Keon Broxton to Mets; Bobby Wahl, Adam Hill, Felix Valerio to Brewers

[clancyphile]

Well, well, looks like Felix Valerio is quite the interesting prospect.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=valeri001fel

 

Walked more than he struck out, a good hit-for-average tool, and decent speed (16 SB in 22 attempts).

 

Then again, the Brewers also have a 5'7" 2B in the DSL, in Victor Vargas.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=vargas002vic

 

I had Vargas on my list for a superb walk rate (17 against 96 ABs), as well as a .300 average, and good speed (16 SB in 23 attempts).

 

Good thing the Brewers will have TWO Arizona league affiliates.

[LouisEly]

I liked Broxton and thought he had value, but I didn't think he had this much value. I might have taken Wahl straight up for Broxton. Looks like Wahl used his first option in 2018 and has two remaining.

 

Hill has some upside. Hopefully he can make some mechanical adjustments to bring the walks down. His BB rate increased every year at South Carolina.

 

Jason Rogers - the 32nd round draft pick gift that keeps on giving.

[SRB]

Wahl I remember well when he pitched at Ole Miss as a big-bodied hurler, although it's not especially encouraging that a college arm hasn't made much of an impact in the big leagues at 26-27 years old.

 

Wahl has had multiple serious injuries, including thoracic outlet syndrome, which of course are not especially encouraging in their own right but at least help explain his lack of MLB experience.

[SoCal Brew Crew Fan]

Seems like a good return for Crew. More pen arms and a promising young call option. Keon a good fit with that larger OF...defense a premium for Mets. Brewers can always shift Yelich to CF if needed and subs can play corners if Cain out.

[markedman5]

From Beyond the Box score

 

Bobby Wahl led all AAA relievers in K%, K-BB%, and SwStr% last season

[NYChez]

Keon can look forward to getting a standing O in his return to Miller Park. Fans appreciated his enthusiasm and scaling-the-wall catches.

[502 to Right]

I guess the poster that assured us Broxton would make the 25 out of spring was correct...just for the Mets.

 

That was me.

 

But I'm pretty sure he will make the Mets 25 man!

[adambr2]

Keon can look forward to getting a standing O in his return to Miller Park. Fans appreciated his enthusiasm and scaling-the-wall catches.

 

To the masses at Miller Park I figure Broxton is more of a "oh yeah, that guy was a Brewer" (scattered polite applause) guy than a standing O guy.

[Eye Black]

Felix Valerio had the second most plate appearances (303) in the Dominican Summer League last season. He had the fourth lowest strikeout rate (6.9%) among all qualified hitters in league. His .843 OPS and 146 wRC+ was far better than any of the Brewers qualified DSL hitters last season. He’s a long shot, but had a very solid professional debut.

[Eye Black]

I guess that talk of Broxton having no value wasn't exactly true. Best of luck to him in NY.

 

Even though Gamel is more of a known quantity than any of these guys. I think you could pretty legitimately argue that the Broxton return was better than the Santana return.

Stearns said there was additional interest in Broxton beyond just the Mets. I don’t remember hearing similar sentiments when Domingo was moved. I obviously don’t know this for certain, but I wonder if the number teams engaged in trade discussions involving Broxton was actually higher than Santana.

[MNBrew]

I figured teams would wait us out on both Domingo/Keon & try to pick them up for just a waiver fee out of spring training. That Stearns was able to deal both for interesting returns are two more checks for me under the "Maybe This Guy Knows What He's Doing" column.

Whether it was his first or second winter as Brewers' GM, I'm not sure, but I distinctly remember a pattern of Stearns consistently managing to get an additional player in the return on his trades, and at scattered levels of development (i.e., Brewers getting more players in return than they traded). Well, Santana & Broxton with their no-options got us Gamel, Zavolas, Wahl, Hill, & Valerio, with 3 of those 5 just finishing their 1st pro year. All in all, pretty darn nice work by Stearns.

