Bobby Abreu or Jason Giambi to boost team OBP.

[RyDogg66]

Both players will be free agents next year and neither should be offered arbitration due to their huge salaries in 2008. Both are long in the tooth, I know, but lets look at who they would replace and how they could help. The offense has two problems as I see. Too many right handed hitters, not enough walks.

 

Jason Giambi:

 

Giambi would be signed, most likely to a Cameron or Kendall type deal, one year guaranteed with a team option for a second. He will be 38 next year and probably wasnt good at fielding when he was 28, but lets look at who he would be replacing. He would be replacing Fielder should Prince be traded for a top flight pitcher and I thought I read on this very forum that with defense taken into account Prince was actually a negative overall value to the team. Let's compare their numbers this year:

 

Giambi: .252/.379/.512/ = .893 OPS with 32 HRs

Fielder: ..274/.372/.508 = .880 OPS with 33 HRs

 

I would have to say the in 2009 Fielder is likely to be a better bet to approach a .900 OPS, but I dont think Giambi will far off that, probably somewhere in the .860-.875 range. Giambi has started at 1b in 110 games so far this year and I cant imagine he is worse than Prince. The best part about Giambi is that he is likely to be able to be had for something in the neighborhood of 2 yrs/16 million, or 1 year at 10 million with a team 10 million dollar option. Key: He bats left handed and would replace Fielder in the middle of our lineup. Also he is a walk machine and even if he comes in and bats .245 he is likely to lead the team in OBP somewhere in the neighborhood of .370.

 

Bobby Abreu:

 

The Brewers only need to focus on filling two outfield spots for the next 7 years with Braun signed longterm. Milwaukee has a couple of top notch minor league OFs that look to contribute by 2010 in Michael Brantly and Cole Gillespie (assuming Brantly doesnt go in the Sabathia deal). Abreu figues to be strictly a right fielder which leaves them with two choices. The first is that they could not pick up Cameron's option and move Corey Hart to CF. I am not a fan of Hart in CF, especialy if Fielder and Weeks still in the infield. I think defense is important. But it is an option. The other thing they could do is extend Hardy and trade Corey Hart in a deal for pitching. Remember, Hart has already rebuffed one offer to sign an extension and he might be worth more than he really is after making the All Star team and then going MIA in the second half. Milwaukee would surely have to pick up Cam's option, but then we have another LF bat in the lineup behind Fielder.

 

Lets compare the numbers of Cameron, Hart and Abreu

 

Cameron .326/.480 = .806 OPS, 25 Hrs, great defense.

Hart: .306(yes that is his OBP, not average)/.470 = .776 OPS, 20/20 player, average d

Abreu: .374/.475 = 849 OPS. 20/20 player, average d

 

I would not expect the Brewers to make both of these moves, however potential lineups next year could be:

 

1. Weeks

2. Hardy

3. Braun

4. Giambi

5. Hart

6. Free agent 3b

7. Cameron

8. Kendall

 

or

 

1. Weeks

2. Abreu

3. Braun

4. Fielder

5. Hardy

6. Cameron

7. New 3b

8. Kendall

[Hate those Rodents]

Not a bad idea. I'd be more inclined to adding Giambi, though that's assuming we get a fair haul for Prince. Giambi would certainly be an able fill in for a year or two at first base.

[dadofandrew]

Gillespie is not young for his league at all, and his numbers look rather pedestrian when you take age and translations into account. To say the least, I'm not counting on him to ever be more than a reserve. Hart was similar when he was 2-3 years younger.

 

I've always liked Abreu, but when you consider what he gives you versus what Cameron will, and their money, I have to believe Mike a better deal. If they choose not to go with Cameron, a guy like Dejesus or a similar type of player is likely to be brought in via trade.OBP is very hard to find for anything but a premium (darn that Beane guy), I would imagine BA gets at least 2y/$30M.

[ILuvDaBush]

If we can get Abreu, I would be very amenable to moving Hart for a good young pitcher. An OF of Braun/Cameron/Abreu would be above average, both offensively and defensively. The only drawback would be the price tag. Braun would still be relatively cheap but Cameron would be collecting $10mil and Abreu would probably be slotted for at least $12mil. It would all depend upon the Hart situation, but I do agree we need to rectify our OBP problem.

[trwi7]

If we sign Giambi and his .379 OBP and then trade Prince and his .372 OBP we're going to have a very slight upgrade. The only option to improve team OBP in this scenario would be to sign Abreu and trade Hart.

[RyDogg66]

Signing Giambi would allow us to move Prince to upgrade to roation (Cain?). If we just trade Prince and try to replace him with Nelson or some other stop gap, the offense could get even uglier.

