Warning Track Power

Wow...I knew we were due for a stinker of a series based on our amazing run over the last month but to lose 3 of 4, assuming this 9-5 lead holds, against this Cubs team is depressing.

Yeah I am pretty glad Kottaras is back...

ZG gives me no confidence until about the 3rd or 4th inning. He's been very Volquez-esque in the 1st few innings this season. Giving an early lead back has been his calling card so far.

The Cards blew a 6-1 lead last night so they could say the same thing but I feel the same way.

Nothing the Brewers can do will allow them to re-sign Prince, Greinke and Marcum. Re-signing Greinke should be priority #1 and that's where the next big contract should go.

Agreed. Much agreed. However, me personally, I don't like the idea of one year all in type seasons. With Braun/Weeks/Hart/Lucroy on O and Gallardo on the SP locked in long term, I would like to extend our window of opportunity to make the playoffs as long as possible. I think that if Wright were healthy, a Wright/Gamel or Wright/McGehee combo at the corners for the rest of 2011 would not guarantee we miss the playoffs and would make us very competitive at making the playoffs in 2012. Right now, I don't know what to feel about our chances in 2012 when Prince is gone and I would feel much better if we could replace his bat with a Wright-like bat.

Guys I have a confession....I am Doug Melvin.

If the Yankees were to trade for Fielder and offer him the 8year/$200MM extension he is expecting, I have to imagine Prince and Boras would listen, given that the rumors of the contract Prince will get are nowhere close to that. Having said that, no one saw Jayson Werth's deal either. I am not saying this is a trade that WILL happen, only that I can see the Brewers going after a David Wright type in the event they felt inclined to deal Prince this season. Maybe the 3rd team is the Angels and not the Yankees, but I can still see something like this being plausible even with the 2011 season Prince is having. By the way, having Wright at 3B would be awesome for this team in my opinion.

Here's a thought that will never happen but is fun to consider... I know Reyes is the likely target, but I for one would consider very strongly going after David Wright if I am Doug Melvin. Now I know it would be a hard pill to swallow dealing Prince, especially with Wright being hurt right now, but assuming Wright could come back healthy in July, he could be an impact bat to help replace Prince. He's signed through 2012, allowing for one more run next season even if Greinke/Marcum/Wright leave via FA after 2012. Additionally, he won't cost nearly as much as Prince allowing for the potential for us to acquire a stud offensive and Gold Glove caliber defender AND re-sign him. Here's the side benefits: *Extends the window by another year because we would receive an adequate bat to replace Prince in the lineup *We still would receive 2 draft picks if Wright were to leave *Greinke/Marcum may be more inclined to stay with a solid bat replacing Prince *Allows for McGehee to become expendable (hopefully he goes on a tear soon) and can be dealt for another piece. *He slots well into the #4 hole, allowing for the lineup to remain strong with a potential middle of the order going Weeks-Braun-Wright-Hart If I am Melvin, I know I don't have the prospects to pull off this deal so I would see about getting a 3rd team involved. So how about a deal like this: Brewers get: David Wright Yankees get: Prince Fielder Mets get: Jesus Montero, Manny Banuelos, Brett Gardner Yankees get a FA to be in Fielder, but will break the bank anyways after the season to put him in a DH/1B split with Texeiria for the forseeable future. Imagine the Yanks new 3-4-5-6 with Texeira, Prince, A-Rod, Cano. WOW! Mets get the Yankees' #1 & #4 prospects, as well as a replacement leadoff hitter for Reyes assuming he is dealt. Even if he stays, Reyes-Gardner would be amazing combo at #1-#2 in the lineup. Brewers, while they may take a small step back in 2011, would still be a very good bet to make the playoffs this season and would have Wright for one more season in 2012, thereby extending the window another season. Not sure I would do this if it were offered, but I would have to think long and hard. A 3-4 combo of Braun-Wright, while not Braun-Fielder, is not too shabby either.

I really like the idea of geographical realignment or the radical idea Sbrylski is proposing. The problem I see with my geographical realignment or Sbrylski's monetary realignment is that neither address the problem of having the best teams makes the playoffs. While the Rich East would undoubtedly put out a very good division winner every year, the Poor Central has the potential to put out a division winner in the low 80s in wins due to the economics of baseball. However, the health of the game though is ensuring all markets feel an opportunity at some time. How hard would it be to be a Toronto fan knowing that all of the farm development over 5 years can be outdone by Boston or New York in one offseason spending splurge like Boston's last season with Crawford and Gonzalez? To me, the geographical realignment or monetary realignment allows for comparable payrolls to compete with each other, while sacrificing some of the best teams. When devising realignment scenarios, it really becomes apparent how the issue of vastly different payrolls is the root of all MLB's problems.

