Freddy Gets Breaded Up

The five year contract extension and two team options that could keep Freddy Peralta a Brewer through the 2026 season seems like a win for both parties. Freddy has now set his family up for life with a guaranteed $15.5 mill and the opportunity to add another $14.5 mill if the two options years are picked up by the Brewers. The Brewers lock up a very talented, young (23 yo) pitcher who's role is not defined yet but has shown great flashes as both a starting pitcher and reliever. And for Freddy, if he strives over the next seven years in either role or a combination he will be a free agent again at age 30 and have a chance to cash in one more time for a payday.

For the Brewers this seemed like an absolute no brainer. To lock up a young player with the potential of Freddy Peralta at this kind of cost there is hardly any risk. If he is only mildly effective or worse he flames out you are only out $15.5 mill, that is not going to sink your ship by any means. If he strives as either a starter or a high leverage reliever they will have a steal of a deal. For Freddy there is no doubt he could end up leaving quite a bit of money on the table if he fully realizes the potential of the flashes he has shown in both roles. But now knowing he is going to make the club in some fashion could be just what he needs to relax and just go out there and shove and be the pitcher we all hope he can be. That security can he huge for some players.

For me, I still think I like Freddy best as a high leverage, relief ace type pitcher. A right handed Josh Hader perhaps if they can use Peralta in the same way they use Hader. His stuff overall has ticked up from 2018 to 2019, but it really seemed he was able to let it go when coming out of the pen in smaller bursts than trying to go deep into games as a starter. But I will gladly say I was wrong if this new slider Freddy is throwing is legit and he can be a reliable starter for the Brewers, we know he can flash that with his big league debut for the Rockies on Mother's Day in 2018 and his gem he tossed against the Reds in April of 2019. But to truly breakout and have consistent success in either role he will have to improve on his current career 4.2/BB9. He gets a lot of swings and misses in the zone, he just has to keep throwing it in the zone and master his command.

Brewing Thoughts 2/25/20

The games are essentially meaningless exhibitions and the final score really doesn't matter and we all soon forget it after we hear it. But there sure is something special those first few times in February/March when you hear Mr. Baseball's voice back on the airwaves. Just is such a good feeling. Hearing the crack of the bat, snap of the glove and on TV yesterday seeing how the new uni's actually look on the players while they're playing the game. Damn it sure is awesome to have baseball back in our lives, isn't it?

Chad Spanberger the guy the Crew got back from Toronto for Chase Anderson hit a dinger yesterday. And I'll be honest, that was the first time I ever saw him. He is a pretty big dude, really put together. Hopefully he can make more contact and really tap into some of that raw power he possess.

I know Counsell said there was a competition for the final rotation spot between Lauer, Peralta and Burnes. But unless he really unravels I don't know how you don't give it to Lauer. He is probably the safest bet of the three. I still like Freddy as a potential elite reliever so I hope they just put him in the pen and let him be. And as much as I love Burnes as a bounce back candidate this year, I think it might be best for him to start down in San Antonio and he is the first call if any injury arises at the big league level. It was pretty cool to hear about his 94mph slider he got a whiff on. Corbin clearly has top notch special stuff, but can he put it in the locations where hitters are not going to crush it for HR after HR again like 2019?

I never followed Brett Anderson on Twitter until about a month ago or so. But from listening to the Starting 9 Podcast when Dallas and Jared would talk about Brett I knew it was pretty good stuff. Well, it really is. He doesn't tweet a lot, but when he does it is usually funny, smart and witty. You should follow up as well, @_BAnderson30_. You will enjoy it.

Brewing Thoughts 2/16/20

Excited to hear that Freddy Peralta added a slider to his pitch repertoire while pitching in winter ball. We all heard the stories all offseason how dominate he was in winter ball, which while it's not nothing to sneeze at, having a good winter ball and having a good MLB season are two totally different things. But don't get me wrong, I'm at least hopeful that he really did figure something out with this slider and adding it to his fastball that played up out of the pen in addition to a curve that somtimes looked absolutely filthy. Maybe we see a full season of the nasty Peralta we saw occasionally out of the bullpen in the 2018 playoffs and the 2019 regular season. Sure would be helpful to guys like Hader, Knebel and Suter to make our pen one of the best in the league again.

Josh Hader lost his arbitration case to the Brewers so he will *only* earn $4.1 mil in 2020. The $6.4 mil he and his representation filed for which would have been the record for a relief pitcher in his first year, sure seemed like a tall hill to climb. But I can't really blame them, Hader has been pretty much far and away the best RP in MLB for the past two seasons. And honestly he is more than worth the $6.4 mil, but looks like not having many saves in 2017 and 2018 hurt his cause. It certainly isn't "fair" but it's just the way of an old, somewhat broken arbitration system. Due to his Super 2 status he achieved he gets three more years of arb. I am sure the next few years he will earn much more if he continues to pitch like he has and for his sake and the Brewers sake I sure hope he does.

Was fun to see our MVP Christian Yelich show up at NBA All-Star Saturday night in Chicago and lend an assist to Milwaukee Bucks guard Pat Connaughton in the dunk contest. Yelich rocking a old school Kareem Bucks jersey and used as a prop for Pat doing the "White Men Can't Jump" dunk. Let's be honest, anytime our athletes of our teams crossover and show up to support the other teams in the state we are always going to mark out for it. At least I know I will. Just glad Yeli was left unscathed and will be in AZ in just a day or two to report to camp.

So happy for Brent Suter, a former 31st round pick out of Harvard signs a 2 year deal to avoid arbitration (which a hearing was going to be held tomorrow). $2.5 mil guaranteed for The Raptor. Pretty awesome for a guy picked that late, doesn't throw hard at all and had TJ surgery in 2018. He was obviously huge down the stretch last season for the Brewers when he returned and they will need more of that in 2020 to compete. He has become a huge fan favorite with his quirky personalty and how fast he works on the mound. For me, I look forward to watching him pitch as much as I do Hader. He should be huge as a multi inning RP in 2020 and possibly as a spot starter depending on the health of the top five SP going into camp.