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Poll: Which Team Should Be Most Aggressive For Eugenio Suarez?

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After entering the season with big expectations, the Diamondbacks have been dogged by injuries throughout the year and seen key players like Zac Gallen and Brandon Pfaadt perform below expectations. It’s left them with a 47-50 record headed into the second half, and while the front office has not yet outright declared themselves sellers, they seemingly haven’t closed the door on the idea either.

Arizona has a number of intriguing rentals they could dangle this summer to contending clubs, but perhaps the best of them all is third baseman Eugenio Suárez. The 33-year-old is in the midst of what figures to be a career year and has already clubbed 31 homers in just 95 games. As the best bat available this summer, he should attract plenty of attention. For which teams would he make the most sense? A look at some of the top options:

New York Yankees

The Yankees entered 2025 without a solid plan for the infield, and their situation has only gotten more dire. Oswaldo Cabrera suffered an ankle injury that’s left him unlikely to return to the field this year, and the club recently cut ties with DJ LeMahieu in order to move Jazz Chisholm Jr. back to second base. That leaves New York to rely on Oswald Peraza and Jorbit Vivas at the hot corner, a combination that doesn’t exactly inspire confidence. Suárez would be the perfect addition to a Yankees lineup that has too often relied on Aaron Judge to carry the load of producing on a regular basis by himself, and Suárez’s righty bat would help to balance a lineup dominated by lefties like Chisholm, Cody Bellinger, Ben Rice, and Austin Wells. As tempting as Suárez may be, however, injuries to players like Gerrit Cole and Clarke Schmidt leave the rotation perhaps even more in need of reinforcements than the lineup. The Yankees would also pay a 110% tax on what’s left of Suárez’s $15MM salary ($5.89MM as of this writing).

Chicago Cubs

The Cubs have had a strong year so far and entered the All-Star break in first place thanks primarily to their star-studded offense. Shoring up a patchwork rotation should be the top priority for this team, but Chicago does have one of the worst third base situations in the majors. Matt Shaw entered this year as a consensus top-30 prospect in the sport and may well still be the team’s long-term solution at the hot corner, but his 61 wRC+ won’t cut it on a contender. Jon Berti and Vidal Brujan have been no better offensively, so any upgrade at third would need to be external. There aren’t many teams for whom Suárez would represent a more substantial upgrade over their internal options, and adding him to the middle of the Cubs’ order to push players like Dansby Swanson and Ian Happ down the lineup would make one of the league’s best offenses even more potent.

Milwaukee Brewers

Nipping at Chicago’s heels in the NL Central race, the Brewers sit just one game back after playing extremely well the past few weeks. With Brandon Woodruff, Freddy Peralta and Jacob Misiorowski set to front the rotation and several solid back-end options, the Brewers appear to be the rare contender mostly set on the pitching front. Where they could use upgrades is on offense — particularly on the left side of the infield. Caleb Durbin has done a solid enough job at third base, but with Joey Ortiz struggling at shortstop and no obviously impactful trade candidates at that position, perhaps adding Suárez could bolster the lineup while allowing the Brewers to occasionally shift Durbin to second base and Brice Turang to shortstop. While the position fit is perhaps imperfect, Suárez would help transform the middle of a Milwaukee lineup that has seriously missed the contributions of Willy Adames this year. It’s fair to wonder whether Suárez fits the within the budget, however.

Seattle Mariners

Perhaps the best fit for Suárez would be a homecoming of sorts. The Mariners have long needed help on offense to complement their cache of young pitching talent, and this year is no different. Rookie Ben Williamson is handling the hot corner on a regular basis as things stand and playing good defense with minimal offense (.259/.294/.321, 79 wRC+).

Bringing Suárez back into the fold would transform the lineup, giving the team a second bona fide slugger alongside Cal Raleigh who could form a strong offensive nucleus with Randy Arozarena and Julio Rodriguez. The Mariners traded Suárez to the D-backs in the first place following the 2023 season — a move necessitated by an ownership mandate to reduce payroll. There is interest in a reunion, but would Seattle submit the top bid to reacquire a rental player they traded 21 months ago when other more surefire postseason clubs are in the bidding?

