Article: Where Does the Roster Stand Post Renfroe Trade?

[Nate Palmer]

After the big trade of Hunter Renfroe, where does the Brewers roster stand as major league baseball prepares for the upcoming Winter Meetings? 

 

Last week was a busy week across major league baseball as teams had a few deadlines to take action on. The Milwaukee Brewers were as busy as anyone as decisions on the 40-man roster had to be made as well as what arbitration-eligible players would be tendered contracts. Among the moves, fan-favorite Brent Suter was waived, claimed, and agreed to a contract with the Colorado Rockies. 

On top of that, Tuesday night, the Brewers also swung a trade with the Los Angeles Angels offloading Hunter Renfroe’s contract and acquiring three pitchers in return. After all that roster movement, major league baseball gets ready for the Winter Meetings, which begin on December 4th. Here are some of the remaining questions for the Brewers 2023 roster.

Collecting catchers
As of right now, the 40-man boasts four catchers. The Brewers did tender Victor Caratini a contract. He currently slots in as the starting catcher. The other three catchers include two prospects, Mario Feliciano and Alex Jackson, alongside recently acquired Payton Henry. 

The Brewers could go into the season with Caratini starting and one of the other three catchers on the 40-man as the backup and get some decent results. The question going into the Winter Meetings remains if the Brewers may look to upgrade at catcher, pushing Caratini to the bench and adding some needed offense simultaneously. 

Free agent names include Willson Contreras, Christian Vazquez, and reunion with Omar Narvaez. Matt Arnold could also have conversations with the Blue Jays, who are reportedly shopping their backstops in trade. 

Relief Help on the Way?
Devin Williams will continue to provide a solid backend to the bullpen. Without Josh Hader, Taylor Rogers, and Trevor Rosenthal there is room to build around the complimentary pieces around Williams. Matt Bush and Adrian Houser (who right now is listed as a long reliever on Roster Resource) will return after agreeing to contracts and adding Javy Guerra through a trade. 

While there can be dreams of adding one of the big names on the free agent market like Kenley Jansen, even the mid-tier relievers would help this bullpen. That may be the idea behind two of the pitchers acquired in the Renfroe deal. While Janson Junk is slated to compete for the rotation, according to Arnold, Adam Seminaris, or Elvis Peguero could realistically figure into the bullpen at some point in 2023. 

Of course, there are always the off-the-radar moves that could happen and do happen every offseason. Bill Ripken has one in mind for the Brewers. 

Payroll Expectations
The Brewers ended last season with a payroll of around $137 million. All signs pointed to the Crew needing to find ways to cut some of their payroll to fill gaps on the roster for next season or sign key players like Brandon Woodruff, Corbin Burnes, and Willy Adames to extensions. 

Before last night it was hard to see how the Brewers were going to move forward with $126 million on the payroll, according to Roster Resource. It always seemed like with the Brewers payroll limits that it would be challenging to fill out the active roster with both Kolten Wong’s $10 million option (with a $2 million buyout) and Renfroe’s estimated $11.2 million in arbitration money on the books. With Renfroe in LA, there is certainly more room for signings or extensions. Even though the chances have likely slimmed, with some teams still seeking out second base help (looking at you, Mariners), there is still the chance something could happen with Wong out there. 

The hard part with Renfore off the roster and potentially Wong is that there is no sure way to replace their offense from within the organization. Arnold seems confident in the young outfielders the Brewers have. Garrett Mitchell leads the way in that conversation, as he did his best to prove himself in 28 games this past season, hitting .311/.373/.459 for a 136 wRC+. It will remain to be seen if Arnold is as comfortable with Tyrone Taylor as an outfielder that will receive significant playing time. 

Speaking of Wong and infield bats...

The Infield
Even if Wong remains on the roster, how confident can the Brewers be in either Luis Urias or Mike Brosseau as the team's starting third baseman? With third base being a traditionally easy place to add offense, will Arnold consider poking around during the Winter Meetings to see if the team could upgrade?  

The free agent market isn't impressive this offseason, with Josh Turner leading the group. There is always the possibility for another trade, or how confident the Brewers are in the recent 40-man add and prospect Brice Turang?

On the other side of the diamond, there is shaping up to be a potentially strange platoon between the likes of Rowdy Tellez, Jon Singleton, and Keston Hiura. Heading into the Winter Meetings the first base/designated hitter role looks like an area where some movement could also happen.  

