MKE81

Jacob Nottingham, Max McDowell, Mario Feliciano, Jose Sibrian, and Dustin Houle disagree. Maybe even Carlos Leal too, somewhere. Of course if they could get a great deal on Mejia, they'd be nuts not to take it, but catching isn't anything they need to be singling out as a need. Every minor league system can rattle off some names and pretend they have half a dozen prospects at any position. We have hopes for Feliciano and Payton Henry in particular as they are so young, and hopefully some of the folks you mentioned can upset the projections and develop. Maybe Nottingham can develop as he's still young for his level. The cold hard reality is we do not have any likely average MLB catchers that you can point to based on anything we have seen. So, you're left with blind hope. Thars ok for fans I guess, but we need an infusion of talent at catcher in a more realistic view. After top of rotation pitcher, catcher is a screeching loud need. The Brewers ought to take a long look at JJ Schwarz in the next draft at catcher. You may even be able to get him underslot, but that sure as heck should not drive the decision. So we can't point to Susac? He was Top 100 in 2015 and the Giants #1 prospect. Has MLB experience and will most likely be our starter next year. He can be above average. Piña can be a strong backup. The average catcher at the MLB level is a dime a dozen. It's not a position to focus on as others have mentioned, especially at the MLB level

The idea that a soft tossing pitcher would benefit from a pitcher throwing gas the next night is false. You might try to throw the opposition off by having heat-soft tosser-heat so the third pitcher benefits from the speed differential from the soft tosser the night before. Not the other way around. Regardless, the Brewers have Davies in that role. Get guys that are good pitchers. The better strategy is getting talented guys who can pitch and have arm talent. It's takes perseverance, good eye for drafting, and player development. Then you have a rotation that can win big. Davies? 89-90mph isn't soft-tossing. Cubs/Braves must have had Maddux in that soft-tossing role forever too, right? Suter is 83-85 on fastball - that's somewhat common in HS. He should never have a rotation role. But Suter out of the pen is effective for several reasons. Lefty. Huge change of pace following guys in the low-mid 90s. Works fast, which helps to make a player feel rushed in their approach and to eliminate a player quickly analyzing the pitches he's already thrown and guessing what's coming next so it's more reactionary. When you're used to seeing 90s it's a challenge seeing 83-84 with a 73 offspeed pitch. Versatility - can go several innings if needed and spot start (I think there's plenty of other options for spot starts though so wouldn't need him but he's capable of doing it). If Suter is going 1 inning out of the pen he's typically only seeing 3-5 hitters so the other half of the lineup won't be effected if another hard throwing reliever is in when they hit. But it's that 1 inning that Suter is in the game where he can be effective and use his speed to his advantage.

Spot on. I wouldn't extend him at all based on the current direction of the organization coupled with the amount of pen arms coming through the system over the next 2-3yrs starting next year. If the market stays the same next year as this past deadline then he'll bring back an outstanding haul - better than Smith/Jeffress.

I'll disagree. How does one who "lacks power entirely" still have power potential? Part of having power potential means you possess the ability to hit for (some) power but other aspects of your swing combined with pitch selection, etc need to mature to bring it out. To say someone lacks it entirely means exactly that. That it doesn't exist. Nobody's saying he should absolutely be put on the Top 25 list but he did have a solid year in A ball after being drafted last year out of college - where he had 7HR in 213AB his final season at UConn. He's not bad defensively, just like Nottingham's not bad, but they certainly have work to do to get their potential to come out to where they'd be MLB average if they get to that level at this position (McDowell most likely doesn't but who knows)