Other Options

The four clubs mentioned above are arguably the strongest fit for Suárez’s services, but they’re far from the only realistic options. The Reds would represent another homecoming for Suárez and have one of the worst third base situations in the majors at the moment. The Tigers — Suárez’s original organization — have gotten solid production from All-Stars Zach McKinstry and Javier Baez at the hot corner, but both are versatile and Suárez would add some more thump to a win-now lineup. The Blue Jays have a solid offense and are enjoying a breakout season from Addison Barger at third base, but he could just as easily be moved to right field to clear the deck for Suárez. The Mets have moved Mark Vientos off third base amid a difficult season, and Suárez would be a clear upgrade over Ronny Mauricio and Brett Baty on the infield.

Suárez’s elite power and ability to play a solid third base make him an attractive target for any club hoping to add a little thump to the lineup. Which team should push hardest to acquire him? Have your say in the poll below:

Who Should Most Aggressively Pursue Eugenio Suarez?
New York Yankees 30.13% (3,725 votes)
Seattle Mariners 25.65% (3,171 votes)
Chicago Cubs 22.03% (2,723 votes)
Other (Specify in Comments) 12.53% (1,549 votes)
Milwaukee Brewers 9.67% (1,195 votes)
Total Votes: 12,363

Orioles Claim Elvin Rodriguez

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The Orioles announced Wednesday that they have claimed right-hander Elvin Rodriguez off waivers from the Brewers and optioned him to Triple-A Norfolk. Milwaukee designated Rodriguez for assignment last week. Baltimore now has 39 players on its 40-man roster.

Milwaukee signed Rodriguez, 27, to a split major league contract in the offseason. He’d spent the 2023-24 seasons pitching well enough in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball to command a 40-man spot in his return to North American ball, but his time with the Brewers organization has been a struggle. He’s pitched in six big league games (two of them starts) and been tattooed for 18 runs on 23 hits and seven walks in 18 2/3 innings. A whopping seven of those hits were long balls.

Rodriguez has fared far better in Triple-A, where he’s pitched 29 2/3 innings and notched a respectable 4.25 ERA. His 20.3% strikeout rate in Nashville effectively matches his 20.2% mark in the majors, but he’s also logged a tidy 4.9% walk rate in Triple-A. Homers have been an issue there as well, however; he’s yielded another seven round-trippers in those 29 2/3 frames (2.12 HR/9). Rodriguez sits around 94 mph with his four-seamer and pairs that pitch with a cutter, slider, curveball and changeup.

Prior to his time with the Brewers, Rodriguez made his MLB debut with the 2022 Tigers (29 2/3 innings) and pitched even more briefly with the 2023 Rays (3 1/3 innings). He’s allowed more than a run per inning in his 51 2/3 big league frames but has a nice track record in Triple-A and turned in a sparkling 1.80 ERA in 45 innings pitching in Japan. He’s worked both as a starter and reliever but has been used primarily in stints of one to two innings recently. The righty’s last appearance of more than two innings, in either Triple-A or the big leagues, was back on May 7 when he tossed 3 1/3 innings.

Rodriguez is in the second of three minor league option years and will give the Orioles some flexible bullpen depth for the time being. If the O’s wind up trading rental arms like Charlie Morton, Zach Eflin and Tomoyuki Sugano, he could stretch back out as a depth option for the rotation in the season’s second half. He’ll also be a candidate to fill some innings in the ’pen if the O’s trade Gregory Soto, Andrew Kittredge or Seranthony Dominguez — all of whom are potential free agents at season’s end (though Kittredge has a 2026 club option).

Trade Deadline Outlook: Milwaukee Brewers

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MLBTR’s team-by-team look at the upcoming deadline continues with the Brewers. Milwaukee is firmly in a playoff spot and should be looking to buy. However, their financial restraints and apparent surplus of starting pitching could allow them to do some selling or some classic "baseball trades."

Record: 56-40 (82.9% playoff probability, per FanGraphs)

For other entrants in this series, see this post.

Buy Mode

Potential needs: Infield

As of a few months ago, starting pitching would have topped the list of potential needs, but that's no longer the case. The Brewers had a number of injuries early in the year, which spurred them to make a late-spring signing of Jose Quintana and an early-season trade for Quinn Priester. Since then, some of the injured pitchers have returned healthy while several young arms have stepped up to post encouraging results. Now the Brewers seemingly have a rotation surplus they could theoretically deal from. More on that later.

