JohnBriggs12

He's a number 5 overall pick from a top collegiate program. It should surprise nobody that he's raking against minor league pitching. After all Ryan Zimmerman just got edged out for NL rookie of the year was taken one pick ahead of Braun. What's surprising is that Brewers are giving no indication that Braun has a shot as opening day 3rd baseman.

I'd take Westbrook over Lee. He's certainly a groundball pitcher who pitches to contact. But here's another factor. In the NL Central, except for Cincinnatti with Dunn and Griffey, and Berkman who is a switch hitter, most of the stud hitters in the division that can really hurt you are right handed, Pujols, Bay, Rolen, D. Lee, Ramirez, probably C. Lee. No team in baseball is more righthanded offensively than the Cubs. Houston's ballpark favors righthanded pull hitters. I think the Brewers would be better off with 4 right handed starters and just one lefty (Capuano).

Koskie hasn't played in over 120 games since 2003. At 33, he appears to be aging quickly in the sense he can't stay healthy. Can't see any market for him or reason to have him penciled in as a starter by the Brewers for that matter.

"I thing Mench as some value to a team, whereas Lopez is the kind of guy who's in danger of being non-tendered." That's funny, Brian, I was thinking just the opposite. I fail to see what value Mench has to any team while pitching, even guys coming off of bad years like Lopez, is always in demand to some extent. Besides, with 2 15 win and one 14 win season to his resume, Lopez is arguably the more proven of the two.

Drew makes tons of sense for the Cubs. They need another left handed bad badly (Jones in their only one) and Drew would put up some numbers in Wrigley.

I think Lopez is not all that bad. He's certainly a better option than Jason Marquis. His numbers are skewed by pitching in the murderous AL East. Against the 6 strongest offensive AL teams, Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, NY and Toronto, he posted a 7.65 ERA in 82 1/3 innings. Against the rest of the AL (which compares more to teams in the NL) plus 3 starts vs. NL he had a 4.55 ERA in 106 2/3 innings. Plus he's shown the ability to bounce back from bad seasons before most notably from 03 to 04 when his ERA dropped over 2 runs (5.82 to 3.59). You also can't discount that he's won 15 games twice and 14 once for a losing team. Ben Sheets has never won that many. He'd be a fine guy to fill that 6th starter, long man role, and a guy who could step in the rotation in case of injury or ineffectiveness. I certainly think he could easily post numbers as good as Davis did in 06.

LF in Wrigley isn't very spacious. I don't think having Lee out there will be that much of a negative. Murton is worse.

Happened to catch part of Wednesday night's game that was telecast on Washington cable outlet that I get as pard of Directv sports package. Let me echo Mass Hass on Cain. It doesn't take long to see that this guy's got talent. Saw him drive a ball to warning track in right center that was caught. He also looked very, very fluid running balls down in center. He gets down the line to first very very fast. All he needs is for nature to fill out his lean body a little and wow, he'll have the whole package.

Peter Gammons indicated this morning that among the teams interested in Drew were several unnamed small market teams. Boras is probably betting Drew could get something like what Lee turned down, 4yrs, 48 million. Attanasio being from LA also indicates Drew may be on Brewer radar. But once again, here is a guy the Cubs will also have interest in which could drive the price even higher. I'm kind of on the fence here. Drew will be 31 later this month. He's a little more reliable than Jenkins as a hitter and doesn't strike out quite as much and walks a lot (I'm sure endaround and Rluz would love that), he's been much more injury prone than even Jenkins. He's sort of a poor man's Bobby Abreu. Also I think he's capable of a few more home runs in Miller Park. Bottom line, I think the Brewers would have interest here if they can move Jenkins.

I'd ask him this. Ryan, the two greatest Brewers of all time, Robin Yount and Paul Molitor, each spent less than one full season in the minor leagues. As the number 5 overall pick from one of the top collegiate programs in the country who now has spent a year and a half plus a fall in the minor leagues, is there any reason you don't think you should be the Brewer 3rd baseman on opening day 2007?

