Joseph Zarr

RHP Cody Ponce (2015 Brewers 2nd Rd draft pick) will once again play in the NPB. After spending 2022 and 2023 with the Nippon Ham Fighters (heck of a name!), he signed with the Rakuten Golden Eagles for 2024. More information HERE

BUMP: RHP Jake Polancic was officially assigned to the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (retroactive to 12/19)

Cool. I personally still go off the strict movement and characteristics. I love the detailed nuance, personally, much like discussing a sweeper, slider, curve, and slurve. Perhaps it's just stupid nerdery 😂. There was a great Fangraphs article I'll pull up from my Bookmarks from like 5 years ago that discussed this very thing (2-Seamer/Sinker). I personally think it was atrophy that led to MLB changing the classifications and not wanting to turn away the common fan - I can't blame them. Here's the article - I think you'll appreciate it 😁

He also carries a 2-seamer in his arsenal. He is a two-type fast ball pitcher. And, quite interestingly, the 2-seamer also carries high-end traits despite its low average velo (in 2023). Obviously a small sample size, but I remember encountering (in a few places after he dominanced the Shuckers) a very very similar high-end iVB and arm side run set of characteristics with his two-seamer tho it appeared at face value (when I watched him) the four-seamer was the strikeout pitch. I wouldn't imagine he grabbed a lot of K's with the 2-seamer but I do imagine, given his characteristics, it would induce a lot of weak contact. ** Perhaps you're referring to his 2-seamer when you are discussing a possible sinker? I didn't see a sinker in his 6 inning outing in Rocket City. I could be wrong. I know the 2-seamer often gets clumped but the characteristics I saw were vertical and horizontal run as opposed to below the barrel. I saw a runner not a sinker 😂 ** Very fun pitcher to have in the arsenal. This just in: the Brewers kind of know what they're looking for in the pitching thing.

This is awesome. Thanks for sharing, Jim. You have to love Zerjav's story and his acknowledgment of the number of proverbial dominoes that have fallen in place over his 27 years (!!) with the club.

In a 2023 season extremely abbreviated by injury (12 outings, 1 GS all August/September), Castaneda still managed to face both the Shuckers and Sounds twice. Unlike, for example, Evan McKendry's rough first outing facing his former club in Durham (Rays) after the Alex Jackson swap, Castaneda acquitted himself extremely well versus his former ball club: 7 IP, 4 H, 3 BB, 1 HB, 1 ER, 10 K If he can stay healthy, Castaneda will always be knocking on that MLB call-up door. Best of luck, young man!

Also, for those interested, here's Crow dominancing Chourio and Black at Rocket City early this past season. He was ridunkulous in this outing. I recall being very frustrated with the Shuckers bats😄. Campbell poked a two-run jack early (on a great read of a belt high inside curve). The Shuckers did squeak across 3 runs but Crow completed 6 with the 12 punch outs. Here's more of the early Black (2 K)/Chourio punch outs: I wrote a rare Thursday recap of the game HERE, fwiw.

It is official: - RHP Coleman Crow (12/20 Houser and Taylor to Mets trade) and LHP Rob Zastryzny have both been assigned to the Nashville Sounds

Interesting. Obviously, the Crew valued Crow but weren't willing to roster him off TJ on the 40-Man via Rule 5. They'll have a year to assess, now, before rostering becomes a necessary decision. For anyone interested, here's a Baseball America nugget on Crow: Perhaps even more interestingly, the Brewers are amassing an eclectic array of serious entry candidates for the obscure 'Possibly the Best Off-Speed Pitch in the Entire Minor Leagues' category of MiLB.tv serial viewers. 1) Misiorowski slider 2) Knoth breaking balls 3) Crow curve 4) Shears splitter Will be quite interesting to see what happens from here. This is an obvious good faith upside lotto ticket with roster and financial flexibility attached.

Color me surprised and content. I honestly, hilariously, didn't know Haase was a FA. Am I the only FA noob who was taken by surprise at his availability?! 😂 This could be quite a solid bounce back signing. And, I fully expect the pitch framing gurus in-org to do their thing. He's actually come across quite springy and athletic in the select number of times I've seem him play. Let's hope he still has that.

This is an opening day roster. And, I understand your proposition here but I disagree with your take wholeheartedly.😅

Absolutely. It's important to remember the difference of transitioning from Minor League infields to Major League infields. There is a huge difference in quality of playing surfaces. Monasterio reminded us of this most recently. If a player has the athleticism and enough tools, more than likely he'll have a serious likelihood to be more than serviceable. As a habitual viewer of these Minor League games, I look for movement; form; tendencies; arm; reads etc. Botched grounders? I may care 'in-game' or the immediate aftermath, but overall I don't really care as it pertains to a player's overall skillset(s). I just can't vouch for the playing surface(s) and time and again we see this matters. I personally have zero 'concerns' or qualms today about a top three of EBJ, Murray, and Zamora. That is an extremely talented and toolsy group of young middle infielders. Areinamo might be my favorite defender in the group. He does so many ridiculously heady and skillful things in a game-by-game basis. A true artist with the glove. Will his bat continue to ascend as it has in Low-A? Guilarte is absurdly smooth and is an OB machine but, early in his career, he's had prolonged injury episodes. As far as the bat is concerned, of the names listed above, I personally have the most question marks (bat related) with Barrios and Garcia. Garcia being the more range-y and toolsy SS but a player who consistently demonstrates he struggles to identify pitches let alone know what 'his pitch' is AB to AB. It's unfortunate - Garcia is a very very good defender.

