Joseph Zarr

I want the Brewers to acquire McMahon because I know how deeply you want him on the Brewers roster. I hope that happens! We certainly know none of the players in the Minors are remotely close to ready to fill that position at an MLB-caliber level.

Fwiw, here's Gutekunst talking about the signing:

Yeah. The original charges were dropped as a procedural item whereby the victims' names were originally not included. The refiled a few days later and included their names. I have to say, and I am not explicating McManus' alleged behavior in any way, but having read a description of the events in the original filing...this very very much seems like a case of an athlete who drank a bit too much and violated personal space like a drunk man would. In other words, it reads like things that happen in bars all the time. However, this happened to have happened on a plane crossing the Atlantic to a couple of flight attendants. It just reads like a case of some inebriated really bad judgment. I'm just not sure there's all that much there. And, having heard Gutekunst speak today I think the Packers know that to be true as well. Again, not explicating or discrediting this in any way...but I'm not going to jump on the classic modern social media outcry and canceling bandwagon like I've seen throughout Packers twitter.

Henry Ellenson is now 27 years old. He just finished a season in Japan, apparently. He was signed to an Exhibit 10 deal with the Buckaroos today. (This time of year this typically means he'll be waived shortly. This is a move for the Herd who will have to acquire his G-League rights - I 'think' they still belong to the Raptors? Been a long time since I've thought about Henry Ellenson! Anywho, it's a similar thing they just did (in a more prolonged way) with G Terence Davis who was waived to make room for Ellenson. Davis' G-League rights had already been acquired by the Herd.)

LHP Mark Manfredi had an outing to forget as the Javelinas continued their losing ways vs Glendale: 1.0 IP, 5 H, 7 R (5 ER), 1 BB, 1 HB, 1 K, 2 HR With Baez getting the day off, Luis Lara was manning the RF grass batting 7th - 2-for-5, 1 R, 1 K. The HR shown above was Wilken's sole poke in a 1-for-4, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 2 K, 1 HR afternoon. He also was charged with a fielding error at the hot corner. Peoria loses 19-9 to Glendale falling to 2-5 on the young season. The Javelinas will try to find some winning production as they return tomorrow evening to face the Mesa Solar Sox at 8:30 CST.

Fun fact: In 2022, McManus missed 7 XP's for da Broncos. Phew! I triple checked. He only doinked 2 XP's in 2022. We are SO back! We got our Man!

More than brought McManus in. He signed. Narvs 'we hardly knew ye' was released.

Not to mention the Brewers currently no longer have any truly meaningful depth in the upper levels. They are no longer playing with House Money. OF Carlos D. Rodriguez? Free Agent to Be. Very adept on base and contact guy but with very average defense and a non-factor arm. OF Chris Roller? Free Agent to Be. Incredible defender but average arm and extremely streaky at the dish - closed 2024 extremely strong after struggling the majority of the season (while spending a good deal of time on the 40-Man) Are these men returning? We currently don't know. Beyond that? You are looking at Phillies release and pick-up Connor Scott who faded once injured down the Shuckers stretch and who is also an impending FA. Dylan O'Rae who wasn't shown any demonstrable ability to hit Double-A pitching at his young age with his very early call-up and resulting sub-par performance overall. Then you are looking at the dynamic but very young and unproven CF Luis Lara followed by CF Yophery Rodriguez. Both extremely unproven and inexperienced. In other words: they absolutely need the high-quality and cheaper MLB depth they have. Most likely, they are going to need to sign more outfielders in Minor League Free Agency to simply acquire the players they are going to need at the Triple-A level. This is no longer 2022/2023.

I'm going to steal most of @Ro Mueller's thunder from last year and copy and paste his worthy intro post while adding some of this season's context to the mix. Now an annual tradition, the Brewers will once again be sending several minor league prospects Down Under to play for the Brisbane Bandits, whose season will run from November 14th to January 19th (plus playoffs, if applicable). We can use this thread for all things Aussie Baseball-related. Why am I posting this now? Well, the Bandits just announced their first Royals prospect heading 'Down Undah': I can only imagine once these Royals are announced this week the Brewers will be announced shortly thereafter. Remember, last year we saw really solid seasons from all three of 1B Tayden Hall, RHP Sam Gardner and LHP Brian Fitzpatrick. If we recall, oh so fondly, Mr. Gardner was lights out winning the Aussie League 'Relief Pitcher of the Year' for his incredible work.

I was more devilishly thinking: Time to grab Hassan Reddick for a 7th Rdr. 😅 (I also see the Jets are now shopping WR Mike Williams? Amazing. Man, the Jets are simply amazing with A-Rod at the helm.)

Wilken has been scuffling mightily since the calendar flipped to August. Go ahead and look at the cumulative totals: ugly stuff. Now he did just become a dad for the first time. Maybe that's something. Maybe that's nothing. Maybe he is just in an epic slump. Maybe he isn't as good as we think he can be and we want him to be. Much too early to tell. But, what we can say is his production is extremely spotty at present. Let's hope that changes.

