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Luis Urias

Mariners, Red Sox Swap Luis Urias, Isaiah Campbell

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The Mariners announced the acquisition of infielder Luis Urias from the Red Sox. Reliever Isaiah Campbell is headed to Boston in a one-for-one swap.

Urias, 26, was a consensus top-30 prospect in baseball entering the 2019 season. However, the infielder struggled in limited playing time with the Padres and was shipped to Milwaukee in the deal that brought Trent Grisham to San Diego. While Urias struggled through the shortened 2020 season with the Brewers, slashing just .239/.308/.294 while appearing in 41 of the club’s 60 games. Fortunately for Milwaukee, however, Urias broke out during his age-24 season and proceeded to be an above average regular for the Brewers over the next two seasons.

From 2021-22, Urias posted a .244/.340/.426 slash line across 1042 trips to the plate while playing strong defense at shortstop, second base, and third base to anchor the club’s infield alongside Willy Adames. The Brewers entered 2023 figuring to once again lean on Urias as a steady presence on the dirt but the 26-year-old was bit by the injury bug before his season could properly begin, landing on the injured list with a hamstring strain just after Opening Day. Urias returned in early June but struggled badly at the plate, slashing a brutal .145/.299/.236 across 20 games with the club this season. That downturn in performance led the Brewers to swap Urias to the Red Sox at the deadline this year.

Urias was used as a depth option at second base by Boston, and hit acceptably in the role with a .225/.361/.337 slash line in 109 trips to the plate with the club down the stretch. While that performance was good for a roughly league average 98 wRC+, Urias was nonetheless viewed as a likely non-tendered candidate given his $4.7MM projected salary by MLBTR’s Matt Swartz. Fortunately for both Urias and the Red Sox, however, the Mariners were willing to take a shot on Urias returning to form in 2024.

Urias makes plenty of sense for a Mariners club that could use an upgrade to its second base mix, which currently features Josh Rojas and Dylan Moore. Urias figures to provide the club with a solid right-handed complement to Rojas and fellow lefty JP Crawford up the middle who can play capable defense all around the infield. If he’s able to regain his 2021-22 form, Urias could be in line for the lion’s share of starts at the keystone given Rojas’s tepid .245/.303/.338 slash line in 350 plate appearances between Arizona and Seattle this year.

In return for Urias’s services, the Red Sox acquired right-hander Isaiah Campbell. Campbell was a second-round pick by the Mariners in the 2019 draft and made his major league debut out of the bullpen for Seattle earlier this year. Across 28 2/3 innings of work with the Mariners, Campbell impressed with a 2.83 ERA and 3.32 FIP to go along with a solid 27.5% strikeout rate. Campbell’s success is all the more impressive for a prospect who skipped the Triple-A level entirely after 24 strong innings of work at the Double-A level this year. The 25-year-old figures to be an interesting bullpen piece for the Red Sox in 2024, particularly given the righty has options remaining that will allow the club to shuttle him between Triple-A and the majors if they so choose.

Alex Speier of the Boston Globe first reported the Mariners were acquiring Urias. Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times reported the Red Sox were acquiring Campbell.

Red Sox Notes: Imanaga, Breslow, Turner, Jansen, Rafaela

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NPB standout Shota Imanaga will be posted for Major League teams this offseason, and MassLive.com’s Sean McAdam reports that the Red Sox have “heavily scouted” the Japanese left-hander.  Imanaga has a 3.17 ERA over eight seasons and 990 2/3 innings with the Yokohama DeNa Baystars, though North American fans might know him best from his work with Japan’s national team in this year’s World Baseball Classic.  Imanaga had a 3.00 ERA over six innings and three appearances, and was the starting pitcher (earning the win) in Japan’s gold-medal game victory over the United States.

