Joseph Zarr

It would appear the Brewers have signed former 10th Rd Yankee sinker baller LHP Josh Maciejewski to a Minor League deal: He did have some success last season in 7 some Big League innings. He's a low velo guy across the board. In addition to the 89-90 mph sinker he has a change-up and a breaking ball, I believe.

Agreed. Unreal. "You have ice cream in your beard. Let's turn two!" 😅

I would have to think given what we saw in limited snaps as a rookie - it was a pretty historical season for the rook when all was said and done - he's a shoe-in Day 1 starter next year. He was dominant and pretty much moved and reacted at a different speed than every other Packer in the front 7. There might be lingering size and nagging injury issues in the years ahead but that can't deter from the fact he was special when healthy and getting consistent snaps. The Quay thing is sure a thing. The Packers obviously love him and believe in his abilities - first rounder and consistently pushed into that starter role even when underperforming (which I think is just plain easy to admit: he has vastly underperformed given his draft status). He flashed in the latter portion of the seasons and was playing his best ball and then, well, got injured. I think he has a boon playing in Hafley's defense and I certainly hope the end of this past season is a sign of things to come. Hard to say if the light turned on. We just haven't seen anything of lasting consistency at any phase of his career. He is young. He is insanely strong and athletic. We just have to hope he continues to learn to play at the speed he innately has. If he can? That's a game changer. Up til now, I think it's fair to say the Walker experience has by and large been predominantly fool's gold. I have absolutely zero idea what their plan is in terms of adding depth. As @CheezWizHed alludes to, they still have a coveted draft investment in Hopper so they obviously loved him heading into last year's draft. You have three young athletic guys there. As to the vet additions or continuity, I think you could do worse than McDuffie and Wilson. I think they're fine for what they are and they even flash from time-to-time. They seem like very likable vet locker room and ST guys as well. But, truthfully, I have no idea what their plan is there. Do they grab another LB in this year's draft?

It doesn't feel great to lose the LB coach who helped Cooper show out like he did. He also seemed to play a part in Quay starting to flash like we'd never seen him consistently flash before. Here's hoping they keep that ball rolling. The early speculation saw the likelihood of an in-house replacement via Hafley's former BC LB coach (and, ultimately, assistant D-Coordinator with BC in 2023 apparently) and current Packers defensive assistant in Sean Duggan.

Daniel Jeremiah's Top 12 Senior Bowl Practice Week Standouts (Both Green and Zabel in here)

Mannion promoted to FT QB Coach. Packers get their DL coach. The strength of the coaching staff would appear to get even stronger.

Marshall Edge Mike Green is another name repeatedly showing up at Senior Bowl practices across the Draft media landscape: Unfortunately, it certainly appears he has now moved into the Top 20. I was hoping the small school and smaller stature bias would keep him pigeon-holed in the 20's (where he was ranked for the majority of the past few months). I don't think there's a way he lasts past the Top 20 in this year's draft. He's too versatile with way too many tricks in his bag. Sigh.

Early reports at the Senior Bowl have NDSU's Grey Zabel literally lining up at, what appears to be, every spot across the OL and performing well at each location. I don't know that I've seen him line up at RG but I have seen clips at RT, RG, C, and LT. We all know the Packers love that type of versatility. I find it hard, at this point in time, to fathom he slips past the 2nd Rd at this juncture. Welp, apparently he did rep at LG:

Shrine Bowl and Senior Bowl Practice reports began trickling in this past week. Feel free, any and all, to post anything of intrigue. We know the Packers absolutely love their Senior Bowl performers and I believe (?) they have a heavy staff presence this year.

Well, hate to be the harbinger of bad juju, but it's fair to point out: you just don't know posting. (It's not in the quote and you didn't add an 'etc.' - fair game 😯)

Baseball America has published every team's pre-season Top 30: Here are the Brewers Fascinating list. Honestly, this is perhaps the closest national list to how I rank our guys - knowing full well, again for the record, I generally find these lists more entertainment than anything else. There is just so much wiggle room. Notes: Precipitous drops for Wilken and Burke Jose Anderson and Manuel Rodriguez jump into Top 30 Jadher ranked ahead of Wilken and Burke 🫡 Many DSL'ers (new and old) in the Top 20

