SRB

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Bring back the powder blue, it's iconic! Navy/gold is boring.

[sarcasm]That's just because we don't have Big Game James yet![/sarcasm]

Tom H says this deal probably isn't going to happen, but then again I'm not sure I trust Tom H's contacts to know what's going on behind the scenes.

We need a second LHP so that Roenicke doesn't use Will Smith, one of our best relievers, as a LOOGY (which he will probably do if there isn't another one)

Plenty of players with better stats than Ernie Banks (arguably Robin Yount had a better career), but his enthusiasm for the game makes him one of the greatest of all time. Banks, Aaron, Mays, wish I had a time machine back to that era of baseball!

Just my impression, but all the Steamer projections for RP that I've seen have been extremely suspicious. I infer that they are largely based on xFIP (or similar source stats), but that doesn't make sense for backend relievers who as a group I'm sure dramatically overperform their xFIP due to the fact that they don't give up an average number of HR (well, except K-Rod...)

His career has been with the Red Sox and Phillies (almost as bad as the Yankees and Cardinals). If he was exactly the same but had come up on the Padres or something I think people's perception of him would be a little different.

That means we know the leak is coming from the Phillies front office, because Melvin never leaks anything. Could be they are exaggerating preliminary inquiries from the Brewers to use us as leverage with another team.

I have zero problem with this as long as no notable prospects are involved (Harrison? Seriously? I would have to step away from baseball for a while if that happens). Hopefully it's just a salary dump, because it's not my money and if Mark A is willing to spend then I don't see how it really harms us other than preventing them from signing a free agent LHP. Broxton is total garbage and is making $9M, Papelbon is still a solid closer.

I don't particularly want Shields, but we'll see what happens. At what price do you think Melvin's wait-out-the-market strategy will make it worthwhile for us to jump on Shields? 4/$60M?

I can see arguments both ways for Sardinas starting in AAA, so I'll assume the front office starts by giving Hector Gomez a look. LHP CF Gomez 1B Lucroy (I don't agree with it, but will probably be the case) RF Braun 3B Ramirez LF Davis 2B Gomez/Gennett SS Segura C Maldonado RHP CF Gomez C Lucroy RF Braun 1B Lind 3B Ramirez LF Davis/Parra 2B Gennett SS Segura

This is very intriguing. It's not like the Brewers are just "interested" (I'm sure every team is in that respect...) but they're a surprising inclusion in the list of teams holding private workouts: Brewers, Rangers, Giants, Yankees, Red Sox, and Padres. Given the Padres Renaissance those are all major players/spenders who one would normally consider frontrunners. I feel like the Brewers wouldn't be on the list if they weren't somewhat serious about making a large offer. Obviously they are still huge long shots to be able to afford him. Hope Mark A is feeling generous with his pocketbook this year!

LHP Neal Cotts and RHP Francisco Rodriguez (at a discount) would be ideal. I don't trust K-Rod as far as I can throw him, but I fear Broxton is going to be a disaster and K-Rod is more appealing than the other "closers" on the market.

I love Jim Callis! Thanks for the link. Sardinas sort of reminds me of a mini-Gomez (though without the raw power). I am just astounded that we got this good of a return for one year of Yovani Gallardo given the pitcher that Gallardo has become (also astounded that so many online act like this is an even trade or a win for the Rangers). I had been expecting a MLB journeyman and salary relief or something.