You can't be serious. Just stop. There's only 30 jobs in the entire world for what Stearns does so Joe Brewerfan.net can't do what Stearns has done and never will be able to. Additionally, labeling the Davis trade a failure after one season is also absurd. Scouts said the same thing about Nottingham as they have about Hader, Bickford, Kodi and so on and so forth. "They might stick but might not". Nottingham is 21 in AA. He'll make improvements next year on both sides of the plate and after 2 full seasons it'll be much more clear than it is now. It's premature to label that a failure. Derby might end up in the pen too. And I know a lot of people on here say the value drops when moved to the pen but last I checked we netted Ortiz, Bickford, Susac (and part or all of Cordell?) using 2 pen arms, in which one wasn't even a closer and the other had half a season as closer and didn't dominate. Finally, regarding Davis having "much more value" as some have said, no he doesn't. Again, as I've stated before, in 2013/2015/2016 he's had very similar HR and RBI numbers per AB. The ONLY reason he's approaching 40HR/100RBI is because he's getting enough ABs to do so. Davis has played fewer games in the field this year than in his career. As he gets a little older he'll strictly be a DH. So, no, his value hasn't increased especially since his production ratios have been almost identical over his career while playing only half the season in the field, committing more errors this year then previously and getting on base less with a similar K rate as last year. In what category has he improved? I find it odd that people label Davis as a good fielder but he just has a terrible arm then turn around and criticize Braun as being below average in the field when his career fielding percentage is almost 20pts higher than what Davis has done the past 2yrs while also possessing a strong, very accurate arm. Stearns is a beast. Outstanding first year across the board.

I know you are passionate in your analysis but this is just over the top, looking for someone to call you out on it. Just stop it with this stuff. Lucroy was in our system from 07-10. Maldy in system from 07-11. Half of the past decade there hasn't been any issues with the catching, especially at the MLB level. In between then and 2016 there's been steady fill-ins, guys who play a role but aren't going to be quality MLB players starting or backing up. And that's fine because there's nowhere for them to go anyway (not that we shouldn't draft and develop given can always trade players but they did draft and try to develop and some of those guys are now OFs). This year there was plenty of talent at various levels. At the MLB level next year there's Susac (top 100 in 2015 and blocked by Posey), Pina (solid entire minor league career who seems like he can be a quality backup) and Maldy still as of now with McKenry and Pinto also in AAA. Have you seen the catching talent at the MLB level across the board? It's typically not good that's why it's extremely difficult to find a top notch catcher. Not to mention Nottingham, who was Top 70 on BP list heading into this year playing 3yrs younger than age at AA, which was an aggressive assignment. That doesn't just affect offense because there's still a learning curve on the defensive end too. His defensive numbers were relatively fine heading into this year. He'll do much better next year in AA then continue to grow from there. One bad season and everyone throws in the towels on these guys it's insane. Nothing but a bunch of box score evaluators. This system has more depth at catching right now than the past 5yrs and people are still complaining.

That is the most confusing part. He said he called time because no one was going after the ball and he didn't want the runners to keep running. Which to me means he know he blew the call. If he thought he made the right call why would he care if the defense wasn't making an effort. If that's the reason he gave then he needs to be suspended. Truly disgusting and worse than the actual play itself. Impossible no ump saw the ball bounce in the dirt then hit a bat, which also happens to be 3' in front of the catcher

Absolutely. This is the best part of the site

Why would they waste time for a Tebow publicity stunt? The Mets get absolutely nothing out of this. They must see some glimmer of talent or they wouldn't do it. $$$$, publicity. It's Business 101. Why did they have Garth Brooks in ST? Must have seen a glimmer of talent I guess

He's probably contractually obligated to do the ESPN gig and I'm sure ESPN isn't just going to let him out easily or cheaply. The amount of hate this guy is getting is ridiculous. You'd think he's being gifted a major league starting job and guaranteed to hit cleanup while being paid $25M a year for 10 years. Has there been another player allowed to miss multiple days during instructionals for another non-related professional job? If not, why is he treated differently (we already know the answer to this)? This move 100% was publicity just like Garth Brooks in spring training

I said the same exact thing before the season started. Majority of people on this board only evaluate solely based on the previous season rather than body of work in combination with breaking down performances and using their eyes (ie they'll see 4ER for Peralta last night but he dominated the Cubs and ended up giving up that 2 run homer at very end which hurt his numbers and doesnt reflect how well he actually pitched). Plush, he's been "ok" past 1.5 months? He was injured almost half the season (injured last year too) and now has 16 starts. His 3.24 ERA in past 9 starts disagrees with you. And that includes his only bad start over that span vs Seattle. Take that away and 8 of last 9 starts his ERA is 2.53

Brinson, Phillips, Cordell on it. Leave Taylor, Coulter off they're buried in the system and I can't see any team selecting either base on performance the past 2yrs. Reed I'd protect if able too followed by Wren. I don't think it'll be too difficult when dealing with the OF group

No point in recalling or bringing up position players as there's nowhere for them to get action. Susac gets a nod because it never hurts to have another catcher and he has MLB experience. He'll most likely be the starting catcher next year as well otherwise in a platoon so he makes sense for several reasons.

