Michael Trzinski

Will Joey Ortiz win the starting spot at the hot corner? What will be the role for Andruw Monasterio this year: utility guy or starter? When will we see Tyler Black and/or Brock Wilken in Milwaukee? Enquiring minds want to know! Image courtesy of Rob Thompson, St. Paul Saints (photo of Andruw Monasterio) The Starter: Joey Ortiz 2023 MLB Stats: 15 G, 34 PA, .212/.206/.242 AAA Stats: 88 G, 389 PA, .321/.378/.507, 9 HR 2024 Projections (ZiPS): 94 G, 406 PA, .241/.297/.371, 8 HR, 1.1 fWAR; PECOTA: 360 PA, .237/.298/.367, 7 HR, 0.4 WARP, 86 DRC+, 18.1% K, 7.2% BB Scouting Report: Ortiz came over with pitcher DL Hall from Baltimore in the Corbin Burnes trade. He is a plus defender at shortstop and is projected as an adequate third baseman in the short term, although is expected to move to SS if (and when) Willy Adames gets moved. Ortiz is on the small side (5’9”, 190) but has consistently registered high exit velocities in the minors and appears to have enough pop to hit 10-15 HRs in the bigs. His career K percentage is 17.2, well below the major league average last year of 22.7. Ortiz is average at drawing a free pass with his 9.5% walk rate. The 25-year-old is an average runner and won’t steal a ton of bases, but won’t be a pylon on the bases, either. Ortiz worked hard during the minor league shutdown of 2020, moving him up the organizational list in the eyes of Orioles brass, but had his 2021 season ended with a torn labrum in his left (non-throwing) shoulder that required surgery. The injury has healed and should not be a problem going forward. At this early time, the right-handed batter should be the front-runner at third base but could just as easily be slotted into the starting spot at SS should Adames be traded before the season. The Backup/Utility Guy: Andruw Monasterio 2023 MLB Stats: 92 G, 315 PA, .259/.330/.348, 3 HR, 1.3 bWAR 2024 Projections (ZiPS): 45 G, 196 PA, .249/.330/.361, 3 HR, 0.7 fWAR; PECOTA: 252 PA, .242/.322/.353, 4 HR, 0.5 WARP, 92 DRC+, 19.8% K, 9.5% BB Scouting Report: The 25-year-old was signed as a free agent by the Brewers after the 2021 campaign but didn’t make his big-league debut until the end of May 2023. He had 21 multi-hit games, and his batting average was up to .307 in late July after a two-week hot streak that saw him hit .400 (16-for-40). Monasterio came back to earth the last two months and finished with decent numbers for his rookie season. The right-handed hitter from Venezuela was versatile, as he made 48 starts at third, 21 starts at second, and even started the game twice as a shortstop. Monasterio was very good against LHP, slashing .291/.387/.392 in 93 plate appearances. His 2024 season depends on how Brice Turang and Ortiz perform. Monasterio can start at either 2B or 3B and is a decent defender, with above-average speed and arm strength. Other Options: At this point, three other candidates are on the 40-man roster: Vinny Capra, Oliver Dunn, and Owen Miller. All three have minor league options left. Miller is rated the most likely of the three to see substantial playing time in Milwaukee, according to the ZiPS projections. Capra and Dunn will most likely provide organizational depth to begin the season. A trio of non-roster invitees add to the mix. The highly touted duo of Tyler Black and Brock Wilken will get opportunities to flash their wares in Arizona over the next few weeks. Black has a decent chance to stick on the big-league roster, while Wilken probably needs more seasoning, likely at Double-A Biloxi to start the year. Veteran Christian Arroyo signed a minor league NRI contract last month and has played seven years in the bigs. Arroyo can play any spot in the infield and can even patrol a corner garden spot in a pinch. He, however, has no minor league options left. Many Brewer fans would like to see Tyler Black win a starting job at 3B. His plus hit and run tools have helped him to advance nicely through the farm system, but he is unlikely to steal 55 bases in the big leagues. A successful spring would most likely ensure that he would start the season in Milwaukee. The Big Questions: Can Joey Ortiz hit well enough to keep a starting role? His glove will never be in question, but he needs to perform at the dish as well. Monasterio can play in the bigs, but his role will be decided by how Ortiz and Turang do at 3B and 2B, respectively. Miller, Capra, Dunn, Arroyo, and Black might be battling for one spot, depending on how manager Pat Murphy sets his roster. Wilken might see some action in Milwaukee this year, but it would most likely be as a late-season call-up. Readers, can Joey Ortiz win the third base job and hit well enough to keep it? Where will Monasterio play—starter or utility guy? How soon until we see Black and Wilken in Milwaukee? View full article

Nice report Matthew!!

