Jake McKibbin

Must've got missed out on the transfer! I classified him as grade 3, not likely to be traded other than for a controllable starter, but as further away than Robert Gasser. Was torn a little between 2/3, but imagine he's not available unless it's for a specific piece, so probably a 2.5 rating or so. What would you give him?

Earlier in the week, we took a look into the top names in the system--the players that Brewers fans have the most to be excited about, and their potential to be involved in deals at the trade deadline. Let's take a look at the next five on the list in terms of talent, and how they could factor into the Brewers' ability to secure quality players at the deadline next week. Image courtesy of Brewer Fanatic Again, let's use the following grading system: 5 – Not a long term piece, and could be included in any trade 4 – Some long term hopes, but potential to be included in any trades 3 – A good player, unlikely to be exchanged for a filler piece, but could be worth an impact player 2 – A high value piece, likely to be included in a deal only for the top tier talent (ie Goldshmidt, Ohtani, etc) 1 - Off the market almost entirely 0 – Jackson Chourio Eric Brown Jr An under-slot pick in the 2022 first round, Brown had an unusual swing but great actions at shortstop; a propensity to steal bases; minimal swing-and-miss; and good discipline at the plate. We haven’t seen much of him this season due to injury, but his arm has developed to the point where he’s got a chance to stick at shortstop, should he reach the major leagues. He completely remodeled his swing early in 2023, but once those took hold, he showed good strides at the plate, with improved quality of contact. A promotion to Double A could be on the horizon, although he has shown limited power (gap-to-gap, mostly). He’s currently on the minor-league IL with a hairline fracture of his scapula, likely keeping him out until the end of August, and we’ll hope to see more of him in the AFL this autumn, if not sooner. He’s unlikely to be a huge game-changer, but he’s a good leadoff hitter who runs the bases well and gets on base, with potentially premium shortstop defense. If he can tap into some of his raw power a little more often, that would be massive for him, but for now, he’s probably a second-tier prospect in the organization. However, I’d imagine the Brewers will want to see more from him before making up their minds on what type of player he can be, and an injury-free run would be a huge boost. If a quality opportunity came along, he could definitely feature as part of that deal. Grade – 3 Robert Gasser Likely the next in line to boost the rotation, Gasser has shown a big improvement with his walk rate since the end of May, when he was quite liable for a big inning to ruin his card. A propensity to nibble around the edges, and with high IVB on his fastball as well as a 60-grade slider from the left side, Gasser has the potential to be a mid-rotation starter for the Brewers. He features a solid changeup and curveball, and above-average control, resulting in a 2.84 ERA in June and just nine walks across his last eight starts. He has hit five batters as well, however, and there is still some work to be done in this area. He has a very repeatable action, not a high-velocity pitcher by any means, meaning control is paramount, and where plus control makes him a quality starter, average or below makes him a backend starter at best. He has been tracked through the minors relatively quickly since moving from the Padres in the infamous Josh Hader trade, but no doubt the Brewers have high hopes that he can step into their rotation next year and provide some value in the role, particularly in the event of a trade for Corbin Burnes or Brandon Woodruff. Again, because pitching is such a premium for this organization, they’ll be wanting to hang onto Gasser unless they’re either very confident in Carlos F Rodriguez making the leap next season, or he’s traded for a controllable starting pitcher. Grade – 2 (3 if it’s a trade for a starting pitcher with control through 2024) Carlos F Rodriguez Rodriguez has been a very, very exciting pitcher, with a fastball, slider and changeup all grading as above-average, it was hoped that he could take a step forward with his command this