Brewer Fever

One example (Baltimore) doesn't prove anything. You want better results with runners in scoring position? Fill your lineup with disciplined hitters. Something that was severely lacking with the Brewers the last 3 years. My goodness, sometimes you guys make this way too hard. Our offense stunk because it had too many all or nothing hitters.

A good lineup will have a higher OPS with RISP because the pitcher is in the compromised position. Simply put, if the pitcher can't find the strike zone, a disciplined hitter will wait for his pitch or take the walk the pitcher is giving him. Taking the walk just compromises the pitcher more. Eventually he'll have to throw in the zone. Lineups full of undisciplined hitters will let a pitcher off the hook in these situations by swinging at bad pitches. As the lineup fills out with more ABs from disciplined hitters (Cain, Yelich) and less ABs from the free swingers (Broxton, Perez, Thames), teams will be forced to come in the zone more often which will result in better hitting with RISP. Strikeouts matter. Opposing teams were fully aware that you didn't have to give in versus many of these guys. Even with runners on, we had too many guys who would get themselves out.

That was a good listen, thanks for sharing

Looks like everyone let you off easy for this one so I'll refrain as well. Cain is far more valuable than you realize and I'll leave it at that.

Last time I checked, players don't have to be acquired by March 7th 2018 to be playoff eligible in 2019 or 2020. Just going off the playoff window you just declared with the Cain signing.

It's clear the Brewers are willing to spend significant assets, perhaps even overpay, if they believe the player they are acquiring is going to make a significant impact. They spent major capital acquiring Yelich and Cain. The fact they have set a price they're unwilling to exceed on the remaining free agent pitchers makes it clear as day that they have doubts about just how much impact these guys would make. That's very easy to grasp since these players' warts are well known to all.

Depends entirely on the cost. If the cost is severely inflated versus the gain in production over alternatives, then the answer is NO. You also have to consider any money spent on a Cobb, Arrieta, or Lynn is money they don't have to spend elsewhere. If these guys are still asking for money not worth their expected impact, then you're better off practicing a little patience and spending assets more wisely later. This really isn't that difficult conceptually. It's merely a matter of self-restraint.

I appreciate the tidbits HH19 dropped earlier this offseason. The worst thing that happened though was saying the Brewers have decided to "go for it" in 2018. It has destroyed the ability to maintain a long-term view for many here. I suspect HH19 mischaracterized what Stearns and Co. actually decided. It's clear they merely shifted focus into acquiring long-term major league pieces as opposed to focusing solely on stocking the minor league system. That doesn't necessarily mean "win now". It means acquire major league pieces as opportunities present themselves and the winning will come soon enough. Leave no holes in 2018 could very well have happened (and still might) but not every opportunity to address weaknesses at an acceptable cost came to fruition. Stay the course, and eventually the right opportunities will be seized. Win now (2011) is how 2012-2016 happened.

That's wildly myopic. You acquire key assets when they are available. This is not a 1 year window. They may add a SP before opening day. They may add one at the deadline. They may add one next year. Regardless of when a SP is added, it has no bearing on whether or not the Cain and Yelich additions improved this team.

Yeah and some fans also understand that you don't wildly squander assets to fix a temporary problem. Just because we have 4 starting caliber OFs, doesn't mean we should sell one at a huge discount. If the opportunity to move an excess piece to fill a position of weakness isn't currently available, you forge on and keep looking. Forcing yourself to take what you can get or putting deadlines on making moves is a surefire way to squander assets. This whole oft-repeated mentality of "do something, fix this now" is tiresome and irresponsible.

