Brewers 2025 Discussion - Frelick Activated, Black Sent Down

[coolhandluke121]

Naylor would be a "lavish" move? It would be great to replace Bauers and not have to rely on Hoskins, especially against RHP, but it should hardly be expensive to rent a 1B with a career .773 OPS who should probably be a platoon player.

[MickeyDavis]

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[ReasonablySober]

Cortes and Quintana are such perfect candidates to move. There are teams desperate for starting pitching, and the Brewers have more than enough arms to cover for both.

[jakecronus8]

Baltimore beat writer named Milwaukee as a top 4 suitor for O'hearn.

[coolhandluke121]

Baltimore beat writer named Milwaukee as a top 4 suitor for O'hearn.

The Mariners overpaid for Naylor and took one primary suitor off the market for O'hearn. The big-money teams mostly already have 1B/DH type sluggers, and the Padres have to be more fiscally responsible. I don't think the market for him is going to be that hot, and the Brewers are probably the best fit if the asking price is reasonable.

[c00lhand208]

I don’t know where others are with their bat trade-target desires, but my list looks like this:

*I’d like to see the Brewers lean into their strengths and prioritize addition(s) on that front more so than simply going for the biggest ISO bat on the market & likely paying greatly in assets for it. The more pragmatic move IMO is to upgrade the team’s lineup options by targeting players who best fit tactically in combination between the plate & the field. They should be viewed as obvious bench utility upgrades (at minimum), rotational starting options, or a potential “everyday”starter upgrade.

Ha-Seong Kim - currently dealing with an injury & unclear what his availability might be. A massive IF utility upgrade over Andruw Monasterio. He’s also someone capable of taking over full time duties at 3B, SS, or 2B, if necessary. Otherwise, rotate him regularly with those at SS, 3rd, & 2nd giving them each a rest day. Should force Ortiz to raise his offensive game to maintain a balanced share of PAs at SS — despite Joey’s recent superb defensive play. I view a healthy Kim as a potential difference maker and team ceiling riser despite not being a big ISO bat. He’s just a damn good ball player and winning teams need as many of those as they can get.

Isiah Kiner-Falefa - a clear utility upgrade over Monasterio and someone defensively capable of relieving Ortiz at SS without much defensive draw back, if any. May even push Ortiz offensively or for the position outright. And I don’t believe he’d be super difficult to land in a trade as he should be getting shopped. His drawback is his ISO is lower than Monasterio or Ortiz, but he does have the best plate discipline & he’s the best baserunning threat too.

Ryan O'Hearn - The obvious LH upgrade at 1st (over Bauers). The question is how much in assets will it take? Assuming this puts Bauers through waivers and if he clears maybe he takes the Brewers assignment or chooses to re-sign as a minor league FA. I still like his patience at the plate, his OBP, & his ability to take extra bases, so I’d appreciate seeing him provide the team a potential depth option again.

Amed Rosario - another player who I’m not too sure about his actual availability, but he would be another obvious utility upgrade over Monasterio and gives the Brewers another certified pest for opposing teams to deal with on the basepaths and at the plate.

Willi Castro - should be available and provides more pop as a super utility option; though, his SS & CF playing days are probably best left in the past which makes him a little questionable as a full on Monasterio replacement. Not sure what his cost might be, but certainly less than a Suarez.

Luis Arraez - Not sure on his availability, but an interesting multi-position utility option who can also sort of replace Bauers as the LH platoon bat at 1st. He’s an incredibly difficult out at the plate (extremely rare to strikeout), but presents little ISO threat.

Ramon Urias - yet another question mark regarding availability, but yet another clear upgrade at the plate over internal IF depth options; though, his ability to handle SS adequately is questionable.

Carlos Santana - for an old athletic dude who can still get the job done at the plate while being able to play 1st in the field, when needed. Gives the team a more efficient, but less impactful bat than say Suarez would if they pursued him. I also see Suarez seeing most of his time as a DH, like Yelich, which means they compete for opportunities. The key is that Santana probably comes at a significantly lesser asset exchange for a primary DH. This move for Santana could also involve filling Hoskins role if Hoskins is moved for somebody else.

Steven Kwan - not certain he’s obtainable, but getting him would inject another gritty & damn good ball player in the field & at the plate. In style of play he’s like getting another Sal Frelick; though, in ways Isaac Collins & Caleb Durbin are in that kind of mold too. Getting him would mean rotational off days between him, Fredrick, Collins, & Chourio. Yelich remains the primary DH, but may rotate in occasionally. I like Perkins and this move probably makes him vulnerable to waivers, so this in-part with the likely required asset exchange is why it’s not much higher up on my list even though I see Kwan as a potential ceiling riser for this team (like a healthy Ha-Seong Kim).

Thoughts?

[Bucks4005]

What do we think about Durbin as a potential SS? I mean, if we did get Suarez, dont think we would, but you almost have to keep Durbin in the starting lineup with how hot his bat has been vs Ortiz? Or can Suarez actually play 1B?

[MVP2110]

What do we think about Durbin as a potential SS? I mean, if we did get Suarez, dont think we would, but you almost have to keep Durbin in the starting lineup with how hot his bat has been vs Ortiz? Or can Suarez actually play 1B?

