CheeseheadInQC

It feels like, unless they are moving Tayden Hall to 1st base, they have 15 catchers who belong on full season rosters with likely 12 spots. Am I the only one who thinks it is 50/50 on Wood? I know catcher is a bit different, but early college picks tend to start in high-A.

Not surprised at all, especially with him going to the Rays.

This is going to sound like a cop out, but not really. I would rather hear why you find guys interesting than just read about guys I do. Also, when it comes to picking prospects to write about I am not the one to emulate. I have used up a substantial amount of digital ink on statistical anomalies involving a pair of guys likely competing for the third catcher spot in Carolina.

I wasn’t criticizing, just making an observation on their respective strengths and weaknesses. Keep doing whoever you want. Part of the fun for me of the minor league forum is discussing a range of guys beyond the top 10.

You couldn’t have picked two more different hitters for your first two could you? I have written before how high I am on Areinamo. I love guys who take walks but don’t strike out. He might never hit 20 homers, but he showed in the ACL that if you are spraying line drives all over the field, enough will find the gaps to build an acceptable ISO. He just needs to be the pure line drive hitter he was in the ACL instead of the ground ball hitter he became after his promotion to Carolina where the extra base hits dried up.

When is the official minor league report date? Is everyone in camp or are the guys playing the ones who got invited to the early minor league camp?

In that system I have them both as sort of a 1.5, too valuable for category 2 but not proven enough to be category 1. I can understand the argument for having Strzelecki ahead of Cousins, but even a slight improvement in control on Cousins’ part probably flips them.

The Brewers’ conundrum is, do you sacrifice having your best possible bullpen in April/May to increase the chances of having a better one in August/September?

If I trusted Manfred, I’d actually view those owners being on the committee in at least a neutral light. You would want to get as many of those guys on board as possible and best to do it in the initial planning stages rather than after public infighting later on. It seems like the sort of thing David Stern would have done before strong-arming something through in the NBA. Once again, though, with this commissioner…

He doesn’t even have to become a big launch angle guy, but if he goes 20+ percent line drive, 30+ percent fly ball and less than 25 percent strikeout rate, he is probably a really valuable center fielder. The question is if he can get there.

Since 2010, 5 players have had at least 10 plate appearances in AA during their age 18 season. One was an injury replacement catcher who wasn’t hitting in A ball when he jumped two levels. The others were Harper, Tatis and Eguy Rosario.

Chances are he isn’t Trout, because Trout has been the best player of the last two decades. His value is based on more than just hype, though. Over the past 15+ years, the only prospects to be clearly better in high-A during their 18-year-old season were Vlad Guerrero Jr. and Wander Franco. Trout and Keibert Ruiz were about even. He is the only one to post a .200 ISO at that level at his age during that same time frame. His stats are legit.

I think Brosseau makes it. I don't know if he is one of the 13 best position players, but I do think his skill set complements the rest of the roster enough where he is part of the best 13-player group. I think Turang and Miller are your opening day middle infield in Nashville. That leaves Toro, Naquin, Hiura, Frelick and Voit battling for two spots. You know how everyone has spent the offseason talking about how awkward a fit Keston Hiura is for this roster? The same goes for Luke Voit, except at least Hiura could be a break glass in case of emergency option at second (hope you'd never have to use it, but at least he has experience there). Both seem like protection in case Winker hits a setback physically. I'd like to see Frelick take one of the last two spots, but I am increasingly thinking it isn't going to happen. Personally of the remaining ones then, Toro and Naquin seem to best balance the roster, so I'll go with them. I don't blame anyone for inserting Hiura or Voit, though. Having both of them in camp sure makes it look like the Brewers think that profile has a place on this roster. As for the bullpen, it depends upon 1. health and 2. how many of the out-of-options (or rule 5) guys pitch themselves out of contention by opening day. @Brewcrew82's bullpen picks look like the best April bullpen, but it wouldn't shock me if Strzelecki or Cousins starts in triple-A. If either Varland flashes upside or Wilson looks better out of the bullpen than as a starter, they could keep them and send one of the pair with options down. Injury or ineffectiveness would likely have whichever one is sent down on the roster by mid-May anyways. I'll guess that scenario plays out and Strzelecki is swapped for Varland.

It will be interesting too see if he or Voit don’t make the opening day roster if they ever see Nashville. Have to think each has an early opt out.

A lot of the more optimistic views on Frelick’s defense involve the fact he has only been a center fielder for two years and should still be improving.

A simple, factual statement like, “He didn’t pitch his best during the stretch run,” could fall under the topic Burnes mentioned but I don’t think it would be worthy of criticizing the Brewers for. This is one of those cases where I don’t feel comfortable criticizing either the Brewers or Burnes because I just don’t think we have enough facts to justify it.

This is a solid 16-20, but I feel like the real strength outside the top 10 is that there isn’t really much drop off to the next 5-10 after this.

I am not even talking cap or any sort of structural changes involving contracts. I think they will push to make any more equitable distribution of TV revenue phased in really gradually with the argument that they gave out the contracts with the expectation of X number of TV dollars.

I believe technically 0 but functionally one or two because of other likely 60-day IL placements.

Whatever is done, I imagine large market owners will probably ensure it is done slowly because of contracts already on the books.

As an upside play with a chance to be a value next season based on the contracts that were given out, I like it. I do wish, though, that they had done something else to raise the floor of the bullpen, though, even acknowledging that bullpen performance is notoriously volatile.

It wouldn’t shock me if McGinn had legitimate comments from a source but that they then got filtered through his own impressions. It wouldn’t be a surprise if there was some level of frustration with having to go through this all very publicly again with no idea how the biggest piece of their offseason puzzle is going to go. I could also see there being some in the building who think it is in the team’s best interest to go with Love. It feels more likely statements like that got taken to their illogical conclusion.

You know that old saying about how democracy is the worst form of government except for all the other ones? The system is bad, but because of how baseball is economically structured, no one can come up with anything better. That doesn’t negate its faults. It just makes them a necessary evil.

Realistically the simplest path to Gasser to make the roster is for one more long term injury to one of the top five and then Gasser being so lights out this spring that he not only clearly separates himself from Junk … and Small … and Wilson … and Miller, but Houser as well. That is a tall ask from someone with minimal AAA time in an organization not known for rushing pitching prospects into the rotation.

It works both ways, and it wouldn’t shock me if Burnes and his agent were under pressure to set a new precedent. Like everyone said, the system sucks but no one can agree on an alternative.