Fear The Chorizo

Get the offense rolling again and let's see how much pressure this team can put on the Cubs. I think that every day both the cards and pirates are within earshot if the division lead, the Brewers benefit. Make this race a crap shoot down the stretch. Looking like this team can pitch well enough to avoid collapsing, should be fun!

I have empathy for fans who will die before they seriously go after a championship. A lot will. Heck it's been 35 years and I see no sign that any World Series are likely anytime in the foreseeable future. There's an awful lot of fans that have passed away since 1982. There aren't many posters on this board who are 6 and under, so pretty much all of us were alive and able to watch the 2011 season, which could've easily been the Brewers' best chance for a WS title had they not run into an even hotter team in the NLCS. And 2008 could've been much different had Sheets not broken down going in the final month and forced Sabathia to get burned out - nobody wanted to see that team in the playoffs when Sabathia and Sheets were both dominating. How do you consider those two teams as not seriously going after a championship? The 1982 squad didn't win the world series either, so they probably weren't serious enough, too... This year's Brewer team is in a far different place than the 2008 and 2011 squads - they are essentially "contending" because the Cubs decided to take the 1st half of the season off celebrating a world series title. Look around the rest of the NL alone - the Dodgers and Nationals are juggernauts, and the Cubs had more than enough to get on a roll even before acquiring Quintana. The Cubs made that move to try and match up with WAS or LAD, not to overtake the Brewers in the standings. Stating the garbage salad that acquiring Quintana suddenly made the Cubs score more runs and the Brewers stop hitting because it motivated or disheartened their respective clubhouses is tired. The Brewers opened up the second half with 7 games against the Phils and Pirates - had they continued their pre AS break hot streak before facing the Nats and Cubs, I think they make more impactful trades with eyes of improving the MLB club this year. Instead they went 1-6, which was likely the death knell of throwing caution to the wind and "going for it". At the MLB level "motivation" comes primarily from the paper they receive every paycheck and their own drive to make the best possible career for themselves. I'm looking forward to the last 2 months of baseball for this club - I think the two reliever deals they made are going to solidify the pen enough to go on another run if the bats come around. I also think it's great during a season where the Brewers were thought to be competing against the Reds for NL Central cellar dwellers that this roster gained experience playing meaningful games well into August/September. This team reminds me alot of the early-mid 2000's rosters who showed flashes and eventually got over the hump of playing winning baseball after 15+ seasons of stinking. It was obvious those rosters had too many holes to take seriously as WS contenders, but you could see the talent in Milwaukee and coming up through the minors, even with a bargain basement payroll - and obvious depth at certain positions in the organization that could be utilized to deal for impact pitching when the time was right.

The brewers just scored 5 runs in three games that included the cubs two worst starting pitchers at home, and I'm supposed to believe that adding a starting pitcher, reliever with 1.5 years left on his contract, and a veteran catcher would suddenly make them set for the stretch run? Give me a break...I think one of you has training camp practice to break down film on, and the other, well, is my fault for not blocking years ago.

Espn's top story today had to do with Lavar Ball getting tossed out of his sons aau game...that pretty much sums up why they've dropped from the face of the earth when it comes to actual sports news and analysis.

Doesn't matter with this Brewers team which route you go - when 4 or 5 relievers in the 7 or 8 man pen are bottom of roster fodder, if you are a competitive team the reliable arms are going to be overused regardless of how many phone calls to the bullpen the manager could make. Then, even the once reliable arms become inconsistent or injured, and you're forced to make alot of questionable relief decisions. IMO, that's exactly what has happened to the Brewers' bullpen lately. Even Knebel has scuffled over the last month of games...Swarzak and unleashing Hader a bit more will hopefully help, but only to a certain extent. In a perfect world I'd rather they carry fewer relievers than more, but if your position player bench has multiple guys who are swiss army knives, you can get away with 8 man pens for extended periods of the season.

