SoCal Brew Crew Fan

Makes sense to get an extra position player...with all the off days, the bullpen should be in good shape even in a blowout...they've always got Kratz's knuckleball if they need it.

If Stearns has proven anything this season...you can't have enough depth.

All the off days could help with starting pitching in September. I'd bet they shut Peralta down some time in September as well. Davies should be back or they could skip some starts.

Seem to be clearing house of the non-Cardinal Way types...can' be outspoken and tell the truth on that team. Of course last time that happened to Rasmus and they shipped him out for a brand new bullpen that won them a WS.

The Pirates are so stuck in the middle, they have no idea how to get out of it. They are the Herb Kohl Bucks of the division.

It’s a bit of a head scratcher, but I like Stearns taking a shot. The team is behind a couple other teams talent wise so taking some prudent risks makes sense. They didn’t give up much and maybe Shaw can do it. This team should also score some runs. Who knows what the price rage was on others like Dozier. In Stearns we Trust!

There was only one big bat out there and the price was too high. Since the remaining bats or starting pitchers aren't game changing...shore up the bullpen and defense and keep trying to win those close games. Maybe they can add a bat at 2B. I hope Arcia's bat is a little better, but regardless they could really use that glove.

I keep hearing/seeing this narrative that the Brewers back end of the bullpen is so bad. While the anecdotal evidence of watching a guy like Nagurski struggle with the meat of the Braves order is there, I just don't buy it. Fans also need to cut Counsell some slack on his usage and credit Stearns for what he's built. You can't get through 162 games with a 3 man pen. They also have other guys that have pitched well at times like Jennings, Barnes and Williams that should get innings. He's managing Hader to last and if he gives up a game or two along the way, so be it. I took a quick look at bullpens in the NL based on WAR, the WAR of the top three relievers, then the WAR from the rest of the pen. Not deeply scientific, but interesting results. The Brewers have the best WAR outside of the top 3 along with the Cubs & Giants. Only two others are even positive. Also consider that Knebel due to the early season struggles isn't even in the top 3. Place him and his zero WAR in the top three and the rest of the pen is 1.0, well ahead of the rest of the NL. Despite the fan groaning, the Brewers have the best bullpen in the NL outside of the big 3. Imagine how much better some of these teams would be if Jennings, Barnes and Williams were their top 3. Could they always get better? Sure, but it would be improvement from the obvious strength of the team. Team WAR Top 3Rest of Pen Brewers 4.5 4.0 0.5 Giants 3.7 3.2 0.5 Cubs 2.5 2.0 0.5 Padres 3.8 3.4 0.4 D'backs 2.0 1.7 0.3 Reds 1.8 1.9 -0.1 Dodgers 1.8 2.0 -0.2 Phillies 2.5 2.7 -0.2 Pirates 1.8 2.3 -0.5 Braves 2.3 2.8 -0.5 Cardinals 1.4 1.9 -0.5 Nationals 1.3 2.0 -0.7 Rockies 1.0 2.1 -1.1 Marlins -0.4 1.2 -1.6 Mets -0.9 1.8 -2.7

JJ rockin the house again!!! #JJ2DC

Holy Increasing trade value!!!

Incredible Stearnsian depth game

Broxton says fine Orlando, I'll take this myself...

Can we please just end this and get the heck out of Denver...

I love Counsell. He has a good relationship with Stearns, the players like him and he rarely does anything that could be described as Kapler-esque. That and he's one of ours. The guy loves Milwaukee and the Brewers. I'll bet he's here as long as he wants. They've made some mistakes early on, but some have been physical errors and some were mental. I think he focuses on the right thing on the mental issues. Arcia forgets how many outs there are...next day he doesn't start. He doesn't make a scene, but message sent. I think he sat Villar once too...but it is hard to tell given the changing lineups. He's on it. Count me in as #teamCraig

I'm thinking they sign Cobb. 4 years, $60mm with incentives to get to $68mm. Don't know if that's good or not...I just think they will take a shot.

Dodgers fans really don’t want to resign Darviah after his poor performance in the WS. Don’t know how much management shares their view. He’s not very popular out here.

Reilly boiled it down really well. Teams have gotten smarter, all the FAs have question marks and the big teams want to get under the tax before next season. Credit to the Brewers for adjusting to the market and striking when things are cold. If these agents really want to send a message to the owners, they should have their guys sign with the Brewers who are the one team that's trying. If the Crew wins they can prove signing these FAs pays off and it would help their marketing of FAs next season. Instead it's all bluster to try and use the Brewers as a pawn to drive up prices with the big market teams that these guys really want to play for. Put your money where your mouth is Boras and CAA...send your big FAs to the Brewers, not just your second tier guys.

