CheezWizHed

Ok, so I chose this weekend of all weekends to go camping at a location that barely had any cell phone coverage. I'm not sure what was worse, reading about the new prospects on my phone on top of a ridge or the looks my wife gave me from walking around with my phone in the air to get coverage... So, one thing that struck me about the people we got is that they seem to be younger versions of what we have (maybe with a bit more upside on the OFers). Obviously, this isn't aligned with who was traded for whom, but more on what we ended up with. Also, I'm ignoring Ramirez/Broxton because they were mostly "dump" trades and we really weren't giving up much. Carlos Gomez High defense, good power for CF. All star, possibly peaked with bat (800+ last two years, 746 this year). FA in 2017. 29 years old. Replaced with:Brett Phillips Average defense at CF, strong arm. Ranked 39 on MLB top 100. Career OPS of 860 is driven by his breakout last year (905) and this year (920). At AA now and is 3 years younger (21) than average. Doesn't need to join 40-man until after the 2016 season. So, it looks to me that Phillips will exceed Gomez with the bat (he took SOOOO long to figure out how to hit), but not defensively. I can see a much longer succession of 800+ OPS from Phillips. If they were the same age, they would probably ranked about equals. Mike Fiers Soft tossing, high K starting pitcher. True pitcher that maximizes his skill. Peak at a #3 SP. Already at 30 years old, but under control until 2019 Replaced with:Zach Davies Ranked #11 on Brewer's Top 30. Under sized RH-SP with average FB, 3 pitch arsenal and good control. 3.47 MiLB ERA, 7.8 K/9, 2.8 BB/9. 2.84 ERA this year at AAA, where he is 5 years younger (22) than average. Seems to succeed despite his scouting report. Will join 40-man at the end of this year. Josh Hader Tall and skinny LHP SP that has seen a bump in velocity since being drafted. Low angle slot produces lots of Ks (9.7/9IP), but lots of BBs(3.9/9IP). Has career MiLB ERA of 2.97 and WHIP of 1.2. All numbers come 2.4-4.4 under the age average at each level (currently -3.5 at AA: age 21). MLB ranks him just above Tyler Wagner at 15 in the Brewer's system. Doesn't need to join the 40 man until after the 2016 season. Fiers looks like a better SP than Davies, but they profile very similarly (almost eerily similar). But we also have Hader to mitigate that risk. His ceiling is probably around a 3 (like Fiers). Geraldo Parra Career .737 OPS. Ideal 4th Ofer, passable starting LF/RF (or temp in CF) having a career year (878). 28 years old, FA at the end of this year. Replaced with: Domingo Santana Ranked 87 on MLB top 100. Right fielder with strong arm and huge bat. Has burnt 1 option this year (unsure about 2014), but still has rookie status. Career OPS: 854 despite being 3.4-5.6 years younger than average at each MiLB stop. Hitting 1.008 OPS this year at 22 years old. Big concern is high K rate (34% in MiLB). Branyon reborn? 3TO lives on! Santana could end up being MUCH better than Parra on the OF. The risk is on his K rate, but I'll happily take a 33% K rate if his OPS is 900+. The throw-in: Adrian Houser Large RHP with good FB/CB, but lesser control. Has ok, but not great career MilB stats (ERA: 4.30, WHIP 1.366, K/9:8.0, BB/9: 3.4). But still has been younger than the average at each stop (0.9-2.6, Currently 22 and -2.5 at AA). Needs to be added to 40-man this year. One odd thing that I've noticed is that Houston seems to really push their prospects in terms of age. All of the 4 we got are not only young for the level but VERY young (3+ years under). Overall, I do really like this trade. I was always a big Fiers fan, but at 30, we most likely traded him at his peak. The two SPs that we got (Davies/Hader) don't really improve our current pitching at AA, AAA, or MLB (a bunch of #3-5SPs), but I guess competition and depth is good too. But I'm quite intrigued by the OFers. Could be interesting with an OF of Reed-Phillips-Santana in the future. Edit: A little formatting for clarity

It sounds as if Santana has the strongest arm in the OF. Coulter has the least experience in the OF. But my guess it that Braun is the first one to move to 1B. None of them are options for 3B. Coulter would have moved there already if it was even possible.

And somewhere JB is saying, " And they called me crazy for suggesting it"

[sarcasm]I fully agree with the Met's concerns and can understand exactly why they can balk at that trade.[/sarcasm] Just to show that we are good trade partners and that we can address all of their complaints, I propose that we trade Weaver/Flores for Geraldo Parra. - Salary concerns are lessened. - No Injury concerns. Your welcome Mets.

Could be interesting that we might have our cake and eat it too! Its not often that you trade for someone and increase their value. Here is hoping for a good return on Parra.

I think that a RP with high velocity and currently at AA would be an ideal target for Rule 5. I can't imagine that they would risk this after trading for him.

