Milwaukee Brewers

There's a new outfielder in Milwaukee, and he's just the guy the Brewers needed to separate themselves in the race for the National League Central title in 2021.

The Brewers agreed to a two-year, $24 million contract with former Boston Red Sox star Jackie Bradley Jr. on Thursday, per multiple reports. Though Bradley's a Gold Glove-winning center fielder, Milwaukee manager Craig Counsell stated that the 30-year-old will defer to fellow Gold Glover Lorenzo Cain at that spot.

In any case, the Brewers are going into 2021 with a team that Baseball Prospectus rightfully sees as having a better than 50 percent chance of winning the NL Central crown.

              

The State of the Brewers

• Made playoffs in 2018, 2019 and 2020
• 29-31 record in 2020 tied for the worst of any playoff team
• Also outscored by 17 runs in 2020
• Projected by Baseball Prospectus to win NL Central with 89-73 record in 2021

       

Why the Bradley Signing Matters for Milwaukee

The Brewers weren't particularly good at anything last season, but one area where they had an especially hard time was with their outfield defense. Its minus-four outs above average tied for 22nd in MLB.

Well, now they have a Gold Glover at all three outfield spots.

Even if Cain and Bradley—who'll presumably play right field—only have two Gold Gloves between them, evidence of their defensive brilliance is clearly seen in their outs above average. Bradley has accounted for 62 OAA since the stat's inception in 2016. Even despite last year's early opt-out, Cain has him beat with 68 OAA.

Meanwhile in left field, Christian Yelich's defensive reputation has diminished since he won a Gold Glove in 2014. But at a time when there isn't a whole lot of defensive talent in left field, he doesn't stand out as being egregiously unplayable at the position.

This is to say that Milwaukee's outfield defense looks darn good on paper. And much more so than in prior years, that could be a game-changing advantage in 2021.

In what sure seems like a calculated response to the league's historically inflated home run rate, Eno Sarris and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported in February that Major League Baseball is deadening the ball ahead of the 2021 season. This will likely result in fewer fly balls going over the fence.

Between that and the club's new-look outfield, the Brewers figure to be one of the best in the business at turning fly balls into outs in 2021. Their infield defense, for its part, was already good, and now it has two-time Gold Glover Kolten Wong at second base.

           

The Brewers Should Also Hit and Pitch Well in 2021

Another area where the Brewers had an especially hard time last season was in generating offense. They ranked ahead of only three teams with 4.1 runs per game.

But if nothing else, the Brewers can count on Yelich to bounce back after he went from batting .327/.415/.631 across 2018 and 2019 to just .205/.356/.430 in 2020. He's more than a year removed from the broken kneecap that ended his 2019 season, and he'll once again have access to in-game video in 2021.

So long as he can cut down on some swings and misses, Keston Hiura will also have a path back to his 2019 form. He hit 19 home runs in only 84 games that year, with a better hard-hit rate than even Yelich.

As a .288 career hitter, Cain is typically a solid offensive producer in his own right. Bradley's offense comes and goes, but his last five seasons suggest the Brewers can expect a respectable 100 OPS+ and 15 to 20 home runs out of him.

These four alone could be the solidifying force that allows the Brewers to at least finish in average territory with their offensive output in 2021. If Wong, Travis Shaw, Omar Narvaez and Avisail Garcia—the latter of whom figures to spell Bradley against lefties—also revert to their best offensive selves, even better.

Granted, there probably isn't any scenario in which the Brewers are one of baseball's top run-scoring teams in 2021. But with their pitching, they shouldn't have to be.

Leading their rotation is Brandon Woodruff, who's pitched to a 132 ERA+ over the last two seasons. Behind him is fellow right-hander Corbin Burnes, who went off for a 1.65 ERA and 64 strikeouts in eight starts after moving into Milwaukee's rotation last August.

The Brewers otherwise only need Josh Lindblom, Adrian Houser and Brett Anderson to eat innings. After posting by far MLB's highest strikeout rate in 2020, the club's bullpen should be able to clean up after them.