 

Like the Lind trade at the time it went down, those young fellas may not turn into anything -- Lind deal was for 3 lottery tickets. Well, Peralta's already held a place in the Brewers' rotation and Carlos Herrera is still in the system, though not advancing in any glitzy way (yet). (Daniel Missaki never pitched for us after Tommy John surgery that happened during the season before he was traded to us). Point is, you never know and it takes time for the real story to play out.

[MNBrew]

If a player on another team’s 40-man is acquired through a trade, that player automatically is placed on the 40-man of the acquiring team, correct?

Yes. . . . The first response to your post seemed to take your post in reference to Broxton. I took in it response to Wahl.

 

Wahl was on the Mets' 40-man roster (per the team website), so he's now on ours.

[Jenkins5]

Felix Valerio had the second most plate appearances (303) in the Dominican Summer League last season. He had the fourth lowest strikeout rate (6.9%) among all qualified hitters in league. His .843 OPS and 146 wRC+ was far better than any of the Brewers qualified DSL hitters last season. He’s a long shot, but had a very solid professional debut.

 

Sounds like a Rodriquez & Valerio will be a fun top of order we may see soon

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

I like this deal. Wahl profiles as a flame-throwing late-inning reliever, while Hill is yet another high-upside college arm. Valerio is a fun flyer as well. I think they did very well for a guy many felt had no trade value.

 

I wonder if this opens the door to a potential Curtis Granderson reunion?

[reillymcshane]

I really liked Keon, but he was simply a limited player due to his swing and miss issues. But he can still provide good value for a team that needs him - like the Mets. His skills - particularly his defense - will play well there.

 

Wahl looks like an interesting arm. Nothing wrong with adding interesting arms to the pen. Some pan out, others don't. Let's hope Wahl puts things together and can be quality contributor.

[Thurston Fluff]

I guess that talk of Broxton having no value wasn't exactly true. Best of luck to him in NY.

 

Even though Gamel is more of a known quantity than any of these guys. I think you could pretty legitimately argue that the Broxton return was better than the Santana return.

Stearns said there was additional interest in Broxton beyond just the Mets. I don’t remember hearing similar sentiments when Domingo was moved. I obviously don’t know this for certain, but I wonder if the number teams engaged in trade discussions involving Broxton was actually higher than Santana.

 

I remember reading there was more interest in Broxton that Santana last year as well. I thought it was just a rumor mill sort of thing but now I think there was something to that rumor.

[CheeseheadInQC]

I'll always look back fondly on those final few months in 2016 when he was the most interesting man in baseball, when Fangraphs was writing a new article every week trying to find the root of his success and scratching their heads for comparables who weren't lumbering first basemen.

 

It's too bad that the swing and miss issues kept him from consistently producing at that level because when he was on, man was it fun to watch.

 

Wahl and Hill also add to impressions I've had of the minor leagues staffs they are likely heading for (The AAA staff has a chance to be simultaneously very good and very interesting from a potential major league contributor perspective and you could probably put together 45 different predictions of what the Wisconsin pitching staff will look like and none of them would be any less plausible than any other).

[adambr2]

I'll always look back fondly on those final few months in 2016 when he was the most interesting man in baseball, when Fangraphs was writing a new article every week trying to find the root of his success and scratching their heads for comparables who weren't lumbering first basemen.

 

It's too bad that the swing and miss issues kept him from consistently producing at that level because when he was on, man was it fun to watch.

 

Wahl and Hill also add to impressions I've had of the minor leagues staffs they are likely heading for (The AAA staff has a chance to be simultaneously very good and very interesting from a potential major league contributor perspective and you could probably put together 45 different predictions of what the Wisconsin pitching staff will look like and none of them would be any less plausible than any other).

 

I don't think people fully appreciate how good Broxton's 2nd half was in 2016 before he broke his wrist running into the wall at Wrigley. He was amazing. I can understand why teams still want to dream on him.

[sveumrules]

Broxton 2016-18 | 796 PAs | 93 wRC+ | 3.5 fWAR | 4.2 bWAR

Santana 2016-18 | 1123 PAs | 117 wRC+ | 4.3 fWAR | 3.7 bWAR

 

Domingo & Keon are pretty good examples to illustrate what WAR is trying to accomplish. Santana is clearly the better hitter, while Keon is clearly the superior fielder. Who is provides more value pretty much comes down to if you believe Keon has saved about 15 runs on defense (DRS used in bWAR) or 7.5 runs on defense (UZR used in fWAR).