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Vinny Nittoli To Opt Out Of Brewers Deal

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Reliever Vinny Nittoli plans to trigger the opt-out clause in his minor league deal with the Brewers, reports Ari Alexander of KPRC-2. The actual opt-out date is tomorrow and will give the Brewers 24 hours to add Nittoli to the big league roster, MLBTR has learned. If the Brewers choose not to select Nittoli to the roster, he’ll become a free agent.

The 34-year-old Nittoli pitched in the majors each season from 2021-24 but has totaled just 18 2/3 MLB frames in that time. He’s pitched to a sharp 2.41 ERA across those four seasons, which have been split between the Mariners, Phillies, Mets, A’s and Orioles. Nittoli has fanned 17.3% of his major league opponents against a 6.7% walk rate.

Nittoli has spent the 2025 season with the Brewers’ Triple-A club in Nashville, pitching to a 3.86 ERA with an impressive 28.9% strikeout rate and an 8.6% walk rate. The journeyman right-hander doesn’t throw hard, sitting just 88-90 mph with his go-to cutter, but he’s induced chases on pitches off the plate at a strong 35.1% clip and recorded an excellent 14.3% swinging-strike rate during his time in Nashville this season.

The Brewers already have a strong bullpen. Milwaukee relievers rank 18th in the majors with a 4.00 ERA, but that includes some early struggles by Joel Payamps, swingman Tyler Alexander and righty Elvin Rodriguez — none of whom are on the 40-man roster at this point. Each of Trevor Megill, Abner Uribe, Aaron Ashby, Jared Koenig, Nick Mears, Grant Anderson and DL Hall has an ERA of 3.69 or better. Five of those seven are under 3.00 (including a 1.66 mark for Ashby). The Brewers’ bullpen has a flat 3.00 ERA over the past calendar month — second-lowest in MLB.

Given the strength of that group, there’s no urgent need to add Nittoli, who’s out of minor league options and would need to stick in the big league bullpen if he’s selected. If the Brewers don’t want to lose the depth, they could select Nittoli to the 40-man roster and option Tobias Myers back to Nashville. (Myers was just recalled a few days before the All-Star break and didn’t get into a game.) The rest of the ’pen is largely set, however, so the Brewers may wind up letting Nittoli explore opportunities elsewhere despite his solid results in Nashville.

Brewers Designate Drew Avans For Assignment

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The Brewers announced a trio of roster moves, including the news that outfielder Drew Avans has been designated for assignment.  The DFA opens up a 40-man roster spot for Blake Perkins, who was returned from his minor league rehab assignment and optioned to Triple-A Nashville, after spending the entire season on the injured list.  Right-hander Easton McGee was also optioned to Triple-A.

It was a little over a month ago that the Athletics designated Avans, which led to the Brewers obtaining the outfielder via waiver claim.  Avans made his Major League debut in the form of seven games with the A’s this season, and his time in the Brewers organization has mostly been spent in Nashville, apart from a lone appearance on Milwaukee’s active roster back on June 15.  Over 18 plate appearances at the big league level, Avans has two singles and only a .229 OPS.

The 29-year-old Avans has posted much more solid numbers during a minor league career that began when the Dodgers took him in the 33rd round of the 2018 draft.  Avans had played only in the L.A. farm system before joining the A’s on a minors deal this past offseason, and he has a .275/.374/.408 slash line, 37 home runs, and 145 stolen bases over 2328 career PA at the Triple-A level.

Between his speed, decent hitting numbers, and an ability to play all three outfield positions, Avans could very well get claimed again by another club in need of outfield depth.  If he clears waivers, he isn’t eligible to elect free agency, so the Brewers could either release Avans or just outright him off the 40-man roster and send him to Triple-A Nashville.

Perkins fouled a ball off himself during a Spring Training batting practice session back in February, resulting in a shin fracture that has cost the outfielder the entire 2025 campaign.  He started his minor league rehab assignment on June 14 but was set back by a minor groin injury in early July that cost him about a week of action.  Since his 30-day rehab window was up, Milwaukee had to make a decision on his status, and optioning Perkins to Triple-A allows him to keep playing throughout the All-Star break.

