Jason Wang

i am a big stick believer

The Airbender could be a big upgrade to the Big Apple bullpen as long as he doesn’t mind the city-slicker life. Image courtesy of © Benny Sieu-Imagn Images Why They Need Him The 2024 season was understandably bittersweet for many Yankees fans. On one hand, the one-two punch of Aaron Judge and Juan Soto in the lineup was the most imposing offensive duo in the league. They also made it to the World Series for the first time since winning it all in 2009, but what seemed like an immensely promising season ended in calamity. While the 4-1 series record made it seem much more one-sided in favor of the Dodgers, both the first and last game of the series were within New York’s grasp before small mistakes became big losses, dashing their hopes of kickstarting a new dynasty. Many believe that the front office should prioritize re-signing Juan Soto in free agency, which is a fair opinion, but putting your eggs in one basket is never good. Even if they succeed in bringing Soto back, the Yankees would benefit from beefing up their pitching staff, specifically in the form of an elite closer. At first glance, it doesn’t seem like New York has much of a reliever problem. The bullpen combined for a 3.58 ERA and was sixth in MLB, but that doesn’t tell the full story of their closer role in 2024. Clay Holmes was outstanding for the first two months of the season, posting a 1.48 ERA over 24 ⅓ innings by June 1st. Then, things started to come apart at the seams for Holmes, especially in July, when he would blow four saves. By the end of the season, he had been demoted and ended the year with 13 blown saves, tying the franchise record for the most in a single season. Clay Holmes is now a free agent. Luke Weaver, who was selected to fill the closer role for the final portion of the season as well as the entirety of the postseason, had his team option for 2025 picked up. This may seem like the issue has been solved, but there isn’t a whole lot of evidence to suggest that Weaver is the closer of the future, especially if the club hopes to maintain their World Series aspirations. Weaver is a career 4.85 ERA pitcher, and despite a successful 2024, it wouldn’t be too surprising if he found himself regressing while placed under higher expectations. Furthermore, the Yankees already saw positive results from working with a changeup-heavy reliever in Tommy Kahnle (who is also now a free agent), so there’s clearly room in that pitching staff for the kind of arsenal Williams possesses. The only difference is that Williams arguably possesses the best version of that arsenal. What They Have to Offer The Yankees farm system isn’t the strongest, but that’s not to say there isn’t value to be found. In fact, MLB Pipeline ranks New York’s prospects just one spot lower (18th) than Milwaukee’s. They have fallen a few spots, with some of their more notable prospects struggling and losing some favor among scouts, but a few other names have risen to take their spots. First and foremost, there is a better chance of Bernie Brewer making 400+ plate appearances at shortstop in 2025 than there is of Jasson Domínguez somehow being involved in this trade. He’s great, and that’s exactly why New York isn’t going to trade him willy-nilly, especially not for a rental reliever. Spencer Jones is the team’s #2-ranked prospect, but he will undoubtedly fall more than a few spots when those rankings are updated. He posted a .789 OPS over 544 plate appearances in Double-A Somerset this season, which isn’t too heinous except that he also struck out 200 times, more than any other Yankees minor-leaguer in history. Formerly one of the most hyped-up prospects in New York’s system, he hasn’t adapted to higher levels of competition the way the team has hoped, and this may be their last chance to get something for him while his stock still has some semblance of its original value. This could be a chance for the Yankees to rid themselves of some dirty laundry while allowing the Brewers to get the best of a distressed asset. Similarly, Roderick Arias was a 2022 international signing believed to be worth even more than his $4 million signing bonus. However, he hasn't made the same splash many had anticipated in the three years since he first donned the figurative pinstripes. In his most recent full season in Single-A Tampa, he posted a run-of-the-mill .728 OPS over 552 plate appearances and has still struggled immensely facing non-fastballs in the zone. With years ahead of him before he’s big-league ready, he seems like another diamond-in-the-rough candidate who won’t provide any direct value for New York while they’re in this narrow window of World Series contention but could add even more middle infield talent to Milwaukee’s farm. Another name that could be packaged is #12-ranked Cade Smith (not to be confused with Cade Smith of Cleveland fame), a righty starter who posted a 3.47 ERA over 85 ⅔ innings in Single-A Tampa and made the jump to High-A Hudson Valley for his last two outings of the season. #17-ranked Zach Messinger is also a right-handed starter who is slightly further along his baseball journey, throwing 150 innings in Double-A Somerset to the tune of a 3.06 ERA. Because their Top 30 prospects are mostly filled with pitchers, the position player talent is understandably thinner, but 1B/C Rafael Flores had a great year, posting a combined .875 OPS across Double-A and High-A with 31 doubles and 21 home runs. The Yankees are close to earning their 28th World Series title. If they manage to marry a top-tier lineup with unhittable pitching, their annual championship aspirations could finally come to pass. It’s hard to know if Williams is the final piece of the puzzle, but with some potentially transformative prospect talent on the line for Milwaukee, this could be a win-win scenario for both teams. View full article

