Matt Breen

I don't get too invested in the MLB Draft because I don't know the guys that well. But back in 2106 I really liked Taylor Trammell. I was hoping he'd drop to us at #46. He went to the Reds at #35.

This post made me shudder. Seriously, I just shuddered reading the numbers.

Sounds like the members of a boy band. Tuffy, Jake, Deolis and Angel. Teen heart throbs.

I’m just going to ask for everyone to not discuss politics here. If it continues, we will delete the specific posts. Thank you.

Well, getting rid of Delly AND Henson from the roster was a pretty impressive feat. Delly was pretty much nothing at this point - so no harm there. And Henson will be out for most of the year, so we are only losing him for next year. Losing the 1st round pick will suck, but that's the way the game goes. Hill is nothing special, but the guy is a good 3-point shooter, so he should help this year.

Here's an interesting analysis of the Carrasco signing. https://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/cleveland-rotation-picture-gets-a-little-clearer/ Carrasco will be 32 in March. He was already under contract through two more seasons (both club options). Those options are now guaranteed with the new deal - netting him $20M from 2019-20. And the then there is the extension - which is for his age 34-36 years - guaranteeing him an additional $27M (or $38M if his 2022 option vests). That's a minimum of $47M and a maximum of $58M. Without the next contract, those age 34-36 years are not guaranteed money (heck, even the 2019 and 2020 contracts aren't guaranteed as they are club options). We can't forget that pitchers can falter pretty quickly in those years. Yes, Carrasco could have waited two more years and hit free agency at age 34. If he continued to pitch well, he would have netted a lot more than $38M over the next three years. But again, there's no guarantee. Also, Carrasco wants to pitch in Cleveland. This keeps him there for a long time, which appears to be exactly what he wanted. He did not want to get traded or be forced to seek work elsewhere. In the end, it doesn't look like a great deal for Carrasco, but considering the years it covers - and some other factors, he seems to be happy with it.

Tragic to read this. The situation in Venezuela is pretty chaotic in some places - and can be dangerous. Wilson Ramos was kidnapped back in 2011. And another player's mother was kidnapped as well. https://sports.yahoo.com/four-people-arrested-details-emerge-car-crash-killed-former-mlb-players-211549482.html

We are the smallest market.......we can and do spend money.....we just can't compete financially with big market teams. These are facts.......you don't have to like them but it's silly to ignore financial realities. We have limitations that many other markets don't have so mistakes that we make hurt more. If you let that kind of rational run your team then you might as well give up. Before you start. If your not going to make a move or spend money because you might fail you have failed allready,and yes we are the smallest market but not the smallest revenue in MLB. He never said this at all. He said 'we can and do spend money' - we just have to do it more carefully than bigger markets.

Infielder Luis Valbuena, who played 11 years in the majors, including the last two with the Angels, was killed in a car accident in Venezuela. For major leaguer José Castillo, who played from 2004-08 in the majors, was also killed. Both men had been playing ball in the Venezuelan Winter League. Valbuena was primarily a 2B/3B in his career. He never hit for high averages, but had some pop, hitting more than 20 HRs twice. Castillo was an infielder who played primarily with Pittsburgh. https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2018/12/luis-valbuena-former-pirates-infielder-jose-castillo-killed-in-car-accident-in-venezuela.html

The other thing about making moves to get better is that the 'getting better' part can often take place from within. We had Burnes, Peralta and Woodruff for around 150 innings last year. Davies threw 350+ innings in 2016/17 for a 3.90ish ERA, but only threw 66 innings last year. Arcia hit .280+ over the last two months, and really produced in the playoffs. And what if Santana gets back to his 2017 form? A few of these guys could really take a step forward/rebound and make a huge difference in 2019. No doubt we have some moves to make. I expect a left handed starter, a catcher and a 2B. Maybe a reliever. Also, no doubt some players regress in 2019. But we won 96 games last year, so I'm not going to worry if we settle on making modest moves to fill the holes we have. Yes, I'd love a big move like getting Thor or Bumgarner or Keuchel. But it has to be on our terms.

This is about what most people suspected he would get. That he couldn't agree to a similar amount with Milwaukee demonstrates that we didn't like him - even at that price. Or he preferred to move on from the Brewers. Schoop also could have thought that he would have gotten more as a FA - but most analysts were pretty universal in saying that he wasn't going to get $10M.

