Hope for the future?

[Thurston Fluff]

This was never supposed to be the year. It was supposed to be a year in one of many where the team can be competitive. A lot of people still seem stuck in the mindset of building towards an all in for a year or two type of team. But look at what that got us. Beat by a team that didn't even win it's division and scraped it's way into the playoffs by one game. That same team won another World Series with an 84 win team.

Maintaining competitive teams without quite ever having a dominant one might not be the way the Brewers always did it. But look at where the the old way of doing it got us.

Keep developing players and look to create solid depth throughout the system and the chances of winning a single World Series is the same as going all in every decade and the chances of winning multiple ones goes up

[paul253]

The starting rotation will be a strength next season. Davies is 25, yes only 25, Hader 24, Burnes 23, Peralta 22.

 

You can’t just throw out a bunch of names and ages and declare the rotation to be a strength. Davies has been horrible this year, even when he was healthy. Nelson is still a major unknown due to his significant shoulder injury. Hader, until were told otherwise, is a reliever. Peralta is a back end of the rotation starter. Burnes is an unknown as he’s never started a game before. I’m sorry but I’m not ready to proclaim the rotation a strength. Not even close in fact. It’s more of a major unknown than anything.

 

This team needs a few things. A top of rotation starter. A new hitting coach. A guy that can get on base and play either catcher or Shortstop.

I assume Schoop and Soria will be back because Soria can be a major asset and I really don’t see a better option at second base than Schoop. I really think they should consider hiring a manager with playoff experience as well. Counsell is fine but after back to back collapses I really question if he is the man for the job.

[Fear The Chorizo]

No hope - Mark A. should sell the team and they can move to vegas. Trade everyone before they are labeled a regression candidate and then trade the prospects you got from the initial trades before spring training. Make sure the team has 15 consecutive years of 1st overall draft picks, and only draft 8 WAR players and pitchers in the top 5 rounds of each draft to have a prayer. Never sign another free agent, although secretly bring a few in for league minimI'm that are MVP caliber. Sacrifice the bratwurst.

[RollieTime]

The starting rotation will be a strength next season. Davies is 25, yes only 25, Hader 24, Burnes 23, Peralta 22.

 

You can’t just throw out a bunch of names and ages and declare the rotation to be a strength. Davies has been horrible this year, even when he was healthy. Nelson is still a major unknown due to his significant shoulder injury. Hader, until were told otherwise, is a reliever. Peralta is a back end of the rotation starter. Burnes is an unknown as he’s never started a game before. I’m sorry but I’m not ready to proclaim the rotation a strength. Not even close in fact. It’s more of a major unknown than anything.

 

This team needs a few things. A top of rotation starter. A new hitting coach. A guy that can get on base and play either catcher or Shortstop.

I assume Schoop and Soria will be back because Soria can be a major asset and I really don’t see a better option at second base than Schoop. I really think they should consider hiring a manager with playoff experience as well. Counsell is fine but after back to back collapses I really question if he is the man for the job.

 

The main point of the ages was to show the youth on the team and how they have the opportunity to improve over the next few years. The team is young and is showing potential. You don’t see a strong rotation of Anderson, Chacín, Davies, Nelson, and a mix of Peralta, Burnes, Hader, or Woodruff filling in? I see a ton of potential for next season.

 

Anderson continues to be solid, Chacín is doing what he’s done since he’s been in the majors, Davies has been very good so far in his young career, Nelson has turned a corner and will hopefully come back strong. Even if Nelson doesn’t come back, I feel very comfortable putting in two of Peralta, Burnes, Hader if Stearns decides to go that route, or Woodruff. The young guys need a chance to be successful. They have proven it over the years in the minors and need the opportunity to show what they got.

 

I see Burnes and Peralta as being big contributors next season. Using young, inexperienced players is part of the rebuild to build toward a competitive team. They need to do it at some point because the Brewers can’t afford to buy every player. The rotation will be fine next season with who they have even if they don’t go out and get anyone.

[pacopete4]

I’d love to be able to move Aguilar in the offseason and go with Moustakas and Shaw at the corners. Braun can fill in at 1B at times versus lefties. Our defense would be really good with those two and Arcia at short. Now, what to do with Schoop is the question. I’d say you gotta exercise the option and role with him at 2B.

[trwi7]

The team is young and is showing potential.

 

We have 4 players on our current roster 24 and younger, the same number of players are 32 and over. This is not a young roster. In fact, it's currently the 9th oldest 25 man roster in the majors.