Do I really think they're going to $120 million? I actually think they will go over that. But that's the number Hendry has been quoted as saying and I hear all the time. Remember I read Chicago newspapers on a daily basis. And why not? The only thing holding them back at all, is the situation with the Tribune Company. And that could resolve itself within a year or two. How does Mark Cuban or Donald Trump as Cub owner sound? Both those names are brought up down here as possible. Brewer fans have to realize that the pressure on Cub brass for immediate results is immense. Sure they will still sell out, but what happened in 03 changed things. They've been killed in the media down here for 2-3 years. Andy McPhail had to quit because he didn't bring a championship. They ran Dusty Baker out town on a rail and they didn't bring in Lou Piniella to rebuild. Steve Stone is on the radio several times a week stating the obvious that the division is winnable for the Cubs if they add a big bat and a quality starter. One reason I have cautioned Brewer fans about pinning hopes two or three years down the road. The competition (mainly the Big market 3) isn't going to sit idly by. They go for it every year and try to load up to do it. There is not going to be that moment that in July the Brewers find themselves 5 or 6 games up that will finally allow Melvin to use a prospect to get the team into the playoffs. He has to realize that anytime the team can get within 3-4 games in July, that he should not be selling, but buying. As for Murton. Please. Murton is a nice hitter, but lacks normal LF power, and is an abomination as a fielder. He's probably good enough to start for some teams but he's not a championship caliber corner outfielder.

"you're talking $40-45 million annually for three hitters" Sure, but that represents an increase of only $20 million over last year's payroll and Cubs have been saying all along they will go to at least $120 million for next year. Besides they are getting some significant money off the books with Wood and Pierre. In a lot of ways the Brewers find themselves in the same predicament as teams like the Orioles. Sure they can raise payroll some and develop some young talent. But in the same division as teams like Cubs, Cardinals, and Astros that all draw over 3 million with much more lucartive TV and radio deals, and they are going to always be underdogs.

The title of this thread is a little misleading as it represents nothing new. The Chicago media has been reporting this supposed interest that Lee has to play in Wrigley, since before the Brewers traded him. Lee will probably go where he is offered the most money. The sources Sullivan quotes are no doubt plants by Lee to enable him to involve as many teams as possible to drive up his price. My guess is that Lee's people were concerned that the report of Houston being a done deal was driving away other interested teams and thus lowering the price. So he needed to re-kindle that Cub talk.

I couldn't disagree more with SenatorShriv and other suggesting Villanueva in the pen. Villanueva was no worse than the third best starter in September (behind Sheets and Bush). You develop as a starter by starting, not being jerked around in an infrequent long relief role. If you put him in short relief, you can't immediately go back to starting if a need arises because you are no longer stretched out. I read somewhere the Dodgers aren't that likely to want Maddux back especially if they land another free agent starter (which they are planning to do). Maddux has indicated he wants a 2 year deal. He made $8 million last year and wants something reasonably close to that. I'd say he'll end up with a 2 year deal totalling around $13 million. He's still superior to Davis, and would cost less in the long run than giving Davis a multiyear extenstion. If they did land Maddux, I'd let Davis walk or deal him. His signing would also allow them to at least think about using a guy like Capuano who could really bring a nice return in a deal.

I wouldn't go near any of those at those prices. I don't think any teams will either.

monkeyman34, I like Crawford an awful lot too. But he doesn't play CF, he doesn't have the power Wells has, and doesn't get on base at a real high clip. But he certainly can run and steal bases a lot better than Wells. But because his contract is so very, very appealing, virtually every team in either league covets him making his price a lot steeper than Wells'. If Wells indeed can command a 6 year $100 million deal then he has to put up numbers at least comparable to his 06. If he does that, plays Gold Glove CF, allows Brewers to keep Hall at Short and doesn't cost us one of our top 3 starting pitchers, then I'm buying playoff tickets next fall and I'll worry about 08 after that.

