Jopal78

Assuming Taylor is optioned to make way for Hiura. D Rob is likely the odd man out. Robertson really doesn’t play outfield, and infield playing time will be limited with Urias now getting regular time as a utility player. But for Robertson’s homer this weekend he’s been virtually an automatic out at the plate as well. Not to mention they’re covered with HP in the organization if they need another right handed light hitting versatile defender

Based up your subjective take that Feyereisen and Rasmussen are merely “decent”. The Rays obviously think more of JP as he stepped right into a late inning role and nailed down a save when their regular closer was down due to usage. I can get behind Rasmussen as “decent” now, but then again, he’s the pitching prospect in this deal. I think everyone can agree if he keeps his arm healthy he has potential to be more than decent. So if that’s the “cost” for Adames, a major league late inning reliever and a major league ready power arm pitching prospect, both pre-arbitration eligible, what would the real “cost” of Candelario be? I’m sure he’s available but at the cost of maybe Devin Williams or multiple minor league pitching prospects, it’s probably not worth it.

Or it could the Reds pitching isn’t any good. Castillo certainly has been in his career. I don't know what is going on with him this year though. Good stuff, poor command so far this year for Castillo. Overall poor pitching staff in Cincy 14th in NL in runs allowed

Richards, Boxberger/Bettinger, Williams, Hader

Former first round pick with a career OPS of .859 coming into this year. He’s white hot right now and probably has been overshadowed with the Reds the last few years with Puig, Votto, Suarez. castellanos, Moustakas

Or it could the Reds pitching isn’t any good.

Andrew’s has 31 innings above A ball. I doubt he sees the Milwaukee dugout in 2021, unless things really go terrible. Plus as a .776 hitter in limited college at bats, it’s not like she’s Ohtani where the bat plays regardless that he’s a pitcher

If only it were that simple just to plug one players WAR in and draw a conclusion. I’ll be willing to bet the difference between Urias and Adames will be offset by the difference between Lindbolm, Yardley and Rasmussen and Feyereisen. They’re deep in the bullpen but it’s a gamble that they have a better chance to win counting on Lindblom, Yardley etc and adding a better shortstop

Rasmussen has already had TJ twice and is a reliever. Not too upset about losing him or Feyereisen for that matter. Highly unlikely that the Rays get more than 3 years of production out of either of them. Feyereisen was a waiver claim who they developed and cashed in for major league talent. Good move anyway you cut it except for immediate bullpen depth. Rasmussen however was a well regarded pitching prospect since he was in high school. Sure he’s had 2 TJ procedures, but he’s a healthy power arm now and was exclusively used as a starter in college and the minor leagues. He has the most upside and team control of anyone in the trade.

I still think 5+ years of Rasmussen and Feyereisen > 3 years of Adames and Richards. Similar to the Grisham trade, Milwaukee may end up having traded away the best player in the deal. Rasmussen was one of their value picks because of the TJ, and he was already in the majors after being drafted in 2018, upper 90s velo

FWIW Tampa Drafted Rasmussen in the first round but he failed his physical due to an elbow injury. I guess it’s kind of a modern day draft and follow

Wow, in 40 games from anointing Urias as SS to him being nothing. Devin Williams better show that 2020 wasn’t a flash in the pan or they’re cooked the bullpen to get a shortstop with a career .740 OPS who is about to get expensive. They must really like Weigel and Sobotka because they’re going to need them both. For a team that needs to draft and develop players this deal makes no sense because they traded the younger, cheaper players with more team control.

Getting nothing from a college player drafted #5 a half decade ago is brutal, however the 2016 draft hasn't been a real stand out one for first round picks. Funny, but so far the best First Rounder in that was Ray's teammate at Lousiville, Will Smith #32 overall (who I'm sure the Brewers scouts saw quite often). Even doing a re-draft of the First round, if they were going college bat, there's really only Kyle Lewis who went #11 to Seattle and he's a .792 OPS hitter so far in his young career. So far, the first round of the 2017 draft isn't shaping up much better. Hiura has way more experience than anyone else drafted but the other college bats taken in the first round have done virtually nothing so far.

I don’t know if either of these is necessarily true. Sure, under Stearns they’ve primarily taken up the middle players with their top draft picks. However, all of these players Ray, Hiura, Turang and Mitchell were known quantities and well regarded for their offense. It can’t be laid at the GM’s feet that Ray and Hiura’s advanced college bats have been disappointing as professionals. Also, given that most draft licks are multiple years away teams don’t necessarily draft for need at the major league level. Besides an amateur player who has quality offensive skills and plays 3B is more than likely ticketed for the top of the first round. You may have a point on international signings as I can’t recall many international players signed by the Brewers who made the majors, but I do know they have increased their presence internationally under Stearns. As for the free agents what are you expecting? For example, Smoak and Sogard both took small money one year contracts. I don’t think there was any thought either would offer upside or they wouldn’t be on small one year deals to begin with. I would assume the expectation was they would come in and do close to what they’d always done. Both failed, such is the risk of free agency.

This is like trying to hit a moving target. First you have to determine if he is “a cut above”. Stearns certainly isn’t Cashman or Friedman but he’s not Bridich or Dick Williams either. Based on results he’s arguably the best GM the Brewers have had, then again that isn’t saying much. Outside of Thames I don’t know if there are any signings that show his “prowess” in talent evaluation from a free agency standpoint. I don’t think there is a way to do that because teams are paying contracts based on prior performance. This if he player outplays their prior performance the GM looks like a genius, if the player underperforms the GM is in idiot, if the player meets expectations the criticism is the GM should’ve used the money to theoretically sign some else who would’ve done better. Really Lorenzo Cain is the only significant multi-year deal Stearns has done. He was terrific in 2018. He was injured and had medical procedures done to his hand in 2019 but still managed to win a gold glove. 2020 he opted out after a couple nice games. So far this year his offensive numbers are down, but it’s been 40 games and his advanced metrics suggest his numbers will improve.

