The Brewers announced a one-year deal with corner infielder Ryon Healy. Financial terms aren’t known. Healy had been cut loose by the Mariners at the outset of the offseason.
Healy will presumably be given a shot at earning a role in camp — if he can show he’s at full health. He’s still working back to full health after an injury-wrecked 2019 season that ended with hip surgery in August. Just when he’ll be fully able to contribute remains to be seen.
28 in January, Healy offers plenty of pop. He swatted 31 home runs in his 711 total plate appearances with the Mariners and might well have delivered more had he been able to participate more fully in the offensively charged 2019 environment. But Healy maintained a miserable .280 on-base percentage in Seattle.
The Brewers will surely hope that Healy can find a way to gain in the OBP department. He has never drawn many walks but also doesn’t strike out a ton. Healy carried lofty BABIP numbers on his way up the farm and in his early career with the Athletics, but fell off upon moving up the coast to the M’s. Statcast figures indicate that Healy may have been a bit unfortunate of late, perhaps bolstering the idea of taking a shot on him.
Defense isn’t seen as a strong suit for Healy, who has graded poorly at both first and third base to this point in his career. To what extend he’s seen as an option at the hot corner remains to be seen. The Brewers have shown a willingness to take chances on defensively suspect sluggers in recent years, relying in part upon advanced shifting to help cover for less-than-elite glovework.
Depending on cost that could be a good upside move. 2017 and 2018 he was solid when healthy. Moving to Miller will only help his power.
My guess is it’s for the league minimum since he is coming back from hip surgery and only projected to earn $2.5MM before being non-tendered. It’s a good depth signing which could provide a power bat off the bench.
I agree for sure. Plus he has options left. Does this mean the end of Ronny Rodriguez? Healy obviously has far more upside proving he can hit major league pitching in 2 seasons. This gives the Brewers 38 on the 40 man. Still need two corner guys and another arm at least in my opinion
It won’t help his strikeout rate and low obp. Below average defender who can play 1b/3b but may struggle to find a permanent home with no DH in the NL.
Agree. I am alright with this as long as the cost is in the buy low range…
Did you give Stearns the ok on this move?
Travis Shaw-lite?
A bag of balls would be considered Travis Shaw lite if we are looking at last season’s numbers lol
He was pretty good against the rangers it seemed, nice to see he is gone now.
Okay Brewers fans, here’s the corner infielder you were crying about earlier. Now what are you gonna cry about?
He’s a depth move. 1yr prove it deal for him. A bat who can play both corners off the bench for
The Brewers.
A sub .300 obp from said corner infielder
Joking aside. Hes fine if hes super cheap as a depth piece.
I agree. No risk and a possible reward. Minor league options are nice
If he isn’t 100% or struggles in spring you stick him in the minors to start the years. Having depth is never a bad thing. There is no risk to the brewers at all.
If I recall correctly, he was diagnosed with spinal stenosis. That is a chronic condition.
Yup, it’s unfortunately true.
A modest add. Maybe some potential, maybe not. 95% of Brewers fans never heard of him. Injury plagued guys come cheap.
Where are you getting this 95% statistic? Brewers fans on reddit sure seem to know him. Maybe 95% of casual fans, but if someone is a true baseball fan or a diehard, they’ve certainly heard of this guy.
They still can’t figure out how the new rules are going to prohibit another miracle September.
You continue to say that but have nothing to back that up. You do realize we went on a September run without arguably the best player in the NL right?
This has been the only thing you’ve clung onto the last few Brewers posts even though it’s not true and you have no evidence with stats or even names. You must subscribe to the George Costanza theory of “It’s not a lie, if you believe it”.
The Brewers are boring and Mr. Belvedere was a crap show.
So’s your mother.
Good for you. Mom said supper is ready
A Sith Lord?
*I* am The Senate!
Toxic dart!
Said Turkey Neck
Ryon has a great upside if he can win against the spinal stenosis he was diagnosed with in June of 19. I’m glad to see he’s going to give it a fight and try to play thru it.