[Boomer5]

We absolutely do not have elite bats, not even close. It’s not our only problem but it is a problem. We scored 6 runs this series and were very fortunate to go 1-2.

[Ennder]

If Jimmy Nelson didn't get hurt this conversation would not be happening and we would be gearing up for a long past season run. Yes, our future is fine.

 

By not pitching this year Nelson is limited next year. He can’t go from 0 to 200 innings.

That isn't how it works. You build your IP based on the highest of your career, not the past season. He may be limited to like 180 IP or something but not to 100 IP or less.

 

The rebuild has barely started so I don't get how you can be down on the future. We have a ton of talent in the minors and almost none of that talent has seen time yet, these are the filler guys almost making the playoffs, not the rebuild.

[liveforoctober]

If Jimmy Nelson didn't get hurt this conversation would not be happening and we would be gearing up for a long past season run. Yes, our future is fine.

But he did and the depth has been exposed. The future isn't "just fine" if standing pat and hoping Nelson comes back in full is what everything is leaning on.

 

This isn't my point. My point is that we have gone through a tough stretch of baseball to bring us "down" to being only a 1/2 game up in the wildcard and we have posters talking about giving guys chances in September tryouts and others posters starting threads asking if there is hope for the future. IF we had our ace ... we would arguably be games ahead of the wild card chase and the likely temperature of the fan base would be how quickly Stearns and Co built us into a contender. Instead we have to talk about whether we have hope for the future.

 

If Jimmy Nelson didn't get hurt this thread would not exist. But he did and now some think the direction of our franchise is flat or heading in the wrong direction.

[sveumrules]

For everyone that is upset we got too good too fast & didn't have a chance to truly bottom out & get those premium draft picks, look no further than the Nationals.

 

Harper & Strasburg were the most hyped hitting & pitching prospects of their generation & all Washington has to show for their seven seasons together are four LDS losses. (& it only cost them a literal billion dollars in payroll!!)

 

There are many ways to the mountain top.

 

Our ride is just beginning. No one foresaw Guerra & Keon & Villar in 2016. Last year it was Shaw, Pina, Nelson, Anderson & Knebel contributing more than anyone imagined. The Yelich/Cain acquisitions shocked the baseball world & fanbase with Aguilar breaking out even further after a nice 2017 also coming as a nice surprise. Who knows what unknowns are yet to come?

 

Just because the path is not obvious, does not mean the path is not there.

[KeithStone53151]

If Jimmy Nelson didn't get hurt this conversation would not be happening and we would be gearing up for a long past season run. Yes, our future is fine.

 

By not pitching this year Nelson is limited next year. He can’t go from 0 to 200 innings.

That isn't how it works. You build your IP based on the highest of your career, not the past season. He may be limited to like 180 IP or something but not to 100 IP or less.

 

The rebuild has barely started so I don't get how you can be down on the future. We have a ton of talent in the minors and almost none of that talent has seen time yet, these are the filler guys almost making the playoffs, not the rebuild.

 

I generally agree with your comment, but I wouldn't go as far as to say our filler guys are almost making the playoffs. Very few of what's coming through the minors are likely to be impact talents in the near future, Hiura is the main guy. It will definitely be beneficial having rotation pieces like Nelson, Davies, Burnes, Woodruff, Peralta return and/or fulfill their potential...but those guys are Hiura are likely the only impact talents we have helping us in the near future...unless of course we utilize free agency/trade. My main point is, what we see now is the vast majority of our core for this window that Stearns created.

[Lathund]

No hope - Mark A. should sell the team and they can move to vegas. Trade everyone before they are labeled a regression candidate and then trade the prospects you got from the initial trades before spring training. Make sure the team has 15 consecutive years of 1st overall draft picks, and only draft 8 WAR players and pitchers in the top 5 rounds of each draft to have a prayer. Never sign another free agent, although secretly bring a few in for league minimI'm that are MVP caliber. Sacrifice the bratwurst.

 

What a ridiculous suggestion. The bratwurst is the key to everything, no way it should be sacrificed ffs. That move would ruin the team.

[Boomer5]

For everyone that is upset we got too good too fast & didn't have a chance to truly bottom out & get those premium draft picks, look no further than the Nationals.

 

Harper & Strasburg were the most hyped hitting & pitching prospects of their generation & all Washington has to show for their seven seasons together are four LDS losses. (& it only cost them a literal billion dollars in payroll!!)

 

There are many ways to the mountain top.

