Brewers sign UTL Jace Peterson to minor league deal

[brewers888]

Stearns was the one making the first round picks. He focuses almost exclusively on middle infielders, athletic outfielders, and college pitchers. Montgomery has a great reputation from his time running the DBacks drafts to his time in Milwaukee.

When was the last time this team drafted a power hitting third or even first baseman for that matter. I guess Erceg fit the bill at the time but Stearns is not nearly focused enough on power at the corner positions.

 

Which power hitting 1B or 3B (that was available at the Brewers selection) do you think they missed out on in the 1st round the past five years?

 

Your hot take sounds great until you actually take 5 minutes to look at the 1st rounds the past several years.

 

So there are never any players that project to hit for power when the Brewers pick. Its not even just the first round we never seem to pick guys with a plus power tool.

[brewers888]

We focus way too much on middle infielders in the draft as well as our international signings yet somehow other than Hiura we have nothing to show for it. Melvin was too focused on building a beer league softball team and Stearns is way too obsessed with middle infielders and athleticism often ignoring the all important hit and power tools.

Take a look at the mlb.com top 30 international prospects for this year. Every infielder is listed as a shortstop. The positions seem to have more to do with the “best player on the high school team plays shortstop” phenomenon than any selection by the Brewers outside the norm.

 

Maybe one day we will see a few of these players be successful but we have done an awful job over probably the last 20 plus years in regards to our international signings.

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

We focus way too much on middle infielders in the draft as well as our international signings yet somehow other than Hiura we have nothing to show for it. Melvin was too focused on building a beer league softball team and Stearns is way too obsessed with middle infielders and athleticism often ignoring the all important hit and power tools.

Take a look at the mlb.com top 30 international prospects for this year. Every infielder is listed as a shortstop. The positions seem to have more to do with the “best player on the high school team plays shortstop” phenomenon than any selection by the Brewers outside the norm.

 

Maybe one day we will see a few of these players be successful but we have done an awful job over probably the last 20 plus years in regards to our international signings.

 

Guess who was in charge of that?

 

Ray Montgomery

[Eye Black]

So there are never any players that project to hit for power when the Brewers pick. Its not even just the first round we never seem to pick guys with a plus power tool.

You didn’t answer the question.

 

I think you’re overestimating the supply of that profile being available in the early rounds of the draft. And if you think they never do it in any round you might want to go read up on Joey Wiemer from this year’s draft.

[brewers888]

Fact is we have produced very little position player talent since Stearns took over and thats why every offseason we are stuck signing the likes of Peterson. The minor league system should be providing talents better than this. I get that its a minor league signing but we are probably going to be starting a player like this like we did last season.

 

The pitching draft picks and trades have been tremendous and a huge improvement over the previous GM but this lineup was terrible last season and probably will be again. Clearly this team has little to no money to spend (we cut payroll last offseason before the revenue hits occured) so it would be nice if our minor league system could provide some position players.

[CheeseheadInQC]

Stearns was the one making the first round picks. He focuses almost exclusively on middle infielders, athletic outfielders, and college pitchers. Montgomery has a great reputation from his time running the DBacks drafts to his time in Milwaukee.

When was the last time this team drafted a power hitting third or even first baseman for that matter. I guess Erceg fit the bill at the time but Stearns is not nearly focused enough on power at the corner positions.

 

Which power hitting 1B or 3B (that was available at the Brewers selection) do you think they missed out on in the 1st round the past five years?

 

Your hot take sounds great until you actually take 5 minutes to look at the 1st rounds the past several years.

 

So there are never any players that project to hit for power when the Brewers pick. Its not even just the first round we never seem to pick guys with a plus power tool.

At draft time, every outfielder they have picked in the first five rounds in the last five years except Bello, Erceg, Egnatuk and, at least relative to position, Feliciano and Dillard were considered to have plus power potential if I remember correctly. For instance, Wiemer from this last draft had power as one of his main selling points.

[Eye Black]

At draft time, every outfielder they have picked in the first five rounds in the last five years except Bello, Erceg, Egnatuk and, at least relative to position, Feliciano and Dillard were considered to have plus power potential if I remember correctly. For instance, Wiemer from this last draft had power as one of his main selling points.

Good points.

 

I’ll also add that the primary problem with chasing power in the amateur draft is the guys that “look the part” very often turn out to have just been physically maxed out at an early age. Often it’s the athletic players that aren’t power hitters at that age, but develop the power later, that turn out to be true impact hitters.

 

Christian Yelich is a good example of how difficult power is to project. At the time of his draft he was being projected to develop into a James Loney or Casey Kotchman type hitter. Ultimately his athleticism combined with his development in professional baseball helped him far exceed those early comparisons.

