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The Milwaukee Brewers put all of their marbles into Cooper Pratt, a decision that seems like it'll be paid off in no time.
Despite having no years of major-league service time, Milwaukee opted to sign Pratt to a nearly 10-year deal that comes in at around $50 million.
Teams don't often take risks like this. But, for a team in a smaller market like Milwaukee, these are the tough decisions that have to be made in order to compete.
Through his first five games, Pratt has delivered. Things were a bit rocky in his debut as he failed to record a hit and had a fielding error, but since then he's been on a mission and now he's earned his first off-day.
Milwaukee knew they'd have to find a way to balance the trio of David Hamilton, Joey Ortiz, and Pratt, and they've done a fine job so far. Pratt has indeed been the team's everyday shortstop, a position he took over from Ortiz, and even Hamilton, who was starting to get comfortable in that spot.
Instead, Ortiz and Hamilton have been platooning at third base. When the Brewers announced their lineup for a series opener on Monday, June 22, Pratt's name was notably absent.
Manager Pat Murphy likes to play matchups as much as anyone, but that wasn't a direct correlation with this day off. At the end of the day, Milwaukee is still trying to ease Pratt into the big leagues. He's held his ground thus far, but there's still plenty of baseball to be played.
Pratt, 21, has played every day since making his major-league debut on Tuesday, June 16. Now that he's been able to be the everyday shortstop in two straight series, Murphy decided this would be an ideal time to give him a rest.
Hamilton is a left-handed hitter, so that helps knowing the Brewers are facing a righty. But there's a strong chance, depending on how the game goes, Pratt could indeed come off the bench in a pinch-hitting scenario.
Thus far, he's hitting .368 in 19 big-league at-bats. Pratt, who went 0-for-3 in his debut, has reached base multiple times in four of his last five games.
His slugging percentage (.368) may be lower than his on-base percentage (.409), but it's well documented he didn't come to this team for his power, rather his defensive skills, speed, and proven ability to get on base consistently.
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Despite having no years of major-league service time, Milwaukee opted to sign Pratt to a nearly 10-year deal that comes in at around $50 million.
Teams don't often take risks like this. But, for a team in a smaller market like Milwaukee, these are the tough decisions that have to be made in order to compete.
Through his first five games, Pratt has delivered. Things were a bit rocky in his debut as he failed to record a hit and had a fielding error, but since then he's been on a mission and now he's earned his first off-day.
Pat Murphy Gives Pratt His First Day Off
Milwaukee knew they'd have to find a way to balance the trio of David Hamilton, Joey Ortiz, and Pratt, and they've done a fine job so far. Pratt has indeed been the team's everyday shortstop, a position he took over from Ortiz, and even Hamilton, who was starting to get comfortable in that spot.
Instead, Ortiz and Hamilton have been platooning at third base. When the Brewers announced their lineup for a series opener on Monday, June 22, Pratt's name was notably absent.
Manager Pat Murphy likes to play matchups as much as anyone, but that wasn't a direct correlation with this day off. At the end of the day, Milwaukee is still trying to ease Pratt into the big leagues. He's held his ground thus far, but there's still plenty of baseball to be played.
Pratt's Red-Hot Start
Pratt, 21, has played every day since making his major-league debut on Tuesday, June 16. Now that he's been able to be the everyday shortstop in two straight series, Murphy decided this would be an ideal time to give him a rest.
Hamilton is a left-handed hitter, so that helps knowing the Brewers are facing a righty. But there's a strong chance, depending on how the game goes, Pratt could indeed come off the bench in a pinch-hitting scenario.
Thus far, he's hitting .368 in 19 big-league at-bats. Pratt, who went 0-for-3 in his debut, has reached base multiple times in four of his last five games.
His slugging percentage (.368) may be lower than his on-base percentage (.409), but it's well documented he didn't come to this team for his power, rather his defensive skills, speed, and proven ability to get on base consistently.
Join the Community
Don't miss out on our ROUNDTABLE community and the latest news!
It's completely free to join. Share your thoughts, engage with our Roundtable writers, and chat with fellow members.
Download the free Roundtable APP, and stay even more connected!
Continue reading...
