Jake McKibbin

His stats were really good to start the season no? Like elevating the ball well, hitting for a ton of power and a big part of the big brewers offensive production in April! What made you think he wasn't great at this point? I think if fit and healthy, he's a great middle of the order bat to have for an average offense needing power, and his stats declined to an extent not seen previously in his career through June, making it very likely they were injury related results, and counsell did say he'd been managing them for a month! And actually I'm a big fan of Hiuras, and don't want the organisation to throw him aside and get just a week or two of him before failing to option him this time round. When he was on fire earlier in the season, with his timing on point having removed the toe tap altogether, and catching up to high heat I was really impressed, but I don't think promoting someone when they're finding themselves at the plate out of hope and desperation isn't the right ploy. I can see a scenario where he stays in triple A this season and fights for a DH slot next year actually. I'd love him to find his timing and really get locked in in a way he hasn't since the injury (it's a shame it came when it did) and if he does, get him up. If he doesn't, just keep working with him, the talents there and I think he'll have one last chance to make an impact at some point this season or next, hopefully with real confidence in his own swing and faith from the manager when his chance comes around

Absolutely Also it's important to remember the stolen base threat he added to his game last season to go with the power efforts Wiemer has power but he's far more inconsistent with it, Tellez is a more reliable bat in terms of getting the ball in play, and has bat to ball skills Wiemer lacks. Tellez hit 35 home runs last year and 12 in the first six weeks of this season. Joey might at some point do that with some swing changes, but he's certainly not there yet

He might do a rehab assignment, I think it all depends on how he's looking I think during the rehab after the stitches are out! His injury was maybe going on long enough he could do with one, but as soon as he's even close to ready he'll be back with the Brewers

I'm not judging by his stat lines so much as what I saw watching the AB's if that helps

The Alexander move/Megill option from the 40 man appears to have been in preparation for Justin Wilson's activation tonight, meaning another player may lose their roster spot soon. Be interesting to see who. Wilson has been with the club since Monday, but activation was delayed due to consecutive appearances with Nashville Saturday & Sunday

I'm all for Hiura but only if he's comfortable at the time of promotion. The recent version of him isn't one that we're used to, but a fully firing Keston is an asset. The one I saw last night is not one that would be a positive influence on the big league roster

No he looked really out of whack, I'm hoping he's working on something and it's causing a little rustiness at the plate (there was a suggestion he was closer to the plate, resulting in lots of HBP's recently) He's a .300 hitter mostly due to how outstanding he was pre-injury

It makes such a difference in terms of length too even getting punch out of one of them and average production from the other. With regular quality AB's from Yelich, Contreras, Santana and Frelick, that gives the Adames and Tellez combo a chance to thrive (expecting at least one Adames hot stretch this season) Then Monasterio, Turang and Wiemer can provide occasional threats but are considerably less under the microscope, with the added pressure of not wanting them on base for the top of the lineup coming round again, it really lengthens the whole offense considerably