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

 

I’ll also add that the primary problem with chasing power in the amateur draft is the guys that “look the part” very often turn out to have just been physically maxed out at an early age.

 

Otherwise known as the "Jake Gatewood Effect"

[Lathund]

I believe much of the reasoning behind drafting the athletic players who are likely to stick at C/SS/CF is chasing upside. One way to illustrate it is that Miguel Sano and Francisco Lindor have the same career wRC+ (119 for Sano, 118 for Lindor), are the same age and have the same amount of service time. Compare their stature in the game and what they're looking to earn going forward. Someone who projects to be Miguel Sano will never become Lindor. Someone with the athleticism to project like a Lindor (or Correa, Seager etc) can still become Miguel Sano. Moving away from those two, that only serve to illustrate the general point, when you draft someone who already at age 18-20 has been relegated to a corner spot despite being the most gifted hitter on the team, that's a bit of a worry. They have nowhere else to go if the bat doesn't reach like the upper echelons of the projections. So they have to be some hitter. And the "sure things" (as far as pure hitting goes) are rare, and they go off the board very early.

 

Then there's the physical maturity aspect brought up already; you're not looking for what a draftee can do now, against their current level of competitiion. But trying to project several years forward against the best players in the world. The scrawny kid with a good feel for the strikezone and elite defense might find some more power as he grows. The slugger 1B type won't go the other direction, even if he might be a slightly better bet with the bat. So you tend to take Mario Feliciano types over Daniel Vogelbach types (Both were drafted around 70 overall), even if Vogelbach was the better hitter right then and there.

 

One can get a sense of what the Brewers generally are trying to do: Go for upside with their position players, athletic up the middle players with high potential but risky hit tool or some other flaw (Or else they'd be top 5 picks already). Trust in their pitching development, try to find value in things like deception, funky arm slots, value guys who are willing and have the capability to tinker and adjust, and don't necessarily spend the high draft picks on them or spend free agent money at market value for pitching. Trust that you can identify and acquire the role players without spending big. But even with that, I think one can see signs that they're not rigid in this, and will go for their highest rated players regardless. Ethan Small isn't an up the middle toolsy guy, Keston Hiura was picked where he was due to being perhaps the best hitter still on the board. It's always about value. As an aside to that, over and over I keep coming back to how concepts I learned playing Poker (But are ofc in use in many other fields as well) seem to apply so well to explaining the rationale between the different ways different front offices operate. There is especially much overlap between the fundamental theories of poker and how the analytical front offices (like the Brewers) operate.

[sveumrules]

Stearns was the one making the first round picks. He focuses almost exclusively on middle infielders, athletic outfielders, and college pitchers. Montgomery has a great reputation from his time running the DBacks drafts to his time in Milwaukee.

 

Stearns wasn't here in 2015, so did Melvin pick Grisham then or did Montgomery?

 

Has a great reputation? For what exactly?

 

In 2011 he drafted Trevor Bauer & Archie Bradley 3rd & 7th, unless the DBacks also operate under the "GM makes first round picks" methodology. Those look like pretty good picks until you see Anthony Rendon & Fracisco Lindor went 6th & 8th. Whoops.

 

In 2012 the DBacks took Stryker Trahan in the first round, a HS catcher with plus power who never made MLB. The only legit MLB player in their whole draft was Jake Lamb in the 6th round.

 

The first four picks in the DBacks 2013 draft all made MLB, so that was an improvement, but they combined for -3 WAR so maybe not. Again, only one legit MLB player came out of the draft, Brad Keller in the 8th round.

 

The highlights of the DBacks 2014 draft were Touki Toussaint & Isan Diaz, who have thus far combined for -2 WAR.

 

So a guy gets a great reputation for maybe drafting Bauer/Bradley, then blowing rounds one through five in the next three straight drafts?

[sveumrules]

Fact is we have produced very little position player talent since Stearns took over and thats why every offseason we are stuck signing the likes of Peterson. The minor league system should be providing talents better than this.

 

It is a fact that the only position player we have produced is Hiura since Stearns & company took over, but how does that compare to MLB as a whole?

 

In the 2016 draft there were 11 players available when the Brewers picked that have gotten 200 MLB ABs thus far.

 

In 2017, Keston was the only player available when the Brewers picked that currently has 200 MLB ABs.

 

The 2018, 2019 & 2020 drafts have predictably produced zero players with at least 200 MLB ABs so far.

 

By producing one position player with at least 200 ABs from the last five drafts the Brewers are already ahead of the 18 teams who have produced zero.

 

Given standard prospect development timetables, expecting a caché of MLB ready position player prospects in such a short time frame seems unrealistic to me.

