When does Arnold start to receive some criticism

[Brian]

On 5/11/2025 at 6:19 PM, SF70 said:

Matt Arnold should be extended.  IMO, he’s the best GM this team has ever had and the best small-market GM in the game.

I agree Matt Arnold is not the issue at all, its the money he has access to for the team probably is the issue. 

[Sixtolezcano]

On 5/12/2025 at 6:03 PM, Fear The Chorizo said:

Making this type of move would be when Arnold should get fired.

 

Still think trading Yelich for McMahon is a bad move? I sure hope you enjoy paying Yelich his $77M the next 3 years!

[wntrtxn21]

35 minutes ago, Sixtolezcano said:

Still think trading Yelich for McMahon is a bad move? I sure hope you enjoy paying Yelich his $77M the next 3 years!

Even if they could get Yelich to agree (extremely doubtful) to go to Colorado, the Brewers would have to throw in a boat load of cash to get the Rockies to make the deal. Probably nearly enough to pay Yelich's whole contract. This year McMahon playing in Coors:  .212/6 HRs/11 RBIs/30% K rate --- Yelich:  .211/7 HRs/26 RBIs/27% K rate. What would Milwaukee gain from the trade? 

[brewcrewdue80]

7 hours ago, igor67 said:

Wilken is unlikely as well, but without a solid argument otherwise I'm definitely in the move him to AAA and give him the chance to show that he should be an option down the stretch.

Say we trade Hoskins as he may be best veteran bat going this season, you create the open spot to add Wilken for 1st.

 

TURBO- it's ok to disagree with a thought.  I forgot there was an A+ and was thinking AA was Made's next stop.  

Daz Cameron isn't the answer, he's another problem hitter.  If the team wants to continue trotting hitters below a Uecker line, when having options to try higher ceiling prospect, they aren't trying.  75 win team with an arrow pointing towards 72 wins.

[liveforoctober]

59 minutes ago, brewcrewdue80 said:

Say we trade Hoskins as he may be best veteran bat going this season, you create the open spot to add Wilken for 1st.

 

TURBO- it's ok to disagree with a thought.  I forgot there was an A+ and was thinking AA was Made's next stop.  

Daz Cameron isn't the answer, he's another problem hitter.  If the team wants to continue trotting hitters below a Uecker line, when having options to try higher ceiling prospect, they aren't trying.  75 win team with an arrow pointing towards 72 wins.

So if the Brewers agree with you that this is a 75-80 win team ... doesn't that swing the decision making towards NOT calling these kids up earlier than necessary and letting them develop appropriately? Let's use Wilken as the example, if his 'natural progression', whatever that means, has him competing for a roster spot in Spring Training '26... what would a two month extended call up do for us and him this season other than speed up his service clock? If he plays really well it would make us a 77 win team instead of 75?

Wouldn't this year be the perfect time to give guys like Ernesto Martinez a chance to show if they have it rather than rushing the kid you already have penciled into your future plans?

If 82 wins is going to win the division then bring the whole artillery to win games .. but the Cubs look like a 90+ win team so if the all star break hits and we are a below .500 squad ... let the kids grow in the minors and bring up the fringe guys to flush out who can help us next year.

[brewcrewdue80]

On 5/13/2025 at 10:41 PM, liveforoctober said:

So if the Brewers agree with you that this is a 75-80 win team ... doesn't that swing the decision making towards NOT calling these kids up earlier than necessary and letting them develop appropriately? Let's use Wilken as the example, if his 'natural progression', whatever that means, has him competing for a roster spot in Spring Training '26... what would a two month extended call up do for us and him this season other than speed up his service clock? If he plays really well it would make us a 77 win team instead of 75?

Wouldn't this year be the perfect time to give guys like Ernesto Martinez a chance to show if they have it rather than rushing the kid you already have penciled into your future plans?

If 82 wins is going to win the division then bring the whole artillery to win games .. but the Cubs look like a 90+ win team so if the all star break hits and we are a below .500 squad ... let the kids grow in the minors and bring up the fringe guys to flush out who can help us next year.