As a follow up, without doing the research, off the top of my head it seems that a lot of the games where Lucroy does PH when Nieves starts, it includes Lucroy going out to catch for an inning or two. This completely negates the idea of a day off, even for an inning or two, especially at the physically demanding position of catcher. When was the last time the Brewers developed a catcher with the potential of Lucroy? We should be giving him these days off and only allow for him to PH when he isn't starting to simply preserve him. With Nieves as the backup, the Brewers often times aren't afforded that luxury. That is why having a competent backup is so important.

I think the major point of the thread is that Nieves complete lack of O is not offset by anything else he brings to the team. He's simply average on D and doesn't appear to be a leader or locker room presence either. So if these are Nieves' realities there is no good reason for him to be in Milwaukee when in Nashville you have 2 catchers in Kottaras (who is marginally worse on D and infinitely better on O) and Rivera (who is equal on D and definitely better on O) who are immediate, significant upgrades to Nieves.

I actually think that last night may be the breaking point for Nieves. I won't rehash all the arguments about his worth, but I will say that I watched a part of the game with my Dad last night and actually told him that I thought Nieves should bunt after YuBet's double in the 5th to move him over for Wolf. If that doesn't scream volumes about his worth I don't know what will. Roenicke/Melvin have to understand sooner rather than later that Nieves lack of offensive production is simply killing this team every 5th day and his presence on the team is unacceptable. .140 AVG in June and being the Bigs all year. I don't think I have ever seen that before. I really think it's time for Kottaras even if there is a supposed swoon in defense even though Nieves' defensive WAR is 0 in 2011.

I think we still have $30 towards your child being named Yuniesky chickinbrickin.Pretty sure Yuniesky Chickinbrickin is a better name than Darwin Barney. Can you imagine 7th grade for that guy?

I think the solution is simple if we can get past traditionalists who don't want to mix the leagues. I used to be one of them. However, if the DH and interleague play aren't going anywhere, the realities dictate that it doesn't matter if the leagues are mixed. Geographic realignment by far makes the most sense. To me it betters the game significantly by highlighting intracity rivalries like NYY-NYM, and enchances regional rivalries like Milwaukee-Minnesota, Cleveland-Cincinnati, Houston-Texas. Looking at it when you break it out into four divisions geographically, the logistics become so glaringly obvious its mindblowing how much better the league would be. For example, look how a geographic realignment would look: AL WEST AL NORTH NL SOUTH NL EAST Seattle Mariners Milwaukee Brewers TB Rays New York Yankees San Francisco Giants Chicago Cubs Atlanta Braves New York Mets Oakland Athletics Chicago White Sox Miami Marlins Philadelphia Phillies Los Angeles Dodgers Minnesota Twins Texas Rangers Boston Red Sox Los Angeles Angels Pittsburgh Pirates Houston Astros Toronto Blue Jays San Diego Padres Cleveland Indians St. Louis Cardinals Baltimore Orioles Arizona Diamondbacks Cincinnati Reds Kansas City Royals Washington Nationals Colorado Rockies Detroit Tigers Call the Divisions whatever you want to call them North, South, East...AL, NL. Doesn't matter. The only team that sort of bites the bullet are the Tigers being with the East when they are further west than Clevland and Pittsburgh. However, market size would dicatate they be in the East and it isn't too much of a stretch to put them in that division. The west is perfect with only Colorado being outside the Pacific time zone. Travel times and expenses would be reduced significantly for all teams being closer to home. Assuming the added playoff, the two division winners and the next best 3 records make the playoffs for the AL and NL. This alignment works far better than the current proposal with Houston switching to the AL and two 15 team divisions. I hope MLB would look into radical realignment rather than the proposed simple realignment that doesn't really solve the problem.

I've been thinking for a while that Bartlett was the under the radar candidate that DM might go after. He's the big sleeper candidate because the Padres aren't going anywhere and he will likely cost much less than a Reyes, Furcal or even JJ. I wouldn't mind Bartlett at all.

