Jason Wang

Yankees would be a super interesting spot and I could definitely see them wanting Burnes, even at a premium. We are talking about a team whose rotation is currently Gerrit Cole Carlos Rodon (about as stable as the Argentine Peso given his current injury situation) Nestor Cortes (not quite an Argentine Peso but still coming back from a major injury) Clarke Schmidt (really should be a reliever, only starts because lack of better options) Yoendrys Gomez (has only pitched at AA) With the Juan Soto acquisition, Verdugo and Grisham getting picked up to add depth to a formerly cringeworthy outfield, and a real effort (albeit a failed one) to seduce Yamamoto, I think the Evil Empire wants to be back so badly. The rotation is the last piece of the puzzle and Burnes would be a great fit, although I'm not really confident in a beardless Burnes.

short king hater smh. But also a very good point. He has been spending the vast majority of his time in the hot corner in the minor leagues anyways so it looks like he's going to end up there when he gets called up.

For sure. Given the moves made by other NL Central teams this year the Brewers are going to have to pursue a little more oomph if they wanna keep up.

The Brewers have merely dipped their toes in the free-agent waters this offseason, and they still have plenty of gaps in their roster. Could one of their first moves be to reunite with an old friend? Image courtesy of © Rich Storry-USA TODAY Sports After hitting one of the coldest walk-off celebrations of the entire season, Carlos Santana was traded to the Brewers in exchange for shortstop prospect Jhonny Severino. Over his 226 plate appearances with the team, he slashed .249/.314/.459 for an OPS+ of 109. He was a huge offensive upgrade at first base. The team had tried trotting out all sorts of names, from Rowdy Tellez to Jon Singleton, but weren’t able to find stability until Santana’s arrival. Despite his nickname of “Slamtana,” his 2023 Baseball Savant profile frames him as more of a disciplined player who avoided strikeouts and drew walks, rather than aimed for the moon with every swing. His walk rate (10.5%), chase rate (24%), and strikeout rate (16.8%) were all in the top quartile among qualified hitters. He also managed to accumulate 2 Outs Above Average (OAA) and 11 Defensive Runs Saved (DRS)--impressive defensive figures, especially given his age. He lacked the power of his younger days in Cleveland, but he was a welcome addition to a team whose production at first base totaled just a .681 OPS, 28th in MLB and besting only the Royals and the Padres. More importantly, his evenly-matched splits against all pitchers helped compensate for another weakness the team had, which was hitting against righties, against whom they posted a .695 OPS, 26th in MLB. One of the main concerns with signing Santana is his age. He’ll be just a few days shy of 38 years old on Opening Day, and probably won’t be able to maintain above-average offensive production for very long, if at all. From 2010-2019, he averaged an impressive 121 OPS+ and received MVP votes in 2013 and 2019, while from 2020-2023, he averaged an OPS+ of just 94 across four different teams. His 2021 season with the Royals was particularly rough, as his .342 slugging percentage was the lowest for any season in his lengthy career. He managed to be on the wrong side of the Mendoza line with the Mariners in 2022. Nonetheless, the Brewers probably aren’t willing to take a risk on Rhys Hoskins returning to pre-injury form at an estimated cost of $36 million over two years, and there aren’t many younger, more capable free agents available. (Any Joey Gallo fans here?) Furthermore, unless the idea of Jake Bauers, Owen Miller, and Jahmai Jones tag-teaming first base outperforms all reasonable expectations, Santana could, at the very least, be a short-term holdover until more alluring names become available. Within the farm system, Wes Clarke is slated to make his debut sometime in 2024 and had a great showing in Double A last year (and, most recently, in the Arizona Fall League). He could be a longer-term option, but without any experience at Triple A yet, it's hard to tell how his skills will match up against higher-quality opposition. The team’s other top prospects are primarily pitchers and shortstops, with Luke Adams as the only other first-base prospect ranked in the top 30. He’s a ways away from the show, with an ETA of 2026, and has yet to even reach High A. Don’t expect him to fix all of the team’s problems and beat out the super-team Dodgers for the NL pennant in 2024, but a Santana signing could be a cheap and straightforward roster improvement heading into next year. Do you want to see a reunion between the Brewers and Santana? What price tag would make it unpalatable? Let's talk options. View full article

Bryse Wilson arc incoming.