The offense was already a question mark before trading away Renfroe’s bat. Eyes will undoubtedly be on Arnold during the Winter Meetings and beyond to see if he attempts to add offense in some fashion before Spring Training.

What questions remain for you when it comes to the Brewers roster?

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[DR28]

I would like to see us trade Wong, let Turang be our 2B… Him and Urias could platoon.

And then take a flier on Brian Anderson at 3B, he would be a good fit.

Wouldnt mind bringing back Haniger to play RF.

Make these couple moves and I feel much better about this team.

Frelick

Yeli

Adames

Tellez

Haniger

Anderson

Turang

FA C

Mitchell

 

Yea that will do!

[DR28]

I would like to see us trade Wong, let Turang be our 2B… Him and Urias could platoon.

And then take a flier on Brian Anderson at 3B, he would be a good fit.

Wouldnt mind bringing back Haniger to play RF.

Make these couple moves and I feel much better about this team.

Frelick

Yeli

Adames

Tellez

Haniger

Anderson

Turang

FA C

Mitchell

 

Yea that will do!

[Brock Beauchamp]

I think this signifies nothing, except...

The Brewers plan to do something significant with money. I doubt that's going to be a big free agent signing but more along the lines of extending Burnes or Woodruff. On top of that, I think they're going to trade the other for a big return.

It should be a wild offseason.

[Brock Beauchamp]

I think this signifies nothing, except...

The Brewers plan to do something significant with money. I doubt that's going to be a big free agent signing but more along the lines of extending Burnes or Woodruff. On top of that, I think they're going to trade the other for a big return.

It should be a wild offseason.

[BlightyBrew]

3 hours ago, Brock Beauchamp said:

I think this signifies nothing, except...

The Brewers plan to do something significant with money. I doubt that's going to be a big free agent signing but more along the lines of extending Burnes or Woodruff. On top of that, I think they're going to trade the other for a big return.

It should be a wild offseason.

I would still like someone to explain to me if you are Burnes or Woody, why would you sign an extension with Milwaukee?  They know in 2 years' time or maybe 1 year that they will either be traded or hit the FA market and will get paid (probably more than the Brewers can or be willing to pay) and be on an organization that probably is better suited (or serious about) winning a WS.  Everyone on this board acts like the extension are completely controlled by the Brewers and players have no say in it.

If I'm either of them or any impact FA, no way to I even consider Milwaukee even if Mark ponies up the money and blows all other offers off the table.  I mean Bob Uecker goes only so far.

 

[BlightyBrew]

3 hours ago, Brock Beauchamp said:

I think this signifies nothing, except...

The Brewers plan to do something significant with money. I doubt that's going to be a big free agent signing but more along the lines of extending Burnes or Woodruff. On top of that, I think they're going to trade the other for a big return.

It should be a wild offseason.

I would still like someone to explain to me if you are Burnes or Woody, why would you sign an extension with Milwaukee?  They know in 2 years' time or maybe 1 year that they will either be traded or hit the FA market and will get paid (probably more than the Brewers can or be willing to pay) and be on an organization that probably is better suited (or serious about) winning a WS.  Everyone on this board acts like the extension are completely controlled by the Brewers and players have no say in it.

If I'm either of them or any impact FA, no way to I even consider Milwaukee even if Mark ponies up the money and blows all other offers off the table.  I mean Bob Uecker goes only so far.

 

[sveumrules]

4 hours ago, BlightyBrew said:

I would still like someone to explain to me if you are Burnes or Woody, why would you sign an extension with Milwaukee? 

Because it’s a hundred some million dollars guaranteed right now and the future is uncertain.

Woodruff won’t be hitting free agency until after his age 31 season. So he’s probably looking at a 4/5 year deal tops through age 35/36 if he doesn’t extend.

Lets say 30 million for the next two Arby’s years and then a 5/150 deal in FA, that’s something like 7/180 if he stays healthy and dealing for two more years.

Let’s say the Brewers offered him the Castillo extension, 5/110.

Then it comes down to is it worth gambling on one’s health and performance for two more years for an extra $70M that might be there or might not.

Everyone weighs risk/reward differently. Do the Brewers want to risk extending a pitcher at big bucks with limited payroll? Do Woodruff/Burnes want to risk potential injury in hopes of maximizing future earnings?

[sveumrules]

4 hours ago, BlightyBrew said:

I would still like someone to explain to me if you are Burnes or Woody, why would you sign an extension with Milwaukee? 

Because it’s a hundred some million dollars guaranteed right now and the future is uncertain.