MLB Trade Rumors readers are also familiar with Imanaga from our NPB Players To Watch series, as Dai Takegami Podziewski has regularly written about the southpaw as Imanaga looks to be on the verge of heading to the majors.  Imanaga will draw plenty of attention from pitching-needy teams, and the Sox certainly figure to make rotation upgrades a major part of their offseason plan under their next head of baseball operations.  Yoshinobu Yamamoto is the top name available among NPB pitchers this winter, but with at least ten MLB clubs (including the Red Sox) interested in Yamamoto’s services, it is possible Imanaga might be something of a solid backup plan for teams that either can’t land Yamamoto or can’t afford his big price tag.

More from Fenway Park…

  • Cubs assistant general manager Craig Breslow might be joining the Red Sox front office as the head of pitching development, as per Peter Gammons (on X).  The Athletic’s Sahadev Sharma (also via X) has a contradictory report, saying there has been “zero contact” between the Cubs and Red Sox involving Breslow.  A veteran of 12 MLB seasons, Breslow has been working in Chicago’s front office for the better part of five years, becoming the team’s director of pitching in October 2019 and then receiving the AGM title in 2020.  Breslow spent parts of five seasons pitching for the Red Sox and he hails from Connecticut, plus Gammons notes that Breslow and his family live in nearby Newton, Massachusetts.
  • Justin Turner told MassLive’s Chris Cotillo that he hasn’t yet decided about whether or not to exercise his $13.4MM player option for the 2024 season, as his focus is still on finishing the rest of the schedule.  As to the possibility of staying with the Sox in general, “I love playing in Boston and I’ve had a great experience here so obviously, it would be fantastic if I was still here,” Turner said.  Even at age 38, Turner is still a very solid bat, hitting .278/.348/.463 with 23 homers over 600 plate appearances in his first season with the Red Sox.  It figures that the Sox would love to bring Turner back, though they might have to sign him to a new contract altogether — as Cotillo notes, the odds are high that Turner will take the $6.7MM buyout of his option and test free agency again in search of a bigger deal.
  • Kenley Jansen is back on the active roster, as the Red Sox activated the closer from the seven-day COVID-related injured list today.  (Righty Zack Weiss was optioned to Triple-A in the corresponding move.)  Like Turner, Jansen was also a productive signing from the 2022-23 offseason, joining the Sox on a two-year/$32MM deal and delivering 29 saves and a 3.63 ERA over 44 2/3 innings in his first season in Beantown.
  • The Red Sox rank 27th of 30 teams in second base bWAR this season, as Boston’s second basemen have combined for a sub-replacement level -0.1 bWAR.  The Athletic’s Chad Jennings looks at how the Sox might address the position next year, and how perhaps the easiest solution would be to give Ceddanne Rafaela some regular time at the keystone.  The top prospect has played a few games at second base already, and while the Sox prefer to see what Rafaela’s glove can do in center field, using Rafaela at second base in at least a part-time capacity would open up center field to see if Jarren Duran can build on his promising 2023 campaign.  As for Boston’s other in-house second base options, Jennings writes that the club hasn’t yet decided on whether or not to tender Luis Urias a contract this winter, as Urias is set for at least a minimal arbitration raise on his current $4.7MM salary.  As Jennings notes, the next front office boss will probably be the one making the call on Urias, and it is possible the Sox might non-tender the infielder and then look to re-sign him at a lower price.

Red Sox Outright Christian Arroyo

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TODAY: Arroyo has been outrighted to Triple-A after clearing waivers.

AUGUST 4: The Red Sox announced Friday that they’ve activated deadline acquisition Luis Urias and added him to the Major League roster. Infielder Christian Arroyo was designated for assignment in a corresponding move.

Arroyo, 28, has spent the past three-plus seasons in Boston, typically providing roughly league-average offense at second base. From 2020-22, the former top prospect turned in a combined .273/.320/.427 batting line (102 wRC+), walking at a well below-average 4.7% clip but also putting the ball in play at a better-than-average rate (19.4% strikeout rate). His production has taken a major nosedive in 2023, however, as he’s produced just a .241/.268/.369 slash with a career-low 3.4% walk rate. This year’s 21.8% strikeout rate is also a notable step back from last year’s career-low 16.8% mark.

