nate82

Is Doug Melvin the new GM for the Cardinals? This seems like the Wolf, Garza, Looper, Capuano and Suppan signings.

Badgers to play in Ireland in 2027 against Pittsburgh.

Could just be a scheduling conflict for the others. Offseason vacation or other commitments. You would think the team’s beat writer would get the name correct.

Thanks. The authentication was more for insurance purposes. Not sure I will ever sell.

Mertz looks a lot closer to his freshman year than any other year at UW. He did get injured and looks like he will miss the remainder of the season. He definitely looks a lot better in Florida than he did at UW. I think the talent around him plus having bad coaching at UW was the issue. Mertz had problems at UW but he also had no one to throw to and a very poor coaching staff who had checked out years ago.

If you pass and you don't take a sack or don't make a completion it stops the clock and allows the other team to save a timeout. On third down sure take the chance on a short route to see if you can get the 1st down. But you can't throw the ball away and you need your QB to either take a sack or make the completion. Rather risky to throw on 2nd and 3rd down and allow for the other team to pocket a timeout.

No sadly this is how nearly every game has gone all season for the Bears minus the Washington game.

Depends are we talking the same year Yelich is traded? Is this a pure salary dump where the Brewers don't pick up any other player with a high salary or take on any of Yelich's remaining contract? If the Brewers are picking up someone like Castellanos, doesn't that mean the Brewers are putting money back into the team? If the money that was earmarked for Yelich in '27 and that just gets banked no I don't want them to do that and I don't believe the Brewers will do that. You would have to go all the way back to 2016 where the Brewers actually had a significant decrease in payroll. The 2015 payroll was $104mm and then in 2016 it dropped to $63mm for OD. Then in 2018 the Brewers increased their OD payroll to $90mm. The 2018 plan was not only to sign Cain but to also sign Darvish that year before they were outbid by the Cubs. Their OD payroll would have been about $105mm that year if Darvish would have signed the contract the Brewers offered. Will the Brewers drop their payroll after trading Yelich probably if they are not taking on another equally high contract. But I don't think going down in payroll for a season or two is that big of a deal. This team has shown they will spend when it is warranted.

I don't expect there to be much information until around the 3rd of December when the Winter meetings start in Nashville. Everything right now is just speculation with very little substance attached to it.

How do you know the Brewers didn't offer Woodruff a 2-year deal similar to what you are proposing. What if Woodruff is the one who turned this down? I don't believe Woodruff was open to a 2-year deal and was only interested in a longer term deal. I believe this is why he wasn't traded. I think Woodruff is just going to ride it out and see if he can get ready by the half way mark of the season and try and catch on with someone. Then if everything goes right he can go into FA next year without a QO attached to him which should give him a boost in FA and give him that FA contract he is looking for.

The Brewers have spent when it has made sense to spend. They spent on Moustakas, Grandal, Cain and extended Yelich. The Yelich extension plus the arbitration raises to Woodruff and Burnes being the main culprits in taking up most of the Brewers payroll. The Brewers have stayed around 19th in the league in spending which is remarkable for the market that the Brewers are in.

I think this makes more sense for the Dodgers. Dodgers get Adames and Burnes Brewers get Sheehan, Bruns and Rushing Sheehan and Bruns are you starting pitching prospects and Rushing I think the Brewers would convert to a 1B instead of keeping him at 1B. His bat is too special to wait for him to develop defensively at catcher. He had a bad year this year but the power was still there. I think if you get him off of catcher and put him at 1B his bat will take off.

To answer the arbitration question: From: https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/details-from-the-new-2022-2026-collective-bargaining-agreement/

So my mom's husband died this year and he left me two autographed photos. One of Walter Payton (just a signature) and one of Jackie Harris (just a signature). These are the typical black and white photos that you would get at an autograph session. I am fairly certain the Jackie Harris one is worth nothing or maybe at best $5. Probably not worth getting a frame for it. Is it really worth it to get the Payton one PSA certified? I see on the PSA site it would cost $50 to get a PSA certification. Is that really worth it? I would also have to mail the picture to them. I remember the PSA used to go to collectible events and offer PSA certification. Do they still do this? I saw some events on their sites but not many. Are there any other services like the PSA?

