Three questions facing Brewers after trade deadline

Now that the trade deadline has passed, the Brewers have a plethora of bullpen arms, which is not a bad thing. They have a couple very exciting prospects as well. What is left, though, are three glaring questions.

No. 1. Why Is Pedro Severino Still on the Brewers Roster?

I am sure that Pedro Severino is a good person. Aside from his positive test for PED’s and subsequent suspension, there have been no negative headlines about him as a person. However, that does not adequately defend his current placement on the Brewers’ roster.

The Brewers did not trade Omar Narvaez at the deadline, though they were shopping both him and Kolten Wong for the last three weeks. As it stands, though, Narvaez remains on the roster. Victor Caratini, too, remains on the roster, whom the Brewers had to acquire as a result of Severino’s suspension. At the moment, the Brewers have three catchers on their roster. Why?

If Severino was regularly contributing at the plate, helping the Brewers at least make the playoffs, it would be understandable. However, since his return he is hitting .222/.333/.333 in eight games and 18 at bats. Severino has struck out in seven of these at bats, including one with the bases loaded in the Brewers’ 5-3 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Keston Hiura is hitting .318/.444/.682 with five home runs and 16 RBI in Triple-A. While with the Brewers this season, Hiura led the team with a .805 OPS while slashing .235/.354/.451. Now, I am not saying that Hiura is perfect. However, he can play first base, second base and left field. Severino, on the other hand, can play catcher and first base (I guess). They are both right-handed hitters, and Hiura is clearly the better hitter. Severino is not getting any consistent playing time behind Narvaez and Caratini at catcher, or Rowdy Tellez at first.

Therefore, we must ask, why is he on the roster?

No. 2. What Is the Plan With All of These Highly Regarded Triple-A Outfielders?

Lost in the excitement of the trade deadline was the news that the Brewers promoted three of their top four prospects to Triple-A Nashville. Sal Frelick (No. 2 prospect), Joey Wiemer (No. 3 prospect), and Garrett Mitchell (No. 4 prospect) have all joined the Sounds. Frelick got off to a hot start, lacing a double to the opposite field on the first pitch he saw with the Sounds.

In addition, one of the prospects that the Brewers acquired for Josh Hader, Esteury Ruiz, was sent to Triple-A. While in the Padres’ system, he hit .333/.467/.560 with 13 home runs, 46 RBI and 60 stolen bases. After coming to the Milwaukee organization, he was ranked as the ninth-best prospect in the Brewers’ minor-league system.

This means that four of the Brewers top-10 prospects are all outfielders in Nashville. Jackson Chourio, the Brewers’ top prospect, is also an outfielder, though still a couple of years away from making it to the majors. With so many exciting players all playing outfield, one has to wonder what the near future of the Brewers’ outfield will look like.

Christian Yelich, of course, is under contract until after the 2029 season. Tyrone Taylor still has four years of team control remaining before free agency. Hunter Renfroe has one more year of arbitration after this season before becoming a free agent. Let us not forget, as mentioned before, Keston Hiura has been playing outfield as well. We would also be remiss if he did not mention Jonathan Davis, who was called up after Lorenzo Cain was designated for assignment.

With all of these up-and-coming prospects so close to the majors, perhaps we should re-word our question: who is getting traded this offseason?

#3. If the Brewers Can’t Afford Josh Hader, Who Can They Afford?

The Brewers traded Josh Hader to maximize his value before he hits free agency in 2024. At that point, he is expected to garner the richest contract ever for a relief pitcher. Ryan Finkelstein of Just Baseball wrote earlier this year that Hader could be the first relief pitcher to get a $100 million contract.

Obviously, the Brewers were not able (or willing) to meet whatever contract demands Josh Hader may have. In a couple of seasons, they will face similar decisions with Corbin Burnes, Brandon Woodruff and Devin Williams. If giving Andrew McCutchen $8.5 million “ broke the bank” then what will signing their three best pitchers do? Are they Brewers even planning on trying to extend one, two, or all three of them?