Young righty Devin Williams justifiably won the NL Rookie of the Year for 2020 after he allowed only one run while striking out 53 batters in 27 innings. And even if he was more hittable than usual, two-time All-Star Josh Hader still whiffed 31 batters in 19 innings.

Also in Milwaukee's pen are Justin Topa, who boasts a 97.5 mph fastball, and Brent Suter, who's racked up 37 strikeouts and only two walks in relief over the last two seasons. Throw in Freddy Peralta, who struck out 44 batters in 26.1 innings as a reliever last year, and the core of the Brewers' relief corps is up there with the best of 'em.

          

The Cardinals Question

Following a 93-loss season in 2019 and a league-worst 19-41 record in 2020, the Pittsburgh Pirates aren't a threat to anyone as they continue their rebuild in 2021.

For their part, whether the Chicago Cubs or Cincinnati Reds fall into the threat category is debatable.

The Reds' winter was marked by the losses of ace Trevor Bauer and closer Raisel Iglesias, with few additions to make up for it. The Cubs made a handful of upside plays on guys like Joc Pederson and old friend Jake Arrieta, but they also parted with Yu Darvish, Kyle Schwarber and Jon Lester.

Neither Baseball Prospectus nor FanGraphs projects the Cubs or Reds to finish ahead of the Brewers in 2021. While that doesn't mean they should underestimate either team, their obvious rival in the NL Central is the one that FanGraphs favors: the St. Louis Cardinals.

There is something to that, as the Cardinals went 30-28 last year and made arguably the winter's biggest splash when they acquired superstar third baseman Nolan Arenado. He and Paul Goldschmidt will carry their offense, while their pitching will revolve around young ace Jack Flaherty.

Yet even the Arenado-Goldschmidt duo might not be enough to rescue the Cardinals from a third straight year (see here and here) of offensive futility. Particularly not if Arenado struggles to adjust to life after Coors Field and if Goldschmidt, who'll be 34 in September, can't reinvigorate his power after hitting only six homers in 2020.

The Cardinals also have a lot riding on a shaky rotation. Flaherty couldn't sustain his 2019 breakout last year. Adam Wainwright will be 40 in August. Two years have passed since Miles Mikolas broke out in 2018. It's been even longer since Carlos Martinez was a viable starter.

In the background of all this is the writing on the wall that the NL Central probably doesn't have a team capable of going toe-to-toe with the Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego Padres, Atlanta or the New York Mets in October. Indeed, it's the weakest division in MLB.

Nevertheless, it should be fun to watch the Brewers and Cardinals duke it out for the division crown. And between the two, the edge belongs ever so slightly to Milwaukee.

           

Stats courtesy of Baseball Reference, FanGraphs and Baseball Savant.

The Milwaukee Brewers reportedly upgraded their outfield Thursday with the addition of former Boston Red Sox center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr.

ESPN reported it's a two-year, $24 million contract with a player option after the 2021 MLB season.

Here's a look at the Brewers' projected lineup after the free-agent signing:

• 1. Kolten Wong (2B)
• 2. Lorenzo Cain (RF)
• 3. Christian Yelich (LF)
• 4. Keston Hiura (1B)
• 5. Jackie Bradley Jr. (CF)
• 6. Travis Shaw (3B)
• 7. Orlando Arcia (SS)
• 8. Omar Narvaez (C)

Bradley was one of the league's best defensive center fielders across his eight years with the Red Sox. He recorded 48 defensive runs saved over that span, which ranked third behind his new teammate Cain (99) and Billy Hamilton (75), according to FanGraphs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=It9uscPfPsA

His performance at the plate has been a little more inconsistent. His best offensive season with Boston came in 2016, when he posted career highs in both OPS (.835) and home runs (26).

He's coming off a solid showing during the coronavirus pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign, during which he compiled a career-best .283 batting average with seven homers and seven stolen bases in 55 games.

Bradley is one of the last high-profile free agents to sign a contract, but the 2016 All-Star told Julian McWilliams of the Boston Globe in late December he was content waiting at home with his newborn child until the right offer came along.

