It seems as if everyone (other than one to two people) is in a hurry to trade Domingo Santana to make room for players like Brinson, Phillips, Cordell and Coulter. So... why not look at some of the former Brewer OFs who have gotten away and turned into superstars. The two that come to mind are Lorenzo Cain and Michael Brantley. The two of them were involved in separate trades to acquire elite pitchers for playoff runs. Frequently fans lament the loss of Cain and Brantley since they have gone on to have excellent careers with their new teams.

But have they?

Let's take a look and see how they compare to Domingo Santana so far. I know that Santana hasn't proven that he can stick, but at first glance the numbers are very interesting. I will admit that I have cherry picked some of the numbers, but I did it in a very straight forward manner that is very inclusive.

Santana has play 3 seasons that have had 154 or more PA so far in his MLB career.

In those 3 seasons, EVERY time Santana has posted an OPS of .768 or higher.

So... how often have Brantley and Cain been able to post a .768 or higher OPS when having 154 or more PA in a season?

Brantley --- 2 times in 6 seasons.

Cain --- 1 time in 7 seasons

So... between Cain and Brantley combined they have 3 seasons with an OPS of .768 or above out of 13 total seasons. Santana has done that in all 3 of his seasons.

Does this mean Santana will go on to greatness? No. Clearly it does not.

Does this mean that Cain and Brantley are not solid MLB OFs? No. Clearly it does not.

Does this mean that Santana is a good fielder? No. Clearly it does not, but let's not get confused about where Santana's value is - as a potential middle of the lineup hitter for years to come.

So... what does it mean?

How about, let's appreciate Santana for who he is - a mediocre defensive OF who has a ton of potential as a hitter. The "future" of the Brewers OF could actually be playing RF for them most days this season - Domingo Santana.