JohnBriggs12

Gennett was 4.5 WAR over his first year and a half, and basically that same player once he returned from his stint in AAA. Remember he got married early last year and I suspect that might be partially responsible for a terrible start.

The farm system is in pretty decent shape but it needs to be more balanced if they expect to field a competitive team sooner rather than later. There's very little at the corner IF spots and behind the plate. That would be my primary focus.

Stearns has a lot more options than Melvin had in past years. He can deal in any number of ways. He can deal a veteran or two either for prospects or controllable major league talent. He can also deal a prospect from an area of system depth (OF, middle IF, starting pitching) for one in an area where they are light (corner IF, C, bullpen). He also should have some room to add FA to fill a hole though it's not likely they'll look at anything other than bargain guys or guys on minor league deals. Good thing he's young because he's going to need to work a lot of late nights. Not surprised by any of the names removed from the 40. Thought Schafer's decent month of September might save his spot, but now it's clear why they added Fields though if I could, I'd try and see if Schafer would sign a minor league deal now because frankly, Fields does nothing for me. Assume they'll ad a vet on a minor league deal if not Schafer. One guy who's spot I thought might be in jeopardy, Strong, survived for now. Only the Strong survive apparently. He can be outrighted so if they need his spot later I'm guessing that's the move.

Looks as if they wanted him back all along but didn't want to force him on the new pitching coach. Johnson apparently approved so he's back. Good news as Tunnell has done a fine job.

Only one of those guys has been immortalized with a Brewer bobble head: Henderson.

I'd have a hard time passing on Puk as well. He's a big strong lefty from not far away in Cedar Rapids, IA. Seems a natural to me. At worst he becomes a Will Smith type, but with a an upside to be that ace.

Why does every Brewer trade proposal have to be established player for prospect? Why not deal from area of strength in the system (RH bats) for area of less strength (LH bats/1B)? Brewers have excess of RH hitting corner OF and a dearth of LH hitting 1B. Santana for Kepler straight up makes sense for both teams. Kepler hits LH, and also plays 1B and provides a less strikeout prone bat to a lineup that could use one. He'd also be a viable replacement for Lind who could be moved in another deal. Minnesota needs a replacement for Torii Hunter in RF. Santana would be great fit for them. Brewers can cover CF next year with combo of Reed, Peterson, Schafer

I like Davies. He's a competitor and not afraid to come after hitters. But he's not the type of guy I worry about losing one year of control over. He's earned the spot to start they year in the rotation. He's got options so if he struggles, he gets optioned (solving the control issue anyway) and it's next man up. The reason to add a veteran to replace Garza is twofold. Garza isn't the type of veteran you want around a young staff, and even if he's okay for a couple a months, he still has little to no trade value unless they pay half or more of his salary. Sign a bargain veteran FA who if he succeeds will have actual value, and if he doesn't work out, then bring up a internal option. Pena belongs in the pen.

Johnson brings zero value of anything. I get trying to get rid of Garza but if that is the best they can get I would take my chances on holding on to him and hopes he puts up a decent enough season that someone offers something of real value before the 2017 season. Johnson plays a position where theoretically he wouldn't be blocking anyone for the next couple years and his floor is at least bottom third starting 3B quality and he is just 3 years removed from a peak season so there's some upside still. Plus, he's a career .314 hitter vs. LHP so he'd be an ideal part of a platoon with a LH bat who could play 3B assuming they could find one. Defensively? Not so good. Garza on the other hand is blocking arms that need to be evaluated, and even if he reverts to the kind of average pitcher he was in 2014, the demand for his services would still be minimal. Big market teams can do better than Garza and small market teams would rather take chances on cheap young alternatives.

Profar's never done anything at the big league level, has been hurt for the better part of two seasons, and he's such an upgrade over Gennett that you guys are willing to create a black hole at the one position it's hard to find talent at? Beam me up Scottie.

Same. Teams are always looking for good, cheap relievers. Add him as a piece in a trade to extract more value or trade him by himself. I bet we could get a pretty good piece for him. Same goes for Jeffress and any other reliever we have. Yeah, they should sign 15-20 guys off an Atlantic League roster to play in Milwaukee next year and just trade any player with 2 or more years of major league experience. Might as well insure you'll have the number one pick in the 2017 draft. No sense having a payroll above $15 million is there?

