Jason Wang

I didn't name Peralta or Myers specifically because they kinda fell under the "keep doing what you're doing camp" in my eyes. Both solid arms that will do a lot of the heavy lifting/pitching next year!

5'8 is colossal that's gotta be way above average height.

It may be easy to look over some of the smaller players in team history, but that doesn’t diminish their unique qualities. Image courtesy of © Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images As someone who was once wrongfully accused of lying about being 5’6" when I should've said I was 5’5 ½", I know the pains of being on the shorter end of things. It’s hard to reach all of the really good candy on the top shelf at Piggly Wiggly, you can’t ride all of the rides at Tom Foolery's Adventure Park, and most importantly, it’s difficult to throw an effective 12-6 curveball given your low release point. However, unlike many sports like basketball and equestrian show jumping, where height is a key factor, baseball players can still be successful despite a more diminutive stature. This holiday season, I wanted to look back at three of the shortest players ever to don a Milwaukee Brewers uniform and talk about their big-league careers with small frames. LHP Danny Herrera (5’6", 165 pounds) Danny Herrera was a crafty lefty reliever whose entire baseball career screams an unlikely story. He was picked in the 45th round of the 2006 draft by the Texas Rangers and was the 1,345th selection overall. Being chosen that late is usually so irrelevant that MLB has cut the number of rounds to just 20 in recent years, so he started his professional career with a major uphill battle. If he had been born twenty years later, we would not have gotten the chance to see what Herrera brought to the table. After two years of great pitching in the Texas system, he made it to Double-A Frisco before being traded to the Reds as part of the deal that brought Josh Hamilton to Texas in 2008. He kept up the great work in Cincinnati’s farm system, posting a 2.78 ERA over 55 innings in Triple-A Louisville and was even called up, pitching in seven major league games to mixed results. Riding the momentum of his rapid ascension through the ranks, Herrera made the Reds Opening Day roster in 2009 and was a solid piece of their bullpen, posting a 3.06 ERA over 61 ⅔ innings. He was helped considerably by his defense, given his 3.99 FIP and WHIP of 1.41, but he made it work. In 2010 he had some issues, splitting time between the majors and Triple-A Louisville. However, he lowered his FIP to 3.77 despite his WHIP swelling to 1.61 and striking out just 5.5 hitters per nine innings. Before the 2011 season, Cincinnati placed him on waivers, and his storied Brewers career began. It lasted just two games and 1 ⅔ innings, but you know what they say, quality over quantity. Honestly, there wasn’t much quality either since he conceded four earned runs and was quickly optioned to Triple-A Nashville. However, he had an outstanding minor league season, pitching to a 1.48 ERA over 42 ⅔ innings. In September 2011, he was the player to be named later in the trade for Francisco Rodríguez and was packaged off to the Mets. Despite an admirable finish to the season, Herrera would never return to the big leagues after 2011, spending most of 2012 injured in Triple-A Buffalo and then released by the Mets in 2013. He would stick around for a few years to play in Mexico and independent baseball but ultimately hung up the cleats after 2016. Most relievers typically rely on a two-pitch arsenal that consists of a blazing fastball and a wicked secondary pitch. Because Herrera’s heater sat in the mid-80s, he needed a six-pitch arsenal just to get by. In addition to his four-seam fastball, he was also known to throw a sinker, cutter, curveball, changeup, and, most notably, a screwball with a velocity in the high 60s. Where Is He Now? After dicing up the league, he decided to turn to art and now spends his time producing incredible baseball-themed illustrations. MLB writer Michael Clair wrote a great piece on his current work in 2022. If you’re interested in taking a closer look at Herrera’s original work, check out his site. LHP Clayton Andrews (5’6", 160 pounds) After Babe Ruth and before Shohei Ohtani, there was Clayton Andrews. He became a two-way player after transferring from Cabrillo College to California State University, Long Beach. In 2018, he posted a 1.99 ERA over 99 ⅔ innings and a .759 OPS over 257 plate appearances. While he didn’t hit any home runs, he did accumulate six doubles and five triples, a clear sign of the hustle gene. He was initially drafted by the Dodgers in the 40th round of the 2017 draft but decided to wait another year, eventually being selected by the Brewers in the 17th round of the 2018 draft as the 515th overall pick. Like Herrera, he also found great success in the minor leagues, advancing to Triple-A Nashville in 2021, just his third year of professional baseball. He spent a few years recovering from Tommy John surgery, but by 2023, he was back at full strength, posting a 2.53 ERA over 57 innings in