My back is against the wall with this retort. Going to give it 110% in my reply. Green Bay possesses what is called 'The Original Hot Seat' (TM). What actually differentiates this hot seat from, say, Jacksonville's? Well, that's tricky. But, then again, the NF of L is a tricky business. I personally fall back on an old family aphorism shared by my late (and, some in the Milwaukee Police Force of the 1950's might say great) Grandpa George: "No seat is too hot for a man of principle." Now, he also was known to exclaim: "If it don't pay rent, out with it!" followed by an egregious resonating flatulent. What I'm getting at here is life itself is smashmouth - football a mere mirror. I suggest you self reflect in said mirror, consider your pad level - heck, consider everything - and contemplate how the hot seat would feel in your life. What sensations arise (PG please)? Do you possess the mettle to handle this seat in a pair of polyester slacks? Corduroy? Now we're getting somewhere.

Best of luck in Boston, Mr. Toro. Here's hoping you get another opportunity in the majors.

Agreed on all points here. Well said. LaFleur wasn't on the hot seat, per se, this past season. Isn't on the hot seat today. BUT, I do think Gutekunst is aware of LaFleur's current shortcomings. It seems as simple as: IF the Packers continue to come out flat and continue to make routine mistakes and their HC continues to mismanage the clock and in-game strategy in crucial spots...the hot seat will be pulled out of the storage closet. I think that's fair to say. I think it's also fair to point to LaFleur's overall consistent success (worthy of celebration) as the buffer while also acknowledging he seems to lack that 'it' (or, perhaps, it has remained very elusive) to push the Packers over the hump. I hope he finds it. The organization can only excuse the repeated shortcomings in big games and big moments for so long. They can only over-rely on the 'we're the youngest team' for so long. If Championships are the measuring tool? Well we just about went 0-6 in their division. They have fallen down the NFC North totem pole. The pressure is the highest it has been. It's kind of like I say in the real world: How about drive the speed limit, and maintain it consistently (gasp!), first. Then we can branch out into complexities. With the Packers? How about we catch the football and stop shooting ourselves in the foot repeatedly with mistakes. Then we can talk about banners and championships. 😅

Please let Eduardo Garcia and Justin Yeager continue to feel the impacts of their current Winter League runs. Gotta let them continue to build on this. 👏🏼

That Final was bonkers. Caminero's game-winning long ball trot was One for the history books. Might have been a 10 minute victory lap filled with machismo to make a grown man weep. I still remember he played in the same Aussie Winter League as Robert Moore and James Meeker. He was a teammate to former Brewer/T-Rat/Aussie League legend, Alex Hall. Let us not forget!😁

OR maybe it's a case of LaFleur is that bad standing alone? 😳

Kind of business as usual in GB, no? Not saying these are good moves in any way but LaFleur loves his guys and Bisaccia was an Asst HC. Getsy has familiarity and was well-liked. The real area of need is the trenches. And, then, some type of miraculous evolution in LaFleur's clock management, in-game adjustments, and ability to meet the biggest moments and dictate. Until LaFleur evolves and improves upon his shortcomings and the players cease making routine mistakes I'm not so sure any of the rest carries as much weight?

All this talk of the Chiefs (predictably) getting the benefit of the doubt on nearly every close call - a known commodity when playing at Arrowhead versus this Chiefs team. No calls going the Bills way as well, ostensibly. This is why, as a team, you enter that environment knowing full well you can not leave it in the officials' hands. The 4th down run: Did he get it? Probably. Was it overly convincing? No. Too close. You clearly aren't going to get that call given the circumstances and the known favoritism. You enter that play knowing you need to beat it by a yard. Is it incredible the NFL still measures first downs via part time aged employees chasing chains and a stick? Absolutely. BUT that is a known factor. The Short spot on what was it a 2nd/3rd down swing pass earlier? Same thing applies. You don't get that call at Arrowhead. Clearly. The Worthy Pass? Ahhhh shades of ye old Fail Mary. Knock it out. Or catch it cleanly yourself. You won't get that call and you certainly won't get it overturned. The pain is real. Hello, Nixon illegal hit on the WC Rd opening KO return and GB fumble recovery. Oh, what's that you say? The refs didn't have our camera angle? Shame.🫠 All the failed opportunities. Predictable no calls etc. and it all comes down to an improbably strategically located desperation heave under duress and Kincaid T-Rex arm botches the cradle catch. Five man protection called and, lo and behold, it can't handle the out numbered rush. On the radio call, at least, Harlan said the refs picked up a late flag (true story!😅). The Bills inability to rise above the disadvantages of their moment reminded me infinitely of the inability the Packers have routinely demonstrated in key gut-wrenching post-season letdowns. Whether with A-Rod and Big Mac teams or LaFleur led teams. It was eerie and hard to watch dejá vu. Given all the inherent advantages the current Chiefs are given, they continue to embrace these and they time and time again find the right play call under Reed and Spags and nearly always make the key play when needed. It's nauseating. BUT, until the underdogs can have their shining moments of brilliance this is going to continue to be the case. You have to bring your A+ game. There are no other options. The Bills, unfortunately, left too much to question.

