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Brewers, Willy Adames Avoid Arbitration

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The Brewers and shortstop Willy Adames have avoided arbitration, per Robert Murray of FanSided. The CAA Sports client will make $12.25MM in 2024.

The 2023 season was a slight step back for Adames at the plate but he continued to excel on defense. He hit 24 home runs last year, a bit below the 25 he hit in 2021 and the 31 in 2022. His .217 batting average was also the lowest of his career. He made up for that somewhat by having a career-best walk rate of 11.1% but his overall offense was still below average, leading to a wRC+ of 94.

But on the other side of his game, Adames produced 16 Outs Above Average, second only to Dansby Swanson among all big league shortstops. His 5.9 Ultimate Zone Rating was also tied for second in the majors among shortstops, behind Francisco Lindor in this case, while his eight Defensive Runs Saved put him in the top 10. FanGraphs considered him to be worth 3.4 wins above replacement on the year even with that slightly disappointing offense.

This is the third arbitration season for Adames, who made $4.6MM in 2022 and then $8.7MM last year. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projected Adames for a raise to $12.4MM in 2024 and he will come in just a shade beneath that.

Adames has been a speculative trade candidate this winter, a reflection of his talent, his escalating salary and the fact that he is now one year removed from free agency. The Brewers have occasionally made trades of notable players before they reach the open market, with Josh Hader as the most famous example. As of a few months ago, the club was set to have Adames, Corbin Burnes and Brandon Woodruff all playing their final arbitration seasons on eight-figure deals in 2024. But Woodruff required shoulder surgery that is going to have him miss most or all of the upcoming season, which led to his non-tender.

There have still plenty of rumors this winter, moreso about Burnes than about Adames. If the club were to consider trading their shortstop, it would be a tricky balancing act with the weak crop of free agents for the position. On the one hand, they would surely get aggressive offers since he is far better than anyone on the open market. But on the other hand, they wouldn’t be able to easily replace him by signing a free agent.

At this point, given the lack of meaningful rumors, it seems as though Adames may stick with the club into the 2024 campaign. If they remain in contention as planned, he should be able to stick as their primary shortstop through the season, when he will be a qualifying offer candidate. Though if the club were to fall out of the playoff race, he should be one of the top trade candidates available at the July trade deadline.

Latest On Corbin Burnes

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Brewers ace Corbin Burnes, one year away from reaching the open market, is among the most compelling names on the trade market for starting pitchers this offseason. The Brewers haven’t actively shopped Burnes, but that hasn’t stopped other clubs from expressing interest. Jon Heyman of the New York Post tweets that executives with other clubs are of the impression that there’s a legitimate chance of Burnes ultimately being moved. Adam McCalvy of MLB.com, however, frames things differently, noting that Milwaukee GM Matt Arnold said this week that he still expects Burnes to be his Opening Day starter.

If the Brewers are shopping Burnes at all, Arnold isn’t tipping his hand on the matter either in public comments or in comments made to Burnes’ agent, Scott Boras. As McCalvy writes, Boras said at this week’s Winter Meetings that “everything I’ve heard from Milwaukee is that they’re putting together a competitive team to win the division in ’24.” Boras added that the Brewers haven’t approached him about a long-term extension, but it seems they’ve also not given any signal that Burnes could be on the move.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic once again brought up the possibility of a Burnes/Willy Adames package heading to the Dodgers, noting that Wisconsin native Gavin Lux could be of interest to a Brewers club with some infield uncertainty (which would only be exacerbated by a trade of Adames, of course). There’s no clear indication that a trade of that nature is currently being discussed, to be clear. Similarly, Rosenthal’s colleague Brendan Kuty speculated this morning that if the Yankees ultimately miss out on NPB ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto, they could turn their focus to Burnes. Again, that’s not a firm report that talks have taken place, but Burnes is a logical option both for clubs that miss out on top free agents (e.g. Yamamoto, Blake Snell, Jordan Montgomery) and for teams that have no intention of spending at the levels necessary to sign those free agents in the first place.

