keston hiura optioned

[ReverendBrewmeister]

Necessary to make that move for 2021. Get right at AAA for the remainder of the season. Then hope for a much better 2022. Still potential in that bat.

[rickh150]

Necessary to make that move for 2021. Get right at AAA for the remainder of the season. Then hope for a much better 2022. Still potential in that bat.

 

Agreed. He has a year to get it right, IMO. So want him to be a great bat.

[Sixtofan]

Good. Let’s hope he can figure it out

[crossface21]

I still believe Hiura will eventually hit, but it shouldn't be in a Brewer uniform the rest of the year. Let him do his thing in Nashville and get him right for next season.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

I’m confident he can still figure this out

 

Why? Serious question.

[Austin Tatious]

My theory has been to stay at AAA and give him goals he needs to satisfy that will predict MLB success.

 

The easy analysis is he sucks. I don’t think that’s remotely true even if it’s not popular here. He has talent. He’s a mess right now. He can get better.

[rickh150]

He might be up again with injuries. Who knows?

[adambr2]

He shouldn't be back up this year. He shouldn't have been back up at all.

[DHonks]

He shouldn't be back up this year. He shouldn't have been back up at all.

 

Why? He was crushing it down there and we lost Vogey. He had to come up to help out. Now that we have the depth, he needs to accept it's been a rough year, go down, and work on achieving goals that can help him be successful going forward. He has the power, the bat speed, etc.

[StearnsFTW]

I’m confident he can still figure this out

 

Why? Serious question.

 

Yeah, there's really no reason to think it'll happen.

[adambr2]

He shouldn't be back up this year. He shouldn't have been back up at all.

 

Why? He was crushing it down there and we lost Vogey. He had to come up to help out. Now that we have the depth, he needs to accept it's been a rough year, go down, and work on achieving goals that can help him be successful going forward. He has the power, the bat speed, etc.

 

He was crushing it for like 20 ABs against a level of pitching that he'll never see here. He was still striking out 40% of the time and there was no clear sign that he had really figured things out.

[PeaveyFury]

I’m confident he can still figure this out

 

Why? Serious question.

 

I think he showed too much in his rookie season to assume that what we see now is what's there. I think he's been dealing with some well-documented personal stuff that is causing a major distraction, and I think he's largely pressing.

 

He should/will finish the year in the minors, barring an injury or two to the ML roster. But I don't think he's a lost cause.

[rickh150]

His future is bleak with the team, as constructed Where can he find at bats? Unless he finds time at DH in 2022 or 2023…. gotta think that is coming to the NL at some point soon. With Wong at 2B and presumably Rowdy getting some share of at bats at 1B, I don’t know where he finds consistent playing time.

 

In any event, he should get some opportunity to show he can play in 2022 Spring Training. Glad we did not sell low on him today.

[djoctagone]

add keston hiura to the covid-19 injured list. even while on optional assignment, he can be placed on the major league covid-19 injured list. presumably, he will earn major league service time and pay during this stint.

 

he has been removed from the 40-man roster.

[IIAY]

There was a question about Hiura during Keith Law's chat today that I found interesting:

 

Q: What happened to Hiura? Does he just need a change of scenery?

 

A: The Brewers tried to turn him into a big launch-angle, swing-up for power guy, and it has ruined him as a hitter. He's a zero at the plate right now. I don't know anyone who could hit the way he's swinging. It's aggravating - this kid was going to make a ton of money just hitting for average with lots of doubles, and someone took that away from him to chase the latest fad. Swing optimization has worked wonders for some players, but it is not a one-size-fits-all solution.

[SomewhereInTime]

There was a question about Hiura during Keith Law's chat today that I found interesting:

 

Q: What happened to Hiura? Does he just need a change of scenery?

 

A: The Brewers tried to turn him into a big launch-angle, swing-up for power guy, and it has ruined him as a hitter. He's a zero at the plate right now. I don't know anyone who could hit the way he's swinging. It's aggravating - this kid was going to make a ton of money just hitting for average with lots of doubles, and someone took that away from him to chase the latest fad. Swing optimization has worked wonders for some players, but it is not a one-size-fits-all solution.

 

I'm sorry, maybe it's my complete lack of respect for Keith Law, but that answer is complete horse apples.

 

Mod edit: that word ain't allowed even with the asterisk. I've replaced it. Sorry!

[sveumrules]

Without any kind of source from Law, that looks like editorializing presented as fact to me.

 

"ruined him as a hitter" and "someone took that away from him" seem overly hyperbolic, even for Law.

 

When did the Brewers allegedly try to make this change? It didn't negatively impact Keston's results all through the minors or his first 348 PAs in MLB.

[homer]

He never struck me as a "hit for average with lots of doubles" guy in the minors. He's always had home run power.

[brewcrewdue80]

He never struck me as a "hit for average with lots of doubles" guy in the minors. He's always had home run power.