Triple-A Nashville. Unlike Herrera, Andrews throws absolute gas, at least for a pitcher of his size. Andrews sat in the mid-90s with his fastball and could occasionally touch 96 mph on a good day. Tread Athletics, a facility specializing in analytics-based pitching and hitting development, made a video in 2023 about exactly how Andrews reached this velocity. If you're interested, give it a watch. While Herrera struggled to strike out, Andrews averaged 12.2 K/9 over his six seasons in the minors. Unfortunately, his success never translated to the big leagues. In 2023, he appeared in four games with the Brewers and had disastrous results, conceding 11 hits and 10 earned runs in just 3 ⅓ innings. He still managed four strikeouts but gave up three home runs, which was not exactly a recipe for success. Before the 2024 season, he was traded to the Yankees, where he started to see some real regression. With the lower quality of pitching development in his new city, he had similar results in his lone major league appearance with the major league team but also had a 5.84 ERA over 24 ⅔ innings in Triple-A Scranton. After being designated for assignment, clearing waivers, and electing free agency, he signed a minor-league deal with the Giants. He was shelled in two appearances in rookie ball, spelling a likely end to his career in MLB. Where Is He Now? He spent the last few weeks of this past season pitching in Mexico and is now a free agent. Whether he’ll return to professional baseball or call it quits is unclear, but it will be an uphill battle for him. Given the increased importance placed on wicked velocity and movement, it’s grown increasingly difficult for pitchers who don’t have both qualities to make it in today’s game. Personally, I hope to see him again and dream of the day he records his first save, but that seems like more of a distant possibility with each passing day. 2B Kolten Wong (5'7", 185 pounds) Born and raised in Hawaii, he attended Kamehameha Schools, known for its strong athletics program and commitment to preserving the indigenous culture of Hawaii. He was a star in high school, batting .600 and getting chosen by the Twins in the 16th round of the 2008 draft, but he decided to attend the University of Hawaii instead. It ended up being the right choice since he was ultimately drafted in the first round by the Cardinals in 2011, being taken 22nd overall and becoming the organization’s #4-ranked prospect. After breezing through the minor leagues, he was a late call-up in 2013 and even made the postseason roster, appearing in the NLDS, NLCS, and even the World Series. His most famous moment in Cardinals history is probably coming in as a pinch runner in the ninth inning of Game 4 and being picked off by Koji Uehara to make the last out. Despite this early setback, he had a great career in St. Louis, placing third in NL Rookie of the Year voting in 2014, earning two Gold Gloves, and getting a few MVP votes in 2019, the best year of his career. Despite his success, his $12.5 million team option was declined in 2021, making him a free agent and allowing him to sign a two-year, $18 million deal with Milwaukee that included a club option in 2023. He kept up the strong momentum as a Brewer, averaging a 113 OPS+ and accumulating 6.4 rWAR from 2021-2022. He also hit 56 doubles, six triples, and 29 home runs. Three of those home runs came in a single game against the Reds in September 2022. Given his success with the team, his $10 million club option was exercised in 2023, but instead of retaining him, Milwaukee used their team control to trade him to Seattle in exchange for Abraham Toro and Jesse Winker. This was a terrible trade for all parties involved, as all three players performed way below expectations. Wong’s .468 OPS quickly led to him being benched, and he was designated for assignment in August before being released. He finished the year as a pinch-hitter for the Dodgers. At his best, Wong was a great hitter who compensated for a lack of pop with great bat-to-ball skills and a disciplined approach. His strikeout rate over his entire major-league career was just 16.0%, an excellent mark, especially in the modern game. He lacked the ability to hit home runs consistently but was good for 20+ doubles per season and would’ve likely benefited from the rule changes that made base stealing more accessible. Where Is He Now? In 2024, he signed minor-league deals with the Orioles and Diamondbacks, spending some time in Triple-A Reno before being released in late May. After the severity of his regression in 2023, it seems that he has struggled to return to the level of ball he played with the Brewers. At 34 years old and with just over 10 years of service time, Kolten Wong could retire today and still have a proud career. In addition to 22.0 rWAR, he ranks third all-time in hits, doubles, and runs scored among Hawaii natives behind Kurt Suzuki and Shane Victorino. We may have seen the last of Wong on the big league diamond, but his legacy as a short king and proud representative of his Hawaiian heritage will live on forever. View full article