I'd look to add one outside veteran starting pitcher who's available on a short term (2 years or less) and I'd just dump Garza, who even if he rebounds a bit, has very little trade value. Brewers do have a plethora of young starter candidates, but virtually all could still use more seasoning in the minors or to delay their arby years or be used in deals to acquire talent at positions of need. If the season started today, my rotation would be Nelson, Peralta, Jungmann, Davies, and a value FA vet or Garza. Pena has a shot to be a bullpen arm. Lopez is the guy I'd groom to be the midseason addition when the vet is dealt. Peralta is another guy they might think about moving at the deadline if there are multiple guys that are forcing there way into the picture.

He's also right handed and probably no better than Jason Rogers with a lot more K's. Rogers would likely put up monster numbers in Korea. With all the RH hitting power OF the Brewers have (Phillips is the lone exception), they need a LH power bat at 1B going forward.

Hector Gomez dominated winter league last year. Where is he now? At 24, Hector Gomez was in A ball. At 25, he hit under .200 in AA. Perez was a part time starter in the big leagues at 24 this season and held his own. They aren't comparable. Furthermore, my comment was about Perez as a player based on what I've seen as a Brewer, not generally how he's doing in winter ball. The reference to the HR he hit, illustrates his power potential which wasn't evident as a Brewer but which I believe exists.

Seriously, you'd give up a still controllable 30 HR guy and a solid bullpen arm at worst for a soon to be 26 year old who's never appeared in the major leagues and has a .911 career FP at 3B? I wouldn't trade Hernan Perez straight up for Kivlehan. Perez has a much better glove, is younger and has at least shown some ability to hit major league pitching. It's just another example of way undervaluing what the Brewers truly have as players. While I would like to see a different player other than Davis in LF that doesn't mean he's not a good player. Maybe on a team where he is not looked upon to hit anywhere below 6th -7th in the lineup, I'd love him, but when we are counting on him for constant production and his below average OF play just doesn't do it for me. Either way, the trade proposal was very silly and if our current GM does this, he should be fired on the spot. LF was by far the most productive position on the Brewers last year. Would love to see where the Brewer LF production ranked in the NL. It had to be right near the top. Davis has some flaws, but he's not the reason this team was 26 games under .500 last year.

Only one way to do this? Sorry, but lots of teams have done this before and continued to fail. Heck, even star child Billy Beane traded half the players in MLB last winter in what was not intended as a tear-down and Oakland went from a playoff team to the toilet. You cannot guarantee that any specific prospect you're counting on or how many of your top prospects will pan out. Local example: In the late '80s & early '90s, we heard tons about the prospect train that included Eldred, Wegman, Bosio, Jaha, Braggs, Vaughn, and so on. That Brewers team had one good push ('92) and still didn't make the playoffs (granted, smaller playoff field, but still). Absolutely correct. As for the statement "The Brewers could fix their catcher problem real quick" all I can say is Henry Blanco, Eddie Perez, Chad Moeller, Damien Miller, Johnny Estrada, Jason Kendall, Gregg Zaun, and George Kattaras say "Hello". Drafting a catcher high is no sure solution either. Jeff Clement was drafted ahead of Ryan Zimmerman, Ryan Braun and Troy Tulowitzki. How did that work out for Seattle? The Cubs and Astros both derive a lot of their revenue from local television rights. Not so for a small market team like the Brewers. Brewers need revenue from attendance. Attendance lagged in both places and will lag considerably if Brewers tank the next 3-4 years.

Barnes has really been impressive. Brewers appear to have another young bullpen arm possibility. What to make of heretofore light hitting Rivera? Wow.

Seriously, you'd give up a still controllable 30 HR guy and a solid bullpen arm at worst for a soon to be 26 year old who's never appeared in the major leagues and has a .911 career FP at 3B? I wouldn't trade Hernan Perez straight up for Kivlehan. Perez has a much better glove, is younger and has at least shown some ability to hit major league pitching.

Notice on the video that the ball sails over the 407 foot sign. I've said it before, but I still think Perez has power potential that he hasn't shown yet. He's powerfully built. Don't count him out of the everyday 3B picture. He was just getting his feet wet in the big leagues this year.

