The Milwaukee Brewers continue to seek upper-level pitching depth in advance of their attempt to defend their National League Central title in 2019, and this past week their search resulted in a minor league agreement with right-hander Burch Smith. The former top prospect will turn 29 shortly after the start of the regular season, though his unique and idiosyncratic career path may portend to more upside than one might expect from a pitcher of a similar age and MLB track record.
Smith began his professional career in 2011, when he slipped to the 14th round in the MLB draft due to perceived signability issues.