Outfield

[BrewCrewBlueDevil]

At what point does Santana or Broxton get sent packing? Both are struggling tremendously. Thames to RF, Aguilar to 1B? Perez in RF? Brinson, Cordell or Wren?

[adambr2]

At what point does Santana or Broxton get sent packing? Both are struggling tremendously. Thames to RF, Aguilar to 1B? Perez in RF? Brinson, Cordell or Wren?

 

Not anytime soon. If anyone goes it'll probably be Aguilar who has been struggling just as much.

[MrTPlush]

Hmm I doubt either gets sent packing in the sense of being traded. Broxton has a good shot at demotion or if they don't see him as an actual starter the 4th OFer role.

[pogokat]

I could easily see Hernan Perez taking starts away from Broxton and Santana in short order.

[Jose Cardenal1]

Broxton and Santana have about 1 more month to produce. They are being saved from an early benching by the looming super 2 status of Brinson, Cordell or Phillips.

[wildcat2237]

The Brewers are rebuilding.

 

Hopefully Santana and Broxton will be given every opportunity this year.

 

If they both have terrible years I could see Phillips and Brinson replacing them in September or next April.

[MillerParkSouth]

Not any time soon. We're rebuilding, we have time to wait for these guys to snap out of it. I would be shocked if any moves are made before July.

[MrTPlush]

If they both have terrible years I could see Phillips and Brinson replacing them in September or next April.

 

I doubt it takes that long to replace them if they keep hitting so poorly. You at least need to look competent.

[JohnBriggs12]

Broxton turns 27 in May. He doesn't have a huge window to prove himself an everyday major league player. Santana is a couple years younger, but still this was the year he needed to show he too belongs in the lineup on a regular basis. Early returns aren't good on either and as pogokat points out, Perez is going to see action somewhere as his bat heats up and RF and CF are the two areas where they are not getting production. Brinson could be up in a month, but they may follow the same path with him as they did with Arcia last year and we'll see him the final two months. If they have any visions of pivoting to try and see if they can contend in 2018 and with Thames emergence and the punch we see from the catcher position, why the heck not?, it behooves them to get Brinson at least some major league development time in 2017. Same goes with Hader and Woodruff on the mound.

 

I suspect they'll wait on Cordell and Phillips till September. My guess is they hope they can get some production from Broxton and Santana if just to move them this winter.

[FVBrewerFan]

What's the rush? No, this team won't compete in 2018. Rotation will not be a good enough yet, unless you expect two rookies to be #1 and #2 starters on a championship level team.

 

Santana actually had a good start, then went horrible the last week or two. It is still APRIL. I have no horse in this race. Doesn't matter to me who emerges as the best three OF, but no reason not to give Broxton and Santana more time. At least the All Star break, if not longer. Give up too soon and trade them, they become stars, and then we never hear the end of it.

 

Personally, and I've said it before, I think Santana needs to move to 1B even if he does hit. Too many better defensive OF on the way. Especially if Braun is still around.

[MrTPlush]

No one is rushing anything. Would I demote Broxton if he doesn't improve in the next couple(3-4) weeks. Wouldn't trade him tough. No reason to watch Keon Broxton look like a lost puppy when we have three legit options at AAA.

[wildcat2237]

What's the rush? No, this team won't compete in 2018. Rotation will not be a good enough yet, unless you expect two rookies to be #1 and #2 starters on a championship level team.

 

Santana actually had a good start, then went horrible the last week or two. It is still APRIL. I have no horse in this race. Doesn't matter to me who emerges as the best three OF, but no reason not to give Broxton and Santana more time. At least the All Star break, if not longer. Give up too soon and trade them, they become stars, and then we never hear the end of it.

 

Personally, and I've said it before, I think Santana needs to move to 1B even if he does hit. Too many better defensive OF on the way. Especially if Braun is still around.

 

+1. Sadly, I believe the rebuild will last until Opening Day 2019. The starting pitching to compete is just not there. The only way this changes is if Nelson, Peralta, and Anderson all develop into top of the rotation starters, which I dont see happening.

 

As for Santana, he reminds me a bit of Nelson Cruz. Cruz struck out a ton and we traded him. Then, in Texas, he put things together and became a major home run force for them.

 

I firmly believe Santana is a guy you give every opportunity to figure it out.

[pacopete4]

Santana hits the ball too hard to continue getting the results he is getting. If a hitting coach can get him to start elevating the ball, watch out.

[JohnBriggs12]

What's the rush? No, this team won't compete in 2018. Rotation will not be a good enough yet, unless you expect two rookies to be #1 and #2 starters on a championship level team.

 

Santana actually had a good start, then went horrible the last week or two. It is still APRIL. I have no horse in this race. Doesn't matter to me who emerges as the best three OF, but no reason not to give Broxton and Santana more time. At least the All Star break, if not longer. Give up too soon and trade them, they become stars, and then we never hear the end of it.

 

Personally, and I've said it before, I think Santana needs to move to 1B even if he does hit. Too many better defensive OF on the way. Especially if Braun is still around.

