I am a big fan of Domingo Santana and still think he is capable of putting

Despite still possessing star offensive potential http://www.oriolesfanproshop.com/authentic-j.j.-hardy-jersey , a lack of options and defensive versatility spelled the end for Santana in Milwaukee"Before we get too far into this, I want to make it perfectly clear: up monster numbers in the majors. Whatever happened to him in 2018, whether it was bad mechanics or low confidence or a mix of the two, he’s still young enough — he’s younger than Aaron Judge, as I’m fond of saying — to figure it out.He may not quite be the Mariners’ next Nelson Cruz, who the Brewers also had to give up on, but in a league where playing DH is available to him and on a team that will be willing to give him the at-bats, another 30 home run season is not out of the question.With that said, David Stearns and the Brewers had to move him.It may have come a year too late, but we know Stearns did try to trade him last winter, or at least had talks with a number of teams about him. The offers just weren’t in line for what Stearns wanted for a 24-year-old coming off of a 30-homer season and hadn’t even reached arbitration yet.So the Brewers brought him to camp, even though he looked to be blocked from playing time with the trade for Christian Yelich, and he was one of the reasons why the Lorenzo Cain Signing Made No Sense. Trying to move Ryan Braun to first base helped open up some at-bats for Santana, but even when that move and injuries gave Santana a decent about of playing time early in the year, he couldn’t do anything with it. The power was inexplicably gone, especially to the opposite field, where he did much of his damage in 2017.He was arguably the worst hitter in the Brewers’ lineup for the first quarter of the season Caleb Joseph Jersey , which is hard to do considering he was also in the lineup with Orlando Arcia. Ultimately, faced with the choice between burning Santana’s last option or keeping an unproductive, inflexible player on the 25-man roster, Stearns chose the former. In less than a year, Santana had gone from a budding superstar to spending virtually an entire season in the minors.And that, basically, is why he had to go this winter.Even with an encouraging September once he returned to the majors, it’s Santana’s lack of versatility (only being able to play in a corner outfield spot), being blocked at other positions (if Braun plays, it almost has to be in left field now the failed experiment to move him to first base and the emergence of Jesus Aguilar), and being out of options that all made this a necessity. In theory, a four-man outfield rotation can work for the Brewers, given the amount of time off Braun (and likely Lorenzo Cain in the next year or two) requires. But in practice, it was a flop in 2018, and there would be no safety net in 2019.Stearns’ ideal fourth outfielder is able to play all three positions and has options remaining if he feels like he can get by with Hernan Perez acting as his fourth outfielder for short periods of time. That’s a reason why Keon Broxton’s time with the Brewers may also be over shortly, and why Stearns decided to grab Ben Gamel, younger brother of former top Brewers prospect Mat Gamel Roberto Alomar Jersey , in the deal.Gamel virtually the same age as Santana — older by about 80 days — but still has one option left and an additional year of team control. He lacks the power Santana (or even his older brother) had, with a career-high of 11 home runs coming in 2017 with the Mariners, but he’s typically shown a decent eye at the plate and can — at least nominally — play all multiple outfield positions. He also won’t become arbitration-eligible until after the 2019 season, and the Brewers will have his rights through the 2022 season.Santana was due a raise in his first year of arbitration and projected to make around $2 million next year. The trade drops one name off the Brewers’ potential arbitration hearing list and saves them close to $1.5 million, which could be used to improve the team elsewhere. Maybe not-so-coincidentally, the Brewers recently agreed to a contract with Cory Spangenberg that will pay him $1.2 million if he’s in the majors.In addition to Gamel, the Brewers also picked up a wild card pitching prospect in Noah Zavolas, who was an 18th round pick in last year’s draft after graduating from Harvard. He’s already 22 years old, but had success as a multi-inning reliever in A-ball last year and could be the type of relief arm that moves quickly through the system. According to Stearns, he was also apparently a target of the Brewers in the draft before the Mariners drafted him ahead of where they were planning to take him.In the end, it admittedly feels like a light return for what Domingo Santana could still be someday. But the Brewers were trading