The Brewers inked veteran third baseman Josh Donaldson to a minor league deal just before the calendar flipped to September, allowing the club to bring him up sometime this month for the stretch run and possibly into the postseason should they choose to do so. Donaldson, who slashed just .142/.225/.434 in 33 games with the Yankees this year before being released in late August, is not guaranteed a roster spot by any means, as MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy relays that manager Craig Counsell told reporters no call-up is imminent for the former MVP.
Brewers Rumors
Brewers Select Thyago Vieira
The Brewers announced that they have selected right-hander Thyago Vieira from Triple-A Nashville, with left-hander Clayton Andrews optioned in a corresponding move. They already had a vacancy on the 40-man roster.
Vieira, 30, got some limited major league action from 2017 to 2019, tossing 25 2/3 innings with a 7.36 earned run average for the Mariners and White Sox. His fastball averaged in the high 90s and he flashed some big strikeout numbers at times but also battled control issues.
He signed with the Yomiuri Giants of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball prior to 2020 and spent three years with that club. He posted a 3.61 ERA over 92 appearances for them, striking out 26.2% of batters faced but walking 13.2% of them. The Brewers signed him to a minor league deal coming into this season and he has been with Triple-A Nashville for the year. He tossed 37 2/3 innings at that level with a 3.35 ERA, striking out 31.7% of opponents while limiting his walks to a 9.3% clip.
Based on his solid season of work at Nashville, the Brewers will give him his first shot at the big leagues since 2019 and see if he can carry over his results. If he does, he will give the club a boost for the playoff race, with the Brewers currently holding a lead of 2.5 games over the Cubs.
David Stearns Has Spoken With Mets, Astros About Potential Front Office Positions
For the past few years, speculation has abounded about the future of Brewers’ executive David Stearns. The Mets have made no secret of their affinity for Milwaukee’s longtime baseball operations leader.
New York’s interest hadn’t amounted to much to this point. Stearns has been under contract with Milwaukee, allowing Brewers’ owner Mark Attanasio to block the Mets from interviewing him over the 2021-22 offseason. Attanasio retained that freedom last winter, even as Stearns stepped down from running baseball operations and moved into an advisory role for longtime lieutenant Matt Arnold.
That’s no longer the case. Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon of the Athletic report that Stearns’ contract allowed him to begin speaking with other teams about a possible front office job following the August 1 trade deadline. Rosenthal and Sammon report that Stearns has already been in contact with both the Mets and Astros (potentially among other teams).
There has been plenty of speculation around the industry about the Mets turning baseball operations over to Stearns once his contract with Milwaukee was finished. Not only is he clearly well-regarded by Mets’ owner Steve Cohen, the 38-year-old executive is a Manhattan native who worked in the Mets’ front office early in his career. While New York signed Billy Eppler to a four-year contract to take over as general manager in the 2021-22 offseason, Cohen has gone on record about a desire to add a baseball operations president to take over above Eppler (who would remain as GM).
It’s unclear how far along talks between Stearns and the New York organization have gotten. Andy Martino of SNY suggests (Twitter link) that discussions have already advanced further than the Mets’ talks with Theo Epstein had two offseasons ago, though he cautions that a deal coming together is not certain.
Perhaps that’s related to the possibility of Houston staying involved. Stearns worked as an assistant general manager for the Astros from 2013-15, the immediate precursor to taking over baseball operations in Milwaukee. He’s clearly familiar with Houston owner Jim Crane, who reportedly showed interest in bringing Stearns back last offseason (but denied in January that he’d requested formal permission from the Brewers for an interview).
The path to running baseball operations is clearer in Queens than in Houston, however. The Astros surprisingly moved on from James Click last offseason despite winning the World Series. They operated without a baseball operations leader until tabbing Braves’ vice president of scouting Dana Brown in late January. While Crane took an unconventional path with Click — with whom he’d reportedly had a frosty relationship despite the team’s success — there’s no indication the now first-place club is considering diminishing Brown’s responsibility after eight months on the job.
That all seems to point to the Mets as the most logical landing spot. Rosenthal and Sammon hear from individuals close to Stearns that he was “re-energized” by a season with less responsibility and is prepared to reassume a key role in baseball operations. (Stearns declined comment to The Athletic.) That’d be a change from last winter, when he said he was “looking forward to taking a deep breath, spending time with my family and exploring some other interests” when stepping down from the president role with Milwaukee.
Brewers Sign Josh Donaldson To Minor League Deal
The Brewers have signed Josh Donaldson to a minor league deal, per Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The third baseman will report to Triple-A Nashville. By joining the organization prior to September 1, he will be eligible to play for the Brewers in the postseason.
Donaldson, 37, spent almost a decade one of the best third basemen in the league but has fallen on hard times of late. From 2013 to 2021, he hit 241 home runs and slashed .272/.373/.514 for a wRC+ of 141, indicating he was 41% better than the league average hitter in that time. But after being traded from the Twins to the Yankees prior to 2022, his production started to fall off. Last year, he hit .222/.308/.374 for a wRC+ of 98. His strikeout rate jumped to 27.1%, after being at 19.8% in that aforementioned stretch of excellence.