It is possible Perkins might be in line for his 2025 debut relatively soon, depending on Sal Frelick’s health.  Frelick is slated to undergo an MRI after the outfielder made an early exit from today’s game due to hamstring soreness.  Emerging as Milwaukee’s everyday right fielder this season, Frelick has hit .294/.354/.404 with seven homers and 17 steals over 385 PA, while also delivering outstanding defense.  Losing Frelick would be a blow to the Brewers’ playoff push, but the All-Star break will allow Frelick four days to rest up and hopefully avoid the IL.

Brewers Acquire Steward Berroa

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Prior to facing each other on the field today, the Brewers and Dodgers have lined up on a trade, per Adam McCalvy of MLB.com. Outfielder Steward Berroa, who was recently designated for assignment by the Dodgers, head to the Brewers in exchange for cash. The Brewers have placed him on the minor league injured list due to right shoulder bursitis. Right-hander Elvin Rodríguez has been designated for assignment to open a 40-man roster spot.

It’s the second DFA trade of the year for Berroa. He spent many years as a prospect in the Blue Jays’ system and got to make his major league debut with that club last year. He got squeezed off the roster in May and flipped to the Dodgers for cash. Now the same sequence of events gets him moved from the Dodgers to the Brewers.

Berroa, 26, has a decent floor as a speedy outfielder. He’s generally been good for about 50 steals per year in the minors, give or take, while playing all three outfield positions. His work at the plate has been a bit more questionable, but with some positive signs. Over the 2021 to 2023 seasons, he produced a combined .241/.350/.391 line and 108 wRC+ on the farm. His 13.7% walk rate was good but he also struck out 25.3% of the time.

Last year, he seemed to take a bit of a step forward. He got his strikeout rate down to 23.7% while still drawing walks at a healthy 11.7% clip. He produced a .281/.371/.454 line and 120 wRC+ in 79 Triple-A games. He also got up to the majors, chipping in for a Toronto team that was floundering last year. He walked at a 17.8% rate but was also punched out 31.1% of the time, leading to a .189/.333/.216 slash while he stole six bases in eight tries.

This year, he got out to an awful start in the Jays’ system. He bounced back tremendously with the Dodgers, but with a huge help from a .403 batting average on balls in play. Put together, he has a .270/.358/.345 line and 90 wRC+ at Triple-A this year with 20 steals. He last played on June 19th, presumably due to the shoulder issue that landed him on the IL today.

Berroa can still be optioned for the rest of this this year and one additional season, so he’ll give the Brewers some extra outfield depth. At worse, he can be a fourth outfielder, doing some pinch-running and defensive replacement work. The bat has been mercurial but could also potentially be useful, depending on how things swing.

In order to add that outfield depth, the Brewers are potentially losing Rodríguez. The Brewers signed him in January after he spent 2024 in Japan, posting a 1.80 earned run average over there. He hasn’t been anywhere close to that successful for Milwaukee this year. He has thrown 18 2/3 big league innings with an ERA of 8.68. His 20.2% strikeout rate and 8.3% walk rate are decent figures but he has allowed seven home runs in that small amount of time. He’s also tossed 29 2/3 innings at the Triple-A level with a 4.25 ERA.

He’ll now head into DFA limbo, which can last as long as a week. The waiver process takes 48 hours, so Milwaukee could take five days to explore trade interest. As a player with a previous career outright, he would have the right to reject an outright assignment if he clears waivers.

However, since he has less than five years of major league service time, he would have to forfeit his remaining salary commitments in order to exercise that right. His contract is a split deal which pays him $900K in the majors and $300K in the minors. The minimum salary at the Triple-A level is just above $35K, barely a tenth of what Rodríguez would make. That would presumably makes it unlikely he would elect free agency.

Photo courtesy of Kim Klement Neitzel, Imagn Images

Rhys Hoskins Expects To Be Out Roughly Six Weeks

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Brewers first baseman Rhys Hoskins is targeting a six-week return from his thumb injury, the slugger himself told the team’s beat this afternoon (video link via Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel). Hoskins has been diagnosed with a Grade 2 sprain of the ulnar collateral ligament in his left thumb and a bone bruise as well.

Hoskins will be in a splint for the next couple weeks before beginning strength exercises and eventually resuming baseball activity. He noted that some doctors have told him four weeks and others have suggested an absence of eight weeks. He’s targeting the midpoint, which would place him back in the lineup mid-August.

