- The Brewers had six starters throw at least 100 innings last season. While all of them remain with the organization, only righties Junior Guerra and Zach Davies are locks to crack the major league rotation again this season, according to manager Craig Counsell (via Barry M. Bloom of MLB.com). The others – 2016 innings leader Jimmy Nelson (179 1/3), Matt Garza, Chase Anderson and Wily Peralta – are competing with newcomer Tommy Milone for the Brewers’ final three starting spots. “It’s the best way,” said Counsell, who’s “happy” with the rotation depth Milwaukee possesses.
Brewers Rumors
Brewers Likely To Carry Hernan Perez On Active Roster
- Brewers manager Craig Counsell discussed the status of his team’s bench competition, as Tom Haudricourt and Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel report. Hernan Perez appears to have a very strong shot at making the club as a reserve outfield and infield options. Michael Reed, on the other hand, still “has things to prove at the Triple-A level,” according to Counsell.
Brewers Reluctant To Take On Norris Salary
- The Nationals are trying to move Derek Norris but finding it difficult to drum up interest in the catcher at his current $4.2MM salary, writes Jorge Castillo of the Washington Post. Castillo reports that the Angels, White Sox and Brewers are all wary of paying that type of money to a catcher that slashed just .186/.255/.328 last season. As FanRag’s Jon Heyman suggested yesterday, the Nats could ultimately just release Norris, as they’d only be on the hook for one-sixth of his salary (about $688K) due to the fact that arbitration salaries aren’t fully guaranteed prior to Opening Day. As for Norris himself, he acknowledged to Castillo that his D.C. days might be numbered but said he’s simply preparing to play the 2017 season somewhere. “It doesn’t change much for me other than the fact that it may or may not be the teammates I’ll be playing with,” said Norris. “So on my end it’s control what I can control. Go out there and play my games and get ready for a season.”
Minor MLB Transactions: 2/28/17
Here are the day’s minor moves, courtesy of Baseball America’s Matt Eddy:
- The Marlins added infielder Steve Lombardozzi on a minors deal. He’ll serve as infield depth but doesn’t figure to have much of a shot at cracking the Opening Day roster. Lombardozzi, 28, last appeared in the majors in 2015. He split last year between the independent leagues and the Nationals’ Triple-A affiliate.
- Another former MLB infielder, 27-year-old Nick Noonan, is headed to the Brewers on a minors pact. He has a fair bit less major league time than does Lombardozzi, but was able to reach the bigs last year with the Padres. Noonan spent most of the season at Triple-A, slashing .301/.338/.427 over 374 plate appearances.
- The Padres have inked righty Justin De Fratus to a minor-league arrangement. He’s looking to make it back to the majors after spending a portion of 2016 in the upper minors in the Nationals organization. De Fratus, 29, worked to a 5.23 ERA with 7.8 K/9 and 3.5 BB/9 over 20 2/3 innings.
- Righty Caleb Cotham has agreed to a minor-leaguedeal with the Mariners. He scuffled to a 7.15 ERA in 34 MLB innings over the past two seasons, but has shown more in the past in the upper minors. In 2015, he worked to a 2.21 ERA with 9.6 K/9 and 2.1 BB/9 over 57 innings split between Double-A and Triple-A.
- The Orioles have struck a minors deal with former farmhand Chris Jones. Now 28, Jones spent the 2016 season with the Angels organization, working to an unsightly 6.92 ERA with 6.1 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9. He had performed better with the O’s, though he has yet to earn his way to the game’s highest level.
Latest On Brewers, Jonathan Villar
- As recent extension talks would seem to indicate, the Brewers have earmarked Jonathan Villar as a long-term part of their future, Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel writes. In turning down the extension (reportedly a three-year deal over his arbitration seasons worth in the range of $20MM), Villar is showing confidence that he can match his 2016 breakout year and put himself in line for a bigger payday down the road. Haudricourt notes that Villar and the Brewers have yet to agree on a dollar figure for his 2017 contract. While this has no bearing on Villar’s status since the Brewers control him through 2020, it can be seen as a sign of good negotiating faith if a club rewards a pre-arbitration player with a salary well above the league minimum in the wake of a good season. (For more on pre-arb salaries, check out this piece from MLBTR’s Jeff Todd from March 2015.)