year, but it’s tough to judge whether that's happened, thanks to the tackier baseball in use through the first half in the Southern League. He was the organization's minor-league pitcher of the year in 2022, striking out 30.1% of hitters, and a WHIP of 1.06 in 107.2 innings. So far this season however, he has almost 4.5 walks per nine innings while allowing just six hits per nine, showing his potential but also the areas that need improvement. He has a 2.69 ERA across 17 games with Double-A Biloxi, and it will be interesting to see if he can show some development in command with the regularly mudded ball while maintaining the elite strikeouts rate of 11.9 per nine innings. If the Brewers are unsure if Rodriguez can make the required adjustments, however, he could be an attractive trade piece, particularly for pitching-starved organizations like the Cardinals or the Reds (who just put up Jonathan India for starting pitching prospects). The fastball has a good spin rate, but sits 92-94, topping out at 96 mph, which could limit his ability to be a front-end starter. I can’t imagine the Brewers offering up both Gasser and Rodriguez, but potentially, one could be used. Again, they will be slightly reluctant given the dearth of pitching in the system. Luis Lara Lara has been yet another quality signing in recent years in the international market, and at just 18 years old, he has shown incredibly impressive discipline within the strike zone; extreme bat-to-ball skills, and enough raw power to have the organization very intrigued about his potential. The swing draws comparisons to Ronald Acuna Jr. and he’s got 60-grade speed and a 55-grade arm in the outfield that allows him to provide high-quality defense in center field for the Mudcats this season. One slight negative is the regularity with which he has been caught stealing this season, but given his speed, it’s more likely that this is due to poor jumps and the occasional pick off than anything, and his instincts should develop with more game time. He’s incredibly young, and his power is definitely a work in progress, but a .390 OBP is nothing to sniff at, with a 14.3% strikeout rate and 12.7% walk rate, there’s more than enough here to show that with some physical development Lara could be a hell of a player. That being said, there’s a lot of projection involved here, and with a crowded outfield picture over the next few years, unless the Brewers expect Lara to escalate to Chourio levels of production, he could be a nice piece in a package for a team starting a rebuild. Scouts are high on him, and given his age, the Brewers may feel he will have more value after another year or so, and also a better assessment of his development by then. Grade – 3 Robert Moore With excellent defensive range and actions in the infield only kept away from shortstop by a below-average arm, this third-rounder from 2022 has shown glimpses of a really smooth swing from the right side and access to effortless gap-to-gap power. He was viewed as a first-rounder in his sophomore season, but regressed significantly as a junior. The Brewers think the power is still there, with a real potential to limit strikeouts and draw walks, as well as to cause a little havoc on the basepaths at times. He showed a lot in the Australian Baseball League during the offseason, and the hope was that he could maintain and elevate that form to progress through Double A early on, but unfortunately, he’s been held up by a poor showing to start the year, and still has a sub-.700 OPS in High A. He’s still drawing walks, but the regular quality contact hasn’t materialized as of yet--though there’s still hope he can find it. He has been caught stealing 10 times in 26 attempts, and all in all, the Brewers might be slightly disappointed with his production so far. He should be considered highly tradeable. Grade – 4 The Brewers have a lot of talent in their farm system, something that hasn't been said for a long time, and there's a lot to be excited for in the future. Navigating who will be a part of the major-league roster, and who is available will be key to the Brewers in what may be their last year of contention with Corbin Burnes, Brandon Woodruff and Willy Adames on the team together. Who do you consider eminently tradeable? View full article