It’s about time to start shopping the team’s star closer to greener pastures. First stop: Kansas City. Image courtesy of © Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images Why They Need Him By all accounts, the Royals exceeded expectations in 2024. After being one of the worst teams in baseball and mustering just 56 wins in 2023, they cobbled together 86 wins. They managed to squeeze into the postseason, overcoming the 91-win Orioles in the Wild Card round before ultimately falling to the Yankees in four games. With the second-largest increase in total attendance year-over-year and a bonafide superstar in the form of Bobby Witt Jr., the club is setting itself up to become perennial playoff contenders for at least the next few years. The biggest change was a major improvement to their pitching staff. In 2023, the team’s combined ERA was 5.17, 28th in MLB. After beefing up the rotation with Seth Lugo, Michael Wacha, and a full season of Cole Ragans, their combined ERA surged to 3.74, eighth in MLB. Now that Wacha has signed a three-year extension and younger pitchers Brady Singer and Alec Marsh have started to take meaningful steps forward, their starters are some of the best in baseball. The bullpen is a totally different story. The Royals had a bullpen ERA of 4.13, 21st in MLB. Notable World Series ring collector Will Smith was signed to a one-year deal to be their primary closer but was terrible, losing the job after posting a 10.61 ERA in his first month as a Royal. He was replaced by James McArthur, who experienced similar consistency issues and finished the season with a 4.92 ERA. The instability at the back of the bullpen would have spelled the end of their season if not for Lucas Erceg, a trade deadline acquisition from the Athletics. Their other relievers are similarly unremarkable, with the exception of John Schreiber, a serviceable bullpen arm with a 3.66 ERA over 51 ⅔ innings. With a dominant closer like Williams, this team could have one of the best pitching staffs in baseball. After all, they aren’t losing any core pieces to free agency, and with a lineup that’s only getting better, patching up the critical weaknesses in the bullpen seems like the highest priority item on their next path to October. What They Have to Offer As is typical of many baseball trades, one team forgoes potential future success for present value. There isn’t a player on the active roster that both the Brewers and the Royals would be willing to part with, so it makes sense to look to the farm system instead for a preliminary return package for Williams. The Royals have two MLB Top 100 prospects: 1B Jac Caglianone (#17) and C Blake Mitchell (#51). Both are enticing names but are far from making the big leagues, with their anticipated debuts set for 2026 and 2027, respectively. Additionally, trading a top 100 prospect with full team control for one year of a reliever may not be prudent for the Royals. A closer look at the Royals' top prospects shows a wealth of pitching talent. The Brewers have a respectable arm barn of their own but are notably lacking lefties. Of their 12 pitchers in the top 30, Robert Gasser is the only left-handed hurler. David Shields is an intriguing option if the Brewers want to pursue a younger prospect with a high upside and a lower guarantee. Scouts describe him as having a plus-fastball and slider with excellent athleticism and strong command for a 2024 draft pick. He likely won't be parted with, but Frank Mozzicato (3.45 ERA, 22 starts in High-A) and Noah Cameron (2.32 ERA, nine starts in Triple-A) are other lefty options with strong characteristics that are closer to debuting and likely more expendable. Position player-wise, the Brewers' major-league squad and farm system are well-rounded. Still, there could be some opportunity for depth on the left side of the infield, especially with Willy Adames potentially leaving in free agency. Milwaukee does have Cooper Pratt, and Jesus Made coming down the pike, but in the interim, Nick Loftin posted good enough numbers in Triple-A Omaha to get some major-league playing time last year and could fill the gap. Other high-performing hitters that could add more general depth are outfielder Drew Waters and first baseman Brett Squires. There’s a lot to like about the Royals as a trade partner. They’re close enough to a deep playoff run to be willing to pay a higher price for someone like Williams. Other teams still quite a few pieces away from being contenders will prioritize longer-term options, whereas one year of Williams could make a big difference for Kansas City. He likely won’t come cheap, but it’s up to the Brewers to ensure he doesn’t walk for any less than he’s worth. View full article

what if we got brandon drury instead he seems pretty good(ignore the -2.0 WAR and the other really bad numbers I think they are all typos)

You might have known the team’s defense was good, but did you know it was this good? Image courtesy of © Katie Stratman-Imagn Images In addition to being hot stove time, it’s officially award season. Most awards, such as the Cy Young and MVP, will be announced in the coming weeks, but the Gold Glove Award winners have already been named. In addition to the two individual Brewers who received recognition with their trophies, the Brewers also won the National League Team Gold Glove for the second year in a row. Based on the numbers, this result is unsurprising. The Brewers had a combined total of 64 Defensive Runs, most of which came from second base (23), center field (18), and right field (25). They also had well-rounded contributions across the board, with just shortstop and left field lagging behind the league average. The only real competition in the National League was the Dodgers, who had two more DRS than Milwaukee. It can be assumed that the Brewers ultimately took the top spot since they had more positions of excellence. At the same time, the Dodgers were more average, having fewer positions below league average but peaking at 14 DRS from right field. The next closest NL team was the Cubs with 37 DRS, a far cry from the top of the standings. Another figure illustrating the importance of these fielding contributions for the Brewers is the big difference between their ERA and FIP. With a team ERA of 3.65 and a team FIP of 4.20, the Brewers had the largest negative difference between the two numbers of any team in 2024. While this may not have been the result of solid defense, it contributed to the final result and allowed the pitching staff to excel beyond their intrinsic numbers. On an individual level, Brice Turang was also named the National League’s Platinum Glove award winner. He led all infielders in DRS at 22 all NL players with 2.8 dWAR. It caps off what has been a great sophomore campaign for the middle infielder. Because he isn’t eligible for arbitration until 2026, he’ll continue to be a total bargain for the organization. Other players who had strong DRS figures this year were Joey Ortiz at third base (8), Blake Perkins (8) in center field, Sal Frelick in right field (16), and Jackson Chourio in multiple outfield positions (12). Another interesting nugget was Garrett Mitchell’s total of six DRS in center field, impressive considering he played just over 300 innings at the position, one-third of the time spent by other top defenders. With an excess of defensive talent, is this an area of depth from which the Brewers can leverage trade assets? Perhaps, but depending on how much emphasis the front office places on maintaining their defensive prowess, they may keep their best pieces around for the long haul. View full article

With the offseason now in full swing, Milwaukee hasn’t wasted any time in clearing out several roster spots. Image courtesy of © Michael McLoone-Imagn Images The allure of any winter is seeing what new faces will wear Brewer blue on the next Opening Day. To do so, room has to be made for these new faces, often done through trades and declining and club or mutual options. The biggest recent move made was to place Colin Rea on waivers. He had a $5.5 million team option for 2025 with a $1 million buyout, an affordable contract for a starter who has thrown nearly 300 innings over the past two seasons for the club. This decision may have been driven by the 8.31 ERA he had in the final month of the season, a performance that was poor enough to omit him from the postseason roster entirely. Despite his imperfections, Rea filled a crucial role for the team with the litany of starting pitcher injuries that devastated the Brewers’ rotation. Unfortunately, it seems that the return of big arms like Brandon Woodruff and a potential acquisition of another starter has pushed him out of the picture. The team’s decision to pass on Wade Miley’s mutual option was a similar yet less surprising move. Mutual options are rarely exercised because if a player has played poorly and is incentivized to exercise their end of the deal, teams are rarely as enthusiastic. On the other hand, if players have exceeded their mutual option value, front offices are more than willing to keep them around, but the player would likely want to seek more value in the open market. Miley fit the first case, pitching just seven innings in 2024 before being sidelined by injury. He would have cost the team an exorbitant $12 million against a $1.5 million buyout, a price tag far too hefty for a pitcher with a K/9 of 5.7 and FIP of 4.80 over his tenure with the team. Gary Sánchez also had his $11 million mutual option turned down in exchange for a $4 million buyout. He had some great moments with the Brewers, but with an OPS+ of 93 over 280 plate appearances and the offensive surge of Eric Haase, there wasn’t much of a reason to keep him around. He was also unremarkable defensively and spent most of the season as a designated hitter, which makes his case even less compelling. Finally, Milwaukee traded Owen Miller to the Rockies for cash considerations. He had been an interesting plug-and-play utility guy over the past two years but couldn’t hit well at the major league level. His bat was serviceable during his two seasons with the Nashville Sounds, slashing .278/.350/.411 over 497 plate appearances, but he could never carry that success forward. With Rhys Hoskins picking up his player option and the other parts of the infield showing great upside, Miller’s hopes of finding long-term playing time with the Brewers were slim to none. So what’s next? The biggest roster gap seems to be the rotation, especially with two of their starters all but gone and Frankie Montas’s $20 million mutual option likely to get declined. Brandon Woodruff will be back next year, and Freddy Peralta’s $8 million club option was exercised, but the team would still need one or two arms at the back of the rotation, especially if Woodruff needs time to ramp back up. Acquisition-wise, much of this depends on whether the front office will make a concerted effort to retain Willy Adames in his free agency. If they decide to make a big offer to keep him around, payroll for the rest of the team will have to adjust accordingly. If not, they have more budget bandwidth to spend on whatever they’d like, probably a new shortstop or third baseman if Joey Ortiz returns to his old position. It’s still extremely early, so don’t expect any signing activity to occur in a few weeks. Speculation and rumors will fill the winter air like the smell of eggnog and baked cookies, but it would be surprising if any major deals are actually finalized before December. For now, sit back and enjoy the big market teams fighting over the future of Juan Soto and other marquee names Milwaukee will say they can't afford. View full article