yeah but does garrett mitchell have a case to monitor the humidity levels of his bats

With their most prized trade asset now spent, what other parts of Milwaukee’s roster still need help going into 2025? Image courtesy of © Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images It has been a pretty busy offseason around the league. More than $2 billion in free-agent contracts have been signed, and the trade front has seen more than a few impact players change hands. The Brewers got involved themselves, shipping Devin Williams to the Yankees in exchange for Nestor Cortes and infield prospect Caleb Durbin. The Airbender was bound for a new home in his walk year, and Milwaukee’s anticipated offseason additions depended heavily on his return package. So, now that he’s gone, what does the team still need—and will it be enough to maintain their dominance over the division? Infield Caleb Durbin was a 14th-round draft pick by team who plays at the highway interchange just north of Atlanta in 2021, and he's been on the minor-league grind ever since. He started hitting his stride over the past two years, steadily climbing the ranks. Most recently, he posted an .867 OPS over 375 plate appearances in Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and torched the Arizona Fall League, posting a .976 OPS and stealing 29 bases there. A certified short king, he has adapted his playing style to compensate for a lack of power and has excellent fielding flexibility, making him a great fit for an already versatile Brewers squad. Heading into the offseason, there were questions over who would play which position after the departure of Willy Adames. Now that Durbin is on board, it seems Pat Murphy will have plenty of options for almost every position in the infield. One area that could still use some improvement is first base. While the Rhys Hoskins signing was exciting at the time of its announcement, a full season of his performance left much to be desired, especially given his $12 million salary. He had -0.2 rWAR, slashing .214/.303/.419 for an OPS+ of 98. After officially exercising his $18-million player option for 2025, there were hopes that he could get traded, but with his stock at an all-time low, it was likely difficult to find a willing buyer at his price point. Even if a suitable replacement was found, the team would still be on the hook for most of his money, so they’ll have to wait for 2026 to decline their part of the mutual option and look for a more meaningful bat, should his numbers remain the same. Of course, they could move Hoskins to DH permanently and pick up a more well-rounded first baseman, but given the extra money or prospect equity they’d have to surrender in a free agent or trade situation, the team will probably just hang in there with Hoskins. Moves throughout the league have foreclosed even the options that did seem to loom for them, as the Guardians, Yankees, Diamondbacks, Astros, and Nationals all landed new first basemen over the last handful of days. Outfield Arguably the area in which they have the most depth, Milwaukee’s outfield is jam-packed with young talent. Injury concerns for Christian Yelich and Garrett Mitchell are well-founded, but based on what we saw from them last year, they’re outstanding when healthy. When you throw in Blake Perkins, Sal Frelick, and the phenomenal Jackson Chourio, you get more than enough pieces for this part of the roster to be successful. If anything, it seems that the surplus in the outfield could drive another trade later in the offseason. Catcher/DH Similar to the outfield, the Brewers are set when it comes to backstops and designated hitters. There’s plenty of crossover between who’s on the depth chart for both roles, with William Contreras and Eric Haase. The organization did also utilize Gary Sánchez on occasion in 2024, but getting a third-string catcher probably isn’t a priority for the front office right now. Keeping DH playing time available for Yelich and Contreras is more important than whatever production they could find on the market from a budget-friendly bat. Rotation There’s a lot to like about the Brewers' starters—at least in theory. Given the tragic injury luck of the past few years, one can never be too sure about betting the house on the team’s rotation to stay healthy. With arms like Brandon Woodruff and Robert Gasser still on unclear timelines to return, the team will have to hope the combination of Nestor Cortes and full seasons from DL Hall and Aaron Civale will be enough to hold down the fort. There’s actually a lot to like about Cortes and his potential fit on the team. He’s a crafty lefty who does some unorthodox things, something that could fit well within a development program that has made the most out of arms with neither spectacular velocity nor stuff. His fly ball rate has consistently been higher than average throughout his seven-year career, and while some of those fly balls will inevitably go for extra bases, he hasn’t played with an outfield as defensively proficient as the Brewers’, so his numbers could be even better than anticipated next year. When Woodruff does finally make it back to the team after his lengthy rehabilitation process, someone may cede their spot, or the team could utilize a six-man rotation. You could always go out and get another arm just to be safe, but with the current talent on the board and starting pitching talent coming at a high premium, it’s not a necessity. Bullpen Milwaukee is great at making the most of what they have. Last year, after Devin Williams was sidelined for months due to stress fractures, the team turned it into an opportunity to start grooming Trevor Megill for the full-time closer job. He excelled, accumulating 21 saves before handing off the reins. We’ve gotten to see what Megill can do over the two past seasons with the Crew, and it seems like the perfect time to promote him to the most important role in the bullpen. Behind him is the same cast of characters as we saw last season, including Joel Payamps, Jared Koenig, Bryan Hudson, and Nick Mears. While the loss of Williams is definitely a meaningful subtraction, the bullpen still looks to be in great shape heading into next year. They could get another arm if the price is right, but don’t expect the team to surrender too much of the farm trying to get a slight upgrade in the reliever department. Will It Be Enough? After remembering that they are, indeed, a big-market team, the Cubs have been fairly active this winter. In addition to signing free agents Matthew Boyd and Carson Kelly, they acquired Kyle Tucker from the Astros and traded Cody Bellinger to the Yankees. The Tucker deal in and of itself was great, but they haven’t shown signs of slowing down. There are reports that they’ve made a big push to sign Roki Sasaki, and they’ve gotten some additional breathing room in the budget after getting most of the Bellinger contract off the books. They were also in discussions to acquire Jesús Luzardo or Luis Castillo, but it seems those talks stalled. Luzardo is now a Phillie. But Chicago has quite a bit of catching up to do. They were 10 games back of Milwaukee in 2024, and without subsequent moves to improve other parts of their lineup, it would seem that the Brewers are safe for now. The other teams in the division have practically been asleep at the wheel, and haven’t given their fans much to look forward to, so it seems like 2025 could be yet another year of the Brewers taking the top spot in the NL Central. Getting past the other titans in the National League is a different story. As usual, the bigger spenders in the East and West divisions have more obvious talent on paper, but a closer look suggests there is a smaller gap than one might otherwise expect. It may not be enough for the team to win the World Series, but if the team shows up to Opening Day with the roster as-is, it’s looking like another successful regular season for the Brew Crew. View full article

