Spencer Michaelis

Just to be a little different I was looking for somebody the Brewers could try to take a low risk chance on in the minors for this type of situation. Sam Selman stood out to me as a 28 year old lefty putting up ridiculous numbers in AAA for the (surprise) Giants (it seems inevitable we end up matching up with them for a reliever eventually). I’m guessing we go for a more proven commodity but this is just another interesting guy that I’ll be keeping an eye on now!

Yeah, that’s true. We definitely were being carried by our pitching for a large majority of the season last year. I just sort of pushed aside the memory that the offense was really not doing a ton until Yeli turned into Barry Bonds post ASB haha.

I think a better stat would be to see where the team ERA sat on June 12 of last season, if you want to make an apples to apples comparison. Yeah, unfortunately on June 12 last year it was a full 1.1 lower than right now. I’m still on board with the staff we currently have for the most part, but I was honestly surprised by it being that big a difference... Edit: it should be noted that league wide, the average ERA is much higher than last years and the Brewers team ERA is only about 0.16 worse than a league average ERA.

What are people thinking it would take for Moronta and Watson? I honestly have no clue. Moronta having so much control makes it tough.

Parra had a really nice write up in the Baseball America International Review here https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/2018-19-mlb-international-reviews-milwaukee-brewers/: So he seems to have some real legs in the report, to add to the hot start. Another one is Branlyn Jaraba who is showing some nice power and also had a nice write-up in that BA article, and then Erys Bautista who was written up as well but appears to have gotten off to a rough start. Carlos Roa is with that split Brewers/Indians team but is another write-up who seems interesting. Pitching wise I can't be of a ton of help right now tho to be honest haha.

I'm sorry but how does Aguilar have any more of a track record than Thames does? Aguilar's had one very good first half and one other decent half of a season. Thames is OPSing .838 in his three years here (before the home run today) and Aguilar is OPSing .833 in those same three years. They have extremely similar track records. I can buy the part that he's more of the long term picture, but for this year, when we are competing for a serious playoff run, we might not have the luxury of affording Aguilar the time to keep working through this as a right handed hitting, first base only player...

Strikeouts being down could also potentially be part of the reason the hard hit rate is down though. He seems to be feeling for the ball more, so far this year. That'll lead to more contact, but worse contact. I'm not sure that's better...

Top 60 this time around 1 Keston Hiura 2B 2 Tristen Lutz OF 3 Corey Ray OF 4 Brice Turang SS 5 Lucas Erceg 3B 6 Zack Brown SP 7 Mauricio Dubon SS/2B 8 Joe Gray OF 9 Tyrone Taylor OF 10 Aaron Ashby SP 11 Payton Henry C 12 Troy Stokes Jr. OF 13 Braden Webb SP 14 Eduardo Garcia SS 15 Jacob Nottingham C 16 Carlos Rodriguez OF 17 Andres Melendez C 18 Pablo Abreu OF 19 Micah Bello OF 20 Trent Grisham OF 21 Marcos Diplan SP 22 Jake Gatewood 1B/3B 23 Adrian Houser RP 24 Mario Feliciano C 25 Trey Supak SP 26 Reese Olson SP 27 Je’Von Ward OF 28 Jolon Lun P 29 Drew Rasmussen SP 30 Jesus Parra SS 31 Cody Ponce SP 32 Phil Bickford SP 33 Miguel Sanchez RP 34 Adam Hill SP 35 Joey Matulovich P 36 Angel Perdomo P 37 Bobby Wahl RP 38 Max Lazar SP 39 Clayton Andrews RP 40 David Fry C/1B 41 Caden Lemons P 42 Brendan Murphy P 43 Chad McClanahan 1B/3B 44 Eduarqui Fernandez OF 45 Justin Jarvis SP 46 Larry Ernesto RF 47 Devin Williams P 48 Yeison Coca 2B/SS 49 Ernesto Martinez OF/1B 50 Felix Valerio 2B 51 Weston Wilson IF 52 Bubba Derby SP 53 Jon Olczak RP 54 Edwin Sano IF 55 Jayson Rose SP 56 Antonio Pinero SS 57 Max McDowell C 58 Logan Gillaspie SP 59 Quintin Torres-Costa RP 60 Dylan File SP

