Milwaukee Brewers Roundtable: The Ideal Future Outfield

With a plethora of outfielders in the Milwaukee Brewers system, the team will have some decisions to make very soon regarding who will stay and who will go. This ideal future outfield is not for just this upcoming season but for the future championship ballclub we all hope to see. 

The outfield has been a hot topic of discussion amongst Milwaukee Brewers fans. With so many options for only three spots, it can be difficult to see what the future holds at the position. There are five outfielders capable of starting currently on the roster and there isn’t enough playing time to go around.

The biggest issue in the outfield is the contract of Ryan Braun. While Braun has been an MVP caliber player in the past, his guaranteed contract paying him $20 million in 2018 prevents a lot of the best plans for organizing the outfield from going into effect. Braun doesn’t seem to be heading out of town anytime soon and if he’s healthy, he’s going to play.

So that leaves four capable outfielders battling for only two spots. Domingo Santana has certainly played well enough to start after a breakout 2017 campaign where he smashed 30 long balls. So Santana guarantees himself a spot when he’s healthy. With Braun healthy in left field Santana has to stay in right.

That leaves three capable starting outfielders, Keon Broxton, Lewis Brinson, and Brett Phillips, all battling for one starting spot in center field. There isn’t enough playing time to get all three of them in there and get enough at-bats. So what can the Milwaukee Brewers do? Either one or two of them must return to Triple-A or be on the trade block. None of these three would stay in the minor leagues for much longer. So a trade seems to be the likely option.

But who to trade? How will the outfield line up after a move happens? What about the prospects behind these five at the major league level? All those questions and more answered in this Reviewing the Brew Roundtable.

Trevor

This is a difficult situation for the Milwaukee Brewers to assess. There are too many moving parts to really get a grasp on the topic. There are guys who are ready, and who will be ready soon. This means some substantial contracts and potential trades on the horizon.

The only certainty in the situation is that the Crew will not be hurting for outfielders anytime soon. There is quite simply too much talent and too much potential patrolling the grass. Ideally, the real run for the Brewers will come in 2019, and by then the outfield picture should be pretty clear one way or another. For me, it reads Domingo Santana, Keon Broxton/Lewis Brinson, and Brett Phillips from left to right.

Trades

There will be somebody in this group leaving soon. It might not be this offseason. I do not see Phillips or Santana as a piece moving, however. The centerfield position is the tricky part. As of right now, Broxton is expendable. However, a greater return will be had for Brinson. That might be the more beneficial move to make a run at a ring.

Brinson looks more like a moving piece to get a top flight arm to solidify the rotation, which will be important in a long run. The only real return for Broxton would be either a mid level arm, a decent second baseman, or a couple average prospects. That is up to David Stearns based on what he wants.

I am dealing Brinson in this scenario. Broxton is a perennial 20/20 player, which is not a slouching bat from centerfield. The potential return from Brinson is too helpful to ignore and decide to keep. They are far from the only trade options, but they appear as the most likely at this point.

Monte Harrison and Corey Ray also pose as great options to trade. One is playing well below expectations, and one is blowing by any and all expectations. Both pose as options to get the same type of return as Brinson, but a lesser extent. Instead of an ace, it would more than likely be an established second in the rotation.

Contracts

As seen with the Ryan Braun contract, these are tricky. But as players start to reach this point in time, Stearns will have to decide who is worth keeping. Now, the good news is that a lot of these contracts are still a few years off. That means the core will have a chance to prove themselves, and that is who can be given the contract. It is just something to keep in the back of the mind for now.

Final Thoughts

There are only two. If Phillips can continue to grow and hit the ball, his potential fills out best in right field. He needs to start there as soon as possible. Braun makes that very hard to do, however.

And to close out, coming up in the system is another potential stud in Je’von Ward. He is 6’5” with speed, and he is not yet 20 years old. That is just a name to keep in mind, as it will throw another wrench in this logjam of outfielders. It is a good problem to have though. A very good problem.

David

You make some very good points Trevor, but I have to disagree with you slightly. When it comes between Keon Broxton and Lewis Brinson, Broxton will be on the trading block. While Keon may be a perennial 20/20 player, Brinson is going to be a perennial 30/30 player and that potential is going to lead to him being kept over Broxton.

Yes, Brinson would bring the large return, most likely including a front of the rotation starter. However, I don’t think David Stearns is ready to make that move just yet. He wants to see what he has in Brinson first.

