Harold Hutchison

I think he was specifically referencing "PTBNL or Cash" type offers. When bigger prospects are being thrown around (in the Sabathia case it was either Green or Brantley as the PTBNL) cash usually isn't an option as far as I'm aware. I still take the PTBNL, though. Two words: Manny Pina. Key contributor acquired as a PTBNL for K-Rod and looked like depth... until he wasn't. You always have a chance of a diamond in the rough.

In the CC Sabathia trade, Michael Brantley was the PTBNL sent to the Indians, and he was pretty consequential. I never dismiss the chance to get talent. For a PTBNL, maybe it's finding someone who the team you've made a trade with has overlooked. If I ran a MLB team, I would view my farm system's managers and coaches as not only instructors for my players but as an auxiliary for the scouting department. Maybe they see something that can be tweaked in game conditions. It's why I wish the Brewers could spend more money on the farm... I'd rather have two teams in the Arizona Rookie League, two R+ teams, a short-season A team, two full-season low-A teams, and two A+ teams signing a Gerritt Cole or a Anthony Rendon.

It is probably safe to assume that he, like Starlin Castro, wanted to play for the Nats, and took lower pay to do it.

Maybe, but there was a rotation crunch, for sure: AAA rotation: Supak, Burnes, Z. Brown, File, Jankins AA rotation: Ashby, Bettinger, Zavolas, Francis, Webb A+: Small, Sunitsch, Bennett, Castanada, Lazar A: Jarvis, Olson, Lindell, Walters, Luna, Kelly The AAA bullpen is also likely to be loaded with Rasmussen, Andrews, QTC, Wahl, Feyereisen, and Perdomo. Roegner had injury problems, and it derailed him just enough to become a roster crunch victim. Brent Suter was lucky in that he didn't get hurt in the minors, and was able to move up enough.

Peralta has worked out very well. Herrera may well prove useful, too. Didn't see a lot of action last year. Was he hurt?

Pass. The dealbreaker for me is the four years.

Opening day, he'd be leading off, but by the end of the first season, he's the #8 hitter, and if he has that .370ish OBP, and to be honest, the Crew may need a longer-term stopgap if Erceg doesn't put it together.

The amount of cash they would likely get would likely make it not worth it and you'd be better off taking a chance at the lottery ticket. Always take the prospect. You never know what might happen. For instance, I'm intrigued by Dwayna Williams-Sutton (https://www.baseball-reference.com/redirect.fcgi?player=1&mlb_ID=663492), who posted a .411 OBP last year. Omar Cruz also looks like a good person to ask for (https://www.baseball-reference.com/redirect.fcgi?player=1&mlb_ID=678316).

That is a shock... I'd hoped the Crew would give him a mulligan after 2019 got a bit off track with injury. In one sense, though, there is such rotation talent these days that the Crew may not have the roster space to give an injured player a mulligan.

I like the idea. He's got a good bat... might be a nice choice for leadoff. 3b: Holt 2b: Hiura lf: Yelich rf: Garcia c: Narvaez 1b: Smoak cf: Cain ss: Urias pitcher He could be had for 3 years, $13.5 million - and add a mutual option for a fourth year with a $3 million buyout to defer some cash. Yeah, expensive for possibly another Sogard-type bat, but he has an OPS+ of 105 over the last two years, and he is almost as versatile as Hernan Perez. A .370 OBP for the leadoff spot isn't bad. I don't need power, I just want him on base for Hiura-Yelich.

I was just gonna post something like this. We've had some speculation on some player contracts being influenced by the upcoming cba, so why not a team? There has to have been some discussion behind closed doors between owners about what the players might want or what they might be willing to give up in some places to gain in others. So my complete guess is maybe they are banking on a less than 6 years of team control future. It's not good for Milwaukee if that happens. When you combine it with the draft changes and Manfred's proposal to gut the minors, it seems like you'll get a few superteams in huge markets (Yankees, Dodgers, Red Sox, Cubs, White Sox, Mets, Angels, Giants, Mariners, Astros, Diamondbacks, Nationals), with the rest becoming AAAA farms/proving grounds for the superteams to pick over.

Some of the highlights from the conference call: One item jumped at me: - Made swing change last winter that clearly didn’t take, felt more like himself in Sept. One thing that should be driven into the heads of players - if it isn't broken, don't try to "fix" it.

That third year is way too much for me. Crew will do better to just go with Rasmussen/Andrews/QTC in the pen for about $500K each.