While he’s played all over the infield and also logged 108 innings in right field last year, Arroyo has played primarily second base and third base in the big leagues. Defensive metrics generally approve of his glove at second; he’s tallied 12 Defensive Runs Saved and 8.5 Ultimate Zone Rating in 1332 innings there. Statcast’s Outs Above Average considers him to be essentially an average defender there. His grades at third base aren’t as strong, but he’s also only logged 447 innings at the hot corner.

Arroyo’s lack of minor league options surely played a role in the decision to DFA him, as did this year’s diminished production. Boston’s acquisition of Urias could put the now-former Brewer into a similar role to the one Arroyo has held in recent seasons. Urias is having a down year himself — notably in just 68 plate appearances — but has a higher offensive ceiling than Arroyo. From 2021-22, Urias slashed .244/.340/.426 with 39 home runs for the Brewers. He’ll likely hit for a lower average than Arroyo but also has more power and draws walks more than twice as often.

Like Arroyo, Urias is a former shortstop who’s settled into a second base/third base role due to defensive concerns. Perhaps most notably, he has a minor league option remaining beyond the current season, so he’ll give the Red Sox more flexibility with their roster while ideally providing comparable, if not superior production.

As for Arroyo, with the trade deadline passed, he’ll be placed on waivers. He and the Red Sox agreed to a $2MM salary over the winter, avoiding arbitration. He’s still owed about $624K of that sum. If he’s claimed on waivers, the new team will pick up the remainder of that tab but also retain the right to control Arroyo through the 2024 season — his final year of arbitration eligibility. If he’s unclaimed, he has the right to reject an outright assignment in favor of free agency.

However, Arroyo is just days shy of reaching five years of service time, meaning that he can’t yet reject the assignment and retain the rest of his salary. Had he been designated even a week later, he’d have that right. As such, if he’s unclaimed on waivers, he’ll surely accept the outright assignment to keep that salary. He’d then be able to become a free agent at season’s end (assuming the Red Sox don’t add him back to the 40-man roster).

Red Sox Acquire Luis Urías

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The Red Sox announced that they have acquired infielder Luis Urías from the Brewers for minor league right-hander Bradley Blalock. Robert Murray of FanSided first had Urías going to the Red Sox while Adam McCalvy of MLB.com first reported on Blalock’s involvement.

Urías, 26, seemed to be establishing himself as a solid part of the Milwaukee roster in the previous two seasons. Over 2021 and 2022, he launched 39 home runs and hit a combined .244/.340/.426 for a wRC+ of 111. This year, however, has been an entirely different story.

He was placed on the injured list with a hamstring strain after the first game of the season and wasn’t able to return until June 5. In the next three-plus weeks, he hit just .145/.299/.236 for a wRC+ of 60. A .179 batting average on balls in play wasn’t doing him any favors, but his exit velocity, hard hit rate and barrel rate were all down a few points. That cold spell was pronounced enough for the Brewers to send him to the minors, his first time being optioned since he was a Padre back in 2019. Things haven’t gone much better in Triple-A, as he’s hitting .233/.345/.379 at that level this year for a wRC+ of 84.

Right after acquiring Urías, the Sox assigned him to Triple-A, so he’ll serve as infield depth for the time being. Infield depth has been an ongoing concern in Boston this year ever since Trevor Story required elbow surgery in the offseason. He’s still yet to make his season debut, currently out on a rehab assignment. Enrique Hernández came in from the outfield to take over shortstop but that experiment didn’t work and he’s since been traded to the Dodgers.

For now, the club has a mixture of Yu Chang, Pablo Reyes, Christian Arroyo and Justin Turner up the middle. Urías will join Bobby Dalbec among the depth options that are on the 40-man roster but currently stashed at Triple-A. Urías has another option year beyond this one but could wind up non-tendered as he’ll be due a raise on this year’s $4.7MM salary.

In exchange for a player that had fallen out of their plans, the Brewers will get Blalock. The 22-year-old was a 32nd-round selection of the Red Sox in 2019. He was able to get some professional experience in 2019 and 2021, with the pandemic canceling the minor leagues in 2020. Then his 2022 was wiped out by Tommy John surgery, costing him another year of development.

