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The Brewers have received an intriguing trade proposal from the Pittsburgh Roadrunners with the trade deadline fast approaching.
The rebuilding Roadrunners, like many WPK teams, are interested in acquiring the services of infielder Arturo Baca. Like other teams, Pittsburgh has likely recognized that Baca may not have a starting role as a Brewer, what with Tanner Yurek blocking him at second base and Bobby Erbakan expected to be the starting first baseman for many years to come. Baca is a tremendous fielder, very fine runner, and decent hitter with some nice power potential. But while he is a better defender than Yurek, who is solidly above average himself, Yurek is at least his match as a hitter, and at his best certainly has much better on base skills. Yurek is also a fine runner, though he lacks Baca's natural speed. A not insignificant factor is that Yurek is also a fan favorite and is signed through the 1973 season. It also needs to be factored in that one of the Brewers best position player prospects- Jonathan Koch- is a natural second baseman and is probably only a few years away from being major league ready.
But what makes this trade proposal particularly intriguing is that it includes the #5 prospect on the 1969 Top Prospects list- righthanded pitcher Adam Getchell. Getchell was the third pick overall in the 1966 draft and although he fell from being considered the 2nd best prospect in the WPK in 1968 to the 5th slot this year, he is still considered a premium prospect. With the Brewers two top starting pitchers heading into their mid-30's (Daniel Torres-34, and Steve Alonso-32) and with Diego Ramirez proving to be very injury prone, the prospect (pun only slightly intended) of picking up a young potential ace at this stage is very appealing to many in the Brewers front office. On the other hand, others point out that Getchell isn't really that terribly young- at 24- and has yet to develop a very useful third pitch to go along with his solid (potentially very good) fastball and above average forkball. Getchell has the reputation of being a great team member and clubhouse influence, well-liked by all and respected for his work ethic and intelligence. And not only does he have very good stamina but thus far he is considered a very durable pitcher. But whether he will actually develop into the ace many believe him capable of being is an open debate.
Rumor has it that talks are ongoing and that the offer currently on the table has the Brewers getting not only Getchell and veteran catcher Matt Webb, but also young outfielder James Jackson, who is a good fielder with some nice pop in his bat and would provide the Brewers with a righthanded back-up outfielder to complement the lefthanded batting Pat Rondeau. The Brewers would send Baca along with current starting catcher, Brett Wood (in the midst of a disastrous 1969 campaign), as well as veteran leftfielder Miguel Cardenas, to the Roadrunners. With Wood's salary included, the move is a financial plus for the Brewers. Webb is older and not quite as good defensively as Wood but, in spite of evidence to suggest he is not a very talented hitter, he has put up much better offensive numbers (albeit in more limited plate appearances) than Wood this season. Webb will be free agency eligible at the end of the season, as will Wood at the end of next season, and the thought is that the Brewers have some decently talented catchers coming up through the system who could take over the position in the next few seasons. (Likely the 1970 season would see the tandem of Kevin Curtis and Joey Townsend behind the plate.)
Some of the other complications being debated currently in the Brewers front office:
1) This would essentially mean the training wheels are off for Bobby Erbakan at firstbase. Erbakan has been making great strides at the plate in the past 3 weeks or so and is already a very gifted fielder at the position. But Baca is the only experienced first baseman currently backing up Erbakan on the squad and if he is traded away this would mean James Jackson, with limited experience and not very good skills, would be the primary backup, and/or someone like Antonio Puente or Pat Rondeau will have to learn the position in the midst of a pennant race. Both could be capable defenders at the position (though it would be a waste of their skills) but would have a learning curve to contend with.
2) While Getchell could help the team win in the future, he would likely be sent to AAA Chester until roster expansion on September 1st (or in the event of a significant injury to someone like Ramirez), and Baca is helping the team win right now. The Brewers have a 5 game lead in the MGL as July winds down and a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush (as some in the Brewers leadership are arguing.) Jackson could provide some value but not likely as much as Baca currently is.
3) Brewers pitching and defense are what primarily have the team where they are right now. Some wonder if trading away Wood and replacing him with an adequate catcher who doesn't have quite the reputation Wood has for handling pitching staffs will hurt that. The worry is that it could be a very thin line indeed between winning the MGL and finishing as an also-ran. The other hackneyed phrase (which may have some merit) being bandied about by some in the organization is if it ain't broke, don't fix it.
The prevailing feeling right now is that leadership is likely to roll the dice on this deal as Getchell's potential is just too appealing to pass up. But this would also be the second time the Brewers have traded away the talented Baca, and the thought is that they might someday regret it.
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