just feeling like the injuries have, unfortunately, been so much worse than other middle-of-the-pack B1G teams, that the worst "grade" one could give Fickell is an incomplete, and that doing a program re-boot before 2026 doesn't do anyone any favors?

Certainly. It was more a comment on my too-high expectations for him. He looks like he can grow into the 3rd guard role in future seasons. I was really hoping he could be a true point guard, and at this nascent stage, I'm not sure I see enough athleticism for that role. However, I suppose if he becomes a deadeye from deep, that would really open up his playmaking abilities by drawing the defense. In addition, he may look quicker and more aggressive after playing in the system for a couple of months, obviously. With all that said, I expected him to be a PG that was successful controlling the rhythm and speed of the game, and not allowing himself to get sped up. Using his body to get to spots on the floor, and his length to find passes to open teammates, rather than by blowing past defenders. He still looks like that guy.

I came here to ask, is it the B1G's best 2nd unit? I stated a while back that I would be ecstatic if Bieliauskas and Garlock could prove worthy of B1G minutes, and so far, I'm ecstatic. Like all freshman, they will have some ugly stretches, I'm sure. But they've both looked like they can grow into legitimate guys this season. I can already tell that Janicki is on a really, really strong career path to be one of those awesome Badger glue guys. He's the current flagbearer for the program the Badgers want to be, in terms of guys you want to recruit out of high school. Culture guys that you want to promote each season. He's going to have so many winning moments in his Badgers career. Carrington is a near perfect fit for what Gard needed on this Badgers bench. What a recruiting coup. Based on the 20-minutes of YouTube I saw on Hayden Jones, I had high expectations for him. Honestly, he's a little further behind than what I expected. I think he really needs to work on his body to be successful with what I expect will evole into that big-guard archetype. He seems like an ideal candidate to go pro... at Wisconsin. Blackwell has been on the record saying something to the effect of, "Wisconsin will take care of their guys". Hanging on to whatever college eligibility he has could prove a very lucrative decision. Obviously, that's still true if he ultimately gets paid elsewhere.

At 23, Wood is already one of the worst defensive left-fielders in baseball. Any team that rosters him will need to consider this. The Brewers have shown a willingness to absorb lousy corner defense, so that by itself, isn't a disqualifier, but it certainly would limit their roster construction and roster flexibility.

I added a spoiler just in case people have no interest in considering AI's impact on BrewerFanatic. edit to add... I don't think a single baseball-related AI response I've seen this season has been correct, aside from the most basic information (which is simply statistical good fortune on AI's part).

I've got nothing to add. It's been the same roster dance for a long while now, and remains the program's bugaboo, IMO. They can't seem to find B1G post defenders/rebounders that can take pressure off the more talented forwards. Having two good forwards that can timeshare defensive post duties is fine when you've got Crowl and Winter, who are both 4/5s, IMO. But when Winter is a 4/5, and the next best post player (Rapp) is a 4 only, it puts tremendous pressure on the offense those players produce. Winter can protect the rim a little bit, and is mobile enough to be good at defending pick-and-roll, but he's gunna wear down having to rebound and bang with B1G 5s. Top-16 teams all have one or two big, strong athletes that they can rotate to do the dirty-work. I fear Winter and Rapp are just going to get worked dirty. Bieliauskas seems another 4/5, with some development to go. I would be ecstatic if Garlock could be the banger, but I fear the development-curve will be too steep for him to meaningfully contribute in this role.

Reading about the off-season plans for the Yankees, Phillies, and Cubs was a great way for me to recover from the first two games, and get fired up for this early tilt. After the Brewers win, I may even watch the AL game.

Brewers in... *checks thread title*...6!