Warning Track Power

Wow...what an amazingly light haul for Kennedy. Certainly the Brewers could have put something together that would have topped this. Kennedy was a great buy low candidate that wouldn't have cost much in prospects or in $.

Disappointed is the right word... Apparently Attanasio and Melvin believe that a 2014 rotation of Yo, Lohse, Peralta, Thornburg, Hand/Hellweg/whoever, combined with an off suspension and healthy Braun, healthy Ramirez and, likely, Hart, will put the Brewers back in contention. I don't see it. It pains me to say it, but I really wish we were doing what the Cubs have been doing with the deals they have made the past year. Dealing Maholm, Garza, Marshall, Feldman, etc... are moves the Brewers should have been doing for the past month or so with Axford, Aoki, Henderson, Lohse, etc...

According to MLB Trade Rumors the Indians are working hard to get a starter... Lohse for Bauer. Do it.

Dodgers bullpen would've been electric if this were 2010 with Marmol, Wilson, League and Jansen.

My gosh...I know it is one game but the Brewers really should look into dealing Aoki and just going with the Gomez in CF with Gindl, Kh. Davis & Schafer rotating among the other 2 OF positions. I know AOki is cheap for 2014 but he should bring back a valuable piece, especially if he were to be packaged with say Henderson. Would love a Aoki/Henderson for Middlebrooks deal.

I have really gotten to appreciate Jeff Bianchi as well. He plays good defense, has a doubles bat and seems like the perfect fit for the Brewers as a super utility guy for 3B, SS & 2B. I don't quite see the Mark Loretta comparison as a hitter as I doubt Bianchi will ever be much more than a .250 hitter and Loretta was a pure hitter. I just wish Bianchi could walk a little more. A 25:3 K/BB ratio is pretty darn ugly.

Why am I having to pay Axford's salary? Kennedy $4.27 vs Axford $5.0. Like I said in my previous post, I am only doing it if its a change of scenery type deal that didn't cost much.

Moving Lohse should be a priority as he will likely never be worth more than what he is now and the Brewers could cut the salary. I would ask teams to give me their best offer and if the best the Red Sox can do is Lohse for Middlebrooks then I do that. A potential 3B of the future for a highly paid pitcher on a last place team seems like a good bet for the Brewers.

I would entertain picking him up if it didn't cost much. This would be a good opportunity to trade a piece like Axford for him if AZ is looking for bullpen help. Salary is close to a wash and both teams would be dealing from a position of strength for a position of weakness. I like this.

I think this is an important paragraph. I think we all understood the mediocrity of the 2003-2007 seasons were about building to a point where our organization could compete and fans would tolerate this mediocrity because we knew that Weeks, Fielder, Braun, Hardy and Hart were all on their way. Well we're once again at that point of mediocrity and due to mismanagement we have little to no hope on the way as none of our prospects are profiling to be anything other than average MLBers. We need to be building towards something and not be comfortable with mediocrity. So like TheCrew said, if that means we have to move Gomez in a deal then so be it. If the Red Sox were to say we will trade you Webster, Barnes and Ranaudo for Gomez and Lohse, you would have to say yes. We would re-build the rotation immediately for 2014-2020. Losing Gomez hurts and isn't what I want, but are we going to the playoffs with him and the cast of prospects we have now? I doubt it. With a 2015 rotation of possibly Peralta, Webster, Barnes, Ranaudo, Nelson, Jungmann with Schafer in CF, could the Brewers be in the playoffs? Yes. If nothing more, TheCrew you have converted me to your idea of team building.

@TLB: I definitely get what you are saying about trade valuation. I guess my question is more about what it appears Gallo is profiling as right now. Those numbers in 2013 seem Carlos Pena or Branyan-esque. 3TO. For a team that is admittedly desperate to make a move for an OF bat and apparently have been turned down multiple times in attempts to get Giancarlo (I assume Profar was included in those proposals), would a solid, but replaceable bat like Aoki get the deal done considering the Rangers are playing for the World Series in 2013 and likely in 2014. While I wouldn't do the trade from Texas' end given Aoki is 31, I always have to remind myself that I have a small market mentality when it comes to deals like this. Gallo would be a lot more easily replaced by a large market team like Texas than by a small market team like Milwaukee.