Woodruff won’t be hitting free agency until after his age 31 season. So he’s probably looking at a 4/5 year deal tops through age 35/36 if he doesn’t extend.

Lets say 30 million for the next two Arby’s years and then a 5/150 deal in FA, that’s something like 7/180 if he stays healthy and dealing for two more years.

Let’s say the Brewers offered him the Castillo extension, 5/110.

Then it comes down to is it worth gambling on one’s health and performance for two more years for an extra $70M that might be there or might not.

Everyone weighs risk/reward differently. Do the Brewers want to risk extending a pitcher at big bucks with limited payroll? Do Woodruff/Burnes want to risk potential injury in hopes of maximizing future earnings?

[BlightyBrew]

16 minutes ago, sveumrules said:

Because it’s a hundred some million dollars guaranteed right now and the future is uncertain.

Woodruff won’t be hitting free agency until after his age 31 season. So he’s probably looking at a 4/5 year deal tops through age 35/36 if he doesn’t extend.

Lets say 30 million for the next two Arby’s years and then a 5/150 deal in FA, that’s something like 7/180 if he stays healthy and dealing for two more years.

Let’s say the Brewers offered him the Castillo extension, 5/110.

Then it comes down to is it worth gambling on one’s health and performance for two more years for an extra $70M that might be there or might not.

Everyone weighs risk/reward differently. Do the Brewers want to risk extending a pitcher at big bucks with limited payroll? Do Woodruff/Burnes want to risk potential injury in hopes of maximizing future earnings?

Fine points but I also think they you have to add in the mix the question of winning a championship.  Most players say that is the reason they play the game.  That might not be 100% true for all and might not be the only reason but I do think it is a valid consideration.  Now I don't think the Crew is that far off from making the playoffs next season but they have to address the offense.  Which they still might and hopefully will.   If they don't that would make me pause and think if I was either of them.

Happy Thanksgiving.

[BlightyBrew]

16 minutes ago, sveumrules said:

Because it’s a hundred some million dollars guaranteed right now and the future is uncertain.

Woodruff won’t be hitting free agency until after his age 31 season. So he’s probably looking at a 4/5 year deal tops through age 35/36 if he doesn’t extend.

Lets say 30 million for the next two Arby’s years and then a 5/150 deal in FA, that’s something like 7/180 if he stays healthy and dealing for two more years.

Let’s say the Brewers offered him the Castillo extension, 5/110.

Then it comes down to is it worth gambling on one’s health and performance for two more years for an extra $70M that might be there or might not.

Everyone weighs risk/reward differently. Do the Brewers want to risk extending a pitcher at big bucks with limited payroll? Do Woodruff/Burnes want to risk potential injury in hopes of maximizing future earnings?

Fine points but I also think they you have to add in the mix the question of winning a championship.  Most players say that is the reason they play the game.  That might not be 100% true for all and might not be the only reason but I do think it is a valid consideration.  Now I don't think the Crew is that far off from making the playoffs next season but they have to address the offense.  Which they still might and hopefully will.   If they don't that would make me pause and think if I was either of them.

Happy Thanksgiving.

[Outlander]

8 hours ago, Brock Beauchamp said:

I think this signifies nothing, except...

The Brewers plan to do something significant with money. I doubt that's going to be a big free agent signing but more along the lines of extending Burnes or Woodruff. On top of that, I think they're going to trade the other for a big return.

It should be a wild offseason.

I can't imagine this is the case. A guy like Renfroe is a short term cost. Extending one of the pitchers and trading the other reduces payroll in the current year or the very least keeps it the same. If they extend a pitcher and trade one there better be a big free agent signing(s) or it's a fail and they really should trade both pitchers at that point instead of extending 

[Outlander]

8 hours ago, Brock Beauchamp said:

I think this signifies nothing, except...

The Brewers plan to do something significant with money. I doubt that's going to be a big free agent signing but more along the lines of extending Burnes or Woodruff. On top of that, I think they're going to trade the other for a big return.

It should be a wild offseason.

I can't imagine this is the case. A guy like Renfroe is a short term cost. Extending one of the pitchers and trading the other reduces payroll in the current year or the very least keeps it the same. If they extend a pitcher and trade one there better be a big free agent signing(s) or it's a fail and they really should trade both pitchers at that point instead of extending 

[Brock Beauchamp]

7 hours ago, BlightyBrew said:

I would still like someone to explain to me if you are Burnes or Woody, why would you sign an extension with Milwaukee?  They know in 2 years' time or maybe 1 year that they will either be traded or hit the FA market and will get paid (probably more than the Brewers can or be willing to pay) and be on an organization that probably is better suited (or serious about) winning a WS.  Everyone on this board acts like the extension are completely controlled by the Brewers and players have no say in it.