I am not sure how you “win,” against a chronic condition such as a narrowing of the spinal column. One can hopefully cope, but you don’t win.
You “win” by letting it not conquer your life and stop you from doing what you love, if that’s baseball, and I’d venture to guess that it is for Ryon.
Wish him well in Milwaukee. Brewers have always been my secondary team since my best friend is a Brew Crew fan.
Mariners fans thought that Healy had good upside when we got hit from the A’s. Still waiting for that upside…Good luck in Milwaukee.
Strange world we live in when a guy can strike out over 20% of the time and have it considered “not a ton”.
It’s the same world where getting on base 40% or hits HRs 5% of the time makes you elite.
Eric Byrnes is a television analyst and Alex Rodriguez is engaged to JLo. I think the gates are wide open at this point.
And some people take ESPN seriously
Sports are entertainment, taking it seriously is for low EQ males.
If he comes into camp healthy and ready to play, I like the deal. This could give the Brewers some flexibility both on the field and with the idea of trade deadline deals. If he stays healthy and productive, it gives Stearns the option of moving Shaw or Braun at the trade deadline.
Shaw is gone
Dude is utter trash. He occasionally gets hot but he’s really bad at hitting for any position besides catcher. He won’t walk and really doesn’t have as much pop as you would assume for someone of his profile.
Did he not call your sister back
LMAO
Well said
Brewers should talk to the Padres about taking wil Myers contract.
Put Myers at 1st and Padres include Yates and Castillo for the pen, plus mlb ready arms in quantril, marcevicious, bolanos as back end cheap starters with tons of team control.
why would the Brewers take that contract?? there’s zero chance they want him
For Yates Castillo quantril bolanos and Marg.
Yates gives them a closer to deal hader Castillo gives the a strong lefty out the pen and 3 mlb ready starters with 5+ years of control.
I see what you’re doing there but the Brewers are contenders. You usually unload your bad contracts on non-contending teams and attach prospects to help their rebuild (a la Giants taking on the elephant dung heap of Cozarts contract).
omg…lmao
Time to trade Yelich
I have to read on USA Today that the Dodgers are setting their sights on a blockbuster deal with the Red Sox for Mookie Betts. Come on MLBTR’s, don’t fall asleep now.
Here’s a trade. Won’t happen but what the hell. Brewers are reported around 75 to 80 million for next year before arbitration hits. Thats about 40 million less then last year.
So my suggested trade is with Boston. Hader for Price, Devers, and cash. Boston gets a stud left handed reliever to go up against the Yankees with control for years, and some salary relief they desperately want. And they also have a highly thought of a third base prospect in the high Minor’s. The Brewers get a stud left handed third baseman with control for years and a veteran pitcher who may have a little left in the tank. Plus they could consider going to a six man rotation to save on the wear and tear of Price and Anderson. Another point is that I think Devers and Price for around 20 to 25 million for the next 3 years is acceptable. Just my opinion.
Boston wouldn’t trade Devers for Hader on his own, let alone throw in $60-$75 mill in cash to take Price.
If you use the values on baseballtradevalues.com, the Brewers have to include Hiura to make it fair. If no money is attached, the Brewers still have to include either Turang or Urias. I think you’re either overvaluing Hader or undervaluing Devers or both..
If you honestly think Hader + Hiura + Urias for Devers and Price is remotely even you should really get off the pipe for a while. Devers is a great player, but Price is well past his prime and has very little value with a dumb contract. You might get Hader + Turang but thats about it for value.
Brewers actually are sitting closer to $89-92 million and will not pry Devers away without Yelich coming back and this is coming from a Brewers fan. Hader isn’t enough to get him even if they attach negative value to him which they most certainly will not.
How else are they going to move Price and that contract? In the deal I was only talking about ten per year and that would mean the Brewers would still be on the hook for 20 million a year. No team is going to want him for 20 a year. Madbum didn’t even get that. The more Boston has to dish out the less likely they will move him. If they want relief they are going to have to give something else up, and yes Hader for Devers is not straight up but close enough to make it interesting. If the Brewers have to add a piece then maybe but Yelich or Hirua is ridiculous. And by the way I got those numbers from fangraphs. They claimed they were at 67 million before the two recent signings. Add 7.5 million for Garcia and whatever Healy got.
