Lucroy and Jeffress to the Rangers for CF Lewis Brinson, RHP Luis Ortiz, PTBNL…(Lucroy comments, post 523; PTBNL is Ryan Cordell, post 581)

[pacopete4]

Lol, come on you guys. While Brinson might become the best player in baseball, he could always amount to nothing. It's way to early to judge this trade.

 

You can ask a girl out, take her to a nice dinner, and if she doesn't put out, then you can make a decision about whether asking her out or not was a good decision. That's a time when results orientated thinking is okay.

 

When you put money into a stock, it was either a good or bad idea when you made the decision not after the fact. This is an excellent strategy the Brewers are deploying. Whether Brinson lives up to his potential or not is irrelevant. If they stay with this strategy, it won't be long before they do hit on a big-time, franchise-altering player. Trading away pieces of the future for guys like Jonathan Broxton & picking up retreads like Kyle Lohse was never the answer. This much is clear now.

 

 

My comment has absolutely nothing to do with the strategy the Brewers are displaying. It was towards an overreaction towards Brinson's hot start in AAA. But let's not get ahead of ourselves either. I'm sure there will be times we give up prospects for players, especially as we get closer to competing. We already have up Sneed for Villar this past off season.

[MrTPlush]

Lol, come on you guys. While Brinson might become the best player in baseball, he could always amount to nothing. It's way to early to judge this trade.

 

You can ask a girl out, take her to a nice dinner, and if she doesn't put out, then you can make a decision about whether asking her out or not was a good decision. That's a time when results orientated thinking is okay.

 

When you put money into a stock, it was either a good or bad idea when you made the decision not after the fact. This is an excellent strategy the Brewers are deploying. Whether Brinson lives up to his potential or not is irrelevant. If they stay with this strategy, it won't be long before they do hit on a big-time, franchise-altering player. Trading away pieces of the future for guys like Jonathan Broxton & picking up retreads like Kyle Lohse was never the answer. This much is clear now.

 

 

My comment has absolutely nothing to do with the strategy the Brewers are displaying. It was towards an overreaction towards Brinson's hot start in AAA. But let's not get ahead of ourselves either. I'm sure there will be times we give up prospects for players, especially as we get closer to competing. We already have up Sneed for Villar this past off season.

 

You may be the one overreacting. I don't think anyone was serious about winning the trade already.

[pacopete4]

Maybe. But that is what blue is for and also had nothing to do with thundercat's soap box speech either.

[markedman5]

Rosenthal says the PTBNL will be a "significant piece"

 

http://www.foxsports.com/mlb/video?vid=739462211874

[Boomer5]

Looks like the PTBNL is a top level guy. This was a timing thing as they were against the deadline.

 

As posted above, Rosenthal says he will be on the same level as Brinson and Ortiz. That seems optimistic but I'm guessing it's a pitcher with some injury to watch for based on putting the pieces together from this week.

[dacrew101]

Lucroy hit two homers today against the Astros.. Poor Astros, Brewers been doing all kinds of damage to them in all kinds of ways

[Ennder]

Looks like the PTBNL is a top level guy. This was a timing thing as they were against the deadline.

 

As posted above, Rosenthal says he will be on the same level as Brinson and Ortiz. That seems optimistic but I'm guessing it's a pitcher with some injury to watch for based on putting the pieces together from this week.

 

I personally think it is going to be Yohander Mendez or Ronald Guzman.

[Boomer5]

Mendez fits the criteria according to Rosenthal for what it's worth.

[Ennder]

Yeah I think Mendez is the primary target but if something goes wrong with him and they get scared they will fall back on Guzman which would finally give us a big hitting 1B in the system.

[DR28]

I want Ronald Guzman so bad!!! Please, please... He's the 1B prospect we need in our system!

[trwi7]

Guzman would be a downer to me. Everyone is so worried about a first base prospect. That's pretty much the last position I'd look to be trading for. Give me someone athletic and up the middle or a pitcher. Unless it's like Prince Fielder, who you know is going to mash in the big leagues but that isn't the kind of prospect Guzman is.

[MrTPlush]

Rangers have a guy by the name of Prince Fielder...

[Austin Tatious]

Great news from Rosenthal. Tavares, Guzman, and Mendez would be my favorites.

[nate82]

Guzman would be a downer to me. Everyone is so worried about a first base prospect. That's pretty much the last position I'd look to be trading for. Give me someone athletic and up the middle or a pitcher. Unless it's like Prince Fielder, who you know is going to mash in the big leagues but that isn't the kind of prospect Guzman is.

 

Same I am not sure why so many are enamored with Guzman to me he is just meh.

 

I am going to guess it will be Jurado.

[DR28]

What dont you guys like about Guzman?

 

I see a Adrian Gonzalez type hitter... How can you not like that?

[MadThinker88]

What dont you guys like about Guzman?

 

I see a Adrian Gonzalez type hitter... How can you not like that?

 

You can never have enough pitching...

[LouisEly]

Guzman obviously has been young for his leagues, but this is the best season he has had to date. Hopefully that's a sign that he's starting to put it together, as evidenced by his walks going up and strikeouts going down, but you can wonder if it is an anomaly. His season at AA was good, but they also play in the Texas League which typically is a hitter's league although I don't think it is as extreme as it used to be when the Brewers were in El Paso. He was 10th in OPS in the Texas League this year.

 

He is only two years removed from a pretty awful year at low-A in 2014 as a 19-year old, which was a repeat of that level from the previous season. He didn't do well in the California League last year either, a notorious hitter's league. That can be cause for concern.