The team’s lockdown closer has been shuttled off to the Big Apple. What does the reliever hierarchy look like in his absence? Image courtesy of © Benny Sieu-Imagn Images This isn’t the first time this has happened in recent history. Before Devin Williams, the team’s go-to high-leverage pitcher was a lefty by the name of Josh Hader. He was also traded before hitting free agency, albeit under slightly different circumstances. Williams was still outstanding in his final year with the team, whereas Hader had the worst season of his career before ultimately being swung to the Padres in mid-2022. Suffice it to say, Milwaukee is no stranger to trading away top-tier closers and retooling the setup of their bullpen. They actually got a glimpse of what the roster would look like without Williams while he was on the shelf for much of 2024, due to stress fractures in his back. In his stead, Trevor Megill stepped up and performed admirably, accumulating 21 saves and posting a dominant 1.80 ERA over those outings. In many ways, his profile was perfect for his new responsibilities. A triple-digit four-seam fastball and a knuckle curve with a 55.0% whiff rate confused hitters and will likely be the key to elevating him to full-time closer come 2025. But what about the other bullpen arms? What other tools will be in Pat Murphy's toolbox? Behind Megill on the depth chart is Joel Payamps. He was a reliable reliever in 2024, posting a 3.05 ERA and even accumulating six saves of his own, but there were clear holes in his game. With good-not-great strikeout and whiff rates and a penchant for giving up some hard contact, he’ll likely be limited to lower-leverage innings. His FIP of 3.73 and his xERA of 4.11 point to the possibility that he may have been more lucky than sustainably effective last year. Behind Payamps is Jared Koenig, whose first year in the majors since 2022 was great, culminating in a 2.47 ERA over 62 innings. Like Payamps, his strikeout rate was average and his per-swing whiff rate (22.4%) was in the bottom quartile of qualified pitchers, so it’s tough to see him handling anything too intense. However, he was better than Payamps at inducing soft contact and could move forward in the depth chart in 2025 if he keeps up the good work. An important adjustment for him would be developing a second plus pitch to complement his sinker. His cutter had satisfactory production but with a slugging percentage of .424, it might need some refinements before it’s ready for the big innings. Abner Uribe has a big question mark hanging over his head. After disappointing results in 2024 that included an unnecessary altercation with the Rays and season-ending knee surgery, he feels far removed from the buzz he created in 2023. He has shown the ability to be an outstanding arm with exceptional stuff, but his lack of command and experience are big obstacles. If he does manage to lock in for the upcoming year, he could be next in line and pick up a few saves, but there’s considerable room for improvement. Bryan Hudson was an underrated rookie who put up a sneaky 1.73 ERA and an incredible 0.72 WHIP over his 62 ⅓ innings of work. One of the best lefty relievers in the game, his massive 6'8” frame and wicked sweeper helped compensate for a fastball velocity in the low 90s, which sagged ever lower as his first full season in the big leagues progressed. Similar to Koenig, there’s intriguing potential here, but a small sample size leaves just enough uncertainty to keep things exciting. Other arms like Elvis Peguero and Nick Mears could soon be joined by some of the organization’s best prospects. At the top of the list to be called up would be Craig Yoho, who spent his 2024 dicing up three levels of the minor leagues. From High-A Wisconsin to Triple-A Nashville, Yoho’s combined a 0.94 ERA with a 0.94 WHIP. His 42.4% strikeout rate indicates just how successful he was. Fans have been clamoring for him to strut his stuff at the big-league level, and it might not be long before their wishes are granted. Megill is the clear frontrunner for the closer job. He was there last year; his arsenal and stuff are perfect for it; and he’s the most dependable arm in the bullpen right now. If he goes down or can’t come in on back-to-back days, Murphy has the luxury of several great options, but expect Hudson, Koenig and Uribe to be the subject of many of his phone calls come the later innings of next season's games. View full article

Milwaukee picked up some short-term starting rotation help in Friday's trade. Looking down the road, though, they might want to consider a commitment to their incumbent ace. Image courtesy of © Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images Although the Winter Meetings just passed and Christmas is still over a week off, several major starting pitchers have already inked new deals. Blake Snell broke the ice by signing a five-year, $182-million deal with the Dodgers, only to be outdone by Max Fried signing an eight-year, $218-million contract with the Yankees. While these players were far outside the financial reach of the Brewers, other free agents like Nathan Eovaldi, Luis Severino, Yusei Kikuchi, and Frankie Montas were signed for more reasonable amounts that could’ve fit into Milwaukee’s budget (with a few contortions). To make matters worse, Garrett Crochet, a trade target the Brewers had been eyeing, also found a new home with the Boston Red Sox, leaving the Crew with few feasible options. They might have to roll into 2025 with (more or less) the rotation they already project to have. Meanwhile, Freddy Peralta has two $8-million team options, one of which has already been picked up for 2025. Assuming the team also exercises the 2026 option, he would hit free agency by age 30, the same age as Max Fried. He wouldn’t net as much as Fried, but it's clear that his market value will be in nine figures if he gets to that point with his arm intact. So, since the Devin Williams trade added long-term help to the infield but only a one-year patch to the rotation, could locking down Peralta for a second time be top of mind? The 2024 campaign was Peralta's first as the ace of the team. In the absence of Corbin Burnes and Brandon Woodruff, he was shoved into the spotlight and forced to lead a rotation ravaged by injury. He performed admirably, posting a 3.68 ERA with 10.4 K/9 over 173 ⅔ innings. This gave him 2.6 rWAR, the second-best year of his career behind his exceptional 2021 campaign. There was a lot to like about his profile, including top-quartile whiff and strikeout rates. In addition to having a good four-seam fastball (as usual), his changeup became remarkably efficient this year, compensating for a reduction in effectiveness from his curveball. He threw his changeup 17.5% of the time (highest in his career), while cutting his curveball usage down to 7.1% (lowest in his career). Unfortunately, all the good came with much of the usual bad. His WHIP of 1.22 and 9.2 H/9 were higher than any other full seasons of his career. He also allowed 1.3 HR/9 and a walk rate of 9.4%, dragging his FIP to 4.16 despite the good strikeout rates. He seemed to struggle with expanding the zone effectively, and gave up a considerable amount of hard contact as a result. His chase rate of 28.0% was slightly below the league average, while his barrel and ground-ball rates were near the bottom quartile of qualified pitchers. This means that for an ace, hitters spat on his offerings outside of the zone—while hitting his strikes hard and in the air, a recipe that rarely leads to long-term success. For the Brewers to make an offer tempting enough to delay his free agency again, there are likely a few criteria they’d have to satisfy. First, the deal would have to be done before the 2026 season, nullifying the team-friendly $8 million salary they originally agreed to. Second, despite his flaws, he is likely hoping for a free-agent deal in the $100-150 million range, setting that as the price Milwaukee would have to beat (less some discount, to account for the risk the Brewers would take and Peralta would avoid by signing before the necessary decision point). Third, it would probably have to end early enough for him to sign another short-term deal, or long enough for it to set him up for the rest of his career. The sweet spot here might be an opt-out. A deal that gives him a significant raise for 2026 in exchange for two extra years of team control would be workable for the Brewers. Peralta would prefer a true megadeal, but might take a much lighter version in exchange for the opportunity to hit the market again after 2028 if he so chose. A seven-year deal worth $170 million (with an opt-out after three years and $70 million) could make sense. Such a deal could include deferrals in the highest-paid seasons of the deal (likely 2028-31) and/or a mutual option for 2033 with a buyout involved, to push some of the payments out to the middle of next decade. The Brewers would get an extra two years of team control over Peralta (at a minimum), and Peralta would get plenty of compensation for giving up the chance to make $50 million more by taking himself all the way to free agency. But is this even something the Brewers would/should do? On one hand, it’s high time that the front office looks into paying to retain an ace. They let Burnes walk, and haven’t made a huge, market-rate commitment to anyone since Christian Yelich. For the past several years, the team’s pitching has been a major point of strength, allowing them to compete with the bigger spending teams through more clever scouting and development. Extending a known arm would theoretically bring stability to the best part of the organization. On the other hand, Peralta arguably isn’t the guy to invest in. His struggles with consistency and penchant for alternating between excellent and horrid stretches on the mound don’t help his case for a long-term commitment. If Milwaukee does want to extend a pitcher, maybe it would make more sense to wait and see how Woodruff bounces back from the injury that pulverized his 2024 campaign. Simply put, the known costs seem too high to receive an unknown upside. Will Peralta continue to be a starter with great stuff and rediscover what made him great three years ago, or will he slowly but surely fall victim to his current shortcomings? It’s hard to say, and for a front office as shrewd as the Brewers’, it’s probably more risk than reward. View full article