So happy for Justin and Eduardo. We didn't get an Aussie group this winter, but these two's collective output is an unexpected and hopeful storyline to help us get to the 2025 season.

Just to quickly chime in here, it certainly 'seems' like the Bucks are being routinely mentioned as a possible LaVine destination in these broader trades. I can talk myself into finding that palatable for numerous reasons if this situation ultimately becomes reality. At least with LaVine, I see a player who is in the late Prime window and who is having an obscenely good stretch of play in the first half. He is a player who could, theoretically, give the Bucks plus play for the next couple of season - ie 'The Window' is still open. In theory, he can stay in the starting line-up with an A-Jax. In other words, I can rationalize it. In a perfect world, the Bucks have a healthy Middleton. We know what we have in a healthy Khash and he is very very much an integral player who has insanely good chemistry with the League's best 4/5 in Giannis. I personally have an extremely challenging time rationalizing any version of Butler (don't want a hot head in the locker room - enough with the Gary Paytons and the Anthony Masons of this NBA world in Milwaukee) and I can not rationalize acquiring a Beal in any scenario. Back to the perfect Bucks world secnario: In a perfect world Khris is indeed just ramping up. Bobby and Pat and a Marjon could be moved to both get under the second apron and get an athletic mobile switchable young Big and or more athletic switchable wing depth. However, at this juncture, all these rumors of Khash's name in trade rumors lends me to believe the Bucks see his days are likely numbered and are simply trying to recoup some value. To me, that's kind of the only thing that makes sense. You don't just trade a Middleton to tinker with the roster. In a vacuum he is simply too good a player and too valuable a teammate and locker room mainstay.

Yes, folks, that nickname does indeed translate to: 'The Sushi'. Already moves up my list of arms to watch.🤭

And, now for the some other types of less fortunate moves within the greater system: - INF Yohandry Cruz has been released by the DSL Brewers #1 - RHP Elias Gonzalez has been released by the DSL Brewers #2 - RHP Daiyiro Candelo has been released by the DSL Brewers #2 Stay tuned for more detailed 'farewells' on our behalf. Candelo and Cruz were parts of the 2024 International FA Class. It would appear, from afar and unconfirmed, both Candelo and Gonzalez's departure may be related to injury. Candelo leaves the org after, unfortunately, never pitching an inning.

Well reasoned thoughtful take! Well done. I appreciate this depth of thought.

As you know, as a general rule and on public record, I generally find the rankings meaningless....beyond the top 3-5 players. The community being hesitant, as you say, in the end does not mean all that much in the grand scheme of things. And, what we all want, regardless of a voting result, is the health and success for all the Brewers players. I agree there is no need to unnecessarily place unreasonable expectations on any ayer let alone a player who has yet to face stateside professional ball. Tho, I think it is quite clear when we see Made handle himself he wants the expectations. And Counterpoint: I always hear of the emphasis and weight on age and performance given age in these types of rankings. It was pretty openly discussed in numerous prospect ranking arenas by that point in time Made had the makings of a potential future #1 prospect in all of baseball. It was also pretty widely known by that point in time Made was both a Brewers Minor League Player of the Year and had showcased batted ball profiles near light years beyond peers his age. I personally do not find Made landing at 6 as a landing spot - given what we knew at the time - a spot that made all that much sense. I continue to not. And, that's really not that big of a deal overall, As you know, I'm fine with disagreements and different opinions.