[djoctagone]

i had noticed that jace peterson has appeared in only one spring training game thus far. the reason why? a thumb issue that's expected to keep him sidelined until at least tuesday.

[brewcrewdue80]

Fact is we have produced very little position player talent since Stearns took over and thats why every offseason we are stuck signing the likes of Peterson. The minor league system should be providing talents better than this.

 

It is a fact that the only position player we have produced is Hiura since Stearns & company took over, but how does that compare to MLB as a whole?

 

In the 2016 draft there were 11 players available when the Brewers picked that have gotten 200 MLB ABs thus far.

 

In 2017, Keston was the only player available when the Brewers picked that currently has 200 MLB ABs.

 

The 2018, 2019 & 2020 drafts have predictably produced zero players with at least 200 MLB ABs so far.

 

By producing one position player with at least 200 ABs from the last five drafts the Brewers are already ahead of the 18 teams who have produced zero.

 

Given standard prospect development timetables, expecting a caché of MLB ready position player prospects in such a short time frame seems unrealistic to me.

 

Turang and Mitchell wouldn't surprise me seeing the majors next season. So there's that to consider on position player drafted talent.

 

But complainers going to complain right Brewers888?

[djoctagone]

i had noticed that jace peterson has appeared in only one spring training game thus far. the reason why? a thumb issue that's expected to keep him sidelined until at least tuesday.

jace peterson is in today's starting lineup.

[djoctagone]

jace peterson has been told that he's not in the club's plans for opening day. his thumb injury has flared up again.

[djoctagone]

jace peterson is having his contract selected. he is out of options.

[Warning Track Power]

I’m ready for Jace Peterson to be out of options for playing for the Brewers. He’s just not good.

[djoctagone]

jace peterson placed on the 10-day injured list with a left thumb injury.

[Outlander]

Interesting, just in time for Wong to come back. Did he hurt it while hitting those two HR, suitcase fall on his thumb?

[JohnBriggs12]

Interesting, just in time for Wong to come back. Did he hurt it while hitting those two HR, suitcase fall on his thumb?

 

Bought them 10 days. Hiura either gets hot or finds himself in Nashville.

[djoctagone]

minor league rehab assignment starts tomorrow with class aaa nashville.

[djoctagone]

minor league rehab start is official today with class aaa nashville. peterson is in the starting lineup in left field.

[damuelle]

Whilst our eyes are understandably focused on today’s expected call-up of Keston Hiura, I think the team also faces a decision on Jace Peterson today or tomorrow, as his rehab is not meant to last more than 20 days.

 

Since Jace Peterson and Daniel Robertson are both out of options, this may be a tough decision for the club.

[Jopal78]

Whilst our eyes are understandably focused on today’s expected call-up of Keston Hiura, I think the team also faces a decision on Jace Peterson today or tomorrow, as his rehab is not meant to last more than 20 days.

 

Since Jace Peterson and Daniel Robertson are both out of options, this may be a tough decision for the club.

 

Assuming Taylor is optioned to make way for Hiura. D Rob is likely the odd man out.

 

Robertson really doesn’t play outfield, and infield playing time will be limited with Urias now getting regular time as a utility player. But for Robertson’s homer this weekend he’s been virtually an automatic out at the plate as well. Not to mention they’re covered with HP in the organization if they need another right handed light hitting versatile defender

[Lathund]

Assuming Taylor is optioned to make way for Hiura. D Rob is likely the odd man out.

 

Robertson really doesn’t play outfield, and infield playing time will be limited with Urias now getting regular time as a utility player. But for Robertson’s homer this weekend he’s been virtually an automatic out at the plate as well. Not to mention they’re covered with HP in the organization if they need another right handed light hitting versatile defender

 

I disagree, I think Robertson is the more likely to remain out of the two. He had 850 PAs of being a roughly league average bat (97 wRC+) before joining the Brewers, that still carries more weight than 40 poor PAs with inconsistent playing time. Peterson has been a 77 wRC+ hitter before 2021. There's also the aspect of what will happen when the players are exposed to waivers. Peterson has signed minor-league deals the last two years and already passed through waivers once this year. Robertson signed a major-league deal at above the minimum; meaning other teams were interested. The one thing in Jace's favor is that he is indeed a lefty. But right now with Wong, Shaw and Vogelbach in the infield, and Adames being a reverse splits guy, they probably want a RHH more than a lefty. Overall, I think they'll want to give Robertson more time to show whether the early-season struggles are a fluke or not before they cut bait. If they preferred Peterson to him, I think that's who they would've activated him already. He's already played 12 AAA games, after a fairly short layoff for a minor injury. He has been ready for a while.