HiAndTight

Actually, I don't recall how much they were struggling when traded for George Hill. The entire point of trading for him was to save cap space so they could sign their key players. He's a nice player, but it'd be foolish to sign him. They were playing just fine. They had beaten GSW, lost a close game to Boston, beat a few other playoff teams. They were off to a pretty good start. They hadn't hit their stride yet, but I hardly think you can attribute them doing so to the acquisition of George Hill. I'd like to see George Hill back on the Bucks, but given how far over the luxury tax the Bucks COULD be, bringing Hill back at 18 million next year could cost them 36 million. With the progressive tax, it's just not even close to being worth it. When you're a contender, you can add guys like Hill other ways. There will be buyout options, or other ways to acquire a guy like Hill who I doubt is going to make a third of what's he's making on the open market.

I'm hoping they give Giannis 3-4 games off and then play him 20-25 minutes the last couple games. I lost track of how many they have left exactly, but let that ankle heal. I'm sure everyone here knows what happens when you sprain an ankle. You start turning it constantly. Lets see if we can get that thing healed up before the playoffs.

Here's a crazy, implausible hypothetical. Would you rather sign Craig Kimbrel this year to a 2 year 42 million dollar deal or would you rather go with what we have, try to piece together a BP this year and then spend 180 over 6 years to sign Gerritt Cole next year as a FA? You potentially forgo adding that difference-making arm to the pen this year when we know we can contend, and instead go all in on a legitimate ace who'll be 28 years old next year. I give Kimbrel about a 10 pct chance to happen and the later about a 2 pct chance...namely because I hate making absolute statements, but throwing out a hypothetical to show what signing him could potentially cost us.

There will be multiple teams trading relievers and plenty of time to make trades. I think Smith will be very good this year, but I wouldn't trade Ray for a rental unless he struggles a bit. I personally don't even view Smith as the most valuable asset in the initial trade. I view the 26 year old future closer as being more valuable than the older lefty with one year left. I don't really see why the Giants would want to trade a guy with 5 years of team control remaining. And if they did, it'd take a lot. Although with his relief appearance today against the Brewers, Alex Reyes lost his prospect status, which made Corey Ray a top 100 prospect again (at least with MLB Pipeline). [sarcasm]Should be able to fetch about twice as much in a trade now thanks to that[/sarcasm] Because he's a reliever and that's usually the last part of the team you build. You start with your core, starting pitching, position players, then when you think you're ready to contend, you start dealing for or adding relievers. If you're going to be rebuilding for the next 3-4 years, why not try to acquire an everyday CF'er who has 6 years of control? It's not like we're talking about a young MadBum, we're talking about a reliever who's already 26. He just doesn't have as much value to a team like the Giants as an elite athlete and top 10 pick like Ray who was a former top 50 prospect and who is coming off a big year in AA. I just think Corey Ray can bring you back more than a Will Smith type pitcher. He's likely going to be exceptional this year and would be a fantastic addition, but out of the guys you're willing to trade, Ray probably has the most value right now. We'll just have to see what happens. Again, Stearns isn't clueless. They're not just praying that some of these relievers are going to turn into something they're not, or they wouldn't have even been in discussions for Craig Kimbrel, a guy in any other circumstance the Brewers should never even consider signing for a year or two for more than the QO.

This game is reality setting in jesus, give this schtick a rest already I don't agree with his "get Kimbrel at any price," idea, or some of his takes on what the Brewers should be willing to spend, but tell me where he's wrong? Knebel goes down, Jeffress has shoulder issues....Burnes and Woodruff are no longer BP options and Soria leaves via free agency. Tell me, how is him lamenting the need solidify the backend of the BP and do so quickly a "schtick?" It's absolutely, 100 pct valid and IF this team ends up a game or 5 out of the playoffs, It will almost certainly be a result of the bullpen being garbage. Take a game like tonight. Last year we could very easily have won this. Bring in Knebel instead of Barnes, keep the lead at one, put pressure on the cards, get someone on base and try to push a couple runs across. Granted, that was moreso the end of last year, but that's how the games usually played out. Now, it's Matt Albers, a pitcher who was awful last year, and Josh Hader who pitched 2 innings on opening day so likely won't pitch again in the series. The need for at least one dominant BP arm and probably two is very real.