Starting to see this pick up steam on Brewers Twitter now. More than likely because you linked it here. Goes to show that a lot of Brewers Twitter obviously lurks here. I was noticing that too haha. Well glad it’s getting some conversation started. I’m not a *huge* fan of Keuchel myself, but on a 3 year deal I think the risk is worth it.

Haven't seen this posted elsewhere and don't know anything about the amount of trust this guy deserves, but this is at least interesting....

He hasn’t looked great in the MLB but he’s done extremely well in AAA, while calling Colorado Springs home. He also has only pitched in a total of 6 MLB games. Clearly the org likes what they’ve seen at AAA and think he can eventually help the big league team in some capacity.

Personally would love to hear about this if/when you have the time!

Jake McKinley Hired as MiLB Pitching Coordinator Taking over for Chris Hook (who I’m sure we all know is the MLB pitching coach now) Side note: Appears to have been Erceg’s head coach at Menlo College, wonder if this will bring a bit more to the small rumors of some Erceg mound time.

He is a credible writer. What do you not like about it?

This is somebody I think the Brewers will (or should) look at for their pick. Similar type of pitcher to some we’ve had recently, but there’s something there. Had a great 2017, rocky 2018 but he reached AA. Stuff is there and it’s nasty. Needs refinement but this could be a risk worth taking in my opinion.

Personally he was just in the template originally so I just left him in. Not really a true prediction anyway, just a plan for what I’d do if I ran the team. At least I’m pretty sure that’s how everyone is handling it haha.

If any of those 5 outfielders you listed were able to be used as the main piece to net us any of their starters I’d be very happy. Find it interesting that JP specifically says ATL and CLE are not in active talks but doesn’t say that about us. Of course I could be reading into that far too much haha. But maybe there are at least some legs to it at the moment.

Yesterday at Mayfair Mall’s, Name of The Game store I got a Postseason hat for $13, and a postseason shirt for $15. Also got a non-name brand Brewers October shirt for what ended up being $3.75.