Nick Senzel only if he faces LHP that is.

But will this continue? I think if you get the chance to reset the team payroll without losing a lot you have to do it as a small market team. Is having about $27mm less in payroll in ‘27 worth more than the difference between Yelich and Castellanos from ‘24-26? I think that is the question we need to answer. For ‘24-26 Frelick looks to be as good of a lead off hitter as Yelich has been and for far cheaper. Power wise do the Brewers have anyone on the roster now who can provide what Castellanos can?

I think a Castellanos for Yelich trade actually may make so much sense that it just doesn't happen. Yelich is a lead off hitter now and he would profile almost perfectly in the Phillies lineup. For the Phillies they could finally get Schwarber out of the lead off role and have Yelich batting in front of Harper, Turner, Realmuto and Schwarber. I believe this is a deal where it matches up well for both teams. It allows the Brewers to get out of the Yelich contract and still get a useful piece in Castellanos at least as a 1B or a DH bat. If the Phillies offered Castellanos for Yelich I wouldn't turn this down. The only problem is will Yelich approve a deal to the Phillies?

I wouldn't be opposed to a Manny Pina and Yasmani Grandal reunion. Manny as the backup catcher and Grandal as the primary DH. At 1B I would take a flier on Mancini being what he was in Baltimore and not what he was last year. For relievers I would look at Pomeranz, Hicks, Barria and Heuer. For starters I would look at Plesac, Severino, Bauer and Giolito. I think Giolito will want a multi year deal so he may not be a realistic target. I am also intrigued with Jung Hoo Lee and Kyle Lewis. I think Jung Hoo Lee maybe someone the Brewers could possibly get but I think the Giants may price them out. Yes I know he is an OF but I have a feeling two of Frelick/Wiemer/Taylor will be traded which will open up an OF spot. Nick Senzel is also another intriguing option though he should never face RHP. He would fix the Brewers problem against LHP as he put up a 165 wRC+ against LHP. Maybe have Senzel as a platoon at DH would only need to find a LH masher to platoon with him. Maybe someone like Joc Pederson who has been rumored to the Brewers the past 3 off seasons is it now? I think something like this could be possible: C: Manny Pina 2-years $3.5mm DH/OF/3B: Nick Senzel 1-year $2.5mm DH/OF: Joc Pederson 2-years $26mm RP: Pomeranz 2-years $8mm SP: Pleasac 1-year $3mm 2024 total FA spending: $31mm I think that would put the starting payroll around what it was in 2023. This is assuming Burnes, Adames and Williams will be traded for mostly prospects.

Not sure why people get so worked up about these trades.

With multiple teams being involved that could be just 2 it may mean he has some value. How much is probably unknown but there is some value there. I think it is more than AAAA type of a player but we won't know until the trade does or doesn't happen. I am hoping for a 2-year agreement but that is looking less and less likely.

Ouch Burrow is out for the year. https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/joe-burrow-injury-update-bengals-star-qb-to-undergo-season-ending-surgery-on-wrist-per-zac-taylor/

It is a lot of players and the Braves farm system isn't all that great and the players the White Sox got back are not that great. Soroka has negative value and the others have very little to no value. Lopez is a 29 year old SS who hasn't been anything special offensively and the majority of his value comes from his defense. He posted a 75 OPS+ last year and has a career 73 OPS+. Shuster is a career 4.44 ERA minor league pitcher who looks to be a last guy in the bullpen type of a pitcher. Shewmake in the minors hasn't replicated what he did in college. Though he does have the lost year of 2020 but he hasn't shown anything that he will be more than a utility or just an organizational minor league player. Gowens is probably the only player the White Sox got back who could be something. Though he was only drafted this year in the 9th round by the Braves. Solid trade for the White Sox but it isn't a massive overpay. The Braves also tend to overpay for relievers.

The Orioles maybe smart but they are for certain extremely cheap. Their owner has been quoted as they want to be more like the Rays and Brewers. I don't believe the Orioles will spend all that much and I don't think Burnes fits what they will be looking for and that is someone who has a longer contract that is at a cheaper rate. I think the Orioles will rather trade from their IF depth for someone like Peralta instead of Burnes or Bieber. I think they will also be players in the 2nd or 3rd tier of starting pitchers in this years FA class.