matt arnold roster construction plans revealed in bizarre new cereal promotion

Good shouts!

Surprisingly, Milwaukee now has an excess of manpower in the rotation. What will they do with the excess resources? It finally happened. The Brewers’ most valuable trade asset, Devin Williams, was finally sent to new digs. In return, the Yankees gave up $2 million, including infield prospect Caleb Durbin and Nestor Cortes. With Nestor’s arrival, Milwaukee has too many starting pitchers to go around, so who will they get rid of to clear up roster space and payroll? It’s natural to assume that Milwaukee is simply a temporary landing spot for Cortes and that he probably shouldn’t be considering putting money down for a condo in Historic Third Ward. However, the situation may not be that simple. When healthy, he has proven himself to be a good starter option; his career peaked in 2021-2022, where he posted a 2.61 ERA over a combined 251 ⅓ innings for the Yankees. After struggling in 2023 and sustaining a rotator cuff strain, he pitched to a 3.77 ERA over 174 ⅓ innings in 2024, suggesting a return to form. Unfortunately, some flaws he showed while pitching through injury persisted last season. Aside from a walk rate of 5.5%, his other statistics were around or below the league average. Most concerning was his tendency to give up hard contact to opposing hitters. His sweeper and four-seam fastball were the biggest pain points, which had respective slugging percentages of .511 and .443. Aside from a slight dip in changeup frequency, there haven’t been too many changes to his velocity, arm angle, or usage between his 2022 and 2024 campaigns. Hence, these results may be affected by lingering injuries. This is further supported by the fact that he missed almost all of the Yankees’ most recent postseason run due to a left elbow flexor strain. On the bright side, he did manage to recover in time for the World Series, and it seems that Milwaukee did its due diligence to ensure that he would have a clean bill of health before being included in the trade. He reportedly had an MRI a few weeks ago, which allowed him to begin his offseason throwing program on time. This means that the Brewers are likely intent on keeping him. After all, why bother with a thorough physical exam unless the team wants to know exactly what they’re working with and whether their reputed pitching development program will get the best out of his arm. It's even more important when considering they may only have him for a short period, given that he’s entering his final year of arbitration and is slated to hit free agency in 2026. On a similar timeline is Aaron Civale who will become a free agent in the same year as Cortes. Civale had a great showing with the Brewers, making 14 starts and posting a 3.53 ERA, a major step forward following a disappointing tenure with the Rays. While his surface-level numbers were strong, underlying figures may be more concerning. His FIP of 4.79 while with the Brewers was evidence of his susceptibility to the long ball while having a below-average strikeout rate of just 20.9%. Furthermore, a WHIP of 1.22 shows that he’s giving up a few more baserunners than the team would probably like. In comparison, Nestor’s FIP of 3.84 was not only better than Civale’s, it was much closer to his actual ERA. Civale made great use of his cutter in 2024 but struggled to deploy an effective pitch outside of it. His sinker and curveball complemented his cutter well in past years but they lacked the same production last season. A quick glance shows that his curveball command regressed while his sinker lacked both the velocity and movement needed to get the necessary outs. With the return of great talent like Brandon Woodruff and DL Hall, trading one of these two options seems like a necessary step to optimize the roster heading into 2025. Nestor seems like he has more upside while the team knows what they’re getting (or not getting) out of Civale. Given the prerequisites around the Nestor transaction, it seems like he’s here to stay (at least for a year) while Civale will be shown the door in exchange for some prospect talent. Any suitors looking for a back-of-the-rotation arm could make great use of him and he’d likely benefit them more than he’d benefit Milwaukee. He played an important role while he was with the team but with the talent ahead of him in the depth chart, it's difficult to see a clear road ahead for him. View full article

