Stadium funding should keep the Brewers in Milwaukee the rest of my life:
Check out this article from Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:
Senate approves Brewers ballpark deal after changes to ticket tax, stadium district representation
@Blair Kiel posted:Stadium funding should keep the Brewers in Milwaukee the rest of my life:
That's great but some of us are concerned about after 2030. 
Elder abuse.
Reported.
IN ALL CAPS.
Counsell passed over as manager of the year again.
Beaten out by Skip Shumaker of the Marlins.
Counsell never had a chance this year. Lovullo should have beat him too.
But shouldn't the highest paid manager in MLB at least have won manager of the year once?
Counsell is no longer the Brewers manager.
Onward!
First baseman/outfielder Jake Bauers was traded from the New York Yankees to the Milwaukee Brewers on Friday for minor league outfielders Jace Avina and Brian Sánchez.
The 28-year-old Bauers hit .202 with 12 homers and 30 RBIs in 84 games and 272 plate appearances this year for the Yankees. He was called up April 29 when Aaron Judge strained a hip and for extensive playing time because of injuries to New York regulars.
More Mendoza hitters please.
That will get those season ticket phone lines ringing!
@Blair Kiel posted:More Mendoza hitters please.
And a Mendoza salary. Bauers is expected to get about $1.5 mil in arbitration. Rowdy's replacement for a fraction of the price!
Tough break for Woodie but the writing was on the wall as soon as the severity of his injury was known. You can't pay a guy $10+ mil to rehab for a year and then sign with someone else.
I think Rowdy's fate was sealed about halfway through last season when it was evident his better days a s a full-time player were behind him.
Not a surprising move at all. Despite his injury, there are likely several teams willing to sign him to a longer term deal and Milwaukee wasn’t going to do that anyway.
I’m curious to see if and when a Burnes trade is made. Given no return in place for Woodruff, you cannot allow Burnes to walk for nothing. That won’t be popular with the fans, but Mark A has made his intentions clear that he isn’t going to pay anyone.
Woodruff could actually work out some type of deal with the Brewers. He'll be 32 years old to start the 2025 season. I'm not sure how attractive that is on the open market but I'm guessing a big market team will quickly take a flyer on him anyway.
Not understanding the angst with Attanasio. He’s certainly not perfect but he’s better than many others in similar markets. The fan experience an owner delivers is what matters and he’s done a great job. If you haven’t been to a game in years and don’t understand the upgrades he has made to amfam, not quite sure how you can complain? That building was a warehouse when he took over the team from selig. Attanasio has done an awesome job of making it family friendly while also catering to the businesses that invest their discretionary marketing dollars with the brewers. On the field, he has consistently delivered a compelling product on a regular basis. Would love to understand more about how he’s a “penny pincher” or a “pussy”.
Maybe I'm reading to much into this but it sounds like the Brewers and Burnes have settled their differences. I think he will be back, at least to start the season. What happens at the trade deadline, well stay tuned.
@ammo posted:Maybe I'm reading to much into this but it sounds like the Brewers and Burnes have settled their differences. I think he will be back, at least to start the season. What happens at the trade deadline, well stay tuned.
The fact he switched to Scott Boras as his agent makes this less likely.
I don't think the Brewers are a legitimate contender next year unless Jackson Chourio is the next MLB superstar. If they had Woodruff coming back, I think you consider making one more run at it, but I think you move him now.
The worst case scenario (other than him coming back and getting injured) is to get to the trade deadline and be on the fringes of playoff contention and then have to decide. If you are somehow in first place you can't trade away your #1 starter. If you are well under 500, you can trade him without much repercussion. But if you are something 4-5 games back of a playoff spot it puts you in no-mans land. I think the Brewers want to avoid this scenario.
Trade him now, get 2-3 potential contributors back and let's see how it goes.
Much better to trade him now but the chance of getting decent compensation, even something that helps a few years down the road, doesn't seem likely.
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If you keep Burnes, there’s the risk of an injury. See: Brandon Woodruff. That could kill Burnes’ trade value relative to where it is now, coming off a healthy season in which he finished in the Top 10 of National League Cy Young Award balloting for the fourth consecutive year.