Sorry endaround I don't quite get the Eckstein comparison. Wells was the number 5 overall pick in the 97 draft, made his major league debut at age 20. He's got the pedigree of a great player. You want a guarantee he'll hit .300? I can't guarantee that but nobody is that big a lock either. Is there a guarantee Fielder will be a .300 hitter or any better than he has shown? No. How about Weeks? No. Hardy? No. Because none of those guys has ever done it. Wells has.

endaround, I dare say you could take virtually any player's first 5 seasons and come up with an inconsistent tag by looking at their worst years There are very few players out there with zero risk. I would counter that most baseball experts consider Wells (who just turns 28 in December) to be one of the premier players in either league, your analysis notwithstanding. There were even a few out there that had Wells in the MVP talk in 06. I'd say that at 28 in a contract year, that he's much more likely to post a .900 OPS than one around .800 and that it's almost a certainty that he'd at least do no worse than hit .270 with 25-30 HR and 90+ RBI and play outstandig defense. Even his so-called "decent but not great" 04 and 05 seasons were a lot better than what most CF put up numbers wise and you don't even mention that he also won Gold Gloves in 04 and 05 as well as 06. Yeah Billy Hall is a fine athlete but I don't think he'll win any Gold Gloves in his first year in CF. The Jays could certainly use help at SS, and I'd have no problem dangling Hardy and a nice pitching prospect out there for a player of Wells stature even if it's for one year with a chance for more.

The guy out there who would have the greatest impact in 2007 is Vernon Wells. sbryliski calling him inconsistent doesn't make it so. He's had one year of under 97 RBI in the last 5 and even that year he put up a plus .800 OPS. That from a gold glove Centerfielder, a position not exactly settled on the Brewers. He's also very familiar to Gord Ash. With one year left on his contract would it be risky to give up a lot for this guy. Sure. But going the safe route hasn't exactly got the Brewers anywhere. Besides if it doesn't pan out, he could still be flipped at the deadline ala C. Lee.

Great question aracko. I think a lot of people who bring up deals have to realize that to get quality, you have to give up quality. For instance, nobody is going to give you a Vernon Wells for Doug Davis. Capuano maybe but not Davis. Not that anyone has suggested either, I was just trying to make a point. To get quality in return you have to give up something even young pitching or high draft picks like Braun sometimes.

The White Sox declined a $3.65 million option on Hermanson because of his iffy back situation. Hermanson was out almost all of 2006 but he did return late in the year and reportedly threw the ball well (16 K's in 13 2/3 innings at Charlotte, 5Ks in 6 September appearences for Sox). He's a quality reliever if well enough to pitch. Certainly worth looking into his health for an incentive laden type deal.

reillymcshane, You make a great point about young pitchers getting jerked around. This has been a disturbing trend with Yost. It seems ever since he's been here, he seems to have more patience with scrap heap guys than guys who have potential but lack experience. A few years ago, he jerked around Obermueller (in the rotation, in the pen, skip two starts, etc) so much that he seemed to end up a mental wreck. You pointed out Eveland as well. Eveland has better stuff than Capuano. But Yost treated his every appearance as if it was a tryout. Even now they are jerking around Villanueva. Villanueva pitched over 50 quality innings, beat the soon to be World Champs twice and they still act like they are not sure if he's worthy of a rotation spot for 07. Compare that with Victor Santos from 04. He was a scrap heap guy who had a nice spring then pitched well for a couple outings. That secured him a rotation spot for another year plus.

I don't buy the new league excuse for Mench. Once upon a time before interleague play and when umpires stayed in one league or the other, there was an adjustment for hitters. That is no longer true. He put up decent numbers playing in Texas a notoriously good hitters park. Sbryski06 comments about him putting up numbers like Monroe and Ordonez did are really optimistic. Monroe and Ordonez put up better numbers than Mench playing half their games in the best pitcher's park in all of baseball. Monroe away from Comerica hit .287/.339/.558. To compare Ordonez with Mench is a joke. They are not comparable in the least.

Reed fills no need. He's lefthanded as are 3 of the other CF candidates (Gwynn, Nix, Gross). That's not even counting Krynzel who mysteriously is still on the Brewer roster. He hit in the minors but so have the guys already on the roster. He hasn't hit lefties a lick so like Gross he would need a right handed platoon partner. Jenkins is more expendable because he bats lefthanded and so does Gross. Trading him for another lefthanded hitting OF does not make a lot of sense.

You said it yourself, Pogokat, he's like Gabe Gross, only at a higher cost and without the upside.