How a couple of weeks can change things.
The Milwaukee Brewers are playing their best ball of the year (by far) and as winners of nine of their last 10 heading into the weekend series with the San Diego Padres sit at 34-29, somehow only a half-game out of a wild-card spot despite a quite disappointing start to the season.
It’s changed the tone of the questions in our reader mailbag, as well. Let’s dig into this week’s questions, many of which revolved around talk of the Brewers being buyers instead of sellers on the trade front.
Is it too early for trade talk?
It’s never too early for trade talk — at least if our readers are to be believed.
Question: As the Brewers make their “run” for the playoffs and for the division championship, I see a need for a power bat. Do you agree with this assessment AND and what position do they have a luxury to deal from AND what position would they replace a current starter for a more long-ball friendly hitter?
Question: Will the Brewers use their starting pitching depth to acquire more power in the lineup?
Curt Hogg: Obviously, we’ll have to see how the next six or seven weeks shape up for the Brewers. Fourteen days ago we would have been talking about which players the Brewers are going to trade; not which areas they could trade for. I guess that’s what makes our beautiful game kind of like a campfire on an October evening up north — you just sort of need to stay close enough and hope to get hot at some point.
It’s clear that the Brewers’ biggest need is a hitter, and it’s also clear their greatest strength is starting pitching depth (and quality, frankly). I’d say you can do the math from there, but this is the Brewers front office, so A plus B does not always equal C. If they’re still in the mix in six or seven weeks, a hitter is probably a pretty safe bet. A “power bat” would be nice but they also won’t box themselves into a corner just to acquire that specific type of hitter. This is not shaping up to be a great market for a team like the Brewers, who not only are in need of some offensive help but generally are reluctant to pay a premium for any sort of rental piece.
This is where Milwaukee’s rotation depth could play a factor. Between Freddy Peralta, Chad Patrick, José Quintana, Quinn Priester, Aaron Civale and Logan Henderson, the Brewers have six very viable starting options right now. Jacob Misiorowski might be ready. And don’t forget about Brandon Woodruff when he’s finally healthy. I don’t think it’s necessarily as easy as saying, “Trade Civale”, though, because the Brewers will not want to get left without the necessary arms to get through the end of the year. What that rotation depth does, though, is offer them a wider net of teams to trade with around the July 31 deadline. While a team out of the race wouldn’t be interested in someone like Civale, who’s a free agent this winter, a team like Kansas City that is trying to contend and has been hurt by pitching injuries might be willing to play ball.
Question: What should the Brewers do regarding shortstop position’s lack of offensive production?
This question isn’t directly about a trade, but there aren’t exactly a ton of other avenues to explore to upgrade shortstop midseason. (Freddy Zamora has been solid at Class AAA Nashville but I’m not sure the club sees him as a solution over Joey Ortiz).
Again, we’ll see where Ortiz’s numbers are at come mid-July, but I wouldn’t even be remotely surprised if they’re improved and the Brewers continue to roll with him. There’s still a strong belief in him as a big-league starting shortstop long-term even though it’s been a struggle this year.
Question: With an excess of future SS candidates (sliding over Turang and the best minor league SS trio of Pratt, Made, and Peña) and an abundance of young, controllable pitchers (around 15 candidates for rotation this year at some point) should the Brewers be urgently pushing teams to swing a deal for a 3B bat, especially as some teams are falling out of the wild-card race?
Question: Will the Brewers address third base before the all-star break? Seems like they could take off with production from that position. How nice would Alex Bregman look in blue right now?
I still see third base as the Brewers’ biggest need (along with, as always, another relief arm because you simply can’t have too many late-inning options), even over shortstop. The commitment to letting Ortiz figure things out seems to be more than what it would be with Caleb Durbin, though the latter has been playing better than the former of late. In either case, I don’t see the Brewers as being super excited to trade away big-league pitching depth for just any rental bat.
As for the timing of it all, patience will be required. We’re at the point of the season where the sellers are going to hang on to extract maximum value (and a bunch of teams won’t even admit to being sellers yet).
Question: Will the Brewers trade Freddy Peralta this year?
Question: At the risk on jinxing things, it appears we have a surfeit of starting pitching as the injured starters come back. Does this increase likelihood someone like Peralta gets dealt this summer?
Two weeks ago, I think the Brewers probably could have been blown out of the water and into a Peralta trade. Unlikely, but plausible. Now, it’s just flat unlikely. If they’re in the race, we aren’t going to be seeing a Hader redux. The way that went over in the public sphere didn’t sit great with a bunch of important folks with the organization, including ownership, and a trade of Peralta mid-year unless the Brewers are firmly out of the race would probably go over just about as well as it did the first time.