The Brewers have received dismal production most of the year from their first basemen and designated hitters, and have addressed that with Carlos Santana. But is the real punch coming from a Rowdy renaissance? Image courtesy of © Michael McLoone-USA TODAY Sports Rowdy Tellez is exactly the player needed to sort the lack of power in the Brewers middle order, with a low strikeout rate for a slugger of his profile, and massive power, which should enable them to drive home big totals, and create separation from teams when the likes of Yelich, Frelick and Contreras get on base, as well as our shiny new toy, Carlos Santana. Currently, it seems as though (after the top two hitters) unless they go out of the ball park, they'll be stranded on the bases due to a lack of either consistency or power in the middle of the lineup, and it's preventing the Brewers from gaining separation in games recently, doing the bare minimum to win. Tellez had an OPS in June of .442, surpassed only by a .191 OPS in July during 11 plate appearances before going on the 15-day injured list with forearm inflammation, an injury that had apparently been bothering him for over a month. He was slashing just .136/.184/.173 over his last 87 plate appearances, and hadn’t homered since May 22, at which point he was having quite a fine season. He had hit 12 home runs with an OPS comfortably over .800, ripping 20 RBIs in April alone, looking every bit the slugging monster the team expected. This healthy version of Tellez is perfectly capable of carrying an offense, and is head-and-shoulders above anyone the Brewers will realistically target at the deadline. Last season, he performed to an average level while having one of the worst BABIP’s in the major leagues, which compared to previous years, suggested some optimism of a big bounce back, and perhaps a premier offensive first baseman. Even then, he had a .767 OPS in 2022 with 35 home runs, so even in a down season with deadened baseballs he showed serious power. However, this completely disappeared over the month-plus before he went on the shelf, with just four extra-base hits and a cratering ability to make regular, solid contact, often getting just too far under the ball and causing weak fly balls and pop-ups to the infield. Even when he did rip the ball, he had a knack for finding fielders, and not getting it aerial enough. As such, when Counsell referred to the IL stint being due to a month-long forearm issue, it seemed valid (or more so than Jesse Winker’s “back spasms”). He hadn’t hit a home run in almost two months, and that’s just not conceivable for a player like Tellez outside of some injury. He wasn’t making the quality contact he has in his last two seasons, where his average exit velocity has been above 91 mph. So his exit velocity was dropping with a livelier baseball, and the fly ball issue was causing him to average a 30 degree launch angle in June against breaking pitches, and a rising launch angle against fastballs, too. His timing was off just enough to throw off the Brewers' hottest hitter to start the season. He was just a little behind the ball on the regular, causing any late contact to be a low line drive, or to be slightly under the ball in his uppercut swing, all of which could come from an injured forearm tweaking his bat speed ever so slightly. One thing a six-week break will have done is given his forearm ample time to rest, and remove any and all inflammation in it. There will be a question of if his grip is affected, as Frelick’s was for a while, due to the number of stitches in the finger he subsequently injured in a freak shagging accident, but as it’s a nail bed that hopefully shouldn’t be as big an issue, being on the top of the finger rather than the underside. His estimated date of return is the LA Dodgers series, 15 days after the deadline, meaning acquiring Carlos Santana may be all the Brewers do to cover the 1B/DH position. Instead, they could look to add middle infielders, or an outfield bat like Teoscar Hernandez to be an extra lengthening of the lineup. Showing more propensity to strike out so far this year, and less power than usual, but to the opposite of previously hot trade rumor subject C.J. Cron with an 83rd percentile walk rate, and 75th percentile chase rate, Santana will grind out at-bats and find a way to get on base. However, the Brewers have several of these bats, and the recent issue has been power more than on-base efforts, meaning they need someone to drive in runs in the heart of the order, which Santana hasn’t done so much of this year. He will keep the line moving, and his clubhouse presence has been noted by Adam Frazier as a key part of the Mariners hot stretch last season, but the Brewers still need a little pop in their lineup. Whatever you think of Rowdy as a hitter, he’s definitely not the kind of player who stops hitting for power overnight. He might be streaky, but he’s never been a sub-.500 OPS player, particularly given that he’s struck out at around just a 20% clip in 2021 and 2022. Matthew Trueblood wrote a great article on how his patience at the plate may have belied an injury back in May, covering his incredibly reduced swing rates at the time. Santana could go a long way to helping the Brewers inch themselves towards league average offense, but neither he nor any of the alternatives they might have explored can carry the Brewers the way Tellez can, both to finish the regular season, and deep into the postseason. If he has a six-week period to finish the season as he started, this offense takes on a whole new outlook. View full article

Can we get a walk tracker for Chourio - 5 BB's, 3 days, having had 2 in all of July to that point

And no hits to mention from either.... Hiura looked lost at the plate

If Yelich has a full no trade clause (likely to be able to actually settle in Milwaukee, he did take an under value deal given his performances at the time) then I guess it's all kind of moot

I think this sort of roster manipulation is shocking for a player's development and mental space to be honest. Also there's only so much you learn when not being challenged in AAA so that becomes less prospect development and just stagnating him, which could wreck him. Motivation is such a huge thing for these athletes So even suggesting 2026 seems a little nuts. Obviously if he's not hitting all that well or not like the top level chourio at AAA before bringing him up, then that's fair next season, but if he is, you can't just keep a guy down for an extra year and a half for that

I did a quick glance at teams and though our schedule was harder, shows what I know! We have some big teams to play, but also some easier ones, plus overlooked Giants esque clubs against the Reds. Eventually their WOBA luck Vs expected numbers will stabilize, surely!