Regarding paper profits vs. actual cash flows... Mark A & the ownership group have killed it on the Brewers. Not only have they increased the value of the franchise 3-4x, they used a fair amount of debt to buy the team in the first place. That means their equity profits may be well north of that. A great investment, well structured and timed. Kudos to them, but as of now it is all a paper gain. That being said, it's not clear these guys have the wealth outside the Brewers to chip in 10s of millions of dollars on an annual basis to fund cash flow deficits. They could probably tack on more debt, but that's risky. I think it's asking a lot to have these guys run in the red for an extended period to fund the club. Mark A is wealthy for sure compared to all of us, but he's not Paul Allen wealthy. When it comes to funding a big deficit...you need to be THAT wealthy with a big stash of cash. Mark A has never shown anything but a constant drive to win. Yes, the Brewers have financial constraints but he has pushed it hard when he thought they had a real chance. This team did get 2 games away from a World Series. By many accounts, he had to be convinced by Melvin, etc to take a step back and retool. I think we'd all agree it was a wise decision. I'm sure they saved up some dough that could be tacked on when needed to get that extra piece. I've got tremendous faith in this ownership group they will do everything they can within the very real constraints to bring a winner to Milwaukee.

Where are the Cubs relative to the luxury tax? That seems to be a big factor holding back the big clubs. I can’t recall the mechanics of the reset on it...is this what is opening the window for the Brewers to go after FAs this year vs. next?

This doesn't fit with the every other year plan that Doug Melvin espoused. Cheap arm. They needed one more. In Stearns We Trust.

Sign an FA pitcher to stabilize top of the rotation. Risky, but agree their pitching isn't quite deep enough yet for a full run. If he isn't enough to get a top flight controllable pitcher like Archer, trade Santana for a bounty of lower level prospects. Gives them a shot at another Yelich type trade in a year or two. It feels like upper level prospects are becoming the most highly priced relative to their value in the market. Look for another diamond for the pen. Look for a cheaper upgrade at 2B to get to Hiura. Length of the window probably depends on if they deplete the system without replenishing it to get stronger in the short term or balance things out.

Outsider looking in it appears that MA, DS and CC are all on the same page. That's a really healthy situation. The only thing close in the state are the Badgers.

On the Cain contract...think of it like Aramis Ramirez. He paid for himself early in the deal before declining. Cain won't be earning his contract in year 5, the hope is he exceeds it by quite a bit in the early years. It's a competitive bid situation and every team needs at least some FA (albeit selectively) as a part of the mix. I agree with the longer post as well...excellent summary. Yelich is special. The next moves will be interesting given the plethora of OF, the need for another arm or two and the option of adding younger prospects to keep the farm engine going. Stearns seems to know more about this than I do and appears to have the fortitude to move against the grain which is needed if they want to differentiate themselves.

It is certainly a hefty price, but I like they are adjusting to the market and their position. The team won 86 games, but didn't really score enough after the torrid start to repeat that level this season. As good as Shaw and Santana were, they don't profile as the top bats on a Championship team. Yelich, Cain into that lineup make it potent. The farm system still has plenty of depth, so perhaps another player will emerge the way Brinson did. They should still have a borderline top 10 system. They need one more front line starter, and perhaps another strong bullpen arm like they had with Swarczak, and this team could do some damage. It would be nice if they could do this without losing Santana. Perhaps 5 guys can take 4 spots if 1B is included. With Braun's reduced playing time, that could be perfect for the team. They've got the payroll room and the prospects to make the next move. No reason to step in with a toe...they might as well finish the plan and go for it. Will be fun to watch.

AT&T - Great scene, great area by bay and fantastic stadium Fenway - Classic old school that lived up to the hype I'd put Miller Park here - the tailgate atmosphere is so unique. The park is nice, but parks with a roof can be a little cold...they can't help it. Dodger Stadium - I live out here so I know my way around and am a little biased...always get a parking pass right outside the gate so you don't take your chances walking around the Thunderdome like parking lot. The OF scene is great. Old time fans are really nice...but it can get rough in the cheap seats. Love the organ. Coors - Fun area and nice park even if it is a band box. Fans pack the place. Indians - Was there right after it opened and loved the downtown feel Texas - underrated. Not much in area, but I love the stadium Anaheim - remodel worked well...clean, friendly...like Disneyland Safeco - Same as Chase, kind of cavernous. Neighborhood fun. Chase Field - Dbacks - Like Miller Park but a little colder. Do like the downtown parks, but downtown PHX doesn't have much to it. Nats - Fine, clean, not much to it. Oakland - Multipurpose parks just don't work in the modern era White Sox - plain but fine, not much to do around there. Wrigley - Too be fair, I haven't been back since they redid it...but before it smelled like piss. I like old parks but they took care of Fenway while they let Wrigley rot. Been to plenty of older ones too...old Yankee stadium was great, Shea was a dump, Metrodome was a pit, Atlanta was nice but plain, old Murph didn't work for baseball in SD, old Tiger Stadium was scary. Pittsburgh and KC are on my bucket list.