Realignment is an idea in the making since the last realignment in 1998. It really is a simple fix when you are dealing with the following realities: 1. Interleague play is going nowhere 2. There won't be any dramatic upheaval in the makeup of the National/American League i.e. Yankees in the NL or Yankees, Red Sox, Phillies, Mets in one division 3. Playoff expansion to 5 teams. Its inevitable. With that in mind, the only way to give equitable balance, as mentioned before, is to have 15 teams in each league. The obvious candidate is Houston but does any other team make sense to move? In my mind, if there are no divisions i.e. 15 team League, one 15 team Division, why does the team have to be from a specific area to create a natural rivalry if divisons don't matter? Houston is the obvious choice only if the divisional format currently in place is kept and the Astros move to the west with the Rangers, Angels, Athletics and Mariners. Other than that, any team would be a candidate to move from the NL to the AL because divisons don't matter anymore. My proposal all along was to keep all teams in the current AL-NL and simply eliminate the Central and go with East-West divisions (8 team divisions in the NL and 7 team divisions in the AL). Now, assuming Houston does switch to the AL, 15 team leagues and interleague series all year long, I don't think I would go to an East-West format. I like the new proposed format because a 15 team divison is the ONLY way of ensuring you allow for the 5 best teams to make the playoffs. No more 83 win division winners when a 89 win team finishes 3rd in a more competitive division. I will get behind the current format as well, but that doesn't ensure the best teams always make the playoffs. I'm excited for this and hope realignment happens one way or another.

Quite honestly, I would give up a pretty decent return to get Hardy back in Milwaukee. I feel he would be that much of a difference maker this year and for upcoming years (assuming we re-signed him).

If Prince walks and Greinke and Marcum also walk I will be extraordinarily disappointed. I think it is likely that finances can afford Prince/Marcum or Greinke/Marcum. I think the real choice will come down to Greinke or Fielder. But scenario D puts the Brewers right back into 2009/2010 mode

I actually admire the guy. Playing baseball is obviously something he enjoys doing and why not play as long as possible if you enjoy it? I doubt he has any unrealistic expectations about being in the Majors anymore and like you guys said, he's made his money. He's probably doing it because he just enjoys playing the game. Good for him. I'd do the same.

This is excellent thinking. This is a contract for 7 years at $145 million or close to what Prince will likely get. I'd be ok with a 3 year $90MM guarantee where he can opt out after 2014 because we will likely still be getting by with some cheaper talent in the bullpen (Braddock, Axford, McClendons of the world) and the positions where we have cheaper talent now (C with Lucroy, 3B with McGehee/Gamel, Gomez/Morgan or maybe Komatsu/Schafer in CF) will just be getting expensive. I don't know if this will preclude us from re-signing Greinke and Marcum and that would be my only fear, but if it truly is about getting the money for Prince/Boras, what better way than Prince being able to say he has the highest one year salary in MLB history at $30MM? Prince will be going into his age 31 season in 2015 and would still likely command a contract around $20MM a season for 5ish years. This might work...

I really believe it is a matter of competitiveness and how the Brewers can maxmize their ability to be competitive. If this were the NBA or NFL, Prince would undoubtedly be going nowhere...ever, which makes me really upset because HOF players, like I fully expect Prince to be, don't come to any team often. However, this alone can't be the decision to re-sign him while working within the current parameters of baseball's financial structure. The most obvious reason to me as to why the Brewers cannot and should not sign Prince long term unless a large hometown discount is given are the 2009 and 2010 seasons. Prince's monster 2009 coupled with Braun's 2009 (arguably his best overall season to date) could do nothing to overcome the bad to mediocre rotation of Yo, Bush, Looper, Suppan and Parra. If Prince were to re-sign for the mega deal he will get, the Brewers will likely have to fill the rotation with prospects such as Parra, journeyman like Looper and innings eater like Suppan. This isn't an indictment on Parra, Looper or Suppan specifically but more about the type of seasons we would likely have to see because the money, in all likelihood, wouldn't be there to be able to afford pitching period. Going back to the original post, I do not think that there is anything that can or should be done differently to afford Prince. Because of the reasons above, it will not matter if we can figure out a financial structure to afford Prince because the economics of the baseball do not provide the Brewers the ability to fill out the rest of the team with the quality SP required to win in MLB. 2009 and 2010 showed me all I need to know about having amazing hitting while not having quality pitching. It equals .500 at best. Give me a re-signed Greinke and Marcum, which may cost close to equal per year to what Prince is seeking, and a not so potent offense minus Prince and I will take my chances. Eventually the fans will approve the loss of Fielder if it means more 2008 type seasons and less 2009, 2010 seasons. It will pain me greatly to see Prince go because him and Braun SHOULD be this generations Yount and Molitor, 2 HOFs playing a majority of their career in Milwaukee, but that was a different time and different economic structure.

Reason #4,000,000 to get a different SS...COME ON BETANCOURT! Give Gomez a chance to run! Man I can't stand Betancourt!

I mentioned this in another thread a week or so ago...Watch his right shoulder tonight. It seems like his first move is to lift his left shoulder while simultaneously dipping his right shoulder. I don't have video to prove he hasn't done this before, but it is fairly evident and doesn't look like a very natural move.

I wonder what Oriolefan.net would want from us for JJ. What would they think is a realistic and fair deal?