If I'm either of them or any impact FA, no way to I even consider Milwaukee even if Mark ponies up the money and blows all other offers off the table.  I mean Bob Uecker goes only so far.

I mean, money. Security. And some guys like staying with the only organization they've known. People have a million reasons to do or not do any single thing.

And if they're worried about being traded in three years, demand a no-trade clause. It's usually one of the first concessions a team will make in extension talks.

[Brock Beauchamp]

7 hours ago, BlightyBrew said:

I would still like someone to explain to me if you are Burnes or Woody, why would you sign an extension with Milwaukee?  They know in 2 years' time or maybe 1 year that they will either be traded or hit the FA market and will get paid (probably more than the Brewers can or be willing to pay) and be on an organization that probably is better suited (or serious about) winning a WS.  Everyone on this board acts like the extension are completely controlled by the Brewers and players have no say in it.

If I'm either of them or any impact FA, no way to I even consider Milwaukee even if Mark ponies up the money and blows all other offers off the table.  I mean Bob Uecker goes only so far.

I mean, money. Security. And some guys like staying with the only organization they've known. People have a million reasons to do or not do any single thing.

And if they're worried about being traded in three years, demand a no-trade clause. It's usually one of the first concessions a team will make in extension talks.

[Brock Beauchamp]

2 hours ago, Outlander said:

I can't imagine this is the case. A guy like Renfroe is a short term cost. Extending one of the pitchers and trading the other reduces payroll in the current year or the very least keeps it the same. If they extend a pitcher and trade one there better be a big free agent signing(s) or it's a fail and they really should trade both pitchers at that point instead of extending 

Renfroe is a short-term cost but the Brewers had very limited flexibility heading into the offseason. Offloading that $11m gives them the ability to shuffle those funds around in the short-term. We'll see if that was the right decision or not but it makes sense from the team perspective.

As for trading one pitcher, it really depends on the return. If Arnold subscribes to the "bite of the apple" approach, the 2024-onward Brewers could easily be a better team if one of Burnes/Woodruff is traded while the other is extended.

To me, the biggest question mark is pitching development. The Brewers obviously had an amazing run of developing Burnes, Woodruff, Peralta, Hader, Lauer, etc. Can they do it again? If they can, trading a starter today makes a lot of sense and is the Brewer equivalent to what the Tampa Bay Rays do on a near-yearly basis. It's not great from a fan perspective but it's the reality of the game (and at least the Brewers post a respectable payroll YoY, unlike the Rays).

[Brock Beauchamp]

2 hours ago, Outlander said:

I can't imagine this is the case. A guy like Renfroe is a short term cost. Extending one of the pitchers and trading the other reduces payroll in the current year or the very least keeps it the same. If they extend a pitcher and trade one there better be a big free agent signing(s) or it's a fail and they really should trade both pitchers at that point instead of extending 

Renfroe is a short-term cost but the Brewers had very limited flexibility heading into the offseason. Offloading that $11m gives them the ability to shuffle those funds around in the short-term. We'll see if that was the right decision or not but it makes sense from the team perspective.

As for trading one pitcher, it really depends on the return. If Arnold subscribes to the "bite of the apple" approach, the 2024-onward Brewers could easily be a better team if one of Burnes/Woodruff is traded while the other is extended.

To me, the biggest question mark is pitching development. The Brewers obviously had an amazing run of developing Burnes, Woodruff, Peralta, Hader, Lauer, etc. Can they do it again? If they can, trading a starter today makes a lot of sense and is the Brewer equivalent to what the Tampa Bay Rays do on a near-yearly basis. It's not great from a fan perspective but it's the reality of the game (and at least the Brewers post a respectable payroll YoY, unlike the Rays).

[Devinep]

This team already needed an anchor bat before trading their best hitter from last year. As if now their lineup is a bunch of mediocrity and question marks. They really should get 2 legit bats if they plan on contending this year. One obviously can be at 1B/DH but after that, a second bat (depending on who is traded since I don’t see a double dip in higher end free agents) is going to be an interesting fit. Sean Murphy makes sense as Both a big bat and position of need, but cost a ton in prospects. Yandy Diaz should be a 1B/DH and only spot start at 3B. The Pirates won’t trade Reynolds despite perpetually posting 100 loss seasons. Do they believe Danny Jansen can hit like last year going forward? Ian Happ could Play Corner OF and some 1B/2B if the cubs would trade him. 

