USATSI_10915947_168381442_lowres_1

Rebuild Rebuilding

When the Brewers embarked on their rebuilding campaign, first under President Doug Melvin during 2015 and then under GM David Stearns, the common fan and analyst rebuilding model was the scorched-earth, tear-it-to-the-ground, “tank” rebuild. This rebuilding model was ostensibly perfected by the Houston Astros and also practiced by the Chicago Cubs, where the assumption is […]

stearns2015

What if Stearns Didn’t Sling? The Bizarro Brewers

Just three years into the job, General Manager David Stearns has already left a considerable stamp on Brewers franchise history. Thanks in no small part to a series of shrewd trades and waiver wire pickups, Milwaukee is back in the postseason for the first time since 2011, has posted back-to-back years of winning records after […]

USATSI_10882873_168381442_lowres_1

Recycle the Rebuild: The Great Non-Move

Last year, I criticized Brewers GM David Stearns for his lack of midseason moves to address a starting pitching rotation that became greatly diminished down the stretch. The criticism was a part of a general frustration that the club had not done enough to reach the playoffs. After executing a very swift rebuilding effort (that […]

USATSI_10876168_168381442_lowres_1

Aces Don’t Exist: Third Time Charmers

The Brewers are gaining a reputation for becoming a bullpen squad, part of the MLB bullpen revolution, and rightfully so. Over the offseason, the Brewers lost out on all the major free agency starting pitchers, and never consummated a trade for one of the (presumably, oft-rumored) available aces, instead remaining satisfied with marginal moves involving […]

USATSI_10677818_168381442_lowres

Everybody Loves the Drake

On Monday night, the Brewers suffered a particularly rough loss to the Reds. Brent Suter did what he does best, working five innings while allowing 3 runs, and the offense did what they do best, which currently means they had yet to score any runs by the time Suter left. Enter Oliver Drake, an average […]

USATSI_8106594_168381444_lowres

The Successful Rebuild

On Wednesday, Forbes published their annual ranking of MLB franchise valuations, completed with individual breakdowns of revenue, operating income, and additional franchise details. The Brewers details are available here, and, like 2016, the Brewers are once again quite a successful MLB team. Prior to interest, taxes, amortization, and depreciation, Forbes estimates that the Brewers ownership […]

USATSI_10315603_168381442_lowres

Where are the Trades?

Brewers GM David Stearns was affectionately labeled “Slingin’ Stearns” by Brewers fans upon taking helm of the organization. The young GM blazed a new roster by making deals at a furious pace, and some of his first trades remain his greatest hits (for example, the Jonathan Villar trade is still as good as the Travis […]

USATSI_10291042_168381442_lowres

Deconstructing the Pirates

With the Brewers embracing a systematic rebuild following the 2014 and 2015 collapse, it is worth scrutinizing other building cycles around the MLB. As the Brewers play in Pittsburgh, the Pirates are winding down their second disappointing season following their 2013-2015 contending run. Pittsburgh fully rebuilt their baseball operations, analytics, and player development system under […]

USATSI_10091669_168381442_lowres

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 […]

stearns2015

Improving Front Office Diversity

When David Stearns was first hired, BPMilwaukee’s Jack Moore wrote a column about the lack of diversity in MLB front offices. This remains a problem today, as front office openings continue to be filled by Ivy-educated white men. Just this offseason, Arizona replaced Dave Stewart with Mike Hazen, who is a Princeton graduate. The solution isn’t […]