Some of you are really coming off as "if Stearns doesn't do things the way I want, then there's no chance the Brewers will compete this year". You'll just never be taken seriously as a poster conveying your message like that. One thing to consider. Aside from elite, game changing players, of which there are few, sports are played by collections of athletes who produce results with very little discernible difference from one another from year to year. Player A may have an outlier year for him that leads to a couple more wins than player B provides. And then the next year, the two switch places in terms of impact. Unless you're acquiring an elite, game changing player, there's no need to forego patience and throw wild sums of money on players whose impact won't be much more than you might get from a street free agent or a young player at a fraction the cost. Stearns acquired two OFs this offseason who make a measurable impact in multiple facets of the game. He has obviously made attempts to add difference making pitchers but the price was too high. You don't then just desperately go after B-level guys at inflated prices just to fill a hole. That's a surefire way to close windows of opportunity at a later time when a difference maker is acquirable. When it comes to any player who isn't a blue-chipper, sometimes the biggest difference making factor is your coaching staff and scouting. Taking a low cost castoff and making tweeks as opposed to overpaying a second level guy who won't make much difference. Stearns has alluded to this when talking about not just making a move for the sake of making one. If you're going to spend, it better be for a needle-mover, a difference maker. With those 2nd tier guys, you very well could see a reclamation project on a 1-year deal outproduce a guy who signs a 4 year deal at $15 mil per. I see constant doubts raised here about the big names (Arrieta, Cobb, Lynn). Arrieta is losing velocity. Cobb isn't the same since he lost his changeup. Lynn is leaving the St. Louis program, etc. Yet despite those warts, everyone is up in arms that one hasn't been signed. You have to determine a price when delving into free agency, especially for players who are dependent on some reversal from recent decline or struggles. And if the player is asking for more than the price you've set, you save the money or assets for someone who who comes available later. Bottom line, you have to be capable of patience or over time you will squander too many assets, payroll, or both. In a small market, fans should never be screaming "just get it done" because our GM sure can't operate that way.

I'll always be skeptical of pitchers leaving Yadier Molina. I admit looking at no statistics, so I'll readily admit if my perception is wrong. But, is there a single SP whose numbers improved after divorcing that battery?

Holy smokes man. You're all over this forum drawing conclusions from a couple days of spring training. Relax

Cobb had a 2.4 WAR last year ranking him 67th in MLB among all pitchers. His two years prior to TJ he put up a 3.9 WAR in consecutive years. 2017 was his first full comeback year so there's every reason to believe he'll be even stronger in 2018. A 3.0 WAR is not at all a stretch given he's getting out of the AL East and and he's 1 more year removed from TJ. And a 3.0 WAR would make him a top 40 pitcher. That's a solid #2 starter.

I'd go Cobb. Similar numbers as Arrieta last year but in the AL East and without the signs of decline.

Who's HH ? So much awesome in this saga.

I held off as long as I could opening this but I was craving Brewers news. I immediately regret this decision.

Archer is the most valuable option out of all those guys and it's not even close. That's accounting for contract and expected performance during his potential term with the Brewers. If Stearns can find a cost he's comfortable with to acquire him, I can't wait to get Archer on the mound for Milwaukee to show you all what we have. I too am cringing at the potential cost in terms of prospects it may cost to get him. But I think some of you guys are letting the cost to acquire him bleed into your expectations of performance. He'll be a clear ACE here in terms of stuff and results. Getting out of the AL East and into the NL will be a huge plus. K-Rod feel, lol

Revisiting this to emphasize that there was no reason to write the book on this offseason back in December. And also because apprently a few quiet days around here means they're done and everything else Stearns was working on fell through or this was all he had planned. Relax. The moves last week and the signing yesterday only make sense if there's more to come. Nothing about Stearns suggests he's a half measures, flying blind kind of guy. Heck, both the the owner and GM came right out and said they moved up the "go for it" timeline 2 years from 2020 to 2018. Does a massive roster imbalance with way too many OF/IF, and C's and not enough pitchers yell going for it to you? Shut your paranoid minds off and wait for the next shoe to drop.

I chalk the Heyman report up to word getting out on one of the many different trade avenues Stearns explored in the past few months. The bold moves yesterday don't jive well with going after a 1 year rental of a #3 or #4 starter. I imagine Corbin was a potential move resting on a side burner somewhere. Say for instance Chacin didn't sign. Or maybe in the event Woodruff goes in a package for an upper rotation starter. Which I guess could still happen. Maybe Santana, Wooddruff, + for a #1 starter and then they swing another deal to add Corbin?

Gee I hope not. Don't mess with success. Throw him in the lineup with the same swing and approach and naturally let a few more of those balls he hits wind up over the fence.

True, but I'm going to go ahead and place my faith in HH19 at this point. He made no bones about it being an AL team. The guy is batting a thousand

AL team ETA: no reason to doubt HH19 at this point or ever for that matter

Perhaps now the Brewers are in talks with multiple AL teams looking for their final and best offers.

I'm hoping for better than Salazar as well. If he is acquired I guess I'll be hoping for the moving from AL to NL effect. Even better would be Archer and the AL to NL effect.