Santana activated, Broxton to AAA [Latest, post 21: Santana back to DL, Broxton back up]

[JDBrewCrew]

Milwaukee Brewers ‏@Brewers 13s14 seconds ago Philadelphia, PA

OF Domingo Santana reinstated from the 15-day disabled list. OF Keon Broxton optioned to Triple-A @skysox.

[reillymcshane]

I was wondering if they would let go of Presley. He's mediocre at best, and we already have a couple of other left handed outfielders in Flores and He Who Is Impossible To Spell.

 

I kind of wish they'd just let Broxton play full time for a while in the majors. See how he does.

[JDBrewCrew]

Agreed. Was hoping it was going to be Presley.

[Mudville9]

Well at this point you might as well just leave Broxton in AAA the rest of year and try again next year with Broxton in Milwaukee and hopefully Phillips in AAA.

[jerichoholicninja]

Dumping Presley wouldn't help much with playing time. Braun, Santana, Broxton, and Flores are the guys who should be getting regular AB's and really Kirk has been playing well enough to stick in the lineup too. Broxton has shown absolutely nothing so far to keep him in the bigs.

[monty57]

Hopefully he's 100% healthy and tears the cover off the ball.

 

With Broxton finally breaking the ice and getting a hit, I thought Presley might be let go, but they must want to keep the insurance around with Braun being dubbed "the hottest name on the trade market."

[danzig6767]

I was wondering if they would let go of Presley. He's mediocre at best, and we already have a couple of other left handed outfielders in Flores and He Who Is Impossible To Spell.

 

I kind of wish they'd just let Broxton play full time for a while in the majors. See how he does.

Yes, this is very frustrating.

 

I get that very often Broxton has looked over-matched at the plate, but this was supposed to be a year where guys like him were going to be given a long leash to see if they can handle big league pitching. Yet, instead of letting Broxton get say five starts a week, we get career spare part Nieuwenhuis getting the bulk of the starts in CF and 30 year old scrap heap Presley getting nearly three times more at bats.

 

Maybe Broxton simply won't ever be able to be productive vs big league pitching, but the team won't ever find that out by only giving him a handful of sporadic at bats a week. Flores has gotten significantly more at bats and while he hasn't looked as over-matched as Broxton, he only has four extra base hits in 113 at bats to go along with his mediocre speed and .560 OPS. Flores doesn't look to possess a single skill which sticks out and makes you think, at least he can do X and then maybe other areas he can grow into.

[MrTPlush]

Braun being dubbed "the hottest name on the trade market."

 

Or hottest name on the injury report. We have two solid OFers that have been injured often and a black hole in CF. Probably want to keep all the depth we can get.

[QuevedosTongue]

I was wondering if they would let go of Presley. He's mediocre at best, and we already have a couple of other left handed outfielders in Flores and He Who Is Impossible To Spell.

 

I kind of wish they'd just let Broxton play full time for a while in the majors. See how he does.

Yes, this is very frustrating.

 

I get that very often Broxton has looked over-matched at the plate, but this was supposed to be a year where guys like him were going to be given a long leash to see if they can handle big league pitching. Yet, instead of letting Broxton get say five starts a week, we get career spare part Nieuwenhuis getting the bulk of the starts in CF and 30 year old scrap heap Presley getting nearly three times more at bats.

 

Maybe Broxton simply won't ever be able to be productive vs big league pitching, but the team won't ever find that out by only giving him a handful of sporadic at bats a week. Flores has gotten significantly more at bats and while he hasn't looked as over-matched as Broxton, he only has four extra base hits in 113 at bats to go along with his mediocre speed and .560 OPS. Flores doesn't look to possess a single skill which sticks out and makes you think, at least he can do X and then maybe other areas he can grow into.

 

Broxton wishes he had a .560 OPS.

[danzig6767]

Yes, this is very frustrating.