Certainly an argument can be made Stearns has tinkered too much but let’s be at least honest: Eric Thames, Jesus Aguilar, Ji-Man Choi, Jonathan Villar, Moustakas, Grandal (short timers but he brought them in and they were terrific), Brad Miller, Stephen Vogt (good player couldn’t stay healthy), Manny Pina, Granderson was great as a bench player, Kolten Wong, and the aforementioned Cain, Yelich. He drafted and developed a TOR arm and traded for another. I don’t think Stearns is some genius but he’s done enough to demonstrate he knows what he’s doing. Every GM makes mistakes at times. For example, it was Doug Melvin who included a player as a throw in on the Carlos Lee deal, who has played 17 years in the majors and has 425+ homeruns

Collectively, all at once? And coupled with others that performed below expectations after arriving? What are the odds of that? Again, isn't the more likely/logical explanation that something about the Brewers' approach/strategy isn't working right? Where pro ball players careers literally live and die on year to year numbers, how many major leaguers are going to change the way they play because of a coach? Probably next to zero. They’re most likely going to live and die playing the game the way that got them to the majors in the first place. Coaches are hired to be fired, and they have zero impact unless there is a player willing to listen in the first place.

Then again it’s May, the Brewers have been a M.A.S.H. unit all year and have played a killer schedule of almost exclusively winning or contending teams. They could be in first place come July and absolutely be buyers. Teams would love to get their hands on Aaron Ashby or Felciano so they do have ammunition to acquire players it depends on the targets. I’d be more concerned about selling because it would mean their players are all underperforming which tanks their value. Unless doing a major rebuild, the only pitchers on expiring contracts aren’t likely to bring anything significant in return: Boxberger, Brett Anderson

It depends how you see Travis Shaw. Is he the guy who put up a .551 OPS in 230 at bats in 2019, or is he the player who has been a .750 OPS in 2000 other career at bats? His overall stat line right now isn’t far removed from last year. His advanced metrics show his exit velocity, hard hit%, walk and strike out rates right near where they were in his salad days of ‘17 and ‘18. Shaw, like some of the other players, has been a little unlucky so far. Unless you don’t believe the history and metrics that the .750 guy is in there somewhere you continue to roll with Shaw.

Maybe he should suit up and hit in the two hole later this week?

Yep, package Burnes with Yelich to move his contract then reload by tradi. Woodruff, Peralta, Hader and Houser for prospects and we’ll see ya in 2026 when they compete for the division

Maybe because nobody bunts anymore, teams don’t practice bunt defense

Along with another classic Brewers closer (probably in 2004?) Curtis Leskanic. Before Hader it seems like the Brewers had bout a 20+ year run of a revolving door at closer...most of them having one great year and then one horrible year where they replaced. Axford had a pretty solid 3-year run in there, but other than him, you are right. My recollection is the Brewers always had a decent closer from the late 1980s until 2008 or so. Dan Pleasac (All-Star), Doug Henry, Mike Fetters, Doug Jones (All-Star) Wickman (All-Star), Leskanic, DeJean, Danny Kolb (All-Star) Turnbow (All-Star), CoCo Cordero (All-Star). To the contrary most of those pitchers remained effective and had 10+ year careers in the majors. Their tenure with the Brewers ended when they were traded away for younger and/or cheaper players: Dough Henry for Fernando Vina Mike Fetters et al. for Jeff Juden and Marquis Grissom Bob Wickman et al. for Richie Sexson et al. Leskanic for Wes Obermueller et al. Danny Kolb for Jose Capellan. Plesac left as a free agent, DeJean and Doug Jones were traded off in mostly lateral moves, although Doug Jones had a few more nice seasons after Milwaukee. It was Turnbow who imploded overnight and was released. Cordero took a mega deal with Cincinnati as a free agent. To the extent there was a dark age for the Brewers closer it began in 2008 with a washed up Eric Gagne. Trevor Hoffman was able to evade Father Time in 2009, but not 2010. Since 2011 they've been pretty solid in the closer department once again: Axford (All-Star) Jim Henderson, Francisco Rodriguez (All-Star) Jeffress, Knebel (All-Star) then Hader (All-Star). Again, most of these closers were traded away for younger and cheaper players: Axford never regained the 2010-2011 form but was still managed to get 10 years of service time and was traded for Michael Blazek. Jim Henderson suffered an arm injury and pitched on 40 more innings in the majors after his sublime 2013 season. K-Rod was traded twice for Nicky Delmonico and then Manny Pina Jeffress/Lucory were traded for Lewis Brinson, Ryan Cordell and Luis Ortiz Obviously, Knebel was traded moments before being released in a cost saving move.

That’s kind of a two parter. Strange-Gordon hasn’t played any real amount of SS since 2008, is he going to be even a marginal improvement over Urias? Secondly, even if Strange-Gordon is a marginal improvement, for better or worse they’ve identified Urias as their long term answer at short stop, first in trading for him and then trading away his competition for the starting job, it’s probably not the best way to develop talent to be reactionary and take away their job 40 games in

Umm, the players? The GM, mangers and coaches don’t hit, pitch and play in the field. It’s also not likely that every player on their team is not a major league caliber player, so the answer is the players need to look in the mirror and simply play up to their capabilities.