[nate82]

Signing Giambi would allow us to move Prince to upgrade to roation (Cain?). If we just trade Prince and try to replace him with Nelson or some other stop gap, the offense could get even uglier.

Trading Hardy for Cain is overpaying. If you trade Prince for Cain should get you fired as a GM for even thinking that. Anything less than a Lincecum or Kershaw for Fielder wouldn't be acceptable.

[PilprinBuddha]

I'd sign Abreau and trade Hart as well. Not as thrilled with the Prince for Giambi idea.

 

I'd try to target Zack Greinke in the off season as well using a package of minor leaguers

[RyDogg66]

Signing Giambi would allow us to move Prince to upgrade to roation (Cain?). If we just trade Prince and try to replace him with Nelson or some other stop gap, the offense could get even uglier.

Trading Hardy for Cain is overpaying. If you trade Prince for Cain should get you fired as a GM for even thinking that. Anything less than a Lincecum or Kershaw for Fielder wouldn't be acceptable.

A fat 1b who is really bad at fielding and is only going to get fatter and more expensive for a pitcher of Matt Cain's talent level, age, price tag, isnt overpaying - or if it is, it isnt by a whole lot. Besides, I never said it would be a 1 for 1 deal, only that Prince could be used to upgrade the rotation.

 

I'd sign Abreau and trade Hart as well. Not as thrilled with the Prince for Giambi idea.

 

I'd try to target Zack Greinke in the off season as well using a package of minor leaguers

I wasnt talking about trading Prince for Giambi. Rather trading Fielder for someone (say Grienke) and replacing his production with Giambi. Essentially it would be Grienke and Giambi in and Fielder out. Perhaps we could snag David Dejesus in a Grienke deal as well.

[PilprinBuddha]

I understand what you were saying about Fielder for Giambi - I just feel that is too big of a drop off in talent for a trade off. Besides - the chances of adding both Giambi and Abreau wold be slim.

 

I would try to get Cain for Hart and filler if needed and still try to get Greinke with someone else...they would have no interest in Fielder...I don't think.

[JohnBriggs12]

I think because Ibanez is 2 years older than Abreu, he'll command less in total dollars than would Abreu for very similar production in the short term which is what the Brewers want anyway.

 

Factored in of course is potential loss of draft picks.

[trwi7]

Signing Giambi would allow us to move Prince to upgrade to roation (Cain?). If we just trade Prince and try to replace him with Nelson or some other stop gap, the offense could get even uglier.

Well yeah, I understand that but your title specifically talks about boosting team OBP. Going from Fielder to Giambi barely does anything. Now if Abreu was signed and Hart was traded then we would get an OBP boost.

[Postseason2006]

I've seen Giambi play defense and he's not an upgrade over Fielder in fact, he's a hack too.

[RyDogg66]

I've seen Giambi play defense and he's not an upgrade over Fielder in fact, he's a hack too.

I dont believe I ever said he would be, in fact, I said a few times that he is awful, but that he wouldnt be much of a downgrade.

[Invader3K]

I want no part of Jason Giambi. Abreu isn't a bad idea, though.

[colbyjack]

Bobby Abreu and Brian Giles (who I have heard isn't a lock to have his option picked up in SD) would be ideal acquisitions for the Brewers. Giambi's bat plays well, but as noted his glove would not be an improvement, and this offseason the team needs to find ways to improve this team at every position, not move sideways (unless Fielder is moved for young pitching, which is somewhat implied).

[MNBrew]

I like the Abreu idea a whole lot and have for a couple years. Steady, dependable, productive, lefty, & consistently good OBP.

 

Assuming Hart would move to CF, by the way. Defense might take a little hit less Cameron this way. But if the notion is that they need to change the complexion of the team offensively to shore up the ugly areas (BA, OBP, RISP, etc.), then Abreu in and Cameron out with Hart scootching over to CF seems like a very sensible plan.

[RyDogg66]

Cameron has more power, obp skills and plays better defense than Hart. The difference is price and the question of what happens in 2010.

[TwinsBrewersWorldSeries]

If we could somehow parlay Hart and Fielder into Cain AND Greinke, and then sign Giambi & Abreu, we've at worst kept our offense the same, but boosted the pitching.

 

Good pitching is harder to find/develop that good hitting. I'd trade hitters Hart & Fielder for good pitching.

 

Hardy, Yo, Braun, and Parra are "the core"

[endaround]

They can't sign both.

[Ennder]

Abreu is almost as bad of an OF defensively as Carlos Lee at this point. Not sure that is what we really need though the OBP sure would be nice. Giles would be a great fit though, I'd love to see us move Hart and sign Giles if that is an option. I don't think Hart's glove really plays in CF and I don't think the timing is right to try Weeks in CF so my guess is Cameron is back.