 

I get that very often Broxton has looked over-matched at the plate, but this was supposed to be a year where guys like him were going to be given a long leash to see if they can handle big league pitching. Yet, instead of letting Broxton get say five starts a week, we get career spare part Nieuwenhuis getting the bulk of the starts in CF and 30 year old scrap heap Presley getting nearly three times more at bats.

 

Maybe Broxton simply won't ever be able to be productive vs big league pitching, but the team won't ever find that out by only giving him a handful of sporadic at bats a week. Flores has gotten significantly more at bats and while he hasn't looked as over-matched as Broxton, he only has four extra base hits in 113 at bats to go along with his mediocre speed and .560 OPS. Flores doesn't look to possess a single skill which sticks out and makes you think, at least he can do X and then maybe other areas he can grow into.

Broxton wishes he had a .560 OPS.

I wasn't trying to say that Flores shouldn't get to play given i'd rather he get at bats over a 30 year old nobody like Presley.

 

My frustration is he continues getting a chance to play fairly often even though he hasn't shown any above average skill, but Broxton doesn't get the same chance to try working through his struggles at the plate. Instead, we get to see Nieuwenhuis play nearly everyday in CF even though he's in his 6th MLB season where he shown to be a 5th outfielder type of player at best. For all of Broxton's struggles, Nieuwenhuis has only 3 hits in his last 33 at bats and that includes 18 K's.

 

If this team was legitimately competing for a wild card berth, i'd also play Nieuwenhuis over Broxton. That isn't the case though. So why play Nieuwenhuis nearly everyday vs giving Broxton those starts instead? If after a few hundred consistent at bats Broxton continued to struggle so badly against big league pitching, then at least the team gets a likely answer on his ability to hit here vs only giving him random at bats here and there.

[rickh150]

Why Broxton isn't given a better chance to play everyday at the MLB level is beyond me.... The three headed OFielder are backups on their best days.

[FVBrewerFan]

Only 1/3 through the season. Broxton was given the job first, and couldn't even put the bat on the ball. He will have another chance at starting every day for a month or longer. If he doesn't, then I'll agree.

[AdvantageSchneider]

I don't get all the Broxton love. It's great that we got him for basically nothing, and it would have been even greater the lightbulb turned on for him, but it appears it didn't. He doesn't even appear to have 4th or 5th OF skills at this point. Broxton is 26. Flores is 24. Flores' minor league numbers look superior to Broxton's. Flores at least appears to have the floor of a 4th OF. If he can handle CF defensively he could be a decent option there in a couple of years.

[monty57]

Braun being dubbed "the hottest name on the trade market."

 

Or hottest name on the injury report. We have two solid OFers that have been injured often and a black hole in CF. Probably want to keep all the depth we can get.

 

There are a few things i'd look at here.

 

1) What are your realistic goals?

 

I think that if you want to win this year and next year, Braun is a very valuable member of your roster. This is why competing teams would like to trade for him right now, and would probably give up some good talent to get him. If your window is a few years out, then Braun's most productive years will be spent on a losing roster, and by the time you're looking to compete, he will be pushing into his mid-30s. This is probably where the Brewers are, which is why it may make sense for them to trade him.

 

2) What can you get for Braun this season?

 

This is the big question. When it gets mentioned that someone good will be traded from the MLB roster, it's easy to forget that we will be getting a lot of talent back. In Braun's case, he should return a couple good prospects. Probably one who will be with the MLB team in the near future and one or two that are a little farther off. Alluding to point (1) above, if your time horizon is a couple of years out, then the combination of these prospects could be better than having an older Braun on the roster in a couple of years.

 

3) How will Braun age, meaning will he still be healthy and productive in the final few years of his contract, when the Brewers are realistically shooting for the playoffs?

 

I start getting wary of players when the get on the wrong side of 30, and really start worrying when they hit their mid-30's. Age is not good on athletes, and everyone eventually hits a wall. Braun is a Hall of Fame caliber talent, but he's also been prone to injury throughout his career, and currently has chronic issues with his back and thumb. I don't know how good he will be in a few seasons, but part of the question of trading him has to be whether you're willing to take the risk of him succumbing to age/injury and not being an above average talent at the point the Brewers will be trying to compete for the playoffs.

