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Yep. Very much a 'national sportswriter who doesn't know the Brewers at all sees Brewers didn't sign any big-name free agents and assumes they had a terrible offseason as a result' article. It's amazing to me how writers like this continue to be employed. Literally, it takes about 15 minutes of research to really understand and breakdown the Brewers offseason and see how the payroll drop makes sense (not re-signing Grandal @ $18m and Moose at @ $16m per). Yes, losing those players hurt for 2020. However, signing those specific players at those specific salaries would have been albatrosses for the Brewers, possibly beginning in 2021. Fortunately, The Athletic (minus Jim Bowden) has pretty solid writers who understand the nuance of baseball economics on small markets.

When we start putting real expectations and predictions down for the season near the end of Spring Training, my surprise player will most certainly be Corbin Burnes. Corbin Burnes will be the 2020 version of the 2019 Brandon Woodruff. Yes, that is optimistic but the stuff is just too good.

I hope I am wrong here but I think this will prove to be the biggest waste of money of the offseason. Smoak for 1 year $5m deal and a $1m 2021 buyout is pretty meh when the Brewers could have gotten by with Braun and some backup combination of Healy ($1m) and Logan Morrison (MiLB deal). I would hope that Smoak's presence wouldn't preclude the Brewers from taking a look at Pederson especially if it meant Stripling was coming as well.

https://theathletic.com/1598962/2020/02/12/how-would-a-14-team-playoff-format-in-major-league-baseball-look-in-practice/ The above article is behind the paywall but analyzes MLB seasons back to 2012 and if the system as proposed was in place for the 2012-2019 seasons, the Brewers, along with the Cardinals, Rays and Mariners, would benefit the most by making the playoffs an additional 3x. For the Brewers, they would have made it in 2012 (83-79), 2014 (82-80) & 2017 (86-76). Put another way, the Brewers would have made the playoffs in 2011, 2012, 2014, 2017-2019 or 6 of the last 9 seasons. The only under .500 teams that made the playoffs in this time was the 2014 Mets @ 79-83, 2016 Marlins @ 79-82, 2017 Royals @ 80-82 & 2017 Rays @ 80-82. After contemplating it the past few days, I think my biggest issue is the gimmicky made-for-TV component of choosing your opponent. If the league were to expand to 32 teams, 7 playoff teams in each league (14/32 or 44%) is palatable. Leave the gimmicks aside and make it #1 seed gets the bye and 2-7, 3-6 & 4-5 square off in a best of three, I think that should be fine.

Let me second the good post comment for BHS. I also hadn't thought of it that way and baseball certainly is more susceptible to upsets by mediocre teams than any other sport. Heck, the Brewers almost knocked out the Nationals last year with Scherzer and Strasburg on the mound, and it took a Juan Soto base hit against Josh Hader, when LHH hit .143 against him during the Regular Season, to knock out the Crew. Having said that, I also agree that it is time to get a financial system in place that levels the playing field. I would be willing to sacrifice an entire season, maybe two, to get this in place.

Completely agree and all of this focuses only on the Joc Pederson side of the trade without even mentioning the benefit of adding Ross Stripling to the rotation. While already 30, Stripling he of the career 3.51 ERA/3.60 FIP in 387 IP, isn't a free agent until after the 2022 season. Adding that arm would certainly create even more depth and certainty into the rotation. These pieces make too much sense to not look at acquiring, even Pederson, despite Yelich, Cain and Avisail signed for the next three seasons.

I think this all depends on Braun and whether he gets the majority of his playing time at 1B or OF. If Braun plays a majority of the time at 1B, Joc Pederson as the 4th OF getting two starts a week against RHP and providing days off to Cain, wouldn't be the worst thing in the world. Much better than giving those starts to Mat Gamel. If taking Pederson and figuring out the roster crunch got the Brewers Stripling I think it's worth it.

