Braun activated, Nottingham optioned

[burnzy24]

We are stuck with Kratz.

[adambr2]

Part of the problem with being an unknown quantity is, unless you're a top prospect or the team simply has no other options, small sample size doesn't really apply to you when the team decides to give you a shot. You produce off the bat, or you go back down. You make it impossible for the team to send you back down (Hader last year), or you'll likely end up back down. Nottingham unfortunately didn't do enough to force the team to keep him up.

 

Same reason why Orf's days are probably highly numbered on the 40.

[Devinep]

Well when your options are bad or bad with potential, just go with bad-for some reason

[adambr2]

Well when your options are bad or bad with potential, just go with bad-for some reason

 

Hey you don't have to convince me. I've been beating the DFA Kratz drum for awhile.

[DuWayne Steurer]

I guess what concerns me about Nottingham (super small sample alert) is that he's not swinging at pitches. He's standing there with the bat on his shoulder looking at strikes. So.... I went over to fangraphs, and found His Z-swing % is hovering right around 50%. I thought, "maybe that's average?" but I just randomly picked a bunch of other guys, and just about everyone else is around 67-70%.

 

Like I said, small sample, but that's something I noticed just in the 24 PA's he's put up so far. Get the bat off your shoulder kid.

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

Nottingham needs to play consistently, and he's not going to do that with Pina healthy. Counsell loves him some Manny.

[Austin Tatious]

If I were a scout and I saw Josh, I think I’d be enamored with him. I’m not saying he’s Johnny Bench but he looks pretty good to me physically and skill wise. His turnaround defensively has been impressive. A couple of years ago there were skeptics that had him as a first baseman.

 

He’s young but not ready yet. No crime in that. Agree with the premise he needs to play every day at AAA. He needs more time in the oven. Taking the analogy further, we took him out of the oven, stirred, and put him back in. I suspect that may happen some more.

 

But, I like his athleticism, especially for his size, his swing, his arm...I don’t know how high his ceiling is but I see a guy who has a good chance at being productive.

[tmwiese55]

Along with them probably wanting him to get more PT, could a factor be that if they DFA Kratz he's likely gone and then if one of Pina/Nottingham gets hurt you have a problem. Basically this could be a depth move? I'm grasping at straws because I really wanted Nottingham up and Kratz gone. How awful was Kratz passed ball on Saturday? It actually led to Kershaw getting out at the plate and us out of that bases loaded jam, but that was some truly awful catching. I do grant he seems to have thrown the ball well though. Also for Nottingham PT, the backup catcher here plays at least 1/3 of games so it's not like he wouldn't be getting adequate games. 2-3 games a week isn't bad at all, he's probably only getting 4-5 in the minors.

[Roderick]

Along with them probably wanting him to get more PT, could a factor be that if they DFA Kratz he's likely gone and then if one of Pina/Nottingham gets hurt you have a problem. Basically this could be a depth move?

 

I would be willing to bet that no team would pick up Kratz. Don't know whether he would go back to the minors or retire though.

 

I don't know Christian Bethancourt's defense. But his numbers look okay as the emergency 3rd catcher in the system if Kratz were DFA'd. I think I saw that he was in the PCL all star game. I assume the Brewers probably have to make a decision about keeping Bethancourt also (whether 25 or 40).