#50 (Webster), #57 (Owens), #59 (Barnes) & #88 (Ranaudo) I have been saying all along that any package of Brewers players on the big league roster for 2 of them should be the focus for Melvin. Look at the Top 100 list and you find Cardinals, Pirates and Cubs littered in the list and we have 1 at #96 nonetheless and we're miles behind in the MLB standings as well. The Brewers aren't going to the playoffs in 2013 or 2014 with Ramirez, Lohse, Aoki, Axford, Henderson and Gallardo. The time to sell is now and there is an opportunity there to make a move that will enhance the Brewers with higher end prospects. If Attanasio and Melvin are holding out hope that a healthy Ramirez and Hart, combined with a returning Ryan Braun will make us World Series competitors in 2014, I will be severely disappointed. Putting a deal together which would land us a Barnes and Ranaudo would make our future rotation (assuming all work out) Peralta, Nelson, Barnes, Ranaudo, Jungmann combined with Braun, Segura, Gomez and Lucroy...man I just can't understand not making a significant effort to get younger and get prospects. Offer Lohse, Aoki, Henderson & Ramirez if you have to. Offer to pay some of the salaries. See if you can get a 3B of the future in Middlebrooks if you can. I understand that we know nothing about whether or not the Red Sox or Brewers have discussed anything but the lack of any rumors stinks given we can immediately fill RF (Aoki), SP (Lohse), RP (Henderson) & 3B by mid-August (Ramirez) for a team that could win the World Series in 2013.

A question for those guys who are in the know about Minor League prospect valuation: Does anyone think we could get Joey Gallo from Texas for Aoki?

Ditto...Seems like Yo, Lohse, Aoki and Ax are staying. 2013 is certainly becoming one of the worst all around seasons in Brewer history.

Based on what I have read about Delmonico since the deal, my best case scenario expectations for him are a 3B version of Lyle Overbay. A .280-.300 hitter, .350-.370 OBP with 15-20 HR and 35-50 2B potential. I will be absolutely thrilled with that production out of a 3B.

If I am Melvin, I am dealing Lohse for the best offer. We have discussed time and time again on many different topics that the Brewers are not likely to be in contention as currently constructed given that our talent level on both the MLB and MiLB levels are less than that of the Reds, Cardinals, Pirates and arguably the Cubs. Given that reality, it would seem smartest to trade whatever pieces we can now so that when our window opens again hopefully in 2015, 2016, we have pieces that will contribute at that time. Lohse to me is a luxury we can't afford unless somehow the following occur in 2014: 1. Yo reverts to the 3.5 ERA pitcher he was. 2. Braun returns and is Braun 3. Segura and Gomez keep their 2013 pace 4. Peralta continues his ascension to a #3 or better pitcher 5. 2014 Ramirez = 2012 Ramirez 6. 2014 Weeks = 2011 Weeks pre-injury Of those, I think only 2-4 are realistic, 1 is possible if not probable and 5 & 6 are not going to happen. In order for the Brewers to compete in 2014, they need all 6. I am on board with a Lohse deal and am hopeful either the Dodgers come knocking with a Pederson & Magill offer for a Lohse + deal or the Red Sox offer Middlebrooks & a SP prospect for Lohse +.

Love Molitor. Was my favorite Brewer as well. Just love looking at the players of 80s and see how skinny Molitor, Yount, etc... were compared to today's players.

