MILWAUKEE -- The Brewers sent Minor League right-hander John Holobetz to the Red Sox on Monday as the player to be named in last month’s trade for right-handed starter Quinn Priester, highlighting the high price for Major League-ready pitching. Holobetz was Milwaukee’s fifth-round Draft pick last season out of Old Dominion, and was one of the organization’s most intriguing early-season performers. He was 3-0 with a 3.00 ERA in three starts plus a pair of relief outings for Single-A Carolina, with 31 strikeouts versus five walks in 24 innings. The move completes the April 7 trade which sent outfielder Yophery Rodriguez (MLB Pipeline’s No. 7 Brewers prospect) and a player to be named to Boston for Priester, a 24-year-old former first-round pick who moved to his third organization, and remains a work in progress as a Major Leaguer. “They had a list of a handful of players to choose from, and obviously you have to give something to get something,” general manager Matt Arnold said. What the Brewers gave, and what they got, won’t be entirely clear for years. Rodriguez is slashing .224/.402/.418 with a double, three triples, two home runs and five stolen bases in 19 games for Boston’s High-A affiliate since the trade, and he’s only 19 years old. Holobetz is 22. |
But Arnold noted that Priester is quite young himself. At 24, he’s less than two years older than Holobetz, and while Holobetz is getting his pro career started at the Low-A level, Priester is already in his third season in the big leagues. “We’ve seen flashes from Priester,” Arnold said. “There have been days he’s really good, and then there are days where you realize this kid is really young and still has work to do. Our pitching coaches are still really excited to have him. He’s a great kid with a great foundation.” Priester is scheduled to make his next start for the Brewers in Wednesday’s afternoon series finale against the Astros. He was excellent, in his first two Brewers starts with the team in a dire state of need (one earned run allowed in 10 total innings), not so excellent in his third (four innings, two runs, four walks) and hit around in his fourth and fifth outings (9 1/3 innings, 14 hits, 12 earned runs). He has a 6.15 ERA through his first 123 Major League innings. |
But while Priester was hit hardest in his most recent outing, following opener Tyler Alexander against the Cubs at the start of this homestand, the Brewers were encouraged by how that outing finished. Priester retired the last seven hitters he faced. “He’s going to go through bumps in the road,” Arnold said. “That experience he had against the Cubs, in that environment, that’s huge for his development. … When you’re trying to win, it’s hard [to be patient]. But we saw with all kinds of guys that we have to go through ups and downs – with Woody [Brandon Woodruff] and Freddy [Peralta] and Corbin Burnes. It just takes time.” In time, the Brewers will see whether it was the right move. Holobetz was assigned to Boston’s Carolina League affiliate, so he’s remaining at the same level of the Minor Leagues. “He’s a guy we liked out of the Draft a lot,” Arnold said. “You know, there were a number of guys on the list that were interesting, so we’re happy we can keep the other ones. We feel like we've stockpiled a good amount of depth in our system and we’re dealing from a position of strength there.” |
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WHY THE BREWERS DEMOTED YOHO |
Speaking of having patience with pitchers, Craig Yoho’s call-up and subsequent demotion was proof that it takes more than one great pitch – in his case, a special changeup – to make it in the Majors. The Brewers sent him back to Triple-A Nashville over the weekend after Yoho allowed seven hits, six walks and six earned runs in his first five career appearances, capped by a five-run, four-walk, three-hit inning in Chicago against the White Sox on May 1. “Yoho is a big part of our future. I really think we have something there that’s pretty special,” manager Pat Murphy said. “We needed a fresh pitcher and it’s a good time for him to go down and get that command where he wants it. You just can’t rely on a changeup for a strike. He’s got to do more than that. He has to locate the heater better. He’s got to be a strike-throwing machine, and then the changeup plays a lot better.” Was it a surprise to see the 25-year-old struggle so badly in the big leagues? He struck out 15 batters versus three walks in 8 2/3 innings in Spring Training games, after all. “Guys, you’re learning this year more than any other year with our difficult start that Spring Training doesn’t always give you a gauge, you know what I mean?” Murphy said. “Without scouting reports, without this environment with this much on the line, you don’t get this.” |
TRADING CARD PROGRAM EXPANDS |
After a successful partnership with the Milwaukee Police Department last summer to distribute baseball cards to kids, the Brewers are expanding the program this year to Green Bay, Madison, La Crosse and Kenosha. Kids in those counties can ask an officer for a pack of cards produced in collaboration with Los Angeles based artist Pop Fly, who designed comic book-inspired prints of Christian Yelich, Jackson Chourio, Sal Frelick, William Contreras, Brice Turang and Joey Ortiz. Pop Fly will be in Milwaukee to throw out a ceremonial first pitch on Friday, June 27, when the Brewers host Trading Card Day at the ballpark. The first 25,000 fans will receive a pack of Topps trading cards. |
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