Establishing yourself at the major league level as a top prospect when there’s a superstar in front of you is difficult, especially for catchers.
We saw earlier this winter that the Seattle Mariners felt comfortable trading top catching prospect Harry Ford, because he had no chance to cut into Cal Raleigh’s playing time. That context is important to consider when weighing how the Milwaukee Brewers should treat Jeferson Quero.
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Quero, the 23-year-old Venezuelan-born backstop who ranked fifth on MLB Pipeline’s list of top Brewers prospects at the end of last season, looked to have a decent shot at the opening day roster for most of the offseason as the backup to William Contreras. Then, the Brewers seemingly showed they weren’t comfortable with that plan.
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Quero out of expert’s projected roster picture
Feb 27, 2024; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Milwaukee Brewers catcher Jeferson Quero against the Los Angeles Angels during a spring training game at Tempe Diablo Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports | Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Earlier this week, the Brewers signed veteran power-hitting catcher Gary Snchez to a one-year contract. That seemingly put Quero behind the 8-ball to have a shot at the openind day roster, and Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reporter JR Radcliffe furthered the notion by leaving Quero off his projected 26-man roster on Friday.
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“The question at this position group is whether the Brewers hand top-prospect Quero the backup reins. Still 23 years old and coming off a partial season after missing all of 2024, there’s some wisdom to getting him just a bit more seasoning,” Radcliffe wrote.
“The Brewers have been quiet in the free-agent market this offseason, even by even their standards, so the recent addition of Snches indicates he’s probably getting every chance to win that spot.”
As Radcliffe insinuates, there’s an injury history to consider with Quero’s development in addition to ensuring his play on the diamond is big-league ready. But eventually, there comes a point in which it no longer makes sense to keep a prospect in the minors, and the same could be true of relegating that prospect to a backup role.
So eventually, it feels like the Brewers need to genuinely consider how much opportunity there is for Quero in Milwaukee, and that may partially come down to how soon Contreras is due to leave. He’ll be a free agent after the 2027 season, so stay tuned on trade possibilities for either backstop.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/brewers/onsi as Brewers No. 5 Prospect Seemingly Has No Shot at Opening Day Roster.