TheCrew

They are a combined 7-2 against the Reds/Cards this year. They have to feel pretty confident going into all of those games (which accounts for half of what you listed). I just hope the Brewers can keep up the dominance against them. Keep in mind they've had some key injuries with Alvarez and Tabata - If no one pulls away in the central, I could see them trying to make a big splash and going for it. Their starting staff is due for regression, I just can't see Karstens keeping an ERA under 3 for example - but I still think it's too soon to just write them off.

Don't sleep on the Pirates, I know the Brewers have owned them recently - but that team has some talent. I agree the Cards have been getting by on smoke and mirrors though, I also think they rushed Pujols back and he won't be the same for a while yet. Here is the thing I really like though: - Only have to deal with Cincy one more time and it's on the road. - Pirates/Cards: 6 series combined, 4 of which are at home. The schedule was tough pre-break, but I like how it sets up division wise post-break. Especially when you consider the Brewers dominance at home.

Take on the full salary and use that in place of a premium prospect in talks for Reyes. One trade to bring back Reyes and K-Rod - Half a season of Reyes and K-rod would cost roughly 11 million alone, and with the K-rod buyout it would be $14.5 million. Pretty attractive for a team in financial trouble, but it would also take a glut of prospects along with all that money. Doubt there is any chance it would happen, but this lineup would be crazy: Reyes Weeks Braun Fielder Hart McGehee Lucroy Morgan 1-4 would be a pitchers nightmare and if Hart and McGehee could find a semblance of their past selves - you'd have to think that team would right up there with the Phillies as the favorites in the NL.

Like I said, they wouldn't have done that to prince or braun. He was an all star previously and his play wasn't that poor, he still had a WAR of 1.4 that season.

I use to share the same perspective, good writeup here: http://www.fangraphs.com/.../hardy-and-service-time/

Yeah, the refusal to move him down is mind boggling at this point.

I'd be all for Green at this point - but what are the plans for Gamel if Prince does reup?

I floated the idea in another thread: if Gamel rakes, do you keep him up to play 3b? McGehee has been worse than Betancourt this season and hits in a more critical spot in the lineup. It would be far easier to fill 1B through FA next season (or shift Hart to 1B and sign a corner OF) and put Gamel back where he spent the previous 6 season in the minors.

Really? Did he not play 3b for the previous 6 years in the minors? In the unlikely event that the Brewers resign prince, he probably gets shifted right back over to 3b to start there next season anyhow. Bottom line is he has a lot of experience at 3b and our current 3b is being outproduced by Betancourt - who everyone wants to replace - I know some people want to give McGehee more time, but it sure is starting to look like last season and the half season before that are the outliers of his career and not numbers we should expect. So if Gamel rakes, .400 with a few bombs for example and looks polished at the plate, do you keep him up (even though it's a small sample) and play him at 3b? Or do you send him back down and have him continue to work on his D at 1B and leave him there for next season?

So if Gamel rakes, do you keep him up to play 3b with McGehee struggling?

I just don't understand the reluctance to drop him in the order.......

Honestly, it would probably take more than a 3 year contract - Melvin essentially owes him a year of pay, they would have to overpay. JJ was pretty darn quiet through that whole process, but comments made by he and his agent made it clear they weren't happy with Melvin and co.

No one said Melvin held a grudge - this would be about him admitting he made a mistake in dealing Hardy in the first place. In reality, this is more about how Hardy feels about Mil - Would you have any desire to go help out a previous employer that literally cost you millions of dollars? I'll admit, I didn't think it was bad when it happened - but looking back at it, and looking at some other things (babip for example)............ and that was a straight up screw job. It's also 2011 - players can dictate where they are getting traded to. If Hardy is adamant that he doesn't want to come to Milwaukee, odds are he won't be coming here with or without a NTC. Here are the obstacles of a Hardy trade: - Baltimore isn't shopping him, they are trying to extend him. - Milwaukee lacks prospects - If he is put on the block, a number of teams would be interested and Milwaukee can't afford to get into a bidding war. - Melvin would have some egg on his face if he made the move - Hardy doesn't have a NTC, but that doesn't mean he has zero pull. If he holds a grudge against Milwaukee, which I wouldn't blame him for, it's just another obstacle. Don't get me wrong, if it were possible - I'd love it, but I just don't think people are being realistic about the fallout of Melvin sending Hardy down to AAA. The better fit is a retread or flamed out prospect or to eat a contract imo - Milwaukee's greatest asset is that they can eat money to make up for lack of a prospect. Furcal is the perfect fit because of this, especially when you take into consideration the Dodgers financial problems.