Please remember how desperate teams can be when their stuck with a bad contract especially when it costs them even more when their being taxed on it.
Not the worst trade proposal, however if the BoSox were to include Devers the BrewCrew would have to take on all of Price’s contract and include Turang in the swap back to Boston. Devers is immensely valuable at this point
Think of it this way. It would also prevent him from going to the Yankees. Hader and Chapman duels at the end of the game would be electric.
Since he’s never played 2b before, he immediately is a candidate to play 2b in Milwaukee. They’ll just have to move Hiura elsewhere…
doesn’t he have spinal stenosis?
Healy isn’t very good. But the Brewers internal options are even worse. 3B is a black hole for Milwaukee.
It does make sense that the Crew were looking to move Hader for more talent.. How about we fire it up :
Andujar, Gil,Schmidt, Jasson Dominguez and Mike Ford for Hader.
Yanks will never trade Dominguez.
How else are they going to move Price and that contract? In the deal I was only talking about ten per year and that would mean the Brewers would still be on the hook for 20 million a year. No team is going to want him for 20 a year. Madbum didn’t even get that. The more Boston has to dish out the less likely they will move him. If they want relief they are going to have to give something else up, and yes Hader for Devers is not straight up but close enough to make it interesting. If the Brewers have to add a piece then maybe but Yelich or Hirua is ridiculous. And by the way I got those numbers from fangraphs. They claimed they were at 67 million before the two recent signings. Add 7.5 million for Garcia and whatever Healy got.
I love this site. Where else can you go with a good attitude about your team and read all these comments and leave crying like a little girl. This reminds me of last year. Can’t wait to see all of you guys here next September. My guess is all of you will not be saying any of this.
Last year they added Yasmani Grandal and resigned the Moose. Knebel, Jefferies, And Hader were all thought of being elite relievers. This isn’t quite the same.
The Brewers barely squeaked into the playoffs in the last two weeks, and that was with Grandal, Moose, Thames, and a halfway-decent over-performing rotation. Now you’re lost Grandal, Moose, Thames, and substantial rotation depth.
“Substantial rotation depth”?
You talking about Nelson, who never completely made it back from the shoulder injury, or started a game that I’m aware of.
Anderson, who may or may not have permanent whiplash from turning and watching balls leave the yard,
Or Davies, who was swapped out for Lauer?
Besides, aren’t you one of a boatload of non-brewer fans who insist that nobody they’ve had in their rotation was worth a plug nickel..?
Oh don’t forget about Chacin! His first half of 2019 will be tough to replace.
Tell me again, how did the second highest payroll in baseball do the last two years
He’s a great dude with light tower power. Once he figures it all out he could be a star.
Always been a big Ron Hilly fan, congrats to him!!
Starting 1B for MIL?
Way too early to know that. As of right now, id say 3rd is more likely, but again, its early. A lot could happen before opening day.
Maybe but then again we signed Spangenberg last year too and he got designated when someone better comes along. That being said it is a good safety net. Still plenty of time and plenty of players to talk to. I believe that Duffy could be an interesting pick up if gotten, could replace Moose offensively if able to stay healthy all year or even Chisenhall back to third with all the shifting they do.
Saw Healy here in Seattle and can attest he’s not great at 3rd but is a pretty good first baseman. Streaky hitter with good power and seems like a good guy and teammate. Wouldn’t be surprised to see him breakout a little more with the Brewers. Still a young dude.
good platoon partner for Thames. oh, wait…
I like Healy. He seems a great guy who when healthy can really help a team despite the high K totals.
Plus his grandfather was an astronaut.
As an M’s fan, I loved Healy. Total bro. Glad him and gamel are back together as their personalities compliment each other nicely.
I also thought Healy played a good first base. He’s pretty athletic for his size and if he could learn to take a walk he’s a very solid ball player.