Milwaukee Brewers add four top prospects to 40 man roster

This evening was the deadline for MLB clubs to set their 40 man rosters and protect eligible prospects from the upcoming Rule 5 Draft. The Milwaukee Brewers announced that they have added four prominent minor leaguers to their roster:

All 4 players added - infielder Mauricio Dubon, catcher Jacob Nottingham, and righties Freddy Peralta and Marcos Diplan - were ranked among the team’s 30 prospects at season’s end by MLB Pipeline.

Dubon, 23, was the highest rated at #9. He was acquired last winter as a part of the trade with Boston that sent out Tyler Thornburg and brought back Dubon, third baseman Travis Shaw, and prospects Josh Pennington and Yeison Coca. He split the year between AA Biloxi and AAA Colorado Springs, batting .274/.330/.382 between the two stops with 8 home runs and 39 stolen bases. He split time between shortstop and second base, and if he doesn’t hit enough to be a regular he ought to still have a promising future as a utility player.

Peralta, 21, came to Milwaukee as a teenager in the 2015 trade that sent Adam Lind to Seattle. Milwaukee’s #11 prospect spent last year between high-A Carolina and AA Biloxi, and if it weren’t for Corbin Burnes then Peralta may have very well been the org’s minor league pitcher of the year. In an even 120.0 innings between the two stops, Peralta posted a 2.63 ERA and 169 strikeouts - one of the top totals among all minor league pitchers at any level. The righty features three average-or-better offerings with average control, and if he can overcome his diminutive stature then he could have a mid-rotation future.

Diplan, 21, arrived in the 2015 trade that sent Yovani Gallardo to Texas. Milwaukee’s #15 prospect struggled this past season, spending the year with high-A Carolina and compiling a 5.23 ERA and 119:71 K/BB ratio while logging 125.2 innings. Questions about his size, a plus fastball/slider combination that’s lacking a competent third offering, and poor results in 2017 have some scouts saying that it may be time to convert Diplan to relief.

Finally, Jacob Nottingham was a part of the package that the Brewers acquired in exchange for Khris Davis back in 2015. The 22 year old backstop, ranked as the club’s #19 prospect, struggled offensively for the second straight season in AA Biloxi since joining the organization. He could manage only a .209/.326/.369 slash with 9 home runs in 101 games in 2017, which was actually an improvement over his 2016 season. He’s made some strides defensively behind the plate but still projects to be only an average defender back there. Unless he can take some big steps with the bat, he may profile best as a big league backup in the future.

Among the recognizable names left off the roster were former 1st-round pick Clint Coulter, former org #1 prospect Tyrone Taylor, AAA players Nate Orf and Kyle Wren, and righty Devin Williams, a once-promising young arm currently recovering from Tommy John surgery. Those players, among others, will be eligible to be selected in the annual Rule 5 Draft that takes place during next month’s Winter Meetings.

After this evening’s moves, Milwaukee’s 40 man roster stands at 39.

Statistics courtesy of Baseball-Reference