 

Our ride is just beginning. No one foresaw Guerra & Keon & Villar in 2016. Last year it was Shaw, Pina, Nelson, Anderson & Knebel contributing more than anyone imagined. The Yelich/Cain acquisitions shocked the baseball world & fanbase with Aguilar breaking out even further after a nice 2017 also coming as a nice surprise. Who knows what unknowns are yet to come?

 

Just because the path is not obvious, does not mean the path is not there.

 

The problem with non elite players have breakout years is they don’t typically sustain it year over year so they can only be treated as nice surprises, not building block players.

 

The Nationals are an example you used. The example I use are the Cubs and Astros who used their high draft status and more importantly their pool dollars to build their farms.

[jonescm128]

I’d love to be able to move Aguilar in the offseason and go with Moustakas and Shaw at the corners. Braun can fill in at 1B at times versus lefties. Our defense would be really good with those two and Arcia at short. Now, what to do with Schoop is the question. I’d say you gotta exercise the option and role with him at 2B.

 

This is a bad take. You want to get rid of one of our MVP candidates who is earning $500k this year and under team control next year and arbitration the next three years after that?

[Surhoff5]

I’d love to be able to move Aguilar in the offseason and go with Moustakas and Shaw at the corners. Braun can fill in at 1B at times versus lefties. Our defense would be really good with those two and Arcia at short. Now, what to do with Schoop is the question. I’d say you gotta exercise the option and role with him at 2B.

 

This is a bad take. You want to get rid of one of our MVP candidates who is earning $500k this year and under team control next year and arbitration the next three years after that?

 

I get your point, but I think Brew is hoping to sell high. We have seen so many of the guys that "broke out" last year come back to earth that he doesn't want to see that happen again. Brew you can correct me if I am wrong.

 

I personally would rather trade Shaw. He struggles so bad against lefties that I think it limits the roster. I realize he was a bit better in 2017 (.740 versus .580 OPS), but based on what I read, this is more in line with who he is.

[pacopete4]

I’d love to be able to move Aguilar in the offseason and go with Moustakas and Shaw at the corners. Braun can fill in at 1B at times versus lefties. Our defense would be really good with those two and Arcia at short. Now, what to do with Schoop is the question. I’d say you gotta exercise the option and role with him at 2B.

 

This is a bad take. You want to get rid of one of our MVP candidates who is earning $500k this year and under team control next year and arbitration the next three years after that?

 

I get your point, but I think Brew is hoping to sell high. We have seen so many of the guys that "broke out" last year come back to earth that he doesn't want to see that happen again. Brew you can correct me if I am wrong.

 

I personally would rather trade Shaw. He struggles so bad against lefties that I think it limits the roster. I realize he was a bit better in 2017 (.740 versus .580 OPS), but based on what I read, this is more in line with who he is.

 

Yes, sell high. I like Aguilar. He’s a great story but I’m not sure he will ever produce like this season again. If we could get another GM to buy that it’s not a fluke, we could get a hefty return. Shaw and Moustakas are very good defensively and are consistent on offense.

[Lathund]

Having two players on the roster who can only play 1B competently (I really don't want to see Thames in the OF or Aguilar at 3rd even if they *can* play there), both without minor league options, limits the team severely. So from a roster standpoint, Thames or Aguilar should be traded in the offseason. Who depends on the return, what other moves are made etc. Purely from a performance standpoint, it makes more sense to trade Thames and find someone else who hits RHP well. But Aguilar with his age and contract and performance probably gets the better return. But having said that, with how little value is placed on that type of player perhaps the difference in prospective return isn't a big deal.

[Pugger]

If Jimmy Nelson didn't get hurt this conversation would not be happening and we would be gearing up for a long past season run. Yes, our future is fine.

 

By not pitching this year Nelson is limited next year. He can’t go from 0 to 200 innings.

 

And he may never be the same again. We really shouldn't be counting on him to return to form in 2019. If he does, great. But we have to look elsewhere and get more than just one starter.

[sveumrules]

Yes. I have hope for the future.

 

Tonight I hope the Pirates beat the Cubs.

[JohnBriggs12]

No season is a guaranteed playoff spot, but the Brewers are pretty well situated for the next year or two to compete. Their core returns in tact. Burnes, Peralta, and Woodruff are all quality arms to fill out the rotation. They go into next spring with a rotation that's 8 or 9 deep at least not counting possibly retaining Miley. Arcia should bounce back. Davies is another obvious bounce back candidate. Who knows about Nelson? I fully expect Braun to be able to repeat his 2018 season. Cain certainly doesn't look like he's ready to fall off a cliff.