Here in 2023, he’s been putting himself back on the prospect map. He’s made 11 starts, split between Single-A and High-A, posting a 2.19 ERA in 53 1/3 innings. He’s struck out 27.6% of opponents against a 6.2% walk rate. Back in June, FanGraphs ranked him the #17 prospect in Boston’s system. They note that the Sox were set to have a difficult decision to make, as Blalock will be Rule 5 eligible this winter and could be an attractive pick, despite not yet reaching Double-A.

Brewers Option Luis Urías, Recall Brice Turang

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The Brewers announced that they have optioned infielder Luis Urías to Triple-A Nashville and recalled infielder Brice Turang in a corresponding move.

Urías, 26, seemed to have established himself as a solid part of the Milwaukee over the past two years. Over 2021 and 2022, he launched 39 home runs and hit a combined .244/.340/.426 for a wRC+ of 111. This year, however, has been an entirely different story.

He was placed on the injured list with a hamstring strain after the first game of the season and wasn’t able to return until June 5. In the past three-plus weeks, he’s yet to get into a groove, hitting just .145/.299/.236 for a wRC+ of 60. A .179 batting average on balls in play isn’t doing him any favors, but his exit velocity, hard hit rate and barrel rate are all down a few points, suggesting it’s more than just luck. That cold spell was pronounced enough for the Brewers to send him to the minors, his first time being optioned since he was a Padre back in 2019.

The infielder has already had two passes through arbitration as a Super Two player, earning a salary of $2.5MM last year and $4.7MM. He has already surpassed four years of service time here this year and would be eligible for two more arb seasons, though his rough season might give the club some pause about tendering him a contract. The arbitration system is designed so that player salaries essentially always climb, meaning Urías could be looking at jumping over $5MM even with his struggles so far this year.

The Brewers are unsurprisingly looking for more offense, as Urías isn’t the only one struggling. The club is hitting .226/.305/.370 as a whole for a wRC+ of 85, which puts them ahead of only the Athletics and the Rockies. They will surely be hoping that today’s swap can give them a boost in that department.

Turang himself was a part of those struggles, as he made the club’s Opening Day roster but hit just .205/.254/.307 through his first 177 career plate appearances. That performance got him optioned to Nashville in early June, where he has been faring much better. He’s hit .298/.365/.561 over the past three weeks since getting sent down, posting a 127 wRC+. Though he struck out in 27.1% of his major league appearances, it’s been just a 15.9% clip in Triple-A.

He’ll now get another shot against major league pitching to see if he can find better results. Due to that optional assignment, he’ll come up short of a full year of service time here in 2023, though he would be on track to get Super Two status after 2025 if he can stay up for good.

Brewers Reinstate Luis Urías, Transfer Darin Ruf To 60-Day IL

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3:55pm: In addition to the laceration, Ruf has a non-displaced fracture of his patella, per Adam McCalvy of MLB.com. The expected recovery timeline is six to eight weeks, leading to today’s transfer.

3:30pm: The Brewers announced a series of roster moves today, reinstating infielder Luis Urías from the 60-day injured list. Fellow infielder Mike Brosseau was optioned to open a spot on the active roster. To open a spot on the 40-man, first baseman Darin Ruf was transferred to the 60-day IL.

Urías, 26, played in Milwaukee’s Opening Day game this year but hurt his left hamstring in that contest. He was diagnosed with a strain and it was estimated that he would miss six to eight weeks. He was eventually transferred to the 60-day injured list and now returns after a slightly longer absence than that initial estimated time frame.

In the past couple of seasons, he has established himself as a solid and versatile member of the club. Over 2021 and 2022, he hit 39 home runs and slashed a combined .244/.340/.426 for a wRC+ of 111. He was also able to bounce around the infield, slotting in at the three positions to the left of first base as needed.