[Related: Looking for a Match in a Corbin Burnes trade]

Arnold openly acknowledged this week that demand for Burnes has been high (link via Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel). The GM unsurprisingly didn’t tip his hand one way or another, but speaking in more general terms did note that the Winter Meetings are often a place where groundwork on larger trades can be done. Arnold explained to Rosiak and others that much of the framework of last year’s three-team Sean Murphy/William Contreras/Esteury Ruiz trade was put into place at the Winter Meetings, but a trade didn’t come together for several more days while the Brewers, A’s and Braves worked out the complementary pieces in the swap.

Burnes, 29, pitched to a 3.39 ERA with a 25.5% strikeout rate and 8.4% walk rate in 193 2/3 innings atop Milwaukee’s rotation this past season. Over the past four years, he’s compiled a 2.86 earned run average with a 30.9% strikeout rate, 7.1% walk rate and 46.4% ground-ball rate in 622 1/3 innings. He’s been highly durable, pitching in 105 games during that time and only hitting the injured list for an oblique strain that sidelined him less than a month. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projects a $15.1MM salary for Burnes in his final season of arbitration.

MLBTR Podcast: Top Trade Candidates, Bryce Harper at First Base and the Braves’ Raising Payroll

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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 Steve Adams of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss…

Plus, we answer your questions, including…

  • The NL Central appears to be the most intriguing division from an offseason perspective. The 2023 division winner could be selling. The Reds have a positive youth movement that could be augmented with veterans and turn into a real threat. The Cubs and Cardinals have pieces and could do an offseason push to rapidly improve their teams. The Pirates always seem to be a year or two away. What does each team in the NL Central need to do take the Brewers spot on top of the division? Do you see a potential arms race in the middle of the country instead of the coasts? (25:10)
  • Do the Angels have a chance for Cody Bellinger or one of the top pitchers? (29:50)
  • Could you explain why any team would trade something of value for Jonathan India? He’s been one of the worst defensive second basemen in baseball both of the last two years (according to both DRS and OAA), plus he’s been a below average hitter by wRC+ both years? He’s also had injury concerns both years. Maybe I’m wrong, but wouldn’t just about any contender aim higher than him as a starting second baseman? (34:10)

Check out our past episodes!

Latest On Brewers’ Offseason Approach

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The Brewers are open to trade offers on the majority of their roster, writes Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic. While that’s standard procedure for most teams — especially smaller-market franchises — Rosenthal suggests that Milwaukee could be more amenable than they had been in previous offseasons to moving notable players.

Around this time last offseason, Milwaukee was reportedly telling teams they weren’t interested in dealing Brandon Woodruff, Corbin Burnes or Willy Adames. It doesn’t seem they’re being quite so definitive this time around. At the same time, that doesn’t guarantee any of those players will be on the move.

Woodruff doesn’t hold much trade value at this point anyhow. The All-Star righty underwent shoulder surgery and will miss the bulk of next season. He’s on track to hit free agency after that year. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projects him for an $11.6MM salary if tendered an arbitration contract. There’s a chance Milwaukee cuts him loose for nothing before next Friday’s non-tender deadline.

Burnes would have immense trade appeal, while Adames would be a valuable asset in his own right. The former is one of the sport’s best pitchers and would likely be the best starter available if the Brewers seriously considered dealing him. The 2021 Cy Young winner worked to a 3.39 ERA over 193 2/3 innings this year. He reached the 200 strikeout mark for a third straight season, fanning 25.5% of opponents. While a less impressive showing than Burnes’ three consecutive sub-3.00 ERA years between 2020-22, that’s still very strong production.