 

Could have maybe seen his numbers in 2017 and 18 and said a no defense 2nd baseman scratching around 800 OPS wasn't enough as his slg went off the charts in 2019. Changed that launch angle from a premium to too high

[KeithStone53151]

Without any kind of source from Law, that looks like editorializing presented as fact to me.

 

"ruined him as a hitter" and "someone took that away from him" seem overly hyperbolic, even for Law.

 

When did the Brewers allegedly try to make this change? It didn't negatively impact Keston's results all through the minors or his first 348 PAs in MLB.

 

Do we, or he, or anybody outside of Hiura/Brewers even know it was the Brewers that made this decision? Did maybe Keston decide he wanted to chase launch angle and the Brewers simply tried to help him on a path that Keston chose? His quote is pretty darn irresponsible considering he's clearly guessing and has absolutely no clue. I suppose if you keep guessing then once in a while you'll be right. Worth noting that Law was wrong on literally every single one of our big 3 pitchers.

 

This is clearly a lost year for Hiura, but the talent is clearly still there. If Burnes path taught us anything, adjustments can change an elite talent from awful results to excellent results very quickly. There's no reason he can't be one of the best hitters in the lineup next year if he gets this figured out in the offseason.

[Jopal78]

…adjustments can change an elite talent from awful results to excellent results very quickly. There's no reason he can't be one of the best hitters in the lineup next year if he gets this figured out in the offseason.

 

That’s the million dollar question, and so far the answer is “No” he hasn’t made the necessary adjustments.

 

Hiura tore apart MLB pitching in 2019 until advance scouting and video caught up with him and since then it’s been his turn to make a counter adjustment. It is the ability to make that adjustment which will keep him in the major leagues; the guy he is now isn’t a major league player and certainly not for a team like the Brewers that is not going to develop players in the major leagues while losses pile up.

[Simba2020]

I still hope Hiura is traded in the offseason. You can say he's at the low point but I'm not even remotely convinced he will be anything more than he is right now. Maybe the ceiling is the 2020 version of Hiura and that wasn't any good either. It's not like this was his only lost year. Personally, I don't trust anything about 2019 in general when it comes to power. That ball was bogus. Throw in a babip over .400 and defensive and pitcher adjustments, and I just don't see if ever happening for him again.

[wildcat2237]

I still hope Hiura is traded in the offseason. You can say he's at the low point but I'm not even remotely convinced he will be anything more than he is right now. Maybe the ceiling is the 2020 version of Hiura and that wasn't any good either. It's not like this was his only lost year. Personally, I don't trust anything about 2019 in general when it comes to power. That ball was bogus. Throw in a babip over .400 and defensive and pitcher adjustments, and I just don't see if ever happening for him again.

 

That would be the definition of selling low.

 

Gotta think his value is near zero right now.

 

Maybe one team thinks they can fix him and would give up a bullpen arm or lottery ticket.

[SomewhereInTime]

I still hope Hiura is traded in the offseason. You can say he's at the low point but I'm not even remotely convinced he will be anything more than he is right now. Maybe the ceiling is the 2020 version of Hiura and that wasn't any good either. It's not like this was his only lost year. Personally, I don't trust anything about 2019 in general when it comes to power. That ball was bogus. Throw in a babip over .400 and defensive and pitcher adjustments, and I just don't see if ever happening for him again.

 

Even if he has a bounce back year next year and regains value, I still think he should be traded. Honestly I think back at the deadline in 2018 he should've been traded. There just isn't that much value to most guys who can't play anywhere in the field unless they absolutely hit a ton. It just doesn't seem to be hard to find a 1B who hits (Vogelbach last year was had for nothing, and Rowdy this year didn't cost much, Jesus was stuck in the minors and never even got a shot until Milwaukee, Thames was cheap too).

[Simba2020]

I still hope Hiura is traded in the offseason. You can say he's at the low point but I'm not even remotely convinced he will be anything more than he is right now. Maybe the ceiling is the 2020 version of Hiura and that wasn't any good either. It's not like this was his only lost year. Personally, I don't trust anything about 2019 in general when it comes to power. That ball was bogus. Throw in a babip over .400 and defensive and pitcher adjustments, and I just don't see if ever happening for him again.

 

That would be the definition of selling low.

 

Gotta think his value is near zero right now.

 

Maybe one team thinks they can fix him and would give up a bullpen arm or lottery ticket.

It's low for sure but there is likely at least one team out there, and probably more, that loved him going into the draft and absolutely think they can fix him. So I don't think it's near zero yet. Another year like this and it would be. Depends if you think he still has upside. Personally I'm highly skeptical that he does so I'd be willing to move him.

 

However, I would agree it would make no sense to trade him if the only offers you were getting were guys like Wiegel or an extreme lottery ticket. But if you could get even a remotely decent prospect I wouldn't hesitate.