Joseph Zarr

Decent thoughts there. As far as the first three rounds of the draft are concerned at present:

I have to agree 100% here. I like what Rhyan showed this year when they finally committed but I have concerns on his pass blocking overall. They could easily go the vintage route of three interior guys in the middle rounds. I could very easily validate replacing all three spots - despite the public rhetoric on Myers who remains 'just a guy' to me. I acknowledge he certainly improved this season but he is still too inconsistent for my liking.

Congratulations are in order! I hope it fills the bill for you and you can sail smoothly into your promised land. Best of luck!

I absolutely know the Packers were playing with proverbial house money and I am extremely grateful as a fan they got the experience and absolutely showed they belong in the conversation of elite NFC teams. AND, it's a day later and I am still pretty dang salty in the end they simply ended up filing into the lineage of epic choke jobs by Packer teams in the playoffs. It's painful. No other way to get around it. Sigh.

Good gracious that was a tough pill to swallow. Another loss to the 49ers when the Packers were very clearly the better and more dominant team for significant portions of yet another playoff loss. I'm, frankly, so tired of the mythos of that 49ers team. The game was absolutely right there for the taking and it was right there to put away at numerous points in the contest. The Packers, simply put, squandered the many many opportunities. To that end, they deserved to lose. Plain and simple - as painful as it is to admit it. This being said, I believe the one thing this unexpected playoff mini-run showed us is the team has accelerated the expectation window. The Packers 'should' definitely treat this off-season as a practice in: The time is NOW. These playoff windows are oh so fleeting and the opportunities absolutely uncertain. I also don't believe an organization can take these windows for granted. Sprint with purpose and resolution to seize the moment. We have incredible draft capital in this draft. Early Post-Season Ending in Disappointment Thoughts: What I'd love to see the Packers consider/address: 1) New Defensive Coordinator. I don't really care about the improvements I saw in Barry's defense over the past month - they were nice sure but the litany of fames before that time? Yeeesh. We have three years of observations and results. That winning San Fran drive was about as predictable as the sun rising and setting. Two high safety looks. Conservative. Yawn. Six of the top 11 DVOA D-Coordinators were either first year or second year coordinators. Barry has literally never had a single defense he's coached in all his years place above 20th in DVOA. They have to get serious here and drop all sentimentality about this staff. He is not the answer. Let's not fall for fool's gold. 2) To that end, Bisaccia has to be considered for the chopping block. That was his kicker. They regressed, yet again, across the board with ST's. He's the highest paid ST coach in the League. And, I really don't care that he was an Assistant Head Coach. Make the hard decisions but make them with purpose. The time is NOW for this team. 3) Address the kicker situation. Carlson is likely who he is at this point. I saw the same kicker this entire season that we saw in the SEC. He is erratic, inconsistent and just can't be trusted. How can we discuss an 86% XP specialist in the NFL? He didn't even rank in the top 32. He missed a kick in 10-of-12 games to close his season and five games in a row. You just can't be serious with that type of performance with Championship aspirations. 4) New safeties across the board - you have the draft capital to accomplish this. You can't accept the highly erratic play in the back end. 5) Another ILB to pair with Walker and McDuffie - yes, this means Campbell has to go. We caught lightning in a bottle there once. Let's try to catch some more. 6) Bring back Jones

You do realize, Love has completed 69.12% of his passes since 11/5? That's 61.11 % of this 2023 season. That's top 5 in the NFL. This includes his second worst performance of his season @ Pittsburgh. You may want to rethink the 'so-so accuracy' comment unless, of course, you demand 70% over a season? Regardless, I think he's demonstrated he has reached new heights as a passer in the NF of L.

His BB:K ratio really turned south during a really rough slump (we hadn't seen this in him to that date) the last two months of the season. For instance, he ended his year going 7-of-8 K's in an 0-for-8 line his final two games versus Jacksonville. It was the worst he's looked at the dish in a Sounds uniform - just entirely uncomfortable at the dish and the results showcased this. He really did look like he needed an off-season reset at that point, unfortunately. This all being said, I personally think we've seen enough from him to know he likely will be sporting a 2.5 (or so): 1 K:BB ratio into the future. He's most likely never going to be a plate discipline guy. But, with his pop and gap power, if he can simply keep that to a 22-25% K rate overall as he moves forward given his plus defense across the infield that's a worthwhile utility guy at the MLB level. So, in 2024 I imagine he's approaching with a mindset of how he avoids those sub 0.200 months at the dish with K:BB disparity. If he can have a poor month but better plate discipline while hitting, say, 0.220 - 0.235 that's a major difference. Time will tell. Given how he ended 2023, though, I really hope he doesn't start his 2024 April like he did last season. I'm pulling for him to start hot out of the gates and put all those valleys behind him.

