Harold Hutchison

I think Aoki will be solid - he drew more walks than strikeouts, which I think portends well for him. That is something that doesn't exactly slump. And if he can rack up 30 doubles and 10-15 homers, and steal 25 bases, he's a very solid addition. A definite upgrade over Gomez, and probably more stable than Morgan. Aoki may be good for .290/.380/.400 with solid defense.

I think he could do well... and what excites me is the 260:239 BB/K ratio from 2007-2010. No - that is no typo. Looks like a Taylor Green who can swipe 20 bases a year.

I'd still try to get into the Fielder sweepstakes. With Braun possibly out for 50 games, the Brewers will need Prince.

Funny, I was just thinking the same thing. If you take a step back, that seems a lot more likely considering MLB has never leaked one before.Possible, but if Braun's people were to leak it, they sure as heck wouldn't take it to Fainaru-Wada. And they would have leaked something much more favorable to their side than the simple story that came out which basically stated "Braun is a doper". This came from MLB or the office of one of the other parties now invovled in the resolution of this case (lab, arbitrators, etc). If we're speculating, it's much more likely this came out because somebody really thinks Braun is guilty and is worried he "might get away with it". Or they want to protect the testing process - and are trying to cover up the fact that they botched it. Leak the positive result...

Seriously... a six-year deal could do it to keep Prince here... AND if they can get Prince to defer some salary, maybe it doesn't cripple the team's chances to keep Marcum and Greinke...

I say go... offer six years, $120 million. With Pujols to the Angels, this is Milwaukee's chance to seize and hold the high ground for 2012-2016 in the NL Central.

Calm down... The Brewers still have Braun, Weeks, and Hart. They still have an above average rotation. This team will not go into the dark ages again. And when Braun starts drawing IBBs all over the place? Sorry, but I'm just nervous... and I HATE the fact that once again, a Brewer star goes elsewhere. Braun's the exception, but will the team make any effort to keep Weeks and Hart from walking? What about Marcum and Greinke?

I'd prefer to see the Brewers keep Fielder, all things being equal. But the Brewers don't seem to even be trying, and that is starting to lead to flashes of Molitor leaving after `92. The Crew did not make .500 for over a decade... Please, NOT AGAIN!!!

7 years, $140 million - with a mutual option of one year for $25 million. $5 million per year deferred from 2024 to 2030.

That would be the worst defensive infield in the history of the game. Maybe, but match that infield's offense if you can...

3b: Gamel ss: Weeks 2b: Green 1b: Fielder

A not-hot market, and a special 3-4 punch... plus these are the guys Prince has played with since he was 18... maybe it's not so much as enter the bidding as it is the Brewers have a legit shot to sign Prince.

2012-2019: $24 million ($8 million deferred)2022-2037: $4 million deferred/year That could be a potentially franchise crippling deal.OK, the Brewers are deferring a chunk of Braun's salary from 2022-2030. And given that the payroll is around $90 million, deferral and keeping Prince's salary at the 2011-2012 level doesn't break the team. And constant playoff runs from 2012-2015 would add value to the franchise. Better TV deal, constant fans in attendance paying better ticket prices (3 million fans a year), and more national recognition will keep the club in the black. And by 2022-2037, deferred salary will not be so bad as part of the whole payroll.

But will they take Fielder or Pujols? I'm beginning to think the Crew has a good chance. If Prince will accept deferred money as Braun did, they could swing that 7-year deal. It would make sense baseball-wise (one of the top 1Bs stays in Milwaukee and DOESN'T play for a potentially viable playoff opponent), it makes sense in terms of keeping the fans happy, and it gives Prince post-baseball income (which he might not object to having). 2012-2019: $24 million ($8 million deferred) 2022-2037: $4 million deferred/year

I like the idea... Rogers could be the "second closer" in the Brewers bullpen - and he'd be under team control for a few years.

If the Cards lose Pujols, they will need more firepower elsewhere. Ramirez for Freese, Beltran in right, and Berkman at first may be the best they can do in that situation.

Boston will need either a 1B or DH after Ortiz burned the bridges. Pujols would be the type of high-powered signing they might make.

