July 31, 2014

Transaction Analysis

Brewers Get Parra's Glove

by R.J. Anderson and J.P. Breen

Printer-friendly

MILWAUKEE BREWERS Team Audit | Player Cards | Depth Chart

Acquired OF-L Gerardo Parra from the Diamondbacks in exchange for OF-R Mitch Haniger and LHP Anthony Banda. [7/31]

Doug Melvin always seems to do something at the deadline when his Brewers are in contention. Parra, while not as sexy as David Price or the other names floated around in rumors involving Milwaukee, qualifies as something. An outstanding defender, Parra struggles to gain value elsewhere. Despite making a lot of contact, he seldom posts high batting averages. That's a problem because Parra provides little in the way of walks and extra-base hits. While Parra is good at taking the extra base during the run of play, he struggles to steal bases. Add in that he needs to be hidden against left-handed pitching, and you have the makings of a fourth outfielder. You figure, at minimum, Parra will replace Logan Schafer in that role. But who knows, perhaps Ron Roenicke will platoon him in left field with Khris Davis. Either way, Parra makes the Brewers better. He should do so until the 2015-2016 offseason, when he becomes a free agent. —R.J. Anderson

Fantasy impact

Gerardo Parra

Though the trade to Milwaukee should reduce the overall playing time for Parra, the move could actually put the Gold Glover in a better position to succeed. He no longer has to face lefties and can be selectively deployed against right-handed pitching, against whom he has historically found success. He’s hitting .271/.304/.389 against righties this year and has a career .286/.335/.425 slash line against them. Fantasy owners in daily formats will have a better opportunity to capitalize on Parra’s new-found platoon(ish) role.

The walk rate has come down this year, but he’s still hitting for average and a modicum of power against righties. Parra also offers the occasional stolen base. This isn’t a move that will make him relevant in mixed leagues across the spectrum of formats, but in deeper daily leagues that can afford to pick-and-choose matchups, Parra just became a bit more attractive in a good park and a good lineup.

Mitch Haniger

Haniger isn’t a well-known outfield prospect, but he turned some heads in the Arizona Fall League last autumn and has an outside shot of being an everyday corner outfielder. While the overall statistics aren't attractive, Haniger is hitting .290/.341/.458 with seven homers since the beginning of May—a stretch that included a DL stint. He’s begun to adjust to Double-A pitching and is showing the promise that he flashed in the AFL a year ago.

Deeper dynasty league owners should keep an eye on Haniger for the remainder of the year. The Diamondbacks don’t have a lot of depth in the outfield, which could bode well for future playing opportunities, and have had success with borderline outfield prospects in recent years (such as David Peralta and A.J. Pollock). Haniger isn’t flashy, but could give 15 homers with a decent average and a few stolen bases if everything comes together.

Anthony Banda

Banda is a 6-foot-2 lefty, who was drafted by the Brewers in the 10th round of the 2012 MLB Draft and played his college ball at San Jacinto Community College in Houston. He’s nothing to get excited about in fantasy formats. He’s 20 years old with a 3.66 ERA, throwing low 90s with a curveball and changeup. He’s shown an ability to miss some bats, but it’s been paired with a 4.09 BB/9 walk rate. He’s currently not worth owning, even in deeper dynasty leagues. —J.P. Breen

R.J. Anderson is an author of Baseball Prospectus. Follow @r_j_anderson
Click here to see R.J.'s other articles. You can contact R.J. by clicking here
J.P. Breen is an author of Baseball Prospectus. Follow @jp_breen
Click here to see J.P.'s other articles. You can contact J.P. by clicking here