Though the Brewers have some of the best pitching talent in the sport, their delegation of pitching prospects have had a rough start after three weeks of play in the Arizona Fall League. Image courtesy of © Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports Game Results Monday, 10/21 | None Tuesday, 10/22 | Glendale 8, Peoria 1 Wednesday, 10/23 | Peoria 11, Scottsdale 10 Thursday, 10/24 | Peoria 5, Surprise 8 Friday, 10/25 | Mesa 14, Peoria 10 Saturday, 10/26 | Salt River 6, Peoria 7 3B Brock Wilken Week: 4 G, 18 PA, 2 H, 2 R, 3 RBI, 3 BB, 6 K Wilken still hasn’t found his footing in Arizona. After his third week of play, he’s slashing .130/.236/.261 over 55 plate appearances, while striking out 17 times. It’s hard to determine how much stock to put into his rate stats given such a small sample size, but this subpar offensive offense may be part of a larger trend that saw him post just a .477 OPS in the final two months with Double-A Biloxi. For now, he’s whiffing far too much in the zone. He has a low chase rate of just 10.0%, but is really struggling against breaking balls, swinging and missing 40% of the time on them. His only six hits for the Javelinas so far are against fastballs, a big weakness opposing pitchers seem to be exploiting. OF Luis Lara Week: 4 G, 18 PA, 2 H, 1 2B, 4 R, 1 RBI, 6 BB, 2 K, 3 SB Lara was a tough out this past week, notching an on-base percentage of .444 despite having just two hits. In fact, the only game in which he didn’t get on base was Thursday’s battle against the Saguaros. He also collected his second double of the season and leveraged his on-base abilities to score four runs, second to only Andrew Pintar for the week. His plus speed was also on full display, as he took the second spot on the team for total stolen bases behind Colt Emerson (6). INF Juan Baez Week: 3 G, 14 PA, 2 H, 1 HR, 2 R, 4 RBI, 5 BB, 4 K, 1 SB Báez slowed down a bit at the plate, but still had an on-base percentage of .500 across his three outings. Despite having just two hits, he still leads the Javelinas in batting average (.424), on-base percentage (.537), and walks (8). Baez didn’t see any playing time in the first or last game of the week, which may have limited his ability to cobble together more counting stats, but more rest could also be the right course of action to maintain his current performance. His first three weeks have been a refreshing change of pace from his lukewarm season in Single-A Carolina—one that saw him achieve just a .693 OPS across 356 plate appearances. RHP Coleman Crow Week: 1 G, 2.1 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 0 BB, 3 K Crow likely didn’t have the week that he wanted. He started his lone outing against the Desert Dogs by giving up three consecutive hits. In his second inning of work, he gave up two more singles and a triple to Tyler Callihan before netting two more outs and departing the mound. Crow threw 43 pitches, 33 of which were strikes. Opponents' six hits were all against pitches that were placed right in the heart of the zone, pointing to a need to expand the zone just a little more, given his fairly tepid stuff. RHP Ryan Birchard Week: Did not pitch RHP Will Childers Week: 1 G, 1 ⅓ IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K Childers pitched in Friday’s loss to the Solar Sox. After being ahead of his first batter 0-2, he gave up a home run before getting the next batter out in two pitches. His command seemed a little shaky, with quite a few pitches left in hitter-friendly parts of the strike zone. Even the two flyouts could’ve spelled trouble if they had been hit just a little harder. LHP Mark Manfredi Week: 1 G, 0 IP, 0 H, 1 ER, 4 BB, 0 K Manfredi had an, uh, interesting statline, ending up with the rare zero hits in zero innings pitched. He entered Thursday’s game against the Saguaros in the bottom of the sixth inning, in a bit of jam. The bases were loaded, the Saguaros were up by one run, and the Javelinas needed just one out to escape. He walked his first batter, threw a wild pitch to allow another run to score, walked his second batter to reload the bases, balked in a run, walked another batter to reload the bases, then walked in another run. Of his 23 total pitches, just seven were strikes. The Saguaros managed to score four runs with Manfredi on the mound and put the game out of reach for Peoria. It has been a consistent issue so far this season. Over 20 batters faced with the Javelinas, he has walked six and struck out just three. Opposing hitters have a .650 on-base percentage, so there are definitely some kinks to iron out moving forward. RHP Nick Merkel Week: 1 G, 2 ⅓ IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 2 K Merkel made one appearance in Wednesday’s win against the Scorpions, being the first arm out of the bullpen after starter Patrick Monteverde needed 66 pitches to pitch just under three innings. Merkel pitched well through his first handful of batters faced, avoiding any real damage and never seeing any major trouble. In the bottom of the fifth inning, he gave up a two-run homer and completed the inning before leaving the game. Merkel’s time as a Javelina has reflected his performance in the week. His strikeout rate of 26.9% is good, his walk rate of 7.7% is solid, and his opposing slugging percentage of .708 is unsustainable. Across 26 batters faced, he has already given up three home runs, but that's probably fluky to some extent. His xFIP of 3.72 is a far cry from his ERA of 6.35 and FIP of 8.65, but there’s definitely some upside in his game. View full article

