26 Man Roster Discussion

[JohnBriggs12]

I'm guessing barring a trade, someone is going to come up with a phantom injury. An argument can certainly be made that Cain isn't fully recovered. I mean he's played in just 2 games. Then there's Shaw. His getting added to the roster hasn't resulted in a boost in production this spring. Maybe his back is bothering him?

 

I just don't see them letting Vogelbach just go unless some AL team really offers something of value in a deal. I see him getting a couple starts a week at first base and being used daily as that dangerous lefty bat off the bench in late innings like they used Braun when he was out of the lineup.

[Madhawk23]

My final guess at the 26 man roster:

 

C: Narvaez, Pina

1B: Hiura, McKinney

2B: Wong

SS: Urias, Arcia

3B: Shaw

OF: Yelich, Cain, Garcia, JBJ, Taylor

 

SP: Woodruff, Anderson, Burnes, Lindblom, Houser, Peralta

RP: Hader, Williams, Suter, Rasmussen, Topa, Yardley, Feyereisen

 

I went with a 13-13 split for pitchers and batters and I think the Brewers are going to need a 6th starter at least to start the first month or two of the season so both Houser and Peralta will get starts at the #5 and #6 spot. Possibly see a tag team of Peralta and Lindblom somewhat similar to what you see in A ball. I wouldn't be surprised to see Suter start for 3-innings and then hand it over to someone like Peralta or Lindblom. Though Lindblom and Anderson should be getting the majority of the innings during the beginning of the year.

 

Maybe I am crazy to think this is the roster but I think it should be close?

 

I like your roster guess here, but I too think that Taylor is going to start the season at AAA since he has options. I'd personally hope that they keep both Robertson and McKinney, as I would hate to see another team pick one of those guys up and watch them have success somewhere else. For some reason, I trust Robertson more than Arcia as our RH platoon at 3B - and I'm really intrigued by what we are seeing from McKinney this spring. I think we find a way to keep both of those guys on the opening day roster.

[SandyTolan]

[[Nope, not a doctor, but anyone who watches this team on a regular basis can see where Cain is headed.

In 2019, he acted and moved like he was in constant pain]] - yes, so much so that he won the Gold Glove that year.

[Lathund]

Robertson seemed to be a total lock recently. Is it the perception of folks here that that has changed?

 

Not me. This is what I think it will look like.

 

C: Narvaez, Pina

1B: Hiura, Vogelbach

2B: Wong

SS: Urias

3B: Shaw

OF: Yelich, Cain, Garcia, JBJ

UT: Robertson, Arcia

 

This is my take on it as well. It's possible that McKinney (Or Fisher, had he been healthy) could get a spot over Vogelbach, but I think Big Dan is more likely.

[wildcat83]

Robertson seemed to be a total lock recently. Is it the perception of folks here that that has changed?

 

Not me. This is what I think it will look like.

 

C: Narvaez, Pina

1B: Hiura, Vogelbach

2B: Wong

SS: Urias

3B: Shaw

OF: Yelich, Cain, Garcia, JBJ

UT: Robertson, Arcia

 

 

Add McKinney to the list and I think that's it as well. They can start with 12 pitchers for the first week at least if not longer. They have enough long guys to eat innings, plus 6 essentially starters, and an off day each week in April. I would personally save the extra bat as long as I could. Once you have a starter with a short start that eats up the pen a bit, then add an arm if needed.

[Jopal78]

As a silly aside, if the Cubs flounder and break up their core wouldn’t it be satisfying for them to have to face two of their own former prospects they traded away (Vogelbach and McKinney) 15 times this year?

[Brewersballboy]

Jordan Zimmermann will not be making the Opening Day roster (barring an injury or two). Not sure if he will hang around in the minors or not, but could be the end of the road and a career that flew seems to fly by for a local guy.

 

No, I'm not high heat. Can't wait for Opening Day!

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

Jordan Zimmermann will not be making the Opening Day roster (barring an injury or two). Not sure if he will hang around in the minors or not, but could be the end of the road and a career that flew seems to fly by for a local guy.

 

No, I'm not high heat. Can't wait for Opening Day!