Yeah been getting a lot of those... I wonder if it's helping him cover the outer part of the plate better, if so we'll see once the timing adapts how he fares

I think some of this depends on whether they ned an adjustment period, for example it has happened with Toro in the past, it's why the Astros finally traded him. Looked great at AAA and struggled after, although he did have very low BABIP's Jahmai Jones likely won't be too long for the team, but we'll find out soon enough Hiura wasnt just hot in April/May, he was actually performing consistently and I'm guessing he's working back to that still post injury. It'll click at some point again, the question is when. Good news is that even in a funk he's still not striking out!

Good god. Someone give these guys a bottle of whiskey

Just wait for part two... I'm actually unsure about EBJ, he may be included but his defense and bat to ball skills are quality, and his high floor at short stop is valuable, but I'll say more in tomorrow piece!

With the Trade Deadline looming next week, the Brewers are in a position where a couple of league-average offensive upgrades could make a massive difference to how the club fares in the rest of the regular season and potentially into the postseason. The NL Central has heated up to the point where both the Reds and Brewers could make the playoffs, a scenario that seemed unlikely a month ago with the surging teams in both the West and the East divisions. If the Brewers are willing to make these trades, who is considered on the market? Image courtesy of Brewer Fanatic Let’s use a grading system as below to assess the top names in the Milwaukee Brewer's farm system: 5 – Not a long-term piece, and could be included in any trade 4 – Some long-term hopes, but potential to be included in any trades 3 – A good player, unlikely to be exchanged for a filler piece, but could be worth an impact player 2 – A high-value piece, likely to be included in a deal only for the top-tier talent (i.e., Goldshmidt, Ohtani, etc.) 1 - Off the market almost entirely 0 – Jackson Chourio Jackson Chourio The number two ranked prospect in all of baseball, and potentially number one given his recent escapades at AA Biloxi, where at just 19, he has had a strikeout rate of only 9% in July, and a whiff rate of around 18% over his last 100 swings, which is quite impressive (AA Average is 29.2% whiff rate). He’s hitting .403/.431/.694 for a 1.125 OPS in July, just dominating the competition since the turn of the month, and his improved swing decisions and ability to put the ball in play is a massive leap forward for him. At that level, his opposite-field power is enormous for his age, with quick hands, plus defense and speed on the basepaths. Chourio is untouchable as a prospect in this Brewers system. Grade – 0 Sal Frelick Frelick’s arrival in the big leagues has already impacted several games in ways Raimel Tapia could not, with his 3-3 and game-winning RBI versus the Braves, outstanding defense in right field with a 10% probability catch made, and then the home run against the Reds to tie the game on Monday. With superlative bat-to-ball skills, sneaky power (especially since shaking off his wrist injury), speed on the basepaths, and gritty nature, Frelick seems unlikely to be traded this season with the boost he’s already given the Brewers offense. That is unless they acquire a big impact bat, in which case the consistency he can provide could be a big selling point. He can play plus defense in center field, and his hit tool is up there with the best in the business. Grade – 1 Jeferson Quero Coming into this year, Quero was regarded as a defensive first catcher, and that’s still true, if only because of just how good he is behind the plate, with elite framing skills and a canon of an arm that caught 21 out of 59 attempted base runners so far this season, and is also incredibly young for AA baseball. He has also brought some big power out of his bat, hitting .292/.377/.494 for an OPS of .871, which is extremely high both due to his age and the use of tackier balls at AA in the first half of the season. Quero’s potential is to be the best catcher in the majors, and some would argue his defense is already at the level of being ready for the big leagues. If the bat continues to develop as he ages, this is the stuff of dreams for such a premium position. One aspect to consider, however, is the quality of the current catching corps, particularly the long-term control of William Contreras, who has been massively improved behind the plate, and in terms of getting the bat to the ball, lowering his K rate from 27.7% last season to 19.5% this year is in the 70th percentile for framing metrics. It is currently sporting the Brewers second best bat amongst qualifying players behind Christian Yelich. His only real flaw is his ground ball rate this season, leading to a lot of double plays. Still, he is significantly above average offensively and defensively as a catcher, meaning Quero might be slightly less essential. Grade – 2 Jacob Misiorowski A second-round JUCO pick by the Brewers in 2022, with elite stuff but poor command, the Brewers have stretched out Misiorowski slowly, pitching just one inning last year and a late, slow build-up to this season. Boy, has it paid off. Boasting a plus-plus fastball and slider, with an average curveball and developing a changeup, he wowed scouts at the futures game with his 100 mph fastball, generating an inordinate number of whiffs on his slider too. His command and control are still developing and are the one thing holding him back from being a true top prospect, with some experts, such as Keith Law, expecting him to end up as more of a high-leverage reliever because of it. The Brewers are hopeful his action is more repeatable and he can improve his command to such an extent that he can remain a starter and become a lights-out ace for them in the future. The command being a question mark may make him slightly more tradable. However, due to a lack of starting pitching prospects lighting up the minor leagues, pitching of this caliber is at a premium for this organization. Grade – 1 Tyler Black Boasting the most complete bat in the Brewers system, Tyler Black has added power to his bat, along with elite bat-to-ball skills and a total command of the strike zone. Hitting .290/.432/.546 for a .978 OPS is impressive enough on its own, but Black is also chasing the single-season steals record of 53 with the Biloxi Shuckers, currently on 45 for the season. He’s not doing this purely through speed; although he is fast, his base running instincts and game awareness are second to none; this is a good all-around ball player. His one drawback is defensively, with the Brewers trying to make a home for him at third base. With an arm that has looked stronger this season, he didn’t start well defensively but has progressed massively, no longer a liability in the hot corner and making both difficult and routine plays with regularity now. He may never excel in any position, but his hit tool can carry him. It may already be major league ready, given how well he performed against the sticky ball at AA (which gave pitchers similar stuff to major league pitchers). Grade – 2 What do you think, fanatics? Who on this list can you see being fodder for improving the current major league roster, and who would you trade them for? Join us later this week for a look into five other talented offerings in the farm system that could come into play by next week's deadline. View full article

