Milwaukee Brewers: Looking back at the Jonathan Schoop debacle

Milwaukee Brewers general manager David Stearns has generally had success while making trades during his time in Brew Town.

However, the Milwaukee Brewers can’t expect to “win” EVERY trade and the 2018 Jonathan Schoop deal is a prime example. Schoop was coming off of a stretch in which he was named the American League Player of the Week prior to being dealt to Milwaukee. Unfortunately, that would prove to be the high point of Schoop’s 2018 season.

Milwaukee traded highly regarded pitching prospect Luis Ortiz along with another highly regarded prospect Jean Carmona and Jonathan Villar to acquire Schoop in late July.

Ortiz, currently ranked 7 in Baltimore’s system, made his MLB debut for the Baltimore Orioles down the stretch last season. Although his season ended early due to injury, Ortiz projects to be a fixture in the O’s pitching rotation for the foreseeable future.

Carmona, currently ranked 13, is still a few years away from making an impact in MLB. However, he is just 18-years-old and projects as a solid future big leaguer. Those two players alone make this trade decidedly one-sided without considering the success Villar had while playing in Baltimore.

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Schoop was a mess for the Milwaukee Brewers and struggled to earn consistent playing time. He struggled to a .202 batting average and a measly .331 slugging percentage with the Crew. Schoop hit just four home runs and collected only eight extra-base hits in total with 134 plate appearances and finished with a less than stellar .577 on-base plus slugging percentage.

The cost to acquire Schoop was understandably high. The 27-year-old had hit 57 home runs between the 2016-17 seasons while also having one more season of arbitration left. He also hit .293 for Baltimore during the ’17 season and looked like more than just a power hitter.

Although Schoop struggled mightily during his time in Milwaukee to close last season, there is reason to believe in a turnaround during this season. Schoop experienced his first real taste of a pennant chase during last season and it is entirely possible that he was putting too much pressure on himself to perform.

Milwaukee has a big decision to make during this Winter. Schoop still brings plenty of upside and can help bridge the gap for the Crew until one of their many infield prospects is ready to take the second base job full time. However, his salary is sure to see a significant jump during his final year of arbitration and that makes him a possible non-tender candidate for the Milwaukee Brewers this offseason.

If Milwaukee decides to walk away from Schoop and doesn’t bring him back for the 2019 season this trade will go down as one of the worst in franchise history. Schoop still has a chance to make this trade worth it for the Brewers.

Keston Hiura, Milwaukee’s top prospect, won’t be ready to take the reigns at the keystone until the 2020 season at the earliest. Although Mauricio Dubon, another highly regarded infield prospect in the Brewers system, is on the cusp of regular playing time in MLB, his 2018 season was cut short due to injury and he’s not ready for everyday action in the Majors.

Milwaukee does have Hernán Pérez who can handle the keystone for the short term if Schoop isn’t retained. However, Perez brings more value with his versatility and playing primarily at second base would hurt Milwaukee more than help.

It’s still too early to say Milwaukee made a mistake in trading for him. However, the clock is ticking and if Schoop can’t put together a solid 2019 season, this trade could end up setting the franchise back.