Kolten Wong to Brewers

[brewerfan82]

This board...A. Worries way to much about defense....give me a slugging offense that will score 5-7 runs per night and defense would be basically irrelevant. B. get too excited about Stearns shopping at Walmart(as he always does). I mean can't he at least upgrade to shopping at Target??

 

Wong isn't Walmart shopping. He is a legitimate second baseman that just won a Gold Glove two consecutive Gold Gloves and can post 20 DRS in a season.

 

The Brewers will always have to find market inefficiency. They can't buy sluggers like 1/3 of the league does.

Small correction

[JackNicholson1974]

I like Wong and am glad the Brewers made a deal to get a regular for the infield. However, I think they overpaid. If you compare this signing to Cesar Hernandez who signed with Cleveland for $5M with an $6M option for 2022. The players are comparable though Wong has a much higher WAR due to his defensive though Cesar is just fine defensively.

 

If this means the Brewers are done adding regulars to the team then I would have rather had Cesar for half the price so we can get an established 3B or maybe a veteran SP. If the Brewers still have $ to spend then I'm happy with Wong.

 

I’m not in any position to say they Overpaid or didn’t. But when we ask teams to value players beyond their batting average like they did 40 years ago, and to perhaps use a metric like WAR or something slightly more advanced, we can’t say two players are comparable and then in the same breath say one has a much higher WAR. Again, who am I to say what anyone’s value is. But if we are using war, then Wong seems to have a distinguishable higher value which might explain the difference in salary.

[Brewcrewin07]

Wow!!! An all defense average bat infielder...Time to get super excited folks, HE is/was the missing piece to a World series championship. You just love to see it. And yes, 9 million/yr for someone constitutes bargain bin IMO.

[pacopete4]

Wow!!! An all defense average bat infielder...Time to get super excited folks, HE is/was the missing piece to a World series championship. You just love to see it. And yes, 9 million/yr for someone constitutes bargain bin IMO.

 

What’s your purpose here?

[PeaveyFury]

This board...A. Worries way to much about defense....give me a slugging offense that will score 5-7 runs per night and defense would be basically irrelevant. B. get too excited about Stearns shopping at Walmart(as he always does). I mean can't he at least upgrade to shopping at Target??

 

The problem seems to be that some seem to think they’re at a Walmart when they’re actually in Target. Which is the case here, at a minimum.

[brewerfan82]

Wow!!! An all defense average bat infielder...Time to get super excited folks, HE is/was the missing piece to a World series championship. You just love to see it. And yes, 9 million/yr for someone constitutes bargain bin IMO.

So you'd be complaining if the Brewers had signed Carlos Santana, Tommy La Stella, or Joc Pederson as well since those would be "bargain bin" signings also under your definition? No one here is saying he's the missing piece, but if you value defense at all (which you've made clear you don't) he's a very nice piece for the team and gives them a few options moving forward.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

Wow!!! An all defense average bat infielder...Time to get super excited folks, HE is/was the missing piece to a World series championship. You just love to see it. And yes, 9 million/yr for someone constitutes bargain bin IMO.

 

What move could they make that would give them a better roster on paper than LAD?

[brewerfan82]

Wow!!! An all defense average bat infielder...Time to get super excited folks, HE is/was the missing piece to a World series championship. You just love to see it. And yes, 9 million/yr for someone constitutes bargain bin IMO.

 

What move could they make that would give them a better roster on paper than LAD?

Trade for the LADs... after winning a few MegaMillions and PowerBalls.

[CheeseheadInQC]

Wow!!! An all defense average bat infielder...Time to get super excited folks, HE is/was the missing piece to a World series championship. You just love to see it. And yes, 9 million/yr for someone constitutes bargain bin IMO.

If you expect $20 million signings from the Brewers every offseason, you are going to be disappointed.

 

Also, if he is a league average bat, that isn't all defense, especially a league average bat at a middle infield position.

[brewerfan82]

NL Central 2021 2B ZiPS Projections:

 

Brewers - Kolten Wong (98 OPS+, 2.7 WAR)

Cardinals - Tommy Edman (92 OPS+, 2.1 WAR)

Pirates - Adam Frazier (96 OPS+, 2.1 WAR)

Reds - Mike Moustakas (109 OPS+, 1.9 WAR)

Cubs - Nico Hoerner (82 OPS+, 1.2 WAR)

[brewerfan82]

NL Central 2021 1B ZiPS Projections:

 

Cubs - Anthony Rizzo (118 OPS+, 3.3 WAR)

Cardinals - Paul Goldschmidt (117 OPS+, 3.0 WAR)

Brewers - Keston Hiura (102 OPS+, 1.8 WAR)

Pirates - Colin Moran (99 OPS+, 1.2 WAR)

Reds - Joey Votto (92 OPS+, 0.6 WAR)

 

Gotta hope Hiura bounces back and proves these projections a little low, but he's still middle of the pack in the division at 1st.