Swartz projects him for a salary just above $15MM in his final season of team control. The projected outlay on Adames checks in at $12.4MM. The 28-year-old shortstop is coming off a relative down season. He hit .217/.310/.411 across 638 trips to the plate. That’s well below the .256/.325/.483 line he’d posted between his acquisition from the Rays in May 2021 and the end of the ’22 season.

Despite the dip in offense, Adames would have strong trade appeal. He’s an excellent defender at the infield’s most demanding position. He still connected on 24 home runs and has topped 20 longballs in each of the last four full seasons. A dismal free agent shortstop class leaves other teams without many alternatives.

It is generally expected that Burnes and Adames will price themselves out of Milwaukee when they reach free agency. The Brewers could expect a stronger trade return this offseason than they would if they shopped either player at the deadline — an acquiring team would not only get a full year of their services, they’d be able to make them a qualifying offer next winter.

Moving either player would deal a notable blow to Milwaukee’s hopes of repeating as NL Central champions, though. Between Woodruff’s injury and Wade Miley hitting free agency, the Brew Crew are already thin on the rotation front. The aforementioned middle infield shortage would make it difficult to effectively replace Adames on a low-cost free agent pickup.

The Brewers have made one trade this offseason, sending Mark Canha to the Tigers in lieu of an $11.5MM club option. Moving either Burnes or Adames would be a much tougher decision. Milwaukee has around $36MM in guaranteed contracts for next season. The arbitration class is projected for nearly $65MM, although non-tenders of Woodruff and Rowdy Tellez would trim almost $18MM from that estimate. The Brewers opened the 2023 season with a player payroll in the $119MM range, so retaining Burnes and Adames should be financially viable.

Various others on the Milwaukee roster are sure to be the subject of interest from rival teams. Devin Williams would be one of the most in-demand relievers, while Adrian Houser could hold appeal to clubs looking for starting pitching. It’s hard to envision the Brewers orchestrating a full teardown — the organization has instead sought perpetual contention by moving select players as they get closer to free agency — but there are various options on the table for GM Matt Arnold over the coming months.

MLBTR Poll: Should The Brewers Trade Willy Adames?

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The 2023 offseason has long had the look of one that could spell significant change for the Brewers. Between manager Craig Counsell interviewing with other clubs as he prepares to potentially depart from the organization and a the news that right-handed ace Brandon Woodruff will miss the majority of 2024 due to shoulder surgery, the winds of change seem to be blowing through Milwaukee more strongly than ever before.

Woodruff is projected by MLBTR’s Matt Swartz to make $11.6MM in his final trip through arbitration this offseason, Corbin Burnes and Willy Adames join him as high-dollar arbitration players entering their final season of team control. Burnes is projected for a $15.1MM payday, while Adames projects for a $12.4MM salary in 2024. Taken together, the three players project for a whopping $39.1MM. Those three projected salaries and the $26MM owed to Christian Yelich next season combine to make up more than half of the club’s estimated $126MM payroll (courtesy of RosterResource) in 2023.

Beyond those commitments, the club has a $9.5MM decision to make on Mark Canha’s club option and arbitration raises for the likes of Adrian Houser and Devin Williams, not to mention smaller guaranteed contracts for the likes of Freddy Peralta and Aaron Ashby. Beyond that, the club will need to add to a rotation that figures to enter the 2024 campaign with only Burnes, Peralta, and Houser locked in as starters, replace Victor Caratini as a complement to William Contreras behind the plate, and find ways to improve an offense that finished the season with a wRC+ of just 92, the seventh worst figure in the majors.

With a laundry list of needs and limited payroll space, it’s long been speculated that Milwaukee could look to deal Burnes ahead of his impending free agency in 2024, allowing them to recoup value for their ace pitcher while also saving $15MM or more to put towards other additions. As sensible as that plan may have been, Woodruff’s injury complicates things for the Brewers. After all, the idea of trading Burnes hinges in part on the fact that Woodruff and Peralta would be a capable front-of-the-rotation duo that could help the club absorb the loss of Burnes. With Woodruff out for at least the first half of 2024 and perhaps even longer, the club’s Opening Day rotation would have only Peralta and Houser penciled into it if Burnes were traded.

