Minor-league free agency is all about taking a shot on flawed players with great tools, and a longtime Toronto Blue Jays prospect was a classic example in this year’s class.
Outfielder Dasan Brown, the Blue Jays’ 2019 third-round pick, hit free agency this winter after a season in which he reached Triple-A for the first time, but damaged his stock. He batted .174 with a .545 OPS in 101 games, split across Double-A and Triple-A.
However, with 149 career stolen bases in 463 minor-league games, Brown’s speed was bound to earn him another opportunity. Sometime within the last month, that opportunity found him.
According to Baseball America’s minor-league transactions log, the Milwaukee Brewers signed Brown to a minor-league deal sometime between Dec. 12 and Jan. 5. That signing has yet to appear on Brown’s official roster page, which is somewhat common for signings involving players off the 40-man roster.
Brewers Double-A broadcaster Javik Blake also confirmed the signing.
Brown is an excellent defender on top of his base-stealing ability, having won a minor-league Gold Glove in 2024. But he’s never hit more than eight home runs in a season, so he’ll likely be relying on his small ball abilities to eventually earn him a spot on a major league roster.
Toronto didn’t have much of a speed identity this past season, but Brown wasn’t close enough to being ready for the majors to justify adding him to the 40-man roster. That doesn’t mean the Blue Jays wanted to lose him in free agency, however.
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