Brewers protect Brice Turang, Abner Uribe, Cam Robinson, Jon Singleton from Rule 5 Draft

A previous version of this story reported on the initial additions of Turang and Uribe to the 40-man roster. It has been updated to reflect the subsequent selections of Robinson and Singleton.

Today is the deadline for teams to protect minor-league players from the Rule 5 Draft by adding them to their 40-man roster. The Brewers announced that they have selected the contracts of infielder Brice Turang, right-handers Abner Uribe and Cam Robinson, and first baseman Jon Singleton.

The first three selections are not surprising, as Turang, Uribe, and Robinson are well-regarded members of Milwaukee’s minor league pipeline.

Turang was always guaranteed to be protected as the organization’s fourth-ranked prospect per MLB Pipeline. He reached Triple-A last August and spent the entirety of the 2022 season there. In 779 plate appearances at the highest level of the minor leagues, Turang has slashed .277/.365/.391 for a 106 wRC+.

He’ll need to tap into his raw power more to become a big-league regular, but Turang’s plus plate discipline is a great starting point. He has walked 12.5% of the time against a 19.6% strikeout rate in Triple-A. He’s a candidate to inherit Jace Peterson’s utility role, with the veteran likely to depart in free agency.

The 22-year-old Uribe possesses perhaps the livest arm in Milwaukee’s system, routinely touching triple digits with his fastball. He showcased that big heater in spring training, and the Brewers believed he could impact their bullpen later in 2022.

Unfortunately, Uribe’s regular season ended after two Double-A appearances due to a torn meniscus in his left knee that required surgery. He returned for the Arizona Fall League, where he allowed one earned run in 10 innings while striking out 14.

In addition to fastballs of the four- and two-seam variety, Uribe also features a hard slider that sometimes more closely resembles a cutter.

Control has always been the stumbling block for Milwaukee’s 26th-ranked prospect, who has issued free passes at a 17.4% rate for his minor-league career. That makes his two walks in 10 AFL innings encouraging.

Robinson ascended from High-A to Triple-A this year with a breakout season. While the 23-year-old’s results took a turn for the worse in his brief Triple-A sample, he posted sub-1.50 ERAs in High-A and Double-A, and his strikeout and ground ball rates were strong at all three stops.

Robinson is ready to help a big-league bullpen in the near future, and the Brewers will presumably have multiple open spots in their relief corps after some non-tenders and the departure of Taylor Rogers in free agency.

Singleton is a former Houston Astros prospect who faded from organized baseball after the 2017 season. He returned to the field in 2021 and posted excellent numbers in the Mexican League, prompting the Brewers to sign him to a minor-league deal.

Singleton batted just .219 and struck out 27.7% of the time with the Nashville Sounds, but he walked at a gaudy 20.1% clip to post a .375 on-base percentage. He also flashed plenty of power, hitting 24 home runs and slugging .434.

That was enough to convince the Brewers that he can contribute at the big-league level. According to General Manager Matt Arnold, the designated hitter spot can create ample opportunities for Singleton and Rowdy Tellez moving forward.

The additions of Turang, Uribe, Robinson and Singleton mean that 39 slots on Milwaukee’s 40-man roster are occupied.