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rafa79

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Everything posted by rafa79

  1. rafa79
    Even though the Brewers are well-known for getting the most out of pitchers, especially when others have failed, Woodford's awful numbers the last 3-4 years has me skeptical. Throw in the fact that the Rays gave up on him and they are essentially the Brewers of the AL (though not as successful as of late), I feel Woodford is going to cough up a few games before the Brewers realized he's not up to par. Please make me wrong Jake Woodford, I'd like nothing more!
  2. rafa79
    Johnny Briggs was a part of one of the bigger, earlier moments I experienced as a Brewer fan. I was just 10 years old and it was my first year watching the Brewers in the Summer of 1971. Briggs was in left field and the ball was hit deep into the gap at good old Milwaukee County Stadium. Briggs went back and made a fantastic jumping catch as he crashed into the wall. For those of you who are "more mature in your years" like me, the old ballpark had a solid, yellow metal rail, like a strong pipe around the outfield going around the stadium. Briggs head slammed into that rail and even though he made the catch, he hit his head hard against the rail, the ball popped out of his glove as Briggs was essentially cold-cocked! The batter ran around the bases as the other Brewer outfielder ran to get the ball. I was screaming, literally, "that's not fair, he caught the ball, he caught the ball!" The batter got an inside the park homer and Briggs didn't move on the field for at least a minute. Medical staff had to help him off but he was ok the next day. Briggs, my first really big Brewers moment and he was a hero to me.
  3. rafa79
    I'm not ignorant that this the analysis here is subjective. I'm super happy that a big Brewers "issue" is figuring out who will start after the first 3 starters and of course, it's because their are a lot of good candidates. As for the listed pecking order in the article, I'd be astonished if Harrison is behind the other pitchers listed. By that I mean, while it's open competition, behind closed doors, the Brewers must have Harrison in already as the #4 or at the worst, #5 starter even if it's only in pencil. He's got 37 starts and before someone says they've been subpar, his stats are consistent with a 4/5 tweener. I'm a HUGE Chad Patrick fan and like Henderson as well as Gasser almost as much. Patrick's stellar work in the BP might have him in there again, we'll see but you can't ignore his 23 starts. I agree with the article that Henderson's ceiling is higher than Patrick and IMO, a lot of the others. Now, he has to get a solid third pitch and that's why I see him in AAA ....for the time being.
  4. rafa79
    Hmmm, this might be a first in that I don't agree completely with Jack. Specifically, "those veteran free agents aren't clearly better than their internal options." Now, I have the utmost trust in Matt Arnold and a Williams/Hamilton platoon might work. However, Williams has never played 3B and Hamilton, from college to the minors to MLB has one game under his belt. Ramon Urias has 371 games at 3rd base and won a Gold Glove their in 2022. He has a lifetime .257 BA and only made $3.1 last year. With 3rd base having a lot of possibilities - in 2027, Urias, who had a 2.2 WAR last year is a perfect stopgap. He gets playing time for a bigger contract next year and the Brewers get a proven player. He only got bumped from 3rd at Baltimore because all star Westburg went there.
  5. rafa79
    You wanna make some good money? Bet anybody who thinks that Vaughn was a flash in the pan during 2025. Give me a minute Brewer Nation. Vaughn was the 3rd pick in the 1st round of the 2019 draft by the White Sox. Yeah, only 2 guys selected ahead of him. He was immediately sent to Rookie ball, then to A ball, then High A ball, all during 2019. No baseball in 2020! So, what do the White Sox do? They bring up Vaughn in 2021 with a grand total of 37 minor league games under his belt, never reaching AA or AAA. You want more? Then, the Sox put him out in Left field for the 2021 season, a position he had never played! Geez, what happened to Andrew Vaughn huh? I'm not kidding, look it up, 37 minor league games, then a full year without baseball and people wonder why he didn't progress as a player, and they have him playing the outfield which he was NOT good at and clearly affected his offense. Hey, he gets traded to Milwaukee, plays his normal position and is doing well, what a surprise. Vaughn's 1st year in MLB should have been 2024, maybe 2023 at the earliest. He was thrown to the wolves, heck Chourio spent much more time in the minors than Vaughn and we know Chorio was in AAA for a cup of coffee. Vaughn's going to hit about .275 with 22 home runs, maybe a few more. Book that, he was trashed by that awful baseball team called the Chicago White Sox and is just now coming into his own.
  6. rafa79
    I like Mitchell a lot. That being said, whatever we get from him is a bonus, I'm not counting on him and why would I or anyone else? Sorry, why would you say there's "no reason to think he won't" play a full season when the most he has ever played is 69 games in 2024? In addition, if you add his 2025 and 2023 games played he had a combined 44 games. Mitchell is worth bringing back. You hope he can be a solid platoon player given his injury history but don't COUNT on him to be a regular.