Anyone can throw a baseball, including your uncle at every 4th of July barbecue, but these Brewers prospects threw the baseball exceptionally well during this year's minor league season. Brewer Fanatic ’s minor-league writers voted for the awards and for an all-star team of Milwaukee's prospects. This isn’t a list of "Top Prospect" list but instead, a showcase of which pitchers in the team's system had strong showings in 2024. Each writer chose five starting pitchers, a right-handed reliever, a left-handed reliever, and two more bullpen arms to round out the bunch. Before we get to the All Star pitchers, here are our 2024 Brewer Fanatic Award winners (and links to the articles to see who else received votes). Short-Season Hitter of the Year: Jesus Made Short-Season Pitcher of the Year: Dariel Jacquez Minor League Hitter of the Year: Mike Boeve Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Year: KC Hunt Minor League Relief Pitcher of the Year: Craig Yoho Brewers Minor League All-Star Hitters Disagree with the votes? Let us know in the comments below! Starting Pitchers RHP K.C. Hunt (24) - Carolina Mudcats/Wisconsin Timber Rattlers/Biloxi Shuckers Acquired: Minor-league free agent signed in July 2023 2024 Stats: 25 G, 14 GS, 8-3, 102 IP, 2.03 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, 12.3 K/9, 2.2 BB/9, K.C., short for Kyle Clemente, was named after Roberto Clemente but couldn’t be further from his namesake. He was drafted by the Pirates in 2022 but didn’t sign, went undrafted in 2023, then signed a minor-league deal with Milwaukee and had his first full professional season in 2024. No one expected him to rocket his way through the first three levels of the minor leagues without much of a sweat, finishing the year in Double-A Biloxi with a 2.20 ERA over six starts. He was so good, he was named Milwaukee’s Minor League Co-Pitcher of the Year along with Craig Yoho. More importantly, he earned the even more esteemed title of Brewer Fanatic Starting Pitcher of the Year. He had a 34.7% strikeout rate and a 37.5% whiff rate, video game numbers for any starter let alone a 24-year old professional rookie. He held opposing hitters to a .189 batting average and .520 OPS, neutralizing any offense that stood in front of him. Expect Hunt to continue his path of greatness in Triple-A Nashville next year and potentially see some action in the big leagues. At just 24, he’s still got plenty of time to make a big impact for the Brewers even if he doesn’t make his debut in 2025. RHP Chad Patrick (26) - Nashville Sounds Acquired: Traded from Oakland in November 2023 in exchange for Abraham Toro 2024 Stats: 26 G, 24 GS, 14-1, 136 ⅓ IP, 2.90 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 9.6 K/9, 2.6 BB/9 I miss Abraham Toro just as much as anyone else. The 21 plate appearances he had with the Brewers had me glued to my seat the entire time and as one of the Brewers of all time, it was sad to see him traded away. However, I knew that for a player of his caliber, the team would get back someone pretty nifty. Chad Patrick has indeed been pretty nifty. After pitching to a 4.91 ERA in his first four starts of the season, he locked in and never looked back. He led the Sounds in wins, innings pitched and strikeouts (145) while leading all Triple-A starters in WHIP and OBP allowed (.279). Hitters struggled against his five-pitch arsenal consisting of a four-seam fastball, sinker cutter, slider, and changeup. He had a cumulative whiff rate of 29.2% and an incredible 41.8% whiff rate on his slider. RHP Logan Henderson (22) - Wisconsin Timber Rattlers/Biloxi Shuckers/Nashville Sounds Acquired: Brewers 4th round draft pick in 2021 out of McLennan CC (TX) 2024 Stats: 19 G, 19 GS, 7-6, 81 ⅓ IP, 3.32 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, 11.5 K/9, 1.7 BB/9 After spending the first two years of his professional career in Single-A Carolina, Henderson shot up through three levels of the minor leagues in 2024. After a very brief two-game stint in High-A Wisconsin, he made nine starts for Double-A Biloxi and then six starts for Triple-A Nashville. He struggled a little with the Sounds, managing just a 4.56 ERA but his 9.9 K/9 was in line with the exceptional strikeout rate he had maintained with the Shuckers. He was the fourth-youngest member of the Sounds this year and has plenty of time to continue developing as a starting pitcher. He’s made big strides each year since being drafted and will likely continue the trend in 2025. RHP Shane Smith (24) - Biloxi Shuckers/Nashville Sounds Acquired: Undrafted free agent signed in July 2021 out of Wake Forest University 2024 Stats: 32 G, 16 GS, 6-3, 94 ⅓ IP, 3.05 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 10.8 K/9, 2.8 BB/9 Smith had a relatively brief career with Wake Forest before signing a minor-league contract with the Brewers in 2022. Because he made just two starts in college, he spent all of 2023 coming out of the bullpen for Single-A Carolina and High-A Wisconsin. 