Except Cordell has actually produced in the HR department to the tune of averaging 20+ if given a full season. He just hit 19 in 400AB in AA whereas Cooper has 27 in his minor league career of 1300ABs. So yeah, Cordell's power has already translated well and so has his speed. I don't think people understand how talented he actually is. He has the potential to be a solid MLB starter, which is why I'm excited about him being the 3rd piece. And I'm someone who was hoping for a rotation arm.

Stearns doesn't address organizational needs. He addresses talent and only talent

This. This is exactly how I feel. All well and good but name a successful major league team that did not have one power hitting lefty bat in the lineup somewhere? It's not so much about position as it is having a lineup that's balanced. Almost all the Brewer hitting prospects above A ball bat right handed Maybe Phillips can turn it around and be that guy and/or they can use an OF surplus to deal for a 1B, otherwise it might take the wave of Clark, Ray and Erceg to get some real pop from the left side. When will that be? 2019? 2014 WS Giants had Pablo (16 - switch hitter), Belt (12), Crawford (10) 2012 WS Giants had even less power from left side than 2014 That's 2 of the past 4 WS winners without a lefty power bat. The Royals had 3 lefties/switch hitters who hit 18-22HR last year and they tied for 51st and 73rd in MLB in HR. Not exactly good "power bat" rankings but they do have pop nonetheless.

This is also why Stearns loves up-the-middle power/speed guys because he knows he can get great pitching prospects for them in trades. Hader, Ortiz, Bickford all came over within the past year and all are Top 70 overall prospects. Now add Davies, who's already showing he can be a very good #4-5. Woodruff has been flying under the radar until this year. All these guys will be up within the next 2-3yrs. And over that same span there are a few guys on the current MLB roster that will be traded that can bring back Top 100 rotation arms (Braun, Villar, Thornburg). Additionally, other players that will be traded will be Scooter, at least one other OF, Perez, Carter, Nelson, Guerra, Peralta, Chase. They're sitting in a good spot right now but Stearns will continue to add arms just like he's continued to add very good OF prospects when we already have 4 in the Top 100. Plus Stearns will have 2-3 drafts over that same span as well

YES to all points. Cordell was Top 6-10 the past 2yrs in a Rangers system that was rated much higher than the Brewers last year and heading into this year and he's the 3rd piece of this trade and the large majority on here are complaining. I just don't understand it. He's a capable MLB CF with power/speed combo. This is exactly what Stearns wants because these guys offer versatility in the field as well as provide a max value return in trades - team's pay a premium price for up-the-middle power/speed combo players. Just like you can never have enough pitching you can never have enough players at a premium position.

Brinson had a 291/328 line last year in AA when he was "crushing it" in your words and Cordell almost had same OBP this year as that. But if you look at the rest of Brinson's numbers it translated to 40 doubles, 5 triples, 30HR, 110rbi, 10SB so his OPS is there as well so you're able to say he crushed it. Cordell also had injuries this year and if you do some research you'll learn what the scouts, coaches, org say about him. Which includes him hitting better than his numbers (slash line) suggest this year. He consistently had really good ABs in AA. To compare to Brinson crushing AA, over a full season this year Cordell translates to 30 doubles, 7 triples, 26HR, 95rbi, 16SB and that's with those numbers not telling the entire story of how well he actually swung the bat. I'd say that's pretty good regardless if he's 2yrs older than Brinson. Barring injuries Brinson is pretty much going to be, at worst case, an average offensive player with great defense at a premium position. That means we only need 2 of 6 - Santana, Broxton, Phillips, Cordell, Ray, Clark - to pan out as being average offensively, worst case, because factoring in their defense makes them above average overall as well. I'll take those odds given the players in the mix (ie highly rated players not just run of the mills like Coulter, Taylor). Some will be a good 4th OF as well, which is also needed (add Michael Reed in that group). Stacking the OF system is nothing short of positive