I know others have brought this up but I truly believe this is due largely to the fact that the league is heavily tilted toward the large markets. In the NFL and NBA, you have Patrick Mahomes and Giannis who will likely spend their entire careers in Kansas City and Milwaukee. As opposed to MLB, where you have Indians fans who are preparing to lose Francisco Lindor or Brewers fans who already lost Prince Fielder and are already preparing (3 years in advance) of losing Christian Yelich. Why invest your time, money and fandom in something so obviously gamed against you? I definitely think losing superstars is a big problem for MLB and competitive balance, but you can't say the NBA isn't large-market centric. The supermax is there, sure, but the players have a ton of power and bolt for large markets all the time. I think the difference is that there is a disproportionate number of basketball fans who are fans of players and not necessarily teams. Terrible NBA teams always use visiting stars in their marketing. I think the NBA is certainly superteam centric if not big market-centric. I think the larger issue in the NBA is the season being played during the winter and early spring which is an enormous negative to smaller markets in the north. Even guys like Lebron leave their hometown teams for warmer pastures. If the NBA season were to be played from April - October, I think you would have seen a Lebron career in Cleveland and more northern dynasties rather than the warm weather dynasties of the Warriors, Lakers, Spurs and Heat.

I know others have brought this up but I truly believe this is due largely to the fact that the league is heavily tilted toward the large markets. In the NFL and NBA, you have Patrick Mahomes and Giannis who will likely spend their entire careers in Kansas City and Milwaukee. As opposed to MLB, where you have Indians fans who are preparing to lose Francisco Lindor or Brewers fans who already lost Prince Fielder and are already preparing (3 years in advance) of losing Christian Yelich. Why invest your time, money and fandom in something so obviously gamed against you?

No, but it sure does make a lot of sense to me if the Dodgers are looking to cut payroll. Obviously they are interested in moving Pederson. Their OF should be set with Betts, Bellinger and Pollock. Utility players Chris Taylor has a 2 year $13.4 million deal and Kike Hernandez has 1 year at $5.9 million. Pederson makes $7.75m and Stripling makes $2.1m for a total of $9.85m. I wonder if they would take Gamel at $1.4m, the $8.45m of savings and maybe a low level prospect to complete a deal? Thought being they let Taylor be the utility IF and either move Kike or let him walk after the season and replace him with Gamel.

Earlier in the offseason, I proposed a trade where Bryant went to the Dodgers and in-turn was traded by the Dodgers to the Brewers with prospects for Hader. I would love to see Bryant in Milwaukee just to see the Cubs fan reactions. I know this would be an incredibly short-sighted trade, but given I think the Brewers window likely closes after 2021 anyway, in the aforementioned scenario, it would be fun to acquire Bryant and Seager for Hader+ and see where a lineup of Cain-Yelich-Bryant-Seager-Hiura-Narveaz-Avisail-Braun/Smoak got us in 2020 and 2021. All of this is obviously ludicrous but fun to dream of.

The Dodgers also do not want to help the Angels out. The rivalry between Los Angeles and Orange County is real, especially amongst the fans. Agree with the sentiment that the Angels are in the AL and that is more palatable, but that is the last team the Dodgers want to help (that isn't in their division). I am guessing the Dodgers see something of significance in Rengifo that we do not.

Absolutely gross. I am so disgusted by MLB leadership under Manfred that I can't even write anything worth reading until I calm down.

I want to get my hands on both of these guys but when I look at the numbers, isn't Joc just a really expensive Eric Thames at a position that isn't a need? Eric Thames 2017 - 2019: 1112 ABs, 72 HR, 161 RBI, .241/.343/.848, 118 OPS+ Joc Pederson 2017 - 2019: 1118 ABs, 72 HR, 165 RBI, .240/.331/.831, 119 OPS+ I would take Joc if it meant getting Stripling for the rotation, but dang if Joc isn't a Thames clone!

I would be very interested in acquiring Pederson and Stripling. Who is the Brewers equivalent of Luis Rengifo? https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/rengilu01.shtml

See this is where I really struggle if I were Yelich. He will be just completing his age 30 season when he is a free agent. Off the top of my head and without doing the research, it seems like that is no longer a viable age for massive contracts. Was Pujols the last mega-deal for someone that age? If so, that deal was almost a full decade ago in 2012. I have to believe he may consider locking into something that adds new money and extends the contract by a few years with the Brewers.