In their latest move, Milwaukee added another piece for the bullpen in exchange for two minor-league prospects. After making his major-league debut with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2019, Taylor Clarke saw his role gradually reduce from a potential starter to a full-time reliever. He was traded to the Kansas City Royals in 2022, where he posted a 4.04 ERA and 1.18 WHIP over 49 innings pitched. This season was a bit of a down year and he saw his stats regress to a 5.95 ERA and 1.61 WHIP over 59 innings pitched, so there's definitely room for improvement. The Royals were primarily driven by the need to clear roster space for their newly-acquired starting pitcher, Seth Lugo, which explains why they asked for minor leaguers not on the 40-man roster in return. For their part of the bargain, the Brewers will be shipping right-handed reliever Ryan Brady and utility infielder Cam Devanney over to Kansas City. Brady split time between High A and Double A in 2023, posting a 2.76 ERA over 49 innings with the Timber Rattlers and a 2.57 ERA over 28 innings pitched with the Biloxi Shuckers. Devanney spent all of 2023 in Triple A and slashed a respectable .271/.363/.461 over 390 plate appearances. Clarke, 30, is under contract for $1.25 million for 2024, and is under team control through 2025. He also has a minor-league option year remaining, which will increase his value to the Brewers. They always want to be able to shuttle relievers on the edges of the roster between Triple A and the big leagues, and Clarke will provide that flexibility to their depth chart. What do you make of this deal? Is this kind of consolidation the right way for the Brewers to make use of their organizational depth? Leave a comment and discuss. View full article

just wait...he's next up 😈 those 4 2/3 innings with the Yankees last year were all I needed to see.

For a few wealthy, big-market franchises, the prospect of signing Shohei Ohtani to a long-term deal was a source of unprecedented monomania. For a team like the Milwaukee Brewers, it was more of an obstacle. Now that he’s officially signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers, why should fans expect more Milwaukee moves in the upcoming weeks? For the handful of teams that were both interested and capable of coughing up the record-breaking amount of money he was anticipated to receive, courting Shohei Ohtani was a full-time job. Especially with a relatively lackluster free agent class and Ohtani wanting to move quickly through negotiations, putting all other names on hold made sense. While we saw a few big moves, like the St. Louis Cardinals acquiring a trio of starting pitchers and Juan Soto being traded to the Yankees, most big-name free agents are still available. Marquee players like Marcus Stroman, Cody Bellinger, Rhys Hoskins, and Chi Chi Gonzalez have yet to find a home for 2024. Now that Shohei is off the table and everyone can go home to their families, we’ll start to see a separation of priorities. Since most players can’t be valuable pitchers and hitters simultaneously (we can’t ALL be Willians Astudillo), teams will now be pursuing individuals with more specific talents. The San Diego Padres had one of the worst bullpens in baseball last year and are losing Josh Hader, so they might be interested in players like Liam Hendriks or Hector Neris. The Reds had an extremely questionable rotation and could be contenders for Lucas Giolito's or Mike Clevinger's services. I’m sure someone somewhere has some sort of need for Yu-Cheng Chang. Either way, the Brewers will now have a better idea of their competition for their desired free agents. They’ll likely be looking at bolstering their lackluster lineup and replacing Brandon Woodruff’s spot in the rotation as best they can. Ideally, they'd like to find a strikeout-heavy power pitcher to emulate Woodruff's style, so someone like Shota Imanaga could fit the bill. He doesn't have the same velocity as Woodruff but his strikeout rate in NPB was among the best. MLBTradeRumors is projecting him to sign a deal for five-years, $85 million so he might be a little pricey but there's a chance he goes for even lower. Another free agent that could be enticing would be Michael Wacha who lacks exceptional strikeout ability but has been a consistent starter for the past few years in Boston and San Diego. He's projected to sign a three-year, $36 million deal which would fit in with the Brewers' spending tendencies. Furthermore, Milwaukee has several valuable trade pieces in the form of Corbin Burnes and any of their young, talented outfielders such as Joey Wiemer, Tyrone Taylor, or Garrett Mitchell. With teams no longer having to set aside ridiculous amounts of salary space, they’ll have better ideas of available budgets and what they’re willing to offer to acquire some of these pieces. While the Braves had a historically effective offense, their outfield defense was one of the worst in baseball. It could be a complementary trade candidate for some of Milwaukee’s more defensively-minded outfielders. Willy Adames presents another interesting trade piece. After the big shortstop free agent class of 2022, he could be one of the most valuable shortstops for needy teams to acquire. The Los Angeles Dodgers are one team that could be in the market for a new shortstop, depending how Gavin Lux performs upon his return to action after an entire year missed. Their most hated division rivals, the San Francisco Giants, are interestingly in the same boat with Brandon Crawford approaching retirement and Paul DeJong signing with the Chicago White Sox. The Brewers were never serious participants in the Shohei sweepstakes. Unless he had been willing to sign a contract in the realm of $90 million over six years purely for the love of bratwurst and Bob Uecker, they weren’t even on his radar. They’ll likely also be on the bench regarding the signing of Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the second-most hyped free agent of this offseason. However, especially over the past few years, they’ve excelled at building rosters of even talent and finding value for money. Making the playoffs five times in the past six years doesn’t happen by accident, and those runs (especially after 2020) weren’t led by just one man. Instead, they were a result of good management decisions and solid depth. It’d be astonishing if the only move the team made this whole offseason was to acquire Jake Bauers from the New York Yankees. It may not happen immediately, but there’s evidence suggesting that Milwaukee has yet to make their biggest moves heading into 2024. View full article