I think people had it stuck in their minds we were getting a legitimate young rotation arm or young high ceiling position player so when Cordell's name popped up they were disappointed. In order for the PTBNL to be near the same level as Brinson/Ortiz you're solely looking at Gallo and Mendez - both of whom were either already not an option or unlikely. Not sure what else you all wanted given Cordell was ranked Top 6-10 the past 2 seasons in their system by multiple publications. Just because he's not 20-22yrs old doesn't mean he's not a legitimate prospect and someone who can contribute at the MLB level. Not everyone develops at the same age. If given a full 550AB season he's averaging very similar numbers at A, A+, AA - levels he's been at the age level of competition - with around 28 doubles, 8 triples, 25HR, 85rbi, 20SB while playing great defense in all 3 OF spots. How can you not be happy with that as the 3rd piece to this trade? At AA last year a lot of people have been saying he was playing hurt, which is why his numbers were so poor. He also had a couple injuries this year as well but even with his slash line dipping this year in AA the rest of his numbers stayed the course. He was actually the #2 CF prospect in their system behind Brinson. And by all accounts he's capable in CF but would be a better (plus) defender in a corner spot with an arm that can play in RF. He's a valuable player and most people on here are complaining (not surprising). The OF's in the system will decide who plays. The others will be traded for talent at other spots that will help this team become more competitive. This trade was definitely better than the Indians trade. I don't think people should put a ton of stock in rankings but the Rangers system was rated higher (top 7) than the Indians (middle of pack) and Stearns just took their #2, 3, 6 (at time of trade) prospects with 2 of them being studs. Including Jeffress in the deal allowed for a much higher quality return. http://www.baseballamerica.com/minors/cordell-opens-eyes-in-rangers-system/#MlER1QjSYQQzYlRg.97

I don't think people, in general, are worked up over the PTBNL being a Top 30 or not. Given what Rosenthal and others have reported with the player being a significant prospect that people are assuming it's a Top 30, which makes sense given those reportings. Woodruff, a year ago, wouldn't be considered a significant prospect. Looking at a guy like Payano, he's 21 and in A ball ranked 21 in their system after the trades of several of their top prospects. But his talent is highly regarded. That's the type of player they should be looking at. It definitely doesn't need to be a highly ranked guy in their system just a guy with the potential to become a highly ranked player (ie Woodruff), like you said.

Perez is a strong utility player and moving forward, if this team is healthy, he won't be playing anywhere near as much as he has this year. His playing time significantly increased with the trade of Hill and the injury of Santana combined with the poor RF play. If this team is healthy next year and Scooter is still on the team then the IF is set and those guys won't be getting many days off - Scooter getting the most time off. Same with the OF if you're looking at Braun, Broxton, Santana and Brinson will be up at some point, which means Perez wouldn't be playing at all in the OF as a backup if we keep those 4 OFs plus Kirk most likely. Perez is on pace for 400AB+ this year. He won't see more than 250 in a super utility role, which is fine but people shouldn't expect him to get similar PT moving forward because the opportunity won't be there unless there are trades and injuries again. If you can have a super utility be a 260/310 guy with some pop and speed then he'll play a valuable role for any team.

Flanagan spoke highly of him at the beginning of the season saying he's one to watch but doesnt get the recognition (rankings and discussed) that he should. That will change. He had a great year and the numbers you posted are excellent

The majority of MLB teams could use a talent like Puig yet zero of them, outside of the Brewers, put in a claim and tried to acquire him. Explain to me why they all wouldn't be doing exactly what Stearns is trying to do (ie acquire him at a low point giving up less knowing he turns it around and you trade him for a haul). They can all get creative with trade packages to make contracts work so don't tell me teams will magically think differently about him after 250ABs. Or that make-up issues are irrelevant when you always discuss Braun, who's "lying" 4yrs ago isn't even remotely close to being similar to how Puig handles himself on and off the field.

It's an interesting scenario. Puig has 3yrs before he's a FA and nobody will trade for him next break because his recklessness and attitude won't drastically change by then. So you're hoping he gets it together by mid-2018 - 2019 to trade him at 27yrs old for top prospects. It makes sense but it's such a gamble because if he doesn't you're not getting back the quality of prospect you should for a Braun. OF situation won't be affected because by the time Puig is traded You're looking at Brinson, Santana, Broxton and Phillips just getting up.