But trading him now carries its own risk. Woodruff, Wade Miley and Eric Lauer are gone from last season. Aaron Ashby is coming off a shoulder injury. Is a combination of Freddy Peralta, Colin Rea, Adrian Houser and prospects a strong enough foundation for a competitive starting rotation?
On top of that, there’s always the risk that the prospects acquired for Burnes wouldn’t pan out.
While not altogether recent, the trade that sent Johan Santana from the Twins to the Mets in February 2008 is an example of a pitcher in his prime being dealt with a full year of control. The Twins got two Top 100 prospects in outfielder Carlos Gómez and right-hander Deolis Guerra, a just-graduated Top 100 prospect in right-hander Philip Humber, and a Triple-A starter in righty Kevin Mulvey. But it didn’t go as planned for Minnesota. Gómez didn’t blossom until four years later in Milwaukee. Guerra never made it as a starter but did get to the Majors as a reliever seven years later, and even had a one-game stint with the Brewers in 2019. Humber didn’t establish himself as a Major League starter until 2011 and, aside from pitching the 21st perfect game in MLB history in 2012 with the White Sox, didn’t exactly find stardom.
Here’s another example: In 2012, the Mets traded knuckleballer R.A. Dickey, the reigning NL Cy Young Award winner, with catchers Mike Nickeas and Josh Thole to the Blue Jays for two Top 100 prospects -- catcher Travis d'Arnaud and pitcher Noah Syndergaard -- plus veteran catcher John Buck and Minor League outfielder Wuilmer Becerra. The deal paid dividends for both sides. Dickey made at least 29 starts in each of the next four years in Toronto and d’Arnaud and Syndergaard certainly paid off for New York.
A more recent example was the January 2019 trade that sent Sonny Gray -- coming off a down year that makes his case different from Burnes’ -- from the Yankees to the Reds. The Reds got Gray and Minor League lefty Reiver Sanmartin for Shed Long Jr. and the 38th overall pick in the 2019 MLB Draft. The Yankees flipped Long Jr. to the Mariners the same day for center field prospect Josh Stowers, who played one year in New York’s system before losing 2020 to the pandemic. He’s been stuck at Double-A for the Rangers and Dodgers for the past three seasons. With the Draft pick, the Yankees took Missouri left-hander T.J. Sikkema, who didn’t pitch in 2020 because of the pandemic or in ‘21 due to a shoulder injury before he was packaged with prospects for Andrew Benintendi in 2002.
In all three cases, the deal was contingent upon the acquiring team signing the pitcher to an extension. Should the Brewers attempt to trade Burnes, it could require that added step.
Adding yet another wrinkle, there’s another pitcher on the market in a similar spot: Rays right-hander Tyler Glasnow is owed $25 million in the final year of his contract in 2024 and is a trade candidate. My colleague Mark Sheldon reported this week that the Reds are one of the teams with interest.
So, that’s the landscape ahead of the Winter Meetings. MLB Network insider Jon Heyman reported this week that it’s more likely Burnes stays than goes. When asked about Burnes immediately after last season, Arnold said, “I would expect him to be a Brewer here next year.”
And Burnes, for his part, is preparing to stay put.
“My perspective on it is I’ve got to keep working out, keep training as if I’m going to go back to the Brewers,” he told Foul Territory. “Everything I’m hearing, I think it’s more just the Brewers doing their due diligence and saying, ‘Hey, if we get an offer, great.' But my perspective and where I’m at is I’m getting ready to go Opening Day for the Milwaukee Brewers.”
Trade him
Brewers talking to Jackson Chourio about the largest contract for a player that's never played a game in the Major Leagues.
The original report is in The Athletic behind a paywall, but here's a summary of it from a Brewers reporter.
https://www.mlbtraderumors.com...jackson-chourio.html
The two parties are gaining momentum on what would indeed be a record-setting contract extension, reports Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. Hogg suggests a framework in the eight-year, $80MM range could be in play, with multiple options and a presumably healthy slate of incentives also coming into play. The two sides have been discussing a potential deal since late in the minor league season, Hogg adds, indicating that the ostensibly looming agreement would mark the culmination of months of negotiation.
This contract talk tells me the Brewers plan on seeing Churio in MILW sooner than later. It will be interesting how the Brewers handle Mitchell, Weimer, and Frelick assuming that Yelich is probably going to be in LF. I know the DH factors into that but I expect Contreras to be DH about 30-40 games.
