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Offseason Review Chat: Milwaukee Brewers (3/10/23)
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Sawyer
10:39
I see the cubs potentially competing the for 2nd NL central spot. Am I crazy to count Brewers out so much?
Steve Adams
10:40
If the Cubs compete for second in the NL Central, I think it'll be more because Chicago has a lot go their way and beats expectations -- not because the Brewers are completely mediocre or anything.

There's enough talent on the Cubs that, sure, I can see them being better than I'm expecting. But I think the Brewers and Cards are a cut above them for 2023 at least. By 2024, that could change.
MKE Dude
10:40
What has the rule 5 draftee, Gus Varland looked like? Reports indicate he has pretty good stuff and was more effective pitching in relief the last 2 months in 2022. Can the Brewers afford to keep him around for a couple of months until Ashby is back? Then return him to the Dodgers if he doesn't pan out.
Steve Adams
10:44
I haven't watched him pitch or anything -- I'm not down in Arizona -- but it's hard to see how they could carry Varland and five out-ot-options relievers. Again, maybe that means they just DFA one of Guerra/Wilson. Maybe they DFA both. Maybe Houser is traded to a team that has some pitching injuries. There are ways to alleviate the out-of-options logjam and carry Varland.

Varland has fanned five of the 14 guys he's faced, which is a nice start to his camp. He's a decently well-regarded prospect. As a St. Paul native myself, I hope he stays just because it's kind of cool to have a pair of St. Paul brothers -- Louie Varland is on the Twins' 40-man roster -- who went to a D-2 school in St. Paul in the big leagues, ha.

The current roster makeup is not working in his favor, though. Carrying six relievers you can't option just isn't feasible, and even if they break camp that way, Varland would likely be on a short leash.
BrewCrew82
10:45
Biggest FA signings the last three years were JBJ, Cutch & Miley. Is Milwaukee just not active in the market or are they an unattractive landing spot for FA?
Steve Adams
10:46
They also signed Avi Garcia, albeit at just 2/20. And they did the big one-year AAV deal for Yasmani Grandal before that.

In general, they've just been more active on the trade market. Both David Stearns and Matt Arnold came from front-office backgrounds rooted more in draft, develop and trade than in free agency. The Brewers are obviously on a relatively limited budget, too, though they still reeled in Cain on a five-year, $80MM deal.

I think operating in the middle tiers of free agency is just kind of where they're going to live, with the payroll that the front office is given to work with.
jaz
10:47
do you see Williams as an above-average mlb closer for years to come? or is he better off as the setup man?
Steve Adams
10:48
He strikes out more hitters than anyone in baseball not named Edwin Diaz. I think he'll be be elite in whatever role he's in; it's just a matter of whether the Brewers -- or a team he's eventually traded to -- want him in a strict ninth-inning role or want him coming into high-leverage spots earlier in the game.
"be be" -- good typing, Steve... ha
Noam Kurland (dankyank)
10:49
Is there any reason why the Brewers haven't attempted to extend any of their big 3 pitchers in the past, or any of their young core?  Why not try to add some cost certainty instead of juggling payroll every off-season?
Steve Adams
10:50
They extended Peralta and Ashby. And Yelich, of course. I'm sure they had some interest in getting something done with Burnes and Woodruff earlier in their careers, but not everyone's going to be amenable to the type of team-friendly deal that Peralta/Ashby took.
Squirrels
10:51
Was the Josh Hader trade a win or a loss for the Brewers?
Steve Adams
10:53
I just think evaluating any trade this early on is kind of pointless. This stuff changes so much. I mean, look back at the Luke Voit/Giovanny Gallegos trade. That swung back and forth like 2-3 times between "What a steal for the Yankees" and "wow actually no good deal for the Cardinals!"

And now, in the end, it was probably just fine for both teams. We haven't seen Robert Gasser throw a pitch in the Majors yet. Esteury Ruiz was almost immediately traded for William Contreras, who should be a regular for years to come.

I like where their return has ended up and think it looks plenty defensible for both teams involved. How Contreras continues to develop behind the plate and whether Gasser is able to seize a spot on the roster could take years to play out.
10:54
Gasser's ready right now, though, and he could be up starting games sometimes in 2023 -- certainly in 2024.
Willy adames
10:54
Am I gonna get a extension
Steve Adams
10:55
I don't think any of Burnes/Woodruff/Adames are going to sign an extension given their current arb salaries and proximity to free agency. It's a $100MM+ deal for any of them right now. Burnes could get 200+ in free agency if he stays healthy.
Tom Trebelhorn
10:55
Any chance of ever trading Christian Yelich and his contract?
Steve Adams
10:57
He has a full no-trade clause and is owed $162.5MM over the next six seasons. I don't see it being feasible in the near future.
Sawyer
10:57
I know this is crazy. But with how much outfield depth the cardinals have and how much they need an ace could the cardinals and brewers line up for a burnes woodruff or peralta trade for outfield prospects and a starter?
Steve Adams
10:58
The Brewers are also insanely deep in OF prospects, and I can't imagine them trading Burnes/Woodruff to their chief division rival
Jack T
10:58
What's a reasonable projection for Winker this year stats-wise?
Steve Adams
11:00
It all depends so much on health. He had a pair of surgeries after the season. If he's healthy, he's a high-average, near-.400 OBP guy against right-handed pitching with above-average power but can't really hit lefties.

I can see something like .250/.350/.470 if he's healthy and platooned, but there's no way to confidently forecast how he'll recover from both neck and knee surgery in 2023.
Bernie Brewer
11:00
ANY chance Craig Cousell doesn't get extended this year?
Steve Adams
11:01
I mean, if any team comes out of the gates like 5-20 or something, the manager's going to be on the hot seat. But generally speaking, I don't have much reason to think Counsell's future there is in jeopardy. The organization loves him.
11:03
Ok, I've got to wrap this up.  I know there were tons of questions I couldn't get to, and for that I apologize. We had couple hundred people in here lobbing questions my way, and there's just too many to get to. I'm on Twitter @Adams_Steve if you're so inclined and always happy to take more questions there.

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Have a great weekend, everyone! And enjoy the season!
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