Milwaukee Brewers Microbrew

Journal Sentinel writer Curt Hogg and host JR Radcliffe look at the stories of spring training so far for the Milwaukee Brewers, including the return of pitcher Brandon Woodruff on a fascinating deal. Plus, Sal Frelick is taking reps on the infield, Pat Murphy is winning the room and the questions we still have. Music intro: https://www.bensound.com/royalty-free-music . 

Spring training is right around the corner and some preseason projections are out, so Journal Sentinel writer Curt Hogg and host JR Radcliffe take a look at the landscape and make some predictions: One likely, one controversial, one extra spicy and one insane. They also discuss the Brewers' newest roster addition, pitcher Jakob Junis, and dive into the value of PECOTA preseason rankings, which see...

The Milwaukee Brewers and Baltimore Orioles made a blockbuster trade Thursday, with former Cy Young Award winner Corbin Burnes dealt to the American League in exchange for two prospects and a draft pick. Brewers reporter Curt Hogg and host JR Radcliffe break down the deal. What did the Brewers get in return? Why was now the right time to trade their ace? Who's going to pitch for this team in 2024?...

Brewers reporter Curt Hogg and host JR Radcliffe discuss the Milwaukee Brewers' big offseason addition, with first baseman Rhys Hoskins reportedly heading to the team in 2024. They discuss how he fits, what it means for the rest of the roster and where else the Brewers might try to bolster their roster in the final weeks of the offseason. Plus: Devin Williams' unique arbitration situation and Ryan...

The Winter Meetings have come and gone, and we've heard conflicting reports from national writers on the likelihood of a Corbin Burnes trade. How likely is it really, and should the Brewers move their best offseason trade chip? Brewers reporter Curt Hogg and host JR Radcliffe look at the free agents left on the market and try to imagine best fits for the Brewers, including a couple names that woul...

Brewers reporter Curt Hogg and host JR Radcliffe discuss the new contract that appears to be happening for prospect Jackson Chourio, just 19 years old. He hasn't played a game of Major League Baseball, but he's now locked in as an expected cornerstone for the next decade. What kind of risk is this for the Brewers (or the player)? How have other players in his shoes fared? What does this do to the...

Brewers reporter Curt Hogg and host JR Radcliffe recap a wild week in the Brewers offseason, starting with Craig Counsell's press conference with the Cubs, Pat Murphy's hire, Rickie Weeks as associate manager and the press conference introducing both. Then, there's the matter of the Brewers roster, with decisions to non-tender Brandon Woodruff and Rowdy Tellez. Is there any hope of the team gettin...

Pat Murphy has emerged as a serious candidate to replace Craig Counsell as manager of the Milwaukee Brewers, the newest development in Milwaukee's already-busy offseason. Oh, and Ken Rosenthal believes the Brewers will be listening to trade offers on just about every player. Brewers reporter Curt Hogg and host JR Radcliffe open their mailbag for the first time to discuss those topics and more. Mus...

Wait, WHAT? Craig Counsell isn't coming back to manage the Milwaukee Brewers, but he's not going to the New York Mets as feared ... it's worse. Counsell was named the next manager of the Chicago Cubs, leaving Brewers fans puzzled and hurt. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reporter Curt Hogg and host JR Radcliffe discuss the two ways of looking at it: Counsell turning to the Dark Side or the front office...

Craig Counsell is reportedly set to interview with the New York Mets, even before his contract expires at the end of the month. Brewers reporter Curt Hogg discusses how that changes the perception of Counsell's future in Milwaukee and whether or not that decreases his chances of staying with the Brewers. Curt and host JR Radcliffe also discuss the departure of Eric Lauer and William Contreras's cr...

Brewers reporter Curt Hogg and host JR Radcliffe discuss the dramatic blow to the 2024 Brewers with the long-term injury to Brandon Woodruff and what the options are for his roster status going forward. Plus, still no news on Craig Counsell's future: What's up with that? The guys discuss two popular topics during the postseason: The playoff model itself and what's "on the record" in the clubhouse...

Brewers reporter Curt Hogg and host JR Radcliffe provide a post-mortem look at the 2023 Brewers season, even though numerous unanswered questions (like Craig Counsell's status for next year) remain unknown. General manager Matt Arnold met the media Tuesday, and did he perhaps indicate that Corbin Burnes would be back in 2024? How does Brandon Woodruff's health alter the landscape, when will the te...