Reported numbers: 2019: $9.75M 2020: $10.25M 2021: $12M 2022: $12M 2023: $14M club option or a $3M buyout If true, that's a really good deal for the Indians.

This happens every off season - as well at the trade deadline. We hear the same things: - Every team is getting better but us. - Every team is doing something but us. - Stearns is being schooled by the other GMs. - Stearns needs to put on his big boy pants and get things done. - Mark A. needs to step up and spend more money. - etc., etc., etc. In the end, no one knows what our team is up to. The talks they have today behind closed doors may very well lead to actions in a week or a month or two months. Sure you can force the issue. You can overpay for a free agent. Or give more for a trade than the other guys. But that just ends up coming back to bite you in the end. The Crew has a plan - including a budget. I do not doubt the front office is carefully calculating how they can maximize the available dollars. Just have to be patient.

The Indians inked Carlos Carrasco to an extension. His $10.25M option for 2020 is guaranteed, and he gets a two-year extension for for 2020-21, plus a with vesting option for 2023. The extension covers Carrasco’s age 34 and 35 seasons. The vesting option is for his age 36 campaign. Carrasco has quietly been a very good - and consistent - pitcher for Cleveland. Over the last five years, he's averaged 4.0+ WAR a season - never lower than 3.1 WAR. I'm guessing that if Cleveland is serious about trading a starter, Carrasco is probably not the guy they will move. Reported numbers: 2019: $9.75M 2020: $10.25M 2021: $12M 2022: $12M 2023: $14M club option or a $3M buyout

Bieber has quite a bit more value than Domingo. If the Indians offered the trade, I'd do it in a second.

Yep. It's interesting to see the starting pitcher market develop. The prices appear to be a little higher than anticipated. Next in line will be Keuchel, Happ and Morton. Not sure where Kikuchi fits in things. But after those guys, you get into the next tier of starters - Gio, Miley, Sanchez, Harvey, Lynn, Holland, Pomeranz, etc. I'm guessing the Brewers go shopping for a left hander in the latter bin as Keuchel and Happ will be getting more than we want to spend. That means Miley, Gio, Holland, Pomeranz -- probably forgotten someone, but you get the idea. With these guys we limit the money - and just as important - the years.

Now they are saying $140M for 6 years. There will likely be deferrals.

Said to be around $126M. That translates into $21M per year.

Yeah, I think they'll add a left-handed starter. I'm sure they'll check out the entire market - both trade options and free agency. And they will no doubt kick tires on the big fish such as Corbin and Keuchel - as well as the guys mentioned above. I'm guessing they'll do their homework on Yusei Kikuchi as well. They're smart to look at all these guys as you never know what will or won't work.

Thanks much.

One thing I didn't note was the volume of players at AAA. Hiura, Brown, Ray, Dubon, Nottingham, Erceg, Supak, Stokes, Gatewood, Taylor, and Ponce - 11 of our top 25 are projected for San Antonio. The other thing I didn't note was that none of the top 25 are ticketed for Milwaukee except for Houser (which isn't a guarantee). We had a nice wave of young pitchers last year - Woodruff, Peralta, Burnes and T. Williams - all come up and contribute. I'm guessing we'll see this next wave of players as the season progresses. It will be interesting to see what players can make an impact at the big league level.

Observations from the voting. As this was our post season poll, participation was fairly low (34 voters) which is common. Keston Hiura was - almost - an unanimous #1 selection. One voter selected Cam Roegner, preventing the sweep. With only one graduate (Burnes), there wasn't a ton of movement. The big moves came from Braden Webb, Aaron Ashby and Tyrone Taylor. Ashby's rise, especially with such a short track record, was pretty amazing. The return of Tyrone Taylor is sort of a nice feel good story. Once a top 100 prospect - and #2 on our polls - his return is pretty fascinating.

Thanks to everyone who participated in this version of our Top 25 poll. Here are some numbers: Gone from the Top 25: Burnes (graduated), McClanahan (dropped to 27), Torres-Costa (dropped to 28) Newcomers to Top 25: Braden Webb, Je'Von Ward, Tyrone Taylor (technically a re-entry) Number of ballots: 34 Number of players on ballots: 73 Mr. Irrelevant (1 point): Dantel Ramirez. Michael Mediavilla, Bowden Francis, Nate Griep Risers: Webb, Ashby, Taylor Fallers: Torres-Costa (due to Tommy John surgery), Lemons (just hasn't pitch much yet) Please know that all write ups are my own observations and opinions. If you see any mistakes, please let me know. Sometimes autocorrect will trick me. Or I’ll cut and paste something incorrectly. Other times I just mess something up. I will update as needed.

