Brewer arbitration settlements/Tender Decisions [Latest: Knebel & others agree to deals]

[markedman5]

 

[long ball]

Perfectly respectable utility player. Allows for the brewers to go down to a 4 man bench for long stretches at a time.

 

I just don’t want to see him get 450 PAs again. 2018 was a step in the right direction.

[coolhandluke121]

Nice. Underrated part of what made it possible for the Brewers to do what they do, milking a few extra wins out of great late-game defense and getting the most out of their roster spots. Plenty good against LHP's, which the Brewers need. Plus pinch-runner as well.

 

Wish he'd take more pitches because I think he could be a really good player if he did, but for $2.5m I'll gladly take him. I wasn't really worried that they'd let him go anyway.

[Fear The Chorizo]

Slightly less than the $2.7mil estimate for him that I've seen a few times. He's a good fit in the role he has with this roster.

[KCBrewerfan34]

Jennings gone

[markedman5]

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

 

I suppose this could be taken as a sign that Schoop is for sure a goner. I didn't expect Saladino to be tendered, but it doesn't bother me, either. Decent depth option.

[JohnBriggs12]

I think all the moving around undoubtedly hurts Perez somewhat at the plate. I've always felt if given a full time job at one spot he'd put up respectable offensive numbers, like .275/.305/.420, but he's more valuable as a guy that can be moved all over and that's probably given him more job security than putting up decent numbers every year at one position. Plus he's a key clubhouse guy and a true professional who plays the game right and now he's one of he longest tenured on the roster.

[long ball]

I didn’t realize Saladino had an option left. Great depth to potentially stash in AAA for depth.

[KCBrewerfan34]

These contracts aren’t guaranteed are they?

[Outlander]

These contracts aren’t guaranteed are they?

Not until the season starts.

[JDBrewCrew]

Milwaukee Brewers

Verified account

@Brewers

5m5 minutes ago

INF/OF Hernán Pérez and INF Tyler Saladino have signed 1-year contracts, avoiding arbitration. INF Jonathan Schoop, LHP Xavier Cedeño and LHP Dan Jennings have been non-tendered.

 

Milwaukee Brewers

Verified account

@Brewers

3m3 minutes ago

The Brewers have tendered contracts to C Manny Piña, OF Domingo Santana, INF Travis Shaw, RHP Zach Davies, RHP Junior Guerra, RHP Corey Knebel and RHP Jimmy Nelson.

[AdvantageSchneider]

I'm a little surprised X-man is gone. I guess this means the Brewers are getting out of the LOOGY business. Bullpen needs guys that can get out lefties and righties and preferably can go more than one inning.

[PeaveyFury]

The lack of options is the major reason, I'd assume. The LOOGY is probably the last or 2nd-to-last man on the staff, and I'd expect the AAA carousel to continue to cycle this year. I'd imagine they'll find a similarly-priced LOOGY with an option and sign them instead.

[Fear The Chorizo]

I'm a little surprised X-man is gone. I guess this means the Brewers are getting out of the LOOGY business. Bullpen needs guys that can get out lefties and righties and preferably can go more than one inning.

 

The spotlight was too bright for Cedeno on several occasions in the postseason...LOOGY is still an important role, but you need one that can get it done when it counts.

[coolhandluke121]

I'm a little surprised X-man is gone. I guess this means the Brewers are getting out of the LOOGY business. Bullpen needs guys that can get out lefties and righties and preferably can go more than one inning.

 

The spotlight was too bright for Cedeno on several occasions in the postseason...LOOGY is still an important role, but you need one that can get it done when it counts.

 

He mostly just gave up a few seeing-eye grounders. LHB's OPS something like .600 against him. That's comparable to Hader against RHP's, which just goes to show that even a borderline roster-worthy pitcher can be almost as effective against favorable platoon match-ups as literally one of the most valuable relievers of all time is against unfavorable ones.

 

I'm okay with not wasting a roster spot on a LOOGY with no options because you don't get much use out of them, but I'm not okay with the rationale being based on such a small, flukey sample with a high BABIP. That would be pretty short-sighted.

[Fear The Chorizo]

I recall a few situations where he just walked 1-2 lefties in spots he was brought in to get them out - in particular the Cubs game 163. The seeing eye grounders I don't mind, that happens - but you can't walk guys.

[coolhandluke121]

I recall a few situations where he just walked 1-2 lefties in spots he was brought in to get them out - in particular the Cubs game 163. The seeing eye grounders I don't mind, that happens - but you can't walk guys.

 

That's still an extremely small sample. LHB's have a career OPS of .583 against him. He is NOT a LOOGY who can't get lefties out. It just comes off as being mad because baseball happened and a handful of LHB's reached base against him at a bad time. He had a 2.43 era on the year with a 2.95 FIP and 1.26 WHIP. He faced more RHB's (though few of them were dangerous, I assume) than LHB's and held them to a .604 OPS.