I am sure certain ratings might be weighed more...but Demi is a confusing one if you look at his. I'm thinking they aren't showing some ratings. Perhaps something like risk to reach the MLB. If you look at guys in the lower levels, (Demi or Kirby) the overall is much lower than the average of those shown. But guys that are close to the MLB level and close to maxed out (Yadiel, Wagner) are more in-line with the numbers shown. edit: I'm still working my way through the rankings but Ponce is another example: Scouting grades: Fastball: 60 | Cutter: 55 | Curveball: 45 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 50 | Overall: 45 - Certainly has a good ceiling, but I'm guessing the overall ratings are lowered because of risk in achieving the ceiling.

Either Kyle Wren is trying to get a gig as a model or most of his "action" comes from standing at the top of the steps to the dugout... Everyone else is playing baseball.

ok, far more than I thought. But much higher draft picks (i.e. higher profile) than Houle also.

A lot of what we call "Chinese food" is just a very loose American interpretation of their cuisine. Fortune cookies and chop suey are both (basically) American inventions. What we call Mexican is really "Tex-Mex", but a lot of Chinese food is actually pretty close. Americanized a bit, sure, but similar dishes can be found in China. That is both from my first hand experience in China and from Chinese nationals eating here (and Chinese restaurants in Germany we both ate at). There are obvious exceptions like you mentioned, but otherwise pretty close.

Ok, that's true, but didn't he have experience in Asia that was A ball equivalent? Any traditional examples?

What would be a bit surprising for guy that only has a cup of coffee at A-ball (making the 40 man, not the AFL). Anyone know the lowest MiLB level where someone has been drafted in Rule 5? Obviously, we have a few that were at A+.

I'm guessing Jim Edmonds would say the last one.

Carlos Gomez is out today also. Rest or trade possibilities?

You snooze, you lose.

If you mean a national presence, absolutely no face of the franchise. But Luc flashing Braun in our "little pond" markets just show what brewer fans and the Brewers chose the face. De facto face, but still the face. I'd expect more outcry from Lucroy being traded Braun.

Wasn't Scott Linebrink's numbers poor before (and after) we got him? But there was some thought that he would rebound to norms. Edit: i just looked it up. He had a 3.8 era and 5.7 FIP when we got him.

My thought was Shemp with longer hair: http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/doblaje/images/e/ec/Los_tres_chiflados-1a32.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20150120221049&path-prefix=es

All I care about is one title too... I think most fans would be dancing in the street for one title.

Ok, I saw Corbin listed under the Brewers in the title and my head did a little explosion. I thought for sure there was a trade that I hadn't heard about.

Finally someone else who is on my train. While Lucroy is likable, he's not anywhere near the face of the franchise. Braun was and still is. Like it or not. I guess it depends on your definition. I see Lucroy being used in Milwaukee promotion commercials, not Braun. I see Lucroy in the "meet the Brewer" KwikTrip campaign, not Braun. Seems like he is interviewed more often for those team related questions more also. He is a likeable, good player that is hard working and the Brewers tend to use him more than any other player. Thus, he is the face of the franchise, IMO. As reillymcshane said, that can change often and his stay might not be very long, but the Brewers have been using him more than Braun based on the divisive reaction Braun gets.

Chicago gets around this by putting names on its freeways. Milwaukee's freeways have names too, but they've fallen into relative disuse over the past couple of decades. And unlike Chicago, the names never appeared on freeway signs. Maybe I'm a clueless driver, but I've never seen the names on the highways (used to work in Libertyville, IL 10+ years ago anyway). And as someone that drove through Chicago far too often for his liking, but not enough to figure out what name was what, hearing those names used always confused me far more than the number confusion in Milwaukee. Maps never had them. I suppose I did see them on signs, but not until you were on them, which doesn't help in giving directions. I'm glad for my GPS and the fact that I don't drive through Chicagoland very often anymore. Signed, Dan-Ryan ignorant-CWH

Also consider that some cultures pronounce the sounds a little different than we do. So sometimes those letters are placed there to make a "small" change and is "almost" silent. I'm not sure I'm 100% correct, but I've always pronounced it by making the "S" sound (teeth together) but putting my tongue up by my teeth to make a very light "T" sound (think "its" without the "i"). Phonetically sounding more like: tSOW What did the documentary say about the origins? It originated in NY, right? I have several Chinese friends who say there was no person named General Tso in China, nor does that food exist there. But I like it!

patrickgpe, depending on what "older" means, I probably blow away your theory. I'm 40 and from the little bit I see in the picture, I like the black better. I'm not a fan of the cream. As an accent, it would be ok, but its too much now. The purple grew on me and the cream might also. Both are way better than the red (ugh!). As far as logos go, I prefer the "muscle buck" http://content.sportslogos.net/logos/6/225/full/800.gif Better than the "Mad Buck" http://blog.bluelefant.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Milwaukee-Bucks-new-logos.png

And Parra beaned in the knee but walking. And staying in the game