I can't disagree. Wherever Estevez lands, I will be rooting. I've said it on numerous occasions and I'll say it again: he's a rising STAR. I firmly believe this. 💫

No shame in losing to a stacked Estrellas squad. Another great managing effort from Estevez. Here's hoping for a fantastic Low-A season with Carolina!

MAN, I am SO here for a Dorrian feature on this fine Friday. Woot woot! SO, to that end, let's dive into the defense - personally, having watched a significant number of his innings in Nashville - I want to highlight some of his web gems to showcase his underrated range; arm; and athleticism. Firstly, from SS. A significant reason why I find his errors frustrating is he routinely showcases he has the athleticism to handle the position. I personally feel the errors are more a result of rushing things. Just take this play for example: As I state above, when he is fumbling things at SS it is typically rushed or it is typically just a possible mental error in the moment getting ahead of himself. He has the athleticism in spades: Interestingly, Dorrian even filled in at 1B in a pinch. Wether it was injury-induced or that strange Toro/Dorrian/<insert Catcher>/Devanney (after one egregious fill-in, Devanney was given the axe😅) rotation after Singleton left for Houston. As one would expect, he more than fit the bill in a pinch: As I've said on more than one occasion, however, Dorrian's best work likely comes from 3B where his underrated athleticism and arm continually rises to the occasion. Here's a series of fantastic plays (from 3B and SS)showing that undervalued range. He does this routinely: Suffice to say, there's a bevy of reasons I've been banging the "Why don't we talk about Dorrian more?!" megaphone for a season and a half. Since acquiring him from Norfolk, he has only gotten better and stated his case. We have a guy doing this routinely on defense and he's giving 20 + HR pop? That's smack dab in the middle of the prospect radar for me. It's been a true pleasure watching him rock the Sounds uniform. When the Brewers traded Devanney this off-season, one of the first things I considered was they have an equal if not more talented player with better range in Dorrian. They traded from depth. They have ready depth. And, also, long live the legend that is Cam Devanney. May he flourish.

Simply put: YES LOL. I've been leading the Dorrian hype train since late in the 2022 season. He had a really rough offensive slump/stretch last season late summer (if I recall) where he just wasn't seeing the ball out of the hand very well. Lots of K's. BUT, previous to that slump, he has been as consistent as they come in his opportunities in Nashville. He obviously has pop. I wonder aloud to myself if he doesn't also see a defensive jump alá Monasterio if he were to get a call to the MLB level. He's more than a fine 2B and 3B guy. In Triple-A, he's mostly struggled when given the call at SS. He is prone to rushing his transfer and he has been prone to getting eaten up by some ground balls he surely wants back. BUT, all in all, he is loved in Nashville (he won last year's 'Fan Favorite' award) by the community and the clubhouse. Extremely underrated player who will be featured in my upcoming series end of February 😉

INF/OF Josh Van Meter signed a Minor League deal with the Yankees organization. As alluded to in the article, Van Meter spent the majority of his 2023 time in Nashville on the IL. However, despite that frustration he certainly managed to take free passes at a high clip: He'll look to get things going for the Yankees in 2024 - here's hoping he stays healthy and gets it going. Van Meter will most likely begin his season in Triple-A Scranton Wilkes-Barre of the International League East.

I particularly enjoyed the passage about the land dispute and the COVID delay and ensuing 30-35% price hike in materials. Having dealt with land purchase acquisition in South America previously, I can avow: it is absolutely cumbersome and difficult to acquire and complete purchase South of the border. Nowhere near like it is in the States. AND, then a 30-35% price hike in basic materials. THIS is the type of thing the casual fan just doesn't consider when they bash Brewers ownership. I'm so tired of that tired trope they are a cheap outfit. The Brewers are a fantastic organization finding ways to succeed with keen strategic maneuverings within a significantly smaller market share. They give small markets a very very good name!

Ditto here, Jim. I watch the Brewers when I can. Big series etc. But I spend the significant majority of my time watching the affiliates. Frankly, I didn't feel I qualified to vote on the MLB Brewers awards by season's end. 😅

A really poignant reminder of the depth of investment the Brewers organization has made into the International scene since 2016. The new Brewers Latin American Academy officially opens Thursday!

