Harold Hutchison

2. Not sure, but there's a difference between deliberately ingesting roids as opposed to taking a tainted supplement. 3. In this case, there needs to be full disclosure by the athlete as to what supplements/medications they take, and make sure that is taken into account.

Obviously, Ryan Braun's exoneration has shown there are problems in MLB's drug policy. What sort of changes need to be made, in your opinion? I think that there are some changes needed. 1. Collectors should be required to take the samples to the nearest 24-hour FedEx location for overnight shipping IMMEDIATELY after collecting the sample. 2. MLB needs to differentiate between intentional use and unintentional ingestion. If the latter, the suspensions should be shorter. 3. MLB probably ought to also shorten the list of banned substances. If the stuff is available at the local GNC, then why penalize a player for using something that is used legitimately by a bunch of folks at a local gym?

This makes sense because the whole son thing seems a little odd/unusual, however around the 9:30 mark in Braun's talk he said: "There were upward of 18 or 19 FedEx locations that were open between the ballpark and HIS house..." Including a 24-hour location. I think the SOP needs to be to get it to FedEx ASAP, the closest 24-hour location. If they handle that stuff, I'm sure none of the results will go wacky. MLB needs to make changes to the policy.

Does anyone have recommendations for brands for a new dipper?

If Braun is cleared, I will START dipping!

And who would we have spent this money on exactly? SS: 1. Jimmy Rollins: We would have had to have a bigger contract than Ramirez' (3 years $36m) to get Rollins (3 years $38m) out of Philadelphia 2. Jose Reyes: We most certainly would've had to top the 6 years $106 million Miami gave to Reyes. Anyone else who was a FA at SS is on par with Alex Gonzalez. 1B: 1. Prince Fielder: I somehow doubt A-Ram's deal precluded us from offering Prince the equivalent Detroit deal. In other words, I doubt that we offered 9 years $178m to Prince and the $36 million we gave to A-Ram made Prince go to Detroit. 2. Albert Pujols: HAHA! So who were we supposed to spend this money on to upgrade SS and 1B? Well, how do you think 3B Taylor Green/SS Jimmy Rollins stacks up to 3B A-Ram/SS Gonzalez? Green + Rollins would arguably be cheaper over the course of the deal as well. As for matching Detroit's ultimately successful offer to Prince... deciding not to block Green or Gamel at third might have meant the Crew keeps Fielder, even though payroll climbs to $110 million or so. In that third year of the deal, which is the biggest risk, the difference between Fielder in his prime and Ramirez is only about $7.5 million. Even if Braun gets suspended, the Crew would have the option of plugging Gamel or Green in left field for 50 games. If one or the other struggles, the Crew plugs the guy playing well at third. If both do well, the Crew has the option of putting Hart on the block for salary relief and young prospects/undervalued players.

Why worry about someone who is a platoon player at best? Maybe clancy, like probably the substantial majority of people who have thought about Taylor Green, isn't as persuaded as you seem to be that Green "is a platoon player at best." Do you actually have a big pile of support for that very bold judgment -- which you appear to suggest is obviously true -- or are you just shooting down somebody else's opinion because yours is different? I'm not saying Green isn't a platoon player; but we're talking about a guy who won the system player of the year award, then hurt his wrist and struggled for quite a while, then came back and tore up AAA. I'm saying I don't know. How anybody could confidently predict what a player with that record would be able to do in MLB eludes me.When I look at Taylor Green, I see a left-handed hitter much like Jeff Cirillo. I see a long-term solution for third base who could provide a .290 average, 40 doubles, and 15 homers on a regular basis. I like his walk rate, I like the plate discipline, I think he could be the #2 hitter the Brewers are looking for.

If Gamel puts up Corey Hart-type numbers, I'd be happy. If that emerges, then the Brewers are in fine shape. I just worry that Taylor Green will be lost.

That said... I think Yost would have been a far superior option to Macha in the 2009-2010 timeframe. Macha screwed things up with JJ Hardy, IMO. Had Yost been kept on, the Brewers would still have had an All Star shortstop.

This essentially screws over the small-market teams like Milwaukee. A rent-a-player deal for the playoff run, which Milwaukee made in `08 and `11, would be practically impossible. And the money to keep a free agent and at least get something would be daunting. Meanwhile, the big-market teams can make the arby offer OR they can just hang back and pick off the Marcums, Harts, and other players practically at will.

I've not felt this bad in a Brewers offseason since Molitor left. Yeah, it feels that bad. We've just seen a future Hall of Famer depart... and part of me wonders... suppose the Crew HAD taken the 8/176 deal not so long ago, and the opportunity hadn't been missed?