#1 ( - ) Keston Hiura, 2B, age 22 847 points (33 1st place votes) - 34 of 34 ballots Hit .293 in 2018, then won MVP of the Arizona Fall League with a line of .323/.371/.563 with six doubles, a triple, five home runs and 33 RBI. Reports are that his defense has been fine. Hiura has the potential to be the best bat produced by the Brewer system in a decade. 2019 Destination: AAA San Antonio #2 ( +1 ) Corey Ray, OF, age 24 759 points - 34 of 34 ballots Production waned in the last month of the 2018 season, but Ray still finished with 66 extra base hits, including 27 HRs. Took a big leap in 2018, but probably needs to show more contact going forward if he wants to hit for a higher batting average. Brewers Minor League Hitter of the Year in 2019. 2019 Destination: AAA San Antonio #3 ( +3 ) Zack Brown, RHSP, age 24 754 points - 34 of 34 ballots Brown does not overwhelm with any one pitch, but the man just keeps producing, posting a 2.40 ERA while going 9-1. With his high effort delivery, some predict his future is in the bullpen, but he’ll stay in the rotation as long as he keeps putting up strong numbers. Brewers Minor League Pitcher of the Year in 2019. 2019 Destination: AAA San Antonio #4 ( +1 ) Brice Turang, SS, age 19 721 points - 34 of 34 ballots The Brewers top pick in 2018, Turang showed a lot of nice traits in his debut. He hit for average (.283 BA), worked counts deep, took his walks (15.8% walk rate), stole a bunch of bases (14 to be exact), and displayed a first-rate glove. On the flip side, he had only 8 extra base hits on the year - showing his lack of power. 2019 Destination: A- Wisconsin #5 ( -1 ) Tristen Lutz, OF, age 20 711 points - 34 of 34 ballots Sporting great raw power, the Brewers are hoping that Lutz emerges as the organization’s best power bat in the next couple of years. Lutz had a middling full-season debut in 2018, but showed good progress throughout the year. 2019 Destination: A+ Carolina #6 ( +1 ) Lucas Erceg, 3B, age 23 618 points - 34 of 34 ballots Erceg has produced solid, yet uninspiring numbers the last two years - and has not tapped into the raw power he possesses. 2019 will be a big year for him as he needs to improve at the plate if he is going to be the Crew’s answer at the Hot Corner in the future. 2019 Destination: AAA San Antonio #7 ( +1 ) Mauricio Dubon, 2B/SS, age 24 602 points - 33 of 34 ballots A torn ACL prematurely ended Dubon’s fine 2018 season, but he is expected to be back at full strength for Spring Training. Dubon’s challenge is to demonstrate that - outside of the thin Colorado air - he is more than a singles hitter. He has a chance to begin 2019 in Milwaukee, but we’re guessing the club lets him round into baseball shape playing full time in San Antonio. But expect Dubon to make his major league debut sometime this upcoming season. 2019 Destination: AAA San Antonio #8 ( +1 ) Jacob Nottingham, C, age 23 524 points - 33 of 34 ballots While Nottingham could break camp with the big league club out of spring training, odds are that he heads to San Antonio for some more seasoning. The big catcher has greatly improved his work behind the plate and upped his offensive output. If he can sustain his improvements - and stay healthy - he should get a sustained look by the Crew in the near future. 2019 Destination: AAA San Antonio #9 ( +1 ) Trey Supak, RHSP, age 22 508 points - 33 of 34 ballots The big right hander continued to solidify his prospect status with a fine campaign in 2018, producing a 2.48 ERA and 123k in 137.2 innings across Carolina and Biloxi. Supak doesn’t have a standout tool, which may limit his upside, but his overall progress is encouraging. 2019 Destination: AAA San Antonio #10 ( +13 ) Aaron Ashby, LHSP, age 20 494 points - 33 of 34 ballots The Brewers 4th round pick in 2018, Ashby has rocketed up our prospect list after dominating at Wisconsin (albeit in only 37.1 innings) late in the season. For the year, he struck out 66 batters in just 57.2 innings. The 20-year old Ashby has some wicked stuff, including a plus fastball/slider and curveball. Like so many young pitchers, he will need to refine his command if he is going to become an elite prospect. 