How the 2018 Milwaukee Brewers were built
SELECTED/SIGNED AND DEVELOPED
Orlando Arcia
How acquired: Signed by the Milwaukee Brewers as an amateur free agent in October 2010 when he was 16 years old.
Notable: Arcia struggled with the bat this season and was even sent back to Triple-A for a spell. He improved upon his return, hitting .329 in September/October. Although he's no longer penciled into the lineup every day, perhaps his hot finish will mean that changes in the playoffs. Arcia's defense has slipped a bit as well in 2018, according to advanced metrics, but he still remains an above average shortstop.
Jacob Barnes
How acquired: Selected by the Brewers in the 14th round of the 2011 draft.
Notable: Another who has had an up-and-down season, Barnes was sent to Triple-A on three different occasions. While he's posted a decent ERA (3.33), his hits allowed (9.4/9 IP) are way up in 2018 and his strikeouts down (8.7/9 IP).
Ryan Braun
How acquired: Selected by the Brewers in the 1st round (5th overall) of the 2005 draft.
Notable: Not the MVP-type player he once was, Braun still has his moments, as evidenced recently by his big hit against the Cubs in Monday's Game 163, three homers in last week's series in St. Louis and, earlier in the year, when his first two homers were a go-ahead shot in the top of the ninth against San Diego and a walk-off homer vs. the Cardinals. Playing in 125 games, Braun hit .254 with 20 home runs and 11 stolen bases.
https://youtu.be/o-NbtYC92ig
Corbin Burnes
How acquired: Selected by the Brewers in the 4th round of the 2016 draft.
Notable: Recalled in early July, Burnes quickly became a stabilizing force in the bullpen. In 38 innings, he had a 2.61 ERA and 1.000 WHIP, allowing just 6.4 hits per nine innings, while striking out 35. Burnes was especially good down the stretch run, allowing three runs in 14 innings (1.93 ERA).
Taylor Williams
How acquired: Selected by the Brewers in the 4th round of the 2013 draft.
Notable: After some struggles in late July and August, Williams had five straight scoreless appearances in September, albeit totaling just five innings, before allowing a run on Sept. 29. He finished the season with a 4.25 ERA and 1.472 WHIP with 57 strikeouts in 53 innings.
Brandon Woodruff
How acquired: Selected by the Brewers in the 11th round of the 2014 draft.
Notable: Yet another who has gone back and forth between Triple-A and the majors in 2018, Woodruff posted a 6.32 ERA in four spot starts, but has flourished in the bullpen, allowing just six runs in 24 2/3 innings (2.19 ERA) with just five walks and 31 strikeouts in that role.
FREE AGENTS
Lorenzo Cain
How acquired: Signed with the Brewers in January 2018.
Notable: Coming back to the team which drafted him, Cain provided a spark at the top of the line and also played superior defense in center field (as expected). Cain batted .308 with a .395 on-base percentage in 2018 and was second in the National League in bWAR (6.9) and second in defensive bWAR (2.4).
https://youtu.be/CyR2OseBLjA
Jhoulys Chacin
How acquired: Signed with the Brewers in December 2017.
Notable: Perhaps an under-the-radar signing, Chacin has proved to be Milwaukee's most consistent starter in 2018, especially after April. Once the calendar turned to May, Chacin had a 3.28 ERA and an opponent slash line of .210/.286/.623. Chacin led the Brewers in wins (15 -- the only one to reach double figures), starts (35), innings (192 2/3) and strikeouts (156).
https://youtu.be/-b8XgoV8BVw
Dan Jennings
How acquired: Signed with the Brewers in March 2018.
Notable: Four days after being waived by Tampa Bay, Milwaukee had itself a valuable left-handed setup man. Not surprisingly, Jennings was much more effective facing lefties (slash line of .226/.266/.304) than righties (.320/.399/.528). Overall, he had 3.22 ERA and 1.383 WHIP.
Wade Miley
How acquired: Signed with the Brewers in February 2018.
Notable: Originally signed to a minor-league contract, Miley's season was waylaid at the start due to injuries. After a couple of May outings, Miley rejoined the team and the rotation in July -- and was stellar. He finished with a 2.57 ERA, never having allowed more than three earned runs in any of his 16 starts (and no more than four unearned). However, he allowed seven runs (six earned) on nine hits in his last two appearances of the season.
Eric Thames
How acquired: Signed with the Brewers in November 2016.
