Warning Track Power

I'd rather have Gomez and his D in CF than Damon. Gomez at least has superior defensive skills. I think the real position of need now is SS as Betancourt brings a below average bat and below average glove. That's the real concern and where we should make an "all in move."

Is it a foregone conclusion in most people's minds that the Brewers will only have Zack Greinke for only two years? I keep seeing articles around the internet speculating that yes the Brewers did an amazing deal but gave up a lot for only two years of Greinke, thereby assuming he's gone after 2012. I cannot believe that the Brewers would make this deal without having some semblance of a long term vision for what it would take for Greinke to be on this team long term. In that vein, I think that attempting to sign Greinke long term before he has even thrown a pitch in Milwaukee is the most prudent thing for the Brewers to do. Greinke currently has 2 years and $27MM ($13.5MM per year) left on his current deal. I have proposed, on another thread, offering him a 3 year, $51MM ($17MM) extension on top of that. This gives the Brewers Greinke for 5 years at $78MM. This may seem below market and I know CC and Lee both received massive contracts, but their track records are better than Greinke's. I feel this would be a fair jumping off point for Greinke. What's it going to take to keep him long term? Do you give him Prince's 5yr/$100MM offer? Too much?

I've heard this too. Sounds a little too much like the Minnesota Vikings with the inmates running the asylum to me. I doubt Attanasio would turn his head away from a permanent switch to the old uniforms if it proved to be the preferred choice of the fans, as well as better to the bottom line.

Ugh...doom and gloom. Realistically speaking I think Rickie, Marcum AND Greinke will be resigned. Based on what we read about Greinke, he seems more like a small to mid market guy who wants to win there. Having those three resigned coupled with already in place deals for Braun, Hart and Gallardo as well as development of Lucroy, Gamel and McGehee should give the Brewers a solid core, 6 hitters & 3 SP beyond 2012.

http://exhibits.baseballhalloffame.org/dressed_to_the_nines/images/al_1989_milwaukee.gif Like I have stated on this thread, I think a shift back to these (obviously with a button-up shirt and minus the ridiculous belts & stirups) is the right choice for the franchise (The away uniform is supposed to be gray). This is the quintessential Brewers uniform. Connects the past to the present for the nostalgic types (not me) and makes good on the use of the ball and glove as desired by so many. It still blows me away they haven't made the ball and glove the main logo again yet. This would be the only acceptable uniform change to me. Give me the old 80s uniforms or keep the current ones and go with those for the forseeable future.

Cameron $7.25MMScutaro $5MM + $1.5MM buyout $4MM to cover some salary for Betancourt $4MM + $2MM buyout from KC Not sure if the Red Sox are looking to shed some salary but Cameron and Scutaro equal $12.25MM + $4MM for Betancourt $4MM, they gain $4MM in salary relief. May be worth exploring because Betancourt will be gone after this season and likely so will Cameron and Scutaro from the Red Sox.

My only concern with the idea of Gamel in RF or 3B is where does he end up in 2012 when Prince is gone? Let's try to avoid another Bill Hall situation when he got moved from SS to CF to 3B in consecutive seasons. I am all for getting Gamel playing time in RF and Hart in CF if those are the positions we are expecting them to play in 2012. If the plan is Gamel at 1B or 3B in 2012 and Hart in RF, I would rather have Hart stay in RF all year with Gamel spot starting at 3B or 1B.

Melvin in the JS blog: Do these moves help you with the contract negotiations with Rickie Weeks: “It might help with Rickie, but it has to help with his agent. I don’t know; I don’t get into that. It’s up to the players. The players have to make decisions as to where they want to be. They’re grown men. They’re adults. I don’t force them, I don’t push them. They’re adults to make adult decisions, so that’s up to the players.” Anyone else read this that Rickie wants to get something done but the agent may be holding back?

And here i thought we'd be wearing the circa 1982 Brewers jerseys this year since we are so obviously going back to the World Series. I love that I didn't have to put any part of that in blue. Just please play to potential 2011 Brewers!

I agree with you assessment RockCo. I am not at all pessimistic about the Greinke deal. It was an excellent deal that had to be made. I just want to ensure the Brewers do everything they can to remain competitive year after year. I am very excited for the next few seasons but I can't but help have an eye trained to the future where Fielder will be gone after 2011, Weeks could be gone after 2011 and Marcum and Greinke could be gone after 2012. As it stand right now, I am not sure the Brewers have any replacement parts on the farm save Mat Gamel. That's why extending Weeks, Greinke and Marcum should be immediate priorities.

With Prince's impending deaprture, I can't see us dealing McGehee. I'd have to be blown away with an offer of a SS or CF to move McGehee since we have no upper level 3B and 1B prospects to replace Fielder and McGehee. McGehee and Gamel will likely be our corner IFs beginning 2012 and I am fine with that.