I've said this many times on the MiLB forum, but I'll just say one more time that I could care less how Mayo rates someone, I don't have much respect for him as a prospect evaluator. As an example he thought Jungmann had 3 plus pitches prior to draft and my personal opinion was that he didn't have one. The only guy with any real credibility doing that work for MLB is Jim Callis, Bernie Pleskoff is alright but most everything he writes reads like the parents of the young man wrote the article. Arcia is a toothpick right now, but has surprising pull power for his size, his brother has a much different natural build. If Orlando fills out a little bit he'll be a 10 HR/year guy. Like all players I wish he was spending his off season in the weight room working on his athleticism instead of playing winter ball, but that it is what it is. The one thing I continually tried to point out about Arcia in the Link Reports when he was in WI was how he impressed me with his contact skills. He would swing at bad pitches and manage to put them play, the kind of bad pitches that most hitters just swing through entirely. When he swung at pitches in the zone he hit line drives to all fields... He's capable of being a .300 hitter with better pitch selection, and it is improving, regardless of his size. While all hitters tend to get themselves out, Orlando was especially susceptible with his aggressive approach and contact skills with those early in the count weak grounders on horrible hitter's pitches. I don't know whether Sardinas is better than Arcia, but as I've been saying, it's not just Mayo who was high on Sardinas. Jason Parks with BP also had him as a top-100 prospect two years running and gave him very favorable scouting reports, and Parks knows/knew the Rangers system in particular as good as any of the scouting pundits out there. It's really only Baseball America who was comparatively "low" on Sardinas. Maybe he took a step back in 2014 in some respects, but I don't know, to me it seems like he held his own pretty well for a 20-year-old glove-first SS (he outhit Segura, for one ). I don't think we have a future MVP on our hands here, but is Elvis Andrus or Alcides Escobar out of the question? (Two very solid MLB shortstops -- keep in mind I'm referencing the Alcides Escobar that exists today, not the guy with what looked like projectable gap power and made him a top-25 prospect back around 2009). As for this trade as a whole, which side do you think will result in more WAR in 2015? SP Jimmy Nelson IF Luis Sardinas RP Corey Knebel (not sure if he will make MLB bullpen right away) $9 million to spend (or $9 million less cuts that need to be made) SP Yovani Gallardo IF Hector Gomez RP Michael Blazek? My money's on #1. I honestly think this trade improves the team in 2015 without even looking at the long-term influx of talent, because Nelson isn't that much worse than Gallardo. (Granted, the downside is we have less pitching depth in case of injuries)

2011: 17.0 IP, 10.6 K/9, 1.1 BB/9, 1.97 FIP, 2.01 xFIP 2010: 21.0 IP, 12.9 K/9, 3.4 BB/9, 2.13 FIP, 2.32 xFIP (Edit: this is vs LHP) Keep in mind that was as a SP (but was also 4-5 seasons ago...) Lots of people scoffed at Zach Duke too. I think it's a smart signing, see what he can do as a RP.

Bookmark the thread, guess we'll find out.

I don't know if Scooter can play 3B, but if Segura has an offensive revival it makes sense to have his decent defense at 2B. Scooter is not a defensive powerhouse, so he's the one who should move. Sardinas should not be in AAA, especially when we have a MLB 2B who cannot hit LHP whatsoever and no viable utility options other than Hector Gomez.

His ERA was better, nothing else was. I'm not cherrypicking, anybody with eyes can see that his stuff has visibly diminished over the years. Last year the strikeouts disappeared even further, to a sub-7.0 K/9. I don't think Gallardo profiles well as a low-K, high-GB pitcher long-term. He's a 4+ ERA, #4, so-so talent level pitcher, however you want to cut it. I like Yovani a lot, he's always been one of my favorite players, but I'm just being objective here. I suspect this will blow up in Texas's face like the Garza trade did.

I think Sardinas will be the everyday starting SS by 2016, and not necessarily just because Segura continues to stink. We may have a Sardinas-Segura infield in the future (Segura started out at 2B, after all). If you platoon him, Scooter hits well enough to play 3B. Lots of interesting options if things pan out.

He was a 4+ ERA pitcher in 2013, his peripherals only got worse last season, he's another year older, he's moving to the AL and Texas. He's been a 3.90+ FIP pitcher for three seasons now.

I love love love this trade for Yovani Gallardo. I realize some on here are not as enamored with Sardinas, but if you read the more optimistic scouting reports I think we could look back on this trade as an absolute steal. He is 21 and has a lot of room to develop. Certainly wasn't expecting a potential MLB-caliber SS plus two other solid prospects for a likely 4+ ERA pitcher like Gallardo.

That's what makes me think it's Neftali Feliz, who also recently agreed to his arbitration salary which would explain the overall timing of the trade. I certainly hope not though: injury-prone, declining stuff, overrated given his peripherals...

Probably going to be Neftali Feliz straight-up. Taking so long because they need to triple-check his medicals. (Please no )