  7. rafa79
    If there's a "surprise" move in the rotation, I agree with Sixto that 5 lefties in the BP might be too much. Ashby told Brewers management at the end of 2025 that he'd like to be considered for a rotation spot again. The Brewers gave him his current contract with that in mind so that's a definite possibility for 2026 though I like him more in the BP.
  8. rafa79
    Good stuff Michael. Honestly, I'm thinking that Williams will be an outfielder for the Brewers. On that note, like you, he starts in AAA for me. However, if track records are to be honored (and I do), Mitchell will have at least some downtime to injury and as much as I like Perkins and his defense, he won't hit enough and Williams will be in CF by July 1 or shortly thereafter. I also think Sproat makes the rotation ahead of Henderson though I think Henderson clearly has the higher ceiling. Henderson has also had injury issues and while the Brewers won't admit it with a gun to their head, Sproat is in the rotation in part because of having to validate the Peralta trade. He's also very good, don't get me wrong, just look at the latest prospect rankings in Baseball America and MLB.
  9. rafa79
    Williams is here for center field, book it. Those of you wondering about how he fits in the infield are correct IMO. Between the current roster and our minor league depth, Williams must be seen as a center fielder.
  10. rafa79
    If the Brewers got Baty among other players in a trade with the Mets, he would play 3b 75% of the time. Durbin would play the other 25% and hopefully see a lot more time in LF. Durbin has played the outfield before and while Chourio is out there for a good chunk, Chourio would also be in CF with Perkins. At least that way, you'd still have a pretty solid outfield defense, Baty is very good at 3B and has more power.
  11. rafa79
    Wow, you said this politely but it's a real strong comment. Moreover, I couldn't disagree more, Ortiz seems very bright to me. Normally when you call out a player or any individual when you think he is lacking in an area, it's best that you come up with multiple examples. You haven't in your post. Moreover, I can't think of one instance where Ortiz looked ....ignorant on a play or in the field. I will say when he's been interviewed he's been articulate, quick to respond and analytical.
  12. rafa79
    To be clear, I do NOT want the Brewers to trade Peralta. This team is very capable and perhaps with a couple minor acquisitions, I'm ready to roll and see what plays out. However, I disagree with two things in this article. I do not think the Yankees are out of the running for Perlata, the Weathers acquisition might actually spur them to try harder. That is, they have some young pitchers who the Brewers may be interested in. Numerous reports have the Brewers specifying that a trade for Peralta would require a MLB ready pitcher. With Weathers, the Yankees could potentially be more motivated to trade one of their young pitchers for Peralta. I'll still pass, unless it's Cam Schlittler which would never happen. Also, the Mets are still very much in the running. Stearns obviously knows Freddy and they have Jonah Tong who could come back. If the Mets think that's too much (he's currently 46 on the MLB Top 100) fine, keep him and no deal. I've mentioned pitching because ALL the confirmed reports mention that as the sticking point. I'd prefer a bat in the outfield or simply keeping Freddy as I mentioned before. We can use a little of our Minor league system for a tweak and go from there if a trade benefits the team this year.
  13. rafa79
    Peralta is my favorite player but no way can the Brewers afford him. Ok, technically they could go all-in and pay him and that would be great. Hmmm, now how do the Brewers sign, extend players in the near future like Turang, Jacob Miz, perhaps Jesus Made? It's a rhetorical question, they don't because they can't. I'd love to have Freddy Peralta in a Brewer uniform for the next 5-6 years but that's not reality in the market that the Brewers are in. Moreover, with the host of young pitchers coming up or already on the team (Miz, Priester, Patrick, Henderson,), it's not necessary or prudent.
  14. rafa79
    Wow, this is really some excellent stuff! I thought you called a move by the Brewers this past year didn't you? Anyway, great article!
  15. rafa79
    Pratt isn't going to be traded, that borders on absurd. Yes, virtually any player can be traded for the right price but it would have to be MORE than a Godfather deal. Luis Pena is a great prospect but struggled for the first time and has an ETA no sooner than 2028. I agree that you have a little logjam but I'm quite sure it will work itself out. I remember the impending OF logjam of just 3 years ago with Yelich, Frelick, Mitchell, Weimer and an upcoming Chourio. We all know what happened: Yelich back issues, Weimer flamed out, Michell constantly hurt. Yes, I know the infield guys we're talking about are overall more talented than the OF guys I mentioned (except for Chourio of course) but it worked out nonetheless.
  16. rafa79
    Next year could be the year McGee finds success ......or gets DFA'd.
  17. rafa79
    Although the reports of the Brewers having payroll problems a couple weeks ago were clearly wrong or exaggerated, we don't need to spend money in this matter. As others have mentioned, money can be better spent elsewhere and I think our pitching depth, while young, is outstanding. Any possible extra money the Brewers have at this point should be saved for the trade deadline. I recall a few years ago, the reports were accurate that the Brewers were in a money-crunch at the deadline and couldn't take on any more payroll. That was a certainly a problem.