I get that. But while their clocks start, who the crew sends down gets wound back.  Hoskins day today pretty much cemented a future trade by the deadline.  If the team has a sell-off frenzy, you do need to replace those players now gone.  Once past Super 2 make some changes is all I'm suggesting staring at multiple under 550 OPS with sample size growing.  

The biggest argument against wouldn't be starting the clock, but using an option.  Ortiz won't have an option after this season.  Climbing to can't touch me territory you don't have anyone better to start no matter how poor I play.  Option him and rewind that clock to hurt his future pay and delay it.  

[wiguy94]

21 minutes ago, brewcrewdue80 said:

I get that. But while their clocks start, who the crew sends down gets wound back.  Hoskins day today pretty much cemented a future trade by the deadline.  If the team has a sell-off frenzy, you do need to replace those players now gone.  Once past Super 2 make some changes is all I'm suggesting staring at multiple under 550 OPS with sample size growing.  

The biggest argument against wouldn't be starting the clock, but using an option.  Ortiz won't have an option after this season.  Climbing to can't touch me territory you don't have anyone better to start no matter how poor I play.  Option him and rewind that clock to hurt his future pay and delay it.  

Ortiz still has 2 option years remaining. Even if he was optioned this year he would still have an option available next year.

[brewcrewdue80]

4 hours ago, wiguy94 said:

Ortiz still has 2 option years remaining. Even if he was optioned this year he would still have an option available next year.

It's his 3rd season playing.  Wouldn't that be 3 options?

[Jopal78]

On 5/13/2025 at 9:42 PM, brewcrewdue80 said:

Say we trade Hoskins as he may be best veteran bat going this season, you create the open spot to add Wilken for 1st.

 

TURBO- it's ok to disagree with a thought.  I forgot there was an A+ and was thinking AA was Made's next stop.  

Daz Cameron isn't the answer, he's another problem hitter.  If the team wants to continue trotting hitters below a Uecker line, when having options to try higher ceiling prospect, they aren't trying.  75 win team with an arrow pointing towards 72 wins.

Wilken has played 3rd base predominantly in the minors. Odds are the Brewers aren’t going to have him switch positions until he proves he can’t play 3B passably in the majors (Greater need 3B > 1B).

Second, Hoskins is making 18 million dollars and has a 4 million dollar buy out on a mutual option for ‘26. So even with 2/3 the season gone by, he’d still be owed approximately 10 million dollars. That is a lot of money for a rental, even more so if a team is a luxury tax payer. (Tack on an additional 30% or more to the 10 million)

Therefore, the return to the Brewers in any Hoskins trade would most likely be just salary relief which could make a trade less likely. 

 

[CheezWizHed]

1 hour ago, Jopal78 said:

Wilken has played 3rd base predominantly in the minors. Odds are the Brewers aren’t going to have him switch positions until he proves he can’t play 3B passably in the majors (Greater need 3B > 1B).

Second, Hoskins is making 18 million dollars and has a 4 million dollar buy out on a mutual option for ‘26. So even with 2/3 the season gone by, he’d still be owed approximately 10 million dollars. That is a lot of money for a rental, even more so if a team is a luxury tax payer. (Tack on an additional 30% or more to the 10 million)

Therefore, the return to the Brewers in any Hoskins trade would most likely be just salary relief which could make a trade less likely. 

 

I think you are assuming they will trade him to a team like the Brewers...  Plenty of other teams out there that wouldn't blink at that if they had a hole at 1B and WS aspirations.  

[Fear The Chorizo]

On 5/13/2025 at 8:21 PM, Sixtolezcano said:

Still think trading Yelich for McMahon is a bad move? I sure hope you enjoy paying Yelich his $77M the next 3 years!

Offensively Yelich and McMahon are the same player right now.  Your trade proposal included still paying that amount for him to play elsewhere (or at least a good portion of it), then also paying close to that amount for what's left of McMahons contract the next 3 seasons to watch a 3b who is hardly a great offensive player playing home games in Coors Fields play in Milwaukee.  Plus throw in low level prospects.  Meanwhile a former 1st round pick for the brewers is destroying baseballs in AA at 3b right now, and he could wind up in Milwaukee next season.