Hoskins originally sustained the injury three days ago when applying a lunging tag to Marlins infielder Eric Wagaman on a play at first base (video link). He immediately took off his mitt and was checked out by the training staff. Jake Bauers replaced him at first base the next inning. Andrew Vaughn has since been recalled from Triple-A Nashville to take Hoskins’ spot on the roster. The former White Sox slugger ripped a three-run homer in his first at-bat after replacing Hoskins on the roster.

The 32-year-old Hoskins has enjoyed a more productive second season in Milwaukee than he did in his first season last year. The longtime Phillies slugger is batting .242/.340/.428 (115 wRC+) with a dozen homers and doubles apiece. He’s upped his walk rate from 10.3% to 11.9% and cut his strikeout rate from 28.8% to 26.7%. Hoskins turned in big performances in April and May before slumping for much of June. He looked to be getting back on track at the plate, with a .237/.354/.526 performance in 12 games leading up to his injury.

It’s at least plausible that Milwaukee will consider bringing in another bat to help patch things over, although they’ll surely take a look at the Bauers/Vaughn tandem before making any larger changes. Vaughn hit well in 16 games with the Brewers’ Triple-A Nashville club before being summoned to take Hoskins’ spot on the roster, and Bauers has at least drawn walks at a gaudy 15.3% clip against right-handed pitching this season, resulting in a .328 OBP in those matchups. The righty-swinging Vaughn and lefty-hitting Bauers could patch things over in a short-term platoon arrangement — particularly if Hoskins can return on the quicker side of the timetables presented to him.

That said, the Milwaukee bench isn’t exactly a strong point, currently including Vaughn, backup catcher Eric Haase, third baseman Andruw Monasterio (career .241/.321/.327) and 26-year-old rookie catcher/infielder Anthony Seigler (a minor league free agent signee who is 1-for-8 to begin his MLB career). Prospect Tyler Black might’ve been an option, but he’s hitting .129/.260/.177 in 73 Triple-A plate appearances since returning from a broken hamate. Adding a multi-position bat that can handle first base (among other spots on the diamond) and also offer some more offense from Pat Murphy’s bench arguably makes good sense regardless of Hoskins’ timetable.

Rhys Hoskins Suffers Grade 2 Thumb Sprain, Headed To IL

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7:06PM: The Brewers will indeed call up Vaughn once Hoskins is placed on the IL, according to reporter Francys Romero.

3:34PM: Rhys Hoskins left the Brewers’ 3-1 win over the Marlins on Saturday due to a left thumb injury, and now faces a lengthy stint on the injured list.  Initial x-rays were negative on Hoskins’ thumb, but Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports that the first baseman underwent an MRI that revealed a Grade 2 thumb sprain.  Hoskins will be placed on the 10-day IL prior to the Brewers’ game with the Dodgers on Monday.

The injury occurred on a tag play at first base, as Hoskins had to lunge at a wide throw and tag out Miami’s Eric Wagaman.  Hoskins showed immediate discomfort in the aftermath.  Hoskins was able to finish the inning, but Jake Bauers took over as a pinch-hitter and then at first base for the remainder of the game.

The Grade 2 designation indicates a more severe variety of sprain, so chances are Hoskins will be out of action for at least a month.  We’ll likely learn more specifics about a recovery timeline soon, and the exact timing could very well factor into the Brewers’ plans for the July 31st trade deadline.

If Hoskins is going to be sidelined for well into August or beyond, Milwaukee could consider adding a bat to help out at first base.  Should Hoskins be projected for a return in early August, the club could stand pat with in-house options.  Bauers is the obvious candidate, and Andrew Vaughn (acquired in a trade with the White Sox in mid-June) will probably be called up from Triple-A to team up with Bauers in a lefty/righty first base platoon.  Utilityman Andruw Monasterio and even Sal Frelick (who has all of one career inning as a first baseman) could potentially chip in at the cold corner if necessary.

