Harold Hutchison

Superman may wear Chuck Norris pajamas when he goes to sleep at night, but Chuck Norris wears Ryan Braun pajamas!

1. Rickie Weeks returns to 2011 form. 2. Braun gets back to his 2011-2012 form. 3. Starting pitching stays as good as its 2nd half of 2013. 4. Brewers draft young players 5. Trade A-Ram and Weeks for prospects.

With the need to recover, and given his history... why not roll the dice now? The posting fee is reasonable, and if you add him, it is not like it costs a draft pick. Weeks and Ramirez come off the books after this season, so why not go for Tanaka now? Perhaps getting him could open the option to put Lohse or Gallardo on the block for prospects...

If under control through 2016, Go for a million a year through then. If, as his time with St. Louis suggests, he is closer to his 2011 form, he could be an asset down the road, or very useful trade bait.

I'd have done the deal for Scooter Gennett and Hunter Morris. WE COULD'VE HAD PRINCE BACK, DOUG!!! WHY? WHY? Ugh... are we back to the days of doing pennance instead of chasing pennants during baseball season?

I think the Brewers blew it with Dillard when they began this "is he a reliever" nonsense at some point. He was racking up VERY efficient numbers at Brevard County, including a LOT of CGs. If they'd just kept him as a starter, I think he'd be a pretty serviceable option now.

I see the Brewers outfield as being set for a while: Davis in LF Gomez in CF Braun in RF Aoki as the 4th OF Gindl or Schaefer as the 5th OF (trade the other one)

I think it's funny how people choose to believe things on twitter, the internet, TV, or whatever media source based on their own personal feelings about this issue. They will believe one source because it's in alignment with what they think, but not another if it conflict with their beliefs. There are only a few facts I know for sure about this situation. Some of these facts are: A) Braun failed a drug test. B) Braun won his appeal of the failed drug test C) Braun held a press conference where he pretty much stated that he never took PEDs and that the person who handled his sample did not follow proper procedures D) Braun has agreed to a 65 game suspension (whether or not he was "railroaded" into agreeing to this suspension is pure speculation - even though some choose to present it as absolute fact) OK, what would be the chance of seeing a suspension overturned in front of a new arbitrator who got his job because the arbitrator who threw out the earlier botched test (and failing to maintain the chain of custody). Maybe Braun used, maybe he didn't, but if Will Carroll is correct. We don't know. MLB never let the Das rulign see the light of day. The violations of procedure and MLB's reaction to the ruling just look bad: 1. The trainer didn't drop the sample off to FedEx right away - and left it in his basement for 44 hours. 2. SOMEONE violated the confidentiality of the process in December 2011 with the leak. To date, no punishment has been revealed. 3. The arbitrator's ruling that voids the test never sees the light of day. They later change the drug-testing procedures, which sounds like a tacit admission that the procedure was flawed (at least in Braun's case) 4. MLB fires the arbitrator that voided the test. 5. MLB goes on its current Biogenesis investigation, and Braun then gets suspended for telling his side of the story after he is cleared. The evidence for the 50-game suspension... MLB's not revealing it as of this point. Star chamber justice at its worst. And the added 15 games makes it look even more like a railroading to me. I want PEDs dealt with, but I want a fair process. In other words, if it is supposed to be confidential - it stays confidential. If the procedures are not followed, then the test gets re-done or thrown out. Do I think MLB has a fair process? It's open for debate.

Personally, I think that Braun was railroaded into this suspension. Is any player going to go to arbitration after seeing Shyam Das get fired for (correctly) ruling against MLB due to the chain-of-custody issues (which is part and parcel of the science). Will Carroll reported that Braun's legal team were able to replicate the result. Will MLB release its evidence? I need to see it, and it will take more than a screwed-up test to prove Braun guilty in my mind.

At this point, it's Braun, Segura, and Lucroy on the field, with Gallardo in the rotation. It maybe a good idea to try to bring Hart back if he misses a bit of time for a couple of years. Lost season this year, but a three-year deal now could come cheaper. After that, look for offers. Maybe move Weeks at the deadline if he keeps the offense up.

We'll never know, but we still would've had a good team with a legitimate shot at the playoffs, plus we would be in much better shape as a franchise at this point. That's still 9 more games than the Brewers got for Fielder after 2011. Hudson had Tommy John surgery, which isn't uncommon for a SP, and he should be back this season. He's 26 and still has (I believe) three more seasons of "team control" remaining. Meanwhile Detroit fans are enjoying Prince's HR's while we're fighting for the #1 draft pick. But, it's not about Hudson in particular. I just used him because using any name that wasn't specifically named in a "valid source" as having been offered will get someone chastised for making things up and being unrealistic about "what's out there." Melvin insisted on receiving two MLB-proven SP in return for Fielder. Since Fielder only had one year remaining, he would only be traded to a perceived contender, and what contender could trade two SP from their rotation? Melvin's expectations were unrealistic, so instead of trading him for one young MLB starter or probably two not-yet-MLB-ready SP, we settled on destroying the future of the franchise for one playoff appearance. NOT signing Prince is one of the worst moves Melvin and Attanasio made. Fielder is the kind of player - with Braun - who is a franchise cornerstone. Offer a 7-year, $184 million deal - and use deferred salary the way the Brewers did with Braun. The three biggest mistakes over the least five years, IMO, were as follows: 1. Not signing Fielder. 2. Losing patience with JJ Hardy 3. Trading Lawrie for Marcum.