2019 Destination: A+ Carolina #11 ( - ) Troy Stokes, Jr., OF, age 23 451 points - 31 of 34 ballots Speed, power and patience are Troy Stokes, Jr.’s game, however, a below average arm and mediocre hit tool limit his upside. In the end, the strengths give Stokes, Jr. a good chance to reach the major leagues in the next year or two. 2019 Destination: AAA San Antonio #12 ( - ) Marcos Diplan, RHSP, age 22 351 points - 32 of 34 ballots Diplan has basically not changed as a pitcher since joining the Crew. While brilliant at times, his performances are erratic. No longer a teenager, Diplan will need to grow as pitcher in 2019 to maintain his prospect cache. The inconsistency and lack of command could mean a move to the bullpen in the future. 2019 Destination: AA Biloxi #13 ( +17 ) Braden Webb, RHSP, age 22 337 points - 27 of 34 ballots A lack of command has plagued Braden Webb throughout his short professional career (105BB in 207 IP), but the former 3rd round pick has risen up the prospect ranks due to a quality fastball and excellent curve. Webb will need to sharpen up his control as he faces more advanced batters, but our voters were impressed with Webb’s progress throughout the 2018 season. 2019 Destination: AA Biloxi #14 ( +1 ) Payton Henry, RHSP, age 22 331 points - 28 of 34 ballots Strong bat who has yet to tap into his power. Henry has progressed on the defensive side of the spectrum, but saw his bat swooned after the all-star break (.795 OPS pre break vs .621 OPS post break). In addition to avoiding the long funks, Henry will need to cut down his strikeouts (32%). 2019 Destination: A+ Carolina #15 ( +2 ) Carlos Rodriguez, OF, age 18 327 points - 31 of 34 ballots Hit .325 at age 17 and you will get noticed. That’s exactly what Carlos Rodriguez did in 2018. The young OF flashes speed, good defense and the ability to hit. It’s a special mix for someone so young. The next question will be what kind of power he develops as he matures. 2019 Destination: Rocky Mountain Vibes (ROK) #16 ( -3 ) Adrian Houser, RHP, age 26 326 points - 28 of 34 ballots Houser offers an interesting challenge for 2019. He has no options remaining, meaning if the Brewers decide to send him to the minors, he must be placed on waivers and can be claimed by any other organization. It’s highly unlikely that he would clear waivers - and we’d lose him for nothing. Our guess is that the Crew will go with Houser in the bullpen in 2019 as there is some solid upside in the man. He has a first rate fastball and curve. His command is spotty, but it won’t be as much of an issue in a relief role. Houser is - to a degree - still rounding into form since recovering from Tommy John surgery and missing signifiant chunks of playing time in 2016 and 2017. He was inconsistent in 2018, but showed flashes of being something special. If the Brewers don’t have a place for Houser in Milwaukee, he will likely be dealt. 2019 Destination: Milwaukee or another organization #17 ( -1 ) Joe Gray, OF, age 19 294 points - 27 of 34 ballots Gray is a classic project. He is a guy with huge power, great bat speed, a cannon for an arm, and good speed. However, his hit tool is lacking, and he is easily fooled by breaking stuff. Thus far, this has led to a lot of strike outs and a low batting average (although the sample is just 24 games). Fans and the organization will need to be patient with Gray as it will take time to adjust to professional ball. No matter, it will be fun to see how the young man performs in the coming years. 2019 Destination: Rocky Mountain Vibes (ROK) #18 ( -3 ) Jake Gatewood, 1B, age 23 293 points - 28 of 34 ballots Gatewood had already hit a career high 19 HR when he tore his ACL in July, ending his season. A tall, powerful man, Gatewood reworked his swing over the years in an attempt to tap into his tremendous raw power and cut down on his strikeouts. Fans will want to see if Gatewood can put things together as he moves to the top rung of the minors in 2019. 