Having failed to make a splash at the deadline in recent seasons, the Brewers need to seize the opportunity they have to go deep into this year's postseason. Is a Tigers starter the answer for Milwaukee? Image courtesy of © Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports Mark Feinsand suggested for MLB.com during the week that the Brewers have registered an interest in Eduardo Rodriguez from the Detroit Tigers, who is the standout starting pitcher in terms of trade candidates. Given the Brewers rotation at the moment; Rodriguez's contract situation for the rest of this season; and a likely opt-out coming at the end of the year, what could he do to upgrade the team? Despite getting a quality start from either Colin Rea or Julio Teheran through just about each turn in the rotation, the Brewers haven’t caught fire recently, despite threatening to during the series with the Reds. If they remain a below-average offense, they’ve shown they can win big games, even against the bigger juggernauts like the Phillies and Braves, using quality defense and effective starting pitching. They need reinforcements to ensure that they keep getting that caliber of pitching, though. At some point, it’s likely that Teheran and Rea will get worked out and stop being effective enough to scrape by at the bottom of the rotation, meaning either a fully fit rotation or a potential upgrade would be necessary to make full use of the Brewers' strengths this season. Rodriguez typically strikes out hitters at around a 25% clip, a solid enough ratio, while being above-average in walk rate (84th percentile) and hard-hit rate (80th percentile). His underlying metrics and expected stats show he’s not overperforming to a huge extent this year, with an xERA of 3.46. Risks Rodriguez’s exit velocities against multiple pitches have risen significantly since he came back from injury, and it’s a little bit worrisome. Pitch Pitch May ‘23 (mph) July ‘23 (mph) Difference (mph) Expected BA July ‘23 Four Seam 92.7 92.8 0.1 .317 Cutter 86.5 93.6 7.1 .388 Sinker 80.1 93 12.9 .144 Changeup 75.2 82.6 7.4 .327 As you can see, on everything except his four-seamer, the exit velocities have increased drastically, and on everything except for his sinker, that has resulted in very high expected batting average numbers, potentially a sign that he won’t give you the same level of production he has managed for the Tigers over the first four months of the season. There is also the chance he will be less useful than expected, should the Brewers reach the playoffs. With aces Corbin Burnes and Brandon Woodruff and the fresh-off-a-13-strikeout-performance Freddy Peralta, the three-pronged top of the rotation seems in good order, with Wade Miley and Adrian Houser potentially proving valuable in moves to the bullpen. If you’re going to pay for an in-form starter with a sub-3.00 ERA, you’d expect the cost to match up to a real need, but the Brewers aren’t all that desperate for rotation help. Rodriguez may cost a fringe top-five prospect as a headliner, such as Tyler Black, Eric Brown Jr or Luis Lara, and would he really add that much value over what the Brewers currently have? Benefits As an extra lefty arm for variety, if the Brewers were to reach the playoffs, he could come in very useful against lefty-powered lineups such as the Phillies. Giving him the Brewers' defensive setup to work with could boost his surface numbers even further, while ensuring there are fewer weak starts in the rotation heading down the stretch, which may be vital given the quality of opponents the Brewers have coming their way in late August and September. Having Teheran, Rea and Houser going against the best offense in the league this weekend is far from ideal, and more setups like this are probable until the return of Wade Miley and Brandon Woodruff, if they manage to return to their most effective form at all. Rodriguez’s arsenal is characterized by slight tweaks with the fastball shape, nibbling around the edges and using the four-seamer, cutter and sinker to encourage chases. His sinker down and into righties has been very effective, with a batting average of just .167, and his cutter to the same location has a 24.4% whiff rate and a batting average of just .161. Living off of these fastballs, you’d expect his changeup, which is usually well-located, to play up, but he’s struggled with it this year, albeit without giving up much in the way of extra-base hits (just three doubles against it in 66 plate appearances ending on that offering). With a WHIP of just 1.03 on the season, he’s done a great job of using his locations to generate weak contact and get outs, while having more swing-and-miss than the likes of Rea and Teheran, making him far more reliable. The Brewers could have a premier rotation in all of baseball with these four options, and a firing Miley as your fifth starter. Summary Rodriguez has shown a propensity to be streaky in his career, in a similar way to Peralta, and his underlying metrics aren’t quite as nice since his injury as they were before, making this a riskier trade for the Brewers than it looks on the surface. There’s no such thing as guaranteed performance, but while he would still provide value to this team, and really play up on their strengths, it’s an unlikely move to make unless there are injury concerns around Miley or Woodruff upon their returns. The prospect capital it may take to acquire him would likely be better used either on multiple league-average bats, or one impact bat to really make a difference to the team’s postseason dreams. Other options in this vein for the Brewers who could be slight upgrades at the back end of the rotation would include - a reunion with Zack Greinke from the Royals, who has struggled this year with a 5.49 ERA but is fun and has big game experience - Rodriguez's teammate Michael Lorenzen, who hasn't given up an earned run over his last three starts and sports a 3.49 ERA - Lance Lynn, one of a number of underperforming stars on the White Sox staff whom a lot of suitors seem to believe they can turn around, but who hasn't fared well at all recently What would you think of any of these moves? Should the back end of the rotation be solidified for the Brewers? View full article