There was a question earlier in this thread as to why the Brewers didn't go after Goldschmidt. I said probably because they had a good 1st basemen and didn't want to dedicate the necessary resources to acquire him. And god KNOWS had we picked him up....we have to have heard suggestions about playing Aguilar at 3rd base. I can suffer a lot as a Brewers fan, but I don't know how many more of those ideas I can stomach! [sarcasm]That alone was enough to not trade for Goldschmidt.[/sarcasm] I can understand where you're coming from. I too, felt that having a cost-controlled solid 1st baseman was reason to dedicate our resources elsewhere. We just have to hope that Aguilar isn't going to regress significantly, or if he does that Thames will hopefully be a suitable option against RHP. I trust Aguilar. As long as he can maintain the same approach he's had most of his time in the big leagues, that easy swing without a lot of movement, not overswinging, shortening up with 2 strikes(which can still result in a HR) and not pressing like he said he did last year when he got close to 100 RBI's, I think he's going to be a .850-ish OPS type guy. But we'll see. If he really does struggle, we've got Thames as you said, Braun and you can always add OF help relatively cheap(or just start Gamel). We've got coverage everyone on this team except for the BP.

Overall through the first 2 games, not overly concerned about the hitting. Yelich is still Yelich, Cain is still Cain, Braun and Moose look solid. Plus Shaw, Aguilar, and Grandal will come around, and Arcia should. I think there's definitely legitimate concerns about the pitching staff this year as well a fair question of whether or not the DJ loss will negatively affect the staff. The DJ loss was pretty heartbreaking. I don't know how much he ACTUALLY had to do with some of these pitchers performing better than expectations, but it certainly happened with him as pitching coach often enough that you had to give him some credit. The team looks like the team we expected sans a few issues that need to be ironed out in the BP. I guess we can only hope Nelson and Jeffress come back and perform as they're capable...and maybe we have to stomach putting a young, talented pitcher back into the pen and pushing back his place in the rotation another year for the betterment of the team. I don't like the idea of Burnes, in particular, going back to the BP....but we'll have to figure something out. So far neither CC nor Stearns has given you any reason to doubt they'll do so. I am a bit concerned about Grandal's defense thus far. As I said when we signed him, in back to back years the Dodgers opted against going with him in the playoffs and instead went with Austen Barnes. I still think he'll hit, but I'm not buying his defense at this point. Luckily, we didn't trade Pina just to trade him and have a pretty dang good backup at catcher.

There was a question earlier in this thread as to why the Brewers didn't go after Goldschmidt. I said probably because they had a good 1st basemen and didn't want to dedicate the necessary resources to acquire him. And god KNOWS had we picked him up....we have to have heard suggestions about playing Aguilar at 3rd base. I can suffer a lot as a Brewers fan, but I don't know how many more of those ideas I can stomach! [sarcasm]That alone was enough to not trade for Goldschmidt.[/sarcasm]

Of course he was the "one good pitcher" between Hicks, Reyes and Miller. Oh, and the reigning NL MVP was the guy who he gave up the HR to in the blowout. The other two didn't look like the sub-par pitchers that some on here suggested they were. In fact they look like what we had last year at the back of the BP. I can't imagine how excited Brewers fans would be with a healthy Reyes and a 22-year-old Hicks in his second year. I dislike the Cards as much as the next guy, but I don't seem to recall people writing off an older Hader who'd worked his way up all the way through the system because he "walked everyone he faces" when he had control issues at 24 years old. But Hicks at 21 with control issues isn't good. And as for the "Chicken Littles," that cute, but I think anyone who is an actual fan of Brewers baseball should be concerned that the strength of our team last year looks like a gaping hole at the moment. It's not like last year when Knebel went through a tough spell, or when Hader gave up a few runs, but you knew the pitchers were talented. As currently constructed, we have good to great depth everywhere BUT the back of the pen. I trust Stearns to address this, but as tough as this division is and as good as this team is, we can probably get through a slow start, but we're going to have to try to mitigate the damage until hopefully, JJ comes back and we can add someone, either from within who performs far better than expected(like Burnes and Peralta did last year) or we can sign/trade for someone. I feel like anyone not genuinely concerned about our BP right now or pretending not to be are just being contrarians.

I thought that was off the elbow. I was FF'ing at the time. Good thing we signed another left-handed 3rd baseman if that's the case.

So you don't expect Aguilar to be as good as arguably the best 1st basemen in baseball? Has ANYONE indicated they believed otherwise? That'd be akin to saying, "I don't know what we can expect from Harrison Bader this year, but he's not Christian Yelich," if you're a Cards fan.