I think there have been some mistakes. The Greinke trade was a good one to make, no doubt about it. Lawrie for Marcum... not so good. The Weeks extension was a good idea at the time, not so much now. But if the team had stuck with JJ Hardy, there may have been an option to replace Weeks with Segura. Right now, if I were Doug Melvin, aside from Braun and Gallardo, I'm open to a fire sale for prospects or young players. As for the farm system, the money needs to be there - especially to keep picks in the fold. If we draft a pick, he has to be signed. I really wish the comp system had not changed, that would have been very helpful as well.

I'm going to stick it here, since it has to do with the Hall of Fame, but here is an article I did on Gaylord Perry's presence in the Hall of Fame: http://www.nationalreview.com/article/346791/eject-gaylord-perry

Why, oh, why could this not have happened a year ago, so Prince could have stayed in Milwaukee?

1. Add the DH to the NL. Time for the Senior Circuit to get with the times. 2. Order a review of Gaylord Perry's enshrinement in the Hall of Fame - sorry, but a pitcher whose autobiography was "Me and the Spitter" may not belong in the Hall of Fame, either. 3. I would add two more teams from the following list of cities: Las Vegas; Portland, Oregon; New Orleans; Memphis; Charlotte 4. I would make the following re-alignment: AL North: NY Yankees, Blue Jays, Red Sox, Tigers AL East: Rays, Astros, Orioles, Indians AL Central: Rangers, Royals, Twins, White Sox AL West: Angels, A's, Mariners, Las Vegas NL North: Mets, Phillies, Pirates, Reds NL East: Nationals, Braves, Marlins, Charlotte NL Central: Cubs, Brewers, Cardinals, Rockies NL West: Dodgers, Giants, Padres, Diamondbacks 5. Bring back the old compensation system (pre-2012) for free agents. 6. Bring back the DFE process in the draft. 7. Allow the trading of draft picks. 8. Free agency changes: Teams may designate a pending free agent as a "franchise player" - and he will be paid an average of the top ten players at his position for one year, or an average of the top eight players at his position for two years, with an option year at the average of the top five players at his position. 9. Minor-league player changes: Team gets exclusive control for four years, then four option years. Teams may also sign minor-league free agents to contracts of up to three years in length, provided the minor-league free agent gets at least half the major-league minimum.

It was a mistake. Had they stuck with Dillard and Villanueva as starters (remember when Dillard was racking up CGs in Brevard County?), I think they'd have been better off. No need to sign Wolf or Looper. But can't really cry about it now.

Which is what Lohse allows the Crew to do. Send Fiers, Thornburg, and Peralta down to AAA so they can sort out their issues. Hide Rogers in the bullpen. Basically go with Gallardo, Lohse, Estrada, Narveson, and Burgos to start the season.

Not horribly opposed to this signing. It was looking like Gallardo - and pray for rain in the rotation. If it buys Peralta a year in AAA, it's worth it. Thornburg, Fiers, Rogers, and Peralta were all scuffling. If the team is to succeed in 2013, the pitching needs to take up its share. In this case, I hope the Crew moves Lohse in the 2013-2014 offseason.

I don't understand why they just basically said, well he was bad at 1B in instructionals so we're not even gonna bother trying him there. They should've at least tried again to work with him at 1B this spring. If he failed again, then fine. But it was worth another shot. Indeed. If Davis's bat is as good at this past year - and spring training - seem to show, then I'd stick him at first, and take the bad defense. I was willing to forgive Braun's .895 fielding percentage at third due to his 1.004 OPS. If Davis puts up a .900 OPS, I can forgive a slew of errors at first.

Absolutely true. I find myself rooting the same way and I have been 100% for a Braun suspension if he did use PEDs. The way MLB is handling this though is like a stalker ex-girlfriend. I have to agree as well. They fired the arbitrator for finding in favor of Braun, now they are on a witch hunt. How can we trust the integrity of the testing at this point if the approach seems to be "verdict first, then the [show] trial?" And how many other players have been caught up with what we now know is a flawed testing system?

But then do you dump Aoki, probably the only leadoff option on the Brewers (and under control for five years), or do you deal Gomez, who just got a three-year extension after a career year? Logically, at this point, I'd have Davis in LF every day at AAA for 2013. That should buy the Crew a year to look at options. Then, we need a hard look at those options. Here's where I'd stand if I called the shots for the Crew: 1. I would rather trade A-Ram and put Braun at third. I know, old topic, but right now, I want to have Khris Davis for as many of the six years as possible. Otherwise, the Crew gets low-balled in any trade offers. 2. I want insurance if Gomez flames out. That's likely to be Schaefer, but I may put Gomez and see if someone will buy high.

There is something to be said for having the players... but at the same time, I want that World Series championship. I want it bad.

An OPS of .943 over the last six seasons buys a lot of leeway on defense. Braun still won Rookie of the Year in 2005 at third base, and finished 24th in the MVP voting. And figure that keeping Braun at third does open a slot for Davis. In 2012, it would have been easier/cheaper to find a LF than to overpay for A-Ram. Or to replace Carlos Lee after 2005, why not pluck a top-flight LF from free agency?

Agreed. Either trade A-Ram and put Braun at third, or let Hart walk after 2013 and put Davis at first.

Agreed. Stick Khris Davis at first... or move Braun back to third, with Davis in left and A-Ram at first.