Great job, Joseph! The bad news? You make the rest of us look like slackers! 😇

Neither does Sgt. Schultz. 🤠

He was a decent player with power and a good arm. Seems he was kinda fast, maybe ran like a ...deer?😁

Rob, you need to come back and be our #4 slugger 🙂

He just seems to be a likeable guy, and I hope those type of players succeed, as well!

Hampton probably won't be big-league ready until the second half, earliest and Lalane? His ETA is 2026 at best and a lot can happen between now and then. Another website proposes Williams for Will Warren, 3B Tyler Hardman, and RHP Justin Lange. I say throw in OF Jace Avina, along with Hampton and Lalane and call it a deal.

I like the potential of both Hall and Ortiz. All the pundits that I have read said Baltimore got the better of the deal. I think Hall can become our next Josh Hader at some point, maybe even this year. Package Williams and Adames for a quality starter and let Ortiz slide into SS. That is my best path for success from these two.

I beat him to it a few weeks back in an article, but my editor took it out and replaced it with 'a combination.' 😪

I think either Carlos F. or Gasser will be the most likely to make a splash from the NRI group. If Clarke or Wilken are that person, the Brewers have a major problem (loss of Contreras or Rhys Lightning).

I like the Hoskins signing. As I mentioned on another post, he will hit 35 HRs *if* he stays healthy. To me, Arroyo, Crow, and Dunn sound like organizational depth...

He will hit 35 jacks if he stays healthy...mark it!!

I like Lara and Wilken for sure. Might have to take a trip to AppleTown and watch the T-Rats this summer.

Bummer

Suter would be a great add. Least of all, for his humor.

Yes, and that is a HUGE problem.

