Early projections for 2016 rosters

[CheeseheadInQC]

If I had to guess, the four position players not mentioned (It sounds like they are taking 14 position players and 13 pitchers) might be Nottingham, McFarland, Betancourt and Garcia, with Coulter back to BC.

[Noche]

That Biloxi team should be really good. The best pitcher on the field tonight will be Josh Hader and there is tons of AA experience all over the roster. Nick Ramirez, Nate Orf, Kyle Wren and Garret Cooper are all very good AA hitters. Plop Tyrone Taylor, Victor Roache, Javier Betancourt, Jacob Nottingham and Brett Phillips in the middle and runs should be plentiful. Macias, Shaw, and Berberet are nice bench pieces. I feel pretty confident saying this will be the best Brewers AA team I have ever seen.

 

Cheesehead, you suspect Garcia over Johnny Davis?

 

Clint Coulter had like a 125 wRC+ in the FSL last year. He wins biggest snub award for sure. He'll be up once Phillips goes to AAA.

[CheeseheadInQC]

That Biloxi team should be really good. The best pitcher on the field tonight will be Josh Hader and there is tons of AA experience all over the roster. Nick Ramirez, Nate Orf, Kyle Wren and Garret Cooper are all very good AA hitters. Plop Tyrone Taylor, Victor Roache, Javier Betancourt, Jacob Nottingham and Brett Phillips in the middle and runs should be plentiful. Macias, Shaw, and Berberet are nice bench pieces. I feel pretty confident saying this will be the best Brewers AA team I have ever seen.

 

Cheesehead, you suspect Garcia over Johnny Davis?

 

Clint Coulter had like a 125 wRC+ in the FSL last year. He wins biggest snub award for sure. He'll be up once Phillips goes to AAA.

 

Sorry, should have used first names. Rene Garcia. They had a third catcher essentially on a taxi squad to start the season at every level last year if I remember correctly, and because they are carrying 27 right now, I'm assuming a third catcher will join Nottingham and Berberet.

[Jenkins5]

At least Reed, Arcia, Magifico, & Lopez made AAA..... Good to see Flanigan move a couple of real prospects up the latter....

 

SP

Ortega

Hader

Houser

Johnson

Wang

 

2 J. Nottingham

3 G. Cooper

4 C. McFarland

5 N. Orf

6 J. Bethencourt

7 V. Roache

8 B. Phillips

9 T. Taylor

 

Bench

Nick Ramirez

Brandon Macias

Nick Shaw

Kyle Wren

Parker Berberet

[CheeseheadInQC]

Unless a couple of guys got cut that I didn't see, I think that leaves 28 players left competing for the AAA spots

 

C: Weisenburger, Pinto, Pina

1B: Wilkins

2B: Perez

SS: Arcia, Elmore

3B: Cecchini, Middlebrooks

OF: Reed, Presley, Guez, Young, Peterson

SP: Lopez, Davies, Guerra, Suter, Burgos

RP: Goforth, Barnes, Magnifico, Ross, Cravy, Lambson, Miller, Dillard, Hall

 

Some of the assignments are surprising, but outside of a couple of ones with non-top prospects such as Chapman and Orf, who both should probably be in AAA, most of the issues could be solved simply with two chain reaction promotions, one in the outfield and the other in the rotation (Note: I'm not including Houser in this group because I still think his assignment to Biloxi was predictable and understandable given his shorter track record of success and the potential desire on the Brewers' part to be surer what they have in him before sending him into the hitters' paradise).

[JohnBriggs12]

The vets at AAA, Young, Presley, Peterson and Elmore don't figure to hang around long. Either they will opt out, be sold somewhere, or if they don't perform well, released. That will clear space for the guys in AA that deserve to be in AAA.

[Jenkins5]

Unless a couple of guys got cut that I didn't see, I think that leaves 28 players left competing for the AAA spots

 

C: Weisenburger, Pinto, Pina

1B: Wilkins

2B: Perez

SS: Arcia, Elmore

3B: Cecchini, Middlebrooks

OF: Reed, Presley, Guez, Young, Peterson

SP: Lopez, Davies, Guerra, Suter, Burgos

RP: Goforth, Barnes, Magnifico, Ross, Cravy, Lambson, Miller, Dillard, Hall

 

Some of the assignments are surprising, but outside of a couple of ones with non-top prospects such as Chapman and Orf, who both should probably be in AAA, most of the issues could be solved simply with two chain reaction promotions, one in the outfield and the other in the rotation (Note: I'm not including Houser in this group because I still think his assignment to Biloxi was predictable and understandable given his shorter track record of success and the potential desire on the Brewers' part to be surer what they have in him before sending him into the hitters' paradise).

 

What an absolutely depressing team. You had the great Biloxi team last year, almost entire team gets repeated outside of Arcia, Perez, Reed (already in AAA last year) Lopez, Magnifico, and Hall.... What was a very fun and exciting wave of prospects was split up and not advanced. This is the same BS that caused Nashville to screw us over. Keep this crap up, Colorado Springs (if not relocated) may be the only team that will take us. Having a loaded system doesn't mean anything if you don't advance your prospects.

 

Arcia, Cecchini, Reed, Lopez, Davies.... Magnifico are really the only reason to even look at a box score this season.

 

How many AAAA players do you need to fill a roster? Not a fan at all with DS & Flanigan's placements. I am sure Wisconsin's placements will be as unaggressive as humanly possible. Hopefully Flanigan can move up from feeding prospects baby food to at least puffs in near future.....