It should be noted that the thumb sprain also likely removes any chance that Hoskins himself could be traded at the deadline.  Though the Brewers are competing for a playoff berth, Hoskins is an impending free agent who still has roughly $8.25MM of his $18MM salary for 2025 left to be paid out.  (He is also owed a $4MM buyout on an $18MM mutual option for 2026 that will surely be bought out.)  This price tag probably would’ve made it difficult for the Brewers to find a trade partner anyway, but the Vaughn trade created some speculation that Milwaukee might try to shed Hoskins’ salary at the deadline in order to address other needs for their postseason push.  With payroll space at a premium, the Milwaukee front office has often tried to both buy and sell at the deadline regardless of the club’s position in the standings, with the 2022 deadline trade of Josh Hader standing out as the prime example of the Brewers’ flexibility.

Hoskins is hitting .242/.340/.428 with 12 homers, good for a 115 wRC+ over his 318 plate appearances.  In what seemed like an echo of his 2024 season in Milwaukee, Hoskins also got off to a big start this year before drastically cooling off.  The first baseman had an .892 OPS over his first 187 PA of the season and then just a .436 OPS in his following 83 PA, though Hoskins had started swinging the bat a lot better over the last couple of weeks.

Looking ahead to Hoskins’ free agency, an extended injury absence won’t help his chances of landing a multi-year contract.  It was already going to be a bit of an uphill battle for Hoskins as a first base-only player entering his age-33 season, and it remains to be seen how his market might develop this winter.  More immediately, of course, Hoskins is just focused on getting healthy and returning to help the Brewers both reach and succeed in the playoffs.

Brewers Outright Daz Cameron, Select Anthony Seigler

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TODAY: Cameron cleared waivers and was outrighted off Milwaukee’s 40-man roster, according to Cameron’s MLB.com profile page.  It isn’t yet known whether or not Cameron will accept the assignment or head for free agency.

JULY 1: The Brewers announced today that they have selected the contract of infielder/catcher Anthony Seigler. Francys Romero of BeisbolFR.com reported that move earlier this week. Outfielder Daz Cameron has been designated for assignment in a corresponding move.

Now 26 years old, Seigler was the Yankees’ first-round selection, No. 23 overall, back in 2018. He became a minor league free agent following the 2024 season and in November signed a minor league pact with the Brewers. He’s spent the season so far in Triple-A Nashville, where he’s turned in a strong .277/.416/.465 batting line with seven home runs, 11 doubles, four triples and 20 stolen bases in 23 attempts. Seigler has walked in a colossal 18.4% of his plate appearances against a 19.1% strikeout rate.

Seigler has split his time between second base (203 innings), catcher (201 innings) and third base (94 innings) during his time in Nashville. He’s unlikely to see much time at second base with Brice Turang enjoying a strong season there, and the left side of the infield has improved of late with Joey Ortiz and Caleb Durbin both enjoying productive months in June. Still, Seigler could be an upgrade over Andruw Monasterio on the bench. Monasterio has bounced between the four infield positions but is hitting just .192/.323/.269 this year.

His ability to crouch behind the plate could also be of value to the Brewers. It was reported a couple of months ago that William Contreras has been playing through a finger fracture. His performance on the year is around league average but has been declining. He had a .217/.337/.313 line and 87 wRC+ in the month of June, a far cry from his previous production. Perhaps having Seigler around will allow the Brewers to give Contreras some time off his feet. Eric Haase is also on the roster and is having a decent year at the plate, in a sense. His overall production is around league average but it’s been in a tiny sample of 54 plate appearances and with a big 40.7% strikeout rate.

Seigler’s call to the majors will be his first. He played in parts of six minor league seasons with the Yankees organization and is now midway through his seventh pro season. He has a full slate of options and can be controlled until he reaches six years of big league service time. That means he could be a depth piece for the Brewers for quite a long time, if his performance justifies his continued presence on the roster.

Cameron, 28, was added to Milwaukee’s roster just over two months ago. He has since been serving in a bench outfield role but with a tepid line of .195/.214/.293. He was once a notable prospect and has often performed well in the minors but never in the majors. He now has a .200/.258/.326 line in 472 big league plate appearances dating back to his 2020 debut.

He’s now out of options, so the Brewers have bumped him off the 40-man today. Given his performance, he’s likely to pass through waivers unclaimed. He has previously been outrighted in his career, which gives him the right to reject further outright assignments in favor of electing free agency.

Photo courtesy of Dave Kallmann, Imagn Images

Brewers Activate Brandon Woodruff

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TODAY: The Brewers have officially activated Woodruff from the injured list and transferred Mitchell to the 60-day IL. Right-hander Chad Patrick was optioned to Triple-A to make room for Woodruff on the active roster.

