The splash happened: For two-and-a-half years, Brewers fans and analysts wondered aloud what it might take for GM David Stearns to trade an impact prospect at the trade deadline. The debate softened somewhat during the 2017-2018 offseason, as Stearns certainly proved himself capable of parting with (several) impact prospects. This transaction was always explained away, […]
Tag: Jonathan Villar
The Power of Jonathan Villar
Jonathan Villar has had a weird season. For the first month, the stats on television graphics made him look like he was playing pretty well. He hit .271 in April, which is fine for a second baseman who the Brewers couldn’t have been sure would do even that much. But it was an empty batting […]
21: The Trap
In a much-publicized scheduling crunch, the Brewers are headed on a trek in which 21 games will be played in the 20 days leading to the All Star Break. Any baseball fan will look at their favorite team’s schedule for such an occasion and grimace. That the stretch’s extra contest comes at the cost of […]
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 […]
Weekend Recap: Logan, Villar
The Brewers completed their successful road trip, taking series in both Arizona and Minnesota to go 4-2 for the second consecutive week and maintaining their lead in the NL Central. The name of the game this week was run prevention: the pitching staff allowed only sixteen runs. Milwaukee is currently 14th in MLB in DRA, […]
Villar is the Answer at Second
The 2018 Brewers should hit. Barring a major Spring Training trade, they’re set to enter the season with the deepest lineup in recent Milwaukee history. The lone remaining area of uncertainty is at second base, where incumbents Jonathan Villar and Eric Sogard figure to squabble for playing time, each trying to prove that their respective […]
Who’s on Second?
Spring Training is upon us. It seems the Brewers have moves to be made regarding their crowded outfield and solid-but-underwhelming starting rotation but the rest of the roster is presumably set. Earlier this offseason, second base was a primary concern for Brewers fans. Most assumed that GM David Stearns would bring back midseason acquisition Neil […]
Jonathan Villar and High-Risk Gambles
It should come as no surprise for me to say that the Brewers are not favorites to win their own division. PECOTA’s projections have been released today, and the Brewers are projected to be an 83-win team, or six wins worse than the Cubs. Their 83-win projection puts them in the same range as the […]
What if the Brewers Don’t Sign Neil Walker?
This offseason has been infamously slow, and the Brewers have made only minor adjustments to their big league roster thus far. A flurry of moves are undoubtedly still to come, as Yu Darvish, Jake Arrieta, and J.D. Martinez still remain unsigned. But with spring training about five weeks away, the chance that the Brewers have […]
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 […]