Brewers who didn't make it but you think could have

[OldSchoolSnapper]

I thought this could be an interesting discussion as we struggle to keep ourselves busy during the Brewers offseason.

 

Are there players who flamed out for one reason or another, that you think could have made it had things been different for them? I'd like to avoid injuries, because those tend to make more obvious selections. I'm more talking about guys that just fell into bad situations, or missed opportunity for whatever reason.

 

For me, the guy that sticks out is Mat Gamel. I know he did have injury problems toward the end, but I always thought he was mismanaged right out of the gate. I'm no scout, but I thought I saw a potentially special player there. I never felt like he got a fair shake with the Brewers, which at the time was complicated with McGehee's short but solid stint here. I felt like that dedication to a player that had a very clear ceiling (McGehee) really impeded what Gamel could have become. Then came the injury problems his window closed quickly.

[nate82]

Manny Parra man could he have been special. That 2008 season he was just used to much by Yost. I believe if he would have had his innings limited he wouldn't have fallen off the planet in the second half. It looked like he never really recovered after that. His body language was always woah is me after that second half.

[wildcat2237]

Angel Salome.

 

I really thought he would turn into something as he was part of the Fielder, Hardy, Weeks, Hart, Gallardo group of prospects.

 

His MiLB numbers were always good. I honestly have no idea what happened to him. It looks like he retired after the 2011 season.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

Wow, Salome. I completely forgot about that guy. That's right - he was a big part of their plans. Quick googling shows he had mental health problems and later asked to be moved to the OF. His career basically ended there. Bizarre. I don't think I've ever forgotten about someone who was supposed to be such a big deal like that.

 

Apparently Parra is still playing for the Bridgeport Bluefish. Good for him, still playing the game he loves.

[wildcat2237]

Wow, Salome. I completely forgot about that guy. That's right - he was a big part of their plans. Quick googling shows he had mental health problems and later asked to be moved to the OF. His career basically ended there. Bizarre. I don't think I've ever forgotten about someone who was supposed to be such a big deal like that.

 

 

Yep. I believe a number of publications had Solome as a top 5 prospect in the Brewers organization for a number of years. That is very significant because that was a time when the Brewers system was loaded. I think the reason people forget Salome is because of the emergence of Lucroy and Maldonado.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

Not sure what he's up to, but he is jacked as hell now.

 

https://www.facebook.com/angel.salome.75

 

Confirmed that is indeed him.

[JohnBriggs12]

Well I have to go with my guy Sean Halton, who I thought showed enough in his brief trial in 2013 to warrant at least shot at the 1B job or at least a utility role in 2014 as he also could play corner OF too but he was taken of the 40 man after the season and never got a shot the next spring. Eventually he ended up being drafted in minor league phase by the O's and got shuffled backward there. The knock on him was for a big strong guy he didn't hit a ton of HR and that's true, but he's now driving the ball enough to hit 48 over the past two seasons with the Lancaster Barnstormers.

 

Given the lack of production at 1B for the 2014 Brewers, who knows where his career would have gone if he'd been given a shot.

[JohnBriggs12]

Manny Parra man could he have been special. That 2008 season he was just used to much by Yost. I believe if he would have had his innings limited he wouldn't have fallen off the planet in the second half. It looked like he never really recovered after that. His body language was always woah is me after that second half.

 

Parra was 25 when he logged 166 innings in 2008. That's hardly overuse. He started 74 games for the Brewers which is plenty of time to be evaluated. He simply wasn't good enough. Parra had a big arm, but there's a lot more to being a successful major league pitcher than a big arm. Most of his issues were between the ears.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

Parra always had that defeatist look on his face. I never figured out if it was his attitude or just the way his face was. The dust-up with Fielder might be an indicator.

[Jimbo]

Cal Eldred - overuse by Garner early in the career.

Glenn Braggs - not sure the story with him, didn't seem like he reached his potential.

[FVBrewerFan]

Lou Palmisano

[bjkrautk]

Scott Karl was a middle-of-the-rotation lefty starter, whose career flamed out after leaving Milwaukee for Colorado in the Jamey Wright trade.

[MillerParkSouth]

I will go to my grave convinced that Mat Gamel was the next in line for offensive Brewers stud prospects before the injury bug wiped him out.

[djoctagone]

i just told ben hendrickson's father about this thread.

[adambr2]

Zach Braddock. He had so much promise as a late inning reliever. Just never seemed to be able to overcome his emotional and anxiety issues.

[3and2Fastball]

Caleb Gindl. Dude could hit. Just needed consistent at bats.

[Jenkins5]

Braddock, Salome, Delmonico, and Parra all had issues upstairs they couldn't get through while here.

 

Braddock suffered from bipolar

 

Salome I remember just shutdown. His old coach talked a little bit about it back then. Lucroy ended up skipping over him.

 

Delmonico had his addiction to adderall and struggled for a bit mentally with things due to that leading to his way out

 

Parra was own worst enemy. All the talent in the world but he could never bounce back. He would melt down and couldn't get out of his head. When things were going good, he was great, if he hit a road bump in a game....he'd blow up....if he blew up in one game....that attitude would follow into next and the next.