 

It would be tough to see Braun go, but it would probably be best for the franchise. If he stays somewhat healthy, I think it will probably happen this year, and at that point, I would think that Broxton will get plenty of PT, and we will be glad we have some of the veteran "scrap heap" guys to fill out the roster for the remainder of this season and into next until our better prospects start to hit the MLB field.

4) Do we have any alternatives?

 

Outfield is probably our most loaded position throughout the farm, and the question isn't whether they are capable of replacing Braun in 2016, or probably even 2017, but whether in 2-3 seasons some of our OFs will be capable of replacing the older version of Braun. In other words, if Braun is an average OF in 2018, can one of our OF prospects be better than theat? This is the reason people want to see what some of the young guys can do in a season like this one. Broxton may be a bust, but he has the physical tools to be good. He has the potential to be a guy who could play above average in the MLB OF in 2-3 years, whereas Kirk N. probably does not. Whoever it is who steps up, when looking at our franchise as a whole, I don't think that we should have a problem finding three capable OF in a couple of years.

[MrTPlush]

If you took that as me thinking we should keep Braum I am sorry for the confusion....cause that's incorrect. It seems that's how you were taking it. I was just saying we need to keep the depth for injury reasons since both of our main OFers have missed quite a bit of time.

[Outlander]

I don't think the Brewers are as loaded in the outfield in the minors as we may think sometimes. Besides Phillips there is not a lot of starting caliber outfielders in the minors. The Brewers may be stuck with the Presleys and Kirks of the world to fill in for Braun if he is traded. That is why I would like to see a guy like Broxton or Liriano when healthy get playing time so the Brewers can slot in somebody fairly young if necessary. I don't necessarily think they will be All Stars but there is always the chance somebody can have a breakthrough season like Villar is having.

[logan82]

Braun being dubbed "the hottest name on the trade market."

 

Or hottest name on the injury report. We have two solid OFers that have been injured often and a black hole in CF. Probably want to keep all the depth we can get.

 

There are a few things i'd look at here.

 

1) What are your realistic goals?

 

I think that if you want to win this year and next year, Braun is a very valuable member of your roster. This is why competing teams would like to trade for him right now, and would probably give up some good talent to get him. If your window is a few years out, then Braun's most productive years will be spent on a losing roster, and by the time you're looking to compete, he will be pushing into his mid-30s. This is probably where the Brewers are, which is why it may make sense for them to trade him.

 

2) What can you get for Braun this season?

 

This is the big question. When it gets mentioned that someone good will be traded from the MLB roster, it's easy to forget that we will be getting a lot of talent back. In Braun's case, he should return a couple good prospects. Probably one who will be with the MLB team in the near future and one or two that are a little farther off. Alluding to point (1) above, if your time horizon is a couple of years out, then the combination of these prospects could be better than having an older Braun on the roster in a couple of years.

 

3) How will Braun age, meaning will he still be healthy and productive in the final few years of his contract, when the Brewers are realistically shooting for the playoffs?

 

I start getting wary of players when the get on the wrong side of 30, and really start worrying when they hit their mid-30's. Age is not good on athletes, and everyone eventually hits a wall. Braun is a Hall of Fame caliber talent, but he's also been prone to injury throughout his career, and currently has chronic issues with his back and thumb. I don't know how good he will be in a few seasons, but part of the question of trading him has to be whether you're willing to take the risk of him succumbing to age/injury and not being an above average talent at the point the Brewers will be trying to compete for the playoffs.

 

It would be tough to see Braun go, but it would probably be best for the franchise. If he stays somewhat healthy, I think it will probably happen this year, and at that point, I would think that Broxton will get plenty of PT, and we will be glad we have some of the veteran "scrap heap" guys to fill out the roster for the remainder of this season and into next until our better prospects start to hit the MLB field.

4) Do we have any alternatives?