@PackerRick posted:This contract talk tells me the Brewers plan on seeing Churio in MILW sooner than later. It will be interesting how the Brewers handle Mitchell, Weimer, and Frelick assuming that Yelich is probably going to be in LF. I know the DH factors into that but I expect Contreras to be DH about 30-40 games.
It would be nice to move on from Yelich. Maybe one of the big market clubs would trade for him to be a leadoff hitter. He still has a lot of value for an elite-level contender, but he doesn't make sense in Milwaukee at 26 million a year just to have him hit 280 with 15 HRs and 75 RBIs and take at-bats away from the young players that need to get major league at-bats. Especially given his really poor defense.
Yelich has become a poor fit in MILW but the only way anybody takes that contract is if the Brewers pay a large portion of it. Mark A. doesn't want to pay players that are here so he surely doesn't want to pay players that aren't here.
Making matters worse, the numbers Yelich put up last year might be hard for him to reach again. His bat has really slowed down. He used to hit towering HRs to RF. Now he hardly ever pulls the ball.
Brewers looking to sign a long term deal with Jackson Chourio. It is reportedly 8 years for $80 million with 2 more years of club options. It could mean Chourio will be in Milwaukee this season, maybe even on Opening Day.
huge risk for the org, but if he plays like projected, it sure as hell would be nice to know where you stand.
He could get a big ass second contract before he was 30 as well.
I like it, I'm all for it.
Club needs
The Brewers ranked 27th of 30 teams with -0.6 fWAR at first base, a position that has been in flux for Milwaukee all the way back to Prince Fielder’s departure after 2011. The Brewers acquired left-handed-hitting Jake Bauers from the Yankees on Nov. 17 and believe his career-best power in 2023 is sustainable, so he’s one option for first. Tyler Black, MLB Pipeline’s No. 4 Brewers prospect and co-Minor League Player of the Year, is another option for either first or third. He’s also a left-handed hitter.
There are a lot of first basemen on the market, including switch-hitting veteran Carlos Santana, who was solid for Milwaukee after last season’s Trade Deadline and is a candidate to return. Other available first basemen who posted a positive fWAR last season include Brandon Belt, Donovan Solano, Garrett Cooper and Mike Ford. Rhys Hoskins is also a free agent, but he missed all of 2023 while recovering from a left ACL tear.
Besides first and third base, starting pitching could also prove a Brewers need, depending what they do with ace right-hander Corbin Burnes this winter.
Potential trade candidates
The Brewers remain relatively flush with outfielders, from the very expensive (Christian Yelich has five years and $136.5 million remaining on his contract, plus some deferred money) to the relatively established and controllable (Tyrone Taylor has three arbitration years remaining) to the just-graduated prospects (Garrett Mitchell, Sal Frelick, Joey Wiemer and perhaps even Blake Perkins, depending how you view his upside at age 27). With uber-prospect Jackson Chourio knocking on the door of the big leagues, it’s plausible that the Brewers could trade an outfielder to fill another need.
As far as other prospects, Chourio and Black are almost certainly untouchable, probably along with catcher Jeferson Quero (No. 2, No. 32 overall). But that leaves plenty of good talent in MLB Pipeline’s No. 3-ranked farm system, from a high-ceiling pitcher like Jacob Misiorowski (No. 3) to hitters like Milwaukee’s last two first-round Draft picks, Brock Wilken (No. 7) and Eric Brown Jr. (No. 10).
Jackson Chourio
Prospect to know
Even before news broke this week that the Brewers were on the verge of signing top prospect Chourio to a record-setting contract, one of the biggest questions going into 2024 was when the talented outfielder would arrive in Milwaukee. The Brewers have pushed the 19-year-old from Maracaibo, Venezuela, aggressively through the farm system, and Chourio has met every challenge. He’ll play for the Brewers in ‘24. The question is when.
Rule 5 Draft
Notable Brewers prospects who are Rule 5-eligible and were left unprotected include shortstop Freddy Zamora (No. 26), left-hander Adam Seminaris and right-handers Justin Yeager and Joseph Hernandez (three of Milwaukee’s pitching prospects in this year’s Arizona Fall League), plus right-hander Evan McKendry, who was acquired at the Trade Deadline from the Rays. McKendry, 25, was 12-6 with a 4.30 ERA in 142 1/3 innings at the Triple-A level in 2023.