Woodruff was outstanding last year. That being said, he only pitched for 67 innings out of the total 877 1/3 innings pitched by Milwaukee starters. Over those 877 innings, Brewers starters had a combined 3.94 ERA, 6th in MLB. Woodruff was definitely a part of it but his contribution is probably smaller than most people think. Nonetheless, I think you make a good point and it probably isn't nearly as intimidating on paper without good ole Woody taking up that two-spot.

After declining his mutual option, Miley decided to return to Milwaukee for another year of American Family fun. Is the crafty left-handed veteran what the Brewers need to stay competitive? Image courtesy of © Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports Wade Miley is not your average pitcher. He has never possessed the 95-mph velocity common in today’s game, but he’s managed to build a solid 13-year major-league career on soft contact. When paired with the exceptional Brewers infield defense in 2023, he posted an ERA of 3.14 and a WHIP of 1.14 over 120 ⅓ innings, the third-best season of his career by ERA+. But how, exactly, does he do it? He’s been using a cutter as his primary weapon since his first stint with the Brewers in 2018, and it was remarkably effective this past year, accumulating a Run Value of 9. (You could call it the pitch that made Wade Miley wily, if you were in a certain mood.) In terms of placement, he likes to keep his cutter close to the glove-side part of the zone, jamming righty hitters and breaking away from lefties. This is a key characteristic, because it averaged a velocity of just 87.1 mph, meaning pitches placed middle-middle would have a good chance of resembling meatballs and hitters would surely let it eat. In fact, a cutter enthusiast whose style is in stark contrast to Miley's would be his teammate, Corbin Burnes. He averages 94.4 mph with his, more than a standard deviation faster than the league average and over seven ticks faster than Miley's. They were more frequently placed in the heart of the zone, which gave him higher whiff and strikeout rates. Nonetheless, by Run Value per 100 pitches, both pitchers actually had evenly matched cutters, a great example of how Miley is able to adapt his pitching style to best suit his current abilities. Miley’s Cutter Placement Burnes's Cutter Placement Another pitch of note for Miley was his four-seam fastball, a pitch that posted an opposing batting average of just .198. This pitch was very much feast-or-famine, as despite a deflated batting average, the opposing slugging was .453, with an even higher expected slugging average of .560. While placed in roughly the same area as his cutter with a little more height, it didn’t seem to have the necessary stuff to generate the same soft contact. Opponents had a hard-hit rate of 47.7%. Finally, while whiffs (18.8%, 5th percentile) and strikeouts (16.1%, eighth percentile) were rare this season, one pitch that put up decent numbers was his slider. While used sparingly and thrown fewer than 100 times, it had a whiff rate of 35.7% and a strikeout rate of 30.8%. It also had the highest put-away rate in his arsenal, twice as high as his cutter. When looking at his Savant page, one can see that he was not only good at limiting damage in 2023, but one of the best. His hard-hit rate of 31.3% was in the top 7 percent of the league, and his average exit velocity of 87.3 mph and ground-ball rate of 47.4% were both in the top quartile for those respective stats. If you’re wondering how a guy who tops out at 90 mph can have an ERA+ of 137, that’s how. But can Miley repeat this success? A key consideration is that Miley’s xERA of 4.33 was significantly higher than his actual ERA. This is largely due to the fact that he missed so few bats, and that (therefore) he was partially dependent on his infield for his success. While FIP is a woefully incomplete evaluative tool for pitchers who don't chase strikeouts, it’s also worth noting that his 4.69 was higher than in any full season since 2017, in which he pitched to a 5.61 ERA. This shouldn’t matter too much as of now, since the Brewers haven’t made any monumental defensive subtractions from their infield, but in the event that players like Willy Adames or Brice Turang are replaced by more offense-focused players, Miley could see a drastic decline in his stats. Since he won't be able to hit the local Planet Fitness and tack on an extra 10 mph of juice to every pitch this offseason, he’ll have to find a way to make this soft-contact approach work--or suffer the consequences. Miley’s decision to opt out of his $10-million mutual option only to re-sign with the team for $7 million and yet another mutual option in 2025 was a curious one. However, his new deal does include $2.5 million in innings-based incentives and the option in 2025 will be for $12 million with a $1.5 million buyout, so maybe he’s playing the long game. There is also a possibility that, given the vast amount of free-agent starting pitching talent on today’s market, Miley’s venture into the open market didn’t go as well as he had anticipated. With the whole gang returning from last year (with the exceptions of Brandon Woodruff and Julio Teheran), it seems as though the Brewers will once again have one of the more imposing starting rotations in the league. But with division rivals like the St. Louis Cardinals making big moves in free agency to acquire Kyle Gibson, Lance Lynn, and Sonny Gray, Milwaukee might need more than just Miley to stay competitive. His services will be much-appreciated, unless we see a regression toward his expected stats in 2023, but without a dominant power pitcher like last season’s version of Woodruff, the team might be left at home come the postseason. What do you think? Can Miley and his cutter keep slicing through lineups as he rounds the bend between 35 and 40? Let's chop it up. View full article

