TwinsBrewersWorldSeries

BUMP. Now that we are through 80% of the season and Lucroy (with a hot month of September) could enter the MVP discussion, what say you? Given how well he's played, it seems unlikely that we'd pass on his $5.25 M option for 2017. If we could sign him for 3/45 for 2018, 2019, and 2020, would you do it? He'll be 29 in 2015, 30 in 2016, 31 in 2017, so that would cover his age 32, 33, and 34 seasons. I realize it is unlikely that he'll make it another 6 years as our regular catcher, but given our struggles at 1B the past two years, we could move him there. If he could put up a .825-.850 OPS (.300/.375/.450) line, I think he'd be really valuable. So long as our team didn't become a blackhole at catcher, keeping his bat in the lineup and keeping him healthy would be huge. If we wait until after 2015 and he puts up another monster season, I think he'll be looking for (and likely would deserve) a pretty monster deal. There is some risk in a 3/45 deal, but I also shudder to think what our offense will look like with no Ramirez, Gomez, or Lucroy, and a declining Braun.

Originally, I was going to ask about just Braun, but maybe since the team as a whole has put up a sub .700 OPS since the All Star break, the thread can be about more than just Braun. After Braun's HR last night, I was thinking "GREAT!!!", but it has been seemingly forever since Braun hit a key HR for us. Below are first half / second half numbers Lucroy .879 OPS / .748 OPS Gennett .828 OPS / .749 OPS Gomez .880 OPS / .670 OPS Braun .863 OPS / .687 OPS Ramirez .795 OPS / .809 OPS Davis .774 OPS / .814 OPS Segura .582 OPS / .606 OPS Reynolds .693 OPS / .804 OPS Weeks .713 OPS / .787 OPS Herrera .614 OPS / .784 OPS Ovebay .678 OPS / .526 OPS Maldonado .721 OPS / 1.088 OPS Schaefer .612 OPS / Parra .481 OPS Overall, Braun and Gomez have had major drops, Gennett and Lucroy have cooled down some, while Segura and Ramirez are about the same, leaving Davis (40 point jump) and Mr Solo Homer (113 point jump) as the only offensive players clicking. I know we've faced some incredibly tough pitching over the past month, but our team seems to do well when we're patient (get Greinke out the game), but can get pretty streaky when we attack the first pitch. As noted on yesterday's radio broadcast by Hamilton (i believe), we are best when we don't do the same thing every game/series so pitchers can't adjust to our pattern. In positive news, Weeks, Herrera and Maldonado have been more solid post AS break which gives us more weapons on the bench. If Parra can get it going, we could be really solid there As we enter the final stretch of the season: 6 games against the Cubs, 6 against the Reds, 6 against the Pirates, 7 against the Cardinals, 4 against the Marlins, 2 against the blue jays, and seven games on the west coast (SD, SF, LA), what do you expect? EDIT: Typo on Braun

If the O's don't resign him (i think they have someone younger they might go with), I'd be interested in bringing back Hardy... maybe as a utility IF (play 3B, SS, 2B), who could settle into his old starting SS role if Segura doesn't pick it up next year. Not huge money, but maybe a $2/10 type deal

Way to go Ryan Gennett!

http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/_/id/6341/justin-verlander He's been awful virtually the whole season. Noticed he's sporting a 4.76 ERA after tonight's shelling by the Pirates. 5 years and 140 million to go after this season... There are some awful contracts that the Tigers put out in the 2011-2013 era... Fielder, Verlander, Cabrera (only because of how long they are paying him)

I am definitely onboard for acquiring Morneau. Prior to the head injury, he was one of my favorite players with the Twins. Would love to have him be that "missing piece" for our lineup. Sliding in JM and shifting Reynolds to provide power on our bench and DFAing Overbay would be huge for our lineup

Let's go Crew! Braun and Lucroy got us started and Gomez gives us an early 3-0 lead With the ball carrying, I'm hoping we get "Good Garza" today!