I don't think they'll be sellers, but I'd be blown away at this stage if they made a huge splash buying. At this point I think it's better to stand pat and continue evaluating the roster - it's obvious the bullpen rebuild needs more time and better pitchers, and it'd be foolish to trade away the few MLB-caliber relievers on this roster if they are controllable for the next few seasons. Their bullpen problems are a combination of not needing to construct one with eyes on contending at the start of this year, plus overuse of the few reliable relievers to the point where it's an inconsistent circus every time a starter leaves the game. If they can piece together trade packages using more of the players on the 40 man who may be subject to a 2018 numbers crunch and mid-tier prospects, go for it. I'd prefer any other trades to bring back a veteran reliever that's on a reasonable contract extending beyond this season, actually. Something that can help stabilize things this year to see if this young team can stay hot enough to make September interesting, and still be a 2018 roster building block.

As big of a bone headed move it was to take Hader out after 1 batter, the silver lining in tonight's game is that he's earned himself a much longer leash to see if he keeps improving from the pen or hangs himself with it. That was a big boy spot in the game and he more than belonged there.

I agree, particularly in a tie game situation. The only guy in the pen I'd even think of taking Hader out for in that situation is Knebel, and I probably still don't do it.

Because the bullpen was an afterthought going into this season - it's still largely a collection of random arms thrown together to field some form of a pitching staff at a bargain basement price. The rest of the team has far exceeded expectations, but the bullpen is still that of a team that won't hold up in contention down the stretch. Sometimes you truly do get what you pay for, which unfortunately in this case is nothing...

The Brewers have a 0.5 game lead on the Cubs because they have played 3 more games than them and have a slightly higher winning percentage. If you only weigh the loss column, you neglect to focus on the fact the Brewers have two more wins than the Cubs, also. For those 3 extra games, the Cubs would need to win 2 of them just to tie the Brewers in the standings. More games in hand also means more off days down the stretch. You can never reduce your wins, either. It depends how you look at it at this stage of the season, and it will sort itself out once all 162 are played.

It wouldn't be trade deadline time in Milwaukee if things weren't strange...

lol...Garza to the 10 day DL retroactive to 7/23, day after his last start. With an off day this past monday and an off day on the 31st, this reeks of gaming the 10-day DL through the trade deadline because the rotation could keep starting on regular rest. Maybe I missed something but I heard nothing about Garza being injured on Sunday.

If a trade isn't in the works before game-time and with Swarzek on his way tomorrow, the roster move has to be sending down or releasing one of the 13-man bullpen, right?

Rumor has it multiple Oriole scouts were in Biloxi last night watching Ortiz pitch, and their game just wrapped up against the Rays with both Britton and O'Day pitching in a game they trailed from the 6th inning on. Would be curious to know whether Brewer scouts were in attendance in Tampa...Tigers may not be the primary target. Also, couldn't the Brewers just keep Brinson on the CO Springs roster if they wanted while he's in DC until trade possibilities clarify, especially if a trade or roster move isn't required?

Gonna be awesome to see him pinch hit in Co Springs about 20 minutes from now...HOW'D HE DO THAT!?!

Since the move to add Brinson to the MLB roster isn't yet official, it gives the Brewers flexibility with their current 25-man should any of those players (i.e., Phillips, Villar, Peralta, etc) be headed out of town via trade. Swarzek is on his way tomorrow, so the Brewers have a bit of time to make a roster adjustment for that addition. If a trade involving Phillips goes down today, the current MLB roster doesn't have anyone to play CF adequately - thus you get Brinson in Washington in case a roster spot opens up before gametime tonight. And, Phillips/Villar were done with last night's game by the time Brinson was pulled in Co Springs. So there wouldn't need to be a #hugwatch for either of them even if they are part of a looming deal.

Unless it's Mad Bum, I don't want Brinson being traded. Darvish would only be a 2 month rental. Haudricourt asking the wrong questions, as any looming trade could just as easily include Phillips, with Brinson just getting shipped over to Washington to make sure the MLB club wasn't shorthanded in centerfield for tonight's game. BTW, Bumgarner did look pretty decent last night on the hill...

I still think it's due to a trade scenario involving Phillips that Stearns & company figured was getting serious, and they wanted to get Brinson to the east coast sooner than waiting until last night's sky sox game ended so they had flexibility for tonight's game in Washington. With the lefty pitchers coming up it makes sense to change out Phillips with Brinson in the lineup, too. If that's the case and a trade with Phillips doesn't finalize before gametime, I wouldn't be surprised for the Brewers to option Phillips back to AAA but just keep him with the big league club until that trade happens, and let Broxton play center in CO Springs. I think if it's a Braun injury scenario, we'd have heard something about it from Counsell in the postgame presser.