Put it this way - I may be cool with dealing Hader to the Rays for a package of: LHP Shane McLanahan LHP Matthew Liberatorie SS Greg Jones OF Josh Lowe No immediate help, but two blue-chip SP prospects, and two other players.

How about trading for Daniel Murphy from the Rockies? Some experience at third with the Mets and Nationals, has also played first and second, offering versatility. Not a bad bat, either. Only $8 million for 2020, and a $6 million buyout for 2021 on a mutual option. Probably comes cheap (say Bubba Derby or Ray Black).

I think both 1 and 2 are relevant for this offseason. I think next year, even if Hader dominates, number 2 becomes a bigger consideration. Yes, Hader has a longer track record, but the Super 2 status and the fact there are only three years of control left will drop the price some. You only trade Hader if the deal helps the club and if it is a good value. But Hader's value, at this point IS THE MOON.

Personally, if it gets to mid-season, I see Drew Rasmussen, Clayton Andrews, and Quintin Torres-Costa as reinforcements for the pen. I think that is often overlooked.

Having a lot of 3-5 pitchers means you can deal one for help elsewhere. Or, you have plenty of options for your own rotation. A rookies making $500,000 who can hold down the 3-4-5 mean no need to sign the Randy Wolf/Matt Garza/Jeff Suppan types. Also, each team usually has five starters. Why not deal a potential solution for their rotation for the 3B we need? Package an extra catcher or a couple of starters for a TOR-type.

I think it may also be a way to clear the decks a little for some of the players on the farm at the AA/AAA levels thos year. Rotation prospects: Roegner, Supak, Burnes, File, Francis, Ashby, Bettinger, Jankins, Zavolas Bullpen prospects: Andrews, Rasmussen, Perdomo, Olczak, Wahl, Feyereisen, D. Brown, Z. Brown Catchers: Nottingham, Feliciano, Henry Infielders: Wilson, Erceg, Ryan Aguilar (also OF) Outfielders: Taylor, Hummel (also C), Ray

Yeah... Zavalos, Ashby, Sunitsch, Small, Lazar, File, Burnes, Supak, Jankins, Brown, and Cam Roegner have all flashed dominance at times, and hopefully they can regain form. Rasmussen's started, but I think he's better suited for a multi-inning fireman role. Lemons and Kelly may be fireballers out of the pen.

Looks very interesting...

Milwaukee's best shot at this point is to hope he can become another Knebel. Use him as a reliever, and pray his velocity causes him to rocket up in that role.

I see Peralta in the MLB pen, replacing Jeffress in the "three-headed monster" that the Crew will lean on. AAA: Burnes, File, Supak, Brown, Jankins - (Rasmussen, Andrews, Perdomo, QTC, Wahl, Feyereisen in bullpen) AA: Roegner, Bettinger, Francis, Zavalos, Ashby (Webb in bullpen) A+: Small, Lazar, Bennett, Castenada, Sunitsch A: Jarvis, Olson, Lindell, Walters, Luna, Kelly I think Lemons may move to the bullpen, that heat he has will always play well as a reliever.

I think this is the core of all the issues you've had, though. You keep insisting, rather bluntly many times, that David Stearns be something that he has proven time and time again not to be. You want him to be impulsive, aggressive and, frankly, careless when it comes to player acquisition. I just think the guy has a long enough track record to prove now that that's just not the way he's going to operate. Every move the guy makes is researched and measured, then measured again. He operates 100% based on value, which means he is hardly ever going to make the big signings and trade for the "bigger" names that you crave. In a lot of ways, I agree with you. I'd love to see the team acquire a proven TOR starter, and a proven high average power bat to play 3B. But those guys are the "name" guys, and they cost a lot in both money and prospect capital, which are things the Brewers just don't have a lot of right now. So what we are left with is a GM that has chosen to build the team by focusing on underappreciated and undervalued players, taking risks in the process. It really is what it is. That's the way they are going to do it for the immediate future. If you don't get on board with that philosophy, you're going to be a very unhappy, frustrated fan. Look, the Milwaukee Brewers are not going to get TOR starters unless they develop or trade for them. they won't get proven high-average power hitters unless they develop or trade for them. I got my heart broken after `92 when Molitor left. Then, it was dealing with the realities of the Burnitz and Cirillo trades - and how poorly they turned out. This team needs to get its farm system in order. If that means a lower payroll at the MLB level, so be it.

There were these behind-the-back throws Weeks made to JJ Hardy in 2005, as I recall...