The Brewers have signed outfielder Skye Bolt and right-hander Colin Rea to minor league deals, tweets Adam McCalvy of MLB.com. Both players will get non-roster looks in major league camp.
Bolt joins the third organization of his professional career. He’s spent most of the last eight years with the A’s, joining the pro ranks as a fourth-round draftee in 2015. Bolt debuted with Oakland briefly in 2019, getting into five games. He didn’t appear in the big leagues in 2020, then split the 2021 campaign between Oakland and the Giants. Returning to the A’s late in that season via waiver claim, he held his 40-man roster spot until last September.
The 29-year-old has played in 81 major league games in his career. More than half came last season, as he tallied 116 plate appearances over 42 contests with Oakland. After missing the first couple months of the season thanks to an oblique strain, he got some run as the A’s primary center fielder. The switch-hitter managed only a .198/.259/.330 line with four homers and a slightly elevated 25.9% strikeout rate before being outrighted off the 40-man roster.
Bolt hasn’t hit well in limited MLB time thus far. The UNC product owns a .313/.399/.526 line through parts of three Triple-A campaigns, and while that’s no doubt aided by the Pacific Coast League’s favorable hitting environment, that’s still above-average production at the top minor league level. Bolt’s a quality runner who can play all three outfield positions, so he doesn’t need to make a huge offensive impact to carve out a depth role.
Milwaukee has Christian Yelich locked into left field, while top prospect Garrett Mitchell is the favorite for center field run. Tyrone Taylor is the top right fielder, with recent signee Brian Anderson set to bounce between third base and right field. Jesse Winker is the primary designated hitter but could see some corner outfield action, while Blake Perkins secured a major league contract this offseason despite having no prior MLB experience. Top prospect Sal Frelick doesn’t seem far off MLB readiness after reaching Triple-A last season, though he’s not yet on the 40-man roster.
Bolt will try to crack the group in exhibition play but could open next season with Triple-A Nashville as a depth option. He’s out of minor league option years, so the Brewers would have to keep him in the big leagues or designate him for assignment if he earns a promotion at any point.
Rea has some familiarity with the Milwaukee organization. His most recent big league appearance was a six inning relief outing for the Brew Crew in 2021. The 32-year-old has pitched for four different clubs over parts of four big league campaigns. His most extended work came in a 2016 season divided between the Padres and Marlins, where he pitched to a 4.82 ERA through 102 2/3 innings.
An Indiana State graduate, Rea has just 20 big league frames since the conclusion of that 2016 season. He made seven starts in Nashville during the 2021 campaign, posting a 2.27 ERA over 35 2/3 innings. Last year, Rea pitched for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks in Japan, logging an even 100 innings through 23 outings. He allowed just fewer than four earned runs per nine with a fairly modest 19.6% strikeout rate but a solid 7.8% walk percentage. He’ll offer some rotation or multi-inning relief depth in camp.
I wish Skye Bolt would’ve panned out, all well maybe he’ll do well with the Brewers.
I heard Usian Bolt was defrauded of most of his money. With the bigger bases, some team should sign him to steal a base every game- fastest guy in the world.
His hair is beautiful, he’ll look good in the wind.
Sky Bolt would be great Olympic Runner name (or NFL Running Back for that matter)
I know someone that was struck by lightning. He hates him.
Was it a Bolt out of the clear blue Skye?
He’d also be a great teammate to Sonny Gray.
Colin Rea, the man whose injury changed the fortunes of several franchises.
Sky Bolt, Giants legend
FOREVER GIANT
Skye=AAAA
Zeus is very proud of his nephew Skye.
Wasn’t Skye Bolt a Star Wars character?
Sal Frelick tore it up in his first full minor league season last year. A rare first round pick out of Boston College. I’d love to see him make it to MLB in 2023 after being drafted so recently (2021). He is a fantastic hitter and should grow into more power as he gets used to MLB pitching as well.
He’s kind of like if Luis Arraez knew how to play defense.
Bolt a former Beloit Snapper who had good success in Wisconsin before. Here is hoping he does it again.
Surprised to see Colin Rea switching from singing country music to playing pro baseball at this stage of his life. I always enjoyed his hits: “One Boy, One Girl” and “Love Me”.
I s the organization that cash strapped from the Yelich fiasco that they cannot afford free agents? The team seems to be continuing with the buy cheap off the streets and hope you find lightning in a bottle, yes they have traded for a couple of players who need to prove themselves but what’s up Mark A?