 

He allowed 7 singles and 3 walks in 8 innings in the regular season with the Brewers:

 

Daniel Murphy - single to RF

Zobrist (bats both, slightly better against LHP's) - walk

Jeimer Candelario (bats both, much better against LHP's) - single to CF

Patrick Wisdom (RHB) - single

Matt Carpenter - walk

Corey Dickerson - single

Joey Votto - single

Brandon Crawford - walk

Zobrist - single

Mark Reynolds - single

 

He gave up 3 singles and a walk in 1 inning in the playoffs (let's judge his value based on 1 inning!!):

 

Yasmani Grandal (bats both, better against RHP's) - single

Joc Pederson - single

Manny Machado (RHB) - intentional walk

Max Muncy - single

 

In case it's not totally obvious, the problem is that he faced some extraordinarily talented LHB's and some dangerous switch-hitters and RHB's as well. The other problem is judging him on an absurdly small sample. You can make the case that the presence of good switch-hitters and the rarity of having 2 or more LHB's in a row in the batting order makes LOOGY's a waste of a roster spot, but it comes off as really spoiled and petulant to act like Cedeno didn't do his job. No LHP gets every single LHB out every single time. Not even Hader. And definitely not when it includes the guys listed above.

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

I recall a few situations where he just walked 1-2 lefties in spots he was brought in to get them out - in particular the Cubs game 163. The seeing eye grounders I don't mind, that happens - but you can't walk guys.

 

That's still an extremely small sample. LHB's have a career OPS of .583 against him. He is NOT a LOOGY who can't get lefties out. It just comes off as being mad because baseball happened and a handful of LHB's reached base against him at a bad time. He had a 2.43 era on the year with a 2.95 FIP and 1.26 WHIP. He faced more RHB's (though few of them were dangerous, I assume) than LHB's and held them to a .604 OPS.

 

He allowed 7 singles and 3 walks in 8 innings in the regular season with the Brewers:

 

Daniel Murphy - single to RF

Zobrist (bats both, slightly better against LHP's) - walk

Jeimer Candelario (bats both, much better against LHP's) - single to CF

Patrick Wisdom (RHB) - single

Matt Carpenter - walk

Corey Dickerson - single

Joey Votto - single

Brandon Crawford - walk

Zobrist - single

Mark Reynolds - single

 

He gave up 3 singles and a walk in 1 inning in the playoffs (let's judge his value based on 1 inning!!):

 

Yasmani Grandal (bats both, better against RHP's) - single

Joc Pederson - single

Manny Machado (RHB) - intentional walk

Max Muncy - single

 

In case it's not totally obvious, the problem is that he faced some extraordinarily talented LHB's and some dangerous switch-hitters and RHB's as well. The other problem is judging him on an absurdly small sample. You can make the case that the presence of good switch-hitters and the rarity of having 2 or more LHB's in a row in the batting order makes LOOGY's a waste of a roster spot, but it comes off as really spoiled and petulant to act like Cedeno didn't do his job. No LHP gets every single LHB out every single time. Not even Hader. And definitely not when it includes the guys listed above.

 

This is a really good post. I felt that for the most part, Cedeno did his job. The issue was that the few times he didn't were pretty big moments. Still, I am very surprised that he was non-tendered, given how the Brewers like to play matchups, and the dearth of lefty relievers currently available but on the roster and in the upper minors. Right now not only is Hader the only non-injured lefty on the active roster, he's the only one of the 40-man, with Daniel Brown probably the only other lefty who is even moderately close to being a major league pitcher. I suppose Suter stands a small chance of pitching a little by the end of 2019, but Torres-Costa is likely out the whole year, and Ramirez is a free agent. It wouldn't surprise me to see them go after a lefty starter, and at least 1-2 lefty relief arms, along with several minor league free agent NRI-types. If I'm a lefty reliever looking for a job, the Brewers have to be a prime candidate.

[RollieTime]

I recall a few situations where he just walked 1-2 lefties in spots he was brought in to get them out - in particular the Cubs game 163. The seeing eye grounders I don't mind, that happens - but you can't walk guys.

 

That's still an extremely small sample. LHB's have a career OPS of .583 against him. He is NOT a LOOGY who can't get lefties out. It just comes off as being mad because baseball happened and a handful of LHB's reached base against him at a bad time. He had a 2.43 era on the year with a 2.95 FIP and 1.26 WHIP. He faced more RHB's (though few of them were dangerous, I assume) than LHB's and held them to a .604 OPS.