Notable: A revelation in 2017, hitting 31 home runs, injuries curtailed Thames' season as did the production of Jesus Aguilar. Thames resided mainly on the bench down the stretch, making only two starts in September. He actually played more games in the outfield (37 with 31 starts) than first base (29/27). He hit .219 on the season with 16 homers and was just 4 for 28 (.143) as a pinch hitter.
WAIVER CLAIMS
Jesus Aguilar
How acquired: Selected off waivers by the Brewers from the Cleveland Indians in February 2017.
Notable: A valuable sub in 2017, Aguilar made waves of being the most valuable in 2018. Aguilar slowed down after a monster first half (.298/.373/.621, 24 HR, 70 RBI), which saw him make the All-Star Game, but still finished at .274/.352/.539 with 35 homers and 108 RBI.
https://youtu.be/5t3yV4Rw940
Junior Guerra
How acquired: Selected off waivers by the Brewers from the Chicago White Sox in October 2015.
Notable: Guerra pitched well in the first half of the season (3.23 ERA) but slumped in the second half (6.02 ERA) and was moved to the bullpen in early September, where he pitched six scoreless innings. Interestingly, Guerra pitched much better at Miller Park this season (2.48 ERA in 90 2/3 innings) than on the road (6.97 ERA in 50 1/3 innings).
Jordan Lyles
How acquired: Selected off waivers by the Brewers from the San Diego Padres in August 2018.
Notable: Not exactly a deadline deal, but when the Padres looked to shed Lyles and his contract, Milwaukee picked him up. Lyles pitched 16 1/3 innings in 11 games for Milwaukee, posting a 3.31 ERA with 22 strikeouts. He also scored the game-winning run against Pittsburgh on Aug. 24, after walking in the 15th. As we saw this year, every win counted.
Hernan Perez
How acquired: Selected off waivers by the Brewers from the Detroit Tigers in June 2015.
Notable: Technically, Perez was signed as a free agent in November of 2015 after being granted free agency following his first half-season with the Brewers, but since he got a minor-league deal (at the time), it seems appropriate to list how he was initially acquired since many players re-sign on minor-league contracts. Perez was once again Milwaukee's super-utility player, appearing at every position except catcher in 2018. He played in 132 games and batted .253 with nine homers and 11 steals.
DEADLINE DEALS
Xavier Cedeno
How acquired: Traded by the Chicago White Sox to the Brewers for Bryan Connell and Johan Dominguez on Aug. 31.
Notable: Cedeno didn't fare well in Game 163, allowing two baserunners, but the lefty allowed one run in eight innings overall in 15 games with the Brewers. Connell hit .219 in 21 games with Helena after slugging .512 in the Dominican Summer League. The 22-year-old Dominguez pitched just 35 innings with four Rookie ball teams, but had an 0.77 ERA and 0.83 WHIP.
Gio Gonzalez
How acquired: Traded by the Washington Nationals with international bonus slot money to the Brewers for KJ Harrison and Gilbert Lara on Aug. 31.
Notable: Maybe a change of scenery is what Gonzalez needed after all. In five starts with the Brewers, he allowed six earned runs (2.13 ERA) on 14 hits (0.947 WHIP) with 22 strikeouts. This after posting a 4.57 ERA and 1.531 WHIP in 27 starts with the Nationals. Harrison, a third round pick in 2017, batted .228 with 12 homers and the 20-year-old Lara hit .249, both for Single-A Wisconsin.
Curtis Granderson
How acquired: Traded by the Toronto Blue Jays to the Brewers for Demi Orimoloye on Aug. 31.
Notable: Granderson started 10 games for the Brewers, including six between Sept. 17-23, and had 54 plate appearances in total. While he hit just .220, Granderson had a .407 on-base percentage, best among all Milwaukee position players regardless of playing time, and a .439 slugging percentage.
Mike Moustakas
How acquired Traded by the Kansas City Royals to the Brewers for Jorge Lopez and Brett Phillips on July 27.
Notable: With the Brewers already having Travis Shaw, like Moustakas a left-handed hitter, this acquisition was a bit of a surprise. After a slow start with his new team, Moustakas was pretty steady, batting .256 with eight home runs and 33 RBI in 54 games. The popular Phillips hit .188 for Kansas City in 36 games while Lopez had a 6.35 ERA in seven starts, although he did flirt with a no-hitter.