 

Interesting. Thanks for the inside info! Zimmermann is a fun story this spring, but those injuries have just seemingly sapped too much of the great stuff he used to have.

 

It would be nice to have him available in the minors, as having pitchers capable of throwing multiple innings is going to be important this year.

 

Hear anything on Boxberger?

[Brewersballboy]

Nothing on Boxberger for sure that I would share. I know if Jordan hangs around at all, it won't be long. Could see him come up with the usual roster turnover in April, but he wont' stick around for long...family/hunting/fishing are becoming a higher priority.

[bork]

 

Add McKinney to the list and I think that's it as well. They can start with 12 pitchers for the first week at least if not longer. They have enough long guys to eat innings, plus 6 essentially starters, and an off day each week in April. I would personally save the extra bat as long as I could. Once you have a starter with a short start that eats up the pen a bit, then add an arm if needed.

 

I agree. I think they keep both McKinney and Vogelbach initially. It then comes down to who are the last 2 guys in the pen.

[Roderick]

I can see Zimmerman sticking with the Brewers while he can sit in Arizona. But when Arizona shuts down, I can't see him going to AAA. I wonder if Appleton would hold any appeal, being an hour and a half from home - probably too drastic a change.

[Hopper]

Harsh responses to my Cain post.

I'm cool with denial.

I guess we will see how he does with the injuries this year.

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

Harsh responses to my Cain post.

I'm cool with denial.

I guess we will see how he does with the injuries this year.

 

Its ok for people to disagree. I personally didn't see any denial, though.

[pacopete4]

Harsh responses to my Cain post.

I'm cool with denial.

I guess we will see how he does with the injuries this year.

 

You should be happy Taylor is optioned then. He can then use that option coming back and forth for when Cain is hurt all the time... Instead, you wanted to see him traded away so he could get his opportunity.

 

See how that doesn't align with your thinking?

[brewcrewdue80]

Harsh responses to my Cain post.

I'm cool with denial.

I guess we will see how he does with the injuries this year.[/quote/]

 

He didnt play a total of 42 games the 3 seasons prior to 2020. Or 14games per season not played. After signing JBJ I think Milwaukee likely hopes he misses 14-20 games.

2019 his injuries were caused because his defensive play in the OF. That's a lot why Milw signed him. His bat has never been Elite, but for CF the production he can produce can bring high value years like 2018.

[adambr2]

Harsh responses to my Cain post.

I'm cool with denial.

I guess we will see how he does with the injuries this year.

 

No one was harsh with you at all. Ron Robinson is probably the nicest poster on the entire board. He quoted you, asked what you were suggesting if you weren't suggesting releasing Cain to keep Taylor, and another posted asked what exactly you would do differently.

 

You didn't answer, and instead just said those disagreeing with you don't see the writing on the wall and implied that we are in denial.

[brewmann04]

Actually with all the off time the crew might go with an extra position player early in the season.

[ebmackenzie]

My guess...

 

Woody, CB, FPeralta, BAndrson, Lindbolm, Houser (though AAshby would be better than Houser's stats of late, but service time)

Hader, DevWill, Suter, JPF, DRass, Boxberger, Bickford (though a lefty off the street would be better and allow Bickford to develop further).

 

Topa, Lauer need to show something first.

 

Hiura, Vogelbch

Wong

Arcia, Urias

TShaw, DRobrtson (will sub EVERYwhere as Arcia is proving he cannot and 4 OFs)

OmarN, MPina

 

Yelich, LoCain, JBJ, Avi

TTaylor to get called up quickly if needed.

 

Goodbye Black, Fisher, McKinney, JNott (out of options) but may be packaged for a LOOGY type for the pen as there are few lefties on the team.

 

If there was a fictional 30 man roster Bickford, AAshby, Reyes, McKinney/JNott addition would give Picasso more paint...and it would be lovely.

[Hopper]

Harsh responses to my Cain post.

I'm cool with denial.

I guess we will see how he does with the injuries this year.

 

Its ok for people to disagree. I personally didn't see any denial, though.

 

No big deal.

