Pat Murphy Hints at Breakout Season for Brewers' 23-Year-Old Prospect

The signing of veteran catcher Gary Sánchez seemed to indicate that Milwaukee Brewers top catching prospect Jeferson Quero would start the season in Triple-A.

Milwaukee already has one of the best catchers in the sport in William Contreras, so carrying three catchers on the opening day roster would limit the flexibility of the Brewers' bench. Plus, Quero is still less than a year removed from returning to action for the first time after major shoulder surgery.

However, Brewers manager Pat Murphy, who has long been a proponent of Quero and his skill set, may have just indicated that a major league debut on or around opening day is in the cards for the 23-year-old.

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Murphy hails Quero as "special player"

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

Last week, Murphy provided as glowing a review as one could possibly find of Quero's fit for the major league level.

"This might be a great story, you guys," Murphy said, per Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "Keep that in the back of your mind. This might be a really special story, because I think he’s a special player. I think even after the injury, he’s a special player."

Though Murphy acknowledged that Quero's throwing wasn't quite back up to where it was before his surgery, he said he was confident he could put the youngster behind the plate in a major league game.

"I think there’ll be more improvement," Murphy said, per Rosiak. "It’s very unusual for a guy to be back, period, from that surgery. That’s not normal. But the way he’s transferring the ball, the way he’s throwing the ball right now, I have no problem putting him in the big leagues. No problem.

"Is he what he was? No, he’s not. But is he serviceable right now in the big leagues? Absolutely, and the other parts of his game are so strong."

Contreras, the Brewers' two-time All-Star backstop, is under team control through the end of next season. If he and Milwaukee can't reach an extension, he'd be a natural trade candidate next winter, on the same timeline as Corbin Burnes, Devin Williams, and Freddy Peralta.

So as boxed out as Quero looks now, it could soon be his time to shine, and Murphy seems eager to get him in the crouch at the big-league level quickly.