Brewers and Catchers Jorge Alfaro According to FanSided’s Robert Murray, the two sides have reached an agreement on a minor league deal and an invitation to major league spring training. The tailgate is represented by CAA Sports.
Alfaro turns 32 in June and was a 1oo favorite. His power was considered his best attribute, and he showed occasional flashes of utilizing it during his major league career, but he was largely diminished by a lack of plate discipline or contact skills. at this point.
To date, he has appeared in 496 major league games and made 1,710 plate appearances. Only 4.2% of those results were Alfaro walks, while 34% were strikeouts. Both numbers are well below typical league averages. He did hit 48 home runs there, but his .253/.302/.393 batting line resulted in a wRC+ of 86.
For a catcher, that’s actually not that bad, as backers typically hit around 10% below league standards. In 2024, all MLB catchers combined to hit .234/.300/.378 for a 91 wRC+. But Alfaro was largely considered a bat-first prospect, and it showed in the majors. Baseball Prospectus rates him as a decent ball-setter with a near-average running game and subpar blocking. Statcast likes his performance in the run game but not his framing and blocking. Aside from a stellar performance in 2018, FanGraphs has been pretty lackluster on his performance.
The Brewers have a reputation for improving defense at receiver, so maybe they can give Alfaro some improvement. Alfaro may be a little rusty, as he essentially misses the 2024 season. He signed a minor league contract with the Cubs but was released before Opening Day and did not sign with any other team. Regardless, he’s been playing winter ball this offseason and doing well. In 12 games with the Tigres del Licey of the Dominican Professional Baseball League, he hit .303/.361/.455. He made seven appearances in 36 games and had a strikeout rate of 19.4%.
The Milwaukee Bucks currently have three catchers on the 40-man roster. William ContrerasHis defensive metrics have improved since coming from Atlanta and he is clearly No. 1. Eric Haas The current project serves as a backup. His career numbers are fairly similar to Alfaro’s, with a few home runs but poor walk rates, strikeout rates and defensive grades. Jefferson Crow One of the best prospects in the league, but probably not a short-term option. He started 2024 at the 3A level but required shoulder surgery after one game and missed the remainder of the year.
With Cuero only 22 years old, having experience in just one Triple-A game and essentially missing the entire season, the Brewers likely don’t want to put too much pressure on him to start 2025. Ranked third. He will provide the club with some veteran non-roster depth that they can move onto the roster if injuries require it. If that happens, he’ll have no choice, and neither will Haas.