2019 Destination: AAA San Antonio #19 ( -3 ) Trent Grisham, OF, age 22 209 points - 24 of 34 ballots 2019 will be big for Grisham. After a promising pro debut in 2015, he has put up middling numbers at each stop. While Grisham has plenty of patience and speed, the organization needs him to rediscover the swing that made him one of the nation’s top prep bats back in 2015. 2019 Destination: AA Biloxi #20 ( -3 ) Micah Bello, OF, age 18 157 points - 20 of 34 ballots The Brewers Competitive Balance B draft pick (73rd overall) in 2018, Bello is a contact-oriented hitter with good speed and a quality arm. He takes his walks and makes decent contact, but will need add to strength in his now-slight frame. 2019 Destination: Rocky Mountain Vibes (ROK) #21 ( - ) Mario Feliciano, C, age 20 150 points - 20 of 34 ballots Feliciano did not have a good 2018 season, appearing in only 46 games due to a nagging injuries. No matter, he is an intriguing. Analysts are divided as to whether Feliciano will remain behind the plate full time, as well as the upside of his bat. Some see a potential star - particularly if he can stay behind the plate. 2019 Destination: A+ Carolina #22 ( +13 ) Tyrone Taylor, OF, age 25 122 points - 16 of 34 ballots Welcome back, Tyrone Taylor! Taylor ranked #2 in our first BF.net Community Poll back in May of 2014. In August of 2014, he came within one point of taking the #1 spot in our second poll (just missing out to Orlando Arcia). The intervening years were rough on Taylor, but he came back big in 2018, slugging 20 HRs and hitting .278. However, we should temper our enthusiasm as Taylor had a 1.016 OPS in the thin air of Colorado (and just a .636 OPS on the road). Still, the Brewers added Taylor to their 40-man roster this offseason. At this point, Taylor profiles as a fourth outfielder - probably not good enough to play everyday, but a guy who could play all three OF positions as needed, and pinch hit/run. 2019 Destination: AAA San Antonio #23 ( +4 ) Je’Von Ward, OF, age 19 112 points - 21 of 34 ballots After just missing out on making it into our hallowed list last summer (he came in at #27), Ward debuts in our Top 25 poll on the heels of hitting .307 at Helena. A good athlete, Ward displays plus speed and raw power - the latter of which will need to be unlocked in the coming years. 2019 Destination: A- Wisconsin #24 ( - ) Cody Ponce, RHP, age 24 109 points - 16 of 34 ballots Despite a solid, well-rounded profile, Ponce has never been able to produce results that get people excited. The talent is there - it’s about putting it all together and staying healthy. After starting most of his professional career, the Brewers shifted Ponce to the bullpen last summer. If that is any indication, his future may be that of a multi-inning reliever. 2019 Destination: AAA San Antonio #25 ( -5 ) Caden Lemons, RHP, age 20 97 points - 20 of 34 ballots Lemons has only thrown 34 innings in his two professional seasons. At 6’6”, he offers a projectable frame and a plus fastball - as well as spotty command. In 2019, we should finally see Lemons unleashed by the organization. 2019 Destination: Rocky Mountain Vibes (ROK) All ages listed are as of April 1, 2019. All 2019 destinations are the best guess of the dude running this whole thing. The rest Pablo Abreu - 78 Chad McClanahan - 74 Quintin Torres-Costa - 61 Larry Ernesto - 48 Jon Olczak - 44 Cam Roegner - 43 (also received a 1st place vote) Nathan Kirby - 41 Clayton Andrews - 39 Weston Wilson - 35 Bubba Derby - 35 Conor Harber - 31 Leugim Castillo - 21 David Fry - 18 Phil Bickford - 17 Eddie Silva - 15 Joantel Segovia - 14 Ryan Aguilar - 14 Devin Williams - 14 Max Lazar - 14 Andres Melendez - 14 Joey Matulovich - 14 Scott Sunitsch - 13 Jolon Lun/Zhao - 13 Cooper Hummel - 13 Justin Jarvis - 11 Luis Aviles, Jr. - 11 Jake Hager - 10 Drew Rasmussen - 9 Jesus Chirinos - 8 Eduardo Garcia - 7 Yeison Coca - 7 Aaron Wilkerson - 7 Thomas Jankins - 6 Dylan File - 5 Branlyn Jaraba - 5 Justin Bullock - 5 Victor Vargas - 4 Zach Clark - 4 Daniel Brown - 4 Eduarqui Fernandez - 4 Miguel Sanchez - 4 Michele Vassalotti - 3 Jorge Ortega - 3 Henry Medina - 2 Dantel Ramirez - 1 Michael Mediavilla - 1 Bowden Francis - 1 Nate Griep - 1 Original voting thread: viewtopic.php?f=64&t=37829

Maybe we sign Jonathan Schoop for 1-year, $6M.