Brewers Will Give Jesus Aguilar Shot At Bench Role
- The Brewers are set to give Jesus Aguilar a shot at winning a bench job with the club, as Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reports on Twitter. Claimed off waivers earlier in the winter from the Indians, the 26-year-old Aguilar is out of options. While he hasn’t seen much MLB action, Aguilar does own a productive .271/.346/.472 batting line at the Triple-A level and could share time at first with new Milwaukee signee Eric Thames if he impresses this spring.
Brewers Attempted To Start Extension Talks With Jonathan Villar
- The Brewers “floated” an extension offer to infielder Jonathan Villar, says Heyman, but he wasn’t interested. The club’s initial offer, at least, would only have guaranteed him around $20MM. While Villar had a relatively undistinguished career before landing in Milwaukee, he was rather excellent last year and hasn’t yet turned 26. On the other hand, he won’t reach arbitration eligibility until next fall and still has to prove he can repeat that effort. Though Milwaukee owner Mark Attanasio may have been willing to green-light pursuit of Matt Wieters, it seems that the front office wasn’t enthusiastic about that possibility.
NL Notes: Smith, Wieters, Drew, Franco
Giants lefty Will Smith has been shut down for a week after experiencing inflammation in his pitching elbow, Andrew Baggarly of the Mercury News was among those to report (Twitter links). Fortunately, an MRI has already returned clean, so it seems there’s no worry of a major injury. But while it’s still early, San Francisco’s plan to get Smith ready for Opening Day is already on a tight timeline, Baggarly notes. So long as he can progress after his rest, Smith will be given six spring appearances in preparation for the season.
Here’s more from the National League:
- The Brewers, like the Rays, kept tabs on Matt Wieters up to his agreement with the Nationals, according to MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy. Though Milwaukee GM David Stearns wouldn’t acknowledge whether an offer was made, he acknowledged that there was contact. “I would say we have regular contact with many agents, including Scott,” Stearns explained. “So Matt’s name came up, and we made sure we understood where the market was for him and what the potential fits were. But nothing really beyond that.”
- Infielder Stephen Drew likely won’t see as much time with the Nationals as he could have elsewhere, but as Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com writes, he nevertheless chose to reprise his role as a key reserve in D.C. His comfort with the team came into play, along with family considerations. Drew also discussed his bout of vertigo last year, which occurred due to an ear infection. He dealt with symptoms through the postseason and into the offseason, but seems to be back to normal as camp opens.
- While Phillies third baseman Maikel Franco is entering only his second full season in the majors, there’s still plenty at stake, Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com writes. Refining his approach at the plate and work in the field certainly seem to be on the agenda, and whether he can successfully turn his talent into consistent productivity could have a major impact on the organization’s plans. Salisbury suggests that a player such as Manny Machado could become a serious consideration for the team — he’ll be a free agent after 2018 — depending upon how Franco progresses. While it’s obviously too soon to factor in players such as Machado in any meaningful way, as Salisbury acknowledges, Philadelphia is no doubt already thinking about where Franco will end up in the long run. It does seem worth noting that, even if he isn’t able to lock down the job at third for the foreseeable future, he could ultimately be a candidate to shift across the diamond to first base.
Camp Battles: Milwaukee Brewers
For the rebuilding Brewers, the 2017 season will serve as an audition to determine who will be part of the team’s future. Step one in the process will begin this spring with several players in the mix for openings.
Here are some notable position battles to keep an eye on.
CENTER FIELD and RIGHT FIELD
Keon Broxton
Age: 27
Bats: R
Contract Status: Pre-Arbitration; projected to become a free agent after ’22 season
Options remaining: 1
Domingo Santana
Age: 24
Bats: R
Contract Status: Pre-Arbitration; projected to become a free agent after ’21 season
Options remaining: 1
Hernan Perez
Age: 26
Bats: R
Contract Status: Pre-Arbitration; projected to become a free agent after ’20 season
Options remaining: Out of options
Kirk Nieuwenhuis
Age: 29
Bats: L
Contract Status: 1 year, $900K; projected to become a free agent after ’19 season
Options remaining: Out of options
Lewis Brinson
Age: 23
Bats: R
Contract Status: Pre-Arbitration; projected to become a free agent after ’23 season
Options remaining: 3
Other candidates: Ryan Cordell, Kyle Wren
Sporting a .125/.253/.188 slash line in 75 plate appearances, Broxton was, unsurprisingly, optioned to the minors in early July. That he was recalled later in the month and inserted into the starting lineup was a surprise, but he rewarded the Brewers’ faith in him with a stellar performance over his final 169 plate appearances (.294/.399/.538), including eight homers and 16 stolen bases. The center field job is likely his to lose.
