Brewers claim Dylan Baker

[coolhandluke121]

It's a good sign that they continue to leave no stone unturned. There is no risk to this. It just shows tenacity to find reclamation projects everywhere. Maybe it will be a waste of time, but it's not our time they're wasting (unless you spend too much time arguing about it I guess). My favorite part of this is that it could be a preliminary indication that they're mostly going to stick to the team-building strategies that got them 86 wins in the first place, as opposed to bailing on what got them here and going the lazy "established free agent" route.

 

As for this Baker guy, I won't feign any knowledge of him that any other schmuck can't find on all the normal websites, but he sounds like a Houser/Williams type and I'm glad to use a roster spot on him. They can free up roster spots in other ways. Of course I'll cut him if they sign multiple relievers, but for now, this is cool.

[KeithStone53151]

It's a good sign that they continue to leave no stone unturned. There is no risk to this. It just shows tenacity to find reclamation projects everywhere. Maybe it will be a waste of time, but it's not our time they're wasting (unless you spend too much time arguing about it I guess). My favorite part of this is that it could be a preliminary indication that they're mostly going to stick to the team-building strategies that got them 86 wins in the first place, as opposed to bailing on what got them here and going the lazy "established free agent" route.

 

As for this Baker guy, I won't feign any knowledge of him that any other schmuck can't find on all the normal websites, but he sounds like a Houser/Williams type and I'm glad to use a roster spot on him. They can free up roster spots in other ways. Of course I'll cut him if they sign multiple relievers, but for now, this is cool.

 

I would like to think we have plenty of other guys that would get cleared off the 40 to make room as needed ahead of this guy. Obvious candidates are Drake, Webb, a catcher, Broxton. Less obvious are Hughes, Wilkerson, Jungmann, and one of Perez/Aguilar...considering only one is likely to open with the roster based on it's current construction. Not that all these guys will be dropped, Broxton is an obvious trade candidate...not a cut candidate.

[colbyjack]

As noted, Baker has a huge upside, although his career obviously didn't progress as expected, he was one of the biggest names during the spring of 2012. Here's his draft profile from 2012:

 

Position: RHP

Height: 6-3

Weight: 215

Bats/Throws: R/R

Birthdate: April 6, 1992

College: Western Nevada College

Hometown: Juneau, Alaska

Previously Drafted: Never drafted

Projected Draft Round: 1, 1S

 

The 6-foot-3, 215-pound Baker has blown up so fast this spring that he easily qualifies as the best rags-to-riches story in this baseball draft—or almost any baseball draft.

 

An unheralded pitcher from Alaska, Baker began the 2012 season as the No. 4 starter in the rotation at the College of Western Nevada, but has been so impressive and so dominating every time out that he has vaulted up draft boards to a point where he is now the No. 1-ranked prospect in this year’s junior college class. He also ranks No. 40 overall, and conceivably could edge his way into the back end of the first round if he performs in tournament competition anything like he has during the regular season.

 

As Western Nevada prepared to play its final series of the Scenic West Conference regular-season schedule against Salt Lake Community College with first place in the league at stake between the two teams, Baker is 11-0, 0.76 in 13 starts with 32 walks and 93 strikeouts in 59 innings. When he previously hooked up this spring on March 31 against Salt Lake, the nation’s No. 8-ranked team, he may have pitched his best game of the season with a 1-0, one-hit shutout.

 

Most of Baker’s early-season outings were abbreviated starts as CWN run-ruled many of its non-conference opponents, but he got consistently better every time out and was thoroughly dominant in an 11-0, five-inning win over Eastern Utah in early March. He allowed two hits, walked none and struck out eight, and it was that outing that tipped off scouts that Baker may be something special for this year’s draft.

 

D.J. Whittemore, who has gone 294-119 in six-plus years as head coach at Western Nevada, confirmed as much when he said it was the single-best, most-dominating performance he had ever seen by a junior-college pitcher.

 

Baker’s fastball topped out at 96 mph that day, and he complemented it with two dominant breaking balls—an 86-mph slider with explosive lateral movement and a hard, downer curve at 83. Unlike in a couple of previous outings, when he struggled to throw strikes consistently, Baker had precise command of all three pitches throughout. His fastball has since peaked at 97 mph and has command has become increasingly refined with every outing.

 

The improvement that Baker has shown in his brief time at Western Nevada has been dramatic as he enrolled at the school last fall with an above-average breaking ball and some tilt to his delivery, but with a fastball that ranged only from 87 to 90 mph.

 

By adding 15-20 pounds to his frame by working hard in the weight room and dedicating himself to his craft, Baker was in the best shape of his life to start the 2012 season. His side work with Wildcats pitching coach Jeremy Beard that was aimed at streamlining his mechanics was also pivotal in his dramatic turnaround as he added 6-8 mph to his fastball and more power to his breaking stuff. By mid-season, he was showcasing scouts three dominant pitches.

