Joseph Zarr

FWIW:

Congrats, Bucky fans! Big Dub!

More Transactional Bookkeeping: - OF Brewer Hicklen was optioned to the Nashville Sounds by the Milwaukee Brewers - 17-year-old Dominican LHP Joan Pena (2025 International FA signing) was officially assigned to the DSL Brewers #1 *** Which, if I'm being honest, led me to ponder, In the Quiet Morning: Will we ever see a 'Joan Baez' from down yonder? *** I digress. More transactions surely to appear in the days ahead.

I should preface this by saying: I have zero thoughts and feelings about Connor Thomas as it pertains to Shane Smith. I'm glad Thomas has had a successful ST to date. I hope it works out beyond our wildest dreams with the Brewers. I'm also beyond excited for Shane Smith's opportunity and I hope he runs with it and never looks back. He deserves it. I also know the Brewers as an organization will move forward regardless and be fine and continue winning on the margins like they've done for some time now. AND... Regardless of what happens with Smith in 2025, the developments so rapidly achieved in one off-season speak to what anyone who watches the vast majority of his Minor League games (like I did) might be thinking: he has the size, the frame, the competitive nature, the make-up, the arm action, and the willingness to expand his evolving and already zesty tool kit (See adding slider after a single 2023 AFL stint // See capably stepping into starter innings with a beleaguered Biloxi staff // See capably closing games // See capably Holding games) to really make a serious go of it in the Big Leagues. He was already sitting 95 mph before re-committing to his heater profile this off-season (as I've said in other threads I reached out to his training facility and outfit to ask about some things). He already had well over a plus 1 K/ IP as young 24-year-old (soon to be 25 yo) arm. I really don't care about anything other than what my eyes have told me for the past two some years (including his interviews): it was a mistake to leave him unprotected. It just was. I had automatically pegged all three of Smith; Henderson; and Patrick as Rule 5 Adds and I could have easily have made a case at the time Smith was the first add. This isn't the first mistake the Brewers have made on the pitching side of things. It won't be the last. And, we all know when you are juggling a 165 stateside limit and a 40-Man roster these players falling through the cracks inevitably happens. I think every team goes through this. But, man, this one was such a blatantly obvious 40-Man add to me it still stings from the old school scout that lives in me. I literally find myself like a cantankerous radiator hose popping off randomly during the week about this (which is hilarious in and of itself). When you watch as much Minor League baseball as I do, you tend to learn over time when something pops - what players simply look the part and innately differentiate themselves. Shane Smith's stuff definitely popped and it definitely pops. In the very least it was blatantly obvious the Brewers had a set-up man. A really good set-up man. That was legitimately his lowest floor. His versatility given the year-to-year importance of the pitching staff just carried bountifully more weight to me than a utility positional player on a 40-Man. I know Babe Capra is having an incredible spring and kudos to him for doing so - I hope he grabs a hold of that utility role and never looks back. It is known in these parts how much I've loved Isaac Collins over the past two seasons as a Brewer and how stoked I was he was called up and added to the 40-Man. I turned people's eyes to 'Mona' well before he was a call-up when he made my most underrated and unheralded list many years back. I was hyping Brewer Hicklen for months before he was even a call-up consideration. Why do I mention these players? I flat would have rostered Shane Smith with ease over all these talented young men (and this doesn't even get into rostering LHP Tyler Jay at that time - I believe I'm not mistaken here? - which is an entirely different box of rocks) because of the importance of what he brings and how he brings it and where he might be heading if the dice roll the right way. You just don't let that type of player walk risk-free to another organization. You just don't do it. And, well, if you can't tell I'm still just a little bit ticked off about it 😅. Now, being the generally rational middle-aged man that I am, I would also like to leave room for the possibility there was an agreement between the player and the organization. Perhaps a difference of opinions of where they wanted to take Smith's career in the short-term. There is always the possibility the Brewers and Smith agreed to leave him unprotected so he could pursue an MLB path more aggressively if he were to be chosen. Is this likely? I really don't think so. Is this possible? Yes. And what better staff to go to than a staff with Walker McKinven as its bench coach. At least I can tell myself this fairy tale to make it all better.

I am fully prepared for a goose egg given how this past fall's Aussie Winter League news cycle rolled out 😉.

Yeah he is definitely a pass rush specialist. 50 pressures too in less than 400 snaps. It would be a really nice 3rd down weapon in Hafley's toolkit. I agree on the one year deal. They'd likely sell it as a two year deal - 2nd year Team Option?

I mean, come on. The crew rewarded this play stating Giannis didn't allow Haliburton to land safely: Did Giannis also throw him into full flight? Scott Foster is the worst. The NBA crews continue punishing the Bucks on a near nightly basis. This is our burden as Bucks fans. It's uncanny.