The biggest baseball contract ever is large enough to send shockwaves from New York all the way to Milwaukee. Image courtesy of © Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images The Brewers didn’t exactly miss out on signing Juan Soto. In order to miss out, one needs to be in contention first. With the final tally on this historic deal reaching a nearly unfathomable $765 million, Milwaukee missed out on signing him only the way Rowdy Tellez missed out on Olympic gold in the 200-meter dash. However, that doesn’t mean that they won’t still feel the burn of this contract. Soto returning to the National League after his year with the Yankees naturally means that the Brewers will be playing against him more frequently. It also means that he and his new Mets teammates will now be serious obstacles for future postseason spots. The NL East is rich with talent, and along with the Phillies and Braves, the Mets form a dangerous three-headed beast that could be perennial October competitors. Only one team can win the division, meaning two East teams could end up occupying all but one of the NL Wild Card spots, a situation that has unfolded three years in a row. Even the Nationals could be on the cusp of elbowing their way into the playoff picture, with young talent like CJ Abrams, Dylan Crews and James Wood. In the Central, the choice seems to be between winning the division or missing out entirely. The last time an NL Central team snagged a Wild Card spot was in 2021, when the Cardinals squeezed in with 90 wins. Recency bias would dictate that Milwaukee has a pretty defensible position as kings of the Central, but baseball is a fickle sport and teams can go from winning 107 games in a year to riding the postseason bench, like the Giants. Speaking of the Giants, their recent acquisition of Willy Adames presents another challenge for the Brewers: finding a suitable replacement for their now-vacant shortstop position. Adames was worth 14.0 rWAR over the nearly four years he spent with the team, and was regularly one of the squad’s most valuable assets. Given San Francisco’s appraisal of Adames reaching $182 million over seven years, it seems doubtful Milwaukee will easily find someone of the same caliber to fill his shoes. They could choose to utilize Joey Ortiz and Brice Turang, but either way, the roster will still be left with a vacant spot somewhere in the infield. Meanwhile, the Giants (arguably still lagging both San Diego and Arizona in the wake of the Dodgers Death Star) got stronger. So how does 2025 look for Milwaukee? It’s still hard to say, as the organization has yet to make any moves of note this offseason. Last year, Corbin Burnes wasn’t traded until February, and the deal brought back DL Hall and the aforementioned Ortiz, so a big trade deal involving someone like Devin Williams could still be in the works. Furthermore, enticing sleeper and post-hype free agents like Tim Anderson and Aledmys Díaz are still up for grabs, so get them while they’re hot! Jokes aside, don’t expect the Crew to acquire a suitable infield free agent, as this year’s crop is lacking, to say the least. The Brewers’ front office can’t afford to be ignorant of what they’re now up against in the National League. The Dodgers, Padres, Phillies, and Mets are big-market fat cats (or, in San Diego's case, are willing to pretend to be) and will be recurring threats. The Braves have an abundance of talent on long-term, team-friendly contracts. The Diamondbacks and Giants are waiting on the wings for whatever table scraps are left once the divisions have been carved up. Even within its own division, a dominion so easily conquered for the past few years is full of encroaching enemies in the Cubs and Pirates. The walls are closing in on Milwaukee; their regular-season margin for error is now the smallest it has been in years. Can the organization step up to the plate? Let’s wait and see. View full article

Was his 2024 campaign enough for us to consider the keystone sacker a longer-term Brewer? Image courtesy of © Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images Milwaukee doesn’t sign a lot of long-term contracts. The largest in franchise history is still Christian Yelich’s nine-year, $215 million deal, which was signed after back-to-back MVP-quality seasons. In second place is Ryan Braun’s five-year, $105 million contract, less than half of Yelich’s total compensation and a meager offering compared to the gargantuan free-agent deals inked in today’s day and age. Based on that information alone, the odds of getting a big Brewers payday don’t seem to be in Brice Turang’s favor. The club simply doesn’t work that way, and has always been more focused on cost-effective roster construction. However, based on what they did with Jackson Chourio, Milwaukee could find a happy medium between spending money and retaining talent. Last December, Chourio signed an eight-year, $82-million contract before he had a single major-league plate appearance. It was the largest-ever deal signed for a player with his level of experience and a risk uncharacteristic of the typically frugal team. Now that we’ve gotten a taste of what he’s capable of, though, the move looks like the big-brain play of the decade. The contract will end after he turns 27, at which point the Brewers will still have two years of team options at $25 million each. In the best case, he’ll be in Milwaukee until he’s 30, giving the team 10 years of solid major-league productivity and the majority of his athletic prime. The front office was essentially betting on Chourio to be good before the other 29 teams had a chance to really catch on. Without the extension, his arbitration salaries and stock as a free agent would have continued to rise, creating a situation similar to Willy Adames's—except with an even lower chance of sticking around. A bold comparison would be Juan Soto, who debuted at a similar age. Because Soto was such an exceptional young talent, he was destined for a massive payday. By the end of his fourth season, he had already received and declined a 13-year, $350 million offer by the Nationals, so it wouldn’t be outlandish to assume Chourio could have been down a similar path. But Turang is hardly a prospect of the same quality as Chourio or Soto. He’s already 25 (so old!) and hasn’t managed to eclipse the 90 OPS+ mark in either of his two major-league seasons. Much of his productivity has come from his defensive contributions, culminating in 22 Defensive Runs Saved and a Platinum Glove in 2024. His glove has been outstanding, but a more enticing part of his case for an extension is his offensive upside. It does seem odd that a player with a .631 career OPS would be the topic of an “offensive upside” discussion, but Turang’s numbers are begging for a closer look. His entire 2023 was rough, and the .585 OPS he carried throughout the season told the story. He just couldn’t catch up to big-league fastballs, and averaged just .198 against heaters. He took a colossal step forward in 2024, however, averaging .308 against four-seam fastballs and cutting down his whiff and strikeout rates. By the end of June, his OPS against four-seam fastballs was a whopping .946. Unfortunately, old habits seemed to return in the second half of the season as his numbers against four-seamers regressed to his 2023 results, but it posed an interesting question: If Turang found a way to be consistently effective against velocity, could he be one of the best second basemen in baseball? Despite an OPS+ of just 85, he still managed 4.7 rWAR last season. He was second only to Daulton Varsho in defensive rWAR and his overall numbers could be nearing MVP levels if he gets his bat going a bit more consistently. Even more exciting is the fact that we’ve already gotten a glimpse of the peak of Turang’s offensive powers. He has struggled to hit the ball with consistent oomph in his first 1,000 MLB plate appearances, but he could be a high-average guy akin to Luis Arráez, without the fielding liabilities. Furthermore, second basemen are rarely expected to produce big power numbers, so it's not like Turang would actually be that far off what's expected of him. Thus, an extension shouldn’t be considered totally out of the question. The 2026 season will be Turang’s first year of arbitration eligibility, and if he maintains his upward trajectory of offensive improvements along with his best-in-class defense, it could soon get expensive for the club. Would Turang sign an extension like the one given to Chourio? Absolutely not, but it could be a way for the front office to lock him down for the price and duration they feel he will be the most effective. A deal more in the six-year, $45-million range (with team options that could be much more lucrative) could be good for both sides. We'll see if they go there come spring training. View full article

