Keston Hiura, Corey Ray, Lucas Erceg told they will not make the Brewers major league roster

As we enter the last week of spring training, cuts are coming as the Brewers trim their roster down to the 25 players that will make the team. Today, three more players were told that they will not make the major league team:

None of these come as a surprise. All are behind established starters in the majors, and though they might have had a shot at the major league roster as a bench player, they will all benefit more from regular playing time in the minors. Plus, they all should have a shot at making the major league roster at some point during the season.

Keston Hiura impressed in spring training, and may have been the most likely of the three to win a spot. He hit .250/.341/.556 in 36 at-bats this spring, with 3 home runs, 13 RBI, and 2 stolen bases. However, his chances to make the major league roster took a big hit when the Brewers signed Mike Moustakas, taking up the one spot he could have fit in out of spring training. Plus, he has not played above Double-A yet, and has a total of 73 games (307 PA) in Double-A. Getting some experience in Triple-A will benefit him for now.

Corey Ray had a bit more trouble in spring training, hitting .220/.289/.488 with two home runs, 5 RBI and a stolen base in 41 AB. In addition, he finds himself behind several players on the depth chart, with Ryan Braun, Lorenzo Cain, and Christian Yelich taking the starting outfield jobs. He also has not played above Double-A, recording a full year there in 2018 with a .239/.323/.477 and 124 wRC+. He should also see a promotion to San Antonio this year, and does have the chance to make it to the big league club at some point in the year if he plays well. He will also get to travel with the team to face the Blue Jays in a few exhibition games before the start of the season.

Lucas Erceg also didn’t have the best spring, posting a .219/.212/.500 line with two home runs. His chances were also hurt by the re-acquisition of Moustakas, though he was also blocked by Travis Shaw at third base. Erceg also spent the full year at Double-A in 2018, where he posted a line of .248/.306/.382 and a 94 wRC+. He should also see a promotion to Triple-A in 2019.

Though all three will be in the minors to start the season, they will be working to make it to the majors at some point. Injuries will happen throughout the season, and some players will struggle, creating opportunities to move up. It would not be a surprise to see any (or all) of these players up at some point during the year.

Statistics courtesy of MLB.com and FanGraphs.