July 3: Woody’s return is finally almost here. The Brewers have right-hander Brandon Woodruff listed as their probable starter for Sunday’s game against the Marlins. He is currently on the 60-day injured list and will need to be reinstated to the 40-man roster, though that should be as easy as transferring outfielder Garrett Mitchell the other way. Mitchell is currently on the 10-day IL but is out for the season due to shoulder surgery. The Brewers would still need to open an active roster spot.

The start will mark the end of an injury odyssey of almost two years. Woodruff last pitched in a major league game on September 23rd of 2023. Coincidentally, that game was at loanDepot Park, the same venue where Woodruff will take the mound in a few days.

After that start in Miami, Woodruff was sidelined by an injury to his throwing shoulder. Shortly thereafter, he required surgery to repair the anterior capsule in that shoulder. At the time of that procedure, it was expected that Woodruff would miss most or all of the 2024 season.

There’s never a good time for such a surgery but it was particularly awkward since that was slated to be his final arbitration year, with MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projecting him for a salary of $11.6MM. The Brewers reportedly discussed some trades but ultimately just non-tendered Woodruff, sending him to free agency. The two sides were eventually able to reunite on a backloaded two-year deal. The $17.5MM guarantee was spread out as a $2.5MM salary in 2024, a $5.5MM salary in 2025 and then a $10MM buyout on a $20MM mutual option. That deal allowed the Brewers to hang onto Woodruff for his recovery and eventual return to the mound, while kicking most of the financial commitment down the road.

Woodruff did eventually miss the entire 2024 season. There once seemed to be a chance for him to return to the mound early in 2025, but that path had a few twists and turns. He began a rehab assignment in April but was pulled off of that in May due to right ankle tendinitis. He restarted that rehab but a comebacker struck his throwing elbow in early June, setting him back yet again. He restarted the rehab once more, throwing 82 pitches for Nashville on Sunday.

It’s anyone’s guess what Woodruff can provide after such a long time away, but he had a really strong run prior to the shoulder problems. From 2019 to 2023, he tossed 595 innings with a 2.93 earned run average, 30% strikeout rate, 6.3% walk rate and 41.5% ground ball rate.

This year, he has logged 42 minor league innings with a 2.79 ERA. His 20.6% strikeout rate is well down from his pre-surgery form. His fastball is averaging 91.9 miles per hour in his Triple-A starts this year, well down from the 96-97 mph range he was in a few years ago. Perhaps he is still ramping up his strength from the long layoff, with the stop-and-start nature of his rehab presumably not helping.

Time will tell what kind of performance the Brewers get from Woodruff, but he joins an increasingly crowded rotation picture. That’s a remarkable turn of events compared to a few months ago, when the club was scrambling to patch the starting group together.

As of today, the Milwaukee rotation consists of Freddy Peralta, Chad Patrick, Jacob Misiorowski, Jose Quintana and Quinn Priester. Peralta’s strikeout rate is down a bit but he has a 2.91 ERA on the year. Misiorowski had a wobble in his most recent start but was dominant in his first three. Patrick has a 3.51 ERA on the year while Priester is at 3.35, though the latter is getting more grounders and fewer strikeouts. Quintana has a 3.30 ERA, though with some shaky peripherals.

Despite some early-season injuries, the Brewers have built up a rotation surplus. They optioned guys like Logan Henderson and Tobias Myers to Triple-A. They were going to bump Aaron Civale to the bullpen until he asked for a trade and was flipped to the White Sox. Now Woodruff is going to be added into the mix. Nestor Cortes, who has been sidelined since April due to a flexor strain, started a rehab assignment with three innings for Nashville yesterday. Robert Gasser, recovering from last year’s Tommy John surgery, could be a factor down the stretch.

The Brewers are clearly in win-now mode. Their 48-38 record puts them in possession of the second National League Wild Card spot, two games up on the Padres and Cardinals. Pitching surpluses have a tendency to disappear quickly but the Brewers have a tight budget and could perhaps use some of this pitching to bolster other parts of the roster. Woodruff, Quintana and Cortes are all impending free agents. Peralta’s deal has an affordable $8MM club option for 2026.

Photo courtesy of William Glasheen, Imagn Images

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