[CheeseheadInQC]

On the more aggressive side of the ledger, it looks like a minimum of seven guys drafted last year are beginning the year at BC (Iskenderian, Allemand, Cuas, Ponce, Derby, Hanhold, Olczak).

[IndyCrew]

I'm okay with talent lingering in AA, and AAA being used for depth to start the year. Those AAAA players are the ones that are going to be bounced from the minors to the majors and back down again multiple times this year. I'd rather Peterson be utilized in that way then someone like Maverick. I'm sure by the end of May injury and performance will shake everything up to what people are wanting/expecting.

[Jenkins5]

On the more aggressive side of the ledger, it looks like a minimum of seven guys drafted last year are beginning the year at BC (Iskenderian, Allemand, Cuas, Ponce, Derby, Hanhold, Olczak).

 

Most surprised by Hanhold since he was terrible last season. Cuas I figured would, college guy blocked for playing time at Wisconsin.

 

Rotation

Ponce

Derby

Mederois

Williams

Ventura/Hanhold

[CheezWizHed]

I wonder if some Biloxi placements are being driven by the commercial side of things. We left Huntsville and are starting a new franchise in a new town with a new stadium. A good spot for the Brewers to have their AA team. Having a competitive team in Biloxi helps solidify the fanbase. So starting good relationships with the franchise owners there might be part of the reasoning for not being aggressive in the promotions.

[CheeseheadInQC]

 

Most surprised by Hanhold since he was terrible last season. Cuas I figured would, college guy blocked for playing time at Wisconsin.

 

Rotation

Ponce

Derby

Mederois

Williams

Ventura/Hanhold

 

I'm really wondering about the rotation because it seems like Woodruff was being stretched out to start as well. Either someone surprising is going to the pen or someone is hurt.

[Jenkins5]

 

Most surprised by Hanhold since he was terrible last season. Cuas I figured would, college guy blocked for playing time at Wisconsin.

 

Rotation

Ponce

Derby

Mederois

Williams

Ventura/Hanhold

 

I'm really wondering about the rotation because it seems like Woodruff was being stretched out to start as well. Either someone surprising is going to the pen or someone is hurt.

 

Forgot he is another prospect who earned a call up but was denied for AAAA players can fill out AAA rotation.... No clue what the plan would be for rotation. Woodruff has arm you like for a starter. He's a Michael Blazek type guy who could thrive with his power arm in bullpen

[young guns]

Im wondering if that despite what theyve said about not worrying about the effect of CS on the players, they are avoiding placing as many true prospects as they can there for as long as they can.

[FVBrewerFan]

Now that I see all the rosters, I do agree there's a lot of conservative assignments throughout the system.

[DHonks]

One thing is that perhaps Stearns is a bigger advocate for holding back service time than most GMs. In that case, why not hold them back in the minors at a lower level longer?

[proudsoftballdad]

I'm fine with conservative placements early in the year ,in fact belive it's in the best intrest of the players to do so,let them have repeated success in a short period of time then promote let success bread success. In my view the change needs to be a more liberal promotion of players during the season,it seems in the past the brewer's have been reluctant to do so expect mid season changes.If a player earns it then move em and then cull out some of the AAAA players at CS.

[Jenkins5]

I'm fine with conservative placements early in the year ,in fact belive it's in the best intrest of the players to do so,let them have repeated success then promote. In my view the change needs to be a more liberal promotion of players during the season,it seems in the past the brewer's have been reluctant to do so expect mid season changes.If a player earns it then move em and then cull out some of the AAAA players at CS.

 

I agree with the second aspect of this that they need to be promoted more liberally during season. You look at many of the other top teams and systems like Houston & Texas, many of their top players will play at two even three levels in a year. They show what they have, get promoted, they continue to shine, keep pushing them.

 

As a teacher and coach, to me personally, holding a young prospect back does more harm than good mentally. That disappointment, failure, and doubt stemming from it can easily creep into mind set. Now that is if a player performed and had earned a promotion to get a step closer to their dream. If they were awful or didn't play at a level to justify a promotion then, oh well. You also what to find the sweet spot between challenge and success. Where they are not going to be over their heads nor should they just be walking on water. With Phillips or Hader, you don't want them to go out there and just play gowdy where they are not being challenged at all. Hader needs to face those older, AAAA players and learn to deal & overcome the failures that come with Colorado Springs. He will have to pitch in Coors at some point in his career. Phillips needs to face those crafty AAAA pitchers. AA & AAA are different and it takes adjusting.

 

I am convinced that if Coulter would have been promoted when he was red hot last year prior to the air becoming too dense, thick, and destroying any powers hitters ability to cut through it; he would have came up to AA and would have performed. Literally, I will say it forever, BC is so brutal on power hitters once June comes. If you have lift to your swing, everything is just going to die out. Ball simply doesn't travel. Guys who have success are our line-drive and slappy type guys. Your Taylor, McFarland, Scooter, Arcia, Cooper (Overbay Jr.) types.

[sveumrules]

Not surprised by the conservative placements in the least. Stearns brought over former Rays Director of Player Personnel Matt Arnold to be his assistant GM and TB has always been one of the most conservative organizations when it comes to promoting prospects.

[harrydalton]

Stearns might want to take some time to actually see these minor league guys play, which he's had a limited opportunity, at best. I wouldn't conclude that this exhibits his overall philosophy.