The “free agent” signings have little to do with being “cash strapped” and the implied “Yelich fiasco.” What’s most important to the current manager and front office is the “image” and “look” of the team.
I can hardly wait for the next big free agent signing by the Brewers. Culberson? Calhoun? Gamel? Maybe they can coax Wes Helms or Trent Durrington back out of retirement?
What free agents are you wanting them to be signing at this point? I see a need for another lefty reliever but other than that their rotation, lineup and bench are all pretty much set.
It’s funny that the moves they made via trade are ignored. Beyond the FAs we OBVIOUSLY couldn’t afford, it was a pretty weak class and we’d have had to vastly overpay players at positions of need (paying 125 OPS+ money for 108 guys).
And we got plenty of those 105-115 guys via trade. Some bounce back candidates. Some young guys who have just started to blossom. Some lotto picks of guys who are out of options and haven’t yet had a chance to blossom.
I don’t know why everyone cares so much about FA, when we have a great pitching staff and a few good core players and a good culture where guys will shine when given a chance.
A lot of griping about an EXCEPTIONAL off season where I count 21 players on the 40 who weren’t there before the trade deadline last year (though a couple are retreads like Miley and Henry).
They’re going to find a way to field a much better squad on offense this year and while you are right about a lefty reliever being needed, I think the pen will be significantly better this year. Maybe even the overall starting rotation and depth, especially if Ashby’s arc continues like Burnes’ did.
Why not? It’s a strategy that has worked for years.
21 new players on the 40 since the trade deadline.
It’s not like they didn’t do anything, as some suggest.
The great FAs were out of our range and we’d have had to pay 125 OPS+ money for guys in the 100-115 range.
And we did pick up a bunch of those, bounce back candidates galore (Winker and Anderson), and some guys who haven’t gotten their chances but could thrive here.
Couple that with among the best pitching in baseball and we’re back to being a contender. The offense WILL be way better and I suspect the pen will as well.
It’s 10 wins better than last year.
I’m a brewers fan but ten wins better??? I don’t see it… no hader no renfroe no Wong… while I think they can win the division as it’s not that strong but 10 wins above last year?? Don’t see it… we work well with catchers but our staff could take a step back with a bad framer the bat will be nice but if it costs the pitching staff it’s a wash… the season will be defined by how the young kids play they are the key…. Frelick I really like but his bat scares me he slaps the ball around with limited power…. He’s a 10-15 hr guy is he a plus bat I’m not sold on it yet….
Hader will no longer be dominant. Wong is on the downside. Renfroe may not be great coming up this year and will probably start having injury issues, just based on his size and age.
We improved vastly by getting rid of them for better players.
Narvaez was THE WORST defensive catcher in the league and we turned him into a top 5 guy before camp broke. We will do the same with Contreras.
I’m not at all sold on Frelick or Turang (the former is a year away and the latter likely a bust).
BUT, I think Mitchell is going to be a star and Taylor is going to start in RF and hit 35 (and maybe win a gold glove). Anderson has a bounce back at 3B to his best level, and Urias plays 140 at 2B and hits 25 to 30 (he’s a FAR better hitter than Wong). Yeli hits lead off and Winker at DH returns to his old level (and maybe some power comes back for Yeli).
This looks like a possible Top 10 offense to me, maybe even better.
It’s bold, but I can see 95 wins again. The pen depth to start the season is FAR better than last year, and Hader and the pen cost us WAY more games last year than the weak offense.
Skye Bolt should be playing for the LA Chargers
More proof that Anderson and Winker won’t be seeing any time in the OF this year and that Frelick and Weimer won’t be on the club on opening day (Bolt’s production at AAA is way greater than theirs, PCL elevation notwithstanding).
It’s weird, but it seems like Bolt and Perkins get the first crack. Maybe they will both be late bloomers like Taylor and offer some production. Great name at the very least.
Here’s hoping that Rea finally bumps the bum Alexander off of the roster. His MLB production looks far superior, even if it’s not great.
How does Alexander still hold a 40 spot he will clear waivers…. If he don’t good luck on your next stop we got depth please don’t make me watch him start another game I don’t have hair but if I did he would make me pull it out
Well, don’t pull out the mustache hair. That hurts!
I always get Skye Bolt and Steele Walker mixed up.