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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 […]

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Update: Cashing Out OFP 2

Earlier this week, I examined the surplus added by Brewers GM David Stearns, which is undoubtedly one of the reasons the club is performing quite well. Stearns, in stark contrast to recently famous rebuilds in Chicago and his previous front office (Houston), is building competitive clubs at the MLB level by cashing in on short-term […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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The New Professional Orthodoxy

MLB analytics is an austerity movement. As MLB fans clamor for new metrics or data formats, the language of “market inefficiencies” and exploitation seep deeper and deeper into the game’s descriptive fabric. Amateur fan and professional executive interests align in the search for unforeseen, ignored, or under-appreciated skills in order to maximize value. Fans love […]

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Carlos Gomez & Fundamental Attribution Errors in Baseball

Although he struggled with the Brewers and Astros in 2015, Carlos Gomez still remains one of the best and most exciting players in all of baseball. What makes Gomez so exciting, however, is not simply his great athleticism and his skill for the game, but also his passion for baseball. Every time Gomez steps on the […]