I'm increasingly thinking we're going to see Chourio on OD, pending his ST performance....
The reason? The PPI and the fact that Chourio is probably right now the odds-on favorite to win NL ROY.
I really don't understand Dusty Baker's stubbornness in playing Maldonado over Diaz. In a series that's looking as close as this one is, that could very well cost them.
Braves are going to be another potential suitor this offseason, with Kyle Wright undergoing the same exact surgery as Woodruff. Bats went ice cold, yes, but their pitching did them no favors. Fried has had some trouble staying healthy recently, as well.
They don't need to do all this. All of their top prospects are at or close to the majors. This is an organization that has said their number one priority is to be competitive year in and year out.
And you would especially be doing more harm than good to the future of this franchise if you packaged Peralta with Yelich.
They contended this year and won the division without Woody for most of the season. In this division, they would seemingly have more than a reasonable chance of contending.
You always have the fallback to trade Burnes at the deadline if things go awry. A comp pick is also quite valuable.
At the same time, wouldn't Woody rather rehab with the Brewers and then hopefully return for a one year "prove it" period with the Brewers than be non-tendered and cast out to rehab on your own and then take your chances proving it for another team. If I were Woody, I would choose the money and the familiarity.
FWIW, I say hold onto Burnes for now. Trade him at the deadline if the team falls out of contention, but otherwise take the comp pick and let Johnson and co. go to work. He'll be plenty motivated to have a season more in line with 2021 in a contract year.
I don't think it would be organizational malpractice to simply push back his FA by a year...It's probably in the best interest of both club and pitcher.
Also, for all the crapping on the Brewers' offense this season and the praising of the Dodgers' and Braves' star-powered offenses, the Brewers' scored more runs per game this postseason than the Dodgers and Braves...