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Word around Minnesota is that Mauer is being patient while the front office takes care of finalizing the puzzle pieces for 2010 before they get into serious negotiations. I've heard 7/150 being thrown around quite a bit, though i wonder if the Twins will blow this by making an ultimatum, or getting cold feet when dishing out a contract that large. Personally, i think 7/150 is about right and should Mauer stay healthy for atleast 5-6 years of that deal is probably a steal. Mauer is by far my favorite player in the bigs, though I wonder if all the "I'm from here, played my whole life here, plan to stay here" talk is just a smoke screen. My prediction, Mauer signs 7/$155 around Valentine's Day

Would anyone do a Sheets deal for 1/5 with incentives?

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=4770727 This deal and Harden's deal are starting to make me uneasy with the deal we gave Wolf. Essentially, we could have had Harden/Dutch OR Wolf, and although there would have been a risk in acquiring two injury prone players, the ceiling would have been huge as well. Thoughts? edit-title (spelled name correctly) PL

Jerry Crasnick at ESPN reports: Pitcher Kevin Correia has declined the Padres' final contract offer and been told he's going to be non-tendered by the Saturday deadline Interesting.... GO GET HIM DOUG!

I concur with those who are disappointed we are stuck with Wolf (ala Suppan 2.0) versus a 1 year $7.5m deal for Harden. If we had just signed Harden for 1/7.5, i would be thrilled! That said, i think the Brewers should make two more moves: #1- Go ahead with the Hart/Maine swap #2- Do whatever it takes to get Ben Sheets back here. He wants $12.0m... i'd do $6.0m base + incentives to get to 12.0. heck, make it a 2/24 $9m this season with a $15m option for next year/ $3m buyout. The preseason buzz for our team would be huge. Injury issues aside.... Gallardo/Sheets/Wolf/Bush/Maine is lightyears ahead of our awful rotation from last year.

i'm a big fan of Gamel, but i'd probably do this trade... how long would we have Jackson under control? 2 seasons?

We need to trade Redd.... this team is playing very well, we don't need another wing player that jacks up 30 shots a night and plays no defense. Bogut/Jennings could be one of the best duos in the league this season.

I really think the Brewers need this signing. Someone noted awhile back that the real risk is overpaying for above average players. Zito aside, i think the elite pitchers lately have been as good as advertised. Trevor Hoffman instantly made our bullpen better. Lackey can make our rotation that much better. If it takes 5/80, i do it. Overseason buzz and ticket orders here we come

I got it last week, and no problems to report. We vaccinated over 1,000 kids in our school district (with parental permission obviously). My mom and sister are both nurses, and they've said its a no-brainer to get it. Just about every doctor i've talked to on the subject (several dozen) were all FOR getting the shot if available. I'd recommend the shot over the mist, but only because I (& alot of people i know) have allergy issues

Hamels had an awful 2009 postseason, but still has a 3.86 ERA in 7 career postseason starts. A career 3.67 ERA/1.17 WHIP I'd trade Gamel AND Lawrie for Hamels and see if we could extend him. I believe he's entering his last 2 arby years (2010 & 2011)

http://www.baseball-refer...layers/n/nolasri01.shtml Compared to Dan Haren at a similar age... BR also notes that he is essentially Scott Baker. Best case he becomes a solid #2-3 type pitcher, worst case he's Dave Bush who can be very effective if he stays out of the big inning. I too would trade Gamel for this type of player. Looks like he was a "super 2" in 2009. I believe he is under control for 3 more years (2010, 2011, 2012)

Abreau signs 2 years $18 million deal with a $9 million option for 2012 with a $1 million buyout. Incentives in 2011 could guarantee the final year of the deal. He had a great 2009 season, and i wonder if this helps give us some perspective on what it will take to retain Cameron?

Anyone getting calls from either of these numbers lately? (562) 223-8844 (626) 273-8216 They never leave a message, you call the number back, and the voice recording tells you that you've reached the share group, a leading telemarketer for non-profit groups, and one of the non-profits indicated that you donated in the past and might be interested in donating again. I am 100% convinced this is a scam to get personal information. This is reason #1 why I direct all of my charitable giving to local chapters/organizations. If this is somehow legit, i bet it will be all but impossible to get off this stupid list. They say that if you wish to be removed from their list, press 2. I press 2 and the recording says that it will take up to 72 hours to be removed. I've done this three times. I get somewhere between 2-6 calls per day, every day, for the past 2-3 weeks. I asked the local better business bureau about it, and they informed me that political candidates, organizations, and non-profits are exempt from the "no call" list. The fact that they call my cell phone repeatedly is very annoying and any suggestions about how to end these calls would be greatly appreciated.

Trade Hardy for Morrow Sign Tim Hudson (3 year deal) Resign Cameron Find a catcher that doesn't suck

Count me in for the Hardy/Morrow swap... if we could couple that with a Tim Hudson signing, i'd be pretty optimistic heading into next season Hudson Gallardo Morrow Bush Parra/Suppan That accomplished Melvin's goal of two new pitchers.

Tim Tebow's fan club

Twins 3 Yanks 1 Angels 3 Sox 0 Rocks 3 Phils 1 LA 3 STL 2 Twins 4 Angels 2 LA 4 Rocks 3 Twins 4 LA 3 This just feels like 1991... that and the Twins would have game 6&7 of the series

If that's the case i say definitely go for it. Maine might be a good "buy low" candidate who could use a change of scenery in a smaller market.

