Brewers add Taylor; 3 file for free agency
A day after the Boston Red Sox knocked off the Los Angeles Dodgers to win the 2018 World Series, the Milwaukee Brewers were already making moves looking toward 2019.
To that end, they added outfielder Tyrone Taylor to the 40-man roster and signed infielder Jake Hager to a minorleague contract that included an invitation to major-league camp.
Additionally, pitchers Wade Miley and Gio Gonzalez and outfielder Curtis Granderson elected free agency, none of which came as a surprise.
Taylor, who turns 25 on Jan. 22, was a 2012 second-round draft pick of the Brewers who enjoyed a breakout 2018 at Class AAA Colorado Springs when he hit .278 with career highs of 20 home runs and 80 runs batted in over 119 games.
He also racked up 225 total bases, ranking him 10th in the Pacific Coast League.
At one time, Taylor was considered one of the top prospects in the organization. But injuries and inconsistency combined with improved draft classes and trades that added more prospects all lowered his stock.
Taylor was due to become a six-year, minor-league free agent, thus necessitating the roster move.
"He had a nice year, and it started with his health," said farm director Tom Flanagan. "He had some injuries the last couple years, through no fault of his own, and battled through those and got stronger coming into this year and stayed healthy and was able to show off his talent.
"He's all in on the team concept. So it's great to reward him for both the production he had this year and the hard work to get to this point."
Taylor played all three outfield positions for the Sky Sox.
Hager, who turns 26 on March 4, hit a combined .284 with 11 homers and 51 RBI in 97 games split between Class AA Biloxi and Colorado Springs. He also registered a .348 on-base percentage.
Chosen 32nd overall by the Tampa Bay Rays in the 2011 draft, Hager signed with the Brewers as a minor-league free agent last Feb. 23.
"We had good reports on him from what we had heard in the past," said Flanagan.
Miley, Gonzalez and Granderson are unlikely to return to Milwaukee next season.
Miley went 5-2 with a 2.57 earned run average in 16 regular-season starts for the Brewers after signing a minorleague contract with the team heading into spring training. He became one of the rotation's most reliable performers down the stretch and in the postseason, posting a 1.23 ERA and WHIP of 0.95 in four starts (142⁄3 innings).
Gonzalez and Granderson were acquired in separate trades Aug. 31, Gonzalez from the Washington Nationals and Granderson from the Toronto Blue Jays.
Gonzalez went 3-0 with a 2.13 ERA in five September starts and then pitched three innings over two National League Championship Series starts before suffering a high left ankle sprain and being removed from the roster.
Granderson hit .220 with two homers and three RBI in 19 games and .143 with one RBI in seven pinch-hit appearances in the postseason.