His recent absence led to greater playing time for certain utility players, one of which was Brosseau. Unfortunately, he hasn’t been able to take advantage of the opportunity, hitting .205/.256/.397 so far this year for a wRC+ of 75. Other players like Owen Miller and Andruw Monasterio have fared better this year, leading to Brosseau getting squeezed out today. Assuming Urías is able to get back to his previous form, the swap should be a positive one for the club.

The move could potentially impact Brosseau’s path to free agency, as he came into the season with three years and 31 days of service time. If he were to spend more than a month in the minors, it could prevent him from reaching the four-year mark this season. But he also might find himself at risk of being non-tendered at season’s end anyway since he’s making $1.4MM this year and would be in line for an arbitration raise for next season.

As for Ruf, he suffered a laceration on his knee last week when he was chasing after a foul ball and collided with the rolled-up tarp. He was placed on the 10-day IL on the weekend but it seems the issue is serious enough that he’ll need to miss a couple of months. Ruf had just joined the club a couple of weeks ago and effectively replaced the now-released Luke Voit as the right-handed platoon partner for the lefty-swinging Rowdy Tellez. The club recently called up first baseman Jon Singleton, though he also swings from the left side.

Players like Miller, Brian Anderson and Abraham Toro have a small amount of first base experience and bat from the right side, with Toro being a switch-hitter. Perhaps one of them could attempt to take that short-side platoon role. Tellez could also play on a more everyday basis as his career splits aren’t that drastic. He’s hit .237/.308/.486 against righties for a 110 wRC+ and .242/.313/.396 against lefties for a 93 wRC+.

Brewers Notes: Urias, Adames, Woodruff, Lauer, Bush

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MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy relayed a series of significant updates regarding injured Brewers players this morning. Most encouragingly, the Brewers expect to welcome both infielder Luis Urias and shortstop Willy Adames back from the injured list this week.

Urias, who suffered a hamstring strain on Opening Day and hasn’t played since, is expected to rejoin the club on Tuesday as they begin a homestand against the Orioles. Acquired in the trade that sent Trent Grisham to San Diego prior to the 2020 season, Urias has been a key piece of the club’s infield picture for several seasons now, particularly since his offensive breakout in 2021. Since the beginning of the 2021 season, Urias has slashed a solid .243/.339/.424 (111 wRC+) with a 20.6% strikeout rate and a 10.8% walk rate in 1,046 trips to the plate.

Adames, meanwhile, has been on the 7-day concussion IL since getting struck with a foul ball in the dugout last week. McCalvy notes that the current plan is for Adames to play DH for High-A Wisconsin today before moving on to Triple-A Nashville. After two games in Nashville, Adames figures to be activated from the injured list on Thursday.

After the Brewers acquired Adames partway through the 2021 season, the then-25-year-old shortstop raked for the club in 99 games for the rest of the season, with a .285/.366/.521 slash line that was 36% better than league average by measure of wRC+. Adames followed up that performance in 2022 with a solid 109 wRC+ in 139 games, but struggled prior to his placement on the IL this season, slashing a below-average .205/.292/.384 in 51 games.

Still, the Brewers figure to be bolstered significantly by the return of their two most reliable infielders. Andruw Monasterio, Owen Miller, and Brian Anderson have all produced solid results in the infield while Urias and Adames have been on the shelf. Assuming the Brewers look to keep all three of them on the active roster even after the duo returns this week, it’s possible the club will look toward the likes of Brice Turang, Mike Brosseau, and Abraham Toro when clearing space for Adames and Urias on the active roster. Each of those three infielders (as well as both Monasterio and Miller) are optionable, leaving Milwaukee with plenty of options as they look to make roster decisions in the coming days.

While the updates on Adames and Urias are encouraging, the same unfortunately cannot be said regarding ace right-hander Brandon Woodruff. The 30-year-old righty made just two starts this season before going on the injured list with a subscapular strain in his right shoulder, which came with an initial timeline that figured to see him return later this month. McCalvy notes that Woodruff’s timetable for return has been pushed back, however, as the righty has yet to progress to throwing off a mound, leaving the Brewers to target a return around the All Star break for their ace.

