As the MLB Playoffs get under way, all of the teams that did not make the playoffs get sent to the offseason.
The Milwaukee Brewers will not be one of those teams, but thankfully for fans, they made 2016 one of the most exciting losing seasons a team can have. Jonathan Villar led the league with 62 stolen bases, Chris Carter tied the National League lead with 41 home runs, Ryan Braun returned to All-Star form, and new, young faces got their major league careers started.
After a flurry of trades at the deadline and an almost trade of Braun to the Dodgers, many expect the Brewers to continue their trading ways with slingin’ David Stearns running the show for the organization.
But I wouldn’t bet on it.
Arguably, the Brewers already have the top farm system in baseball with eight prospects in the MLB top 100 and basically could have nine with Orlando Arcia just getting breaking into the majors at the end of the season.
This is thanks large in part to the trades Stearns pulled the trigger on at the deadline. Trading Jonathan Lucroy to the Texas Rangers netted Lewis Brinson, now their top prospect after dominating AAA pitchers with a .382 average and a 1.005 OPS, and Luis Ortiz who had a 1.93 ERA at AA over 23.1 innings. Trading Will Smith gave the Brewers Phil Bickford, who posted a 2.93 over 120 total innings in 2016, and Andrew Susac, the team’s possible starting catcher in 2017.
Braun may be traded, and Chris Carter is expected to be back, but other than that, there will likely be minimal movement within the organization.
The Brewers now have a loaded farm system that has plenty of depth.
So now what? Patience.
Photo courtesy of Benny Sieu/Associated Press.