i was -12 at the time of this game

Perhaps this is an erroneous association but I kind of lump Bobby Miller and Walker Buehler together because both have demonstrated an ability to be effective in a major-league rotation, have ~16 inches of IVB on their heaters (didn't take a closer look than a quick peep on Baseball Savant for Walker Buehler tbh but idk looks close enough), and have taken massive steps backward after finding success. I think injury has a big part to play for both players and given how willing the Dodgers were to still utilize Buehler in key postseason moments tells me they still believe. Especially with Bobby's superior stuff and additional team control, I feel like it may be hard to pry him away. That said, the Dodgers have too many starting pitchers so maybe they should start sharing the wealth a bit amirite

“Don’t cry that it’s over, smile because it happened. Also, let’s find someone way cheaper.” -the Brewers front office, probably. Image courtesy of © Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images While other teams are rolling out the red carpet for Willy Adames, Milwaukee hasn't done much to retain him. Matt Arnold made his typical PR comments of "he has earned the right to explore the market," while Pat Murphy more earnestly said "if he comes back, that means he didn't get the deal he was looking for." Meanwhile, teams like the Phillies and Red Sox have expressed explicit interest. Boston has even discussed moving Rafael Devers off of third base to allow Adames to take over. In other words, the Red Sox are willing to reinvent their entire infield to accommodate Adames, while the Brewers seem barely willing to talk about it. Thus, it seems like a foregone conclusion that he'll be with a new squad in 2025, so let's spend some time pondering some potential replacements for him. Kiké Hernández 393 PA, .229/.281/.373, 85 OPS+, 1.3 rWAR At first glance, there’s not much to write home about from the longtime Dodgers infielder. He has been described as a postseason hero and a “vibes guy”, but statistically, his offensive production was below-average. In fact, it has always been below average, as his career OPS+ is just 92. However, he made a big adjustment in the second half of 2024. Even the statistics-avoidant may have noticed this change. Earlier in the season, he and fellow Puerto Rican Martín Maldonado were having a casual conversation in which Maldonado mentioned he and other White Sox players were getting glasses after poor results from eye tests taken in spring training. Intrigued, Hernández took an eye test of his own and was diagnosed with an astigmatism in his right eye, causing slightly blurred vision. Starting right around the All-Star break, he wore glasses with a prescription lens. The results? He went from a .557 OPS before the break to a .766 OPS thereafter. He carried over this success into the postseason, hitting for a .294 average with an .808 OPS. Aside from the clear improvement in the high-level statistics, his performance against breaking balls took the biggest step forward—more than likely a symptom of his improved eyesight and being able to see pitches more clearly. It remains to be seen how long he can maintain this new version of himself at the plate, but he seems like a good fit for the Brewers. Aside from his newfound hitting prowess, he's got excellent defensive utility and could bounce several infield positions assuming Milwaukee chooses to move Joey Ortiz back to shortstop. At just over 33 years old, he likely wouldn’t sign for more than a few years with team-friendly financial terms, further incentive for the Brewers to pursue him this offseason. Amed Rosario 346 PA, .280/.306/.380, 94 OPS+, -0.1 rWAR Rosario has had a hard time finding his footing recently. Since being traded by the Guardians in 2023, he has been sent to three different teams, and has had two separate stints with the Dodgers. After a productive start to the year with the Rays, he was designated for assignment by the Dodgers and Reds to end the season. But there could still be some value to be found in his profile. First, his numbers with Tampa should hold more weight, given the small sample size of 71 total plate appearances between Cincinnati and Los Angeles. Over 275 plate appearances with the Rays, he posted a .748 OPS (114 OPS+) with a .307 batting average. His on-base percentage was held back by a league-worst 2.6% walk rate, but putting the ball in play is still cool. Just ask Luis Arráez! His quality of contact numbers are below-average and his defensive numbers are rarely good, so what would the Brewers be getting in Rosario? Well, he’s relatively young at just 29 years old, giving them time to work on the characteristics he’s still lacking. The Brewers are much better at fixing arms than bats, but it’s also hard to say how bad Rosario really is. He has had stretches of greatness and is only a few years removed from his four-win season in 2022. He’ll be cheap, so even if he’s signed and disappoints, it wouldn’t lead to any disastrous long-term effects (probably). Hyeseong Kim 567 PA, .326/.383/.458, 26 2B, 4 3B, 11 HR, 75 RBI, 30 SB The most enticing international free agent not named Roki Sasaki is an infielder from the Kiwoom Heroes of the KBO. A defensive whiz who has already won three Gold Glove awards, he’s the only player in league history to win at second base and shortstop. His bat isn’t too shabby either, with a career batting average of .304 over nearly 4,000 KBO plate appearances. The Brewers haven’t been big on signing international free agents from Japan or Korea, but that may be because of the often lofty prices placed on them. He has sufficient experience to be considered a full-fledged professional free agent à la Yoshinobu Yamamoto, but isn’t projected to receive nearly the same amount of money. MLB Trade Rumors is projecting him to sign a three-year, $24 million deal, comfortably within the spending comfort range of Milwaukee if they choose to go after him. As with many Korean players, it can be difficult to assess exactly what you’re getting. Some, like Ji Hwan Bae and Ji-man Choi have struggled to be regular contributors at the big-league level, while others, like Ha Seong Kim (who was Hyeseong Kim's KBO infield comrade), have been exceptional. Scouts have reported Kim as having great speed and defense, qualities the Brewers tend to love as seen in players like Sal Frelick and Blake Perkins. He’s projected to be posted next week, so we’ll see if Milwaukee ends up being one of the seriously interested parties. View full article