2024 was his first full year as a starter and he rose to the occasion with Double-A Biloxi, even managing to make a handful of relief appearances in Triple-A Nashville. Overall, he held opposing batters to a .579 OPS while striking out 29.6% of opposing batters. He has done a great job of handling the transition from bullpen arm to starting pitcher and could be an integral part of the Sounds’ rotation next year. RHP Jacob Misiorowski (22) - Biloxi Shuckers/Nashville Sounds Acquired: Brewers 2nd round draft pick in 2022 out of Crowder College (MO) 2024 Stats: 33 G, 21 GS, 3-5, 97 ⅓ IP, 3.33 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 11.7 K/9, 5.5 BB/9 As the top-ranked pitching prospect and third-ranked prospect overall in the Brewers system, all eyes are on Misiorowski as he grows closer to approaching the big leagues with each passing day. He spent the majority of his season with the Shuckers but made two starts and 12 relief appearances with the Sounds, pitching to a 2.55 ERA over 17 2/3 innings. You’re likely already familiar with his player profile: 6’7” frame with gross stuff, a 70-grade fastball that tops out at 100 mph, and off-the-charts strikeout numbers. While his K/9 is yet to dip below 11 for any professional season, his walk rate continues to be a major issue. Despite his opposing batting average of just .167, his walk rate of 14.4% has kept his WHIP high. If he can improve his command, the sky’s the limit for the young but incredibly tall man. Bullpen Right-Handed Relief Pitcher: Craig Yoho (24) - Wisconsin Timber Rattlers/Biloxi Shuckers/Nashville Sounds Acquired: Brewers 8th round draft pick in 2023 out of Indiana University (Go Hoosiers!) 2024 Stats: 48 G, 4-2, 57 ⅔ IP, 0.94 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, 15.8 K/9, 3.6 BB/9, 10 S Yoho’s rise to the top has been quite the spectacle. In his first full season of professional baseball, his numbers were simply unfathomable, especially when considering the equal time he spent across three levels of the minor leagues. He never saw significant regression, was consistently outstanding, and was a marvel to witness. He led all of the minor leagues with a 42% strikeout rate (is that even allowed?) and kept opposing batters to a .190 slugging percentage all year. Is this guy the Brewers’ closer of the future? I’m not sure since we only have a sample size of a year but holy cow, was it a great year. Left-Handed Relief Pitcher: Brian Fitzpatrick (24) - Wisconsin Timber Rattlers Acquired: Brewers 10th round pick in 2022 out of Rutgers University 2024 Stats: 20 G, 7 GS, 5-2, 70 ⅓ IP, 2.69 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 9.7 K/9, 2.9 BB/9, 1 S Like Yoho, Fitzpatrick was picked later in the draft than most superstar talent but still managed to stand out with a great 2024. He didn’t do quite as much moving as Yoho and probably got away with just leasing one apartment, but his tenure with the Timber Rattlers was productive. He started the season as a sort of long reliever before making a few lengthy starts of his own, finishing the year with a six-inning shutout performance against the Peoria Chiefs. He ended the year with a strikeout rate of 26.2% while walking just 7.9% of batters faced. Relief Pitcher: Kevin Herget (33) - Nashville Sounds Acquired: Minor-league free agent in February 2024 2024 Stats: 38 G, 5-1, 47 ⅔ IP, 2.27 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, 2.1 BB/9, 11.1 K/9, 4 S Drafted by the Cardinals when I was finishing up eighth grade all the way back in 2013, Herget has had quite a long minor league career. After being designated for assignment by the Reds at the end of 2023, he signed up to play his 11th season in the minors in the Brewers system. He pitched admirably as a Sound and even saw some time with the major-league club, tossing 11 1/3 innings to a 1.59 ERA. He struck out 32.4% of his minor-league opposition while walking just 6.0% of them. While his 2.27 ERA was already impressive, his 2.07 FIP was somehow even more impressive. Relief Pitcher: Sam Gardner (27) - Biloxi Shuckers Acquired: Undrafted free agent signed in May 2023 out of the Frontier League 2024 Stats: 22 G, 2-2, 34 ⅔ IP, 2.34 ERA, 0.87 WHIP, 3.1 BB/9, 12.5 K/9 Yet another unlikely story, Gardner spent two somewhat lackluster seasons with the Gateway Grizzlies in the Frontier League before being signed to a minor league deal with the Brewers. He pitched well in 2023, posting a 2.22 ERA over 44 2/3 innings in High-A Wisconsin, earning a promotion to Double-A Biloxi in 2024 where he kept up the good work. While he was a starting pitcher in college and for the first portion of his independent league career, he was gradually moved to the bullpen and the lower workload has done wonders for him, notably causing a spike in his strikeout rate. Since moving to a full-time reliever, his K/9 is yet to fall below 11 and he punched out 37.2% of batters faced. Like Herget, his ERA was already great but his FIP of 1.82 was even better. The path forward will be a tough one for Gardner as he’s already 27 years old but don’t rule out an eventual big league debut just yet. Congratulations to our 2024 Brewer Fanatic Minor League All Stars! View full article

