In America, we think of players in their contract year as motivated to prove themselves and earn their next contract. Analysts mention it routinely (here are two different examples from before this season alone), and Hall of Fame manager Sparky Anderson once said, “Just give me 25 guys on the last year of their contracts; […]
Category: Articles
Against the Austerity Ideology
2017 may go down as the year of triumph of the austerity ideology in sports. Not only did the Astros break through and shockingly satisfy Sports Illustrated’s once-ridiculed (by yours truly among others) prophecy to win the World Series a mere half-decade after entering one of the boldest tanking projects in sports history; Basketball’s Philadelphia 76ers have also […]
GMs and Rebuilding Time
What is a successful rebuilding effort by an MLB club? This question is worth asking in light of the recent Championships by the Houston Astros and Chicago Cubs, both clubs that scorched the earth in order to return to glory in a fully remade club format. In both cases, new front office management teams spearheaded […]
Checking In on the Lind Trade
On December 9, 2015, the Milwaukee Brewers traded their starting first baseman for a trio of teenaged pitchers. Adam Lind, the first baseman in question, had just batted .277 for the Brewers with 20 home runs, a high walk rate, and a TAv of .294. Defensive deficiencies prevented him from being more than an average […]
On the Rise: Monte Harrison
The Milwaukee Brewers tabbed Monte Harrison with the 50th overall pick in the 2014 MLB Draft knowing that he would be a project. The 6’3″ outfielder possessed athleticism in spades, prompting the Brewers to lure Harrison away from a collegiate commitment to Nebraska as a wide receiver with a well over-slot $1.8 million signing bonus. […]
A Big Splash is not the Answer
Fresh off a surprise 86-win season, David Stearns and company are licking their chops to make some moves and build off the team’s promising 2017 season. According to Kyle Lesniewski of Brew Crew Ball, the organization has money to spend. The Brewers payroll has been under 65 million dollars two years in a row. The […]
Domingo Santana’s Changed Approach
As regular readers of this website are undoubtedly aware at this point, Statcast gives us a wealth of information that we did not previously have access to. We are now able to do more in-depth research than was previously possible, and the results are—at the very least—interesting. I think the jury is still out about […]
Free Agency III: Jeremy Hellickson
Jeremy Hellickson might be the perfect pitcher to define the 2018 free agency class. There’s a lack of true impact arms outside of Yu Darvish and Jake Arrieta, both right-handed pitchers that are almost certain to receive massive contracts. Along with Arrieta and Darvish, the injured Michael Pineda also provides a potential upside play for […]
Brewers 2018 Top Prospects
When the rebuilding began in earnest in July 2015, everyone marked it on their calendars: entering the 2018 season, the new and improved Brewers would have their first competitive, winning season under their belts, and the top of the farm system would be defined by internal draft picks moreso than rebuilding trades. 2018 Milwaukee Brewers […]
Corey Ray: Pedigree and Performance
In 2017, Corey Ray was named a mid-season All-Star for the Carolina Mudcats. He was selected to participate in the 2017 SiriusXM All-Star Futures game alongside fellow baby Brewers Lewis Brinson and Mauricio Dubon. During batting practice, Ray turned heads by walloping eight balls over the outfield fence, which was the highest total among the […]