I think in a vacuum, yes. However, I think given the team's history of choosing to have a more even payroll and the existing demand for the few hitters available on the market today, I'd be surprised if the Brewers were able to outcompete some of the richer teams/bigger markets for this talent.

how could you say no to this comforting smile

As we speak, the man atop the Brewers' first-base depth chart is a journeyman whom they plucked from a team ready to non-tender him, who has never taken more than 423 plate appearances in an MLB season. That's gotta change, right? Image courtesy of © Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports Carlos Santana has returned to free agency, and the Brewers non-tendered Rowdy Tellez last month. The only viable first baseman they have, for now, is Jake Bauers, whom they acquired from the Yankees just ahead of the non-tender deadline. Here are three guys who would be an upgrade from there, at a low cost. Mike Ford Ford had a strong start to his major-league career in 2019, when he was called up by the New York Yankees and posted a .909 OPS over 163 plate appearances. He failed to recapture that magic thereafter, and bounced around to several organizations before ending up in Seattle for a third stint in 2023. This return to the Pacific Northwest marked his second-best season, and he finished with a slash line of .228/.323/.475 over 251 plate appearances. Without Ford, DH would’ve stood for “disappointing hitter” and the Mariners would’ve had to rely on the likes of A.J. Pollock or Cooper Hummel. Despite his contributions to the team, he was designated for assignment to make room for outfield prospect Zach DeLoach. Although recently used primarily as a designated hitter, Ford has spent most of his career at first base and played 37 games there in 2023. Furthermore, his hitting profile matches that of a typical slugging first baseman. His hard-hit rate (44.6%) was above league-average and his Barrel rate (17.3%) would’ve placed him second in MLB if he had been qualified. Sure, he struck out a lot (32.3%), whiffed a lot (30.4%), and won’t be winning a batting title anytime soon, but his ISO of .247 puts him up there with other known power threats like Juan Soto (.244) and Ronald Acuna Jr. (.259). Luckily for his future team, he won’t cost nearly as much as either of those two superstars. Ford earned just $720,000 from the Mariners for the 2023 season, and won’t make much more in 2024. He’s not a marquee name and his free agency has been buried under more viral news about other superstars, but signing Ford could be a huge value play for Milwaukee. He would add some much-needed power to the lineup and bats left-handed, just like Tellez before him. Also, at just 31 years old with a shade over three years of service time, the Brewers could keep him around for peanuts if they wished to do so. Garrett Cooper Cooper spent six productive years with the Miami Marlins, averaging a .774 OPS and 110 OPS+ over his tenure with the Fish. After he began to slow down in 2023, he was dealt to the Padres at the trade deadline. He managed to regain some momentum in August but slipped again in September, bringing his final slash line for the season to .251/.304/.419 over 457 plate appearances. Cooper’s peripherals in 2023 weren’t great, and the only feature of note was his Sweet-Spot rate (40.4%) which was in the top 5% of qualified hitters. However, it was just a year ago that Cooper