He was much better in 2023 than 2022 pre-injury. He played his best defense of the calendar year (2023) when his team needed him most for the playoff push. I came away quite a bit more convinced he was ready to take another step. Essentially, he gave us an error of some sort once every 5th game on Double-A infields. Given the fantastic defensiive output I saw over the last month and a half, I'll take that and run to the optimism bank. I think there's room for growth, for sure, but I moved my baseline heading into 2024.

EBJ Ethan Murray Freddy Zamora Jadher Areinamo Daniel Guilarte Gregory Barrios Eduardo Garcia Each and every one of these young men, defensively speaking, is and would be prioritized at SS over Baez. Each of these young men played SS over Baez in 2023. Guilarte, Areinamo, and Guilarte - specifically - all were played over Baez in his stint with Low-A. He was essentially strictly a 3B in 2023 when called up to Carolina and he was overtly prioritized at the hot corner over Luke Adams - that showcased and said all I needed to know. DSL side, Ereu; Alastre; Gutierrez; Di Turi; and Flores are likely names we should be keeping an eye on in 2024 at the SS position. When a young man is given 180.0 innings at the SS position in the ACL and fields to an 0.830 FP% and then is given zero innings at SS at Low-A (52 innings at hot corner; 1 fill-in game at 2B) during the Carolina playoff push and brief post-season while showing clear improvement at 3B...a pattern is emerging.

Tell me you've never seen Juan Baez play without telling me you've never seen Juan Baez play. Good grief. Never ever ceases to amaze.

Get back to the training cages, Mr. Gardner! You're suddenly really slacking on the hill!

I am entirely amenable to line-up shenanigans at this juncture toying with either Brock Wilken at 3B and Black at 1B or Black at 3B and Wes Clarke at 1B. In no scenario am I in any way shape or form committed to a Bauer in the opening day starting line-up (it could happen, sure, and I'll hope for the best if it does) or a Jones on the bench as a reserve OF'er.

This all being said, LT thinking and eyes on the prize. As I see it: Packers currently have the 11th, 37th, and 43rd picks in the Top 50 after the morning games? Toss in 2 3rd's and likely 2 4th's (Lazard salary and signing). That's a massive chest of assets. After the success of this most recent draft I feel reluctantly very hopeful.

I agree with you on both there. AND when this is on tape repeatedly and obvious to us, I don't know, maybe change the approach? Bring some pressure? Get the QB (these woeful NfL QB's tearing up this D) off his mark? "Walker covering receivers...", for example...kind of, I don't know hints at an issue. How about Preston off coverage on Davante Adams? I don't know. Also, on multiple crucial 3rd downs when the game was still within reach, the defensive backfield once again looked confused - off the top of my head a crucial 3rd down at midfield when Rudy Ford had his hands in the air as if he didn't know the call. This can't happen at this juncture of the season and his tenure. Last week, CB Carrington Valentine doesn't get the call on a crucial down and distance in the Giants game-winning drive (we all know what I'm talking about here). Those just can not happen. That is on the D-Coordinator. There's just too much incompetence on film and teams know it. They know how to attack it all.

I mean, the Joe Barry thing from Day 1 is a commentary on LaFleur. This is his guy. Embarrassing all around and certainly doesn't inspire an ounce of confidence moving forward - regardless of what he chooses to do when he chooses to do it. AND, this being said: how bad were Quay Walker and Campbell today? Lauded as coverage capable guys they were absolutely atrocious. But, it always comes back to the scheme. The off coverage. The ease by which teams exploit the middle and the flats is laughable. The 200 + yard rushing allowances. The inability to get off the field in 3rd down. Giving up multiple first downs in very long yardage situations. All of this a testament to the current D-Coordinator. He's just so ill-equipped to lead a department in 2023. He'a literally never led a defense in his entire career with a DVOA above 20. Ever. The ol' Boys club is fierce with this One.

Correct

This right here:

Thanks for getting this out there. Fun exercise. For the umpteenth time on this here website we all love: C Brian Navarreto has more than earned an opportunity to get a crack at an MLB back-up position. Defense, above and beyond, is a major strong suit. Great pop. Plus arm. Throws out runners at an International League leading clip regularly. Despite pedestrian numbers at the plate, he is actually extremely clutch in crucial scenarios. There is zero need, and I mean zero, to speed rush Quero. He's dealt with injuries in each season so far. Let him build more confidence and consistency at the dish. Let him test Triple-A waters. If it isn't Navs for whatever reason, sign another Vet back-up. Also, I know this is a thought exercise, but no Tyler Black in this rendition is pretty laughable. Just no. 7 days a week.