"Writers, players, whoever it may be—owners—kind of knew it was going to be a slow offseason," he said. "I feel like everybody is kind of trying to get more information about what's going to go on with the pandemic. Making sure that everybody's protected in a certain way. So we...forecast the flow, but it'll pick up when it does."

The Brewers are expected to find themselves in a hotly contested four-team race atop the NL Central alongside the Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds and St. Louis Cardinals. It could contend with the NL East for the most competitive division in baseball this year.

Adding Bradley this late in the process is a nice coup by Milwaukee, and it may prove crucial in the team's hunt for a playoff berth if he can find success at the plate like he did in 2016 and 2020.

It's unclear when he will make his spring training debut for the Brew Crew, but he shouldn't have much trouble getting up to full speed before their Opening Day clash with the Minnesota Twins on April 1.

Free-agent center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr., who played for the Boston Red Sox from 2013 to 2020, has agreed to a two-year, $24 million contract with the Milwaukee Brewers in free agency, per ESPN.

The contract reportedly includes an opt-out clause after the first season, meaning Bradley could become a free agent again next offseason.

The 30-year-old is one of baseball's best defensive outfielders, notably sporting a perfect fielding percentage in 2020.

A 2018 Gold Glove winner, he routinely makes highlight-reel catches, such as when he robbed New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge of a home run in 2017:

Jackie Bradley Jr. robs Aaron Judge 😯

🎥: https://t.co/3fNx2bQfeV pic.twitter.com/HcFk2gh1w4

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) July 17, 2017

Per Baseball Reference, Bradley was also first in total zone runs in 2018 and first in center field assists in 2014, 2016, 2018 and 2019.

Bradley fared well at the dish in 2020, hitting a career-high .283 with seven home runs and 22 RBI. His .814 OPS was his best mark since his All-Star season in 2016. In between, Bradley largely struggled at the plate, hitting .234 with a .727 OPS from 2017 to 2019. The increase in defensive shifts have significantly hindered his offensive potential in recent years.

Christopher Smith of Mass Live wrote about that rise in July 2018. Of note, Baseball Savant credited teams with shifting 51.7 percent of the time in 2018, 68.8 percent in 2019 and 62.0 percent in 2020 compared to 33.1 percent in 2017 and 30.5 percent in 2016.

Bradley spoke with Smith about the difficulties associated with adjusting to the shift:

"Everybody's always saying, 'Oh, just go the other way. Yeah, you can say go the other way. But if a pitcher is pitching you inside, are you just going to try to knife it the other way? They (pitchers) want you to manipulate your swing. They want to get you to stop thinking about your strength to try to do something different. They're OK with giving up a single compared to an extra-base hit or a homer. They're OK with that."

Bradley did better in 2020, but he also benefitted from some good luck, with a BABIP of .343 (league average is .300). He notably hit the ball hard a career-low 27.1 percent of the time, per FanGraphs, meaning regression could be on the way next year.

That being said, fans saw glimpses of his offensive potential in the 2018 American League Championship Series against the Houston Astros, as he won the ALCS MVP thanks to a bases-clearing double, a grand slam and a two-run shot from Games 2 through 4, respectively.

Regardless of how Bradley performs at the plate, though, he should provide tremendous value for the Brewers defensively. He's been part of some excellent teams (including a World Series champion) and brings that pedigree over to Milwaukee.

The Brewers now sport a phenomenal defensive outfield with Bradley and the return of Lorenzo Cain, who won a Gold Glove during his last full season (2019). Cain opted out of the 2020 season after five games. Christian Yelich is a Gold Glove winner too, having taken home the award in 2014.

Milwaukee was looking for some extra outfield help after the team did not re-sign free agent left fielder Ryan Braun, who recently told Adam McCalvy of MLB.com that he's "not currently interested in playing."

Bradley may not provide Braun's pop, but he offers a defensive improvement and should cover a ton of ground with the rest of his outfield teammates. At any rate, he is a solid pickup for a Brewers team looking for a trip to the playoffs for the fourth straight year.

