nate82

An interesting trade could be Corey Hart to the Rays for Carl Crawford only has one year left on his contract before he hits free agency. Both Crawford and Hart had a down year. This would be selling low for both the Rays would get Hart who would be a cheaper version of Crawford. The Brewers would get a left handed version of Hart.

Why not Kouzmanoff? He is a good defensive 3B and he also hits righties as good as he hits lefties and he is cheap compared to other 3B options the Brewers could pursue. I believe he will get arbitration this year. I don't see why you wouldn't want to have Kouzmanoff as the starting 3B. I don't see why you would package both Parra and Jeffress into a deal that is giving up to much. Maybe a Parra and Braddock but that is giving up two lefties and I don't see why you would do that. I wouldn't trade both Parra and Jeffress it will be either one or the other just like the CC trade it was either Gamel or LaPorta not both. I don't see why the Brewers would trade both Parra and Jeffress for Peavy. Even with the contract I just don't see why you would or why you should trade both. Considering the trading partners from the AL being Yankees, Red Sox, and some other teams and in the NL it will be limited to the teams with the talent. I don't see this being a Santana deal where the Padres get hosed on where they can ship Peavy to. The Cubs don't have the prospects to make a move, the Yankees and Red Sox will not be willing to move the prospects they have. That leaves a select few teams that have the prospects the Padres will be looking for. What we know the Padres are looking for is a SS and a pitcher in return. Those two are obvious with them dealing Peavy. The sticking point for most teams is going to be Greene if he is going to be packaged with Peavy.

Felix Hernandez, Tim Lincecum, Clayton Kershaw, Chad Billingsley, David Price, and Evan Longoria. Billingsley and Kershaw I wouldn't trade Braun straight up for one of them it would have to be both but that maybe me over valuing Braun here.

I don't see the Brewers trading away both Jeffress and Parra in a deal. Unless that was suppose to be one of Escobar/Game/Salome/Jeffress and TGJ. I would think the Brewers would have to give up a little bit more than 3 players to get Peavy. I would think it would be more along the lines of Parra, Cain, Lucroy, and TGJ for Peavy. If Greene would have to be in the deal I guess you could add Hardy to the list but I would want Kouzmanoff in the deal. I'm dreaming here but what about a deal that sends Hardy, Parra, Lucroy, Hart/Cain and TGJ for Greene, Peavy, and Kouzmanoff. Greene replaces Hardy for 2009 and only 2009 Escobar takes over in 2010. We get a 3B that is desperately needed and we get an Ace pitcher who will be locked up fairly cheaply for the next 4 years. Yes I know this will never happen.

Since the Brewers are going to go after Sabathia that $10 million option is not that expensive when you look at the deal Sabathia could get. Cameron has a decent swing also. Gwynn shouldn't even be considered as a starter ever unless there is an injury and the Brewers are going to full rebuild mode. Cameron should be the CF next year and Gwynn should be in AAA again for the third straight year. OBP and OPS Cameron gives you the more bang for the buck. If you broke it down Cameron's contract is about right for a CF with his ability.

Going deeper into games and pitching for a whole season are two different things. Sheets does go deeper into games which is evident in the amount of complete games he has pitched.

I wonder if the Padres would accept a deal that would send Parra, Hardy, and Lucroy for Peavy and Green. This might be overpaying for Peavy though especially with taking on Green's contract but it would allow for Escobar to play at AAA before coming up.

If we lose out on the Sabathia deal do we go all in for Peavy? I'm not sure I'm sold on doing that though. It would take at a minimum Hardy, Jeffress, and ??? I'm not sure I would give up that much for Peavy. Yes he is an ace and a rotation of Peavy, Gallardo, Parra, Bush, Suppan is a decent rotation I'm not sure I would want to give up Jeffress and Hardy for 5 years of Peavy. It is tempting though.

We can cross off Ted Simmons from the list of possible managers in 2009 for the Brewers. From the San Diego Union-Tribune Simmons for bench Another vocal major-league veteran, Ted Simmons, likely will be joining manager Bud Black's staff as bench coach. Simmons, the bench coach for the Brewers last offseason, recently met with Black. He had worked as a special assistant to Towers before becoming the bench coach to his friend Ned Yost, the Brewers manager fired last month.

Prices are going to increase just like food, gas, and any other product. You may not notice it but it will increase. It will be more along the lines with inflation though that you will see the increase in ticket prices.

Gwynn is not going to give you that OBP that you want. Cameron is by far better than Gwynn with the OBP stat. A .330 is a lot higher than what you could expect Gwynn to do. Gwynn will put up Bill Hall type of numbers with the OBP stat without the slugging to go with it. I wouldn't even think about replacing Kapler with Gwynn let alone replacing Cameron with Gwynn. There are better options in the minors right now than Gwynn they are just not ready yet. By 2010 they should be and I doubt Cameron would be brought back for another year unless he takes a pay cut and is willing to be a 4th OF. The amount of money given up to Cameron is not that much and the Brewers can afford it. The bottom line is that Gwynn shouldn't be starting ever in a Brewers uniform. If Gwynn is starting it is probably because someone is injured or the team is packing it in and trying for next year. Even if Cameron has a down year OBP wise next year it will still be better than what Gwynn will provide to the team.

Pierre would net them either another bad contract or just a salary dump. Pierre wouldn't net anything like what Kemp or Kershaw would get them. In order to get value you have to trade value unless you are the Pirates and you are trading with the Cubs.