earned his first All-Star nod and posted a 112 OPS+. In 2022, he was near the top quartile for several offensive Statcast categories, including expected weighted on base average (.341), Barrel rate (10.7%), and once again, Sweet-Spot rate (39.0%). We saw some flashes of the same player this year, but with higher chase, whiff, and strikeout rates, he just wasn’t able to put the ball in play as often. With slight tweaks to increase his exit velocity and plate discipline, Cooper could return to being a solid offensive contributor at a reasonable price. He signed a $4.2-million contract and avoided arbitration prior to last season, so it wouldn’t be out of the question for him to end up with a one- or two-year deal around the same AAV. He’ll be 33 years old on Opening Day 2024, meaning he might also be a good candidate for an extension if he meets (or exceeds) expectations. Dominic Smith Following a six-year stint with the Mets, Smith signed a one-year contract with the Nationals and became their full-time first baseman. He made major improvements after a dismal 2022 and slashed .254/.326/.366, his highest OPS since an incredible 2020 season that garnered him a handful of MVP votes. While he performed admirably against righty pitchers, he was dragged down considerably by his difficulties against left-handed pitching, posting a .588 OPS against southpaw arms. Unlike the two players mentioned above, Smith traded away power and extra bases to make better contact and avoid getting punched out. His excellent strikeout rate (15.5%) placed him in the 88th percentile of qualified hitters and he performed similarly well when it came to his whiff rate (19.9%), landing in the 79th percentile. Unfortunately for Smith, his low average exit velocity (86.3 mph) severely reduced his ability to make a scoring impact and his Batting Run Value of -17 was in the bottom 5% of the league. The rate stats on each of the pitches he faced were actually quite good, but his catastrophic .510 OPS with runners in scoring position gave him a measly 46 RBI despite often batting fifth or sixth in the lineup. Whether this was a result of bad luck, nerves, or a mix of both, it creates an interesting disparity between his actual stats and their eventual outcomes. Smith earned $2 million over his year with the Nationals before being non-tendered, making him a free agent. Despite his relatively cheap price tag, he’s shown the potential to be a power bat in the past. In 2019 and 2020, he combined for an outstanding .937 OPS over 396 plate appearances with the Mets. With the right development, he may be able to find that success again. If not, he’ll be a low-cost, replacement-level experiment at the very least. Guys Who Were Just Too Expensive To Qualify If Milwaukee had the same payroll as the Mets, Yankees, or Phillies, they’d be free to pursue the likes of Rhys Hoskins or Brandon Belt. Sadly, with the candidate pool as shallow as it is, players of such caliber are receiving even more inflated market prices. For example, despite not playing a single game in 2023, MLB Trade Rumors is anticipating that Hoskins will sign a two-year, $36-million deal. All 36 years of Brandon Belt is estimated to receive a one-year, $15-million deal. With these financial restrictions in place, it’ll be intriguing to see who the Brewers ultimately decide to trot out to first base on the first day of the season next spring. View full article

He throws gas though!