Jonathan Schoop
How acquired: Traded by the Baltimore Orioles to the Brewers for Jean Carmona, Luis Ortiz and Jonathan Villar on July 31.
Notable: With Shaw moved to second base, the addition of Schoop, like Moustakas, was something of a surprise. Schoop never really got on track with Milwaukee, batting .202 in 46 games. In September he was mainly relegated to platoon situations, starting when the Brewers faced a left-handed starting pitcher. Ortiz got a late recall to Baltimore, but allowed six runs (four earned) in 2 1/3 innings before being injured and shut down. Villar hit .256/.336/.392 with eight home runs and 21 steals for the O's. Carmona, an 18-year-old shortstop, had a .406 slugging percentage for Helena, but hit just .226/.280/.301 with Baltimore's Low-A affiliate in Aberdeen.
Joakim Soria
How acquired: Traded by the Chicago White Sox with cash to the Brewers for Kodi Medeiros and Wilber Perez on July 26.
Notable: Soria missed a little time with the Brewers and finished with a 4.09 ERA, 1.091 WHIP and 26 strikeouts in 22 innings. He pitched big down the stretch, with five straight scoreless appearances. He picked up wins against Detroit on Sept. 28-29 and got a big strikeout of Chicago's Javier Baez with the score tied, two down and two on base in the sixth inning in Game 163. The left-handed Medeiros was Milwaukee's first-round pick in 2014. He posted a 4.98 ERA and 1.54 WHIP in seven starts with Double-A Birmingham after the trade. Perez had a 1.80 ERA and 0.90 WHIP in six appearances for Chicago's Dominican Summer League team.
OTHER TRADES
Chase Anderson
How acquired: Traded by the Arizona Diamondbacks with Isan Diaz, Aaron Hill and cash to the Brewers for Jean Segura and Tyler Wagner in January 2016.
Notable: Anderson posted decent numbers in 2018 with a 3.93 ERA and 1.190 WHIP, but he allowed 1.7 HR/9 (up from 0.9 in 2017) and his strikeouts dipped from 8.5/9 IP last year to 7.3. Anderson had a 5.61 ERA in August but turned it around in September with a 3.06. However, he was passed over late in the year by manager Craig Counsell during key series vs. St. Louis and Detroit. He hasn't pitched since Sept. 18.
Keon Broxton
How acquired: Traded by the Pittsburgh Pirates with Trey Supak to the Brewers for Jason Rogers in December 2015.
Notable: Broxton got into 51 games for Milwaukee but with just 89 plate appearances as his role has turned into a late-inning defensive replacement, pinch hitter and pinch runner. He hit .179 but with a .410 slugging percentage. Rogers, by the way, had just 33 PA with the Pirates in 2016 while Supak, a lefty, had a nice season in Double-A this year (2.48 ERA, 1.13 WHIP).
Zach Davies
How acquired: Traded by the Baltimore Orioles to the Brewers for Gerardo Parra in July 2015.
Notable: Davies was a nice haul for a rental piece in Parra, who hit .237 in 55 games for Baltimore before leaving in free agency, but injuries might have hindered him this season. After a couple of solid years, Davies posted a 4.77 ERA -- his first season over 4 -- in 13 starts.
Josh Hader
How acquired: Traded by the Houston Astros with Adrian Houser, Brett Phillips and Domingo Santana to the Brewers for Mike Fiers, Carlos Gomez and cash in July 2015.
Notable: This trade seems to have worked out for Milwaukee. Houser is still in the system, Phillips was traded for Moustakas and Santana will touch on below. Fiers had a 4.59 ERA in his 2+ years in Houston and Gomez was released by the team in 2016. Meanwhile, Hader was lights out in 2018, allowing just 4.0 hits per 9 innings while striking out 15.8 per 9, with a 46.7 strikeout percentage. All of these are among the best in MLB history.
https://youtu.be/mZYyX5vf5vo
Jeremy Jeffress
How acquired: Traded by the Texas Rangers to the Brewers for Tayler Scott in July 2017.
Notable: Jeffress was a first-round pick of Milwaukee in 2006, but this is his fourth stint with the team since debuting in 2010. Jeffress had another strong season with the Brewers, recording career bests in ERA (1.29), WHIP (0.991) and K/9 (10.4). Scott, 26, had a 3.26 ERA and 1.40 WHIP in 44 games at Triple-A Round Rock.