[gregmag]

Agree with the Guzman skeptics. He doesn't have a single bigtime tool or skill. Of course, he still could be good. FWIW I don't think he's a Stearns type. If Stearns targets a hitter, the target will almost always have one or more of three qualities: relative youth, athleticism, plate discipline. (Susac's a special case.). Guzman doesn't really have any of the three. He's young, obviously, but not relative to his development curve.

 

Mendez or Taveras would make sense if it's really one of their bigtime remaining guys.

[Austin Tatious]

I think the concerns about Guzman are fair. I believe he just got moved up to Triple A at age 21. So, Milwaukee can get a look at him at another level not in the Texas League. I do recall what a hitter's league that is, so I agree with that point.

 

The age relative to development curve point is interesting. I don't know if Stearns looks at it that way. Guzman is still only 21 in Triple A. Everyone develops somewhere, whether in a rookie league, high school, or college. You could argue professional development gives you a gauge on where you really stand and if it has taken you forever to develop even with professional coaching, there is less upside than a guy who may have more coaching to go to get better. Good point. I think I would consider that as a factor in acquisitions. But it may be superseded by other factors.

 

I would be concerned about forcing fitting a guy just to fill a need too as yet another concern.

 

But I trust Stearns on this. If it is Guzman, the scouts will have endorsed him and considered all these concerns. He was ranked something like 23rd in their system and has soared to about 5th. It may just be that the light switch flipped on and he's coming on. He sure would fill a need. A 6'5 left handed run producer at first. He may not be Fielder but he may be effective.

 

It will be fun finding out one way or another.

[TheCrew07]

Guzman would be a downer to me. Everyone is so worried about a first base prospect. That's pretty much the last position I'd look to be trading for. Give me someone athletic and up the middle or a pitcher. Unless it's like Prince Fielder, who you know is going to mash in the big leagues but that isn't the kind of prospect Guzman is.

 

Same I am not sure why so many are enamored with Guzman to me he is just meh.

 

I am going to guess it will be Jurado.

 

I feel exactly the same way, he's not a very good athlete, his bat speed was very average in the past... I know his HR spiked this year but I'd rather not acquire him for the sake of acquiring a 1B. I'm not super high on Mendez either, as he's as much of an injury risk as Ortiz.

 

I'd rather take a chance on Pedro Payano being something down the road if his off speed progresses.

[MKE81]

Guzman is a solid prospect but there's at least 5 others is take over him. I agree that it needs to be SP or MI. Still hoping for Mendez or Matuella

[patrickgpe]

Looks like the PTBNL is a top level guy. This was a timing thing as they were against the deadline.

 

As posted above, Rosenthal says he will be on the same level as Brinson and Ortiz. That seems optimistic but I'm guessing it's a pitcher with some injury to watch for based on putting the pieces together from this week.

 

I personally think it is going to be Yohander Mendez or Ronald Guzman.

I agree with you the trade is good for us if that's the case I'm fine with giving up jj and lu for 3 top 100 prospects

[patrickgpe]

What dont you guys like about Guzman?

 

I see a Adrian Gonzalez type hitter... How can you not like that?

 

You can never have enough pitching...

Guzman fits a need the Brewers haven't addressed 3rd or 1st at all with all of these trades they made over the last year. Yes you can always get guy like carter to plug in but he isn't the long term answer. Villar doesn't have the prototypical power of a 3rd baseman and I still think his future is at 2nd

[jvrocksaz]

 

I feel exactly the same way, he's not a very good athlete, his bat speed was very average in the past... I know his HR spiked this year but I'd rather not acquire him for the sake of acquiring a 1B. I'm not super high on Mendez either, as he's as much of an injury risk as Ortiz.

 

I'd rather take a chance on Pedro Payano being something down the road if his off speed progresses.

 

Actually Ronald Guzman is a very good athlete, especially for a 1B. Very flexible and good quickness for someone his size. Has great range on throws to 1B and can go into a full splits. Has only attempted 25 steals in his minor league career but has been successful on 20 of them. Has 5 triples already this year and 15 in his minor league career. I see a kid who is maturing at an impressive rate since the horrific accident he was involved in when he was 19. It was obviously a life changing moment for him. He now is a 21 year old in AAA. Whether he ends up a Brewer or not, he is the type of kid I am rooting for.

 

http://www.star-telegram.com/sports/mlb/texas-rangers/article64426212.html

[TheCrew07]

jvrocksaz I appreciate the time it to link up that story, but it's hardly unbiased, it's basically what TH would write about a Brewer prospect.

 

I'm well aware that Guzman is flexible, him doing "splits" while he stretches is in every scouting report about him, but that doesn't mean he's athletic, especially in relation to his MLB peers. To me this is no different than people claiming that Clint Coulter was athletic because of his pre-draft scouting reports when if you watch him he's clearly pretty average in relation to his peers.

 

I would agree that he's a smart baseball player, that's also in most of the unbiased scouting reports about him, which is all his SB% suggests about him. SB% is not indicative of speed or athleticism, though the assumption otherwise is repeatedly brought up about any player or prospect with a high SB%, see Eric Farris as a recent example.

 

Guzman is a nice prospect, but I'm not interested in acquiring him simply because he's a 1B and fills an organizational need. Stearns said it best the other day in WI when he was on with the TV crew, MLB teams covet up the middle and pitching prospects so they have great value beyond any positional hole they could fill within the organization.