That being the case, the ideal outfield for me has Domingo Santana in left, Lewis Brinson in center, and Brett Phillips in right. Ryan Braun is under contract for three more seasons, and his contract is more movable every day. He’s going to receive $20 million in 2018, $19 million in 2019, and only $16 million in 2020. If he puts together a healthy 2018 season, I could easily see him back on the trade market next offseason despite the many free agent options. Whether or not he would accept is trade is another dispute.

If not traded, Braun could also be on the move to first base. It won’t happen this year but maybe in 2019 with Eric Thames in the last year of his contract. Braun has shown in the past he’s willing to move positions for the good of the team. He’s said himself that he’s open to another position change.

With Braun either traded or moved to first base, that clears the way for Santana to move to left and Phillips to take over in right. Brinson will win in a battle with Keon Broxton to be the starting centerfielder.

I agree that Corey Ray is likely trade bait and Trent Grisham also makes sense to be on the move. But Monte Harrison is one guy I think David Stearns should keep for now. He was finally healthy in 2017 and put together a great regular season and Arizona Fall League. His stock is still rising and he could be another future superstar.

In the event that Harrison continues to improve, perhaps Domingo Santana becomes expendable. The team is already shopping him to clear room in the outfield. Harrison then takes over left field with Brinson in center and Phillips in right.

Bottom line, the Milwaukee Brewers have plenty of options to put together a great outfield in the future. Phillips belongs in right field and Brinson offers the most potential of all the center field prospects. Domingo Santana is the first option for left field. Monte Harrison is not too far behind.

John

The Milwaukee Brewers best chance to acquire a frontline starting pitcher is to trade either Lewis Brinson or Domingo Santana. With Jimmy Nelson on the shelf, either one of these players will net an impact pitcher.

They don’t necessarily have to trade anybody right now, but they will need to soon. This is where it’s like a game of chicken for general manager David Stearns. Should he trade Santana now, while he’s at the peak of his value, while banking on Brinson reaching his potential? Or trade Brinson before he can damage his trade value at all? I say trade them both as soon as you can.

By trading BOTH Brinson and Santana, the Crew has the ability to do more than just land a frontline starting pitcher. They could get that, as well as complimentary pieces toward the future. Trading these two barely even dents the depth in Milwaukee’s minor league system.

Unfortunately, Ryan Braun and his contract aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. After seeing Adam Lind patrol left for the Nationals last season, I’m convinced ANYBODY can play out there. However, Braun’s future should be at first base. He will however still see plenty of time in left during the ’18 season.

That leaves us with Keon Broxton in centerfield for Milwaukee in 2018, and possibly beyond. He has already shown his 20/20 abilities while flashing a lot of leather. The Brewers still have four more years of control over Broxton, and right now they would be selling low if they traded him. Think about how long it took Carlos Gomez to reach his potential, Broxton could be that same type of player.

If Broxton doesn’t work out, Corey Ray will be the same type of high-risk-high-reward player in center. At worst Ray would be Broxton, but with more years of control. At best, he could be a true threat, everywhere on the diamond. His stock is down right now, but all it takes is that one hot streak to get you going again.

After Braun shifts to first in the coming years, there’s still players like Monte Harrison, Lucas Erceg, or any number of quality outfielders still making their way through the system. If we have Erceg or Harrison playing in left, possibly along with Braun, in 2019 and beyond, I’m feeling pretty good about the future.

It’s pretty obvious to any Brewers fan who the future right fielder is. Brett Phillips has the type of arm strength that puts him in the same conversation as some of the greats. By playing Phillips in right, he can cover any weakness they may have in the outfield. It’s possible that he’ll struggle to hit, but everybody thought Orlando Arcia would struggle to hit too. That went pretty well for Milwaukee last season.

In the end though, it really is a win-win situation for this organization. Trade two possible stars for at least a top-notch pitcher, or hold onto both of them. Play Santana in left, with Brinson in center, and Phillips in right. Either way, David Stearns can do no wrong right now.

Isaac

In a perfect world, the Brewers would be able to send out an outfield of Domingo Santana, Lewis Brinson and Brett Phillips in the outfield from left to right. Is this totally feasible? Perhaps not, especially if the Milwaukee Brewers hope to land an impact starter this offseason. However, this is an outfield alignment that is downright lethal if all of them live up to their potential.

Starting with left field, Santana seems like a good fit if Phillips is around to take over in right field. Sure, some may think that Santana reached his peak last season with a 30-homer season, making it seem like now is the optimal time to trade him in case a regression is on the horizon. I see it differently, though.