I see lots of denial, acting like Cain will not be an injury concern the next 2 seasons.

Acting like he hasn't already been an injury concern is also denial.

Again, no big deal, discussions sometimes get this way when people, including myself, pick a hill to die on.

If he plays half our games this season, I will be shocked.

I still hope he has his best season ever, but that ain't happening.

[PeaveyFury]

No big deal.

I see lots of denial, acting like Cain will not be an injury concern the next 2 seasons.

Acting like he hasn't already been an injury concern is also denial.

Again, no big deal, discussions sometimes get this way when people, including myself, pick a hill to die on.

 

Though I appreciate your acknowledgement that you've chosen a bit of an odd hill to die on, repeatedly saying people are in denial is unnecessarily confrontational...

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

Harsh responses to my Cain post.

I'm cool with denial.

I guess we will see how he does with the injuries this year.

 

Its ok for people to disagree. I personally didn't see any denial, though.

 

No big deal.

I see lots of denial, acting like Cain will not be an injury concern the next 2 seasons.

Acting like he hasn't already been an injury concern is also denial.

Again, no big deal, discussions sometimes get this way when people, including myself, pick a hill to die on.

If he plays half our games this season, I will be shocked.

I still hope he has his best season ever, but that ain't happening.

 

And multiple posters now have asked you directly what your solution would be to this perceived issue, yet you've seemingly chosen to ignore those queries.

 

In the end, when the Brewers signed Cain to that 5-year deal, it was almost assuredly with the idea that he would be a star for the first two years, and anything he provided after that would be gravy. Well, he was definitely a star in 2018, and while his offense wasn't as stellar in 2019, his defense was top notch, to the point of winning a Gold Glove. He was also pretty durable in his first two seasons as a Brewer, playing in 141 and 148 games. Year 3 was obviously wiped out by COVID and his opt-out, which isn't all a bad thing because the Brewers didn't have to pay him. It remains to be seen what he has left in the tank, but I don't think anyone is expecting him at this point to be the Lorenzo Cain we saw in 2018. The the team has mitigated that by going out and signing another Gold-Glove level defender in Jackie Bradley Jr. But why would he suddenly be an extreme injury concern now? Just because he gives off the body language of an old man, it doesn't mean he's on death's doorstep. He acted the same way with the Royals in his 20s. It's just who he is.

 

I mean, where is the denial there? I simply don't understand what your complaint is here.

[brewerfan82]

I'll take the over on Cain playing 81 games this season:

 

2017 - 155 games played

2018 - 141 games played

2019 - 148 games played

2020 - Played 5 of 6 games before opting out

2021 - Projection systems predicting 119-125 games played. He saved his body from a year of wear and tear and with JBJ he will get consistent rest days when needed.

 

The only reason to be down on his ability to stay on the field is because he's turning 35 this year (which I'm kind of surprised he's still only 34). From 2017-19, there were 29 outfielders age 35+ and 19 of the 29 played in over 81 games (with no minimum PA limit), and 17 of those 19 played in over 100 games. 10 of them played in at least 136 games. And that's including eight guys who were 38 or older and many guys who weren't even expected to have starting roles.

 

He's had some understandable rust to shake off to begin Spring Training, but I'm looking forward to having Cain's defense and energy back on the team this year.

[Roderick]

...... I'm looking forward to having Cain's ... energy back on the team this year.

 

Dugout with Cain and Suter. Seems like playoffs to me.

[pacopete4]

Half?!? I mean, of course, a bigger injury could occur to anyone on our roster so you may end up right but what a statement. While Cain's shouldn't be looked upon to play 145+ games anymore, half is utterly ridiculous to state. Hell, even Braun who was a lot more injured, played more than half the games in his seasons. And then scolding others on a hill to die on? Man... welcome to the message board.

[wildcat83]

My guess...

 

Bickford (though a lefty off the street would be better and allow Bickford to develop further).

 

...as there are few lefties on the team.

 

 

Hoby Milner says hello.

 

Granted he will revert back to career norms most likely, but he has thrown really well this spring. I'm guessing he's at least equal right now to any "lefty off the street".