For the first time in a while, there’s some room in the Brewers rotation. After non-tendering Brandon Woodruff and watching Wade Miley and Julio Teheran depart for free agency, who are some of the available starting pitchers the front office might pursue in their stead? First and foremost, it’s important to remember that we are working with the Milwaukee Brewers, a historically frugal team with a tendency to seek value for money over shiny new superstars. While it would be awesome to have Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Shohei Ohtani make back-to-back starts at American Family Field, the team is unlikely to pursue (and even less likely to actually complete) such lucrative contracts. Now that we’ve set expectations, let’s find some potentially undervalued arms. Seth Lugo Lugo spent six years with the Mets before joining the Padres in 2023. He pitched quite well, posting a 3.57 ERA and 1.20 WHIP over 146 ⅓ innings and 26 starts. Lugo is a no-nonsense pitcher whose style leverages his excellent control and uses it to compensate for an average strikeout rate and below-average velocity. His four-seam fastball was his primary weapon, and although it averaged just 93.4 miles per hour, it had respectable whiff and strikeout rates of 21.5% and 31.8%. Count him as a member of the high-heat revolution; his placement in the upper part of the zone made an otherwise average fastball into a plus pitch. Lugo also had one of the best walk rates in the league at just 6.0%. Despite a strong four-seam, his most effective pitch by run value was actually his sinker, holding a total run value of 11. He held opposing batters to an average of just .206 and an expected weighted on base average of .281. His cumulative fastball run value of 17 was better than 97% of qualified pitchers in 2023. His arsenal of breaking balls left a little to be desired, but with a six-pitch selection, they can’t all be winners. In addition to his value as a mid- or back-of-the-rotation guy (at least for Milwaukee), Lugo is one of the cheaper options on today’s market. MLB Trade Rumors is expecting him to receive $42 million over three years, a reasonable price to pay and an annual salary only slightly higher than the $10 million paid to Corbin Burnes this past season. As Lugo is just over 34 years old, the Brewers can also exercise some flexibility in terms of the duration of the deal, depending on how comfortable they feel with his somewhat spotty injury history. (Of course, these aren't always rational auctions, and holding firm against giving that third or fourth year might cost the Brewers their chance to land Lugo.) Michael Wacha Like his teammate (the aforementioned Seth Lugo), Wacha had a quiet yet effective 2023 campaign. Posting a 3.22 ERA and a 1.16 WHIP over 134 ⅓ innings and 24 starts, Wacha had the second-highest rWAR on the Padres, behind only NL Cy Young Winner Blake Snell. Wacha doesn’t possess the petrol of other peak pitchers, but with a changeup as his primary weapon, who cares? His arsenal actually resembles that of Devin Williams, using a four-seam fastball as his secondary pitch and deploying sinkers, cutters, and curveballs for good measure. Both Wacha’s changeup and his four-seam fastball had run values of 12, with his changeup having exceptional whiff and strikeout rates of 35.9% and 32.0%, respectively. Over 766 pitches, opposing batters posted a .233 xwOBA, and his offspeed run value was higher than 98 percent of the league. His four-seam fastball had an opposing batting average of just .188, despite lower whiff and strikeout rates. MLBTR projects Michael Wacha to get a three-year, $36-million deal, which places him in a similar price range as Lugo. For an average annual value of $12 million, Wacha could be a great candidate to fill out the second or third spot in the Brewers' starting rotation. At 32 years old, he may even be able to stick around a little longer if things work out well. His presence would also add some interesting pitch mix variety, if wedged between Burnes and Freddy Peralta. Michael Lorenzen Despite throwing a no-hitter in his second start with the Phillies, Lorenzen had a second half of 2023 that didn’t exactly boost his free-agent stock. Across 66 innings, he pitched to a 4.36 ERA and a 1.30 WHIP. His entire tenure with the Phillies was actually quite disappointing. Aside from the aforementioned no-hitter, his ERA and WHIP with Philadelphia ended up at 5.51 and 1.46. Nonetheless, Lorenzen has some upside. His 3.58 ERA with the Tigers over 105 ⅔ innings earned him his first career All-Star nod (although he was the team’s only selection), and his stats were marred by rough patches in April, June, and September. Lorenzen largely depended on his four-seam fastball and his slider, a productive pairing that combined for a total of 16 runs better than average. With fastballs placed high in the zone and sliders kept low and inside, he was able to garner whiffs and punchouts in key moments. What really seemed to deflate his production, at least on paper, were his lackluster breaking balls. His sweeper was particularly weak, with opposing batters averaging .293 against the pitch and slugging .610. Placement seemed to be the problem, with most of the pitches ending up middle-middle or completely outside of the zone. He likely won’t be winning a Cy Young award anytime soon, but with an estimated contract value of $22 million over two years, Lorenzen fits into the Goldilocks Zone of being just cost-effective enough to pitch in Milwaukee. He’ll be 32 years old by the time the 2024 season starts, so he still has a few years to take advantage of the patented Brewers pitching lab. Who knows? Maybe he’ll even throw another no-hitter. Which of these three hurlers is your favorite bargain starter target for the Brewers? Who else is on that list for you? Jump into the conversation with a comment. View full article