Yes. By my eyes, the sideline is wide open there for a post fade type route - you think leading him up and to the sideline is a poor decision? Maybe you're right. BUT, Williams did slip. Then A-Rod threw him under the bus claiming he ran the wrong route. You can see right there he is having to come back for the ball. And, obviously, he could sit in that Zone there? Maybe? Maybe that is where that route was supposed to take him? I don't imagine A-Rod would lie in the post-game presser. Maybe it was one of those "You're supposed to know what I'm thinking!" routes? But, the ball died mid flight by quite a bit and came low and inside with the Safety shading him there. Safety made an incredible play. Unfortunate for the Jets. I'm merely pointing out: A-Rod consistently sees this type of result with the game on the line regardless. And, he consistently by-passes the open underneath routes for more chunk plays in crunch time and it rarely ever works. This is his second consecutive INT in a final drive scenario where the Jets were driving and had a chance to win the game. I feel like his clutch magic died at least five years ago. Maybe I'm wrong. Anywho, just really really glad I'm not a Jets fan. Is there a more glaring 'Sunk Cost Fallacy' scenario going on in the NFL than the Jets continuing to throw the kitchen sink at their 40-year-old HOF QB?

He looks older and can't throw like he used to. BUT that has been the case for several years. I can't tell you the number of times I saw A Rod force it into Adams downfield when a winning play was staring him down like this - heck thinking of that blown opportunity at Lambeau vs the Brady Bucs. He hasn't been a big moment clutch performer for quite some time in my view. A better throw to the sideline likely works out there but he can't throw like he used to. He might think he can. That was an extremely costly misfire mistake in a crunch time moment. When is the last Brady-esque drive any of us saw from Rodgers. I honestly can't even think of One any more.

This just in: The New York Football Jets absolutely still stink - with or without Saleh. What an ugly arse football game on this fine fall Monday evening. Tyler Bass missed a kick. Zurlein missed two kicks. Narvs had a twinkle in his eye. A-Rod under threw a pass toward the sideline for what would have been a big gain as the Jets were 'marching' for a possible go-ahead score or FG for a tie (with Zurlein missing with frequency, far from a guarantee). WR Mike Williams had a chance to make a play but slipped and fell as the ball fell short and to his inside back shoulder. Looks like a poor throw to me, regardless:

The Javelinas lose once again to the Glendale Desert Dogs. They are now 0-3 versus Glendale. A 5-3 loss tonight. No Brewers took the mound. All three field players saw action. 3B Brock Wilken once again was given clean-up duties. Once again, he went hitless. 0-for-3, 2 BB, 2 K. 2B Juan Baez, batting seventh, went 1-for-3 with 2 R, 1 BB, and 1 K. CF Luis Lara returned to the outfield grass batting ninth and going 1-for-4 with 1 RBI. Peoria falls to 2-4. They will face Glendale once again tomorrow in the afternoon (3:30 CST).

Sheesh. You should write about the Minor League Brewers! You kind of know a thing or two young fella!

Well, unfortunately, his worst defensive game - both in luck but also in execution - came in the make-or-break playoffs versus the Nats. He got eaten up by several 50/50 balls. It was once of those odd karmic moments where the ball kept finding him and the plays just kept eating him up. Slow dribblers. Weird short hops etc. Outside of literally that game alone, he was more than adequate at the hot corner. Areinamo is also fairly aggressive in the batters box rarely taking walks. However, Areinamo already has gap power and a building power stroke. He is also extremely heady in nearly every aspect of the game. Baez, from what I can tell at present, is very aggressive and has innate bat-to-ball skills but he lacks any refined approach to his game. Hopefully, with more exposure and experience in the AFL he can carry that into a more matured and seasoned approach when he likely starts at High-A Wisconsin next season.

His defense is fine. Already a better defender than Black (I know, saying a ton). He has good hands and a good arm. He's a bit stockier so he isn't going to wow with lateral movement. He made several impressive charging plays and plays beyond that 3B foul line showing off a more than adequate arm. Has the occasional lapse as any young player does but his defense as a whole is 10x better than what the original ACL stats would lend us to believe. Is it Gold Glove? No. Is it acceptable and playable? Absolutely. The base running is a quagmire. It's like a direct extension of his free swinging tendencies. But, he doesn't have the speed or jump to match his overzealousness. He is going to have to mature and evolve both the plate approach and most definitely the careless outs on the base paths if he wants to become a more serious prospect in higher levels of full season ball.