[Devinep]

This team already needed an anchor bat before trading their best hitter from last year. As if now their lineup is a bunch of mediocrity and question marks. They really should get 2 legit bats if they plan on contending this year. One obviously can be at 1B/DH but after that, a second bat (depending on who is traded since I don’t see a double dip in higher end free agents) is going to be an interesting fit. Sean Murphy makes sense as Both a big bat and position of need, but cost a ton in prospects. Yandy Diaz should be a 1B/DH and only spot start at 3B. The Pirates won’t trade Reynolds despite perpetually posting 100 loss seasons. Do they believe Danny Jansen can hit like last year going forward? Ian Happ could Play Corner OF and some 1B/2B if the cubs would trade him. 

[monty57]

51 minutes ago, Brock Beauchamp said:

Renfroe is a short-term cost but the Brewers had very limited flexibility heading into the offseason. Offloading that $11m gives them the ability to shuffle those funds around in the short-term. We'll see if that was the right decision or not but it makes sense from the team perspective.

As for trading one pitcher, it really depends on the return. If Arnold subscribes to the "bite of the apple" approach, the 2024-onward Brewers could easily be a better team if one of Burnes/Woodruff is traded while the other is extended.

To me, the biggest question mark is pitching development. The Brewers obviously had an amazing run of developing Burnes, Woodruff, Peralta, Hader, Lauer, etc. Can they do it again? If they can, trading a starter today makes a lot of sense and is the Brewer equivalent to what the Tampa Bay Rays do on a near-yearly basis. It's not great from a fan perspective but it's the reality of the game (and at least the Brewers post a respectable payroll YoY, unlike the Rays).

The way for the Brewers to afford an extension to one of their stars while having Yelich on the books is to have a lot of pre-arby guys on the roster. They have developed some guys, but they will need to trade for others. 
 

Yelich and Woodruff would take up close to half our payroll, leaving around $50-$60M for the remaining 24 players (around $2-$2.5M per player on average). It will take a lot of league minimum players to make that happen. The best way to get these players would be by trading away the other two stars.

The only way I see the Renfroe trade affecting any extension plans is that they picked up some guys who could be cheap role-players for the next half-decade. If the guys we got back become a #5 starter and a middle reliever, that’s still 2 of the 24 spots taken up for league minimum, leaving more money for other players. 
 

We would continually have to drop mid-tier guys when they’re in their arby years, hope to get more Ashby/Peralta-type extensions and not count on any significant free agent signings. And, of course, we’ll have to trade away most of our good players a year or two prior to free agency, even if it makes fans and media call them cheap. 
 

In other words, a Woodruff extension (I don’t think Burnes is even an option) would be a huge commitment for the Brewers. Since he would likely be signed into his mid-30’s, I don’t think it would be a good gamble. If he “hit the cliff” in his early 30’s, paying him and Yelich would be a huge hurdle to overcome. 
 

 

[monty57]

51 minutes ago, Brock Beauchamp said:

Renfroe is a short-term cost but the Brewers had very limited flexibility heading into the offseason. Offloading that $11m gives them the ability to shuffle those funds around in the short-term. We'll see if that was the right decision or not but it makes sense from the team perspective.

As for trading one pitcher, it really depends on the return. If Arnold subscribes to the "bite of the apple" approach, the 2024-onward Brewers could easily be a better team if one of Burnes/Woodruff is traded while the other is extended.

To me, the biggest question mark is pitching development. The Brewers obviously had an amazing run of developing Burnes, Woodruff, Peralta, Hader, Lauer, etc. Can they do it again? If they can, trading a starter today makes a lot of sense and is the Brewer equivalent to what the Tampa Bay Rays do on a near-yearly basis. It's not great from a fan perspective but it's the reality of the game (and at least the Brewers post a respectable payroll YoY, unlike the Rays).

The way for the Brewers to afford an extension to one of their stars while having Yelich on the books is to have a lot of pre-arby guys on the roster. They have developed some guys, but they will need to trade for others. 
 

Yelich and Woodruff would take up close to half our payroll, leaving around $50-$60M for the remaining 24 players (around $2-$2.5M per player on average). It will take a lot of league minimum players to make that happen. The best way to get these players would be by trading away the other two stars.