Given the importance of Burnes to the club’s competitive hopes for 2024, it’s become more sensible than ever for the Brewers to consider dealing their shortstop as a way to open up budget space while also bringing in pieces who could help fill out the major league club for 2024 and beyond. Adames would surely garner plenty of interest on the trade market. Though the league has seen plenty of quality shortstops hit free agency in recent winters, that’s changing this winter: the class is highlighted by the likes of Amed Rosario, Whit Merrifield, and Gio Urshela. Despite the dearth of quality options, plenty of teams could be in the market for infield help such as the Mariners, Marlins, Red Sox, Dodgers, and Blue Jays. Adames’s mix of strong defense and average-or-better offense should make him an attractive trade candidate and perhaps the best player available at his position, even after a down campaign that saw Adames slash just .217/.310/.407 with a career-worst wRC+ of 94.

Of course, there’s potential pitfalls in such an approach as well. The club seems likely to stick with Brice Turang up the middle in 2024, with the likes of Andruw Monasterio, Abraham Toro, Jahmai Jones and Owen Miller as possible depth pieces. That group would surely need at least one additional player to replace Adames. The Brewers could look again to the trade market to replace Adames with a younger infielder, or simply move Turang to shortstop while signing a player like Urshela or Merrifield who could potentially provide the club with an offensive boost.

Given those pitfalls, a trade of Adames would likely require a return package that fills holes in other areas for the Brewers. If Milwaukee were able to land rotation help or a potential infield regular in exchange for Adames, a trade would be an excellent way for the club to extend its competitive window beyond the 2024 season without taking too significant a step back in the short-term. That being said, replacing the production of Adames would require savvy moves from a Brewers front office that has struggled to get offense from the rest of its infield in recent years.

What do MLBTR readers think the best path forward is for the Brewers? Should they retain Adames despite the holes in the roster and his impending free agency after 2024? Or should they risk a significant step back on the infield in 2024 in order to shore up the roster in other areas and improve the club’s standing for 2025 and beyond? Have your say in the poll below:

(poll link for app users)

Brewers GM Matt Arnold On Burnes, Woodruff, Adames, Counsell, Prospects

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Brewers general manager Matt Arnold met with reporters (including MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy and The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel’s Curt Hogg) for the season wrap-up press conference today, and addressing several major topics facing his team as the offseason begins.  One question left open was the status of Brandon Woodruff’s right shoulder, as Arnold said more will be known once Woodruff has another visit with doctors.

“He’s going to be looked at this week.  We’re optimistic,” Arnold said.  “We won’t know until the reports come out, but we’re going to wait until he gets another opinion on his shoulder at this point.”

Woodruff suffered a capsular injury to his throwing shoulder just prior to the start of the Brewers’ Wild Card Series with the Diamondbacks, and it was unclear if Woodruff would’ve been able to pitch during any part of a postseason run even if the Brew Crew had made it as far as the World Series.  Losing one of their top pitchers to injury proved to be a harbinger of bad news for Milwaukee, as the D’Backs swept the NL Central champions in two games.

Between this latest injury and the shoulder problems that caused Woodruff to miss four months of regular season action, it seems possible that surgery might be on the table as an option, which could threaten Woodruff’s availability for 2024.  It also adds another layer of intrigue to the longstanding expectation that at least one of Woodruff, Corbin Burnes, or Willy Adames could be traded.

The three players are entering their final year of arbitration eligibility and will be free agents next winter.  Given Milwaukee’s modest payroll, extending even one of the players might not be feasible, and keeping all three beyond 2024 seems out of the question barring a major change in the Brewers’ spending approach.