The Milwaukee Brewers are "in the mix" for free-agent outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr., per Robert Murray of FanSided.

Bradley, a homegrown star for the Boston Red Sox who has spent all eight years of his career with the team that drafted him in the first round out of South Carolina in 2011, hit .283/.364/.450 with 22 RBI and seven home runs in the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign.

A 2016 All-Star, he won a Gold Glove Award when he helped the Red Sox to a World Series championship in 2018.

A return to Boston is still possible. According to Rob Bradford of WEEI, chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom said the Red Sox remain "in touch" with Bradley's agent Scott Boras.

"Obviously as the winter has gone on we haven't let that prevent us from making other moves when we've seen opportunity to add good players that fit us and that can bolster this roster but we love Jackie and we've stayed in touch with Scott on him throughout the entire winter," Bloom said.

If Bradley doesn't return to Boston, that means the outfield that helped the team to the championship is no longer on the roster. Almost a year to the day after trading another homegrown star, Mookie Betts, to the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Red Sox sent Andrew Benintendi packing to the Kansas City Royals.

J.D. Martinez is still rostered, though he's spent most of his time with Boston as a designated hitter while seeing time on the grass.

Where Boston has completely revamped its outfield heading into 2021, the Brewers have theirs seemingly locked in. Milwaukee's three highest-paid players for the upcoming season are all outfielders in Lorenzo Cain, Christian Yelich and Avisail Garcia.

In addition to the Brewers, the New York Mets are reportedly still in the chase for the 30-year-old. Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe reported last week that the team "remains a possibility."

Bradford reported the San Francisco Giants and Houston Astros are also among teams that are interested, while MLB Network's Jon Heyman said there are "about a half dozen teams" pursuing him.

The Milwaukee Brewers aren't out on the Justin Turner sweepstakes, even after signing infielder Kolten Wong on Wednesday.

Robert Murray of Fansided reported Thursday that the team was "still in play" for the third baseman, and while the Los Angeles Dodgers are considered the favorite, Milwaukee remains interested.

MLB Network's Jon Heyman initially reported the Brewers' interest at the end of January.  

The Toronto Blue Jays, Los Angeles Dodgers and a fourth mystery team also pursued Turner, according to Heyman's initial report. 

Turner has played with the Dodgers since 2014, and Heyman reported last month that the Dodgers "remain optimistic" that they could re-sign the star to a new contract. 

In 42 games with the Dodgers last season, Turner hit .307/400/.460 en route to the World Series. 

The Brewers didn't have that level of success, finishing the season 29-31 and falling to the Dodgers in the NL Wild Card game. The situation is made even more precarious by the lack of a sure option on the hot corner. 

Eric Sogard, who played 30 games for Milwaukee at third base, is a free agent, and the team's rostered third baseman, Luis Urias, is an offensive risk. The 23-year-old slashed .239/.308/.294 last season. Upgrading to Turner would benefit Milwaukee offensively, while the 36-year-old would provide veteran and championship experience.

According to Jorge Castillo of the Los Angeles Times, Turner is looking for a four-year deal, so if the Brewers were able to get him what he's hoping for even after nabbing a two-time Gold Glove winner in Wong, they will be legitimate contenders in the NL Central. 

Infielder Kolten Wong is moving on from the St. Louis Cardinals, agreeing to a two-year, $18 million deal with the Milwaukee Brewers, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.

The contract will also reportedly include a team option for the third year.

St. Louis' loss will help out a division rival with the Brewers lineup getting significantly deeper with the new signing.

        

Brewers Projected Lineup

1. Lorenzo Cain CF

2. Kolten Wong 2B

3. Christian Yelich LF

4. Keston Hiura 1B

5. Avisail Garcia RF

6. Orlando Arcia SS

7. Omar Narvaez C

8. Luis Urias 3B

9. Pitcher

     

Key Bench Players

Daniel Vogelbach 1B/DH

Mark Mathias OF

Tyrone Taylor OF

Daniel Robertson IF

Tim Lopez OF

      

Wong reportedly declined a multiyear offer from the Cardinals in November after the team did not pick up a $12.5 million option on his contract, instead buying him out for $1 million. 