The setback for Woodruff is a tough blow to the Brewers, who have since lost Wade Miley and Eric Lauer from their rotation to injuries (in addition to Aaron Ashby, who has yet to pitch this season after undergoing shoulder surgery). What’s more, Woodruff’s co-ace Corbin Burnes has had a somewhat pedestrian season to this point by his lofty standards, posting a 3.75 ERA (113 ERA+) and a 4.59 FIP across twelve starts while striking out 22.8% of batters faced.

Speaking of Lauer, the left-hander and reliever Matt Bush are both expected to head to Triple-A for rehab assignments on Tuesday. Lauer struggled mightily in nine appearances (eight starts) this season prior to going on the IL due to an impingement in his non-throwing shoulder, with a 5.48 ERA and a 6.73 FIP in 42 2/3 innings of work. Bush also struggled in nine games prior to hitting the IL with tendinitis in his right rotator cuff allowing seven runs on four homers and six walks in just 7 2/3 innings of work.

Brewers Claim J.B. Bukauskas From Mariners

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The Mariners announced that right-hander J.B. Bukauskas has been claimed off waivers by the Brewers. The M’s had designated him for assignment last week. To make room for Bukauskas on their 40-man roster, the Brewers have transferred infielder Luis Urías to the 60-day injured list, per Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Bukauskas has been assigned to Triple-A Nashville, per Rosiak.

Now 26 years old, Bukauskas was the No. 15 overall pick by the Astros back in 2017. The ’Stros traded him to the D-backs as part of the four-prospect package that brought Zack Greinke to Houston, but Bukauskas battled injuries and never got much of a big league look in Arizona. The Diamondbacks gave him just 17 1/3 innings in the Majors, during which time he was tagged for 15 earned runs on 24 hits and seven walks with 14 strikeouts.

A flexor strain in 2021 and a teres major strain in 2022 limited Bukauskas to just 52 1/3 innings combined between those two seasons. The Diamondbacks designated him for assignment back in January when opening a roster spot for the re-signing of Zach Davies, at which point the Mariners claimed him. Seattle successfully passed him through outright waivers a few weeks later but selected Bukauskas back to the big league roster early in the season when Andres Munoz hit the injured list.

While he’s had a rough start to his season, Bukauskas posted strong Triple-A numbers in a small sample of 20 1/3 innings last year. Overall, he carries a 3.96 ERA, 26.3% strikeout rate and 6.9% walk rate in 38 2/3 innings at that level. Bukauskas  has averaged 94.5 mph on his four-seamer in the big leagues, and in his lone look with the Mariners this year he was relying on a sinker in place of that four-seamer. Dating back to his prospect days, he was touted for a plus or better changeup. He’s in his final minor league option year, so if he sticks on Milwaukee’s roster, he can give them some flexible bullpen depth for the remainder of the season.

Luis Urias Out 6-8 Weeks With Hamstring Injury

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11:14am: Craig Counsell told reporters (including Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel) that Urias will miss 6-8 weeks of action.

9:47am: The Brewers announced a couple of roster moves this morning, placing infielder Luis Urias on the 10-day injured list retroactive to March 31 after he sustained a left hamstring injury on Opening Day. The team also announced that left-handed pitcher Justin Wilson has been transferred to the 60-day IL.

It opens the door for the Brewers to officially add prospect Joey Wiemer to their big league roster, as he’ll take the place of Urias, while Wilson’s move to the 60-day IL opens up a spot on the 40-man roster.

Urias hurt his hamstring in the ninth inning of Milwaukee’s 4-0 Opening Day loss to the Cubs, having gone 0-4 in the match. There’s no indication yet of how long Urias will be out for, but this opens the door for Brian Anderson to handle the hot corner in the meantime, with Wiemer taking over in right for the time being.

A fourth round pick in 2020, Wiemer has shot up the Brewers’ prospect charts in recent years, and his .287/.368/.520 line over 174 plate appearances at the highest level of the minors last season showed he was knocking on the door of his first big league call up. While scouts raised concerns over his strikeouts and swing mechanics dating back to the draft, Wiemer’s raw power and athleticism have shone through and he was placed near the back of Keith Law’s recent top-100 prospects in all of baseball.

