Never Outhustled

His OPS is under 800, despite a 325 batting average. When that average drops down to a number in line with his career minor league numbers, his OPS will be under 700. Now that Valencia has started playing full time, he's put up a 558 OPS in August. I doubt he's their answer at 3B.

If a team wants McGehee, they know they'll need to be high bidder to get his services. There's multiple teams that could use a cheap 3B, so I don't expect to get low balled. It does a team like Minnesota, Detroit, and Cleveland no good to low ball us because we're desperate, only to see the 3B they need get traded to a division rival. Exactly. The combination of the pitcher we get for McGehee and the RF platoon we add to the lineup that allows us to move hart to 1B will be more Wins Above Replacement than the combination of McGehee and any 1 of the multitude of replacement level pitchers we have now. I don't know if we would get a cheap pitcher, but I think we could get a talented mid priced pitcher with a package centered around McGehee. Some teams will be tight against there budgets, unlike the Brewers, who will have a hard time finding takers for all the money they'll have available.

Agreed, I like these a lot. Let me 2nd the motion. I wish we could get these from all the affiliates. I found it interesting that Isom described Kentrail's arm as above average. Its the 1st time I've seen anyone compliment his arm. Now he's getting time in RF. With Braun in LF for a longtime, its a lot easier to project Kentrail into future lineup's if he's a viable RF.

This site is beginning to need an ignore feature. Its almost good news that Arnett is finally being shut down, and his injury addressed. Its been very clear all season that he's not himself. I just hope its not the shoulder. TJ is just a delay, but we'd get the real Eric Arnett back. However, without knowing what the injury is, he might just have a blister.

They offered Fielder a massive extension despite the fact he's still grossly out of shape. How fat do you think he'll be once he get his longterm deal? And to say Fielder was in good shape last year is a joke right? He was in better shape than 2008, but he was still dangerously fat.

McGehee's range extends about 1 step in either direction, and his arm is pedestrian. I see many bring up the fact that he was once a top defender, and thats maybe true. However, thats completely irrelevent since that was at least 15 pounds ago. McGehee continues to play over-weight, he done it for 2 years now, and it kills his movement skills. Since the Brewers have sent a clear message to their players that being over-weight and out of shape is acceptable, I don't see that changing anytime soon. My 1st move if I was GM would be to send the 2 fat boys out the door.

Gamel is better defensively at 3B than McGehee, as is every other 3B.

Jackson has been outstanding in 2 starts with the Sox, giving up just 2 ERs in 13 innings with 2 walks and 13 K.

Fredi Gonzalez. He has experience playing young talent, and he demands effort from his players. His teams consistently seemed to over-achieve.

Yes, but who do you replace him with next season if Fielder is traded and Gamel is playing 1B? Gamel doesn't have to be the one playing 1B, and it would be McGehee moving to 1B anyway. Most of us want to improve the defense, and that would have Hart (or Braun) moving to 1B with a good defender starting in the OF. Dickerson with a platoon partner likely puts out similar offense to McGehee, but the defense improves at 2 positions.

Don't you still need to account for the $8 million you sent to Tampa? I guess I should put my "going for it" plan out there, just to be fair to you. -Fielder to Texas for LHP Dereck Holland, RHP Brandon McCarthy, and RHRP Pedro Strop -McGehee, Kottaras and Carlos Gomez to Florida for RHP Ricky Nolasco (Florida's annual budget cutting trade) -Eric Farris to Baltimore for 3B/OF/C Jake Fox (Fox gives the Brewers a righty swinging option to Gamel at 3B, an emergency 3rd catcher, and RH PH, Farris is rule 5 eligible, but the Brewers have no room for him on the 40 or at AAA with Lawrie moving up, though Lawrie also plays 3B.) -Sign LHP Cliff Lee 5yr/125 M -Sign Henry Blanco 1M -Sign OF Reed Johnson 1M ( I sign Johnson instead of Kearns because he's a better fit to platoon. Kearns is equal against lefties and righties, whereas Johnson kills lefties, he's had an OPS over 900 against them 3 of the last 4 years.) 1-2B Weeks 5.5 M 2-3B *Gamel 450 K 3-LF Braun 4 M 4-1B Hart 6.8 M 5-CF Cain 450 K 6-RF *Dickerson/Johnson 450 K/1M 7-C Lurcoy 450 K 8-SS Escobar 450 K Total Cost Lineup= 19.55 M Bench *Dickerson/Johnson LF/RF Henry Blanco C 1 M Craig Counsel 2 M -Jake Fox 3B/OF/C 450 K * Joe Inglett-Utility IF/OF 450 K Total Bench Cost= 3.9 M Rotation #1-Cliff Lee- 25 M #2-Yovai Gallardo-3.5 M #3-Dereck Holland-450 K #4-Ricky Nolasco- 5 M #5-Randy Wolf- 9.5 M Total Rotation Cost= 43.45 M Bullpen CL-John Axford 450K SU-Zach Braddock 450 K MRP-Todd Coffey 2.25 M MRP-Kameron Loe 450 K MRP-Pedro Strop 450K MRP-LaTroy Hawkins 4 M-Starts season on DL MRP/6th starter-Brandon McCarthy 1.5 M MRP/7th starter-Manny Parra 1 M Total Bullpen Cost= 9 M Total Player Cost 2011=75.9 Total "Dead Money"=4 Million Total Costs= 79.9 Million I'm well under budget, and have tons of room in future years to extent Weeks and anyone else who earns an extension. I can still add another very expensive player, preferably on a short term deal. I actually have room to add Javier Vazquez or Tim Hudson, which would put Wolf in the pen. In 2012, they'll have raises for Braun, Gallardo, Hart, and Weeks, but we have Hawkins and option buyouts coming off the books eliminating $8 million. By spending our money in 1 place, I eliminate the annual option buyouts that symbolize the Melvin era.