Corey Knebel
How acquired: Traded by the Texas Rangers with Marcos Diplan and Luis Sardinas to the Brewers for Yovani Gallardo and cash in January 2015.
Notable: Milwaukee's closer went through a rough stretch and was sent to Triple-A, but he finished with a flourish. Knebel tossed 16 1/3 scoreless innings in September/October, allowing just five hits and three walks while striking out 33 (that's an 0.490 WHIP and 18.2 K/9). Overall on the season he had a 3.58 ERA, 1.084 WHIP, 14.3 K/9 and 16 saves.
Eric Kratz
How acquired: Traded by the New York Yankees to the Brewers for a player to be named later (Wendell Rijo) in May 2018.
Notable: Needing some catching help, the Brewers went out and got the 38-year-old Kratz, who was playing in Triple-A. He ended up with a career- high 219 plate appearances and hit .236 with six homers. Kratz threw out 30 percent of attempted basestealers, which was better than the league average of 28 percent. Rijo was hitting only .200/.304/.375 in 32 games for Double-A Biloxi and after the trade batted .217/.297/.286 for the Yankees' Double-A team in Trenton.
Freddy Peralta
How acquired: Traded by the Seattle Mariners with Carlos Herrera and Daniel Missaki to the Brewers for Adam Lind in December 2015.
Notable: Peralta made his debut as a 21-year-old and allowed one hit in 5 2/3 shutout innings while striking out 13 against Colorado. He had his ups and downs after that -- in two June starts he pitched 13 scoreless innings, walking one and striking out 17, struggled with his control in July and didn't make a start in September, appearing in just two games. Overall he had a 4.25 ERA but allowed just 5.9 hits per 9 innings while striking out 11.0 per 9. By the way, Adam Lind hit .239 with 20 home runs in his only year in Seattle and didn't play this past season.
Manny Pina
How acquired: The Detroit Tigers sent a player to be named later and Javier Betancourt to the Brewers for Francisco Rodriguez in November 2015. A month later, Pina was the PTBNL.
Notable: After taking over as Milwaukee's regular catcher in 2017, Pina slipped a bit in '18, partly due to injuries, batting .252 with nine home runs, the latter tying his career high set last year. Down the stretch, he split time with Kratz behind the plate. K-Rod did have 44 saves for Detroit in 2016, but was hit hard in '17 and is out of baseball.
Domingo Santana
How acquired: Traded by the Houston Astros with Josh Hader, Adrian Houser and Brett Phillips to the Brewers for Mike Fiers, Carlos Gomez and cash in July 2015.
Notable: Santana had a breakout season in 2017, but became the odd man out after Milwaukee acquired Cain and Christian Yelich and he got off to a slow start. Sent to the minors, Santana re-emerged in September as a quality pinch hitter, batting .409/.458/.909 in that role in the final month. Overall, he hit .265/.328/.412 with five home runs.
Travis Shaw
How acquired: Traded by the Boston Red Sox with a player to be named later (Yeison Coca), Mauricio Dubon and Josh Pennington to the Milwaukee Brewers for Tyler Thornburg in December 2016.
Notable: We're not sure why Boston wanted to get rid of Shaw, but for the second straight season he topped 30 home runs, hitting a career-high 32. Moving over to a second base platoon -- which he never before had played in the majors -- with the arrival of Moustakas and Schoop, Shaw batted .241/.345/.480 with 73 runs and 86 RBI. Thornburg missed the entire 2017 season and had a 5.63 ERA in 24 innings for Boston this year.
https://youtu.be/p4kcN6Vbd6k
Christian Yelich
How acquired: Traded by the Miami Marlins to the Brewers for Isan Diaz, Monte Harrison, Jordan Yamamoto and Lewis Brinson in January 2018.
Notable: Milwaukee dealt some top prospects to obtain Yelich from the salary-dumping Marlins and we'd say that trade worked out pretty well for the Brewers. Yelich is expected to be named NL MVP after becoming the first Brewers player to win the batting crown (.326). He also led the NL in slugging percentage (.598), OPS (1.000) and total bases (343) while barely missing out on the Triple Crown, finishing with 36 home runs, 110 RBI, 118 runs and 22 stolen bases. Oh, and he's signed through 2021 with a team option for 2022. We'll say it again: this trade worked out pretty well for the Brewers.
https://youtu.be/yKzHNiWBq9A