Santana also left quite a late-season impression with a .301/.350/.581 slash line over his final 100 plate appearances. That should also give him a leg up this spring, although his 32.4% strikeout rate presents enough of a concern that he won’t just be handed the starting right field job. Of course, giving him regular playing time during a rebuilding season is how you find out if he’s capable of making the proper adjustments.
Perez probably won’t be named as a “starter”, but that doesn’t mean he won’t be in the starting lineup more often than not in 2017. With his defensive versatility—he played every position but catcher and pitcher in 2016— and an intriguing stat line in his first opportunity at semi-regular playing time in the Majors (.730 OPS, 13 HR, 34 SB in 430 plate appearances), there’s no question that Perez has tremendous value to the Brewers. It just might not be—and doesn’t have to be—as a regular outfielder.
Nieuwenhuis, who started 68 games in center field and 22 games in right field in 2016, gives the Brewers a veteran alternative to bridge the gap to the team’s top outfield prospects. Like the other outfield candidates, he strikes out a ton, but he also showed some power in 2016 (13 HR, 18 2B in 392 plate appearances).
After being acquired from the Rangers in the Jonathan Lucroy on August 1st, Brinson asserted himself as the Brewers’ top prospect heading into the season with a .382/.387/.618 slash line in 93 plate appearances for Triple-A Colorado Springs. He wasn’t having the best season prior to the trade (.237/.280/.431 in 326 Double-A plate appearances), however, and his poor walk-to-strikeout ratio (19 BB, 85 K between Double-A and Triple-A) is an indication that he’s probably isn’t ready to handle Major League pitching on a regular basis.
Prediction: Broxton, Santana
CATCHER
Andrew Susac
Age: 27
Bats: R
Contract Status: Pre-Arbitration; projected to become a free agent after ’21 season
Options remaining: 2
Jett Bandy
Age: 27
Bats: R
Contract Status: Pre-Arbitration; projected to become a free agent after ’21 or ’22 season
Options remaining: 1
Manny Piña
Age: 30
Bats: R
Contract Status: Pre-Arbitration; projected to become a free agent after ’21 season
Options remaining: Out of options
A 2nd round pick by the Giants in 2011 and one of their top prospects soon after, Susac has put up solid numbers throughout the minors (.246/.354/.424) despite being sidelined by injury more often than not—he has played in an average of 86 games per season. Regardless, he was never going to have an opportunity with Buster Posey ahead of him, which is partly why the Giants were willing to include him in the deal for reliever Will Smith at the 2016 trade deadline.
Not only will Susac need to prove that he can stay healthy, he’ll also have to beat out Bandy, who showed some power as a rookie with the Angels in 2016. In 231 plate appearances, the former 31st round pick had eight homers and nine doubles while throwing out 40% of attempted base stealers (19-for-48). Susac’s familiarity with the Brewers’ pitching staff—he spent most of September in the Majors and started four games behind the plate; Bandy was acquired this offseason—could give him an edge.
Piña, a journeyman who slashed .254/.346/.394 in 81 late-season plate appearances for the Brewers in 2016, is most likely competing to be the backup. But since neither Bandy or Susac has earned the right to be handed an MLB job, Piña should have at least an outside chance at regular playing time.