Problem I see is a lot more IBBs to Braun. Not to mention, there's no left to force an opposing team to take out a righty. The protection just ain't there for Ryan. Losing Prince is a huge blow to the team. I'd rather have had Prince's .929 OPS.

In one sense, I enjoy the memories of Prince Fielder with the Crew... but I also just feel, in a way, that it's like Molitor leaving all over again. A player who is likely to be a Hall of Famer leaves Milwaukee. It stinks, and it hurts, and it's gonna hurt for a while.

They have to do Greinke. He's the #2 guy behind Gallardo, and the least replaceable.

I'd rather have Prince Fielder than the pick. Is there an impact bat that will be available at 16?Would you rather have Prince Fielder than the pick plus $20 mill per season? Over the next six years? Prince. We know what we are getting: An impact bat, and the two in arguably the best 1-2 punch in MLB: Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder. Pitchers would come so they don't have to face that. Imagine the 1-8 of Weeks, Aoki, Braun, Fielder, A-Ram, Hart, Lucroy, Gonzales.

I believe that this would be the best possible result for the Brewers, as it is the first unprotected pick, a.k.a. the best pick any team could have received from losing a Type A free agent. I'd rather have Prince Fielder than the pick. Is there an impact bat that will be available at 16?

Gaylord Perry's presence really does make all the steroid controversy seem like pious hypocrisy. Perry cheated his way to some of his 300 wins, and was unrepentant about it - writing "Me and the Spitter" should have been an automatic disqualifier for the Hall of Fame.

Win a couple of pennants and/or World Series, and the franchise will get the money. There's also Jungmann and Bradley as options, not to mention Thornburg, Scarpetta, Bucci, Gagnon, and Heckathorn.

Didn't both McFarland and Jenkins sign from the 2011 draft? McFarland was an 18th rounder, but wasn't he seen as a higher-round pick? And Jenkins looks pretty solid as well.

You could try to defer salary - Braun took deferred money, and Prince may go with deferred cash for a longer deal. And a World Series title, and a higher profile from playoff runs could pay for itself as well. The Brewers have a chance for a real run. Keeping Prince could guarantee it.

I almost wonder if an 8/$176 million offer would get Prince back to Milwaukee...

MLB already has egg on its face: The improper disclosure of the initial results prior to completion of the process. To wit, someone already violated the JDA. If the facts are as strong as Braun's people say they are, MLB may decide to lessen the suspension or even waive it, just to keep the union from demanding the issue be reopened in the next CBA.

I don't know about that. If the Brewers under Melvin had put mainly just a high scoring team on the field with no pitching that resulted in continued losing, no playoff berths, and no real contention for playoff berths, odds are attendance wouldn't have risen much. It was the 2007 season when Melvin acquired Sabathia, CC went on that amazing run, and the team ended up making the playoffs that really made attendance rise to levels never seen before in franchise history. Since that 2007 season in which attendance jumped from 2.3 to 2.9 million, the Brewers have had three straight year of 3 million plus come through the Miller Park gates. Next year will likely be a 4th straight year of over three million. So yea, baseball fans do enjoy seeing home runs fly out of the park, but above all else, it's winning and at least the legit potential to make the playoffs which really brings fans in. That's why foe baffling reasons when some people try to negatively analyze the Sabathia trade in retrospect, they often forget a very key benefit to the Brewers. Besides the fact that none of the players Cleveland received have amounted to much, i really believe that second half of the 2007 season truly revived the love for Brewers baseball again here in Milwaukee. Sabathia starts at Miller Park became must see events. The ballpark was electric when he pitched and as the team closed in on a playoff berth. Fans had a great time at the park and kept returning. The city as a whole was talking about Brewers baseball again, not just waiting for Packers football to start. None of that happens without the Sabathia trade. But if the team keeps losing players like Sabathia and Prince Fielder to free agency, how much longer can the success last?

Gindl probably is the power bat:17 HR in 112 games in Brevard County... 15 HR in 126 games in Nashville. That sounds an awful lot like 20 HR power over a full major league season - so, use Gindl as the backup corner OF and 1B. Gindl and Schafer can backup the outfield, but I wouldn't mind finding a replacement for Hairston as a back-up SS/2B/3B/OF for Nyjer Morgan. I just don't want to be stuck with an imploded Morgan.

I'd trade Plush - sell high - and have both Schafer and Gindl up. LF: Braun CF: Aoki RF: Hart Schafer - 4th OF Gindl - LF/RF/1B Gomez - 5th OF