 

In addition to his vastly superior stuff, Baker generates excellent deception on his pitches as he hides the ball well, making it difficult to pick up as it gets on hitters so quickly. If anything that he needs to continue to work on, it’s the refinement of his command and the development of a changeup.

 

Baker was a virtual unknown coming out of Juneau-Douglas High in Juneau, Alaska, despite leading his school to state titles as both a sophomore and senior. He went 6-1, 1.97 overall and threw a complete-game win in the championship game in 2010, but was generally better known for his hitting exploits at the time.

 

Following his senior year in 2010, Baker spent the summer playing for the Seattle-based En Fuego, an elite-level travel team. His performance for that club led to his signing on with nearby Tacoma Community College, where he worked primarily as a No. 3 starter as a freshman and went an unspectacular 3-3, 3.47. He enjoyed modest success, walking too many batters but averaging a strikeout per inning while limiting hitters to a sub-.200 average.

 

Looking for an opportunity to prove himself as a sophomore against superior competition, Baker had his high-school coach explore a few options and it was determined that Western Nevada would be a good fit. Baker then contacted Whittemore last August and subsequently elected to transfer, even though he knew by that late date there were no remaining scholarships available at Western Nevada.

 

While he is paying his own way through school this year, Baker’s gamble should pay off handsomely in June when he could land in the first round of the draft and be rewarded with a million-dollar signing bonus.

[Outlander]

Baker has been designated for assignment.

 

[pacopete4]

So DS is going to spend another offseason claiming barely 4A pitchers and then losing them on waivers a week later?

 

It's been a month now but it still could happen. Fingers crossed!

[pyrocyz]

any news on whether he was claimed and/or accepted his assignment?

[jjgott]

any news on whether he was claimed and/or accepted his assignment?

 

Dodgers just claimed him:

[Outlander]

Bummer, I think there are guys less talented on the 40 man. I understand why they thought he might clear since he made it through most of MLB last time around but the Dodgers are one of the teams that didn't have a chance to claim him last time.

[jjgott]

Milwaukee Brewers‏Verified account

@Brewers

 

The #Brewers have traded RHP Dylan Baker (who was designated for assignment on December 21) to the Dodgers in exchange for a player to be named or cash.

 

Interesting...

[LouisEly]

Milwaukee Brewers‏Verified account

@Brewers

 

The #Brewers have traded RHP Dylan Baker (who was designated for assignment on December 21) to the Dodgers in exchange for a player to be named or cash.

 

Interesting...

Suggests to me that there were multiple claims and someone ahead of the Dodgers put in a claim as well.

[Point Beer Is Best]

Milwaukee Brewers‏Verified account

@Brewers

 

The #Brewers have traded RHP Dylan Baker (who was designated for assignment on December 21) to the Dodgers in exchange for a player to be named or cash.

 

Interesting...

Suggests to me that there were multiple claims and someone ahead of the Dodgers put in a claim as well.

 

I'm not sure how either team would know that. To me, this suggests the Dodgers wanted him but didn't want to take any chances.

[TJseven7]

Glad we kept Wang over a guy everyone seemed to want. Or 1 of 2 catchers we clearly wont keep. Or drake. Or....

[TooLiveBrew]

Glad we kept Wang over a guy everyone seemed to want. Or 1 of 2 catchers we clearly wont keep. Or drake. Or....

Maybe the Brewers liked the prospects the Dodgers are letting them pick from for the PTBNL.

 

If the Dodgers are making available guys comparable to the arms we got for Lind a couple years back (I realize we'd only be getting one PTBNL here), I'm fine with Stearns trying to nab another lottery ticket & see if they can find another Freddy Peralta.

[clancyphile]

Glad we kept Wang over a guy everyone seemed to want. Or 1 of 2 catchers we clearly wont keep. Or drake. Or....

Maybe the Brewers liked the prospects the Dodgers are letting them pick from for the PTBNL.

 

If the Dodgers are making available guys comparable to the arms we got for Lind a couple years back (I realize we'd only be getting one PTBNL here), I'm fine with Stearns trying to nab another lottery ticket & see if they can find another Freddy Peralta.

 

Actually, I'd look to see if they put one of four position players on the list:

C Keiburt Ruiz, a switch-hitter who posted a .813 OPS last year between low A and high-A at age 18

2B Luis Rodriguez, a switch-hitting 2B with speed and a very good OBP "tool"

1B Nick Yarnall, a left-handed hitter with power and a good OBP tool

OF Romer Cuadrado, who looks like a very good offensive package

[chuckiehacks]

I'm not going to get too excited, as it seems like most of the time "PTBNL or cash" winds up being cash.

[MadScientist]

I'm not going to get too excited, as it seems like most of the time "PTBNL or cash" winds up being cash.

Agreed. This was a November wavier wire pickup, that got DFA'd a month later. Either the Brewers will get a minor league roster filler, or they will get cash. Either way they get something for nothing, even if the something is next to nothing.

[brewmann04]

it going to be cash you can bet on it.