 

He allowed 7 singles and 3 walks in 8 innings in the regular season with the Brewers:

 

Daniel Murphy - single to RF

Zobrist (bats both, slightly better against LHP's) - walk

Jeimer Candelario (bats both, much better against LHP's) - single to CF

Patrick Wisdom (RHB) - single

Matt Carpenter - walk

Corey Dickerson - single

Joey Votto - single

Brandon Crawford - walk

Zobrist - single

Mark Reynolds - single

 

He gave up 3 singles and a walk in 1 inning in the playoffs (let's judge his value based on 1 inning!!):

 

Yasmani Grandal (bats both, better against RHP's) - single

Joc Pederson - single

Manny Machado (RHB) - intentional walk

Max Muncy - single

 

In case it's not totally obvious, the problem is that he faced some extraordinarily talented LHB's and some dangerous switch-hitters and RHB's as well. The other problem is judging him on an absurdly small sample. You can make the case that the presence of good switch-hitters and the rarity of having 2 or more LHB's in a row in the batting order makes LOOGY's a waste of a roster spot, but it comes off as really spoiled and petulant to act like Cedeno didn't do his job. No LHP gets every single LHB out every single time. Not even Hader. And definitely not when it includes the guys listed above.

 

This is a really good post. I felt that for the most part, Cedeno did his job. The issue was that the few times he didn't were pretty big moments. Still, I am very surprised that he was non-tendered, given how the Brewers like to play matchups, and the dearth of lefty relievers currently available but on the roster and in the upper minors. Right now not only is Hader the only non-injured lefty on the active roster, he's the only one of the 40-man, with Daniel Brown probably the only other lefty who is even moderately close to being a major league pitcher. I suppose Suter stands a small chance of pitching a little by the end of 2019, but Torres-Costa is likely out the whole year, and Ramirez is a free agent. It wouldn't surprise me to see them go after a lefty starter, and at least 1-2 lefty relief arms, along with several minor league free agent NRI-types. If I'm a lefty reliever looking for a job, the Brewers have to be a prime candidate.

 

Zach Britton and Andrew Miller are two solid lefty options for Stearns to target this winter. Miller probably has more appeal since he is used to pitching multiple innings. Having him and Hader to flip flop games would make for an awesome season. Having those two and Jeffress, Knebel, and possibly Woodruff would make for a very dominant bullpen. I see Burnes making the rotation this season and keeping Woodruff in the bullpen since he seemed to really embrace that role.

[3and2Fastball]

I'm a little surprised X-man is gone. I guess this means the Brewers are getting out of the LOOGY business. Bullpen needs guys that can get out lefties and righties and preferably can go more than one inning.

 

I doubt they are opposed to LOOGY's. They are opposed to ineffective LOOGY's. A good GM also needs to protect a team from it's manager, i.e. if Counsell has a LOOGY, he is going to go to him, no matter how inconsistent he might be (FWIW pretty much any other MLB manager would have done the same thing)

[coolhandluke121]

[i am very surprised that he was non-tendered, given how the Brewers like to play matchups, and the dearth of lefty relievers currently available but on the roster and in the upper minors. Right now not only is Hader the only non-injured lefty on the active roster, ...

 

It wouldn't surprise me to see them go after a lefty starter, and at least 1-2 lefty relief arms, along with several minor league free agent NRI-types. If I'm a lefty reliever looking for a job, the Brewers have to be a prime candidate.

 

I hope the goal is to find something better and not to go into the season with 11 RHP's on the roster. I can understand why they'd want lots of relievers who can go multiple innings, and I can see the logic in saving a roster spot for guys with more upside, like Williams. But when all is said and done, if you look up and Hader is the only LHP in the pen, you're going to have a problem with match-ups. Even if every RHP reliever you keep is more valuable than Cedeno in a vacuum, that would constitute failing to see the forest for the trees.

 

Another thing is that even though you don't get a lot of use out of LOOGY's, just the threat of having one is a factor opponents have to consider when making their lineups. Start the season with a pen of Knebel, JJ, Williams, Barnes, Woodruff, Guerra, and Hader and opponents will have too much freedom in where they put their LHB's in their lineup on those many nights when Hader is unavailable.

[coolhandluke121]

I'm a little surprised X-man is gone. I guess this means the Brewers are getting out of the LOOGY business. Bullpen needs guys that can get out lefties and righties and preferably can go more than one inning.

 

I doubt they are opposed to LOOGY's. They are opposed to ineffective LOOGY's.

 

What does that have to do with Cedeno or Jennings?

[True Blue Brew Crew]

If it wasn't obvious before, it should be now. They're moving away from specialists and one out guys. This post is not directed at anyone specific.

[wallus]

I think they will look to pickup a LOOGY later in the season if they feel they need one. I think this is an ok move because those guys did not have options.