 

If Keon did indeed have more suitors than Domingo that would seem to be yet another data point confirming that there just isn't much of a market for players with limited defensive ability.

[DHonks]

I'll always look back fondly on those final few months in 2016 when he was the most interesting man in baseball, when Fangraphs was writing a new article every week trying to find the root of his success and scratching their heads for comparables who weren't lumbering first basemen.

 

It's too bad that the swing and miss issues kept him from consistently producing at that level because when he was on, man was it fun to watch.

 

Wahl and Hill also add to impressions I've had of the minor leagues staffs they are likely heading for (The AAA staff has a chance to be simultaneously very good and very interesting from a potential major league contributor perspective and you could probably put together 45 different predictions of what the Wisconsin pitching staff will look like and none of them would be any less plausible than any other).

 

I don't think people fully appreciate how good Broxton's 2nd half was in 2016 before he broke his wrist running into the wall at Wrigley. He was amazing. I can understand why teams still want to dream on him.

 

Doesn’t he also lead the league in HR thefts after the 6th inning over the last 3 years? Some crazy stat like that

[tigerbrew]

I didn't like the Santana trade as the return was too little/not good, but I really like this Broxton trade.

 

If I knew that Broxton will be traded, I would have kept Santana.

[pacopete4]

Wahl reminds me of Corey Knebel.

[SRB]

Broxton 2016-18 | 796 PAs | 93 wRC+ | 3.5 fWAR | 4.2 bWAR

Santana 2016-18 | 1123 PAs | 117 wRC+ | 4.3 fWAR | 3.7 bWAR

 

Domingo & Keon are pretty good examples to illustrate what WAR is trying to accomplish. Santana is clearly the better hitter, while Keon is clearly the superior fielder. Who is provides more value pretty much comes down to if you believe Keon has saved about 15 runs on defense (DRS used in bWAR) or 7.5 runs on defense (UZR used in fWAR).

 

If Keon did indeed have more suitors than Domingo that would seem to be yet another data point confirming that there just isn't much of a market for players with limited defensive ability.

 

Though if either player were actually as good as those WAR numbers suggest, then I'm confused as to the need to trade one or the other. They're out of options but it's not like we don't need a fourth outfielder this year.

 

I imagine Stearns is not as high on either player going forward as the numbers suggest.

[pacopete4]

Stearns loves roster flexibility and players who don’t strikeout all the time. I don’t think these moves are shocking in the least. They’ll find OF depth. Already acquired Gamel, doubt he is done.

[xisxisxis]

I can see the brewers starting the season with 4 "full-time" OF depending on how Spankenberg and Gamel look in ST (not that I encourage or approve of a few ST AB being weighted so highly). Thames, Spankie and Perez all can man the OF in a pinch. I expect them to go with a soft platoon of Braun/Gamel, with Cain and Yelich getting a majority of the starts at their positions. That, of course, is somewhat dependent on what additional moves the team does before the season starts. I think they are looking at adding at least 1 IF before the start of the season and that infield flexibility will lead to more IF manning OF positions late in games (mostly LF for Braun or RF when Yelich moves to LF). This is what I see right now:

 

C: Pina/Kratz

1B: Thames/Aguilar

2B: Perez/Spankie

3B: Shaw

SS: Arcia

OF: Braun, Cain, Yelich, Gamel

 

That's 12 position players. If they add another IF such as Dozier, that makes Perez/Spankie the backups across the diamond and 13 positional players. If they add Lowrie, then they could possibly either move Perez, or keep Spankie at AAA to start the season with minimal impact on flexibility as Lowrie can man most of the IF and go with 13 pitchers or add a 5th OF for depth. As I see it, as long as Thames/Perez are on the roster and they are targeting 2B candidates then we won't go with 5 OF to start the season... Of course it all becomes mute once Braun has his first extended tweak...