I think the likelier scenario is a combination of Phillips being involved in a possible trade, and logistically getting Brinson from Colorado Springs to the East Coast for tonight's game. Getting Brinson into D.C. late last night helps with ironing out a trade that includes Phillips today - if that trade doesn't come to fruition the Brewers can just option Phillips back to Co Springs. There's no way this situation happens if there aren't trade scenarios developing. I don't think they include Brinson, because if it did the trade would've already happened after he left the game.

Trent Clark was drafted out of high school two years ago - so he is actually young for the league he's playing in. Chase Anderson, arguably the Brewers' best starting pitcher this year before his oblique injury, was apparently the throw-in player in that Jean Segura trade that also brought Diaz to the Brewers. I double checked quite a few headlines, and Diaz is actually listed 3rd in the list of players acquired from that deal - right after Anderson and Aaron Hill. Call me crazy, but it seems pretty foolish to just give up on young players who have been playing professionally for 1 year, 2 years out of high school, and your 2016 minor league player of the year. When making snarky posts it helps to be completely accurate when you're trying to make a point that is pretty foolish to begin with. Better luck next time.

Agreed. Not going after Gray and letting the Cubs jump up and grab Quintana is a clear message to the current roster: "You guys aren't good enough". Now wonder they're tanking badly since the break. Management doesn't believe in them, why should they? The same management that has made a series of moves over the last 2 years to bring in or call up all these players and give them their shot in the bigs aside from Braun and Garza? These aren't kids playing American Legion hoping and praying that their coach is able to pry big Jimmy away from the traveling all star squad before the state tourney starts so they have a chance before fall band practice starts back up again. If they are as emotionally fragile as you opine, they'd be next to the Reds in the standings right now. As for the Cubs jumping up and grabbing Quintana by apparently giving nothing valuable up because those prospects were a few years away, 20-yr old Mr. Jimenez is well on his way to shortening the time before he's playing every day on the south side of Chicago...he's also the 5th-ranked prospect according to BA, and that's with Moncada still topping the list even though he was just brought up to the majors. http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/whitesox/ct-eloy-jimenez-white-sox-minor-leagues-spt-0725-20170724-story.html

You have ot have the stomach/kahunas for it. Look no further than WI Dells for those Kahunas, Mr Stearns... http://cdn0.locable.com/uploads/resource/file/182063/Big-Kahuna-Wave-Pool-Noahs-Ark.jpg

Attempting to gauge a starting pitcher's trade value about 2 years from now is a fool's errand. Injuries, performance, which teams competing in 2 years would actually be a fit and have prospects worth trading for...too many moving parts to be realistic.

Based on how this last week went on the field, I see no reason for Stearns to go after a marquee name and ship away core prospects/young players, particularly before they play these next 6 games. Too many holes on this roster, and 1 monster move won't fix it. I don't think much will happen in terms of trades with the Brewers unless it's right before the deadline - the team needs to show some signs of righting the ship and play well against quality teams this week. If they continue to crater against the Nats and Cubs, I'd prefer Stearns actually look to sell at the deadline than buy, or simply stand pat and continue evaluating the roster they have with plans to shake some things up with moves this offseason. What's really disappointing with last week's dumpster fire against the Pirates and Phillies is that it's effectively distanced the Brewers from both wild card spots - the Cubs are going to play well enough to finish at least 15-20 games over 0.500 when all is said and done, so letting them erase a 5.5 game lead in essentially 7 games while leaving both the Cards and Pirates 1 hot streak away from the Division lead really dampers Milwaukee's chances for the NL Central. I don't like the idea of this Brewers team being a buyer at the trade deadline to make a run for a 1-game wild card playoff, either.

"team friendly" does not compute to FA pitchers with injury histories and a frame that doesn't lend itself well to a career much past 30....Sonny will look to get paid when he can by whomever gives him the most paper, as he rightfully should. If Derek Johnson is truly a father figure in Gray's life even to this day, I'd expect him to give him that very same advice. In trying trade for Gray, the Brewers should put zero stock into what his perceived value may be with a "team friendly" extension or what value in prospects he might return via trade should the Brewers flip him down the road. Way too much can happen to a pitcher in two years, and the Brewers have been burned in terms of draft compensation and expected player trade value in the past.