Arnold acknowledged this financial situation Tuesday, noting “We can never close the door on any [trade] conversations, as you guys know.  That’s just the reality of where we are.”  However, the GM unsurprisingly also didn’t tip his hand in forecasting any moves, saying “the short answer is that we’re extremely comfortable having” Woodruff, Burnes, and Adames on the roster.

“The foundation is that they’re here and they’re really good players,” Arnold said.  “Obviously, anything can happen over the course of an offseason.  We’ll certainly have to entertain a lot of different discussions but we recognize the value of these players and how much they mean to our franchise.”

Burnes in particular has seemed like the top trade candidate of the group ever since his disappointed reaction to his arbitration hearing back in February,  though Arnold stressed that Burnes “means a ton to what we’ve done here.  He’s been a warrior on the mound….We’ll see how it plays out over the course of the offseason, but I would expect him to be here next year.”

In terms of other winter priorities, the Brewers are hoping to boost offense, particularly at first and third base.  Acquiring Carlos Santana and Mark Canha at the trade deadline helped solidify the first base spot down the stretch, though Santana is a free agent and Canha will hit the market as well if the Crew don’t exercise their $11.5MM club option on his services.  Arnold’s comments might imply that Canha and Santana could be let go if the Brewers want more pop out of the first base position, though Canha isn’t only a first baseman, as he can also play in either corner outfield spot.

Andruw Monasterio seems like a candidate to be a third-base regular since Arnold said the team “liked” his work at the hot corner, though the GM also cited top prospect Tyler Black as a candidate at either infield position, “potentially early on” in the season.  If Milwaukee is prepared to give Black a look out of Spring Training, that could mean the team might not pursue an everyday type of veteran corner infielder, in order to not block Black or Monasterio.

There weren’t any new updates on Craig Counsell’s status, as Arnold said management had yet to sit down with the skipper to discuss a new contract.  Counsell’s deal is officially up at the end of October, and he previously told owner Mark Attanasio that he wanted to wait until the season was over to explore an extension.  Given the October 31st expiry date on his current contract, the Brewers will have a few weeks of exclusive negotiating time to explore possibilities with Counsell, before becomes a free agent and open to pursuits from other teams — such as the Mets, who now have David Stearns as president of baseball operations and a managerial vacancy after firing Buck Showalter.

Brewers Rumors: Middle Infield, Defense, Winker, Caratini

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The Brewers took two of three from the Reds this week, pushing their lead over Cincinnati in the NL Central to a game and a half. As they try to hang onto their spot atop the division, Milwaukee looks to add in the next five days.

Jon Morosi of MLB.com tweeted earlier this week the Brew Crew were among the clubs involved in the middle infield market. That’s presumably a reflection of the middling production they’ve gotten out of the keystone. At shortstop, Willy Adames is having a down offensive year, but he’s an excellent defender and clubhouse leader. It’s hard to imagine the Brewers are considering curtailing his playing time.

That might not be the case on the other side of the bag. Milwaukee second basemen have hit .222/.300/.311 on the season. They’re 21st in on-base percentage and above only the Mariners and White Sox in slugging output.

The bulk of those reps have fallen to rookie Brice Turang. The former top prospect hasn’t hit much in his first look at big league arms. Through 259 plate appearances, he owns a meager .204/.271/.315 line with four home runs. Public defensive metrics have pegged him as a plus with the glove; he’s eight runs above average by measure of Defensive Runs Saved and two runs above par, per Statcast.

Adding at the keystone would be a means to perhaps inject some life into a mediocre lineup. The Brewers rank 25th in MLB in runs despite playing home games in the rather hitter-friendly American Family Field. Luis Urías, who opened the season at third base and has also seen some second base action, hit just .145/.299/.236 and has spent the past month in Triple-A.

Nevertheless, general manager Matt Arnold struck a balanced tone in a chat with Adam McCalvy of MLB.com before yesterday’s game. Arnold noted the front office didn’t want to deal too much of a hit to the team’s run prevention-first mentality. “I think we want to try to help this team, but we know we’re built around pitching and defense. Anytime you want to add a quote-unquote bat, sometimes those guys aren’t very good defenders,” he told McCalvy. Arnold added the club was considering ways to upgrade but noted they were to be responsible in not parting with too much young talent.