the current version of him, the one that’s had trouble making contact throughout his career and saw his plate discipline and power take a nosedive in the last year. You can fault the Brewers for selling low and for not keeping him around in a role similar to where he started last year, but the Brewers already saw how that turned out. And while that was a small sample size, it’s probably important to remember that if anyone knows Santana, it’s Stearns, who also had him in the Houston system before he came to Milwaukee in the Carlos Gomez trade.The lack of a remaining option backed the Brewers into a bit of a corner — either they could try to trade him now and recoup some kind of future value, or they could keep him and just be left to pray that he could return to being a productive player. And what would happen if he didn’t Nick Markakis Jersey , and was still the same Santana we saw at the start of 2018?In that case, he likely would have become completely unplayable and the Brewers would’ve had nowhere to hide him without sacrificing a spot on the 25-man roster, possibly forcing a DFA. That would’ve been a bigger failure than potentially trading him for 75 cents on the dollar and seeing him become the next Khris Davis.Gamel may not have the potential Santana does, but for what the Brewers are looking for out of that roster spot, he may end up being a better fit. The Brewers needed a fourth outfielder with both positional and contractual flexibility, and at this point, that is not something Santana is capable of being.Statistics courtesy of Baseball-Reference Plenty of news and notes from a busy Friday around the majors."Atlanta Braves NewsThird base has returned to being a strength for the BravesThe Braves have been trying to solve their third base problem since Chipper Jones retired at the end of the 2012 season. Johan Camargo was a step in the right direction in 2018 but Josh Donaldson has a chance to push them to another level. Mike Soroka’s shoulder injury is a concern againMike Soroka’s shoulder is hurting again and everything is bad. Soroka will rest for 4-5 days before testing the shoulder again. The Braves are hoping that it isn’t anything serious but it is concerning considering that it was shoulder inflammation that limited his rookie season to just five starts. 2019 MLB Mock Draft: Baseball America has Braves taking college shortstopBaseball America released an updated mock for the first 10 picks of the 2019 MLB Draft. They project the Braves to take North Carolina State shortstop Will Wilson with the No. 9 pick. Atlanta Braves PodcastsFrom The Diamond - Ep.2 - Grapefruit League Begins, Braves Bullpen PreviewGrant McAuley and Nick Green discuss the beginning of Grapefruit League play and preview the Atlanta Braves bullpen.The Platinum Sombrero Episode 51- Brittany GhiroliThe Athletic’s Washington Nationals reporter Brittany Ghiroli graces us with her presence as we finally break down the team that should not be named as spring training kicks into gear. Also during the show we tackle what to make of the Braves Front Office perception mere weeks from opening day.MLB NewsMarwin Gonzalez agrees to two year deal with the TwinsMarwin Gonzalez finally has a new team after agreeing to a two-year, $21 million deal with the Minnesota Twins. Lerner: No Recent Contact With Bryce Harper, Scott BorasNationals owner Mark Lerner suggested again on Friday that Washington has moved on from Bryce Harper. Lerner said in an interview with NBC Sports Washington that the Nationals moved on back in December and couldn’t wait around . MLB is testing pitch clock in spring training, hoping to add it for the 2019 regular seasonMajor League Baseball released an outline for how pitch clocks will be implemented into spring training games which start this weekend. It seems that this could also serve as a precursor for adding pitch clocks to games during the regular season as well. Clayton Kershaw Battling Early Arm IssueThe Dodgers are shutting down starter Clayton Kershaw indefinitely while he deals with an unspecified arm issue. Los Angeles is downplaying that it is anything serious and that he is expected to resume throwing in a few days. Reds being cautious, scratch Sonny Gray from spring startNew Reds starter Sonny Gray experienced stiffness in his right elbow and was scratched from his scheduled start in Saturday’s spring opener. Gray is not scheduled for an MRI yet and Cincinnati is reportedly just being cautious at this point. The best Mike Minor could still be in front of usRemember Mike Minor? He finished 2018 strong and could be poised for a great season in 2019. White Sox, Ervin Santana Agree To Minor League DealVeteran starter Ervin Santana has agreed to a minor league contract with the Chicago White Sox. Santana will earn $4.3 million if he makes the major league roster.