Last week's trade sending Mark Canha to the Detroit Tigers widened the path to regular playing time in 2024 for Tyrone Taylor. However, for various reasons, it's hard to know for sure whether that's the Brewers' plan. Image courtesy of © Michael McLoone-USA TODAY Sports As of the writing of this article, Tyrone Taylor is currently in the top spot on the Brewers depth chart for right field. If you had only watched him prior to this past August, you might be questioning why that's the case. After all, his pre-All-Star-break slash line of .160/.180/.240 over 78 plate appearances left much to be desired. After heading back to the lab, Taylor re-merged from his chrysalis as one of the hottest hitters in Milwaukee, posting an .881 OPS in August and and a .912 in September, an incredible way to end the year. He also found some success in the postseason, hitting a two-run home run in the first game of the Wild Card Series. Outside of his late-summer offensive outburst, Taylor is also a plus defender in the outfield, partially thanks to his excellent arm strength. His competitive throws average 90.4 miles per hour, placing him in the 85th percentile. Although he played just 576 ⅓ innings as an outfielder, he managed to compile 4 Defensive Runs Saved (DRS), landing him fourth among Brewers outfielders. It would make sense that the front office's belief in Taylor's development and ability to fulfill the role as the team's starting right fielder was a primary driver behind refusing to exercise Mark Canha's team option. This decision was also in line with the team's tendency to keep payroll relatively low. With a $2-million buyout and Taylor's estimated salary of $1.7 million (per MLBTradeRumors), the team is hoping for roughly the same overall production with a savings of almost $8 million. We only have 147 plate appearances of peak Tyrone Taylor performance to analyze in 2023, but since his rookie year of 2021, he has been consistently (albeit slightly) above league-average, recording a 108 OPS+ in 2021 and a 102 in 2022. Canha was, admittedly, slightly better in those two years, recording OPS+ figures of 111 and 122, but he's nowhere near as good defensively. Assuming the Brewers don't acquire any free agent outfielders or call up any prospect talent, the last hurdle for Taylor to clear would be the arbitration process. If that goes smoothly and he continues the momentum he started in the second half of 2023, he could end up being the steal of the century. Is there any case for non-tendering Taylor, rather than paying out a relatively small arbitration-scale salary? How much do you trust Taylor to stay healthy and be productive, going forward? We'll find out more Friday, at the deadline to tender players a contract for 2024. In the meantime, let's discuss. View full article

