Milwaukee Brewers admit mistake with Jonathan Schoop

It is not often that a team admits a mistake in making a trade, but the Milwaukee Brewers did just that on Friday.

Even in the face of overwhelming evidence, teams do not like to admit they made a mistake with a trade. If the player struggles, they tend to chalk it up to an adjustment period, or an injury, or some other miscellaneous ailment. Never would a team admit to making a mistake – there is always some other reason for those issues.

Well, the Milwaukee Brewers have changed that narrative. On Friday, they non-tendered second baseman Jonathan Schoop, leading to a truly damning comment from GM David Stearns:

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An All Star in 2017, Schoop never got on track last season. He had a relatively decent time with the Orioles in 2018, at least comparatively, prior to being traded. In his 367 plate appearances in Baltimore, he produced a decent enough .244/.273/.447 batting line, hitting 17 homers and 18 doubles. His 96 OPS+ was not that far off from league average, making him a worthwhile target for the Brewers.

However, in Milwaukee, that production crashed. Schoop only mustered a .202/.246/.331 batting line, with four homers and four doubles in 134 plate appearances. His OPS+ with the Orioles looked positively Ruthian compared to the 56 OPS+ he produced with the Brewers. Schoop lost playing time in the playoffs, as Craig Counsell just could not trust him in the lineup.

It will be interesting to see what type of market Schoop has this offseason. While there are a few teams looking for second basemen, Schoop may not be the type of answer they have in mind. While he has been a solid defensive player at the keystone, with 29 runs saved, he is limited in the field, with only 29 career games away from second base.

Teams will also need to wonder which season is the outlier. While Schoop has had some decent years, 2017 was the only season he had an above average OPS+ when playing more than 90 games. Yet, he never really struggled like he did in Milwaukee. Schoop may well be a slightly below average batter, but a decent enough fielder where a team would take a chance on a one year deal.

Just don’t expect that contract to come from the Milwaukee Brewers. They have admitted the error of their ways, and are moving on from Jonathan Schoop.