Brewers GM David Stearns had a wild non-waiver trade deadline to close July, and the GM once again proved that he was not afraid to deal potentially quality talent as the August waiver trade deadline was closing. As the waiver trade deadline closed, Stearns parted with college catching development project KJ Harrison (who might also […]
Tag: Adrian Houser
Trouble
The Brewers pitching staff is in shambles. Between role regression among key pitchers, injuries to a group of key early-season pitchers as well as crucial trade deadline acquisitions, and an essential end to the rotating “shuttle team” to Triple-A Colorado Springs, the Brewers have lost their ability to prevent runs. Based on Baseball Reference Three […]
The Perfect Trade
On April 9, 2018 the Brewers recalled outfielder Brett Phillips from Triple-A Colorado Springs, and optioned righty Adrian Houser to Double-A Biloxi. In transition, from Houser’s fantastic three strike out, 2.0 IP relief performance against the Cubs, to Brett Phillips’s 1-for-5 start at St. Louis, the duo alternated roster spots to join right fielder Domingo […]
Speculating on on Rookie Arms
The release of Baseball Prospectus PECOTA projections is exciting for many reasons, not the least of which is finding the player comparisons that helped inform the projection system. Since PECOTA (and its redesigns) is based in part on finding comparable players in order to assess “true ability” and design aging curves suitable to each prospect […]
Brewers Relief Prospects
After consecutive seasons running the lowest payroll in baseball in 2016 and 2017, the Milwaukee Brewers decided that it was finally time to spend some money this winter….Except on relievers, that is. Following the end of the 2017 regular season, the team allowed ace setup man Anthony Swarzak to hit the open market despite a […]
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Last year, amidst some projections that suggested the Milwaukee Brewers would struggle to beat the 70-win mark, PECOTA stuck with bullish preseason estimates in the upper-70s. The deep Brewers roster was also bolstered by high floor developing players like Domingo Santana and Zach Davies, as well as second-chancers like Travis Shaw and Chase Anderson, and […]
Roster Surplus and Depth Questions
The 2018 Milwaukee Brewers are in quite a strange position, representing the bundle of contradictions that defined their uncanny 2017 campaign. On the one hand, the organization dropped a “rebuilding” narrative in 2015, meaning that industry writers, analysts, and fans alike did not expect the club to compete, let alone contend, for several years; on […]
Adrian Houser Returns
With the benefit of hindsight, there is little doubt which organization came out ahead in the 2015 blockbuster trade that was worked out between the Milwaukee Brewers and Houston Astros. Carlos Gomez and Mike Fiers went to Houston to help aid their playoff run, and the Astros did indeed make the postseason that year. Gomez […]
Grading Trades V: The Long View
One of the most interesting aspects of the Brewers rebuilding thus far is that nearly everyone involved in the Carlos Gomez-Mike Fiers trade took a step back in 2016, or raised some question marks about their profile. Mike Fiers and Josh Hader arguably had the best years of the bunch, and even Hader himself still […]
Gomez Trades One Year Later
For Brewers fans looking to knock the rebuild, 2016 has seen setbacks and injuries for several notable Brewers prospects. The system development has largely served as a polar opposite to 2015’s large step forward. In this context, however, the Brewers club also offers exceptional player development lessons with Junior Guerra and Jonathan Villar, who both […]