Francoeur hit .311/.338/.498/.836 in his 75 games with the Mets. While he might not sustain that over next season, he's 2 years younger than Hart and would be a push at best. Why would the Mets trade young, cheap, pitching for someone who wouldn't be an upgrade. Looks like Hart's 2007 season might have been the outlier. I see Corey at a .270/.330/.420/.750 hitter going forward

I would make this trade in a heartbeat. Both players ( I believe) have 2 arbitration years left. The question is, why would the Mets? Assuming Maine gets about $5m this year and $7.5 next, that is essentially a 2 year $12.5m deal. For a 4.30era/1.30 whip pitcher, that is an absolute steal. http://espn.go.com/mlb/players/stats?playerId=6041 The Mets (even losing Delgado) have better and cheaper players in the outfield and at first base. I suppose if the Mets decide to let Sheffield go, they could plug in Hart, but honestly, i don't think Hart with his .740 OPS has much value as a corner outfielder.

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2009/10/mauer-not-really-interested-in-being-bestpaid.html Mauer not interested in being highest paid MLB athlete, he's more interested in winning. Looks like a great deal could be hinging on if the Twins make the playoffs this season. I think he's also sending a clear signal that the Twins need to make some moves to improve the roster this offseason (JJ Hardy?) or he's leaving. The Twins traded for OC, but if they had made any kind of significant move back in July/August, they'd probably have a playoff spot locked by now. Its actually pretty amazing that they are only a game out considering how awful their pitching (by Twins standards) was this season.

http://www.jsonline.com/sports/brewers/62473507.html I haven't decided where I stand in the Lopez/Weeks debate for 2010, but i find it curious. Will the same people that felt JJ was being unfair to the team by refusing to move from SS to 3B, now feel that Weeks is being unfair to the team by moving from 2B to CF. I think most people would want to try to find a place for Lopez on the field for 2010. Lopez, by most accounts, is playing better now than Weeks has at any point in his career. However, Lopez is likely to be more expensive than Weeks, is older, and is more likely to regress in performance.

While i have sympathy for the anguish that Polanski no doubt has had to live with for over his murdered wife and son, his actions were inexcusable and he should have faced justice a long time ago. I read that the victim simply wants this case to go away as it causes her more harm than good every time it is revisited, but talent or not, Polanski needs to face justice. He could have "served" his time by now and gone back to making movies. On a side note, i'm way to young to remember that Charles Manson stuff, but i am appalled that there are a number of americans that are "fans" of the Manson family. It would seem that someone fascinated by that man/family clearly has some sort of mental disease. I think in society we do way to much to "glamorize" mass murderers, and that we give them the fame that they wanted and used as a purpose to murder people. I'm all for open trials, and reporting the news, but i think our "obsession" with criminal invalids has gone far beyond heakthy.

Great Thread http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif I can relate to many of the things being said. I fell into the trap during graduate school, at at the time of graduation was in about $80k in debt when considering student loans, credit cards, and a personal line of credit from the bank. My parents got me a credit card for emergencies when I was 16, and i had been slowly building up credit the past 11 years before falling into that trap at age 23. Fast forward 2 1/2 years, and i had 2 years making roughly $50k, and i made my payments but didn't make a ton of progress on my debt load. However, with the new year came a boost of $20k in salary, and i've been making great strides since then. I know most people have a temptation to increase their standard of living when they get a nice raise or a better job, but essentially i've been able to put that $20k in salary ($12k net or about $1,000 a month), directly into my debt payments. at $70k/year, my salary comes out to about $4,000/month... i've tried to arrange it into four groups 1) Living Expenses (including car payment) are about $1,800/month 2) Student Loans/Credit Cards- Minimum Payments are about $650/month with $300 going to interest and $350 to principal 3) Misc/Emergency Expenses - trying to stay at/below $250 month 4) $300/month 401k/403b contribution- i get a pension from work, but i'm trying to build up a second source of retirement income since Soc Sec likely will be gone before i retire 5) $1,000/month leftover- putting directly into extra principal payment. 30 months of the normal payment helped me knock my debt down about $10,500 (slow slow progress), but now that i've essentially increased my principal payment from $350/mo to $1350/month, i'm making serious progress. Within 24 months, i should be able to eliminate all of my debt (car paid off as well) except my one consolidated school loan which is at a very good interest rate. Its not easy passing up things i "want" now, but basically i view it as making $1650/student loan payments. When i reach my goal, that number will fall to $400/month, and i'll have roughly $1250/month left uncommitted. Basically when i get to that point, my goal is the split the extra money into thirds... 1/3 ($400/mo) to an emergency reserve to hedge against illness/unemployment/unexpected purchases, 1/3 into increasing my retirement savings (to $700/mo), and 1/3 to enjoy life a little more. $400/mo isn't a ton of money, but that pays for one very nice trip each year, or a couple of smaller trips/purchases. Luckily i have great parents, a great education, a job i enjoy, and the sense that paying stuff off in my late 20s will be easier than in my 30s with a wife, house, kids, & dog. Kudos to everyone else who has taken control of their situation. Keeping track of expenses on an excel spreadsheet might be nerdy, but it feels darn good to make progress.

There is a significant amount of buzz up in the cities that the Twins are preparing to offer Mauer in the neighborhood of 7/120. The late season push for the playoffs is definitely amounting to good PR for the team after a largely disappointing first five months of the season. I see this as huge on two fronts... 1) Mauer obviously wants to be in a place where he feels his team can win. 2) This should boost fan interest/involvement heading into the 2010 opening of target field. While Cuddy has been the hottest player in the recent push for the division title, the #1 goal of the offseason is to resign Mauer. Joe has said he won't negotiate during the season, but it looks like the front office is finally getting their ducks in a row. So, simply put, how would Mauer/MLB view a 7/120 offer? I think its going to take closer to 7/160 to keep him here, though it might be possible to do 7/140 + 20 million in incentives. To relate this to the Brewers, if Prince said he's stay for 7/120, would do you that deal (start the deal in 2010 and rip up current contract essentially making it 5 years of FA)?