Peoria played again last night, Saturday October 12th. They continued their win one, lose one start to their season falling 4-1 to Mesa. No Baez or Lara. Wilken played 3B yet again and batted clean-up: 0-for-4. RHP Ryan Birchard got the start and went three scoreless frames - 3.0 IP, 1 H, and 3 K. The familiar walk pattern remains concerning in his early professional work despite the scoreless effort.The 23 strikes in 46 total pitches speaks to his ongoing location struggles. RHP Nick Merkel followed Birchard with two frames of scoreless work himself - 1 H, 1 BB, and 3 K. All in all successful first stints for Merkel and Birchard. Let's hope Birchard's walk rate can steadily improve as he gains more confidence in and around the zone. The Javelinas fell to 2-3. They will face Glendale on Monday the 14th - they have the day off from competitive games today.

Kekahuna is also fun to say out loud. Go ahead and give it another go. I like adding it randomly into nonsensical statements: "By the time I realized I forgot my 'Kekahuna', it was too late. I had already crossed state lines. There was no turning back."

The bat to ball hand-eye and aggression has always been top shelf for Baez. The mistakes on the base paths, the unknown projection to gap power as he evolves, and the defensive questions emanating from his official tallies in the ACL were always the question marks. Having watched him for two seasons now, I have stated on numerous occasions: the defense is vastly undersold and his hands appear pure with a more than respectable arm. He is obviously going to be playing more 2B than he is used to in full-season ball with Wilken as his AFL stablemate. A two-game sample size is relatively meaningless but I am simply impressed (tho, I should have anticipated this with his general competitive make-up) he is showing out early. He remains a very very underrated player even after this 6-for-8 mini burst. He certainly isn't anywhere as gifted as Areinamo with the glove (few are, let's be honest) but those two as a pairing offer many pesky problems for opponents.

2B 'El Juan' Baez has officially entered the early AFL chat! Whewwww baby. After a 3-for-4 evening just last night, he follows up with another 3-for-4 in the sixth spot in the Javelinas line-up - 1 2B, 1 3B, 2 R, 2 RBI. Yowza! The Javelinas moved to 2-2 with a 9-6 victory over the Solar Sox. 3B Brock Wilken batted fifth and went 1-for-4 with 1 K. CF Luis Lara batted ninth and went 1-for-4 with 1 K while also being demerited a PO and CS during his lone opportunity on base. RHP Will Childers was called upon late after the Padres' RHP Luis German had given up four runs in the ninth frame. With a man on first base, holding a 9-6 lead, Childers shut 'er down with a three pitch swinging K (at least according to tonight's Gamecast - we certainly know these aren't always accurate down yonder).

Considered the same thought. Maybe? Hard to know given we know so little about their intentions there. BUT, we certainly do know even tho they didn't make the post-season they had an extremely successful DSL season as a whole.

I feel you. AJJ, A-Jax, Dairy Bird (or Pale Ellis - depends on your flavor). That is how I try to use their naming to keep it straight. One thing appears certain early: AJJ absolutely has the innate ability to become a meaningful NBA player. He is wildly inconsistent because he is so young and inexperienced. However, he has an incredible handle; change of pace; effort; and size. He can take any NBA player off the dribble and bounce right now. His shooting is extremely erratic - game-to-game he can go either way. His FT appears a work in progress (which for a PG is problematic if it doesn't improve). Either way, it's a meaningful LT draft pick that could work out akin to Anfernee Simons (AJJ is already a better defensive player) or Dejounte Murray. I like the player and the potential here. Also, I highly advise avoiding these pre-season games. With a passion. The Bucks depth is absolutely non-existent outside the top 8-to-9 players. IF AJJ improves and becomes more consistent and AJ Green continues to play solidly within the rotation (unknown - his shot looks funkier this pre-season and that is mildly concerning) we might have 10-11 playable NBA players. At this juncture, Tyler Smith; Marjon; and A-Jax are all G-League players from my POV. I personally don't see Marjon ever becoming anything in the NBA - that ship has sailed for me. I've never seen a more athletic guy than A-Jax entirely incapable of getting to and finishing at the rim. His shooting concerns would be a non-factor if he could get to the rim. He continues to avoid it like the plague - a true wonder. I like Chris Livingston. I still think he's a couple years of growth removed from being an actual NBA rotational player. He has the try hard. He has the size. He has some intangibles. However, I just don't see him getting rotation minutes. Anywho, the pre-season second unit is akin to their Summer League squads: ugly and depressing. 😅 I will also quickly say: Anthony Johnson Jr. (let's go full name here!) is likely getting consistent minutes this season. The Bucks 8-through-10 players are not good enough to keep him out of the rotation. I think he gets run and he gets run early and they build it up as the season moves along. Obviously not a one-and-one comparison due to talent and pedigree, but it's important to remember Doc has SGA his rookie year with Chris Paul on the roster. SGA played consistently and was a key rotation piece.

The unfortunate end-of-roster resetting continues: - RHP Jeison Pena has been released by the Carolina Mudats - RHP Brailin Rodriguez has been released by the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers ** For reference, last year the Brewers released five players in all of October - all officially announced on October 18th. We have seen 9 releases already by October 11th **