Who shined the brightest in a farm system full of future stars? Brewer Fanatic’s minor-league writers voted for the awards and for an all-star team of Brewers prospects. This isn’t a "Top Prospect" ranking or list by any means, but instead a way to highlight which players in the Brewers system had the best seasons at each position. Each writer chose a catcher, first baseman, second baseman, third baseman, shortstop, three outfielders, a DH and a utility player. Tomorrow, we’ll finalize the All-Star team with the pitchers. Before we get to the All Stars, here are our 2024 Brewer Fanatic Award winners (and links to the articles to see who else received votes). Short-Season Hitter of the Year: Jesus Made Short-Season Pitcher of the Year: Dariel Jacquez Minor League Hitter of the Year: Mike Boeve Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Year: KC Hunt Minor League Relief Pitcher of the Year: Craig Yoho Catcher: Francisco Mejía (28) - Nashville Sounds Acquired: Minor-league free agent signing on April 5, 2024 2024 Stats: 376 PA, .274/.348/.428, 14 2B, 2 3B, 11 HR, 55 RBI, 1 SB After spending some time in the majors with the Guardians, Padres, and Rays organizations, the Brewers became his fourth team after he signed a minor league deal early in the season. He was a fairly impactful bat, posting a .776 OPS over nearly 400 plate appearances. His K/BB of 1.71 was among the best of Sounds players with >350 plate appearances, placing him behind just Isaac Collins and Tyler Black, both of whom saw time in the big leagues this year. He excelled against breaking balls, slugging .568 against them and was similarly effective against four-seam fastballs. He struggled immensely with sinkers and off-speed pitches, mustering just a combined .534 OPS against them. First Base: Ernesto Martinez (25) - Biloxi Shuckers Acquired: International free agent signing out of Cuba on May 27, 2017 2024 Stats: 457 PA, .284/.365/.466, 30 2B, 2 3B, 13 HR, 62 RBI, 20 SB Martinez has been in the Brewers minor league systems since he signed with the organization all the way back in 2017. He spent all of 2024 with Double-A Biloxi and may have had his best full season yet. He saw the most action of any year in his professional career thus far and made big strides throughout the season, slashing a very impressive .349/.443/.558 with 1.22 K/BB after July 1st. He also reached the 20 stolen base mark for the second time in his career. A big reason for this second-half bump may have been his struggles against left-handed pitching. Prior to July 1st, he managed just a .500 OPS against southpaws. From July 1st onwards, 170 of his 201 total plate appearances were against right-handed pitching. However, it should be noted that in the 31 plate appearances against lefties, he did post a .880 OPS. Second Base: Jadher Areinamo (20) - Wisconsin Timber Rattlers Acquired: International free agent signing out of Venezuela on January 15, 2021 2024 Stats: 467 PA, .301/.349/.442, 30 2B, 10 HR, 68 RBI, 32 SB Areinamo had a strong showing and justified his position as the 24th-ranked prospect in the Brewers system. A utility infielder that split time between three positions, his year with High-A Wisconsin was a productive one and probably justifies a move to the next level in 2025. He led the team in doubles and RBI while stealing the third-most bases on the team. The stolen base figure is particularly interesting when acknowledging that scouts gave him just a 30-grade run tool, although they did highlight his lack of speed is made up for by smart decision-making. Similar to Ernesto Martinez, he was much better against right-handed pitching than he was against lefties, particularly when it came to hitting for power. He slugged .515 against righties and just .270 against lefties but kept the strikeout rate around 11% against both left- and right-handed pitchers. Third Base: Luke Adams (20) - Wisconsin Timber Rattlers Acquired: 12th round draft pick in 2022 out of Hinsdale Central High School (IL) 2024 Stats: 418 PA, .227/.443/.397, 15 2B, 1 3B, 11 HR, 56 RBI, 28 SB Adams has exceeded expectations as a late round draft pick out of high school. He has been excellent in all levels of the minor leagues so far and took over as the 9th-ranked prospect in Milwaukee’s system. He led the Timber Rattlers in on-base percentage (>60 PA) with an absurd walk rate of 18.7% which helped him become a stolen base threat, nearly matching his 2023 single-season record of 30 stolen bases. At just 20 years old, there’s plenty of upside and with a possible hot corner opening at the big league level, Luke Adams could be getting called up sooner rather than later. Shortstop: Cooper Pratt (20) - Carolina Mudcats/Wisconsin Timber Rattlers Acquired: 6th round draft pick in 2023 out of Magnolia Heights HS (MS) 2024 Stats: 406 PA, .277/.362/.406, 15 2B, 3 3B, 8 HR, 45 RBI, 27 SB As the 2nd-ranked prospect with the Brewers and the 62nd-ranked prospect overall, Cooper Pratt has some lofty expectations. He lived up to these expectations and was good enough with Low-A Carolina to prompt a promotion to High-A Wisconsin in his first full year of professional baseball. In addition to having a well-rounded prospect profile, he dominated lefty pitching this year, posting a 1.039 OPS against southpaw pitchers with a very respectable .636 slugging percentage. He had some difficulties when jumping up to High-A, notably having an on-base percentage of just .258, but he managed to hit five home runs in the span of just 95 plate appearances, giving fans a taste of his power potential at the plate. Outfielder: Isaac Collins (27) - Nashville Sounds Acquired: Minor-league Rule 5 Draft pick from Rockies in December 2022 2024 Stats: 500 PA, .273/.386/.475, 28 2B, 7 3B, 14 HR, 76 RBI, 24 SB In his second year as a Milwaukee farmhand, Collins continued the momentum he started last year, posting a .861 OPS while playing every day with the Sounds and even earning a cup of coffee with the major league team. In addition to leading the team in hits with 114, he had an exceptional 14.2% walk rate and a 1.35 K/BB while still hitting for great power. He also led the team in doubles, triples, and RBI. His bread and butter was battering four-seam fastballs and cutters but had difficulties hitting sinkers for any sort of power, slugging .231 against them. If the conditions are just right, Collins could find a longer-term position at the big-league level, but it may be tough with all of the talent ahead of him on the outfield depth chart. Outfielder: Brewer Hicklen (27) - Nashville Sounds Acquired: Minor-league free agent signing in November 2023 2024 Stats: 499 PA, .246/.363/.470, 17 2B, 5 3B, 22 HR, 72 RBI, 44 SB Not only does he have the best name out of all of his fellow prospects, Hicklen is also pretty good at baseball. He led the Sounds in homers, runs (78), and stolen bases. A genuine power-speed threat, he was good enough to get major league plate appearances for the first time since 2022. He was great at hitting breaking balls, posting a .975 OPS against them but was less effective against offspeed and sinkers. His extremely brief time with the Brewers was forgettable, striking out in four of his five at-bats but it’s hard to draw any useful insights from such a small sample size. Outfielder: Carlos Rodriguez (23) - Biloxi Shuckers/Nashville Sounds Acquired: International free agent signing from Venezuela in July 2017 2024 Stats: 500 PA, .284/.368/.374, 15 2B, 6 3B, 4 HR, 52 RBI, 17 SB Sometimes confused with Carlos F. Rodriguez who is a top-ranked pitching prospect for Milwaukee, Carlos D. Rodriguez deserves some shine as well. He spent most of his season with Double-A Biloxi but played well enough to earn a promotion to Triple-A Nashville where he had 128 plate appearances. He didn’t quite have enough time to find his footing at the highest level of the minor leagues but as a 23 years old, he’s got a few years left before that becomes a major concern. He was great against fastballs of all types but couldn’t hit breaking balls or off-speed pitches to save his life, posting a combined .413 OPS against non-fastball pitches. It’ll have to be an area of focus in his future if he wants to make it to the major leagues. Designated Hitter: Mike Boeve (22) - Wisconsin Timber Rattlers/Biloxi Shuckers Acquired: Brewers 2nd round draft pick in 2023 from the University of Nebraska 2024 Stats: 342 PA, .338/.415/.471, 15 2B, 3 3B, 6 HR, 36 RBI, 2 SB The 12th-ranked prospect bullied opposing pitchers for just 13 games in High-A before being sent to the Shuckers where he continued his torrid rampage at the plate. He struck out just 15.8% of the time while having a 11.7% walk rate. He had similar numbers against both lefties and righties and was overall a pretty tough out. Unfortunately for Boeve, and fortunately for his opponents, he was sent to the injured list with an undisclosed injury in August, ending his season a month short. It was the second time he had been on the IL, the first time causing him to miss all of July. Don’t fret, we’ll likely see more of Boeve’s menacing bat in 2025, probably with the Shuckers and perhaps with the Sounds and beyond. Utility Player: Tyler Black (24) - Nashville Sounds Acquired: Brewers Competitive Balance pick in 2021 from Wright State 2024 Stats: 462 PA, .258/.375/.429, 14 2B, 5 3B, 14 HR, 67 RBI, 20 SB Black entered the season as the 5th-ranked prospect in the system and managed to make his major league debut, accumulating 57 plate appearances with the Brewers before returning to the Sounds to finish his year. A glimmering gem of consistency, he had even numbers against lefties and righties, had a respectable K/BB of 1.43, and pummeled breaking balls and off-speed pitches. He was often beat with sinkers and cutters but that's something he has all offseason to work on. There you have it, our 2024 Brewer Fanatic Brewers Minor League All Star Hitters. Do you agree? Who might you switch around or change out? Discuss below. View full article