On top of that, Peralta, like Willy Adames was, is an integral part of the clubhouse. He also carries status, along with Christian Yelich and Brandon Woodruff, as one of the through-lines to this entire era of Brewers baseball.
Garrett Mitchell updates
Loooooots of Garrett Mitchell questions about his oblique injury.
Question: Updates Garrett Mitchell and Blake Perkins.
Question: When will Garrett Mitchell return?
Question: What is status of Garrett Mitchell?
Question: When Mitchell and Perkins get back, how do you think the OF rotation might look like? Thanks.
Mitchell is up to throwing from 120 feet and running but still has a ways to go with swinging the bat before he can begin a rehab assignment. Blake Perkins has turned a corner and should be starting a rehab assignment in the coming weeks. Still looking like July returns for both, most likely, with Perkins perhaps earlier.
When everyone is back to full health, I presume it will look a lot like it did last year. Jackson Chourio in left and Sal Frelick in right every day, then Perkins and Mitchell splitting time in center.
Roster usage questions
Question: Why is Christian Yelich always the DH? Is there some lingering injury keeping him off the field?
When asked about this twice, manager Pat Murphy has mentioned that Yelich has “taken to” the DH spot, so part of the equation here is that the player is comfortable in that role. It also allows the Brewers to prioritize defense along with his health. Isaac Collins has been a very good defensive outfielder this year — certainly better than what you’d expect Yelich to do in the field — while also being worth his weight with the bat. Add in the fact Yelich is able to play just about every day while DH’ing and it’s a sensible plan.
Question: Why aren’t they using Hall and Ashby more?
This question came in before DL Hall pitched another three innings in the win June 4. He seems to be in a comfortable niche right now, and good for him considering how bumpy it’s been in a Brewers uniform to this point.
Aaron Ashby’s role, though, is a bit confusing to me right now. When the Brewers first called Hall up, Murphy spoke of using the lefty duo in a leverage long relief role. They used Hall in that facet later that day, then Ashby the next. But…Ashby hasn’t pitched since then. And that was May 27. Ashby has gotten loose a few times but never been brought in, then only started throwing once Isaac Collins’ three-run homer made it an eight-run game in the top of the ninth June 3. The Brewers still didn’t bring him in, seemingly implying either he just needed to throw in some capacity or he’s truly a mop-up arm and little else.
Minor leagues
It’s also always a good time (for me, at least!) to talk about prospects.
Question: Has the window for Tyler Black closed as a even part-time major leaguer?
Not at all. Black is hardly in the picture for the 2025 team at all at this point, especially considering he recently suffered a setback with his back in Arizona, but long-term there are still tools there that could make him an effective big-league offensive player. Nothing is going to be given to Black and next year will truly be a make-or-break season.
Question: It seems like the Brewers have zero 3rd base prospects in the minors. All seem to be 1B/3B, but no real experience at hot corner. What gives?
Yes and no. They do, of course, have some third-base prospects (like Brock Wilken) but nearly all the guys they’ve tried as primary third basemen, such as Luke Adams and Eric Bitonti, haven’t worked out there. Ultimately that’s not a big deal because one of Jesús Made or Luis Peña or Cooper Pratt will end up at the hot corner. They’ll probably be quite fine with the glove over there, too. It’s why you draft the up-the-middle players and let the rest get figured out later.
Miscellaneous
Because not everything needs to fit in a box.
Question: When watching the Brewers on FanDuel, the announcers always talk about what pitch was thrown. How do the announcers know, almost immediately, what pitch is thrown by the pitcher? Is it the speed, arm angle or some other way?
I believe most broadcasters across the league are equipped with MLB’s research tool, which flashes pitch metrics and pitch type almost instantly. Of course, it also shows up on the TV screen right away.
Question: What exactly is a cutter? I know fastballs, changeups, curveballs and sliders. What is a cutter like?
A cutter is essentially a four-seam fastball thrown at a slightly lower velocity that cuts more toward a pitcher’s glove side. The grip is similar to your standard four-seam, just a slight offset with the fingers. It might be easiest to think of it as a happy middle between a fastball and a slider. Question: Curt, your favorite visiting park to cover the team in?
My favorite park, simply from an aesthetic standpoint, is Oracle Park in San Francisco. The water, the food, the structure as a whole, I don’t think any park in MLB tops it. There are some great ones for ease of work access — Pittsburgh comes to mind as one that’s also a great stadium.
