Eye Black

According to the Pirates President Frank Coonelly (at Piratefest) this is exactly what the Marlins are counting on per this article. I wouldn't usually be so quick to believe this, but it certainly does sound like something that would fit Loria's reputation. Here is the part of the article that is applicable: When asked for his reaction to Marlins outfielder Giancarlo Stanton's 13-year, $325 million extension, president Frank Coonelly chuckled and said, “It seems like Monopoly money, doesn't it?” Coonelly then got off his stool on the stage and stepped toward the crowd. He talked about an exchange he had with Miami Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria and president David Samson during the recent owner's meetings. “They thought it was a great deal,” Coonelly said. “I just couldn't get my head around the $325 million. They said to me, ‘You don't understand. (Stanton) has an out clause after six years. Those first six years are only going to cost $107 million. After that, he'll leave and play for somebody else. So, it's not really $325 million.' “ The implication from Coonelly is that the Marlins signed Stanton to a record-setting deal with the expectation that he will bolt when it's only halfway complete.

Fangraphs interview: Q & A with Scooter Gennett So I may be breaking the cardinal rule of this thread since this isn't exactly Audio or Video, but thought this interview was worth sharing here. Scooter discusses the unique opportunity fans can bid on (for charity) to spend an evening making pottery with him. In addition to pottery talk, Scooter discusses family, hitting lefties, Khris Davis, proper uses of Scooter vs. Ryan, and one last gem when asked about about the possibility of riding a scooter... I was going to get one, but I thought twice about it because that would be too much. “Oh, here comes Scooter on a scooter.” I didn’t want that attention. Maybe I’ll come riding in on a four-wheeler this year.

It seems like the odds are fairly high that one or both of these guys end up being a hot commodity at mid-season. At the very least the Astros just restocked their trade chip inventory.

The ZiPS projections were a pleasant surprise, and better overall than last year's projections. The WAR projections of the starting position players are the best cumulative totals to this point among teams that have had their projections released (but only five teams released so far and I am subtracting Howie Kendrick from LAA). I am looking forward to comparing them with the other NL Central clubs as they become posted. The biggest take away for me was that the bullpen is the glaring area where the largest amount of gain could be created via player acquisition.

And now Andrew Heaney flipped to the Angels for 2B Howie Kendrick. Heaney certainly has the prospect pedigree, it will be interesting to see if he develops into a mid-to-top of the rotation starter for the Angels. I like that they are taking a chance on a potential impact starter controlled through 2020.

With the A's on the verge of trading Samardzija to the White Sox for Marcus Semien and prospects (parameters agreed to and likely to be announced on Tuesday per MLB Trade Rumors), I have to say I am absolutely fascinated by Billy Beane. The trades he made in July contrasted with the trades he is making leading up to and during the winter meetings are really intriguing. He appears to have quickly shifted from the "go for it now" mentality to the "build for the future" model. If nothing else, it certainly makes this time of year much more entertaining. Edit: Deal reportedly for Marcus Semien, Chris Bassitt, and a PTBNL. Here is the most recent MLB TR link. I know the A's have been looking for a SS, but it seems likely they may have been able to get a better return at mid-season or at the very least received a draft pick after Samardzija turns down a QO. Between this deal, the Moss deal, and Donaldson deal the A's have added a lot of young players although several of them are not considered elite prospects by the industry "experts". Will be interesting to see how things work out down the road.

Too much money for my tastes considering the abysmal season he had last year. Sure there is a chance that was a fluke bad year, but i wouldn't want to risk 26 million dollars to find out because there is also a decent chance that Craig won't regain his hitting ability of the previous seasons. The Cardinals were quick to bail on Craig and now Boston looks to be also. That's telling to me that neither was/is confident that he'll get back to being the hitter he was because an .800 plus OPS bat in this skyrocketing salary environment would be worth quite a bit more cash than the contract he has. Agree with both of these posts. Making a $26.5 million commitment to a player who is 30 yrs old with injury concerns that has never played 135 games in a regular season seems much riskier than the Brewers can afford to be this off-season. Sure it would be great if you could guarantee Craig would stay healthy and regain his previous production levels, but I am not convinced the odds of it are very high.

Reportedly 5 years, near $100 million for Sandoval. If the reported financials are correct, the Red Sox have secured two of the top five Free Agents for less than $200 million.

At very first glance it seems like a reasonable free agent contract at least compared to what I would have guessed. Hanley back with the Red Sox organization almost a decade after they traded him to the Marlins.