Prediction: Susac
STARTING ROTATION (ALL SPOTS)
Junior Guerra
Age: 32
Throws: R
Contract Status: Pre-Arbitration; projected to become a free agent after ’21 season
Options remaining: 1
Matt Garza
Age: 33
Throws: R
Contract Status: 1 year, $12.5MM; $13MM vesting or $5MM club option for ’18
Options remaining: Can’t be optioned without consent
Wily Peralta
Age: 28
Throws: R
Contract Status: 1 year, $4.275MM; projected to become a free agent after ’19 season
Options remaining: 3
Chase Anderson
Age: 29
Throws: R
Contract Status: 1 year, $2.45MM; projected to become a free agent after ’20 season
Options remaining: 1
Zach Davies
Age: 24
Throws: R
Contract Status: Pre-Arbitration; projected to become a free agent after ’21 season
Options remaining: 2
Jimmy Nelson
Age: 28
Throws: R
Contract Status: Pre-Arbitration; projected to become a free agent after ’20 season
Options remaining: 2
Tommy Milone
Age: 30
Throws: L
Contract Status: 1 year, $1.25MM; projected to become a free agent after ’18 season
Options remaining: Out of options
Josh Hader
Age: 23
Throws: L
Contract Status: Pre-Arbitration; projected to become a free agent after ’23 season
Options remaining: 3
Other candidates: Jorge Lopez, Taylor Jungmann, Brent Suter, Aaron Wilkerson, Brandon Woodruff
After making his first MLB start last May at the age of 31, Guerra went on to be the team’s “ace” in 2016. Unfortunately, an elbow injury slowed him down late in the season and, in all likelihood, hurt his value enough that the Brewers weren’t able to flip him to a contender during the offseason. Barring any setbacks with his elbow, he’ll have a good chance of taking the ball on Opening Day.
Garza wasn’t terrible in 2016, posting a 3.72 ERA over his last 12 starts, but his contract status makes it likely that the Brewers won’t keep him around for the entire season. If he reaches 115 innings—approximately 20-23 starts—his $13 million option for 2018 will vest. This will also make it difficult to trade him. Even if he boosts his trade value with a strong 1st half performance, teams will be wary of taking on his 2018 salary. As a result, it wouldn’t be a big surprise if the Brewers released him if he performs poorly this spring.
CORRECTION: In addition to pitching 115 innings for his 2018 option to vest, he would ALSO need to make 39 starts (110 starts from 2014-17) and not finish the season on the Disabled List. He will not make 39 starts and, therefore, his 2018 option will not vest. The Brewers will hold a $5MM club option. This makes it very likely that he’ll stick around and the Brewers will hope he can turn things around and draw some trade interest.
A mid-season demotion seemed to wake up a struggling Peralta, who responded with 10 very good starts to end the season (2.92 ERA, 61.2 IP, 55 H, 16 BB, 51 K). It saved him from being non-tendered this offseason and, along with being out of options, should give him an edge in this competition.
Anderson and Davies both proved to be solid back-of-the-rotation pitchers in 2016. Nelson has the potential to be more, but an awful finish (7.28 ERA over last 11 starts) could mean that he’s, surprisingly, an underdog to make the Opening Day rotation.
Despite getting knocked around in 2016, Milone should not be underestimated in this competition. He has had plenty of success as a starting pitcher with the A’s and Twins. He’s also out of options and, unlike the aforementioned candidates, he’s left-handed. That should ensure that he gets a long look before the team determines whether he’s a better fit in the rotation or the bullpen.
Not only is Hader the Brewers’ best pitching prospect, Baseball America, Baseball Prospectus and MLB Pipeline each rank him as the best left-handed pitching prospect in the game. He also has 14 (mostly very good) Triple-A starts under his belt while posting an impressive 11.5 K/9. Considering that he wouldn’t be expected to take on a full workload as a rookie, not to mention the potential drawback of starting his MLB service time clock on Opening Day, it’s highly unlikely that Hader is in the Majors in early April.
Prediction: Guerra, Garza, Anderson, Davies, Peralta
Brewers Gambling On Eric Thames
After three years in Korea, Eric Thames is back in the big leagues with the Brewers on a three-year, $16MM deal the team hopes will make him a better deal than former first baseman Chris Carter, Tyler Kepner of the New York Times writes. Carter, of course, hit 41 home runs last season but struck out 206 times and contributed little defensively, making him a potentially poor value if the Brewers had taken him to arbitration. Thames hit 124 home runs in 1,634 plate appearances in his three seasons overseas. “We expect a productive Major League player,” says Brewers GM David Stearns. “That can take shape in a variety of ways. With a signing like this, there’s a fairly wide variance of potential outcomes, and we think there’s a lot of upside there.” Stearns notes that one difference between the Majors and the KBO is that big-league pitchers are likely to throw Thames more fastballs than KBO pitchers did. Here’s more from the Central divisions.
