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 […]
Tag: Andrew Susac
Midseason 2017 #1: 3 Up 3 Down
With the completion of the 2017 MLB amateur draft, the revolving door for prospects and system depth between Class-AA Biloxi, Class-AAA Colorado Springs, and Milwaukee, and the International free agency signing date just days away, the Brewers system is experiencing significant flux. This flux is hardly a bad thing. Top prospects Lewis Brinson and Josh […]
A Vogt of Confidence
On the surface, the Brewers’ waiver claim of former Oakland catcher Stepen Vogt might look like more of the same. I’ve written before about Milwaukee’s propensity for using the waiver wire and, really, a significant part of the team was built from the scraps of other franchises. Hernan Perez. Junior Guerra. Carlos Torres and Jared […]
The Opportunity Cost of Harvesting ‘Wiet’
Sometimes, the offseason feels like one of those games that you want to leave early. We’ve all been to a boring snoozer of a game at some point that was well out of hand long before beer sales even stopped, where staying for the rest of the event is nothing but an exercise in stubbornness. […]
Starting Susac in 2017
On July 31, 2016, the Brewers dealt reliever Will Smith for catcher Andrew Susac and pitcher Phil Bickford. While Bickford has been the focus of the trade for many, it’s Susac who is mostly likely to make the greatest impact in 2017. In December, The Brewers shipped away fellow catcher Martin Maldonado, in effect declaring […]
Age in the Minors: Pacific Coast
Not unlike some of his highly-ranked, organizational teammates in Biloxi, Orlando Arcia received cool notes from the press in 2016. Throughout the season, fans and writers alike consistently pointed to Arcia’s Colorado Springs batting line as a sign that the shortstop should not be rushed, that perhaps 2016 was not indeed his year for the […]
Reports: Trade Deadline Returns
The Brewers may not have been quite as active as some had expected prior to Monday’s non-waiver trade deadline, but Slingin’ David Stearns still managed to move arguably the club’s three most valuable assets. Left-handed reliever Will Smith was sent to the Giants for Catcher Andrew Susac and RHP Phil Bickford, while franchise catcher Jonathan […]
Grading The System
On July 23, 2015, the Brewers rebuilding efforts began in earnest, as President & GM Doug Melvin traded veteran third baseman Aramis Ramirez to the Pittsburgh Pirates for right-handed relief option Yhonathan Barrios. The move was hardly one that would signal the next contending era, but it was a strong move toward future value nonetheless. […]