Yankees often add pieces they don't really need. It would not be far fetched to see them trade for Hardy to spell Jeter a few times per week and I could even see them toying with having Hardy spell A-Rod at 3rd every now and then. Seattle would be a prime landing spot for Hardy - especially given the Jack Z connection, don't know why you'd discount them so easily since they are also in need of offense and their current SS is Brendan Ryan. Rays are also in desperate need for help at SS. Oakland could be a player as well......... I could see Washington showing interest, heck the Pirates could possibly be players with how they've been playing. Plus all the teams you mentioned. I think your vastly underestimating the demand Hardy would bring on the open market if he proves he is healthy and continues to swing a hot bat. Heck even a bad team could trade for him and work out an extension if they see him as a long term solution - in fact, the rumor right now is that Baltimore is trying to do just that rather than trade him. There are so many obstacles with a possible Brewers/Hardy trade that it just seems like a pipe dream and has about .0001% chance of happening - I'm not trying to be a jerk, but I just don't think people are being realistic about the obstacles of that trade.

Yeah, I saw the same thing about 2b for Furcal - if anything, they are only doing it to get gordon and furcal on the field at the same time but if furcal shows he is healthy, he'll be traded to the team willing to eat the most money right away. The more Mark A will eat, the less we'll have to give up for a prospect. Love the lineup as well, and if Furcal can play up to his talent level and stay healthy........... could be extremely dangerous. Although I've soured on McGehee - he at least needs to get dropped in the lineup, halfway through the season and the #5 hitter protecting Prince has 4 HR's, teams will start to exploit that - but that's for another topic.

Villy has gotten pretty lucky this year - .241 BABIP is pretty darn low. As Funketown pointed out as well, he always got mauled 3rd time through the lineup. IMO he is best suited as a long reliever - wish the Brewers would have hung onto him, but the emergence of Estrada in the long relief/emergency starter role has worked just fine for the crew this year.

They should be able to get him for basically nothing as long as they are willing to eat a portion of his contract - I'm starting to think this is Melvin's target and he is just waiting to see how Furcal does on rehab (which starts today I think).

There are a number of teams in the AL that could use an upgrade at SS too that could take a run at Hardy - not to mention, all the latest rumors have the O's trying to extend Hardy rather than trade him.

Bautista hit the go ahead HR in that game in the 9th....... he's also a much more dangerous hitter than Lind, can't fault him for the IBB at all.

Hardy doesn't need to come back to Milwaukee to show Melvin anything - he can do that on any other team. Your also completely forgetting that Melvin cost Hardy a year of service time and some serious cash - I highly doubt Hardy has forgotten that Melvin sent him down to the minors for x amount of days and delayed his FA by a year, yes Hardy was struggling but Melvin would not have done the same thing to Braun or Prince. The trade is one thing, that is another. I really think we'd have a better chance of landing Reyes than Hardy.

If Hardy tells his agent/Orioles that he doesn't want to come to Milwaukee, in 2011, he probably won't get traded to Milwaukee unless the offer from Milwaukee is significantly better than anybody else. Hardy doesn't have the final say, but his opinion definitely factors in and even more so if he feels strongly about it. Plus this also doesn't even take into consideration what you just brought up - It's another obstacle with Melvin having to swallow his pride on that one and admit the huge gaffe he made. Honestly, I think Reyes is more of a realistic option than Hardy and that's why I think Melvin just needs to start throwing what he can against the wall and seeing if anything sticks, but he will probably ride Betancourt out as long as he can to see if he somehow turns it around at the plate.

I just don't see this as a realistic option. Hardy is probably telling his agent that if you let Baltimore trade me to Mil., I'll fire you. Melvin essentially cost Hardy a lot of money and it's now clear that it wasn't a good move. On top of that, Hardy is hot now - history suggests a month long cold streak is around the corner, but all that said, if it were possible - I'd welcome him with open arms.

Not to mention, where is Furcal at mentally? I remember reading that he was seriously considering retiring because he has been so discouraged with the constant injuries over the past 3-4 seasons. I really see 2 options - go all in and get Reyes. To do that, Mark A would probably have to take on at least 1 bad contract to make up for the lack of an elite prospect. Mets need serious financial relief right now. The other option would be the scrap heap - give some unknown, has been or busted prospect a shot. I held out hope for Betancourt earlier this season, but it's time.

I'd take any Greinke quote with a grain of salt - I could easily see him yanking a reporters/teammates chain on something like that. It's an isolated quote from 2 years ago....... now if Greinke made references to it multiple times, or something like that I'd be more of a believer.

This is why I floated the idea of taking a Beltran - giving the Mets a bunch of salary relief, (Beltran or K-Rod - although they've each performed well enough that they may have value now) when they desperately want it, could make up for a lack of a premium prospect. It depends on how deep Mark A's pockets are though.