File this in the category of hindsight being 20/20, but based on the contract Butler signed I am surprised the Royals weren't able to pull off a sign and trade by picking up the $12.5 mil option and finding a team willing to trade something for Butler. It's not likely it would not have returned a big haul, but still it seems like they should have been able to get something for one year of Butler at $12.5 mil.

Billy Butler signs a three year, $30 million dollar deal with the A's. LINK

This is why I love Twitter...

Brandon Finnegan looks very comfortable pitching in this high pressure game, and just 3-plus months removed from pitching for TCU. I didn't want the Brewers to draft him going into this years draft, but I am ready to admit I was probably wrong on that one.

Prediction thread bump. Might as well finish off a disappointing season by going back and seeing how right (or wrong) we were on our season predictions. I was a little surprised how optimistic some of these predictions were, but then again those folks were looking good after the first month of the season.

Losing the Nashville affiliation is a disappointing outcome after watching the video of the renderings and accommodations the Sound's new park will include. I know DM is blaming Nashville for not communicating that they were seeking another partner, but it has been rumored for months at this point so I have to believe it is a conversation the Brewers could have been proactive and forced the Sounds to have with them. I just don't think claiming ignorance is a good defense in this case. While I do not see many positives in the new affiliation with the Sky Sox (that is going to take some getting used to), I did find a couple of interesting tidbits (in BOLD below) from this Denver Post article... Colorado Springs Sky Sox link up as Milwaukee Brewers Triple-A team after Rockies move By Nick Groke / The Denver Post One day after the Rockies left them in the lurch, the Colorado Springs Sky Sox rallied Thursday with a new two-year contract as the Triple-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. "We couldn't be happier to start the newest era in Sky Sox baseball with a world-class organization like the Milwaukee Brewers," Sky Sox president Tony Ensor said in a statement. "Their long and rich baseball history, as well as their commitment to a winning culture and player development is something that we know our fans will embrace." The Rockies and Sky Sox had been linked for 21 years, since the inception of the big-league franchise, until Wednesday — when the Rockies ditched Colorado Springs for a new contract with the Albuquerque Isotopes. That team had previously been the Los Angeles' Dodgers' affiliate. The Brewers previously had the Nashville Sounds as their Triple-A team. It also marks Milwaukee baseball's return to the Colorado area. The Milwaukee Braves were associated with the minor-league Denver Bears in 1963-64. The Sky Sox also have a connection to the Brewers through Sky Sox co-owner D.G. Elmore (son of co-owner Dave Elmore). D.G. Elmore also owns the Helena Brewers, the rookie-level affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. After the Rockies announced a Triple-A move to Albuquerque — where they have an upgraded $25 million stadium re-built in 2003 — the Sky Sox released a statement that said: "We are certainly disappointed that the Rockies have decided to end that relationship, but we respect their right to do what they feel is best for their organization." The Sky Sox, who play at Security Service Field, built in 1988 for $3.7 million, have been trying to get funding to build a new stadium in downtown Colorado Springs. The Sky Sox previously were a minor-league affiliate of the Chicago White Sox (1950-1958), Cleveland Indians (1988-1992), and Rockies (1993-2014). http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site36/2014/0918/20140918__colorado-springs-sky-sox-stadium~p1.jpg The Colorado Springs Sky Sox play a game at Security Service Field on Thursday, June 7, 2012. The team announced on Thursday that it will be the new Triple-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers after its longtime team, the Colorado Rockies, signed with the Albuquerque Isotopes.

The scary thing is the All Star Game should have been MLB's most secure event outside of the World Series, and yet this year a protester gained access to the top of the scoreboard overlooking the entire seating area by jumping into the stadium from a nearby parking ramp. They hung a "Love Water, Not Oil" banner over the scoreboard which remained hanging for between 10-12 minutes while they escaped back into the parking ramp. If this was someone with a different agenda it could have been a potentially tragic outcome. Protester jumps from parking ramp, hangs banner over video screen at All-Star Game