In the final week of the Arizona Fall League, Brewers prospects kept up the good work through the championship game, which saw highlight moments from Wes Clarke and Justin Yeager. Image courtesy of © Curt Hogg / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK - Justin Yeager Pictured Game Results Monday, 11/6 | None Tuesday, 11/7 | Surprise 8, Glendale 5 Wednesday, 11/8 | Surprise 4, Mesa 8 Thursday, 11/9 | Glendale 4, Surprise 6 Friday, 11/10 | None Saturday, 10/11 | Peoria 5, Surprise 6 In the final three games of the regular season, Eric Brown Jr. stood out from the crowd, collecting three extra-base hits while Justin King remained lights out. 2B Eric Brown Jr. Week: 3-for-8, 2 2B, HR, RBI, 2 K (2 games) Eric Brown Jr. had an excellent finish to the regular season. After hitting a double in a loss against the Mesa Solar Sox on 11/8, he hit another double and a home run in the following game against the Glendale Desert Dogs. At just 22 years old, he’s had an outstanding season in Arizona. Serving as a flexible middle infielder and splitting time evenly between the two positions, his fielding and hitting both showed excellent potential. Despite not having the same power as teammates Wes Clarke and Damiano Palmegiani, he was a well-rounded player who came through when needed. Brown may return to the Timber Rattlers in High-A, but expect a promotion to Biloxi sooner rather than later. His final slash line for the season was .297/.390/.462. 1B Wes Clarke Week: 2-for-6, 2B, RBI, BB, 2 K (2 games) Clarke also had a strong finish to his Fall League season, although his entire season could be described as strong. He collected two hits and a double in his final game against the Glendale Desert Dogs. This year, Wes Clarke was a superstar with the Saguaros, serving as a significant power and on-base threat. With his performance in this league and his .889 OPS across 503 plate appearances with the Biloxi Shuckers in AA, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him make his AAA debut with the Nashville Sounds in 2024. Did I mention he was also the swaggiest player on the team? In the championship game, Clarke hit a one-run double in the bottom of the sixth inning to give the Saguaros a 6-1 lead. This RBI would come in quite handy, given that the game ended with a score difference of just one run. His final slash line for the season was .297/.435/.568. OF Hendry Mendez Week: 0-for-4, 2 K (1 game) Throughout the season, Mendez has shown glimpses of greatness here and there but still has a bit of work to do before competing in higher-level baseball. He’s incredibly young, having just turned 20 on November 7th, and will likely return to High-A in 2024. His final slash line for the season was .216/.326/.297. RHP Joseph Hernandez Week: 4.0 IP, 4 H, 4 R, BB, 4 K, HR In his final start of the season, Hernandez pitched against the Mesa Solar Sox and gave up four earned runs in four innings. He retired the first three batters in order but faced a little trouble in the second, conceding a single, a hit by pitch, and a wild pitch, ultimately escaping the inning unharmed. In the third inning, a walk, a double, a single, and a two-run home run were responsible for the handful of runs he gave up, but he finished strong, pitching a 1-2-3 inning in the fourth. He threw 54 pitches, 38 of which were strikes (70.4%). Hernandez has potential as a starter but needs to iron out some of the kinks and maybe expand the zone before being promoted from High-A. His final ERA and WHIP were 9.45 and 2.18. LHP Justin King Week: 1.0 IP King pitched a very low-key sixth inning in the final regular season game against the Desert Dogs, facing the minimum and relying on a baserunning gaffe and some soft contact to get his three outs. He threw ten pitches, four of which were strikes (40.0%). He also appeared in the championship game, coming in the ninth inning with one out and the bases loaded. Protecting a 6-1 lead, King gave up a walk and a single before getting the second out of the inning and being pulled for fellow Brewers prospect Justin Yeager. King showed an ability to compete against higher competition, and after posting a 2.93 ERA over 30 ⅔ innings in High-A last year, expect him to be promoted to Double-A sooner rather than later. His final ERA and WHIP were 4.26 and 1.11. LHP Adam Seminaris Week: 2.1 IP, 3 H, 4 R, BB, 2 K, L Seminaris came in to pitch after Joseph Hernandez’s start and pitched 2 ⅓ innings against the Mesa Solar Sox. After retiring six batters in a row, he conceded a walk, three singles, and a wild pitch, giving up four runs. He threw 50 pitches, 29 of which were strikes (58.0%). Seminaris spent time in rookie ball, Double-A, and Triple-A to mixed results. He’s got some work to do but has flexibility as a starter or long reliever. He pitched the most innings with the Biloxi Shuckers, posting a 5.70 ERA across 53 ⅔ innings, so he might spend another year before advancing further. His final ERA and WHIP were 5.87 and 1.37. RHP Justin Yeager Week: 1.0 IP, H, 2 R, 2 BB, K Yeager pitched the final inning of the week's first game against the Desert Dogs. His two earned runs came after back-to-back walks, a single, and a force out at second base. He threw 29 pitches, 15 of which were strikes (51.7%). Although his regular season may not have ended the way he wanted, his appearance in the championship game was emphatic. After inheriting runners on first and second and tasked with protecting a one-run lead, Yeager struck out Tyler Locklear on three pitches and secured the victory for the Surprise Saguaros. Regularly used in higher leverage situations, Yeager showed flashes of his potential as a closer. After all, what’s higher leverage than securing the final out of the championship game? He didn’t pitch much in 2023, accumulating just 2 ⅓ innings in Biloxi before being sidelined by injury, so he’ll likely return to Double-A in 2024. His final ERA and WHIP were 6.23 and 1.50, respectively. View full article