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While William Contreras and Victor Caratini will be handling the bulk of the starts at catcher in Milwaukee if all goes as planned, the minors will have a lot of potential depth. Let’s look at each of the full-season teams.
AAA Nashville
The primary catcher will be former Brewers prospect Payton Henry, who was dealt to the Marlins in 2021 for John Curtiss. That deal didn’t work out for the Crew, but they got Henry back for a rookie league OF Reminton Batista. Throughout his professional career, including two brief cups of coffee in Miami, he’s shown power and OBP skills. Alex Johnson and Brian Navaretto will likely be the backups there and will get lots of playing time if Henry is called up.
AA Biloxi
The starting job could be up for grabs. Jeferson Quero is a hot prospect, hitting pretty well with the Carolina Mudcats and Wisconsin Timber Rattlers. His only minus is a low walk rate in the small sample in Appleton. However, Darrien Miller has performed well at the plate, not just over his career in the United States but also during the 2022-2023 winter season as Brisbane, where he posted a .812 OPS, and his bat shows plenty of pop. Wes Clarke, who split time between first base and catcher with the Shuckers and Timber Rattlers, could also factor in behind the plate.
A+ Wisconsin
Quero could very well start in Wisconsin, despite a mostly superb performance in 20 games in 2022 due to the presence of Miller and Clarke. He would likely be joined by Jose Sibrian, who showed OBP skills and some doubles power, but will be 24 and looks more like an organization player. Australian Alex Hall could also see time in Wisconsin after a superb 2022-2023 “winter” season in Perth.
A Carolina
2022 fourth-round draft pick Matthew Wood could end up the starter here. Still, the Brewers had four catchers at the ACL in 2022, including Jhonnys Cabrera, who looks to be a 3TO option that not only played catcher but also saw action at first base and took the mound occasionally in 2021 and 2022. Blayberg Diaz, Jason Ollarve, and Felipe Valderrama also could be factors at Carolina
Rookie Leagues
Wood did not see much professional action, so he could end up in Arizona, while Edgardo Ordonez and Eric Martinez look to be the most promising from the 2022 DSL teams – and with the Brewers cutting down to one ACL team, the competition will be fierce.
Overview
The Brewers look set for the short-term at catcher between Contreras, Caratini, and Henry. Down the road, though, there are a lot of options. Quero gets the spotlight in the minors, but Darien Miller’s left-handed power bat could be a good fit for American Family Field. At the same time, down in the lower levels, Wood, Cabrera, Ordonez, and Martinez could also become factors for the Crew.
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