Brewers Get: Christian Yelich: 18 HR, .282/.369/.439, 16 SB, 115 wRC+, 4.5 fWAR
Marlins Get: Lewis Brinson: 2 HR, .106/.236/.277, 1 SB, 30 wRC+, -0.2 fWAR
Minor leaguers Isan Diaz: 13 HR, .222/.334/.376, 9 SB, 104 wRC+ at High Class A
Monte Harrison: 21 HR, .272/.350/.481, 27 SB, 135 wRC+ at Class A and High Class A
Jordan Yamamoto: 9-4, 2.51 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 113/30 K/BB, 111 IP at High Class A
This Marlins-Brewers trade is clearly a lot to take in, and I think both sides were big winners here. First, we'll talk about the Brewers and Christian Yelich. To get him, the Brewers dealt from positions of depth, namely outfield (Brinson and Harrison), middle infield (Diaz), and the mound (Yamamoto). Because they had depth at these positions, despite the quality of the prospects given up, the farm system won't hurt too bad, especially with regards to Yelich coming on board., who will play all of 2018 at 26 years old, has a very team-friendly contract with four years and $44.5 million left on it, which could be turned into a five year deal worth $58.25 million if they skip the buyout and pick up his $15 million option for 2022. Simply put, he'll be a Brewer for a long time and he won't be overly expensive. The Milwaukee super outfield, which before the trade consisted of Ryan Braun, Keon Broxton, and Domingo Santana with Lewis Brinson and Brett Phillips as backups, now includes Braun, Yelich, and Lorenzo Cain, who was signed on the same day, with Santana and Broxton serving as backups. Santana and Broxton may be the two best backup outfielders in the league, as Santana cracked 30 home runs with a .371 on-base percentage last year, while Broxton hit 20 homers and stole 21 bases. In my opinion, they have to trade one of them and get something of value in return, because both (especially Santana) would be worth more as another team's starter than as a Brewers backup. Yelich can hit at or near the top of the lineup with Cain to set up for Braun, Eric Thames, Travis Shaw, and Orlando Arcia. Yelich himself is a complete player who hasn't gotten much attention due to playing in Miami, but he is coming off back to back 4.5 win seasons. In 2016, he slashed .298/.376/.483 with 21 home runs and nine stolen bases for a 132 wRC+, and in 2017, he slashed .282/.369/.439 with 16 home runs and 16 stolen bases for a 115 wRC+. Fangraphs liked his defense and base running better in 2017, which enabled him to match his 4.5 fWAR from 2016 despite the lower offense. He also had interesting home/road splits, slashing .271/.356/.401 with seven home runs at pitcher-friendly Marlins Park but upping his line to .292/.380/.472 with nine home runs on the road. Considering Milwaukee's Miller Park tends to lean hitter-friendly, his numbers could get a big boost. This is huge for the Brewers. For his career, the Southern California native has 59 home runs, a .290/.369/.432 slash line, 72 stolen bases, and 17.2 fWAR over 643 games, all with the Marlins.
Going back to Miami is a massive haul of prospects, and for once, I think the Marlins did very well. First off, Lewis Brinson is a potential star who could, at best case scenario, single handedly replace Yelich on the team. One of those "mega-athletes," Brinson was selected 29th overall out of a Florida high school in 2012, and while it took him some time to climb the ladder, he's ready to make a big impact in 2018. Missing time in the minors due to a hamstring injury, he still slashed .331/.400/.562 with 13 home runs and 11 stolen bases in 76 games for AAA Colorado Springs, an admittedly Coors Field-type atmosphere, but still good enough for a 146 wRC+. His 62/32 strikeout to walk ratio wasn't remarkable, but given the type of player Brinson is, it's good enough and the Marlins will take it. He struggled a bit in his 21 games in the majors, slashing .106/.236/.277 with a pair of home runs in 21 games, but he did draw seven walks in 55 plate appearances. With his combination of power and speed, he could be a star in Miami. He turns 24 in May. Second baseman Isan Diaz isn't coming off his best season, as he slashed just .222/.334/.376 with 13 home runs for High Class A Carolina, but there is reason to believe there is more in the tank. The 70th overall pick in the 2014 draft out of a western Massachusetts high school, he has a powerful uppercut swing with some nice bat speed that reminds many of Cody Bellinger. He has trouble recognizing pitches and putting the barrel to the ball (evidenced by a 26.6% strikeout rate this year), but he is patient and can draw a walk as well (13.6% walk rate). If he can get his hands and his eyes in sync, he could be a starting second baseman in the majors with some pop. He turns 22 in May. Monte Harrison was another high draft pick, having been taken 50th overall in the same 2014 as Diaz out of a Kansas City-area high school, though it took until this year to get going. After three mediocre seasons, he began 2017 at Class A Wisconsin, and he finally got his bat going by slashing .265/.359/.475 with 11 home runs and 11 stolen bases in 63 games. Promoted to High Class A Carolina, he handled the transition with ease, slashing .278/.341/.487 with 10 home runs and 16 stolen bases in 59 games. His walk rate may have dropped from 11.1% to 5.6%, but given that the rest of his game transitioned up without a hitch, it's a success. Compare it to his three mediocre seasons before hand (where he hit 12 total home runs in 204 games). He has work to do to maintain this success, and he turns 23 in August so he's not the youngest prospect around, but he's certainly trending in the right direction. Lastly, Jordan Yamamoto, a 12th round pick from the same 2014 draft out of a Hawaii high school, had a decent breakout season at Class A Wisconsin in 2016 (3.82 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 152/31 K/BB) before really coming into his own at High Class A Carolina this year. In 22 games (18 starts), Yamamoto went 9-4 with a 2.51 ERA, a 1.09 WHIP, and a 113/30 strikeout to walk ratio 111 innings. In his final four starts, he tossed 27 shutout innings on 17 hits, four walks, and 27 strikeouts. He should be ready for AA in 2018, and he turns 22 in May.
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