 

Santana is 2 for 31 since April 14. All guys go through slumps but his overall numbers have never really been eye popping. No way you have to find a position for that kind of bat. Competing is different than championship level. They haven't competed since 2014. It's time to learn how to win and experience pressure of a race even if they come up short. If Thames turns out to be the real deal, they have a one-two punch in the middle of the order that they've been missing since Braun/Fielder days. Both are both in their 30's and can surround them with solid players in their prime like Shaw, hopefully Villar, and the catching duo of Pina/Bandy, Perez, etc. and have the 2 highest rated prospects they've had in the post Braun/Fielder era with Arcia and Brinson contributing at the major league level. The rotation can be upgraded with the return of Guerra as a solid #2. Hader and Woodruff have plenty of promise maybe not as 1's but certainly capable major league starters. The rest of Anderson, Peralta, Davies, and Nelson all have ability and some record of success in the big leagues. The Brewers rotation situation isn't as bad as you think.

[adambr2]

What's the rush? No, this team won't compete in 2018. Rotation will not be a good enough yet, unless you expect two rookies to be #1 and #2 starters on a championship level team.

 

Santana actually had a good start, then went horrible the last week or two. It is still APRIL. I have no horse in this race. Doesn't matter to me who emerges as the best three OF, but no reason not to give Broxton and Santana more time. At least the All Star break, if not longer. Give up too soon and trade them, they become stars, and then we never hear the end of it.

 

Personally, and I've said it before, I think Santana needs to move to 1B even if he does hit. Too many better defensive OF on the way. Especially if Braun is still around.

 

Thing is now, unless he's traded, Thames looks pretty locked in at 1st for the next 4 years.

 

Santana looks like a prime young trade candidate to me. Someone you hope goes on a nice little run and you get someone to jump on his youth and upside and pay you a decent return, like Jean Segura.

[rickh150]

I wouldn't trade Santana........ he'll come on soon.

[adambr2]

I wouldn't trade Santana........ he'll come on soon.

 

'Coming on' is relative. If you're a great defensive CF like Broxton, you can get away with a .750 OPS easily.

 

If you're a poor fielding corner outfielder, you better rake.

[pogokat]

I like santana 10x more than Broxton. Santana's 17/9 k/bb rate is actually as BIG step in the right direction so far for him, whereas Broxton's 25/3 is not. As everyone knows, Santana is several years younger than Broxton, so I think his leash is much longer. Broxton is looking more like a 4th outfielder every day.

 

I'd bring up Cordell or Phillips before Brinson just because I want us to get the full value of Lewis Brinson. I also don't want Brinson to come up until he figures out his own bb/k rate issues a little bit.

[Jose Cardenal1]

While the fan focus has been on trading Braun, I would guess that it is Santana that is the first domino to fall. He has started to hit and if he can get his OPS into the .820-.840 range over the next few weeks I think he will be traded to open up a spot for Brinson/Phillips/Cordell.

 

SF seems like a good destination for Santana as they lack production in the corner OF and they may want to make an early move (by early June) before they are so far behind it wont matter.

 

We got Davies for a Parra a couple years ago. Could we get Andrew Suarez (a 2nd rd LHP from 2015, #10 SF prospect) and Reyes Moronta (a late inning bullpen prospect) for Santana?

[FVBrewerFan]

I agree Santana looks to be the odd man out, of course that can change. Braun is staying long term, more than likely. All 4 of the other OFs are better defensively. Broxton looks to be a keeper, Brinson has the huge upside, and Phillips is the only LH. So it seems like Braun, Broxton, Brinson, Phillips would be the 4 OF for 2018.

 

Is SF the best trade partner, and would your deal work? Others could answer than way better than I could. What I would like to see is package him with Garza and a minor league player, or some kind of combination that would bring back a "really good" pitcher. I don't think Santana gets you that on his own.

[pacopete4]

We need SF to get their butts in gear if we want them to be a trading partner.

[JohnBriggs12]

I'd describe Santana as an adequate​ (barely) starting corner OF. He's streaky offensively as are many barely adequate regulars. With the OF talent in system, Brewers can aim higher. Maybe those guys will prove to be just adequate too but you don't block them with Santana.

[adambr2]

What kind of return is Broxton worth? I mean I think he's at like an .820 OPS again now, if he's around. 800 at the deadline, playing great D in CF and a threat on the bases, we've got like a good year of data now saying he's figured it out and is good, and has 5+ more years of cheap control, you'd have to think he's the most valuable trade chip in the outfield, wouldn't you?

[Outlander]

I would certainly think so, especially getting him cost controlled through his prime years, free agent at 33. Out of all of the Brewer outfielders, when considering age, good defense and salary he probably brings back the most with the exception of Brinson.

[pacopete4]

In a perfect world, Santana and Phillips combine into a mega right fielder, Brinson takes over in CF, Braun continues being Braun in left and we trade Broxton at his peak for a pitching prospect.