Absolutely, though I do think we've been absolutely blessed by Adames at short in just how much range he has, and the arm as well (which I don't think Turang's is quite as strong) That being said if he can handle it well enough, I'd be happy with that, especially from a defense first position, and some hopefully okay keystone players coming through ( would love EBJ to kick on)

I think one issue may potentially be that he's potentially not a great Shortstop in the bigs, -2 OAA in an admittedly very small sample size of 29 plays at the position. He also has a BABIP of .251, which i'd expect to improve some, with his xBA at least .213 instead o.199, and a similar jump for his slugging percentage. he absolutely roped a ball yesterday with two outs and two men on that would've been a double five yards either side, a screaming line drive straight at Fraley. So I think he's getting there, but certainly with regular time should be re-assessed in a month's time His xSlg has jumped from .267 in June to .355 in July, so there's some progress there too in terms of the quality of contact he's making, but definitely needs to fill the swing and miss at the top of the zone

Also this is my first real draft understanding the goings on and the picks etc, but I am absolutely LOVING what the Brewers did. No matter how the players pan out, and forgoing hindsight as that's kinda unfair, I think the scouts and Todd Johnstone have done an exceptional job

I think Letson may have required a solid signing bonus, unsure about Adamczewski but likely simialrMaybe one more signing that's around 450k or so so? Letson - 150K + 500 Adamczewski - 150k+400 AN Other - 150k + 300?

Letson reported as a 94mph fastball in High School with a tight slider and good changeup, and also that he can between the legs dunk (important stuff) He struck out 62 in 34 innings last season Adamczewski seems to have been a really really good pick, a lot of nice stuff I'm hearing and seeing about his swing, it looks like a lot of effortless power. 6 ft, lefty bat hit .473 with nine home runs, 13 doubles and six triples as a senior

He's looking better to my eye, although high fastballs are something he really seems to struggle with, but he's made adjustments all the way through his career and I think he will again. Seems to be squaring up pitches down in the zone more often recently which is a good sign, and his BB/K ratio is much better. I think he'll be a solid ish bat given playing time to adjust, but I don't think Triple A will be much more use to him