 

I will go injury route and say Matt Jones. Absolutely dominate AA at 20 and injuries killed an Ace....Neugy was once a top 5 milb prospect for 2 years I believe and arm fell off. Mat Gamel had injuries and prospect hater Macha so he was dead in water sadly

[adambr2]

To be fair to Manny Parra, he's got over 8 years of service time in the bigs, so he made it. Just never lived up to the promise. Somewhat more successful as a reliever for the Reds.

[JosephC]

I can't remember the exact history of Nick Neugebauer? I remember he got hurt but can't remember if he was good, then got hurt and couldn't make it back...or if he wasn't pitching very well as a major leaguer even before he got hurt. But man did he ever look like the real deal when coming up through the minors.

[paul253]

I will go injury route and say Matt Jones.

 

Are you talking about Mike Jones? Former first rounder?

 

I’ll second Braddock and Gamel. I also thought Logan Schaefer would see success.

[LouisEly]

What I think of are guys who weren't given an opportunity.

 

Steve Stanicek was the 11th overall pick of the 1982 draft by the Giants and acquired by the Brewers in 1986. That year he put up a 1.031 OPS in El Paso; that park inflated hitting stats, but Stanicek walked (88) more than he struck out (70) that year. The following year he put up a 1.012 OPS in Denver, was called up in September, and got seven plate appearances. Didn't make the team in 1988 - you know, because those big free agents Greg Brock and Jeffrey Leonard were the keys to getting into the playoffs - and didn't get called up and was subsequently released after the 1988 season.

 

Side note: also on that 1987 team, but not brought back, was Brad Komminsk. Komminsk was the #4 overall pick of the 1979 draft, and look at the stats he put up as a 19, 20, 21, and 22 year old in the minors - if they ranked prospects he would have been a top 5 overall prospect if not #1.

 

LaVel Freeman was the Brewers first round pick in the 1983 draft (#26 overall) and had a career minor league slash line of .305/.378/.440, but in 1987 in El Paso put up a .395/.467/.624 slash line. In 1988 the power cooled off, but he still hit .318/.385/.461 in Denver and got called up and given all of three plate appearances. Didn't make the team in 1990 - you know, because Dave Parker, Mike Felder, and Daryl Hamilton were the keys to making the playoffs - and was traded for Scott May.

 

Yes, these guys played in hitter-friendly parks but they also had the OBP to back them and were first round picks - they were thought of highly. But they were stuck behind overrated veterans and never given a chance.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

What I think of are guys who weren't given an opportunity.

 

Steve Stanicek was the 11th overall pick of the 1982 draft by the Giants and acquired by the Brewers in 1986. That year he put up a 1.031 OPS in El Paso; that park inflated hitting stats, but Stanicek walked (88) more than he struck out (70) that year. The following year he put up a 1.012 OPS in Denver, was called up in September, and got seven plate appearances. Didn't make the team in 1988 - you know, because those big free agents Greg Brock and Jeffrey Leonard were the keys to getting into the playoffs - and didn't get called up and was subsequently released after the 1988 season.

 

Side note: also on that 1987 team, but not brought back, was Brad Komminsk. Komminsk was the #4 overall pick of the 1979 draft, and look at the stats he put up as a 19, 20, 21, and 22 year old in the minors - if they ranked prospects he would have been a top 5 overall prospect if not #1.

 

LaVel Freeman was the Brewers first round pick in the 1983 draft (#26 overall) and had a career minor league slash line of .305/.378/.440, but in 1987 in El Paso put up a .395/.467/.624 slash line. In 1988 the power cooled off, but he still hit .318/.385/.461 in Denver and got called up and given all of three plate appearances. Didn't make the team in 1990 - you know, because Dave Parker, Mike Felder, and Daryl Hamilton were the keys to making the playoffs - and was traded for Scott May.

 

Yes, these guys played in hitter-friendly parks but they also had the OBP to back them and were first round picks - they were thought of highly. But they were stuck behind overrated veterans and never given a chance.

 

This is an amazing contribution. Thanks.

[clancyphile]

Jeff Pickler - Loved his OBP and speed, but he got taken in minor league Rule V

 

Brian Passini - Had a sub-3.00 ERA at El Paso. Dropped off the face of the earth.

 

Tim Dillard - Thought he'd be a mainstay in the Brewers rotation after all those CGs in Bevard County.

 

Michael Reed - Showed a good walk rate, but dropped off the face of the earth in late 2017. He could come back.

[SomewhereInTime]

Alex Sanchez, dude could fly, but not very smart

 

Seth McClung, don't remember all the details or what went on in the clubhouse but Macha refused to use him.

 

Taylor Green, don't remember if it was an injury or not that derailed his career.

[Outlander]

A guy that didn't make it here in Milwaukee that I thought would take over for Molitor and Yount was Gary Sheffield. Ended up with a 695 OPS here and over 900 everywhere else.