That’s a consideration every team looking for short-term help will have to weigh, of course. It’d register as a surprise if the Brewers didn’t add to the lineup in some capacity, even if it’s more of a complementary pickup than an impact bat. The Brewers had gotten very little out of the main first base/designated hitter tandem of Rowdy Tellez and Jesse Winker. Tellez has been out since July 5 with a forearm issue. The latter just joined him on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to July 25, because of back spasms.

Milwaukee has relied upon Owen Miller as its top first baseman of late. He’s probably better suited for a multi-positional infield role off the bench. The Brewers have Tyrone Taylor (hitting .159/.176/.261 in 34 games) and Abraham Toro as other options, while longtime minor leaguer Andruw Monasterio has stepped into the primary third base role with Brian Anderson out of action. Monasterio has performed well over 117 trips to the dish as a 26-year-old rookie.

There are a few different areas in which Milwaukee could look for offensive help. A right side infielder would be the most straightforward, though McCalvy notes the Brew Crew are open to upgrading the outfield as well. Rookies Sal Frelick and Joey Wiemer are taking everyday roles alongside Christian Yelich. The latter could see more DH reps if the Brewers added on the grass.

While most of the focus for Milwaukee will be on which players they acquire, there’s a possibility of dealing off the MLB roster at a position of surplus. Robert Murray of FanSided wrote last night that backup catcher Víctor Caratini is a potential trade candidate. That’d ostensibly be about cashing him in for immediate MLB depth in another area.

Caratini, 30 next month, is having a nice season in a limited role. He owns a .248/.338/.372 line with five homers through 148 plate appearances. Statcast has given him slightly above-average marks for his pitch framing and blocking. It’s not the kind of offense that’d be ideal in an extended first base or DH capacity but is strong for a #2 catcher. With William Contreras behind the dish, there’s no path for Caratini to get more consistent reps there barring injury.

The switch-hitting backstop is playing this season on a modest $2.8MM arbitration salary. He’ll be a free agent for the first time at year’s end. Contreras is entrenched as the long-term catcher, so Caratini could look for a larger role elsewhere once he hits the open market.

Perhaps another team is willing to give him more consistent reps down the stretch. There aren’t many apparent catching trade candidates this summer. Most productive backstops are already on contenders and the upcoming free agent class at the position is thin. Caratini would only appeal to other clubs with 2023 postseason aspirations — there’s little reason to trade for a rental otherwise — but teams like the Yankees, Marlins or Diamondbacks could look for short-term help behind the plate.

Brewers GM Matt Arnold Discusses Deadline Approach

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The NL Central has been full of surprises this season, from the Cardinals’ shocking failure to get off the ground early in the season to Cincinnati’s recent torrid stretch catapulting them into contention. The one team seemingly immune to the division’s upheaval, at least so far, is the Brewers.

Entering play today, the Brewers sport a 44-39 record that leaves them tied with the Reds for the division lead in a relatively weak NL Central division. The club is currently two games into a ten game stretch against division rivals ahead of the All Star break; after splitting its first two games in Pittsburgh, they’ll play the Pirates in a series finale today before returning to Milwaukee to face the Cubs in a four game set. They’ll then finish up the first half with three games against the Reds. With so many games against their top division rivals, the club could take a much firmer hold of the division lead or slip in the standings somewhat prior to the All Star break.

Despite that lingering uncertainty, the club’s front office seems to have its course largely set with less than a month to go until MLB’s trade deadline on August 1. MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy discussed the club’s plans with GM Matt Arnold yesterday, and the GM was rather candid about his planned approach as we enter trade season.