The only way I see the Renfroe trade affecting any extension plans is that they picked up some guys who could be cheap role-players for the next half-decade. If the guys we got back become a #5 starter and a middle reliever, that’s still 2 of the 24 spots taken up for league minimum, leaving more money for other players. 
 

We would continually have to drop mid-tier guys when they’re in their arby years, hope to get more Ashby/Peralta-type extensions and not count on any significant free agent signings. And, of course, we’ll have to trade away most of our good players a year or two prior to free agency, even if it makes fans and media call them cheap. 
 

In other words, a Woodruff extension (I don’t think Burnes is even an option) would be a huge commitment for the Brewers. Since he would likely be signed into his mid-30’s, I don’t think it would be a good gamble. If he “hit the cliff” in his early 30’s, paying him and Yelich would be a huge hurdle to overcome. 
 

 

[jay87shot]

Renfroe was our best hitter but he was still not a solid 3/4 hitter. 

.255/.315/.807  29 hr 72 rbi. Is very solid but he hit .236 with runners in scoring position. For comparison Rowdy .264, Willy .301, Taylor .311, Cutch .264, Yeli .242/.429 obp, Wong .202, Urias .168.  How many times did we have runners on 1st and 2nd with 0 outs and we hit into dp's or back to back k's, it seemed like an excessive amount. Getting better middle of the order bats and guys like Frelick, Turang, Ruiz, and Mitchell should drastically reduce that.

I am OK with trading Wong and a pitcher if it means we can find a couple more middle of the order options to go with Willy and Rowdy.

 

[jay87shot]

Renfroe was our best hitter but he was still not a solid 3/4 hitter. 

.255/.315/.807  29 hr 72 rbi. Is very solid but he hit .236 with runners in scoring position. For comparison Rowdy .264, Willy .301, Taylor .311, Cutch .264, Yeli .242/.429 obp, Wong .202, Urias .168.  How many times did we have runners on 1st and 2nd with 0 outs and we hit into dp's or back to back k's, it seemed like an excessive amount. Getting better middle of the order bats and guys like Frelick, Turang, Ruiz, and Mitchell should drastically reduce that.

I am OK with trading Wong and a pitcher if it means we can find a couple more middle of the order options to go with Willy and Rowdy.

 

[Brock Beauchamp]

1 hour ago, jay87shot said:

Renfroe was our best hitter but he was still not a solid 3/4 hitter. 

.255/.315/.807  29 hr 72 rbi. Is very solid but he hit .236 with runners in scoring position. For comparison Rowdy .264, Willy .301, Taylor .311, Cutch .264, Yeli .242/.429 obp, Wong .202, Urias .168.  How many times did we have runners on 1st and 2nd with 0 outs and we hit into dp's or back to back k's, it seemed like an excessive amount. Getting better middle of the order bats and guys like Frelick, Turang, Ruiz, and Mitchell should drastically reduce that.

I am OK with trading Wong and a pitcher if it means we can find a couple more middle of the order options to go with Willy and Rowdy.

Renfroe is actually a nice four hitter in today’s game. Decent average, good power.

But what has really exposed the Brewer offense is the 2/3 hitters. You have Yelich at leadoff, which is actually pretty nice, but there isn’t even one guy they can slot in with a .270/.350/.450 line that you want manning the second and third slot.

Brewer run scoring was solid in 2022 but it could have been very good with better top of the order bats. Not superstars, just a guy like Adames not having a down year. 

[Brock Beauchamp]

1 hour ago, jay87shot said:

Renfroe was our best hitter but he was still not a solid 3/4 hitter. 

.255/.315/.807  29 hr 72 rbi. Is very solid but he hit .236 with runners in scoring position. For comparison Rowdy .264, Willy .301, Taylor .311, Cutch .264, Yeli .242/.429 obp, Wong .202, Urias .168.  How many times did we have runners on 1st and 2nd with 0 outs and we hit into dp's or back to back k's, it seemed like an excessive amount. Getting better middle of the order bats and guys like Frelick, Turang, Ruiz, and Mitchell should drastically reduce that.

I am OK with trading Wong and a pitcher if it means we can find a couple more middle of the order options to go with Willy and Rowdy.

Renfroe is actually a nice four hitter in today’s game. Decent average, good power.

But what has really exposed the Brewer offense is the 2/3 hitters. You have Yelich at leadoff, which is actually pretty nice, but there isn’t even one guy they can slot in with a .270/.350/.450 line that you want manning the second and third slot.

Brewer run scoring was solid in 2022 but it could have been very good with better top of the order bats. Not superstars, just a guy like Adames not having a down year.