It was a rough week for the Javelinas, netting just one close win while suffering several brutal blowouts. Nonetheless, there were some highlights for the Brew Crew’s prospects--and that's what this league is really about. Image courtesy of © Dan Powers/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin / USA TODAY NETWORK Game Results Monday, 10/14 | Glendale 5, Peoria 3 Tuesday, 10/15 | Glendale 19, Peoria 9 Wednesday, 10/16 | Peoria 7, Mesa 8 Thursday, 10/17 | Scottsdale 11, Peoria 6 Friday, 10/18 | Peoria 4, Salt River 14 Saturday, 10/19 | Mesa 4, Peoria 5 3B Brock Wilken Week: 4 G, 19 PA, 1 H, 1 HR, 1 R, 1 RBI, 4 BB, 6 K Following last week’s slow start to the short season, Wilken continued to struggle, with a home run being his only hit for this week. On the bright side, he managed to walk four times to bring his on-base percentage to .263 for the week. We've seen too much swing-and-miss (over 35% of his swings) but not much chase outside the zone, and he's deserved better outcomes than he's gotten when making contact. In a limited sample of Statcast-included games, he had one flyout this week that jumped off his bat at 102.6 miles per hour and a launch angle of 32 degrees. The power in the bat is clearly there, but scouts have known that for a while now. Can Wilken increase his average and on-base percentage enough to maximize the use of that power? We’ll find out over the next few weeks. OF Luis Lara Week: 5 G, 20 PA, 5 H, 1 2B, 1 HR, 3 R, 2 RBI, 3 K, 1 HBP Lara saw more time playing this week, starting in all five games. He was also consistent, getting on base at least once in each game in which he appeared. He managed to hit his first home run of the Arizona Fall League to help lead the Javelinas to their only win against the Mesa Solar Sox on Saturday. In general, he did a better job of elevating the ball this week, after showing the ability to hit it hard but mostly on the ground in Week 1. Of 13 batted balls tracked for public consumption, Lara has had three over 102 MPH and none under 83. That's a bit surprising and more than a bit encouraging, from a player who won't turn 20 until next month and whose size is one of the biggest reasons to doubt his long-term upside. Nor is he selling out for power; he's made contact on over 75% of his swings in this stint. Interestingly, Lara has had no walks in his 32 plate appearances. It’s a small sample size, but it’s something to keep an eye on as the season progresses. He'll have to make good swing decisions to keep tapping into this kind of quality contact against more advanced pitchers next year. INF Juan Baez Week: 4 G, 15 PA, 5 H, 1 HR, 5 R, 3 RBI, 3 BB, 3 K, 1 SB Baez saw more playing time after his standout first week, and while he wasn’t as close to hitting for the cycle, he still hit well, notably scoring five runs. He also walked as much as he struck out, and currently has a .556 OBP over his first 27 plate appearances with the Javelinas. As young and raw as he is, the feel for contact is undeniable. RHP Coleman Crow Week: 1 G, 2 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K Crow pitched two innings, starting Wednesday’s game against the Solar Sox. He didn’t run into a ton of trouble and the only runner that reached scoring position got there by walking and then advancing on a balk. Overall, he threw 34 pitches, 23 of which were strikes. The stuff is still not jumping out at you, though, and the looming Rule 5 decision on him looks tough right now. RHP Ryan Birchard Week: 1 G, 2 ⅓ IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 5 BB, 5 K Birchard got the start in the final game of the week and was a little all-over-the-place. In the first inning, he conceded three walks, threw a wild pitch, and gave up a hit before finally getting the third out. He had a more straightforward second inning, giving up a double and a walk but managing to prevent any further scoring. By the time he had given up his fifth in the third inning, he had already thrown 63 pitches, only 34 of which were strikes. That said, we got Statcast data on this outing--and it's as exciting as his wildness is discouraging. His fastball sat 94, in the extremely low-adrenaline environment of the AFL, and its carry is Tobias Myers-like. He comes from an extreme, deceptive over-the-top slot, with depth on a curve, a lot of movement on a sweeper, and a power slider/cutter that fits in between the other three pitches. Everything is going to come down to whether this guy can throw strikes. RHP Will Childers Week: 2 G, 2 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 3 K Childers was lights-out in two games, getting most of his work done in the final game against the Solar Sox. He earned the final out of Thursday’s 11-6 loss to the Scorpions with just one pitch but got a chance for more work on Saturday. He relieved Birchard after his shaky outing and was efficient, throwing 30 pitches and striking out three. He also had a few walks, but unlike Birchard, none of his baserunners led to anything meaningful for the Solar Sox. His fastball sat 95 and touched 97, and his slider plays off it nicely, so it all comes down to his execution and command. LHP Mark Manfredi Week: 2 G, 1 ⅓ IP, 5 H, 5 ER, 1 BB, 2 K Manfredi had a tough start to his week. He gave up five earned runs in one inning of work against the Desert Dogs and may have been responsible for putting the game out of reach for his team. He entered the game in the seventh inning, at which point the Javelinas were down by just two runs. After a two-run home run by Otto Kemp, Manfredi closed out the inning with a lineout. Unfortunately, things quickly fell apart in the eighth. After back-to-back singles to lead things off, a three-run homer by Colson Montgomery put the Desert Dogs up 12-8. Manfredi then walked a batter and hit the next one, leading to his replacement without recording a single out in the eighth inning. He finished the week strong, coming in to earn the final out of the team’s sole win with a strikeout on five pitches. RHP Nick Merkel Week: 1 G, 1 ⅓ IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 2 K Merkel entered Wednesday’s close loss to the Solar Sox to get the final out of the sixth inning and stretch his outing into the seventh. He was on the wrong end of two solo home runs and a double, resulting in him being officially charged with the loss. On the bright side, he seemed aggressive in the zone, throwing 19 strikes out of 27 total pitches, but it may have been the reason for all of the loud contact. View full article