  18. rafa79
    Homework note - Molitor and Yount came up to the majors in the 70s - I was in a backpack at the World Series in 1982 and grew up as a big Molitor fan! Telemachus, I'm glad you were at the 1982 Worls Series in a backpack, truly. I was there with friends and in the bar after game 5. As for Yount and Molitor, c'mon, we both know they did their prominent stuff in the 1980's, Molitor doesn't even come up to the Brewers until 1978. As for my lists, wow, yes again. I use what the scouts use: MLB Pipeline and Baseball America. You are right that a new list will come out later, probably in Spring. Burke might very well not be on the top 30 anymore. Yes, different lists/sources but like I told my students for 28 years, the best sources carry the most weight when making a point. Brewerfan, you need help. I'm not confusing Made and Pratt. As for Made, we all agree he's on the fast track but Pratt is almost certainly coming up sooner. Moreover, you clearly have not read what the Brewer Brass has said about Pratt. Also, Brock Wilken went from a top 10 prospect down to 17 in less than half a year. I feel sorry for the young man since he got beaned in the face with a pitch. Still, he's digressing, not coming up in rank to this point. By the way, Made doesn't turn 19 until May, 2026.
  19. rafa79
    OMG, Quero being MLB ready defensively is absolutely NOT simply my perspective! This has been written and discussed a number of times by the Brewer beat writers and MLB analysts, it goes back to the 2024 season when people said he was ready. Truly, Quero's defense has always been his calling card, it's his offense, which is now decent, that had to catch up.
  20. rafa79
    Wow, I know this is all fun and opinion-based but some of this is .......I'll be nice, hard to fathom for one second. Any talk about 2027 that doesn't include Pratt or Pena is like talking about the 1980's Brewers and not including Yount or Molitor. Ok, many of you guys weren't even alive so maybe that doesn't move you. Please, look at the MLB analysis of some of the players you've mentioned. Burke is rated #29 in the Brewers top 30 and falling in rank. Same with some bloggers who mentioned Brock Wilken who was 8/9 18 months ago and is now #17. Back to Burke ...how do you say DH since the reports are VERY clear, he's very poor defensively. Yes, even at 1st. Same with Andrew Fischer who I like and is very much in the picture for the future but at 3rd?! Again, the reports talk about how he was moved off of 3rd in college because of his lack of range but he's going to do better in MLB? Contreras would be nice but he'll be gone, Quero is already MLB-ready defensively and would have a year under his belt if not for injuries. I do like the discussion of Dinges. Again, Pratt is Turang #2, all you have to do is listen and read about how the Brewers are ga-ga about him. Pena? The #18 prospect in all of MLB minor league players, that's approximately 3,000 players and not one mention. Sorry, really, but a lot more homework was needed here.
  21. rafa79
    I'm motivated to trade Megill this off-season because we have a deep bullpen and of course, Uribe as a closer. My bigger concern is trading him straight up and getting an "ok" player as opposed to having him as part of a package deal and getting a very good player.
  22. rafa79
    Absolutely, 2026 is THE go for it year. However, I can get that impact bat without trading Pratt. Obviously, it just comes down to who you think is going to help the Brewers more. Pena and Pratt are going to be solid in my opinion, I just prefer to keep Pratt. So yeah, go for it and make a REALLY good package that most likely has Pena as the headliner along with another solid player or two.
  23. rafa79
    Agree completely with dealing from a strength to cover a weakness. And, you hit the nail right on top with your definition and need for a legit outfield bat. However, although Pena is rated higher, I'm trading him and one of the young arms instead of Pratt. Made and Pena will make more "wow" plays but Pratt is Mr. Consistency while still performing at a very high level. Oh yeah, Made is obviously never going to be traded, he's Chourio #2.
  24. rafa79
    Pratt's not going anywhere except to play shortstop at Am Fam field in 2027. He's Brice Turang Part 2. Speaking of which, Turang's a huge factor here. The Brewers have VERY little time to extend him. Don't tell me about him being under team control for 4 more years. We all know he's ascending quickly and if he's not extended before the 2026 season, he's most likely going to be too expensive for the budget-conscious Brewers. If Turang is gone, Pena at 2nd, Pratt at SS and Made, as has already been mentioned numerous times in reports, will be at3b. Meanwhile, Pena, though playing 25 games at High A Wisconsin, struggled a fair amount. Let's wait and see. The Pirates just picked up SS Marco Luciano after being released by the Giants. Luciano had been ranked #12 in the top 100 ML:B prospects a few years ago. Things can change for sure! If Turang is extended, then we'll see what happens but for now, let's wait and see. I know the author of the article is making a VERY good point in trading someone while their value is high or at least decent which I agree with completely. Just not Pratt, his skill set, consistency and intangibles jump off the page.
  25. rafa79
    The question asked, "Is Quero ready to assume the backup role in the big leagues?" Answer = Yes or easily. He probably would have been the backup in 2025 if he hadn't missed all of 2024. He's more than ready and after he does a very nice job in 2026, this column will be discussing what the Brewers can get for Contreras next year at this time since he becomes a free agent after the 2027 season.
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