The Milwaukee Brewers never have been and probably never will be big spenders in free agency. While fans are understandably frustrated by that fact, it does come with the territory of being the smallest market in all of baseball. As such, the Brewers are always looking for inexpensive reclamation projects that have the potential of having a positive impact on their season.
One example of this was Jared Koenig last season. The former Oakland Athletics and San Diego Padres prospect struggled in the minors and in his only stint of Major League action in 2022. That year, with Oakland, Koenig was 1-3 with a 5.72 ERA and 1.40 WHIP in 10 appearances.
The Brewers signed Koenig to a minor league contract with an invitation to Spring Training last year. It worked out well for both parties, as Koenig became a key figure in Milwaukee’s bullpen this year, going 9-4 with a 2.47 ERA and 1.24 WHIP in 55 games (six starts).
The Milwaukee Brewers Sign 3 Players to Minor League Contracts
Milwaukee, as always, is on the lookout for their next reclamation project that they can sign for cheap and turn into a bonified Major League contributor. Not every player they sign works out, of course, but the Brewers always do their due diligence.
On Monday, it was reported that they had signed three more players to minor league contracts:
Where do you stand on fascinating prospects from like five years ago?
Because the Brewers continue to ink them to minor-league deals this winter. After already signing Deivi Garcia, they’ve added pitcher Jon Duplantier and outfielder Jared Oliva today, the team announced.
— Curt Hogg (@CyrtHogg) November 25, 2024
In addition to Jon Duplantier and Jared Oliva, the Brewers also reunited with Thomas Pannone, a left-handed pitcher who made one appearance in Milwaukee during the 2023 season. He spent last year split with the Triple-A squads of the New York Yankees and Chicago Cubs.
Brewers have reunited with LHP Thomas Pannone in a minor-league deal with an invite to major-league camp.
— Todd Rosiak (@Todd_Rosiak) November 25, 2024
The signing of Jon Duplantier is an intriguing one. He is a former MLB Top-100 prospect, but has never been able to figure it out on the Major League level.
The last time Duplantier appeared in the Majors was in 2021 with the Arizona Diamondbacks. He went 0-3 with a 13.15 ERA and 2.01 WHIP in four games (all starts).
That poor cup of coffee with their Big League club was enough for the Diamondbacks to give up on the young hurler. Since 2022, he has played in the farm systems of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Philadelphia Phillies, and New York Mets.
Jared Oliva is an above-average defensive outfielder who has not been able to hit on the Major League level. In 26 games with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2020 and 2021, Oliva hit .175/.233/.225 with no home runs and two RBI.
He spent last season playing for the Seattle Marniers’ Double-A team, hitting .294/.378/.463 with seven home runs, 40 RBI, and 37 stolen bases.
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