Disclaimer: this gets pretty long lol. I actually did the BCB one and copied this over, while actually shortening it slightly Arbitration-eligible (with projected salaries from MLBTR): Jonathan Schoop - $10.1 mil Non-Tender Travis Shaw - $5.1 mil Tender Corey Knebel - $4.9 mil Tender Jimmy Nelson - $3.7 mil Tender Stephen Vogt - $3.065 mil Non-Tender (I'd love for him to stay in the organization in some capacity though!) Hernan Perez - $2.7 mil Tender Junior Guerra -$2.7 mil Tender Zach Davies - $2.4 mil Tender Domingo Santana - $2.4 mil Tender Manny Pina - $1.8 mil Tender Erik Kratz - $1.7 mil Non-Tender Dan Jennings - $1.6 mil Non-Tender Xavier Cedeno - $1.5 mil Non-Tender Tyler Saladino - $1 mil Non-Tender (I'd love to look at a minor league deal with a camp invite if he doesn't get other MLB looks) Explain the toughest calls if necessary: I have this weird idea that Tyler Saladino is actually pretty good, so that was kind of a tough call. But, in the end I think his contributions are replaceable and upgrade-able, so I figure we clear a spot and figure it out from there. (109,795,000-10,100,000-1,700,000-1,500,000-1,500,000-1,000,000= $93,995,000 total so far) Contract options (pick up or buy out) Joakim Soria: $10 mil mutual option ($1 mil buyout) Buy out Mike Moustakas: $15 mil mutual option ($1 mil buyout) Buy out Jordan Lyles: $3.5 mil team option ($250K buyout) Would have picked up myself, but buy out Jeremy Jeffress: $3.175 mil team option (if declined, he opts into arbitration) Pick up Impending Free Agents Wade Miley: Let go Gio Gonzalez: Let go Curtis Granderson: Let Go All three were great additions last year, but I bid them farewell Free agents #1: Daniel Descalso (1 year, $6 mil) I love the idea of Descalso for one year. Able to play second most games until Keston is ready, and can help around the field after that. As a lefty bat he hit lefties and righties well last year, and has apparently bought into the launch angle movement to resurrect his career. #2: Yusei Kikuchi (6 years, $42 mil which is $50 million total including the posting fee) Kikuchi has solid offerings across the board, and a lefty starter would be ideal in our rotation. There are very legitimate concerns with the arm injuries he has incurred in his career in Japan. However, a system like ours can do a great job of keeping him from being overworked. #3: Michael Brantley (3 years, $45 million) I’m fully on board with picking up Brantley and his fantastic bat for the top of our order to go along with Cain and Yelich. The kicker will have to be him being able to play some first, or playing Braun there more often. Either way I would be ok with it (remember that Brantley was drafted as a 1B by us). Also, this doesn’t actually mean anything but getting both Cain and Brantley back after the CC and Greinke deals would be a nice little bonus. #4: David Robertson (2 years, $16 million) Robertson would fit in greatly with our pen (he throws the 1-2 cutter/curveball combo the Brewers love!) I’d add him to our pen and still be running without a true "closer", having CC manage the game as we go and use his best pitchers in the toughest situations regardless of inning. As the Brittons, Ottavinos, Kimbrels, etc. fly off the board, we sign Robertson to a great deal. ($93,995,000+6,000,000+8,000,000+8,000,000+$15,000,000=$130,995,000) Trades #1: Trade Yeison Coca to Toronto for Luke Maile The Jays still have Russell Martin, Danny Jansen and Reese McGuire at catcher so they would likely be interested in getting something in return for Maile whom they claimed off waivers around a year ago. Coca is a lottery ticket guy who came over as the PTBNL in the infamous Travis Shaw/Mauricio Dubon for Tyler Thornburg trade, and maybe turns into something solid for them. For us, Maile showed pretty solid OBP skills this year with a .248/.333/.366 slash and a 34.3% hard hit percentage on Fangraphs and 43% on Statcast from the right side. Not to mention being a top 10 (maybe 5) receiving catcher in baseball. I’d feel pretty comfortable with he and Pina coming in at catcher going into next season, with Nottingham hopefully getting a solid, healthy start to the season in San Antonio. (+$550,000) #2: Trade Eric Thames to the Yankees for Rony Garcia and Miguel Yajure This is meant to be very similar to the Adam Lind deal. Thames would be a great fit for Yankee Stadium as a bench bat or at first. For the Brewers we are acquiring two guys that are essentially lottery tickets in order to clear some cap space. Garcia sits around 93 and touches 96 with two average secondary offerings in his curveball and changeup. Yajure sits at 92 mph, has a changeup that is his best secondary pitch right now and is still working on a breaking ball. Two guys that I’d love to add to our current system. (-$6,000,000) #3: Trade Keon Broxton and Nathan Kirby to Seattle for James Pazos For the Mariners, they are a team that could benefit from giving Keon a full time chance again in center. Kirby needs to be protected from the Rule 5 and I think including him in a trade to a team that will likely have plenty of 40 man room would be smart for both teams. Kirby is not done as a prospect, but I’m not sure the Crew can have the patience with him on their 40 that a team like the Mariners could. Pazos along with Robertson, really shores up the pen and for cheap in Pazos’ case. Under team control for 2019 before arbitration in 2020 this deal would give the Crew another lefty in the pen, after letting Jennings and Cedeno go, with a fastball in the mid-90’s and a solid slider he would be a really nice addition to the team. #4: Trade Chase Anderson to Tampa Bay for Curtis Taylor and Taylor Walls For the Rays they acquire a solid starting pitcher with a very reasonable contract for the team. They can possibly cover up his first inning issues (especially if it’s a mental block which it very well could’ve been) by using the opener on the day of his "start". Despite the contract being pretty team friendly, the Brewers clear $6 mil and a roster spot with this move. Curtis Taylor is a mainly two pitch guy who has touched 98 at times, with a good slider and projects to be a reliever, though his working on a changeup is to try to stay a starter moving forward. Walls is a 22 year old middle infielder who showed good bat to ball, and on base skills in 2018 at High A (12.2 BB%, 14.8 K%) and also a nice 22.7% line drive rate. (-$6,000,000) ($130,995,000+550,000-6,000,000-6,000,000=$119,545,000) Rotation: 5 (not really in order) Kikuchi Chacin Burnes Woodruff Davies/Nelson (Spring training will give us a good idea if it is at least possible for Jimmy to return to form, or something near it. If not, he doesn’t make the roster. If so, Davies is in the pen most likely, or we use the last(?) option on him, he will be needed to make starts at some point) Bullpen(8): Guerra Robertson Pazos Jeffress Hader Knebel Albers Houser I honestly think Albers can bounce back. Before the injury issues he was having a fantastic start to the season. Just never got back on track after that. I would keep Houser because he is out of options and I still love his profile. Shuttle guys! Barnes, Williams, Peralta, Jake Thompson (possibly), and Davies (If Nelson is healthy and makes the roster) Lineup (positional only): (12) C: Pina, Maile 1B: Aguilar, Brantley/Braun 2B: Descalso 3B: Shaw SS: Arcia LF: Braun/Brantley CF: Cain RF: Yelich/Santana UTIL: Perez Wrap-Up: I didn’t make any really big deals with trades. Instead I tried to improve the backup catcher spot and the bullpen, and then leverage a few of our contracts into deals for lottery tickets and use the money in free agency instead. I feel good about keeping Domingo, as Brantley and Braun are still injury risks, and he showed that he can really hit off the bench which is a skill not a ton of players have. I think I'm still set up pretty well for Hiura and/or Dubon's debut(s) and I still have Ray and most other prospects for a bigger deadline move if and when they're available.