If you are the Brewers you almost have to go all in on Chourio and extend him. If he’s truly “that guy” it’s worth the risk.
As for Burnes, it’s a catch 22. As a practical matter you should deal him now to get maximum value back. But doing so basically sends a message to the fans that you really aren’t competing this year.
This is why the Woodruff situation just sucks. You could have run it back one last year with both guys. Not anymore.
You gotta admit, Tschmack, that if Anastasio was the tightwad you portray, this contract wouldn’t be offered. Hopefully they see him as a top ten talent and keep him locked up for longer than a team like the Brewers typically can. The signing tells me they are committed to winning. I still think you move Burnes off-season and not disrupt the team on July again.
Wade Miley in talks with the Brewers to return. He must not have gotten offers that suited him from any other teams.
https://www.mlb.com/brewers/ne...rs-negotiations-2023
Correction, Miley is signed for 2024 and a mutual option for 2025. Details not yet released but MLB Network insider Jon Heyman said it's for $8.5 million. ESPN's Jesse Rogers reported the mutual option is for $12 million .
And the Chourio deal is now done Press conference on going now.
https://www.mlb.com/brewers/ne...io-brewers-extension
Brewers now have 37 on the 40 man roster. This includes Miley and Chourio.
It doesn’t really change my opinion of Mark A. It’s a really shrewd move nonetheless. I also think this is how teams and MLB should view and pay highly regarded younger players.
If Chourio is able to do what Ron Acuna Jr did - or come close- it’s an absolute steal. The Braves locked him up to an 8 year, 100M deal after his first season. Ironically, Acuna and Chourio have some similarities.
If the Brewers miss on him it’s a 10M per year liability but he’s 28 at the end of that deal. That’s a much better approach than paying a guy like Yelich 25M per year into his late 30s. Even though Yelich was on the cheap his first couple of seasons, they’ve take a bath since at at a minimum are on the hook for 5 more years.
But again. The moves they’re making are not those of a team owned by a guy just looking to make a profit when he sells. Way more of a commitment than the owners of the Pirates, A’s, Reds and several others show. I’m very happy with how things have gone…most importantly that their future in Milwaukee is locked down. I’m willing to watch a young team go through some growth this year. Still think you move Burnes now for a couple of arms.
@Blair Kiel posted:But again. The moves they’re making are not those of a team owned by a guy just looking to make a profit when he sells. Way more of a commitment than the owners of the Pirates, A’s, Reds and several others show. I’m very happy with how things have gone…most importantly that their future in Milwaukee is locked down. I’m willing to watch a young team go through some growth this year. Still think you move Burnes now for a couple of arms.
I was thinking that Mark A. was selling, but not after the Chourio deal. I agree that you still move Burnes now, and I'd move Adames as well. It's rumored both may be going to the Dodgers in a mega-deal.
Dodgers can't afford, Ohtani, Burnes and Adames.
I do think what the Brewers did with Chourio, or what the Braves did with Acuna Jr, should be embraced more often. The whole team control thing is a double edged sword. Yes, it allows a team to underpay players for several years but it virtually assures that team has no shot of retaining them once the arbitrations years are complete.
Paying them more initially works well for both the player and team. If the player works out, it’s a team friendly deal and chances are that team can keep them around longer. If they don’t work out, it won’t cripple a franchise for years to come.
Think if they had paid a Burnes 6 years at 12-15M per year starting in 2020. They’d still have him for 3 more years at a very reasonable price instead of paying him peanuts the first 3 years and then losing him to the highest bidder. Next year, he’s bound to make 25-30M a year and he’s also turning 30 years of age.
The Chourio signing is a great move, IMO. Still not a fan of Mark A, but that was the right call.
I'm hearing the Brewers made the same offer to Ohtani, but insisted he play 1st base and become a closer. That was the deal breaker
700 million?!?!?!
— Reviewing the Brew (@ReviewngTheBrew) December 9, 2023
For reference, that's Mark Attanasio's entire net worth that Ohtani just signed for https://t.co/GMJxWXEb4G pic.twitter.com/HFjOff0wWS
Maybe with the extra PGA money Anntanasio will share the love.
Ok starting to see some deals now that Ohtani is off the table. Joe Ross one year deal.