Like I said, a 3 year $51MM extension for Greinke is only a start and I think $17MM is fair based on the fact he doesn't have the track record of a CC ($23MM/year) or a Cliff Lee($25MM/year) or a Johan($23MM/year). I wouldn't be opposed to giving him the CC contract though.

And this was exactly my point. I didn't say we would be bad for 5-7 years. I said my happiness with DM is predicated on him not selling off 5-7 years of quality baseball for a 1 or 2 year window. If DM can't extend Weeks this year and if he can't extend Greinke or Marcum, it behooves him to move them at the 2012 deadline or else we really would be looking at a period of some pretty bad baseball.

I'm all for giving the Prince extension money (5yr/$100MM) and splitting it up between Marcum and Greinke for extending 2-3 years on both of their deals.

I am cool with Doug Melvin right now. He has built a very, very good team on paper for the upcoming year. My coolness with Melvin may change depending on the resignability of the players he has dealt for and the current core everyday players. To sell the farm for a 2 year window of potential success isn't worth 5-7 years worth of rebuilding in my opinion. Assuming Melvin can work out deals with the acquired Greinke and Marcum OR he is able to flip them at the trade deadline for some decent returns in 2012 will determine my happiness. I'm not sure I can ever get behind longterm losing even if it guaranteed a World Series Championship. I'd rather be competitive year in and year out like the pre-2004 Red Sox, than be the 1997 Marlins.

Realistically, resigning Weeks and Marcum should be relatively, RELATIVELY easy. Of course that's in comparison to extending Fielder. I don't know what to expect out of the possibility of resigning Greinke right now. Greinke has 2 years and $27 million left on his contract. I'd offer him a 3 year extension at $51MM to start off with. Essentially he'd have a very club friendly 5 year $76MM contract. Not sure if that's even close to what it would take but that's a start.

SO everyone is assuming now that we are going to keep Fielder for 2011? I gotta ask myself a question though. If the Orioles or Dodgers offered Adam Jones or Matt Kemp for Fielder, would you do it? Are we better with: Fielder & Gomez/Dickerson or Gamel & Jones or Kemp I am kind of struggling with that to be honest. Somebody convince me the Brewers are better with Fielder & Gomez/Dickerson than the other combination because I think I would make those deals.

Wow, wow and wow...I would never have imagined this would happen. My delirium over the trade is muted only by the loss of Cain and Odorizzi. My thoughts: -Escobar's loss is nothing to me. Never was an Escobar guy and was upset when JJ left because of him. Guys like Escobar are not all that special to me and I am not going to flinch about his loss regardless of his replacement. -Jeffress looks more and more like a career RP. I just don't know he will stay away from the marijuana and additionally you don't not make this deal because of Jeffress' inclusion. -Cain hurts no doubt. His potential as a top of the lineup #2 contact hitter will no doubt be missed because of the lack of a replacement. His D will be replaced by Gomez who at least is a fantastic defensive player. But Cain is the type of player I love and I for one hopes he does fantastic in KC. -Odorizzi is no doubt a pitching stud and his loss could be big 5 years from now. However, the Brewers everyday lineup is in its prime across the board and the win now mentality makes an Odorizzi expendable. Like I said, 5 years from now it may hurt but Greinke could still be an ace in his back end of his prime by the time Odorizzi is in the Bigs. I know this seems like Fielder will undoubtedly stay for 2011, but I would at least make the call to the Yankees and inquire about Brett Gardner's availability. In the end, all I can ask for for the rest of the offseason...(crossing fingers, toes, arms, legs) #1. Please extend Rickie #2. Please extend Marcum and above all #3 PLEASE EXTEND GREINKE! Thank you Mr. Attanasio and Mr. Melvin. On paper at least we should be in serious contention next season.

Best Wikipedia biography ever. I am literally in tears over this: "Dave Bush was quoted as saying that this was one of the best days of his life. This was because he was awarded the honor of "Best Player Named After a Beer." Right before first pitch, the entire crowd cracked a Busch beer and started singing Lynard Skynard. This was one of the best moments of his life because Ricky Weeks sprinted in from 2nd base and started doing the electric slide and jumping around."

The more I think about it the more I think the Yankees will push hard to sign Prince as a FA after the season to play DH and will go with Posada this season in order to keep the prospects we'd want. Posada is a FA after this year anyways I believe which creates an opening.

You don't consider Shields as a legit #1/#2?

I thought the same thing. Check post #333 in this thread. -I want Gardner/Joba+ for Fielder (Gardner is the new CF) -Keep Lucroy -Trade Cain in Garza/Shields deal

80 votes in and only 6 people are not in favor of trading Axford. Should this tell us that Axford really isn't worth a Garza or a Shields barring some other heavy pieces?

If we trade for Shields, I hope he can be more on target with the fastball on the outside corner than he can target a punch

And while we're still on the subject, is that actor Daniel Stern's (City Slickers, Home Alone) high school photo in yours?