 

Outfield is probably our most loaded position throughout the farm, and the question isn't whether they are capable of replacing Braun in 2016, or probably even 2017, but whether in 2-3 seasons some of our OFs will be capable of replacing the older version of Braun. In other words, if Braun is an average OF in 2018, can one of our OF prospects be better than theat? This is the reason people want to see what some of the young guys can do in a season like this one. Broxton may be a bust, but he has the physical tools to be good. He has the potential to be a guy who could play above average in the MLB OF in 2-3 years, whereas Kirk N. probably does not. Whoever it is who steps up, when looking at our franchise as a whole, I don't think that we should have a problem finding three capable OF in a couple of years.

Dang it. That is the same thought I had but I only took the time to post a couple sentences.

[JohnBriggs12]

I don't think the Brewers are as loaded in the outfield in the minors as we may think sometimes. Besides Phillips there is not a lot of starting caliber outfielders in the minors. The Brewers may be stuck with the Presleys and Kirks of the world to fill in for Braun if he is traded. That is why I would like to see a guy like Broxton or Liriano when healthy get playing time so the Brewers can slot in somebody fairly young if necessary. I don't necessarily think they will be All Stars but there is always the chance somebody can have a breakthrough season like Villar is having.

 

Brewers are very thin in the OF. Phillips is the lone potential starting caliber OF who figures to be in lineup 2 years from now. Clark's ETA is 2 years after that. Sorry but the jury is still out on Santana. Dealing Braun leaves a huge hole in the lineup until 2019 at least. There are guys that could emerge but they aren't guys you can count on. They'll never get a fair return in talent for Braun. Without the PED cloud, he'd be better than 50-50 for the HOF.

[joepepsi]

Ramon Flores is quietly, but positively adjusting to major league pitchers. Since May 6 he's hitting 292/360/369. Sure he's just a singles hitter, but he has nice on base skills and plays fine CF and other positions. Looking more and more like he's going to make it as a major league bench player.

[JohnBriggs12]

The two key guys in the Brewer OF picture are Santana and Liriano. Neither are surefire everyday major leaguers, much less future All Stars, but they'll need at least one and probably both (assuming Braun is traded at some point) to emerge as a quality dependable corner OF bat that can hit and produce in the middle of the order which will have gaping holes created when and if Lucroy or Braun is traded. I'd be very reluctant to deal Braun until we've seen more of Santana and at least some of Liriano. Though he shows flashes, we've yet to see it out of Santana but he'll get the AB's the rest of this year and should be better able to evaluate him.

 

Flores has the look of a 4th OF. Wish he'd show at least some gap power, but I'm not seeing it. I'd also like to see the Brewers use Perez in the OF if they don't find a regular spot for him at 3B or 2B. He's certainly athletic enough to play out there and has the arm to play RF.

[folly412]

And, undo button hit.

 

Milwaukee Brewers ‏@Brewers 3h3 hours ago Milwaukee, WI

OF Domingo Santana (right elbow soreness) placed on the 15-day disabled list, retro to 6/8. OF Keon Broxton recalled from Triple-A @skysox.

[davego]

Ok, I'll be the piñata here and float out the "Braun to 1st base" idea. Any upside for this for the 'Crew in 2017?

[danzig6767]

Was hoping for a big year from Santana where he got 500 at bats and clearly showed that he'd be a major building block going forward.

[3and2Fastball]

Was hoping for a big year from Santana where he got 500 at bats and clearly showed that he'd be a major building block going forward.

 

So did the Brewers. Drafting Corey Ray in the 1st Round isn't at all about Santana particularly, but is telling in some regard. There are other obvious factors to drafting an OF #1:

 

Brett Phillips is hitting only .249/.337 in AA

 

Ryan Braun may be traded

 

Michael Reed is only hitting .227 in AAA

[Ennder]

Phillips has 67 K in 203 PA in AA. He has to improve that one stat or he will never make it to the majors. Everything else looks ready but he cannot strike out that much.

 

Reed is a bit more interesting. He is showing absolute elite ability to take walks in AAA but he is also striking out way too much. I have more faith in Reed than Phillips at this point.