I would believe it would be night games not afternoon games and depending on the time criteria they used. Prime time is usually defined as 7:00 - 9:00 P.M. CST. That is what the prime time is for the central time zone. I believe that is what they are basing it off of.

Maybe I'm dreaming but what about a Hardy, Hart, and Braddock for Kemp and Kershaw. The Dodgers could either move Hardy to 2B or have Furcal take over and play at 2B. An infield of Loney 1B, Furcal 2B, Hardy SS, and Dewitt 3B would be a very solid infield. The OF assuming the Dodgers sign Manny wouldn't be all that worse than what they have now. An OF of Manny LF, Ethier CF, and Hart RF would be a solid OF for the Dodgers. The only thing I wouldn't like about this trade is that the offense takes a hit. I don't believe the Dodgers would do this deal though.

Halladay is not on the market and no that trade would net get it done. Hart, Jeffress, Escobar/Gamel, and Cain would get that done.

From: http://www.minorleaguespl.../cgi-bin/pl.cgi?pl=448242 Tony Gwynn's Minor league stats and what it would translate into at the major league level. Minor League Stats AB H 2B 3B HR W IW HP K SH SF GDP AVG OBP SLG OPS BABIP GB% LD% FB% IF/F 376 104 9 3 2 29 1 2 54 3 2 9 0.277 0.330 0.332 0.662 0.319 62.1% 14.1% 23.2% 9.0% Major League Equivalent stats AB H 2B 3B HR W IW HP K SH SF GDP AVG OBP SLG OPS BABIP GB% LD% FB% IF/F 384 93 7 2 1 29 1 1 58 3 2 9 0.242 0.296 0.279 0.575 0.283 62.1% 14.1% 23.2% 9.0% That OBP of 0.296 is horrible that is an equivalent of having Bill Hall leading off.

It would be the same as what the A's got for Haren.

This year in AAA Gwynn had a .327 OBP compared to Weeks .342 OBP in MLB.

So you are going to substitute a better OBP for 10 bunt hits a year?

Yes and Gwynn also doesn't take enough walks and is a slap hitter OBP wise he is worse than Weeks. Now where do you bat Gwynn? Lead off? Weeks is a better lead off hitter than Gwynn is and that is not saying much. In order for Gwynn to become a starter for the Brewers he would have to either increase his average to a .300 hitter, increase his walks, or find some power. I don't see Gwynn being able to do any of those things. Gwynn is a 4th OF at best I would say he is a 5th OF right now. I don't see a team taking a chance on Gwynn and I don't see the Brewers getting much in return for Gwynn.

What about Mike Lowell for the Red Sox. A .798 OPS for a 3B getting paid $12M in 09 and 10 is not a good contract. He is also regressing and there are better options for the Red Sox at 3B.

King Felix Hernandez is a player I would trade for with Prince. That is where the starting point ends and starts with a Prince trade to the Mariners.

I agree that Fielder will be here in 2009 as the starting first basemen. But what about a trade where the Brewers send Hart to the Red Sox for Youkilis. I believe the Brewers would have to give up a little bit more to get Youkilis maybe not though with Drew getting older an OF of Bay, Ellsbury, Hart would be intriguing for the Red Sox. Then trading Prince and CV to the Mariners for King Felix. I don't think the Mariners would be interested in this trade though. Rotation for 2009 1. Hernandez 2. Gallardo 3. Parra 4. Bush 5. Suppan 2009 Lineup 1. Weeks CF 2. Gamel RF 3. Braun LF 4. Youkilis 1B 5. Hardy 2B 6. Hall/Branyan/Lamb 3B 7. Kendall C 8. Escobar SS Not a great offense especially with 2 rookies in the lineup. I'm not sure if the Brewers would win more than 82 games next year with the lineup but the rotation would be as competitive as the one we had for the second half of this year. We would still have a weak link at 3B though at least until 2011 when either Lawrie or Green will be about ready to take over at 3B. I believe Lawrie will be moved from catcher to 3B. What I don't like is that we are getting rid of Hart and having a rookie who hasn't played any OF and Weeks a below average to average 2B into a center fielder. Also adding in Escobar as great as his defense maybe I'm not 100% confident his offense will be adequate enough. Another option would be moving Hardy to 3B which I believe would be the better idea than having Hardy move to 2B. Even with Weeks defense the defense doesn't suffer as much with Weeks at 2B than it would at CF. An error at 2B is not as harmfull as a bad played ball in CF or an error in CF. An error at 2B at worst extends an inning or puts the runner at 2B instead of at 1B. An error in CF does a lot more damage to a team than one at 2B. It is pick your poison here I would rather have Weeks at 2B than in CF.

Actually this off season I believe Brad Penny maybe the cheapest option the Brewers could get and they could do another Cameron signing with him. Offer Penny a 1 year deal with a team option for a second year. I wouldn't mind doing that with Sheets also if it comes down to it and we are not able to trade either Prince or Hardy for a starting pitcher. Either sign Sheets or Penny to a one year deal with a team option for the second year or a buyout option. It would be a win win situation for the Brewers and for Sheets or Penny they would be able to build up their stock again.

The biggest issue from the Tigers GM last year was their pitching staff. If I remember correctly the Tigers GM was interviewed on a sports radio program where he said this and it was his concern coming into the 2008 season. I don't see how anything has changed for the Tigers Rogers is getting older and they only have two good proven pitchers in their rotation with Verlander and Bonderman. I don't see the Tigers trading away Verlander for Hardy. Offense is not the problem for Detroit it is their pitching that is the problem in Detroit. I don't see how the Tigers could justify trading Verlander away for Hardy even if they would get another prospect in return.