Ok, this is like a chicken and egg type scenario though. Has CC had a short hook because we've lacked good starters capable of going deep or because he's had such a good pen that he could afford to use different guys without over-using guys? Which for the record I don't believe he did last year. Also, you seem really confident that Jeffress is going to be back to being a viable high leverage reliever. All we know right now is he's got an issue with his shoulder which is obviously troublesome and his last time out he was topping out about 13 MPH less than normal. I wouldn;'t count on JJ until I see him back out there throwing and being productive. And if he's healthy, perhaps the rest and not really ramping up until May will hopefully benefit him and make him fresher later in the year.

He's a guy I dislike so much, I don't even know if I'd want him on my team. I appreciate how good he is, but he's so righteous and so obnoxious...it'd be a hard call. And I can tolerate most guys if they perform well for my team baring them being serial wife beaters or something along those lines.

Like who? Our bullpen looks pretty bad. Well, I'd rather see Houser up for one, but I think the Brewers were hoping that at some his performance would match his stuff. Doesn't look like that's gonna happen. This team can't wait until the deadline or a couple of months to address the BP. Not saying go back to Kimbrel and get stupid, but they have to make a move. They're too good to let the pen be their downfall.

Isn't that a pre-requisite for being associated with the Cardinals? Only the Cards know how to play the game the right way.

Ok, but neither guy was a 21 year old rookie with a 101 average fastball who jumped from A ball to the Big leagues last year. And his WAR was higher than both Barnes and Jennings according to fangraphs. But last year really isn't the point. Again, 21, 101 MPH AVERAGE fastball, jumped from A ball to the big leagues and you're pointing out that his control wasn't perfect next year. I'd say that's probably normal for most guys who make that jump and then pitch in high leverage situations. Which Brewers relievers do you trust moving forwards than Hicks, Reyes and Miller. You've got Hader and then...Hader?

That isn't a fact. You're right. They only control him for 4 more years. My mistake.

Well, he's obviously not on the same level as one of the games best players, I'm just saying you have to pick and choose where you're going to invest your resources. They likely didn't look at 1B as a position that they needed to upgrade.

You named one good pitcher in here and he wasn't even good last season. It's funny what we can talk ourselves into if we really want to. If we had a 22 year old with Hicks stuff, a 24 year old with Reyes stuff and then basically an older Hader type pitcher, I think we'd feel pretty good. But on the Cards there not good pitchers. Very few 21 year old pitchers who throw over 100 are completely polished..and Hicks wasn't last year. That trio is still a pretty intimidating trio.

No kidding. Have to think they just didn't want to invest something like 5/130 in him and didn't want to give up much for a 1 year rental. Especially when they've got a pretty good young 1st basemen whom they control for the next 5 years.

How on EARTH are we making this declaration right now? I don't agree that he moves better than Shaw...but you're talking about poor defense at 2nd either way.

I'd normally wait longer before making such a declaration, but at his age, that move was one I found baffling. It seemed like they brought him back just because he fit in with the team so well(personality wise) and they liked having him here last year. ESPECIALLY now in retrospect, I wish they'd gone after a guy like Ottavino, but I was never a fan of this signing. I still expect him to get better and put up good numbers there...but I'm also of the belief that Hiura will be ready soon than later. Williams showing something getting out of that little jam that he created.

There will be multiple teams trading relievers and plenty of time to make trades. I think Smith will be very good this year, but I wouldn't trade Ray for a rental unless he struggles a bit. I personally don't even view Smith as the most valuable asset in the initial trade. I view the 26 year old future closer as being more valuable than the older lefty with one year left.

No, this is crazy. You only trade Ray if you're getting back the young guy. Trading Ray for a reliever with one year of team control is...insane to me. And if that's all it took, Ray would be gone already. We've played 2 games after tonight. It's not the deadline, we're not THIS desperate. Youdon't give up Ray, Stokes and two young prospects for a young relatively unproven reliever and a one year rental. If Stearns was this reactionary, we'd likely have Kimbrel on board.

You know something we don't about Jeffress? Because all indicates are that he'll be back in two-three weeks. How much do you need to know? First of all, even if he is back, we've still got a hole unless Albers can pitch like he did two years ago. Second, does anyone in their right mind truly expect he'll be as good+as lucky as he was last year? This isn't quite Knebel, but I'm not just trusting that a guy with a shoulder issue who was just throwing 84 is going to be back in 2-3 weeks. But again, even if he is...you have to believe he's going to perform like he did last year, that shoulder won't become an issue again, and then you're still dealing with the giant hole Knebel is leaving.