Final: Helena 5, Billings 2 Brewers close season with a win By Dustin Daniel / Helena Brewers The Helena Brewers (14-24) ended their year on a high note, beating the Billings Mustangs (24-14) 5-2 on Thursday at Dehler Park in Billings. The Brewers jumped all over Mustangs starter Tejay Antone (2-3), blowing the righty up for ten hits and five runs in his four innings on the hill. Dustin DeMuth doubled in the third to score Brandon Diaz who would come around all the way from first to cross the plate. DeMuth was 2-for-5 with two RBI in the game. Helena then scored their final four runs of the game in the fourth on the power of four hits and one Billings error. Francisco Castillo and DeMuth each had RBI singles and the Brewers' offense was greatly aided by two wild pitches and a throwing error by catcher Shed Long. Jorge Ortega (4-5) had one of his best outings of the year in the start for Helena, pitching six shutout innings while striking out six. The Mustangs made a late push with runs in both the seventh and eighth, but would come up short. They put the tying run at the dish in the eighth, but Jimmy Pickens flew out to left to end the inning. Wesley Cox pitched the ninth, picking up his team-leading fourth save of the season. The win concludes the Brewers' 2014 season. They finish with an overall record of 27-49. Helena Box Score It has been a tough season overall in Helena, but the Brewers have a nice cap to the season offensively with a 15 hit performance. Contributors with multi-hit games included Brandon Diaz (2-for-5), Dustin DeMuth (2-for-5, 2B), Alan Sharkey (2-for-3, 2B, 2 BB), Mitch Meyer (3-for-5), Tucker Neuhaus (2-for-4), and Francisco Castillo (2-for-4). Helena Game Log

Final: Billings 8, Helena 1 Brewers 2-hit in loss By Dustin Daniel / Helena Brewers The Billings Mustangs (24-13) pitched their way to an 8-1 win over the Helena Brewers (13-24) on Wednesday at Dehler Park. The Mustangs used a monster first inning to cruise to the win, scoring six runs on four hits, aided by three Helena errors in their first trip to the plate. Corey Thompson hit a 2-RBI triple in the inning on his way to a 3-for-4 performance which included two runs scored and two stolen bases. After a shaky first, Brandon Woodruff (1-2) closed out his start with strong pitching. He would retire the final eight batters he faced and struck out five consecutive to end his day on the rubber. Devin Williams added six strikeouts of his own for 13 on the game for the Brewers' pitching staff. The lone Helena run came in the sixth when Edgardo Rivera scored on a wild pitch. He reached earlier in the inning on a fielder's choice. The Brewers set a new season-low with just two hits in the game. The Brewers and the Mustangs will face off in the second game of their series Thursday at Dehler Park. It will be the final game of the season for Helena. First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m. Helena Box Score With a strong finish, Devin Williams finishes his season with 66 strike outs in 66.1 innings pitched. Helena Game Log

Brewers drop home finale to visiting Osprey By Curt Synness / Helena Independent Record http://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/helenair.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/a/70/a70f47a5-1c45-590f-bb7f-8a0e064309c7/5406acfe4bb4b.image.jpg Thom Bridge Independent Record - Connor Narron lays into a pitch Tuesday night at Kindrick Legion Field. The Helena Brewers dropped their final home contest of the season, 3-1 to the Missoula Osprey at Kindrick Legion Field on Tuesday. The Northern Division cellar-dwelling Brewers slip to 13-23 for the second half, while second-place Missoula improves to 18-18. The Osprey scored a pair of runs in the second inning on a two-run double by Damian Smith. Missoula starter Cody Reed fired a no-hitter through three innings. However, in the bottom of third two Helena base runners -- Edgardo Rivera reached on an error and Greg Munoz walked -- were erased on a pick-off play and a caught stealing. With one out in the bottom of the fourth, Connor Narron ripped a double to break up the no-no with the Brewers' first hit of the game. The hosts got on the board in the sixth after Brandon Diaz was plunked, and he then came home on a double by Dustin DeMuth. The Brewers had runners on second and third with two out, but Missoula third baseman Tyler Humphreys saved the visitors at least a run, possibly two, when he climbed the imaginary staircase and snagged Eric Williams' screaming line drive. The Osprey tacked on an insurance run in the eighth, while the Garden City's pitching staff shutout the Brewers the rest of the way. Missoula used five hurlers to combine for a four-hitter against the hosts, striking eight Brewers batsmen. Reliver Gabriel Moya was credited with the win. Zach Hirsch started on the bump for Helena and went five innings while sustaining the defeat. David Carver and Junior Rincon came in in relief. Henry Castillo and Gerard Hernandez had two hits apiece for the Osprey. Next the Brewers travel to Billings on Wednesday, where they will close out the final two games of the season. NOTE: Gregory Munoz was awarded the Jensen Jewelers Brewers MVP Award. http://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/helenair.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/a/d2/ad21fccf-bfba-5315-b1d3-4857f61fa12f/54069be6566e1.image.jpg Thom Bridge Independent Record - Helena Brewers pitcher Zach Hirsch throws the ball to first base to try to pick off a Missoula Osprey baserunner Tuesday night at Kindrick Legion Field.