This year, he has hardly been able to take the field. He has twice gone on the injured list, first due to a right hamstring strain and then a right calf strain, only getting into 34 games on the season. He hit 10 home runs in that time but slashed just .142/.225/.434. He suffered through a tiny .076 batting average on balls in play in that time but his strikeout rate remained high at 26.7%.
He most recent IL stint began in mid-July, meaning he’s been out of action for about six weeks at this point. He was ramping up lately and nearing a rehab assignment but the Yankees released him earlier this week, giving him a chance to catch on elsewhere as they use the remainder of their lost season to get a look at younger players. Donaldson has now found that new chance with the Brewers.
Milwaukee has been using Andruw Monasterio as its primary third baseman in recent months, but he has cooled off lately. He was hitting .288/.369/.410 through August 14 but just .149/.216/.149 in his past 13 games. Brian Anderson has also seen some time at the hot corner but has experienced a similar cooldown. He was hitting .229/.317/.373 when he landed on the injured list in July due to a lower back strain. Since returning earlier this month, he’s hit just .150/.190/.250. Donaldson could also possibly nudge Carlos Santana, who has hit .219/.281/.419 since being acquired by the Brewers, from some time as the designated hitter.
Perhaps the Brewers will add Donaldson to their roster and try to catch lightning in a bottle to improve their output at third. Donaldson’s overall results haven’t been great but he’s still been good on defense and he won’t be able to sustain that tiny BABIP going forward. Active rosters expand from 26 to 28 tomorrow but Donaldson will need a 40-man spot if the Brewers decide to add him. Since he was set to go on a rehab assignment anyway, perhaps he goes to Nashville for a few days to get back into game shape.
The Brewers are currently atop the National League Central but the Cubs and Reds are within three and six games, respectively. For now, they are taking a no-risk look at Donaldson to see what form he’s in and if he can help them with their playoff push or maybe in the playoffs themselves. If they add him to the roster at any point, they will only owe him the prorated league minimum, since the Yanks are on the hook for the majority of what remains of his contract by releasing him.
Brewers Considering Josh Donaldson
The Brewers are “considering” free agent third baseman Josh Donaldson after his recent release from the Yankees, per Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon of The Athletic. Donaldson was on the 60-day injured list at the time of his release but is reportedly healthy and was expecting to return to the roster in September. If the Brewers do sign Donaldson, they’ll only owe him the prorated league minimum for any time spent on the big league roster or injured list.
Donaldson, 37, was traded from Minnesota to New York alongside Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Ben Rortvedt prior to the 2022 season, with Gary Sanchez and Gio Urshela heading back in the other direction. His tenure with the Yankees hasn’t gone as they hoped, to say the least. Injuries limited the former AL MVP to 132 games last year and just 34 games this season, and even when healthy, Donaldson’s once-potent bat has faded. In 666 plate appearances as a Yankee, Donaldson slashed .207/.293/.385 — including a .142/.225/.434 output in 120 plate appearances this season.
Rough as Donaldson’s overall numbers this year may be, his glovework at third base has continued to grade well into his late 30s, and he’s popped 10 home runs in just 120 plate appearances. With rosters set to expand from 26 to 28 players tomorrow and Donaldson available for the minimal cost possible, the Brewers could at least take a short look to see how Donaldson fares in the wake of his most recent calf strain — the injury that’s sidelined him since July 20 (and an issue that has plagued him on multiple occasions in recent years).
Third base has been a weak spot for the Brew Crew of late, with previously hot-hitting rookie Andruw Monasterio’s bat cooling and veteran Brian Anderson also wilting after a strong start to the season. Brewers third basemen have posted an awful .188/.250/.260 slash during the month of August, giving Donaldson — or any other potential addition/call-up — a rather low bar to clear in the season’s final month.
Brewers Sign Greg Allen; Acquire Chris Roller From Guardians
The Brewers have made a couple of moves, per Adam McCalvy of MLB.com. Outfielder Greg Allen has been signed to a minor league contract and outfielder Chris Roller has been acquired from the Guardians in exchange for cash. Both players will report to Triple-A Nashville for now but are eligible to play for the Brewers in the offseason by joining the organization prior to September 1. Roller was eligible to be traded after the deadline since he hasn’t been on a 40-man roster this year.
Allen, 30, began the year with the Red Sox on a minor league deal but was traded to the Yankees in May. The Yanks added Allen to their roster but he landed on the injured list after just 10 games due to a right hip flexor strain. He returned about six weeks later and played in 12 more games before being designated for assignment and electing free agency.
It was the seventh straight year in which Allen got a part-time gig in the big leagues, having bounced from Cleveland to San Diego, Pittsburgh and the Bronx over the years, never reaching 300 plate appearances in any one season. He’s hit .231/.300/.340 in that time, which translates to a wRC+ of 74. But thanks to his speed, he’s been able to steal 48 bases in 57 attempts and play all three outfield positions with strong grades for his glovework.
Roller, 26, is a somewhat similar player. A 30th-round draft pick of the Dodgers in 2017, he went to the Guardians in the Triple-A portion of the 2020 Rule 5 draft. Since then, he’s taken 768 plate appearances between Double-A and Triple-A with a .214/.325/.341 batting line, which translates to a wRC+ of 81. However, he’s stolen 34 bases in 45 tries, including going 13 for 17 this year.