Brent Suter, LHP, RockiesSuter has had an outstanding season for the Rockies, posting a 2.62 ERA in 33 appearances. The 33-year-old is owed about $1 million as he enters free agency, ranking in the top three percent of the league in average exit velocity, hard-hit percentage and barrel percentage, repeatedly showing the ability to induce soft contact. Suter has actually been better against righties (.510 OPS) than lefties (.726 OPS), allowing one home run to each over 181 total batters faced.Potential fits: Blue Jays, Rays, Reds MLB's analysis of Suter @clancyphile

The whiff rate of 18% is very very promising... We might also not see any walks if he keeps hitting as well as he has, it seems anything in zone is getting crushed, no chance for a deep count

Yeah even before this current hot patch he was striking out far less, but just making poor quality contact. The next stage seems to be knowing which pitches to take and which ones he's doing damage on to increase the regularity of AB's ending in quality contact. EDlC did this in a month, I don't think it'll take too long to refine his approach and his contact ability is way past Elly's. He's actually increased his floor massively with this, given that oppo power, can you imagine only striking out 15-16% of the time? Good lord

You want your 6/7 years of chourio I think to be when he's ready, and he's shown enough of a weakness with swinging outside the zone on pitches and making weak contact with the tacky balls (Which are similar to MLB levels of pitching movement) that he's not ready yet to contribute, but he's definitely definitely getting there

It's unlikely at this point that Chourio won't be playing sometime next year, he's clearly making big strides and even going slowly probably means July/August next year barring injury. I can't see Taylor being retained just to keep Chourio as a prospect for the sake of it

Absolutely I do think there's the potential as well, say if Rowdy comes back with 6-7 weeks left, if he can produce like he did at the start of the season, where he hit 12 homers in a month and a half. It depends whether this forearm injury was a false flag or a real thing he's been struggling with, but I can't imagine he's ever gone two months without a home run without a justifiable reason before

I think Turang is maybe starting to get better... he's got such a smooth swing, and there have been signs of good contact coming through, with a few ripped foul balls etc, as well as some unfortunate liners straight at people. The key difference is his patience at the plate though, with 11 walks to 11 strikeouts since coming back up to the majors. The only way he'll really get a grip though is by facing major league pitchers, and he's showing signs. It's something to be revisited in a month or two, and he shouldn't start against any lefty whatsoever, but I think it's coming just a little