[JosephC]

I like the signing. Top of the order type hitter with plus-plus defense. Could be a huge run saver considering he's replacing one of the worst fielding second basemen in the game.

 

I'm not going to read back through all 10 pages. I'm sure someone has probably mentioned this. But maybe the best part of this is that Wong will come in and teach the Brewer players how to play the game the right way!

[walleye]

All the 2b zips comparisons are great ....we are looking good at 2nd base . But are two biggest concerns 3rd and 1st are still the black holes they have been .unless there is pending trade can't not see how on such a limited budget this helps us.

[pacopete4]

How is 1B a "black hole" if Hiura is there? The guy can hit. It's 1B and I'm sure he will be fine there defensively.

[walleye]

How is 1B a "black hole" if Hiura is there? The guy can hit. It's 1B and I'm sure he will be fine there defensively.

How do you think he will be fine at 1st? He is undersized for the position plus all his other defensive liabilities and you looking at a black hole.

[homer]

He doesn't need range at 1st and won't have to make throws. That will mask a lot of his liabilities.

[brewerfan82]

How is 1B a "black hole" if Hiura is there? The guy can hit. It's 1B and I'm sure he will be fine there defensively.

How do you think he will be fine at 1st? He is undersized for the position plus all his other defensive liabilities and you looking at a black hole.

So he was a black hole at 2nd base as well? Or no because he was the correct height for the position?

[Axman59]

How is 1B a "black hole" if Hiura is there? The guy can hit. It's 1B and I'm sure he will be fine there defensively.

How do you think he will be fine at 1st? He is undersized for the position plus all his other defensive liabilities and you looking at a black hole.

 

Hiura is listed at 6-0. How is that fatally undersized for 1st? Steve Garvey was 5-10. He won 4 gold gloves.

[Cool Hand Lucroy]

It’s a little funny to think that the team that’s been comfortable playing Mike Moustakas and Keston Hiura at second base now has one of the best defenders in the game at the position.

 

This is my favorite part about DS. He doesn't get boxed in to a philosophy. Very flexible in terms of acquisitions. Helps the team regardless of whether it fits some sort of personal theory of roster construction. Maybe that sounds easy, but I think it's incredibly rare and a BIG part of the Brewers sustained success under his regime.

[rickh150]

Hard to believe Hiura is taller than Fielder...not that it matters. Yet telling a bad fielder to just go play 1B is pure folly. It’s not a given he can play adequate there.

[brewerfan82]

Here's an article from last September mentioning Hiura was getting pregame work in at 1st base:

 

https://www.mlb.com/brewers/news/keston-hiura-could-get-time-at-first-base

 

Hopefully that experience at least means Hiura's on board, Counsell saw enough to feel he'd be able to handle it, and the front office isn't jumping into this decision completely blind. That said, who knows if that's actually their preference. I'm guessing they're at least looking into trade possibilities and if they get blown away with an offer that involves Hiura, that would still be on the table as well.

[reillymcshane]

Hey! I actually got this one right back on Nov. 2.

 

viewtopic.php?f=66&t=39968&start=80#p1324959

 

I said sign Wong and move Hiura to 1B.

 

The blind squirrel finds a nut!!

 

Of course, we never signed Tommy La Stella or Robbie Ray. And Wong got more than I anticipated (I had 2-years, $16M) - but hey, it's fun to have gotten one slightly out-of-the-box idea correct.

[reillymcshane]

I will add that I have always liked Wong. I wanted the Crew to draft him back in the day (we got Taylor Jungmann and Jed Bradley instead). The dip in power last year was a tad worrisome, but let's hope that comes back a bit. The average should be solid, and I love his glove. We just need to limit his exposure to left handed pitchers. No matter, I'm happy to have him.

[645]

I've had Wong on my Dynasty league for a few years Now.

 

He is a 25 to 30 Stolen Base Guy that gives Some Home Runs (About 15) and his Batting Average is good enough to be where you need to be in a fantasy league. Overall he's not a bad player and I'm kind of excited to see what he could do here,

[wildcat83]

The only thing I find odd about this discussion is how many people talk about Hiura like he’s 5’6”. He’s not drastically under sized.