Wow, just missed for LuCroy.... lets get 2 more here boys

Yuck.... 2nd and 3rd and no outs for = no runs... should be up 5-0 or more Instead, we're down 4-3... fudge

http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/11061831/manny-machado-baltimore-orioles-suspended-5-games Not happy about this. Way too easy on him given his repeated issues. If this guy were on the Brewers, I would want to get rid of him, and would classify him as a headcase. His actions in multiple games with the As are similar in my book to Delmon Young taking a baseball bat to the umpire. Thet the fact that he had an altercation in an earlier game, and then deliberately concussed a player (catcher) (i know he has a long swing, but his blatent disregard for a fellow player's well being would lead me and most people to believe he did it on purpose), and attempted grave injury to another (throwing his bat), shows that this kid needs to be dealt a harsh punishment. I realize I'll be in the minority here, but I think 20-25 games would have been reasonable. I would have thought the happy medium would be a 10-15 game suspension (after it was reduced in appeal), with a strict warning that a repeat incident would result in 50 games, and two more incidents, a lifetime ban. Having watched alot of baseball lately with my nephews, this isn't "Manny being Manny". This is a mediocre player who has been hyped beyond belief showing his immaturity. Causing severe (intentional) injury to another player needs to be taken alot more serious than it is by MLB, and no, hitting someone with a pitch isn't comparable to hitting someone in the head with a bat or deliberately throwing your bat in a violent manner at a defenseless player. I realize he's only 21, but I wouldn't be surprised to see him have a mediocre career like Delmon Young, that is if he doesn't end up in jail at some point.

Weeks 1) booted grounder early in the game (called a hit) 2) Weeks failed to cover first on a bunt (called a hit) 3) Weeks made an ill-advised throw that almost went into RF that would have allowed the winning runs to score Weeks = fail

GOMEZ!!!!!!!!! Yeah, Weeks, trying to commit his THIRD error of the game there... that Rickie is why you are a pinch hitter at best at this stage of your career.

This is where that BS (i want to challenge, i mean i don't) early in the game hurts us

take a seat Martin you washed up bum!

I hate Rickie Weeks... that is two errors on him today

We're making an awful AAAA starter look like Cy Young... why swing A-Ram on 3-0??

10+ ERA for the opposing pitcher probably means he'll throw 7 IP 0 R 0 ER 2 H 1 BB 12 K

http://msn.foxsports.com/wisconsin/story/brewers-thornburg-to-dl-fiers-called-up-060714 Hopefully this is just a brief DL stint for TT. We need him to be solid for us in the second half. Welcome back Fiers!

As a big critic of the Hardy-Gomez trade for several years, I have come full circle and appreciate what Go-Go brings to our team and I'm wondering if there is any way we can keep him long term. He is signed through his 29 (this year), 30 (next year), and 31 (2016) seasons, meaning that any new deal would be for years 32+. With the highway robbery we committed with his 3/24 deal, i'm sure he'll be looking for the money, though he's entering FA a little later than many elite players I'm not sure who would be a good comparison for how we expect Gomez to age (since speed/defense are pretty critical to him being an elite player), but assuming the Brewers wanted to get this done, what would it take? 7/140 ?? (age 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38 seasons) ?? I'm trying to remember how old Jim Edmonds was when he finally lost a step. Given that Gomez will have made $30M+ by the time he hits free agency, there is little/no incentive for give him to give us a discount. I'm pumped we probably got him for his 4-5 "prime years", but I'm wondering if there is any way we can afford/retain him.

He might be a pitcher that is better every 5th day as a starter. I haven't looked, but I'm pretty sure his ERA is a full 2-3 points lower as a starter than as a reliever

and its time to watch the NBA Finals.....

I have a rule for my two favorite teams.... i cheer for whoever is playing better in that year (GO BREWERS) Twins are driving me crazy this series.. really sad how far Mauer has fallen as well...

two walks already... and Willy at 62 pitches in the 3rd inning (i think i'm reading that right)... yikes

Man, I really hate those rally killing double plays... it seems like we keep hitting into them every time we have two runners on base and no/one out

We've done it before (kept the Rule 5 guy all year), but I think he never did amount to much, and it was a year where we basically were playing for 60 wins anyways