Wellllll, only a Scott Foster calls that a foul on a very good close out rewarding an insane flailing flying fall away prayer three pointer. Challenging the play with only one timeout is the silly thing to do. An NBA crew won't overturn that. Save your TO. Draw something up for a half court set. You have 3 seconds. That's a world of time for a meaningful set for a half court inbound play. Doc is not a good HC. He just isn't. And, well, the Bucks continue to make unbelievably dumb errors in late game situations. Can't have the two and the officials constantly screwing you over. Plus, earlier in the quarter the Pacers were rewarded a three point basket on a clear foot on the line and then over the line. These games are won in the margins. The Bucks consistently fail in the margins versus the good teams.

There were question marks on the knee, yes, but I'm pretty sure there were question marks about his maturity and his ability to meet the challenge of a professional environment. At least I think I remember there were? 😅

He's truly an incredibly talented highly disruptive player. You could tell back in his South Bend days he was already an absolute menace on the OF grass and the base paths and if he evolved even a little bit at the dish he was a sure fire MLB player. And, in his second year, he surely has evolved into a legitimate menace.

Sounds like a vintage Miz experience.

Recent Minor League Transactions Bookkeeping: - RHP Grant Andersdon was optioned to the Nashville Sounds by the Milwaukee Brewers - LHP Grant Wolfram was optioned to the Nashville Sounds by the Milwaukee Brewers - RHP Logan Henderson was optioned to the Nashville Sounds by the Milwaukee Brewers - C Jeferson Quero was optioned to the Nashville Sounds by the Milwaukee Brewers - RHP Carlos F. Rodriguez was optioned to the Nashville Sounds by the Milwaukee Brewers - RHP Chad Patrick was optioned to the Nashville Sounds by the Milwaukee Brewers

I just know if I lived in Quad Cities you and I would be spending a number of evenings together enjoying absurd things like Day 3 of the NFL draft. My sole experiences in and around QC was winning multiple soccer tournaments at the Quad Cities Invitational as a youth and during one of the championship runs seeing 'Jurassic Park' on the big screen shortly after its original release. I fondly recall the 'Dolby Surround' hype. Seems like forever ago. I do have a fondness for the driftless region of Iowa up and around Dubuque and Decorah. The entire driftless region of the upper Midwest, for that matter. Just beautiful beautiful country.

Remember there are also dinosaurs like me who do not post on any social media app. I prefer the comfy confines of a small virtual community of folks focused on the same thing (hopefully a run of World Series victories and the first Brewers Dynasty😁). I enjoy the forums for the sole focus on the Brewers players and games. You are always welcome to join me and others in the daily game threads. I am most active on Tuesday and Wednesdays when I am writing my reports for the following morning. But, I do check in casually throughout the week when I'm watching games outside my reporting responsibilities. I know others have chimed in above but remember MLB.tv now has the Minor League packages on a team-by-team basis within their annual account package (I believe - at least they started doing that last year). I personally just grab the MiLB.tv package in entirety because I tend to watch games throughout the Minor Leagues to mainly follow what old Brewers are doing - which inevitably leads to me noticing several more players on other ball clubs. I digress. It is definitely shaping up to be an incredible season yet again in the lower levels and some of that premium talent is starting to bleed into the Double-A clubhouse as well. Hopefully that's a boost to what we all see in the Southern League which is a notoriously hard League to play in. Welcome to the board and I hope to see you often throughout the season.

Whose name? Who are you referring to? I must have missed the first remark.

Just came here to post this. Clearly, we are winning a World Series in 2025. The Karma juice is super-sized. Love me some Jace!

Back to the Hobbs deal. This is precisely what I mean as the numbers start to really come out: This is the Packers with Russ Ball managing these contractual agreements: And, on the player front, some good news for AJ Dillon. I wish him the absolute best wherever he lands.

Pretty sure what I've seen since the signing is the only thing guaranteed is the signing bonus and that the $63 Million total is what is tentatively contracted to have been paid out after the three years are through. I do not think that entire money is guaranteed, no.

He was a Minor League FA signing last off-season (Orioles). Played a really pivotal role for Victor Estevez and the T-Rats at High-A Wisconsin. Just an all-around sneaky good player. Solid backstop. Intriguing bat with some pop in there. He had stretches where he was getting DH looks because he was hitting so well. I raved about him semi-consistently in season and then he got a late invite to the Arizona Fall League which solidified his likely standing within the org.

I think it's important to look at the actual guaranteed money and actual cap hits on these deals before we make any type of statements on their pay. For example: That seems more than fair?