Baseball is back! TOP PLAY (WPA): After Carlos Torres opted out of his minor-league deal with the Braves, the Brewers signed him to a big league deal. That decision proved costly, at least in the home opener. After the Brewers got off to an early lead, the Giants came back and took a 5-3 lead […]
Tag: Jonathan Villar
The Flexibility of Craig Counsell
For a manager in baseball, as for any person of authority in any field, rigidity can be deadly. While every worker should try to change with the times and stay ahead of the curve, the decision-maker ultimately bears the most responsibility in these areas, since they set the example for everyone else to follow. In […]
Speculating About The Lead-Off Position
In recent years, the Brewers have been famous for their exquisitely-calligraphied lineup cards, courtesy of Jerry Narron. In 2015, the most frequently-seen names at the top of it were Jean Segura and Carlos Gomez—neither of whom are still with the team. Gerardo Parra led off the fourth-most often, and he is also no longer with […]
Dissecting The Brewers’ Team Projections
If there’s one thing that sabermetricians love, it’s projections. What can top an algorithm that tells you how well someone will play? Nothing, in our books. But problems can arise when those algorithms inevitably disagree with one another. In those situations, we have to roll up our sleeves and dive into the numbers, to try and […]
Jonathan Villar’s Baserunning As A Model For Fringe Players
The Brewers have spent a lot of the offseason importing young and/or unproven players, as a rebuilding club should. Players such as Garin Cecchini, Colin Walsh, and Josmil Pinto will receive opportunities to make a name for themselves in 2016. If they take off, they’ll remain on the team for 2017 and beyond, to help it […]
Garin Cecchini Deserves a Shot
The Milwaukee Brewers have some options at third base. None seem spectacularly overwhelming on the surface. However, in determining which player most deserves the starting role, it’s best to explore all available options. As it sits right now, the newly-acquired Jonathan Villar is perched atop the official depth chart. In his 589 career plate appearances, Villar has […]
The Value of Jonathan Villar to a Rebuilding Team
On Thursday, the Brewers and Astros completed a relatively significant trade (in that it actually involved a Major League player) that sent shortstop Jonathan Villar from Houston to Milwaukee in exchange for minor-league right-hander Cy Sneed. This deal gives the Brewers extra middle-infield depth without sacrificing an impact prospect, which makes it a net positive […]
Rolling Out the Barrel: Stearns Keeps the Stove Hot
The off-season is just a couple of weeks old, but new Brewers GM David Stearns has gotten right to work with two trades in as many days, as he begins the task of making over the rebuilding Brewers. Before we find out if he makes it three in a row on Friday, let’s check in […]