Compared to your alternative, yes im ok with just paying Yelich to stay in Milwaukee 

[Jopal78]

23 minutes ago, CheezWizHed said:

I think you are assuming they will trade him to a team like the Brewers...  Plenty of other teams out there that wouldn't blink at that if they had a hole at 1B and WS aspirations.  

I don’t agree, no team has an unlimited budget just because they have WS aspirations . Hoskins is an okay player. He’s on a hot streak right now in May, if he keeps it up through the end of July maybe you’re right. Otherwise teams could get 75% of Hoskins’ production for 25% of the cost. Just economics 

[wiguy94]

6 hours ago, brewcrewdue80 said:

It's his 3rd season playing.  Wouldn't that be 3 options?

Not how it works. You have to actually be optioned to burn an option year. You could still be optioned even if your service time was at 4.160 if you had an option. 

[brewcrewdue80]

12 hours ago, wiguy94 said:

Not how it works. You have to actually be optioned to burn an option year. You could still be optioned even if your service time was at 4.160 if you had an option. 

Thanks for clarification.   I thought the options were used up every year you were played on the 26man.  

 

In this case the crew should definitely finish out seasons using their higher ceiling prospects through end of a season.

[bigred]

16 hours ago, Jopal78 said:

I don’t agree, no team has an unlimited budget just because they have WS aspirations . Hoskins is an okay player. He’s on a hot streak right now in May, if he keeps it up through the end of July maybe you’re right. Otherwise teams could get 75% of Hoskins’ production for 25% of the cost. Just economics 

The Dodgers, Yankees, and Mets don't have unlimited budgets? Since when? 

[Jopal78]

5 hours ago, bigred said:

The Dodgers, Yankees, and Mets don't have unlimited budgets? Since when? 

Open your eyes, man. Why do you think the Dodgers have hundreds of millions of dollars deferred salary on players? It’s called managing the luxury tax implications. Same reason Soto isn’t with the Yankees this year. 

[bigred]

43 minutes ago, Jopal78 said:

Open your eyes, man. Why do you think the Dodgers have hundreds of millions of dollars deferred salary on players? It’s called managing the luxury tax implications. Same reason Soto isn’t with the Yankees this year. 

If any of those teams wanted a player bad enough, none would hesitate to spend the draft capital and $$. They were simply taking advantage of a loop hole. 

[CheezWizHed]

1 hour ago, bigred said:

If any of those teams wanted a player bad enough, none would hesitate to spend the draft capital and $$. They were simply taking advantage of a loop hole. 

Agreed.  While I technically could afford to pay my full income taxes, that doesn't mean I'm not going to take every potential deduction I can to keep more money in my pocket. 

  

On 5/15/2025 at 8:39 AM, Jopal78 said:

I don’t agree, no team has an unlimited budget just because they have WS aspirations . Hoskins is an okay player. He’s on a hot streak right now in May, if he keeps it up through the end of July maybe you’re right. Otherwise teams could get 75% of Hoskins’ production for 25% of the cost. Just economics 

His production I was quoting (2.4 bWAR) is right on his yearly average (2.3).  He was ice cold early, so his current red-hot streak is balanced. 

And you are right about other players, but they have to be available for trade and there is the cost of the trade.  If a team is willing to open the pocketbook, they can give up lesser prospects to get a player.  No one is saying we are getting a top 100 prospect back for him.

But there is no way this is even close to a JBJ situation. 

 

[Fear The Chorizo]

The only budget limitations huge market MLB teams have come from the number of roster spots they have available to stash players, and having competent front offices that know baseball is a young man's game which requires adding young/pre arbitration players to the mix consistently who don't require being paid $30+M dollars a season.  

However, I will say the Dodgers appear to have found a good way to stockpile expensive veteran arms on the IL beyond their 40 man rosters, too.

[Jopal78]

1 hour ago, CheezWizHed said:

Agreed.  While I technically could afford to pay my full income taxes, that doesn't mean I'm not going to take every potential deduction I can to keep more money in my pocket. 

  

His production I was quoting (2.4 bWAR) is right on his yearly average (2.3).  He was ice cold early, so his current red-hot streak is balanced. 