The move to shift Wilson to the 60-day IL was likely an easy one for the Brewers. The veteran lefty underwent Tommy John surgery in June of last year, so he is expected to miss most, if not all, of the 2023 campaign. The Brewers signed him this winter to a one-year deal, but hold a club option on him for 2024.

Brewers To Promote Joey Wiemer

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The Brewers are bringing up one of their top prospects. Outfielder Joey Wiemer is getting his first major league call, reports Robert Murray of FanSided (Twitter link). The Brewers figure to finalize the move before tomorrow afternoon’s matchup with the Cubs.

Wiemer was Milwaukee’s fourth-round pick in 2020 out of the University of Cincinnati. Amateur scouts praised his power and athleticism but raised significant questions about his strikeouts and atypical swing mechanics. Wiemer’s .264/.379/.408 slash in college was hardly overwhelming, particularly outside a Power Five conference.

Milwaukee rolled the dice on his physical upside in hopes he could iron things out in pro ball. They have to be thrilled with how that decision has played out over the past couple seasons. Wiemer hit .296/.403/.556 during his first professional season, positioning him as one of the better prospects in the Milwaukee farm system. He took that to another level with continued production against upper level pitching last year.

Wiemer spent the bulk of the 2022 season with Double-A Biloxi, where he put up a roughly average .243/.321/.440 line over 374 plate appearances. Wiemer punched out 30% of the time but connected on 15 home runs and stole 25 bases while getting caught just once. The Brewers bumped him to Triple-A Nashville in August, and he caught fire at the top minor league level. In 174 trips to the plate, he mashed at a .287/.368/.520 clip with six longballs. Wiemer cut his strikeouts to a solid 19.5% rate in Triple-A while walking 12.1% of the time.

That firmly placed him among the sport’s most interesting outfield prospects headed into the winter. Both FanGraphs and Keith Law of the Athletic slotted him near the back of their offseason Top 100 prospect lists. Wiemer didn’t crack the Top 100 at Baseball America or ESPN but finished just outside that cutoff, ranking among the top three talents in the Milwaukee system at both outlets. Evaluators credit him with plus or better raw power, speed and arm strength. He’s regarded as a high-variance type but a potential impact player on the strength of those deafening physical tools.

The Brew Crew gave the 24-year-old an extended look this spring. He held his own, putting together a .262/.319/.429 line with two homers, four walks and ten strikeouts in 42 at-bats. General manager Matt Arnold indicated towards the end of Spring Training that both Wiemer and fellow top prospect Sal Frelick were being considered for season-opening roster spots. Neither ended up grabbing a job out of camp, as both were ticketed for Nashville to start the season.

Plans changed yesterday, as starting third baseman Luis Urías hurt his left hamstring in the ninth inning of an Opening Day loss. Urías was noticeably hobbled after the game, and Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports that Urías is headed to the 10-day injured list. Brian Anderson, who’d opened the season as the right fielder, has a long track record as an MLB third baseman. He’ll now slide to the hot corner, with Wiemer stepping into the right field job.

That’ll presumably be the plan at least until a veteran is ready to return from injury. It’s unknown how long Urías will be out. Tyrone Taylor, who might’ve gotten the Opening Day right field nod, is expected to be sidelined into May with an elbow sprain. Wiemer should have at least a couple weeks to try to establish himself against big league pitching.

While one day of the schedule has already elapsed, players are credited with a full year of major league service if they’re in the majors for 172+ days of the 186-day season. Wiemer would still get to that mark if he’s up for good, which would put him on track to first reach arbitration after the 2025 season and qualify for free agency over the 2028-29 offseason.

Wiemer hadn’t been on the 40-man roster. Milwaukee will need to select his contract tomorrow. That’ll require a corresponding 40-man move, though players like Aaron Ashby (shoulder strain) and Justin Wilson (recovering from Tommy John surgery) are 60-day injured list candidates.

Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.

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