I think Durbin could maybe be the backup SS/utility guy. I don't think you want him playing there every day though

[coolhandluke121]

Ha-Seong Kim

Isiah Kiner-Falefa

Ryan O'Hearn

Amed Rosario

Willi Castro

Luis Arraez

Ramon Urias

Carlos Santana

Steven Kwan -

Thoughts?

Lots of variety on this list. I don't think Kwan is likely to be available, and I don't think the Brewers would pony up prospects for a guy like Kim. Some other guys on this list would seem a little pointless to me. I'd probably rather keep rolling with Bauers/Black/Hoskins/Vaughn than go get Santana, for example, and Kiner-Falefa would have to be incredibly cheap as a Monasterio replacement. I'm not moving Ortiz to the bench for him, even though I'm really down on Ortiz.

I don't like Arraez, but I'd probably put on my casual fan hat and drink the kool-aid for O'hearn if the cost wasn't too steep. Rosario would be better than Monasterio, but that's thinking pretty small. Ramon Urias is probably the one guy on this list who jumps out at me as someone I didn't think of who could be a really good, realistic target.

I'm not taking PA's away from Frelick, Chourio, or Collins for any OF unless it's a deal that's almost too good to be true, like the Yelich trade. Yelich and Perkins also need plenty of situation/match-up time in the OF, although I think Yelich should mostly be a DH at this point.

ETA: I guess Kim might be easier to acquire than I thought, given his issues this year, but he's still a ~5 WAR talent under team control for another year (I think) when he's healthy. That would come with a price.

[MVP2110]

Id love to grab IKF from Pittsburgh. He would be a fairly significant upgrade over Monasterio as the utility guy and if Ortiz struggles hed be a solid replacement there too. I think people are sleeping on him because he isnt a power bat(which I'd also like to see them acquire)

His WAR since 2020

2025: 1.3
2024: 3.6
2023: 0
2022: 2.9
2021: 3.9
2020: 2.1(shortened season)

[MickeyDavis]

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[Bucks4005]

Assuming we make any trades, any prospects you’re a bit lower on that you wouldn’t mind moving?

Between Black, Adams, Wilken, Bittoni, Boeve, and now Fischer, we might have a bit of a log jam at the 1B/3B body types, plus you have Blake Burke as a highly drafted 1B prospect, plus with how you see Pena and Maede, one of them could easily end up at 3B too, and that’s all ignoring Durbin at 3B, so if we made a move, feel one of them could be on the move. Though I haven’t watched any of them, so not sure how to view them.

[coolhandluke121]

Assuming we make any trades, any prospects you’re a bit lower on that you wouldn’t mind moving?

Between Black, Adams, Wilken, Bittoni, Boeve, and now Fischer, we might have a bit of a log jam at the 1B/3B body types, plus you have Blake Burke as a highly drafted 1B prospect, plus with how you see Pena and Maede, one of them could easily end up at 3B too, and that’s all ignoring Durbin at 3B, so if we made a move, feel one of them could be on the move. Though I haven’t watched any of them, so not sure how to view them.

I'm not the person to pick which one(s) they trade, but I'm confident in their process and will have no difficulty convincing myself that whoever they trade away is just the next Lewis Brinson or Matt LaPorta. It's time to add some offense.

[Matches Malone]

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SOURCE: The #Brewers emerge now as a top suitor for #Diamondbacks third baseman All-Star Eugenio Suárez. Prospects like RHP Logan Henderson, RHP Brett Wichrowski, and 2B Josh Adamczewski are involving in the proposal trade. #Mariners, #Cubs and #Phillies still show a lot of interest in him.

@z101digital

[ReasonablySober]

I'd be sick with that trade.

[Turk Nowitzki]

I can buy that those are some names being talked about for sure but I'd really try to avoid moving Henderson. I see a lot of people talking about how much starting pitching depth we have but the big picture reality is that it may evaporate very quickly after this year.

[MickeyDavis]

Yes we have a "surplus" of arms now but no way am I trading one of our pitching prospects. Quintana or Cortes sure.

[ReasonablySober]

I can buy that those are some names being talked about for sure but I'd really try to avoid moving Henderson. I see a lot of people talking about how much starting pitching depth we have but the big picture reality is that it may evaporate very quickly after this year.

Yup. Quintana and Cortes are gone. Woody probably cashes out somewhere else. Freddy is most likely dealt. All of the sudden this is what the rotation looks like next year:

1 - Misiorowski
2 - Presiter
3 - Patrick
4 - Henderson
5 - Myers

with Gasser, Rodriguez, and Crow for depth.

We can't be trading young controllable starters.

[MickeyDavis]

I can buy that those are some names being talked about for sure but I'd really try to avoid moving Henderson. I see a lot of people talking about how much starting pitching depth we have but the big picture reality is that it may evaporate very quickly after this year.

Yup. Quintana and Cortes are gone. Woody probably cashes out somewhere else. Freddy is most likely dealt. All of the sudden this is what the rotation looks like next year:

1 - Misiorowski
2 - Presiter
3 - Patrick
4 - Henderson
5 - Myers

with Gasser, Rodriguez, and Crow for depth.

We can't be trading young controllable starters.

Woody will be interesting. $20 mutual option and a $10 million buyout. So we are already paying him $10 million next year. How much is Mark willing to add to that? It probably doesn't matter, he's going to want more than one year and we won't do that. It sucks to have $10 million in dead money though.

[ReasonablySober]

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