Even if Santana is unable to replicate his 2017 season in the coming years, his floor in my mind is roughly 25 home runs and a .260 batting average. This may be a bit underwhelming to some given his lofty expectations, but i will gladly take this production in the middle of the order.

Other options in left field could be Ryan Braun or even Monte Harrison further down the line. But I think having a relatively proven young outfielder in the lineup would bode well. Better yet, I’m a big believer in team chemistry, and I think Santana’s connection with Phillips back to their time in Houston could bode well in the big leagues.

For center field, I honestly struggle to decide whether Lewis Brinson should be traded. I’ve discussed scenarios for Keon Broxton to be kept in the past, and after struggling in his first taste of the majors, maybe it’s a good idea to trade him before his stock drops. However, I think Brinson’s potential is too high to trade away before we’re completely ready to compete.

As David mentioned earlier, the former Rangers prospect has the looks of a 30-30 player, and that may not even be his peak. In my opinion, we can scrape by with less expensive starters if Brinson can get anywhere near his extremely high ceiling.

Finally, right field screams Phillips to me. He came out and hit well in the majors last season, earning a starting role in the big leagues in my mind. His defense and arm are a great fit for right field. Between him, Brinson and Santana, there may be a new outfield known as a “no fly zone”.

General Manager David Stearns has a lot of options this offseason, but hanging onto Santana, Brinson and Phillips seems like the best bet to me. They all have so much potential and plenty of team control, which is just the thing to vault the Brewers into the conversation for a division crown and perhaps even a National League pennant for many years to come.

Steven

The Milwaukee Brewers are in a very fortunate position. They currently possess too many outfielders. Looking ahead a few years down the line we will need to assess the best combination of speed, arm strength and power.

Currently the Brewers have Domingo Santana, Ryan Braun and one of Brett Phillips and Keon Broxton as major league options to start come Opening day 2018. Lewis Brinson is also a formidable option, but he will most likely begin the season in Triple-A.

Down on the farm, Milwaukee has breakout prospect Monte Harrison and 2016 first round pick, Corey Ray. Looking ahead a year or two, the best way to build the outfield you want is to have multiple weapons. 

The aforementioned skills, speed, arm strength, and power, are all currently on display in one way or another in Milwaukee’s current outfield.  

Phillips is the easy winner of the best cannon award. Santana will closely follow if he can work on his accuracy has 80 grade arm potential. There is also Braun. At 33 years old his arm is not what it used to be. But it still gets the job done. Rumors say Brinson possesses a decently strong cannon as well. However, that has yet to be on display in Miller Park.

The current speedsters on this team, there is not many. Broxton and Brinson have the best legs, but Keon struggles with Ks and getting on base while Brinson is still in the wait and see phase of his MLB career.

If you want to talk power, currently Santana and Braun are the only outfielders who have had a 30 plus home-run season in the majors. Keon had a 20-20 season in 2017. And Phillips and Brinson most likely won’t display any real examples of their pop until about 2019 when they each should have a full season under their belts.

Taking all of this into consideration and knowing the current rumors circulating this team. The best combination of outfielders seems to be pretty point blank. Braun will most likely be move to first base in the next season or two, so that rules him out immediately. Phillips has the most defensive value out of every option mostly due to his 80 grade arm. Sticking Phillips in left field seems like the most logical choice.

In center field there are a few good options. Broxton has Gold Glove potential, but his plate consistency makes him a very likely trade, or bench bat candidate. However, Brinson holds the most value in any trade just because he has high prospect status and most likely will fetch a ton in any deal made. For the time being he is still wearing navy blue and gold. He is the best fit to man center in the near future.

Finally, in right field, we have Santana, who is also the topic of multiple rumors. The powerful outfielder struggles on defense and has a problem with K’s just as Broxton, however he is only 26 years old and has plenty of time to learn. Santana clearly was a huge piece to our 2017 ball club and should continue to be for many years to come.  

Next: Way Too Early 2018 Draft Predictions

If the Brewers want to deal an outfielder.  Their best options currently sit in the minor leagues with either Corey Ray or recent breakout star Monte Harrison going in any deal the Milwaukee Brewers look to make.  Me personally, I just do not see those two players playing in Miller Park unless on another team.  That leaves Brett Phillips, Lewis Brinson and Domingo Santana as the most ideal outfield for the MIlwaukee Brewers.