There are a lot of needs for the Milwaukee Brewers offensively, but what should be an offensive first position has struggled, with both first base and the designated hitter slots providing the worst production in MLB by WRC+. However, an issue is that the only reliable fills-in are big names like Paul Goldschmidt, and then there is a big drop off to less effective bats like Carlos Santana, Andrew Vaughn, or even (I hope not) Bobby Dalbec. Image courtesy of Brewer Fanatic One thing we have seen this year is the way in which young, prospect-filled teams have taken the bull by the horns and run with it in the form of the Diamondbacks, Orioles, and even the Reds. There’s a definite bounce after Sal Frelick’s promotion, and could there be more of this on the way? First base expects an average production of 114 WRC+ going by the league-wide production value, so it should be the home of a big bat. Recently, the Brewers have been experimenting with Owen Miller, who, despite the eye test, has been a very solid defensive glove due to his added range and seems to be getting better each day. However, his production dropped further in July, hitting .194 with a 26% strikeout rate and just three extra-base hits. It’s clear that the Brewers need more from this spot, but if there aren’t options here, where else could they escape Jesse Winker’s shadow? Victor Caratini Caratini showed last year he has a relatively decent offensive profile until overplaying at the catcher spot caused his stats at the plate to tumble after June, struggling in the second half of the season (understandably so) due to Omar Narvaez’s injury. Over the last month, he has a .788 OPS, looked both more mobile than Tellez and better at picking balls than Owen Miller when he filled in, and is a switch hitter, something Counsell loves. So far this season, Caratini has a .746 OPS against right-handers, albeit struggling a lot more against lefties, and could be part of a platoon with Owen Miller, who's been one of the better hitters against left-handers and has at least shown glimpses of the quality contact hitter he was in May over the last couple of weeks. In all likelihood, this solution is being saved for the next few weeks until the trade deadline passes or until Tellez returns, hoping he finds his power-hitting form for a couple of months. Keston Hiura Hiura currently has a 12-game on-base streak going down in AAA Nashville. Still, he hasn’t looked the same player pre-injury yet, with a noticeable lack of the quality contact and exit velocities he was putting up earlier in the season and much of the streak being fueled by a propensity to be hit by pitches. As much as I’m a fan of Hiura’s bat, particularly at DH, it feels unfair to bring him up when he’s not ready. His injury earlier in the season came at the most unfortunate time, given his regular dropping of his strikeout rate and home runs almost every other night at AAA. Hiura, at his best, has high slugging numbers. Although he’s demonstrated just a 23% strikeout rate in July, with a .449 OBP, he’s still just slightly off, producing a .864 OPS in that time which sounds decent but is the minimum you'd expect from a MLB hitter in Triple-A this year. He's not far off, and it could be something similar to Frelick, where it just clicks, and in a week, he's up with the the big boys again. Another thing, although a small sample size, is he’s hitting left-handers better than right-handers so far this season with a 1.034 OPS against southpaws. His total elimination of a leg kick seems to have addressed his swing and miss at the top of the strike zone. Should the Brewers give him a shot? Even one hot month of Keston Hiura could make a huge difference to the Brewers, who are struggling for power numbers of late. Abraham Toro Toro has been filling in at first base as of late, and after a rough debut, he’s shown a lot of range, a nice glove over there, and his bat has been HOT. After another double on Sunday night, he’s hitting .385/.446/.708 in July for the Nashville Sounds with three home runs and a double. He’s absolutely raked in the minors before, notably before his call-up with Astros in 2019, as he destroyed AA and AAA before forcing a promotion and slumping. He’s not a power bat by any means, but he can clear the fence and provides good regular contact quality, with an 18% strikeout rate in his last month. Incredibly unfortunate BABIPs have fueled his major league efforts to date, and it could be that he’s first in line for a chance given how often he’s been playing at first base compared to Keston Hiura, who’s more often seen manning left field. As mentioned before, Counsell loves platoon matchups and therefore switch hitters. Toro's versatility to fill in almost anywhere in the infield would give him an edge over some of his rivals. Unless Luis Urias kicks off, he may also be in line should there be more problems at the hot corner. Could Toro provide something above and beyond what the Brewers are currently getting, even if it’s just until Rowdy returns? Tyler Black Black has been the best bat in the Brewers system across the first half of the season, even with the sticky balls used in AA early in the season. With a fantastic eye at the plate, solid bat-to-ball skills, and the injection of more power in his game, the question is, could he play against major league stuff and produce similar results? On top of this, Black currently has 45 stolen bases this season, an incredible number, and his lowest on-base percentage for a month was .394 in May. His control of the strike zone would seem very ready for the majors, and on top of this, he’s slugging even more in the last two months, with seven home runs, five triples, and ten doubles since the start of June. He could be a huge spark, but are the Brewers willing to take the risk? The Brewers seem intent on Black developing as a third baseman, and he has shown dramatic progress in this area over the season, making both routine and more difficult plays now, whereas he was a total liability earlier in the season. They could cut this short and simply DH him (given he’s never played first base), but it could cut short his development and potential at the hot corner. It’s also important to note that two very high-profile prospects were brought up to start the year from Double-A in Anthony Volpe and Jordan Walker, who struggled massively initially (Walker has performed better since his demotion). The Brewers can’t afford to mess with Black this way or give him a lot of time to work things out at this level. Do any of these options appeal to the Brewer Fanatics? What do you think the Brewers' deadline approach will be? View full article

Conor Joe is a great shout... Hadn't heard his name anywhere, but he's been fantastic for the pirates, especially against lefties and plays quality outfield defense. A good fit for RF?