http://www.brewerfan.net/images/store/dailylinkreport.jpg Final: Missoula 3, Helena 1 Osprey spoil home finale for Brewers By Dustin Daniel / Helena Brewers The Missoula Osprey (18-18) spoiled the Helena Brewers' (13-23) final game at Kindrick Field this season with a 3-1 win on Tuesday. Missoula jumped out to an early lead with two runs in the second. Henry Castillo singled and Maik Ehmcke was pegged by a Zach Hirsch (2-2) fastball to put two men aboard with two outs. Damion Smith then lined a two-RBI double to left-center to score the pair. Cody Reed got the start for the O's, but went home with no decision. He pitched three innings of shutout baseball and despite leaving with the lead, would not qualify for the win. He struck out two and walked three in his three frames of work. Helena scored their lone run of the game in the sixth when Dustin DeMuth doubled, bringing in Brandon Diaz who was hit by a pitch earlier in the inning. Pitching was solid the whole way for Missoula, coming an out away from setting a new season-low for Brewer hits in a game. With two outs in the ninth, Eric Williams singled to left to give Helena four total hits on the game and avoid setting the new record. The Brewers now head to Billings to cap off the year at Dehler Park. Their two-game series begins Wednesday with a first pitch set for 7:05 p.m. Helena Box Score Helena Game Log

Brewers take series opener By Troy Shockley / Helena Independent Record The Helena Brewers opened their two-game home series — their last of the season — with a 3-2 win over Missoula at Kindrick Legion Field. Neither team was able to score until Dionis Hinojosa doubled home Alan Sharkey in the top of the third inning. That lead didn't last, as the Osprey got the offense going in the third as well. That helped the visitors jump ahead 2-1 when Gerard Hernandez connected on a two-RBI double to score Henry Castillo and Maik Ehmcke. It was another two innings before anyone crossed home plate again. Helena's Luis Aviles got it started with a double to right, and a single to right by Brandon Diaz brought him home to knot the score at 2. The Brewers got the game winner in the seventh. Edgardo Rivera got the frame started with a single, and advanced on a sacrifice bunt by Aviles. He then came home when Gregory Munoz singled to left. Munoz advanced to third, but the Osprey then sat down the next two Brewers to end the scoring threat. Helena's J.B. Kole came in and shut down Missoula over the final two innings, however, earning his first professional save. Josh Uhen (2-4) got the win, setting a personal high with seven innings pitched. He gave up the two runs on six hits, striking out three. Helena will be back on Tuesday to finish their home stand as they face off against Missoula at 7:05 p.m.

Final: Helena 3, Missoula 2 Uhen leads Brewers to 3-2 win By Dustin Daniel / Helena Brewers The Helena Brewers (13-22) collected a win in their series opener against the Missoula Osprey (17-18) on Monday at Kindrick Field by a score of 3-2. The Brewers would take the first lead of the game with a run in the second. Alan Sharkey led off with a single and scored on an RBI double from Dionis Hinojosa. Hinojosa went 2-for-4 on the day. The Osprey then temporarily took the lead when Gerard Hernandez hit a two-RBI double to score Maik Ehmcke and Henry Castillo. Pitching was dominant for Helena to close the day. Josh Uhen (2-4) pitched a season-high seven innings, striking out three batters. J.B. Kole picked up his first professional save pitching the final two innings. With a 2-2 tie going to the seventh, Edgardo Rivera picked up a leadoff single off Kevin Simmons (2-3). He scored two batters later when Gregory Munoz singled to left field. The Brewers and Osprey will face off in the finale of their two-game series on Tuesday at Kindrick Field. It will be the final time the two teams face off this season. First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m. Helena Box Score Brandon Diaz went 1-for-2 and was hit by a pitch. Diaz also stole his 21st base this season in 30 attempts. Alan Sharkey went 2-for-4 in the game including his 12th double. Helena Game Log

Final: Great Falls 6, Helena 2 Voyagers claim final meeting with Brewers By Dustin Daniel / Helena Brewers The Great Falls Voyagers (15-19) came out victorious in their final meeting of the year with the Helena Brewers (12-22) by a score of 6-2 on Sunday from Kindrick Field. All the scoring would come early for both sides as pitching dominated the second half of the game. The Voyagers would score three runs in the first and never trail in the game. Hunter Jones and Ethan Gross were both walked to start the game and both came in to score. Dillon Haupt and Zach Fish would each pick up RBI in the first to give Great Falls an early advantage. The Brewers responded with all of their scoring in the bottom of the first. Brandon Diaz tripled for the second time in as many days and scored on an RBI grounder from Jack Cleary. Cleary would then score when Eric Williams singled to right. The Great Falls pitching staff took over late, at one point retiring 19 Helena Batters in a row. David Trexler was one out away in the ninth from retiring the final 20 batters of the game for the Voyagers when Alan Sharkey came up with a two-out single to extend the game. The Brewers will now host the Missoula Osprey in a two-game series beginning Monday at Kindrick Field. First pitch is set for 4:05 p.m. Helena Box Score Dustin DeMuth was in today's lineup at 3B after an early exit yesterday (reportedly a managers decision as detailed by MTBrew in Saturday's Link Report), and DeMuth went 1-for-3. Donnie Hissa threw the final three innings for Helena only allowing one hit, one walk, and striking out two. Helena Game Log