Brewers reporter Curt Hogg and host JR Radcliffe discuss the team's two losses to Arizona in the wild-card series, bringing the 2023 season to a screeching halt. Is the sustained lack of success in the playoffs really just a series of bad breaks, or something bigger? How did the Brandon Woodruff injury derail the dream from the start? Rough outings for Corbin Burnes, Devin Williams and (one bad in...

The Milwaukee Brewers are National League Central champions and drew the Arizona Diamondbacks in the first round of the MLB playoffs. What do we need to know about Arizona and its 1-2 starting-pitching punch? Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reporter Curt Hogg and host JR Radcliffe talk about the notable similarities between the two teams, the playoff roster, the future of Craig Counsell (especially wit...

The Milwaukee Brewers are headed to the playoffs in 2023, though that division title still remains a little bit elusive. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel writers Curt Hogg and JR Radcliffe look at an eventful week with some great offensive performance (but also some hiccups). What's up lately with Joel Payamps? Will the team carry Rowdy Tellez into the postseason? Tyrone Taylor just keeps cruising. Is t...

Milwaukee's superb 5-2 week at home has the Brewers cruising toward a division title; are the bats really turning the corner, or does the offense still have issues to solve? Brewers reporter Curt Hogg and host JR Radcliffe discuss a week of big homers (including Mark Canha's unforgettable grand slam on Saturday). Should Mark Canha come back in 2024? Joey Wiemer's struggles resulted in getting opti...

The Milwaukee Brewers threw 10 1/3 innings of no-hit baseball on Sunday in Yankee Stadium ... and lost. The missed opportunity is a microcosm of the team's offensive struggles, but it was an otherwise healthy performance with the bats this week. Brewers reporter Curt Hogg and host JR Radcliffe discuss what's behind the bats' turnaround in September (spoiler alert: a little bit of luck) and if the...

The Brewers went 3-3 against the Cubs and Phillies, picking up one important tiebreaker along the way and setting the stage for what could be three huge games in Milwaukee to end the season. It's a decent spot, with a 3 1/2 game lead in the National League Central and 26 games to go. Brewers reporter Curt Hogg and host JR Radcliffe discuss the success of new additions Mark Canha and Carlos Santana...

The Milwaukee Brewers are on a roll, winners of eight straight heading into a pivotal battle with the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. Brewers reporter Todd Rosiak and host JR Radcliffe discuss the successful run and what's allowed Milwaukee to turn a corner offensively. William Contreras has certainly helped, but so has health and a couple surprising players emerging in the bullpen. Who are the lik...

What a curious week for the Milwaukee Brewers. The offense looked punchless against the Los Angeles Dodgers in a sweep but then came back and thumped powerful Texas on the road. The Brewers are a first-place club that just came through a brutal stretch of the schedule, but which team is the real one? Brewers reporter Curt Hogg and host JR Radcliffe look at the tale of two series, a renewed Tyrone...

The Milwaukee Brewers took care of business against Colorado and the Chicago White Sox, and suddenly the lead in the National League Central is 3 1/2 games -- the biggest it has been for any team in the division this year. Host JR Radcliffe and special guest Paul Noonan look at the big week, bolstered by big pitching performances from Freddy Peralta, Brandon Woodruff and Devin Williams. The schedu...

Brandon Woodruff made his long-awaited return to the big-league mound on Sunday and looked great, part of a week that featured several players returning from injury. But with the trade deadline come and gone, the Brewers offense still failed to provide ample support, and the team went 3-4 against lower-tier opponents. And still, Milwaukee finds itself in first place in the NL Central. Brewers repo...

The Brewers added a new bat in Carlos Santana, and he homered over the weekend, but that didn't change a brutal three-game showing against the Braves. Now outside of first place, what else will Milwaukee be cooking up at the trade deadline? Brewers reporter Todd Rosiak and JR Radcliffe discuss the deadline, the new addition and what takeaways can be gleaned from the three-game sweep at the hands o...

Sal Frelick, the new mayor of Milwaukee. Journal Sentinel reporter Curt Hogg and host JR Radcliffe discuss a magical Saturday night in Milwaukee with a debut for the ages, the highlight of a 3-3 week. There's also plenty of trade deadline discussion as we get closer. Do we dare say the name Shohei Ohtani earnestly? They're definitely trading for a bat ... right? Right? They revisit some recurring...

It was a great weekend for the Milwaukee Brewers after a sweep of the Cincinnati Reds. With the playoffs suddenly looking a little bit more like a strong possibility, it's time to think about how this team can improve its roster. Brewers reporter Curt Hogg and host JR Radcliffe discuss the upcoming trade deadline and name a bunch of potential names. Before that, they discuss the big sweep, with dy...