Absolutely. This "story", as most Buster Olney's are, is a non-story. Of course they'll listen to any offer. They won 68 games last year. Guys like Olney write this stuff because fans of teams out there wanting to pick over a dead carcass, as the national media views the Brewers, salivate over adding guys like Lucroy to their teams.

I'd prefer the one on the field but both would be fine.

Assuming Lucroy won't be extended because he wasn't last year is kind of silly isn't it? That's up to Stearns and he spoke highly of Lucroy or did I dream that? If anything 2015 might have made extending him more likely. The fact is there is no replacement for Lucroy in the Brewer system. None. Maldanado has proven he's not a starting catcher. Decent enough backup...sure, starter?? That's laughable. Deal Lucroy and this franchise could spend the next half dozen years trying to find a replacement. Frankly the parade of guys they had in the 2000's decade at that position held this franchise back: Blanco, Bako, Eddie Perez, Moeller, Miller, Estrada, Kendall. With no catcher on the horizon in the system, they'll be back chasing one and wasting resources trying to find one. Stearns needs to make extending Lucroy priority #1 provided the concussion concerns are satisfied.. 4 years, $14-16 million per year is the going rate. That will take him through 2021, the year he turns 35. Lucroy provides veteran leadership that is crucial to development of a young pitching staff. His bat ebbed last year but the month before the concussion he was back raking. They can have talent everywhere but if the catcher is below par, it will all be a waste. There's not a more key position on the entire field. The example of it has been right in front of them the last decade. Molina is the constant that made the Cardinals what they've been. If they need to trade Braun to be able to afford Lucroy, they should do it.

It might not be "reinventing the wheel", but we sure do need someone who can retool arms. Its clear our divisional rivals (superiors) are kicking out butts at this. Their pitching coaches are doing more than keeping their heads right... Cubs: Arrieta, Hammel, Feldman, Dempster (revived under Bosio), Rondon (rule 5 selection) Pirates: Burnett, Liriano, Volquez, Grilli, Melancon Cardinals: Lackey, Lohse, Westbrook, I don't really feel like looking up the rest of their devil magic... All these players where bought/acquired low or for nothing and made highly productive. And we keep throwing the little money we have at over-priced mid level free agents hoping they continue to give us 2.0 WAR seasons. Since the start of the 2009 season we've scored the 3rd most runs in the NL. Unfortunately we've also allowed the 3rd most. We need a pitching visionary and development strategy throughout the organization not some retread who has experience making a slow walk to the mound in front of 40,000 people. You made my point precisely. Who are the pitching coaches in Chicago, Pittsburgh and St. Louis? Chris Bosio, Ray Searage, and Derek Liliquist. Combined those three have 26 years of major league playing experience. Derek Johnson? I couldn't find his name in the baseball register, so apparently he never played professionally. I know if I'm an experienced major league pitcher, I'm more inclined to listen to advice from a guy who's had major league experience. I thought that was a weakness of Kranitz. Personally, I think Lee Tunnell deserved the pitching coach job for what he's done with a hodge podge Brewer bullpen the last several years. Look Johnson has a great resume for teaching pitching. But major league pitchers for the most part have doctorates in the art or they wouldn't be in the major leagues.

You're right and it could turn out to be a great hire. But there's an awful lot of inexperience at the top right now, starting with a 30 year old GM. Youth and energy is a great thing, don't get me wrong, but mixing in someone with a record of accomplishment in one of the major areas of responsibility might be a good idea. Derek Johnson might have been great at preparing college age pitchers, but the major leagues is a whole different deal. I'd prefer having a guy that knows what it's like to stand on a mound in front of 40,000 people and face major league hitters. You don't reinvent the wheel for guys who've made it to the big leagues. They know what it took them to get here. I'd prefer a guy who's can keep a pitcher's head right more than anything.

McMahon's a really nice prospect but he's what, 2 years ahead of Lara? If you trust Lara's the guy, find someone adequate for the next 4-5 years like a Cody Asche or splurge on a Daniel Murphy where you don't have to give up a ton in return and you can put a major league product on the field the next couple seasons.