Team president John Mozeliak said he made the decision based on the organization's depth.

"I told [Wong] that with some of the uncertainties, we're just not in a position to [pick up his option]," Mozeliak said. "We both agreed to keep the door open, and so as we progress in this, it's something that we're not ruling out for a future return."

Spotrac pegged Wong's market value at $10.5 million per season and predicted he would sign a one-year deal. That kind of money put him in line with the likes of DJ LeMahieu's last deal (two years, $24 million) and Chris Taylor's two-year, $13.4 million contract.

Wong had spent his entire eight-year career with St. Louis and won Gold Gloves at second base in both 2019 and 2020. In 53 games last season, the Hawaii native slashed .265/.350/.326 with one home run and 16 RBI. He also drew 20 walks on 30 strikeouts in 208 plate appearances. 

Tommy Edman is likely to take over for Wong in the Cardinals' infield. 

Now entering his age-30 season, Wong looks to provide the Brewers with depth and veteran experience in the field while providing a solid top-of-the order option for Craig Counsell.

There could be some maneuvering in the lineup to split up the left-handers, but this adds another proven bat to the offense while giving the team more options defensively. Keston Hiura can move to first base while Luis Urias can play third, representing a more reliable infield going forward.

Looking for more depth in their lineup, the Milwaukee Brewers have reportedly agreed to a deal with free-agent second baseman Kolten Wong. 

According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, it's a two-year, $18 million contract with a third-year club option.

Rosenthal had earlier reported the Brewers and Wong were talking about a deal. 

The Brewers have been mostly quiet this offseason, with Daniel Robertson being their biggest signing in free agency prior to Wednesday.

Offense was a problem in Milwaukee last year, with Christian Yelich and Ryan Braun the only regulars still under contract who posted above-average OPS+ totals. 

Keston Hiura, the Brewers' primary starting second baseman, was a disappointment in 2020. He posted a .212/.297/.410 slash line and led the National League with 85 strikeouts in 217 at-bats. 

Hiura is only 24 years old and hit .303/.368/.570 as a rookie in 2019. There's no reason to think he can't get back to that level in a full 162-game season, but the Brewers could be looking for potential insurance in case he continues to struggle.

Wong became a free agent for the first time in November when the St. Louis Cardinals declined his $12.5 million contract option. He didn't provide much power last season—his .326 slugging percentage was the worst of his career in a full season—but he still hit for average (.265) and had a good on-base percentage (.350). 

 

If the Milwaukee Brewers want to trade Josh Hader, there are reportedly two World Series contenders who are at least showing interest in the All-Star closer.

Per ESPN's Jeff Passan, the San Diego Padres and Tampa Bay Rays are among the potential suitors for Hader. 

It's unclear if either team has made an offer to the Brewers, but Passan did note both teams have the means to create an attractive trade proposal:

"While spending big money on relievers isn't the Rays' style—and Hader could cost more than $30 million for the next three seasons—they have the deepest farm system in baseball and a manager in Kevin Cash who has proved deft with his bullpen touch. (Save the Game 6 cracks. It's true.) San Diego, on the other hand, could use a traditional closer, and general manager A.J. Preller could dip into his rotation depth to land a reliever of Hader's caliber."

The Brewers have been shopping Hader at various points in each of the past two years, though nothing has come of them possibly because of a high asking price by the team. 

Things don't appear to be any different at this point. Robert Murray of FanSided reported on Tuesday that Milwaukee's asking price is said to be "overwhelming," because the team believes him to be "the best left-handed reliever in baseball."

Hader will earn $6.675 million in 2021 and has two more years of arbitration remaining. 

The Rays are among the most creative teams in Major League Baseball with how they manage their pitching staff. Their relievers lead MLB with 1,041.2 innings pitched over the past two seasons. Their 3.62 ERA during that span ranks third in the league. 