Final: Great Falls 5, Helena 2 (Game One) Final: Helena 7, Great Falls 5 (Game Two) Brewers and GF split double-header By Dustin Daniel / Helena Brewers The Helena Brewers (12-21) split a double-header with the Great Falls Voyagers (14-19) on Saturday by scores of 2-5 and 7-5. Game one was tightly contested through the first four innings, but the Voyagers would break open a three run lead in the fifth and never relinquish it. Patrick Palmeiro came up with a two-RBI single to score John Ziznewski and Hunter Jones after Ziznewski led off the inning with a double. Palmeiro went 2-for-4 with three RBI. Alan Sharkey led the Brewer offense in game two, falling a triple short of the cycle. He would hit a solo home run in the second and cranked a double in the fifth. All three of his homers this year have come in August. Kaleb Earls (1-0) picked up a victory in just his second appearance in the Pioneer League. He would force a grounder off the bat of Dillon Haupt to end the game. Tucker Neuhaus' team-high 16-game hitting streak came to an end as he went 0-for-3 with three strikeouts. Neuhaus was originally slated to take the game off, but was inserted in the lineup in the top of the second. The Brewers have now won three of their last four after ending a nine-game losing streak. The Brewers and the Voyagers will meet for their final time this year Sunday at Kindrick Field. First pitch is set for 1:05 p.m. Brewers turn in home split with Voyagers By Troy Shockley / Helena Independent Record With the help of Alan Sharkey's hot bat, the Helena Brewers turned in a doubleheader split with Great Falls on Saturday at Kindrick Legion Field. After dropping the first of the two games 5-2, the Brewers bounced back with a 7-5 win in the nightcap, a makeup game from a rainout last week. That win was helped along by Sharkey's 3-for-3 performance at the plate. He finished with a double, a home run, two runs scored and an RBI. That game started with Helena taking an early 3-0 lead after the second inning -- a rally started by Sharkey's solo home run, his third of the season. Great Falls got one back in the top half of the third, but the Brewers answered with two in their half of the frame thanks to an RBI triple by Luis Aviles and an RBI double by Dionis Hinojosa. That made it a 5-1 game, but the Voyagers stuck around. With one run in the fourth and two in the fifth, it became a one-run game. But Helena's Brandon Diaz connected on his second triple of the season, plating two key runs. Great Falls was able to get one run in the seventh, but no more and the Brewers earned their 25th win of the year -- the decision going to Kaleb Earls (1-0). The opener was also a close game, with the teams knotted at 1 after the first. Neither team would score until the Voyagers strung together four hits to plate three in the fifth. The visitors added another run in the top of the seventh. Helena had a shot to extend the game, bringing the tying run to the plate, but wasn't able to convert. Next up for Helena is another contest against Great Falls at Kindrick, slated for 1:05 p.m. Helena Game One Box Score Helena Game One Log Helena Game Two Box Score Helena Game Two Log

Brewers beat Great Falls 5-3 By Curt Synness / Helena Independent Record The Helena Brewers used a 4-run eighth inning to propel themselves to a 5-3 Pioneer league win over Great Falls on the road Friday. The win improves the Northern Division cellar-dwelling Brewers to a second-half record of 11-20. The Voyagers are one place ahead in the standings, in the third slot, with a 13-18 mark. Helena starter Devin Williams had a 3-hitter through six innings, giving up one run and striking out five. He was relieved by Brandon Woodruff, who went the last three frames for the win. The Voyagers used three pitchers, with Grant Moore sustaining the loss. The Brewers broke a 1-1 deadlock in the top of the eighth inning, pushing across four runs to propel them to their second straight win over GF, after a 9-game losing streak. After Dustin DeMuth and Jack Cleary reached base with singles, DeMuth came home on Alan Sharkey’s sacrifice bunt single and a throwing error by the pitcher. An RBI single by Eric Williams then made it 3-1. Then with two-out and two men on, Edgardo Rivera ripped a double, plating a pair of runs and the Brew-crew went up by four. Rivera finished with three hits on the night. Great Falls came back to score a run in each of the last two stanzas, but the Brewers were able to hold on for the victory.