I posted this on the Braun page on Tuesday and am re-posting it because I completely agree with you Dhonks: This right here is worth your time. From a Dodger blog: http://www.mikesciosciastragicillness.com/2013/07/23/nothings-ever-as-simple-as-it-seems-when-it-comes-to-ped-suspensions/ Bottom line...Braun did something that is against the rules and continually lied about it. He should be suspended and accept the punishment for doing so. However, the media crushing Braun is absolutely embarrassing. The ingestion of PEDs or whatever he did is not even close to the same level of what actual criminals in baseball do and no punishment is ever levied by MLB. Within the past 12 months alone, MLB looked away as current Brewer K-Rod has a domestic violence charge and current Brewer Yovani Gallardo has a DUI. Where was this outrage? Where was the demands for lifetime suspensions for potentially endangering the lives of numerous individuals? I'm not defending Ryan Braun, I am attacking the unfathomable self-righteousness of media members like Jeff Passan, Jon Morosi, etc... The coverage of this is disgusting.

I know I keep harping on it in every thread but whatever combination of Lohse, Aoki, Axford, Ramirez, Henderson and Gonzalez for Middlebrooks, Barnes and Ranaudo is what I am really hoping for. Having Middlebrooks in Boston is a luxury they really don't need with Iglesias, Boegaerts and Cecchini and it would fill a hole at the major league level for us. While not necessarily a David Wright, Middlebrooks and Segura could form a solid left side of the IF for the next 6-10 years. Throw in Lucroy and Gomez as well as Braun and you have a nice little offensive core moving forward.

Hmm...this is a little tougher now. I think if Detroit and Boston failed for K-Rod you have to think they would offer less for Axford and Henderson. If another RP is to be dealt to one of those I would have to imagine it would have to be part of a package...I'll go with my earlier deal only modified Axford + Aoki to Boston for Middlebrooks + SP prospect on July 28

Sounds like a great deal from what I can gather here from a quick read on the Internets machine.

I'll go: July 28 K-Rod + 1 of Aoki, Ramirez or Axford Red Sox Brewers get Will Middlebrooks + SP prospect

Agreed. However, I read a few tweets today (trying to go through my timeline to remember who it was) that stated that Weeks and Lucroy still wanted to know "the truth" and McCalvy tweeted that RR said "if the Union, MLB, legal ramifications allow, Braun should come forward with an explanation." Weeks and Lucroy don't sound like guys who were told anything of substance. I will say that RR's is a little more ambiguous.

Trying to be a ray of sunshine here on some dark days of Wisconsin sports. I have found some real pleasure in watching the Brewers the past couple of weeks given the influx of youngsters that we all wanted to see at the Major League level. Just looking at the positional players, due to the underperformance or injuries to the projected everyday lineup, the Brewers have been able to get the feet wet of the following in 2013: 1B Halton 2B Gennett UTIL Bianchi, Prince OF Schafer, Kh. Davis, Gindl While we may not have a starter on hand in any of those players, I like what I am beginning to see in terms of some possible bench production moving forward past 2013. On a healthy, non-suspension Brewer team, Schafer looks like a good 4th OF to Braun, Gomez and whoever ends up in RF if Aoki is dealt. Gindl/Halton look like a decent 5th OF/25th man on the roster. Bianchi/Prince have super utility all over them and could be decent backups at a number of positions. Gennett...I am not sold on as a starting 2B and isn't really a UTIL player so I am not real sure what we have there. Add a real power bat (Francisco maybe?) and the Brewers bench is relatively decent and pretty cheap. Are these guys world beaters? No. If they all start everyday, will the Brewers be in contention? Gosh no. However, with Braun, Segura, Lucroy, Gomez and hopefully some pieces for 1B, 3B, 2B & RF coming in deadline deals, the Brewers may have a decent and diverse bench to back up the starters.

Invader...No dig intended here but I am just curious how any Brewer fan can be a huge Braun fan given how he has handled this entire situation to date? Sure, he can remedy some of this by future actions as you mentioned. However, given that he has lied constantly since November 2011, thrown the franchise into turmoil by being a $20m/year PED user with a 65 game suspension and left his teammates, coaches and front office to answer questions while he runs off without apparently giving them a full explanation as to why he was suspended, I struggle to understand remaining a huge Braun fan today.