“Look, we want to be competitive here in 2023,” Arnold said. “We will be opportunistic to try and improve this team where we can, responsibly, I think we have a lot of good players here.”

Arnold went on to point to right-hander Brandon Woodruff, left-handers Aaron Ashby and Justin Wilson, and outfielder Tyrone Taylor as potentially impactful “additions” the team could benefit from in the second half, and when prompted to elaborate on what he meant by behaving “responsibly” discussed the importance of balancing the farm system’s longer term outlook and the immediate value of pushing in to win now.

Those comments from Arnold certainly seem to indicate that the Brewers are unlikely to make a major splash by buying at the top of the trade market this month. Such a measured approach to the deadline is fairly typical of Milwaukee in recent years. The club’s biggest deadline acquisition in recent memory was rental infielder Eduardo Escobar during his All Star 2021 campaign. Other recent deadline additions have been smaller, such as the additions of Jordan Lyles and Drew Pomeranz in 2019 or the club’s acquisition of Matt Bush last season.

Of course, the most impactful deal by Milwaukee at the trade deadline in recent years happened last season, when the club shipped closer Josh Hader to the Padres for a four-player package. That deal has had some positives to it, as the club managed to ship outfielder Esteury Ruiz out in a three team deal that brought back catcher William Contreras this past offseason and left-handed prospect Robert Gasser is pitching fairly well at the Triple-A level. Still, the deal is often looked at as having sunk the club’s chances last season as the Brewers finished the season just 29-31 following the trade and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2017.

Arnold suggested a similarly surprising sell-side deal isn’t in the cards this year. When asked if he would consider moving a player such as ace right-hander Corbin Burnes or All Star shortstop Willy Adames, Arnold firmly shut the possibility down, saying, “We’re not looking to move any of those guys. They’re huge parts of our team right now… I mean, I’m sure we’ll get phone calls on these guys, because they’re very good. But that’s not something we’re considering.”

It’s hardly a surprise that the club is disinclined to move either Burnes or Adames, considering neither of the pair has played up to their typical standards this season. Following a three year stretch that saw Burnes post a 2.62 ERA and 2.40 FIP in 428 2/3 innings of work, the 28-year-old righty has put up a rather pedestrian 4.00 ERA in 17 starts this season, only 6% better than league average by measure of ERA+. Meanwhile, Adames is in the midst of the worst offensive season of his career. His .203/.290/.373 slash line, good for a well below average wRC+ of just 81, would be a career worst in all four aforementioned stats if maintained over the rest of the season.

Brewers Option Brice Turang, Reinstate Willy Adames

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The Brewers announced today that shortstop Willy Adames has been reinstated from the seven-day concussion list, with infielder Brice Turang optioned to Triple-A in a corresponding move.

Adames had a scary incident over a week ago when he was struck in the head by a foul ball while sitting in the dugout. He was sent to hospital for testing but seemed to avoid any serious injuries as he didn’t suffer any fractures and resumed baseball activities a few days later, which has allowed him to return after an absence of under two weeks.

The roster casualty of his return is Turang. Now 23, the youngster has been considered one of the top 100 prospects in the league at times during his rise to the majors. Baseball America gave him the #88 slot going into 2021 but didn’t have him on their list in the past two years. FanGraphs was still bullish coming into 2023, giving him the #65 slot in their preseason top 100.

The Brewers traded away Kolten Wong this winter, which opened the door for Turang to take over the second base job next to Adames. Unfortunately, his first taste of the big leagues hasn’t gone well. He’s struck out in 27.1% of his plate appearances while walking at just a 6.2% clip. His .205/.254/.307 batting line amounts to a wRC+ of just 52. He does have nine steals in 12 tries and has solid defensive grades at the keystone, but that batting line is clearly untenable.

He’ll now get a chance to get back into a groove in the minors, which will likely delay his path to free agency and perhaps arbitration. Since he cracked the Opening Day roster this year, he was on track to get a full year of service time but will now fall short of that as long as he spends 20 days in the minors.