If I am Attanasio, I go to Yelich and say we want you in Milwaukee but you know we cannot afford 10 years $300 million like Machado or Harper. However, we can at least match their AAV if you're interested. You're under contract for another 3 years $41.5m ($13.8m AAV) now but what if we added another $150m and extended your contract by 3 years? We'll begin paying you on that $150m immediately and essentially turn your existing deal into a 6 years $191.5 million ($31.9) deal? If he turns it down, then Stearns knows what has to be done.

Ross Stripling is in this deal as well. Pederson, Stripling for Rengifo and prospects. Angels could be quietly good if Teheran, Bundy, Andriese, and Stripling can just be average to above average.

I mean I hear you and agree but the Dodgers were just able to acquire a top 5 talent in MLB in Betts without dealing Lux or May. We all believe the Brewers would have to be overwhelmed to trade Hader, who is under team control until after the 2023 season, and any trade that doesn't include one of those guys is just not overwhelming. Even though he is only turning 26 this year, the Brewers aren't trading Hader for Corey Seager (who is a free agent after 2021) and Tony Gonsolin. Overwhelming means May or Lux and that just isn't happening.

Call me crazy but I think the Brewers and Yelich will stay married beyond 2022. I think Attanasio opens the checkbook for him.

Yet, when I said 3b was a minor issue after Sogard got signed people just wouldn't hear it. It's not going to be hard to replace 3b/2b from last year with Hiura Sogard and Gyorko. It's very likely to be significantly better. The only area MKE lost was at catcher. At catcher that loss is mostly defense. I wouldn't have paid Moose what he got, but people need to realize 2b/3b 2019 to 2b/3b 2020 isn't about Moose. It's about a full year of Hiura coupled with Shaw's disaster last year. I guess another way to spin positivity here is to just look at the names and not the position. The 2019 Brewers 2B/3B combination of Moustakas and Shaw are replaced by 2020 Brewers 2B/3B combination of Hiura and Sogard/Gyorko. When looking at the 2019 production of Moose and Shaw versus the expected production of 2020 Hiura and Sogard/Gyorko, one can make the case that the 2020 version is much better.

Seconded. I think the new ball and glove looks like much more of a finished design. Center placement of the ball on the glove, normal placement of the stitching on the ball and straight lines on the space of the M. It simply looks cleaner than the original ball and glove. The connection of the M and the B over the webbing is, in my opinion, the only area where one could make the case of it looking worse, as it no longer reflects a separate M and B. Without 40 years of original ball and glove love, I don't think this is much of a debate anymore and I despised the new logo when I first saw it. I've come around.

This is basically doing the Anthony Rendon contract only also giving up our best prospects to do it. It's just not happening. While unlikely I know, my thought on the matter is that the Brewers aren't likely to attract this type of talent via FA so they need to be acquired via trade. Losing top prospects from a gutted system would certainly stink but put another way, how pumped would we all be to have signed Arenado or Rendon to a 7 years $224 million contract, even if it did have an opt-out after year 2?

Let's say the Rockies would accept Turang and Ashby for Arenado if the Brewers were to take on the entire remaining contract (7 years, $224m). Two questions: 1. Is it worth it for the Brewers to take this trade, given the likelihood Arenado will opt out after 2021? The Brewers would pay Arenado 2 years $70 million, keep him in this competitive window, and take the risk he doesn't opt out. 2. Should the Brewers make this type of deal to supplement Yelich prior to his impending FA after 2022? The farm system is already ranked 30th in a lot of publications. If they can use that farm system to acquire another elite, albeit highly paid, talent, does it make sense? In my mind, the Brewers system won't allow for them to acquire the TOR arm, so why not load up on O even if it means taking on an enormous deal.

Guys... Are we really going to go into the season with Sogard/Gyorko as our 3B? I love Sogard as the new super-expensive Hernan Perez, but I don't love him as the strong side of a platoon at 3B. Gyorko is a total unknown. Is it time to give up on the hope of someone coming to save us from this platoon?