Six years ago, third baseman Lucas Erceg was ranked fourth on the Milwaukee Brewers Top Prospects list by mlb.com. Today, he is hoping to become a regular member of the bullpen for the Oakland A’s in 2024. Image courtesy of © Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports Lucas Erceg stood on the mound at Minute Maid Park on May 19, 2023, during his big-league debut. As he looked around, he saw his wife Emma and a couple of friends in the stands. He worked one inning and although it wasn’t perfect, it was perfect to him. “Being drafted as a position player, it didn’t work out the way I wanted to, but I still had the second opportunity to continue my career as a pitcher, and I’ve put in a lot of hard work to get to where I am today,” Erceg said. Erceg was drafted by the Brewers in the 2nd round of the 2016 June Amateur Draft. He was the 46th overall pick, ahead of fellow second-rounders Bryan Reynolds, Pete Alonso, and Bo Bichette. Those three guys have all played at least 500 games in the big leagues, and they have all played in at least one All-Star game. Erceg finally made it to the majors in 2023—as a pitcher. Erceg’s circuitous journey is one worth looking at: a journey of depression, alcohol, and finally, healing. Drafted out of Menlo College (CA) Erceg signed a few days later for $1.15 million. He began his professional career in Helena, Montana, playing in the Rookie Pioneer League. Erceg lived up to his reputation, slashing .400/.452/.552 in 115 plate appearances, earning him a promotion to Low-A Wisconsin in the Midwest League. The 6-foot-2, 215-pound southpaw swinger didn’t disappoint in the higher classification, hitting .281/.328/.497 across 180 trips to the plate. In 2017, Erceg played most of the campaign at High-A Carolina in the Carolina League and performed well, slashing .256/.307/.417 in 127 games. He was promoted to Triple-A Colorado Springs, mostly as another bat in the Sky Sox’ playoff run, which ended short as they were defeated in the semifinal round of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) playoffs. In his short stint, Erceg went 4-for-10 with a pair of doubles and RBIs. He finished the season playing for the Salt River Rafters in the Arizona Fall League, slashing .250/.278/.404 in 14 games. Erceg played at Double-A Southern League Biloxi in 2018, slashing .248/.306/.382 across 508 plate appearances. That earned him a promotion the next season to Triple-A San Antonio in the PCL. He dropped to eighth on the 2019 Brewers top prospect list. One concern was that he was expanding his zone and swinging at poor pitches, resulting in weak-hit balls. Erceg only slashed .219/.305/.398 in 406 trips, including 15 home runs. After the season, he dropped to #24 on the Brewers top prospect list, with the rankings following his performance. The 2020 minor league season was wiped out by Covid, but Erceg played independent ball in the Constellation Energy League, based in Texas. The season was a flop by all measures, with a slash line of .180/.245/.202 in 89 ABs and only two extra-base hits. The pandemic, frustration about his worsening numbers, and drinking all led to depression. Erceg decided to do something about it and started by giving up drinking on June 10, 2020. The day after, Erceg said “everything looked brighter.” Next spring, the Brewers gave Erceg a chance to pitch as well as play in the field during spring training in Arizona. They probably agreed for two reasons: Erceg’s career as a 3B had stalled, and he was able to throw 97-100 miles per hour. He did okay in his first attempt at a Shohei Ohtani impersonation, slashing .223/.270/.379 in 112 trips, while starting 13 games (22 appearances) on the mound, with an elevated, but probably expected WHIP of 1.53 and an ERA of 5.29 across 47 2/3 innings. Not great, but you must start somewhere. Erceg became a full-time pitcher in 2022 and made his Brewer debut in spring training and impressed manager Craig Counsell, who said, “Good velocity, great arm. I think we’re all really interested in watching him and we’ll see what happens.” The right-handed hurler began the season in Biloxi and although his numbers weren’t the greatest, he was promoted to Triple-A Nashville. Erceg upped his game, posting not-great-but-good numbers in 33 appearances. For the year, he pitched in 49 games to a 4.55 ERA, 1.65 WHIP, and 10.1 K/9. All in all, it looked like a season of someone just learning how to pitch. In 2023, he began pitching for Nashville, appearing in only 13 games before he was acquired by the Oakland A’s in mid-May for cash considerations. Although he was initially assigned to Triple-A Las Vegas, he instead made his major league debut May 19 in Houston. Erceg was treated rudely by the Astros, allowing two hits, one run, and one walk in an inning of work. He notched his first major league win on May 29 against the Braves, pitching three perfect innings while striking out four. He struggled in July and early August, giving up 18 earned runs in 12 1/3 innings (13.14 ERA) during that stretch. Erceg finished strong, allowing only three earned runs in 20 2/3 innings (1.31 ERA) from mid-August to the end of the season, a stretch of 18 games. Erceg finished his rookie campaign with 50 appearances, striking out 68 batters in 55 innings. He still needs to work on his control (36 walks), but his potential is seemingly unlimited. He throws a four-seamer, two-seamer, change, and slider. And he has touched 100 on the gun. All the trials and tribulations have made Erceg a better player, and a better man. He has been sober for three and one-half years and has wife Emma as his support staff. Another person solidly in Erceg’s corner is former Menlo College coach Jake McKinley. “No matter what happens in his baseball career, I am just proud of him as a person,” said McKinley, who is now the Brewers vice president of player development. “The big leagues are hard,” Erceg told Martin Gallegos of A’s Beat. “It definitely will expose you in terms of what you need to get better at. I think that’s the best part about having so many games played in the big leagues this year. Now I get to go into this offseason with a list of improvements I need to make. Now that I understand how hard this game is, it’s only going to push me to get better this offseason.” With all Lucas Erceg has gone through, it’s not hard to wish him the best, even if he isn’t a Brewer. View full article

Good piece, Harold!

Whoa

Has anybody gone back to last year's projections and see how close they were?

Comparison (career numbers) BA Ramirez .289 Miller .241 OPS Ramirez .748 Miller .638 Although he is not a huge power guy, H-Ram would hit 15-20 HRs for Milwaukee. Use him and Contreras at DH and let Yelich, et al. fend for themselves. I think it would be a good pick-up.

I say let her do her job and see how it goes. At the end of the year, we can talk then... Good luck, Luisa!!

'Miz' has a higher ceiling and could end up as a #1 starter but could just as easily be used as a high-leverage reliever. To me, CFR will eventually be slotted as a #2 or #3 starter. I think CFR has a higher floor but probably won't reach the heights that Miz could.