With Turang gone, the second base duties will likely fall to some combination of Luis Urías, Owen Miller, Andruw Monasterio and Abraham Toro. Urías was just activated from the injured list and Toro was just recalled from the minors a week ago but Miller is hitting .313/.350/.463 on the season while Monasterio is at .350/.435/.550 in his first eight major league games.

Brewers Notes: Urias, Adames, Woodruff, Lauer, Bush

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MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy relayed a series of significant updates regarding injured Brewers players this morning. Most encouragingly, the Brewers expect to welcome both infielder Luis Urias and shortstop Willy Adames back from the injured list this week.

Urias, who suffered a hamstring strain on Opening Day and hasn’t played since, is expected to rejoin the club on Tuesday as they begin a homestand against the Orioles. Acquired in the trade that sent Trent Grisham to San Diego prior to the 2020 season, Urias has been a key piece of the club’s infield picture for several seasons now, particularly since his offensive breakout in 2021. Since the beginning of the 2021 season, Urias has slashed a solid .243/.339/.424 (111 wRC+) with a 20.6% strikeout rate and a 10.8% walk rate in 1,046 trips to the plate.

Adames, meanwhile, has been on the 7-day concussion IL since getting struck with a foul ball in the dugout last week. McCalvy notes that the current plan is for Adames to play DH for High-A Wisconsin today before moving on to Triple-A Nashville. After two games in Nashville, Adames figures to be activated from the injured list on Thursday.

After the Brewers acquired Adames partway through the 2021 season, the then-25-year-old shortstop raked for the club in 99 games for the rest of the season, with a .285/.366/.521 slash line that was 36% better than league average by measure of wRC+. Adames followed up that performance in 2022 with a solid 109 wRC+ in 139 games, but struggled prior to his placement on the IL this season, slashing a below-average .205/.292/.384 in 51 games.

Still, the Brewers figure to be bolstered significantly by the return of their two most reliable infielders. Andruw Monasterio, Owen Miller, and Brian Anderson have all produced solid results in the infield while Urias and Adames have been on the shelf. Assuming the Brewers look to keep all three of them on the active roster even after the duo returns this week, it’s possible the club will look toward the likes of Brice Turang, Mike Brosseau, and Abraham Toro when clearing space for Adames and Urias on the active roster. Each of those three infielders (as well as both Monasterio and Miller) are optionable, leaving Milwaukee with plenty of options as they look to make roster decisions in the coming days.

While the updates on Adames and Urias are encouraging, the same unfortunately cannot be said regarding ace right-hander Brandon Woodruff. The 30-year-old righty made just two starts this season before going on the injured list with a subscapular strain in his right shoulder, which came with an initial timeline that figured to see him return later this month. McCalvy notes that Woodruff’s timetable for return has been pushed back, however, as the righty has yet to progress to throwing off a mound, leaving the Brewers to target a return around the All Star break for their ace.

The setback for Woodruff is a tough blow to the Brewers, who have since lost Wade Miley and Eric Lauer from their rotation to injuries (in addition to Aaron Ashby, who has yet to pitch this season after undergoing shoulder surgery). What’s more, Woodruff’s co-ace Corbin Burnes has had a somewhat pedestrian season to this point by his lofty standards, posting a 3.75 ERA (113 ERA+) and a 4.59 FIP across twelve starts while striking out 22.8% of batters faced.

Speaking of Lauer, the left-hander and reliever Matt Bush are both expected to head to Triple-A for rehab assignments on Tuesday. Lauer struggled mightily in nine appearances (eight starts) this season prior to going on the IL due to an impingement in his non-throwing shoulder, with a 5.48 ERA and a 6.73 FIP in 42 2/3 innings of work. Bush also struggled in nine games prior to hitting the IL with tendinitis in his right rotator cuff allowing seven runs on four homers and six walks in just 7 2/3 innings of work.

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