what if we moved the twins to las vegas

Eight Milwaukee prospects will get a chance to play some extra-credit baseball with the Peoria Javelinas this year: three position players and five pitchers. Image courtesy of © Dan Powers/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images Game Results Monday, 10/7 | None Tuesday, 10/8 | Peoria 13, Glendale 15 Wednesday, 10/9 | Peoria 5, Surprise 3 Thursday, 10/10 | Peoria 6, Glendale 13 Friday, 10/11 | Mesa 6, Peoria 9 Saturday, 10/12 | Peoria 1, Mesa 4 3B Brock Wilken Week: 4 G, 18 PA, 3 H, 1 HR, 2 R, 1 RBI, 5 K The top-ranked Brewers prospect in Arizona this year, Wilken had a bit of a slow start to the season. He managed to hit an opposite-field home run in the first game against Andrew Dalquist and had a single in the sixth inning of a chaotic 28-run game. Unfortunately, he quickly hit a snag and struggled to get going offensively for the rest of the week, notably striking out three times in Thursday’s loss to the Glendale Desert Dogs. OF Luis Lara Week: 3 G, 12 PA, 3 H, 1 RBI, 2 K, 1 SB Lara held his own, starting his season off with two hits in Peoria’s first victory against the Surprise Saguaros on Wednesday, also stealing his first base in the same game. Similar to Wilken, though, he wasn’t able to maintain the momentum throughout the week and went 0-4 in Thursday’s game against the Desert Dogs. INF Juan Baez Week: 3 G, 12 PA, 7 H, 2 2B, 1 3B, 4 R, 3 RBI, 1 K Baez was a superstar at the plate this week, notching a 1.500 OPS, the fifth-highest mark of any player in the AFL and second-highest on the Peoria Javelinas. The 19-year-old was a home run away from hitting for the cycle in the victory over the Mesa Solar Sox on Friday. RHP Coleman Crow Week: 1 G, 1 ⅔ IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 0 K Crow pitched in just one game this week, facing the Desert Dogs on Thursday. His outing started off great, retiring the first three batters with consecutive groundouts. He ran into some trouble against Matt McLain and Christian Encarnacion-Strand, two major leaguers on rehab assignments, before another groundout allowed runners to advance, leading to his departure from the mound. RHP Ryan Birchard Week: 1 G, 3 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 3 K Birchard appeared in the final game of the week, making a three-inning start and keeping the Solar Sox scoreless despite quite a few free passes. The closest he got to trouble was allowing a single and a walk in the third inning before retiring the next three batters in a row. RHP Will Childers Week: 2 G, 1 ⅔ IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, 1 SV Childers was thrown into the fire as soon as he came out of the bullpen for the first time. After Gabe Mosser conceded a whopping seven earned runs in the first inning, Childers was left to clean up the mess. He earned the final out of the first, but gave up three straight doubles in the second inning before ending his AFL debut. His second outing was far more mellow, getting called upon to earn just the final out of the game. He struck out Benjamin Cowles on three pitches to earn his first save as a Javelina. LHP Mark Manfredi Week: 1 G, 1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 SV Manfredi threw 23 pitches against the Saguaros on Wednesday to earn his first save of the season. It wasn’t the smoothest ninth-inning performance, as he would walk a batter and hit another, but he finished strong by striking out Brett Squires on four pitches. RHP Nick Merkel Week: 1 G, 2 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K Merkel relieved Birchard following his three innings of work and pitched efficiently, using just 30 pitches to deal with the eight batters he faced. After allowing two baserunners in the fourth inning, he needed only seven pitches to get through the fifth inning and finish his week. View full article

The financial trade-offs of having MLB manage the Brewers' games distribution show there really is no such thing as a free lunch. All we need to do is look at what's happening on the other side of the St. Croix River. Image courtesy of © Jovanny Hernandez / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images Earlier this week, it was announced that the Brewers would not be renewing their contract with Diamond Sports Group, the parent company of Bally Sports Wisconsin. Instead, MLB will be taking over the broadcast, offering a blackout-free streaming option to fans in the local area. Unlike buying popcorn at the movie theater, this seems a pretty good deal for fans. It’s a centralized way to view Milwaukee baseball and finally addresses the dreaded blackouts that have plagued Iowa residents for far too long. So what’s the catch? Well, if precedent is anything to go off of, Milwaukee is definitely going to have lighter pockets in 2025. The Minnesota Twins have ended up in the same boat at a more gradual pace. After their contract with Bally Sports expired at the end of the 2023 season they cut their payroll by $30 million, about half of the roughly $60 million they received annually from DSG. They later renewed their contract with Bally for a significantly smaller payout and, like the Brewers, will now be one of the several teams whose rights are entirely handled by MLB. The Padres and Diamondbacks had their fair share of contractual issues with DSG, and rather than renewing for another year, both teams offered their own in-market packages through MLB.TV in 2024. The in-market Padres streaming package costs $100 per season, and it was reported that Padres had about 40,000 subscribers. Suppose my calculator app is to be trusted. In that case, they generated a measly $4 million in revenue, enough to pay for almost three whole beers at Petco Park but not enough to finance a shiny new free agent or lengthy extension. The question then becomes: Will the Brewers cut spending further, or have they done that already? Total payroll allocations went down by approximately $16 million from 2023 to 2024, but was that in anticipation of this move or just the result of natural fluctuations in the budget? When asked about the topic, general manager Matt Arnold stated something along the lines of “I don’t know, not my circus,”* something I often say when asked about the business hours of my local carnival. *not Matt Arnold's actual quote, editorial paraphrasing by us As things currently stand, Milwaukee already had a total 2025 payroll allocation of $112.7 million before finalized arbitration salaries. $10.5 million of that could be saved by rejecting the team option for Devin Williams, but there’s not much room to trim payroll without starting to surrender postseason equity. On the bright side, Brewers' attendance has been quite robust, totaling 2.5 million in 2024. It has been growing steadily and was at just 1.8 million for the 2021 season, something the front office could and should capitalize on. If they choose to maintain or increase spending this year, they'd take a bigger financial hit in the short term and hope that the team's positive momentum leads to more streaming revenue and even more money spent on beers and bratwursts. Another complication of this whole streaming debacle is that Bally Sports Wisconsin still holds the rights to broadcast Milwaukee Bucks games, so if you want to watch Bobby Portis and the other guys on that team hoop, you’ll still be tied to their offerings. If you want to watch both the end of the Bucks' season and the start of the Brewers', you’ll be forced to purchase both streaming options. From a pure viewer standpoint, this is a good move, even if it means roster construction is hamstrung over the next few years. Given the organization's historic fiscal practices, fans might not even notice a difference. Unfortunately for me, this probably means Milwaukee won't be offering Joey Gallo that $100 million contract I hoped he would be getting this offseason**. **this isn't a real thing anyone wants View full article

isn't it this one

has anyone tried deferring contracts by .7 x 10^106 years i.e. after the proposed heat death of the universe? Think it would be a good way to clear payroll to build a more solid winning team. why hasn't any front office done this? are they stupid?