A few things to add more depth beyond the greater whole of this article - a solid read 🙂: (1) Clarke is very much primarily a DH/1B. He plays a competent back-stop in the lower level but he'll very likely never be more than a 3rd or Emergency option in the MLB. The Brewers hitting coordinator, in this very off-season, has gone on record stating what those of us who watch his games regularly know: he is already a MLB player. This past year's growth (and it was major at the dish) really solidified this. (2) Martinez's first calling card at 1B is really how easy he makes it for the rest of his infield and pitching staff. He shows really nice coordination and he possesses such a distinct frame and wingspan he catches nearly everything. We start there as his foundation - I've seen the young man make so many full stretch splits for improbable outs it still makes my groin hurt. The offensive growth this season was quite nice and it is very likely the reason he was re-signed. I personally feel the Brewers likely want to see him build from there. He still has quite a bit of free wheeling unrefined-ness in his overall swing path I personally still have hesitation or a reluctance to fully buy in to the season he had. It was fantastic, yes, but I'd like to see that as his baseline. The Double-A work was fantastic to this end, however. He wasn't overmatched. A huge first step. 3) I highlighted Monasterio in a four-part series last year - my now annual 'Undervalued, Undersold, et al' piece. It was quite apparent his bat had the potential to make a mark but the real surprise (for me, at least) at the MLB level was his consistent defensive work. He had never showcased any type of consistency at the MiLB level before and, actually, had essentially developed a reputation as a middling infielder. We saw consistent solid work throughout the infield for the Brewers - a truly wonderful surprise! Regardless, I had both Monasterio and Clarke in last year's series. Oh, I also had now MLB pitcher Lucas Erceg in there. This past 2023 Brewers Minor League season, I spent over 1200 hours watching the collective Brewers affiliates (and AFL). I'll be publishing another four-part series at the end of February. Stay tuned. There will be more nuggets in there once again.

Ok. It would appear the 2024 class wraps up at a whopping 35 players (!!). Yowza. According to Curt Hogg HERE (fun read - highly recommend): Brewers 2024 international signing class Here is the entirety of the Brewers' 35-man signing class. Position players Jose Anderson, CF, Dominican Republic Luis Corobo, C, Venezuela Yohandy Cruz, SS, Dominican Republic Carlos Doñe, OF, Dominican Republic Handellfry Encarnacion, OF, Dominican Republic Kevin Garcia, C, Venezuela Jeremy George, OF, Panama Angel Gonzalez, CF, Costa Rica Frandy Lafond, CF, Dominican Republic Yoneiker Lugo, C, Venezuela Juan Martinez, SS, Venezuela Jesus Made, SS, Dominican Republic Frederi Montero, SS, Dominican Republic Juan Ortuno, IF, Venezuela Engel Paulino, OF, Dominican Republic Luis Peña, SS, Dominican Republic Joandrew Peña, 3B, Venezuela Moises Polanco, SS, Venezuela Kobe Rangel, SS, Venezuela Jhoanjel Saez, IF, Dominican Republic Pitchers Dalvin Bodre, RHP, Dominican Republic Ayendy Bravo, RHP, Dominican Republic Daiyiro Candelo, RHP, Venezuela Lonell Downs, RHP, Nicaragua Victor Emiliano Garcia, LHP, Mexico Lukas Gonzalez, RHP, Panama Paul Hoff, RHP, Germany Dariel Jaquez, RHP, Dominican Republic Wenderlyn King, RHP, Dominican Republic Enderson Mercado, LHP, Venezuela Manuel Moreno, RHP, Panama Christopher Peralta, RHP, Dominican Republic Jean Carlos Rodriguez, RHP, Dominican Republic Josue Toledo, RHP, Nicaragua ( @Mass Haas: this also answers our King and Toledo transaction chin scratches)

Add 17-year-old Nicaraguan RHP Josue Toledo to this anomalous transaction pattern. On the same transactions page...yet mysteriously absent from the International Signing class listings. 🤷‍♂️ *** I will add here, however, in Hogg's article re: the Int'l Class he alludes to a 35-member 2024 Int'l Class (!!). SO, I am going to pre-suppose this is some strange clerical mix up for now. As of this morning, Baseball America still lists 'only' 25 players for the Brewers class.

Not anymore 😉

This. Is. Gold. (And Green, I guess)

Highest QBR rating in a single post-season game in NFL history. Are we paying attention yet? My goodness. Hard to fathom what LaFleur has done with this team within this season. Unreal growth across the board.

My baseball gods Gardner is just FEASTING in Australia. This is exactly what you dream of seeing for a guy his age: dominating and passing Levels of Competition. It's just hard to put into words what we're seeing since he settled down in High-A Wisconsin. He scuffled very early in his tenure as he adjusted to an affiliated environment, but as he got his feet wet he eventually worked his way into the set-up and close-it-out stables with RHP Tanner Shears and RHP Shane Smith. He became even more crucial in that role after Smith's late season call up to Biloxi. I think it is fair to say he is making it near impossible for the organization to not promote him to the Shuckers bullpen before the affiliated season starts. Just incredible stuff.

I saw that earlier and thought: He got 2nd by getting fewer 2nd place votes. 😅 Seems unfair!

It is indeed true. Here's the 'Cream City Pro' Link as well:

RHP Hobie Harris (a key part of that fantastic 2022 Nashville Sounds bullpen) will take his bags North to St. Paul (most likely). Harris signs a Minor League deal with the Minnesota Twins organization where he'll. look to bounce back after a down year with the Nationals in 2023. It should be celebrated, however, Harris played a role in the MLB Nationals bullpen in the first half if their season. Hopefully, he can work his way back to 'The Show'. (Original MLB Transactions Insta Link Here)