Milwaukee has already revived the careers of several declining pitchers. Will he be their next successful reclamation? Image courtesy of © Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images Among several other major roster moves, lefty starter Patrick Sandoval was one of four players non-tendered by the Los Angeles Angels late last week. After he struggled over the past two seasons and received Tommy John surgery in June, it made sense for the team to move on, especially with subsequent acquisitions pointing to a concerted effort to regain respectability in 2025. However, being let go doesn’t mean that he can’t still be a value buy for his next organization. Since becoming a full-time big-leaguer, Sandoval has adjusted his pitch mix to account for some critical weaknesses in his game. Over the past four years, he has largely depended on his changeup and slider, with his fastball and sinker typically combining for about 36% of his pitches. This partition makes sense, given that his non-fastball pitches are actually quite effective, while the numbers on his fastballs are, as the youth might say, “sus.” BA SLG Whiff% K% BB% Four-seam Fastball .342 .514 15.2% 10.9% 14.3% Sinker .279 .380 14.3% 9.2% 12.8% Slider .230 .315 30.8% 24.4% 7.2% Changeup .189 .286 44.6% 36.0% 8.7% His fastballs sit in the low 90s and have neither good movement nor command, making both of these pitches remarkably uncompetitive for a major-league starter. His slider also leaves something to be desired and has been a big reason for his broader statistical regression after a strong 2022 campaign. Hitters combined for an OPS of .515 against his slider from ‘21-’22, but a .694 OPS from ‘23-’24. In fact, his only saving grace could be the changeup. It’s a great pitch but the issue with changeups is that in order to be effective (especially for starting pitchers), they must play off of something. Yankees reliever Tommy Kahnle can attest that all changeups and no fastballs make Jack an inconsistent presence on the mound. So we’ve concluded that Patrick Sandoval has never had even a league-average fastball, throws a declining slider, and only excels at one pitch. So why would the Brewers want him, especially after Tommy John would sideline him until late into 2025? The first reason is that he’ll be cheap. Because he’ll miss so much time from injury, Milwaukee could sign him to a back-loaded two-year deal that would hinge more on his 2026 contributions before he hits free agency in 2027. This, along with a heavier reliance on Robert Gasser, could set up an impending Freddy Peralta trade before his final year of team control in 2026. Second, Sandoval’s profile actually fits in well with the Brewers' existing staff. Milwaukee has excelled with low-velocity pitchers whose stuff seems average at best. They were able to squeeze a 3.14 ERA over 23 starts out of Wade Miley (who could barely top 90 and similarly depended on a changeup/slider combo to get his whiffs) in 2023. Colin Rea, Aaron Civale, and Bryse Wilson are other examples of pitchers with forgettable velocity who managed to find great success in the organization through the magic of friendship—and, sure, ok, the best pitching development program in baseball. Furthermore, the one thing that Sandoval has been able to do consistently is generate soft contact. Through all of his struggles in 2024, he still managed an average exit velocity of just 87.9 mph and a barrel rate of just 5%, numbers in line with his career highs. This pitch-to-contact style would sync up well with the Brewers' defensive prowess, which has been best-in-class over the past few years. Finally, the Brewers could use a left-handed starter. Last year, DL Hall made the most starts of any southpaw on the team with just seven, three more than Dallas Keuchel. The team has performed well without the need of much variety in the handedness department, but with both Cy Young awards being taken home by lefties this year, maybe there’s something to be said about having guys throw from the other end of the rubber. He’s no 2008 trade deadline CC Sabathia, but Patrick Sandoval could still be a diamond in the rough. It would be surprising if there was a significant market for him, and the Brewers are one of the few teams who could salvage what’s left of his major-league prospects. With valuable arms bound to leave in free agency in the near future, don’t undersell the possibility of him holding down the fort in their absence. View full article