Draft Strategy Prelude to a Trade?

[Warning Track Power]

While I generally do not believe that the current year's draft has any bearing on the current farm system, I still have to wonder if the draft strategy employed by the Brewers this year indicates they will be moving position players on the farm to acquire starting pitching. Continuing to load up early on hitters while ignoring SP in the draft makes me believe this is strategic on Stearns part. The question becomes who the pitching targets are and who is expendable in Stearns' eyes.

[trwi7]

The only argument you might be able to make is Ray because they drafted two outfielders but one turned 18 a few months ago and the other won't turn 18 for a month and a half. They're most likely years away and if they work out would be right in line to take starting jobs right as Cain and Yelich's contracts run out.

[FVBrewerFan]

While I generally do not believe that the current year's draft has any bearing on the current farm system, I still have to wonder if the draft strategy employed by the Brewers this year indicates they will be moving position players on the farm to acquire starting pitching. Continuing to load up early on hitters while ignoring SP in the draft makes me believe this is strategic on Stearns part. The question becomes who the pitching targets are and who is expendable in Stearns' eyes.

 

No, one has nothing to do with the other. They have no idea when the guys drafted this year will be ready for MLB, and they know most of them won't ever get there. Look no further than Ray. Most believed he was the best bat coming out two years ago, and he's scuffling along in AA. The players drafted this week simply have absolutely nothing to do with the current MLB club, or the system in general for that matter.

[CheezWizHed]

In crossed my mind that they might be targeting bats more in the draft and acquiring pitchers by other means as a general approach. In the last 3 drafts, Lemons is the highest drafted pitcher (2nd round, third pick of that draft). And you have to go back to 2014 when they picked Kodi Medeiros in the first round.

 

Seems like they have been favoring 3-5th round pitchers more (6 pitchers of those 8 picks in the last 3 drafts).

 

I kind of doubt that it is an intended focus and probably more the way the draft fell, but its been a while since we were pitcher heavy at the top.

[OnTheBlack]

I think it's a lot more plausible than many on here are suggesting. It's similar to what the Cubs did...focus more on position players and then try to acquire starting pitching by using some of those guys as chips. MLB's draft is extraordinarily unpredictable, but position players do provide a little bit more certainty than pitchers do. I was hoping for a young arm like Hawkings myself.

 

It's impossible to know if there is a strategy in place along those lines unless Stearns says so, but I don't think it's unrealistic.

[LouisEly]

One thing is for sure, they definitely have some analytics that say that OF range and speed have value.