1. Pujols - Red Sox The Sox will use him as a DH so they can let Ortiz walk. They have the money to outbid St. Louis. 2. Fielder - Brewers Attanasio has talked big about keeping Fielder. Unlike Sabathia, the Brewers will keep this premium free agent. 3. Reyes - Phillies Rollins wants a five-year deal. The Phillies may decide to go with Reyes for a little less. 4. C.J. Wilson - Blue Jays Toronto adds a front-line starter. 5. Darvish - Brewers The Brewers will be seeking insurance should Greinke depart, and Darvish, at 25, would complement Gallardo well. Attanasio may well decide to take the risk. 6. Jackson - Yankees Boras client will go where the big bucks are. 7. Rollins - Yankees New York will need a replacement for Jeter, and paying through the nose for Rollins may be how they get it. 8. Ramirez - Cardinals Losing Pujols to Boston will require a premiere bat to replace him. 9. Beltran - Cardinals Beltran will be signed to help offset the loss of Pujols - moving Berkman to first. 10. Papelbon - Marlins BoSox lose Papelbon due to having to break the bank to get Pujols. 11. Ortiz - Mariners Solid bat goes to Seattle after they lose the Fielder sweepstakes

Fielder is gone. The quicker most of you realize it, the better. When Fielder talks of Milwaukee, he uses a past tense. Reason enough. I resigned myself to that long ago, and I think Gamel will be our 1B in 2012 and beyond. However, Attanasio is now saying that he wants to sign Fielder. Attanasio has not been one to tell the fans something unless he means it. That doesn't mean we will sign Fielder, as we could have a team make a ridiculous offer like the Yankees did to Sabathia, but Attanasio is extremely intelligent when it comes to finances. Contrasting that against our very limited knowledge of the Brewers finances, and I'll at least have to consider the option that the Brewers have a chance of re-signing him. I would assume that if we really could sign Fielder, we would have to trade away one of our bigger contracts. If that's the case, our best options would probably be trading Hart and allowing Gamel/Gindl/Schafer to play RF, and/or trading one of Wolf/Marcum/Greinke and giving Peralta/Fiers a shot at the rotation. I would hope that in one of those trades, we would be able to fill SS. Wolf and Greinke are likely gone after 2012... and if the Brewers are able to compete and make playoff runs... the next TV contract will be worth more - bringing in more money than would be expected otherwise. In that case... a short-term investment in another all-in run for 2012 could pay bigger dividends down the road. That said, is keeping Prince out of the question? No. He doesn't seem to want to leave, which is a factor. Prince may like the idea of what would amount to a post-career annuity via deferring some of the salary. Yeah, I think the Brewers have a good chance of keeping him. This team made a deep playoff run, and if the core stays together in 2012 against a Cardinal team that could lose Pujols and the aging Phillies, there's a good chance of a World Series with the guys he came up with - and that's something an outrageous free-agent contract from the Yankees, Red Sox, Angels, or some other team can't buy...

Maybe... but they could try to defer the salary for Prince - and keep in mind, not only have the Brewers done that with Ryan Braun, it also could be an option for Prince. Prince may also welcome the thought of guaranteed post-retirement income as well. That does give the Crew an edge, especially if Prince really does not want to leave Milwaukee.

One question: If Fielder goes, who protects Ryan Braun?

The thing is... Greinke and Marcum had never pitched in the post-season before. To an extent, they were rookies at that sort of thing. Keep the team together, and I see a pennant or two in the 2012-2015 timeframe.

I find myself with a whole lot of what-ifs - and honestly was expecting to lose the NLCS when the Crew dropped Game 2. Somehow... I just KNEW after that point. What if Braun had been kept at third and the Brewers had found a new left fielder in `08 to go with Cameron? Braun at third and an average LF would have been a huge upgrade over Braun in LF and McGehee/Hairston at third. The offense would have been more than a little bit better - and better able to bail the starting pitching out. It's easy to find a LF who can reliably post an OPS of .800-.850 than a 3B who is a top slugger in the NL. I know I was a lonely voice for keeping Braun at third - but here, I have to raise that question. I think Greinke and Fielder are the guys to lock up through 2015 - if Attanasio and Melvin keep them this is a team that is reliably a 90-95 win team, and in the thick of the race. Lose one of those players, and the team is on the outside lane of the Wild card race, IMO. Mat Gamel is a question mark. If he's a lefty Braun, great. But if he doesn't get a shot, then what? Greinke never pitched in the post-season before. Maybe having been there, he can do better. Fielder... I just cannot fathom giving up that offense. Who protects Ryan Braun becomes the big question - and nobody will be throwing strikes. Marcum... didn't he have a career high in IP this season? Maybe he just ran out of gas? Maybe he's more the type to go six innings, and then you call in the bullpen.

If Prince is gone, how do the Brewers protect Ryan Braun? If Prince goes, I expect a Wild Card, but seeing the Crew get run out of the playoffs in the NLDS. It's been a great run, but for me, the real disappointment will be to see the team get blown up via trades.

I'm hoping Prince stays for 2012 - I don't want to see this team blown up via trades for rebuilding when they got this close. A couple of changes needed to replace K-Rod and Counsell, but both of those could come in-house (healthy Braddock/rebounding Loe; maybe Hairston stays as utility IF). Maybe have Green replace McGehee. One year under the belt, and this team could pull it off.