Tampa's formula worked in 2020, with the team advancing to the World Series before losing to the Los Angeles Dodgers in six games. 

The Padres are building a potential superteam after acquiring Blake Snell and Yu Darvish to anchor their starting rotation. Their bullpen tied for 13th in MLB last season with a 4.38 ERA.

San Diego had a breakout season in 2020. The franchise made the postseason for the first time in 14 years with a 37-23 record, but were swept in the National League Division Series by the Dodgers. 

Last season was the worst year of Hader's career, though it came in a limited sample size of just 19 innings. The 26-year-old posted a 3.79 ERA with 31 strikeouts and eight hits allowed in 21 appearances. He did lead the National League with 13 saves in 15 opportunities. 

The Milwaukee Brewers announced Thursday that Sara Goodrum is their new minor league hitting coordinator, marking the first time a woman has held that position with an MLB team.

According to MLB.com's Adam McCalvy, Goodrum has actually been working in that role since October.

The 27-year-old will "oversee the Brewers’ hitting program throughout the organization, manage the hitting coaches at the team’s affiliates and, when the coronavirus pandemic fades, travel around the system to assist in player instruction," McCalvy wrote.

Goodrum has been working with the team since 2017 at its Sports Science and Integrative Sports Performance lab.

"I think [gender] is really a non-issue, where we’re at today in the game," said Brewers farm director Tom Flanagan. "Specifically, with [Goodrum], there is a familiarity with our hitters. She has been around the batting cage for the last couple of years, so there are relationships there, there’s knowledge of what we’re trying to do and what she’s trying to do. I think it’s kind of a natural progression for her."

Goodrum played Division I softball at the University of Oregon and got her master's degree in exercise and sports science at the University of Utah. Per McCalvy, she said the significance of her promotion with the Brewers did not sink in until Kim Ng was hired by the Miami Marlins, becoming the first woman to be named general manager in MLB:

"I was just like, 'OK, let’s go. This is going to be awesome. I get to think about hitting.' There were some people that were kind of like, 'This is new and maybe groundbreaking in the space.' I didn’t really think about it at first. It took me a little bit to process."

Beyond Goodrum and Ng, several other women have recently joined the MLB ranks. Alyssa Nakken is an assistant coach with the San Francisco Giants, and Rachel Folden and Rachel Balkovec are hitting coaches with the Chicago Cubs and New York Yankees minor league systems, respectively.

In addition, Bianca Smith joined the Boston Red Sox as a minor league hitting coach, becoming the first Black woman to coach professional baseball. 

Goodrum's hire was announced with the remainder of the team's minor league staff for the upcoming season. 

The Milwaukee Brewers "continue to listen to trade inquiries" on star reliever Josh Hader, according to Robert Murray of FanSided, but they are asking for an "overwhelming" return.  

Per that report, the Brewers "believe [Hader] is the best left-handed reliever in baseball."

The 26-year-old Hader and the Brewers agreed to a one-year, $6.7 million deal earlier in January to avoid arbitration. He has two years of arbitration remaining before he can become an unrestricted free agent in 2024. 

Hader has emerged as one of the game's best relievers and is a two-time All-Star. Last season, he finished 1-2 with a 3.79 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and 31 strikeouts in 19 innings (21 appearances). His 13 saves led the National League.

Still, it was a down year for Hader, who had posted three straight years with a sub-3.00 ERA and two straight years with a sub-.900 WHIP before the 2020 season. He also recorded 37 saves in 2019.

If Hader is indeed on the trade block, a vibrant market would likely materialize due to his impressive resume. Given that he's under club control for three more seasons, the Brewers can hold out for a huge offer. 

After trading Ottavino to their rival Red Sox, Yankees seem to be in market for a reliever now. Many good ones still left.

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) January 26, 2021

Teams with bullpen needs will be on alert if more reports suggest Hader is on the block. For a Brewers team that has reached the postseason in three straight years, however, holding onto him for the time being would also make plenty of sense.