Absolutely, and I'd imagine Hernandez is getting some larger offers, but his ability to allow the Brewers to rotate through DH with Yelich at times is handy, as well as his lefty mashing. He's also got the ability to get very very hot and carry the team, and I dd't expect it, but it's clear that the Brewers lineup needs some form of relatively consistent power. 1B could help too, but outside of Cron I'm not sure where else they're going to go

After Tyrone Taylor's game-winning home run Wednesday, it might feel like the urgency to make a trade that upgrades the Brewers' right field situation has abated. Don't be fooled. Image courtesy of Brewer Fanatic The promotion of Sal Frelick has, maybe, led to the belief that the Brewers don’t need an offensive upgrade in right field, and that the defense (combined with the bat-to-ball skills) of Christian Yelich and Frelick makes it more than adequate as it stands now. Frelick is able to provide plus defense both in center field and right field, which allows for some versatility in right, where the Brewers have a WRC+ of just 75 across the players used so far this season, while a sizeable offensive upgrade could allow for more rotation through the DH spot to rest the likes of Yelich every now and then. The Brewers have placed an absolute premium on outfield defense, so they will prefer anyone they put in right field to be at least an above-average defender, and as it so happens, there may be one trade candidate in particular who fits the needs of this team to a T. Best Option – Teoscar Hernandez First and foremost, it’s important to note that Hernandez is in the 71st percentile for outs above average, and 76th percentile for arm strength, which is crucial to this Brewers team, and will make him more than just a filler in right field with a bat that hopefully fires. Currently playing for the Seattle Mariners (who are fast dropping out of playoff contention, given the stranglehold the AL East has on the Wild Cards and the runaway form of both the Houston Astros and Texas Rangers in the West), Hernandez may be a very tradeable asset come the deadline. He'll hit free agency this fall, and is on a relatively cheap contract. Add his defensive performance and offensive reputation to the fact that he is underperforming his expected metrics significantly, and he may be more under the radar than the likes of Cody Bellinger with his hot streak at the plate. His current wOBA is .307, some 34 points lower than his xWOBA. He has an average exit velocity of 91 miles per hour, an average launch angle of 12.9 degrees, and an xBA/xSlg of .255/.482. He has power in his bat to be a middle-of-the-order player, one who can drive in the runs that the Brewers so desperately need given how prolific Frelick, Yelich and William Contreras have been with getting on base. He chases far more pitches than he should, but he punishes mistakes, and that’s something the Brewers need desperately. Their team slugging percentage is currently .376, which is only above the Royals, Tigers and Athletics--not exactly the company a contending team wants to keep. Another reason why he would be very good for the Brewers is how they’ve struggled against breaking pitches so far this season, with lots of their hitters going well against fastballs, but struggling with the elite curveballs and sliders. Hernandez has no clear weakness, hitting: Fastballs – xBA -.260, xSlg - .542 Off Speed – xBA .249, xSlg .428 Breaking – xBA .257, xSlg .445 The Brewers' splits have normalized since June, showing them to be just as shoddy now offensively against both left- and right-handed pitching, but Hernandez has hit .302/.315/.581 against lefties so far this year. He's a true right-handed power hitter. His splits against righties are merely passable, but his underlying numbers do suggest him to be far better than what’s shown so far this year, and last season, he had a .769 OPS against righties to complement a .978 OPS against lefthanders. Hernandez is the type of hitter the Brewers need to make a difference over the next two months, as even an average lineup with this quality pitching staff can do damage deep into the postseason. In terms of cost, it’s difficult to say what Hernandez is worth, but I’d suggest it may cost the Brewers some lower-level, high-hype prospect (like Luke Adams), or (if you followed my pieces on tradeable players in the farm system) a grade 3 and grade 4/5 talent would probably do the trick. He has a hard-hit rate north of 40% against everything except the cutter so far this year, and is due for a hot streak. Would you make this trade? Another option: Andrew McCutchen After the debacle that was McCutchen playing relatively subpar offense in the DH spot last season (although that would be a sizable increase for this season), he has been playing incredibly well for his Pittsburgh Pirates team in what may well be his last season in the majors. It remains to be seen whether or not he would want to be traded if this was the case, or if he would prefer to go out with his original team, but his performance has certainly turned heads. There are certain things McCutchen guarantees you, and first and foremost is a high-quality on-base percentage, which sits at .382 on the season. His power numbers have dropped significantly from his prime years, but he’s walking at a 15.7% rate, striking out just 20.6 percent of the time, and has popped 10 home runs and 12 doubles this season, while also still showing enough wheels to steal 10 bases. A positive presence in the clubhouse and an experienced head for the likes of Joey Wiemer and Frelick to learn from, McCutchen hasn’t been used too often in the field this year, but he has enough speed to play at least passable defense in right or left field should the need arise, grading out as average in the outfield last season. The Pirates may be loath to trade their hometown hero, and he may be loath to leave them, but he certainly is a viable option for the offense starved crew. These are all options with just a few months left on their contracts, but there are other options with more control available, such as Lane Thomas of the Nationals, or Tyler O'Neill in St Louis. Do you think the Brewers should go for a longer-term upgrade? And what would you give up for Hernandez? View full article

With Cincinnati 1.5 games back and the Cubs on a hot stretch just 6 back of the Brewers, and both teams playing a lot over the next two months, that could be a huge series coming up to start next week. Hopefully St Louis can grab a game or two off the Cubs this weekend, but that series could make or break either teams season. More make for the Reds or break for the Cubs, but still!

He's our boyyy Realistically it makes sense financially, but I really like his production and if he even continues something between his June/July numbers (July has a ridiculous OPS for his with 6 home runs too) I'd be happy enough, even to get that next season. He's worked hard and is a real solid piece there. If the back gives way it's trouble perhaps, but I wouldn't trade him I don't think. Also 26m a year isn't really that much compared to what some players are getting

Keston just hit his first dinger for a while.. if he gets hot, he's up

Is that due to the abundance of the right handers out there? Yeah I think his age is absolutely fine, and he's shown himself able to learn when he's been moved quite aggressively in the Brewers system. I don't think he's likely to be any more than a number 3/4 starter at his ceiling, but the Brewers would love that given the hitting potential hey have coming through right now

Absolutely, he's a really good shout actually, given the strength of the current catching corps that could be an attractive piece elsewhere (though the power drop off on promotion to high A is slightly concerning) but not someone I'd considered in these articles!