Seems to me, that would be the other Wade Miley of 2018 more than the Wade of 2019 no?

It's pretty funny looking back at the replies throughout the season now haha. Obviously nobody could've expected anywhere near the second half he had, so not ripping anyone it's just funny to look back with hindsight in my favor! When we made the trade I told people I thought he could finish somewhere in the top 10 in MVP with 25ish homers... Still, never would've imagined a year like this...

Hiura: 2-4, 2B, HR, RBI Grisham, 1-4, HR, RBI M. Sanchez: 3 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 3 K Olczak: 1 IP, 0ER, 1 BB Takeaways: GRISHAM DID SOMETHING Keston is good Sanchez had a rough outing, but he’s had a really solid fall. Olczak just keeps chugging along

To me, this felt more like an error by CC. I think they liked Kratz in there calling games and for his veteran presence. Stearns should absolutely punt Kratz for the sole purpose of not giving CC an opportunity to make stupid decisions again. For playing the catcher that received the ball really well, and was preferred by Miley and Chacin? Miley for sure said that he was most comfortable with Kratz, and it seems like Jhoulys was in that same boat. Those two pitched quite a bit down the stretch...

Are you taking control into account? No way I'd trade 4 years of Yelich for 1 year of Arenado. Regardless of control, I would never trade Yelich for a guy who has ridiculous career home/road splits like Arenado does playing in Coors. His career away numbers would basically be a solid hitting starting third baseman, still really good, but not even very close to an MVP candidate. Of course his defense is great, but still...

Hey, #91 Clint Coulter is a minor league free agent and no longer with the organization. Better get that fixed. Haha thanks. Just in case we trade 66 of the others he shall be replaced.