Ken Macha stole it from him. I'm not saying that he was a great player, but he was definitely a serviceable outfielder. Anyone would have a hard time putting up stats getting 5 at bats a week, like Gerut did most of last summer. Once all the injuries forced his hand, Macha played Gerut toward the end of last year, and he put up some pretty decent numbers. That doesn't explain how he hit like crap in SD in 2009 that lead to his trade.

Its still a mystery how Gerut lost his bat after the 2008 season.

Sorry, I meant Wolf. Him and Gallardo make .25 more each, Braun .5, and Hart .8 more. Fielder, McGehee, Axford, Kentrail Davis, and $8 million for Garza and Moore is seriously over-paying. I like your addition of Kearns as a platoon guy as part of your commitment to defense. That aspect of his game goes underappreciated. However, if we want more D, shouldn't he platoon with Dickerson?

How did you get Braun, Gallardo, Hart, and Hawkins to take pay cuts? Why are we paying big money on a closer if we're not really going for it, why are we signing lottery tickets like Webb and Penny when for only a little more we could get someone healthy and productive, and what happened to John Axford? I like the addition of Henry Blanco, he's the most underrated player in baseball. I don't mean to be too critical, as I do like the overall direction. It shows how easily this team can be improved, because it has boatloads of cash to spend, a surplus of position players, and the team improves quickly when you replace its replacement level pitchers and CF.

Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in.....Simply put, Casey McGehee > Chris Dickerson. Based on what? They're actually pretty similar, because McGehee is so inferior defensively, while Dickerson excells. If you divide their career WAR by their games played, Dickerson actually has the edge.

Melvin has always stated that you want to create a surplus at a position through your farm system so you can make deals, and thats what they have with Gamel and McGehee, so we will see McGehee shopped for pitching. Hopefully he cleared waivers.

Most players make it through waivers. Teams grab a guy when they want to deal for them, but they don't just claim everyone on the list. Chris Dickerson cleared waivers, lots of teams could have used him.

Wily Peralta has morphed into an efficient, groundball inducing pitchability guy. I doubt I'd even recognize him on the mound now inspite of seeing him live several times last year when he was a high effort, hardthrowing strikeout guy who looked like a future reliever. He is seriously on the rise. His transformation shows us that he's not just a good arm, but he's got something upstairs too.

Suppan the pitcher hurt us because he sucked, but when did his contract hold us back? We never lost one of our own because we couldn't afford them, and the Brewers have been very active in free agency the last 2 years. They signed $19 millions worth of new free agents (Wolf, Davis, Hawkins, Zaun) this year alone. Doesn't sound like a team that is struggling with a tight budget. Now, that $19 million has produced replacement level production, which tells me we'd be better off signing 1 great player instead of 4 scrubs. I understand that concern, and thats why I didn't want to sign Sebathia (along with CC's weight issues). However, I'm less concerned with Lee because he's not a power pitcher, and he actually seems to be getting better with age. His 14/1 K/BB rate this year is absolutely amazing. I don't see this guy suddenly losing it, and we could still be a contender at the end of his deal if he regresses to a 2-3 WAR pitcher.

There ya go, 3 games is equal to 3/4 of a season, that seems logical.

Do you care to share with us why you don't think Dickerson is any good? He has a career OPS that is easily above average for a corner OF. I don't know, he's 28 years old. He's bounced around the minors for 8 years, never dominating at any level. In those eight years, his career highs are 17 home runs and 70 RBI.He has struck out in roughly 30% of his plate appearances in the minors. The only positives seem to be his willingness to draw a walk, hence the high OPS, and he has shown some base stealing speed....maybe the next manager will actually utilize it. Frankly, I think the comparisons to Jeromy Burnitz, etc. are a little off base. Some players develop at different rates. Your ignoring that Dickerson is an elite level athlete, with strong work ethic.He has a 787 career OPS, and that's been held down by injuries.

Exactly. I still say the Yankees will be after him with a vengeance. There will be no way the Brewers can or should beat any offer the Yankees will be able to make. For all you know, Cliff Lee might have no desire to play in NY at all. Plenty of players have the east coast teams on their no-trade lists. Lee is from rural Arkansas, its possible he's not a big city guy. He might like the midwest life style, he did sign an extension to continue to play for a bad Cleveland team. Stop pretending to be experts on Cliff Lee. Even if the Brewers can't get an agreement with Lee, they could sign Vazquez and Hudson. I know one thing, there not going to sit on their money. And I'll ask one more time, someone please show where, in projecting future payroll, how spending $25 a year on Lee for great production is more crippling than spending $41.25 million this year on Suppan, Wolf, Hoffman, Davis, Riske, and Hawkins for below replacement level production.. We're also paying another $2.3 million in buyouts of failed pitchers from past years.

Grrrr, why are we slashing payroll? Why can't we spend that much on 1 guy? Do you like the present format of spending the same amount on several useless guys. Go ahead and project the roster the next 5 years and tel me when paying 1 guy big bucks is going to be a problem. Sorry for be so grumpy, its just that numerous people have made the same statement you have without providing any evidence to support their opinion.

Do you care to share with us why you don't think Dickerson is any good? He has a career OPS that is easily above average for a corner OF.