And you are right about other players, but they have to be available for trade and there is the cost of the trade.  If a team is willing to open the pocketbook, they can give up lesser prospects to get a player.  No one is saying we are getting a top 100 prospect back for him.

But there is no way this is even close to a JBJ situation. 

 

Players with 10 million+ dollars remaining who are traded at the deadline are not JBJ situation, but they are salary relief/warm body coming back in return type deals. Unless Hoskins turns into Freeman or Alonso between now and July 31st; It’s 60+ games and Hoskins is an ok player but not a consistent game wrecker

[Roderick]

On 5/12/2025 at 10:40 AM, Fear The Chorizo said:

....not that those facts will ever change some people's assumptions that Mark A. sleeps on pillows filled with cash, but whatever. 

I  assume MA has cloned an extinct dodo bird for a feather pillow.  But that has nothing to do with the Brewers finances, that's his personal life.  

Two things. 

He has partners owners that assume he can't just dictate the team finances to. 

And I guess I am in the minority that I don't feel he should run a deficit annually if the Brewer media, ticket sales and all other revenue are not enough to expand the team's budget.  For all I know they lose money annually now and the team floats it with debt knowing if/when they sell the team that is when the owner(s) makes their haul.  But in the mean time, that increased club valuation doesn't provide any more cash flow to the team's player budget.   

[Fear The Chorizo]

Specific to the Brewers potentially being sellers at this deadline, I think their problem is the players we'd consider being the most acceptable trade fodder aren't what teams actually looking to buy at the deadline need.  For example, Hoskins is having a nice bounceback season, but what team that would obviously be a deadline buyer in MLB has a glaring need for a 1B/DH who hits righthanded with pop? In most every scenario I can think of, Hoskins would be a downgrade to teams looking to be in playoff contention compared to what they currently have on their roster.

All this being said, the Brewers are still only 4 games out of leading this division, chasing a team that is going to run into pitching problems as the season wears on.  It's not time to sell, and if a month from now the Brewers are in the realm of wanting to sell at the deadline I think it's some of their arms that make more sense to deal if they're hoping to land impact prospects in return.  If the Brewers fall out of it, honestly the best chip they should shop at this year's deadline is Freddy.

[JosephC]

I think the Brewers only have 2 veteran pieces that would bring back any type of meaningful return.  Freddy Peralta and William Contreras.  Those are the only guys that have the potential to bring back a top 10 organizational type player.  After that, depending on how their performance goes, Hoskins and Quintana could bring back a lower role-player type prospect or a younger fringe prospect with some upside (think of a players that are in the #15-#25 range on an organization's top prospect list.  And even to get that type of return, the Brewers would have to pick up the mutual option payout in those deals (so expect to see the other team get a multi-million dollar cash payment from Milwaukee).  I've no doubt that the Brewers will get phone calls about some of the younger players (Turang would be an example), but I don't see them trading any of those guys.  Unless the Brewers decide to trade Peralta and/or Contreras, I wouldn't expect any type of big organizational gains from being a seller this season (and that assumes they continue to play mediocre at best ball, which may or may not happen).

[SomewhereInTime]

On 5/11/2025 at 9:55 AM, shanedog19 said:

That's where I am at too. I would add selling Yelich as well. He was a great player in his prime, but his best days are behind him and he probably deserves to play for a contender at this point.

Yelich has been playing on a contender every year since he got to Milwaukee.

[sveumrules]

4 hours ago, Fear The Chorizo said:

For example, Hoskins is having a nice bounceback season, but what team that would obviously be a deadline buyer in MLB has a glaring need for a 1B/DH who hits righthanded with pop? In most every scenario I can think of, Hoskins would be a downgrade to teams looking to be in playoff contention compared to what they currently have on their roster.

Contenders with bad 1B production so far this year...SFG (54 wRC+), SEA (58 wRC+), KCR (60 wRC+), HOU (86 wRC+), TEX (89 wRC+), 

Contenders with bad DH production so far this year...TEX (45 wRC+), KCR (78 wRC+), HOU (87 wRC+), SFG (94 wRC+).

TEX, SFG, KCR and HOU could all probably use some 1B/DH help if things don't pick up for them by the deadline.