Rosters expand from 26 to 28 in September, which gives clubs more leeway to deploy specialized players. Many teams around the league use the extra roster spot to have an extra speed-and-defense player on the bench. Neither Allen nor Roller are on the roster just yet, meaning they are outfield depth for the time being. But by joining the organization prior to September 1, they could be options for the Brewers over the next month and even into the postseason. Since they are not on the 40-man, they will have to be granted a commissioner’s exemption to replace an injured player in October, but that’s not seen as a meaningful obstacle.
MLB Trade Rumors Podcast: Ohtani’s Torn UCL, Free Agent Power Rankings and Stephen Strasburg to Retire
The latest episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don’t use Spotify or Apple for podcasts.
This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by Anthony Franco of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss:
- Shohei Ohtani’s UCL tear (0:45)
- 2023-24 MLB Free Agent Power Rankings: August Edition (10:15)
- Stephen Strasburg planning to retire (16:25)
Plus, we answer your questions, including:
- Would the Brewers be a good fit for Pete Alonso? (21:10)
- What will the Cubs do at first base next year and could Alonso be a fit? (24:50)
- Could Alonso fit on the Twins? (26:35)
Check out our past episodes!
- The White Sox Fire Their Front Office, Injured Rays and Prospect Promotion Time – listen here
- Pete Alonso’s Future, Yankees’ Rotation Troubles and Should the Trade Deadline Be Pushed Back? – listen here
- The Streaking Mariners, the Struggling Angels and Injured Aces – listen here
Tigers Claim Bennett Sousa From Brewers
The Tigers announced that they have claimed left-hander Bennett Sousa off waivers from the Brewers and optioned him to Triple-A Toledo. They already had a vacancy on their 40-man roster after recently outrighting infielder Isan Díaz. The Brewers had not previously announced that Sousa was removed from their roster, so their 40-man count drops to 39.
Sousa, 28, was a 10th round pick of the White Sox in 2018 and was with that organization until the start of this year, but the past six months have been fairly tumultuous for him. He was designated for assignment in February, went to the Reds on a waiver claim, then to the Brewers in a cash deal in April. He served as an up-and-down pitcher for Milwaukee before landing on the injured list in June due to left shoulder nerve irritation, only getting reinstated a few weeks back.
Amid all of that, he’s only made two major league appearances this year. He also made 25 for the White Sox last year but has a career earned run average of 9.00 in his 23 innings between those two campaigns. But in his larger sample of minor league work, he’s shown a capability to get both strikeouts and ground balls, though also with a fair share of walks. In 17 innings for Triple-A Nashville this year, he had a 4.76 ERA, 31.5% strikeout rate, 9.6% walk rate and 58.5% ground ball rate. In 27 1/3 innings for Triple-A Charlotte last year, he posted a 3.95 ERA, 30.2% strikeout rate, 10.3% walk rate and 51.5% grounder rate.
Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris recently hinted that the club’s open roster spot would be used for an external addition rather than for calling up a prospect from within the system. It seems that Sousa is that move, though he’s been optioned to Toledo for now, providing the club with some left-handed relief depth. With rosters expanding from 26 to 28 when the calendar flips to September, the club will still have to decide who gets those active roster spots. Sousa can still be optioned for the rest of this year and one additional season.
Adrian Houser Exits Start With "Minor Forearm Tightness"
- Brewers righty Adrian Houser departed today’s start against the Padres after just two innings, having allowed four runs on four hits and a walk. Milwaukee indicated that Houser’s early exit was due to what the club termed “minor forearm tightness.” As relayed by Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Houser downplayed the injury’s seriousness in conversations with reporters, indicating he expects to make his next start after taking some time off to rest. Houser’s next start would line up for Saturday against the Phillies, though with a day off on Thursday Milwaukee has the ability to give Houser additional rest without using another starter, should he need it.
Aaron Ashby To Throw Live Bullpen Session
Aaron Ashby underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left shoulder back in April, which threatened to keep the Brewers southpaw out of action for the entirety of the 2023 season. However, Ashby is set to hit an important checkpoint in his recovery, as MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy writes that Ashby will throw a live bullpen session this week, and possibly be in line to start a minor league rehab assignment next weekend. The rehab assignment is likely to be pretty lengthy given Ashby’s long layoff, though since he’ll almost certainly be brought back as a reliever, he won’t need quite as much work in rebuilding his arm strength.
Moving to a bullpen role will help Ashby’s chances of pitching before the season is over, and it potentially gives Milwaukee an intriguing relief weapon down the stretch. Ashby has worked as both a starter and reliever over his first two MLB seasons, posting a 4.47 ERA, 57.8% grounder rate, 27.1% strikeout rate, and 9.7% walk rate over 139 innings in the big leagues. The Brewers were impressed enough to lock Ashby up to a five-year contract extension last year, and while the lefty is a big part of Milwaukee’s future, the Brew Crew also hope he can contribute to their present push for the division title and some October success.
