chad25

Paragraphed and Capitilized for you all. Hope its easier to read.

So wait you just said that the way we can compete is that you dont sign big time free agents, but you build your franchise from within. Then in the next paragraph you said in 2014 we should add a "key free agent signing or two" and this is a succesful franchise. So your arguing against what your saying a successful franchise like us should be. maybe i dont understand what your saying as it pertains to free agent signing. IMO next years team is a competitive team already. Our lineup is on pace to score more runs than last years team, and thats even with Weeks throwing in a dud. If our lineup stays the same next year and we produce like this year (very possible), we'll be fine. Now look at pitching: The odds that our bullpen next year is as bad as THIS years bullpen are very slim. But our starting pitching will be a tad worse than this years. Gallardo will give you the ups and the downs but still give you a mid 3 ERA. Marcum (if they bring him back) the same, maybe a little higher. Narveson, Fiers, and Peralta are all questions. But at worst case scenarios they have an average ERA of 4-4.2 . So just say our team ERA is (at worst) 4 or a little lower. about NL average. Yes those are all "if's" and possibilities that will happen next year but so are the ideas people announce on here. You dont know that the player/players the brewers would get back in return for trading Hart and/or Ramirez will become anything in the bigs. Gamel is a question too and im a huge mat gamel fan. I just like knowing what we have, minimizing the risk, which is why Id want to keep hart and then let him go. Take the Comp pick. Gamel is cheaper but money really isnt an issue right now for us with Greinke, K-Rod, Marcum, and Wolf becoming FA's. Being a small market team means you have to take risks, but I like minimizing my risks I take. You know in all honesty the brewers will probably trade Hart and/or Ramirez this offseason. Wouldn't surprise me. But its taking a risk on young talent at the corners, hoping they produce at MLB average levels. I don't like going into a season knowing/thinking its a rebuild year when I've seen what this team can do.

faede- I completely agree with your last statements. we cant afford to just scrap one year (2013). We will lose so many of the average fans who dont follow baseball as religiously as people on this forum do. I think thats one thing that gets overlooked and I sometimes do it to. Just the other day I was talking with my friends about sports, and I brought up the brewers. And people responded with "Cant wait for football season, lets just talk about the Packers." Im still in brewer mode and will always be, but im a diehard fan and will watch them and go to the games no matter what. This is a football state and the brewers cant afford to have one bad year where ticket sales decline and the money shrinks. Every year, from here on out has to be "The Year" and with Braun and the other veteran position players in our lineup, it can be. Next year we'll go through our bumps with the starting rotation but if our bullpen gets revamped and becomes above-average, along with our strong lineup, we'll be in contention. I want them to keep Hart and Ramirez, and see where our team is at midseason next year.

well of course you dont trade those guys for nothing. you try and get young, high-ceiling talent for them. all of those players have had lots of success but are blocked by starters now so why not try and trade them. They all deserve the chance to start somewhere. The way Roenicke talks about Hart at 1B, im guessing they will extend his contract this offseason. He'll probably get the same amount that Ramirez got. We are a small-market team but the more we win, the more $$$ rolls in. Our payroll wont just stay the same and will keep going up. We cant keep moving players when they become good just because they'll ask for more money. People need to realize that we might be considered a small-market team, but we dont have to adhere to that approach (shipping out productive players and finding young cost-controlled guys). With Greinke, K-Rod, and Wolf all getting off our payroll we'll have the extra money to spend on Hart. Im not sold on Morris being the 1B of the future. see how he performs in AAA and if he still plays great, then we have a piece to move next year before the trade deadline if we are in contention for the playoffs....... xisxis you seem to tear apart other people's opinions on trades (which is fine) but I haven't seen you put your thoughts on trading in this topic. If you have then I must have skipped over it but im curious to see what think should be done.

There's only 4 players I would trade...... Maldonado-He might have value to a team that wants a young MLB ready catcher. I think we sign an older backup catcher for a 1 yr deal with club option for 2nd and after he's gone we can see where Garfield, Coulter, and even Zarraga (might be enough to be a backup catcher) are at in the system Gamel-I think the brewers are set with Hart at 1B Green-He shouldn't be a backup and he be given a chance to start somewhere Gindl-How has this guy fallen off the radar? One bad year and we forget that he has shown production through every level. he has to have value to someone bc he's 23 and MLB ready Teams that might want them: Tampa Bay Rays- could use Maldonado Colorado Rockies- could use Gamel, they need a young MLB ready 1B New York Mets- could use Gindl Los Angeles Dodgers- could use Green, Gamel, Gindl and Maldonado. They've got a lot of contracts coming off the books and it will depend on who they resign. But they want to get young and could use these guys. But I would trade Maldonado and Gamel to the Miami Marlins. They need a young catcher and a 1B because they just traded Gaby Sanchez and Dobbs isn't a solution. They need cheap young talent. I would then trade Green and Gindl to the Philadelphia Phillies. They need cheap solutions because they have most of their money invested in Utley, Howard, Hamels, Halladay, and Lee. They just traded away 2 OF's and will need a 4th OF. They also lose Wigginton and Polanco and could use Green to cover 3B and backup 1B. What you could get back in return for these guys, I dont know. but probably young (A-ball talent) players.

I, in all honesty, give the trades a 10. Melvin traded Greinke knowing that we have a low chance on resigning him and got great value in return. And the Angels are saying they are trying to resign Greinke long-term bc they dont want to have given up all that in return for a rental. The Angels have money to do it and the brewers couldn't offer Greinke what they can. All 3 prospects we got in return could be major league ready by the end of 2013. Kottaras became expendable and we got a high ceiling reliever. Melvin didnt burn the team down because I think he knows that we can't go back to rebuild mode again. It would hurt the fan-base and $$$ coming in if we completely gave up on 2013. Die-hard fans will always spend money and watch, but this is a football state, and there many more fair-weather brewer fans out there. Our lineup will still be very good next year (if we keep Hart especially, and from what Roenicke says they might have him be our long-term 1B), our bullpen could make a 180 turn and be great (that does happen often) and the pitching staff will be MLB average to above average (depending on if Melvin signs 1 or 2 FA pitchers to 1-yr deals with club options on 2nd)..... so is it out of the question that 2013 is a playoff year? no and these trades showed that. sidenote: I see so much hatred for cesar izturis on this forum. did people think he was going to come in and bat .300 with all this extra power that no one has ever seen before? I think he's done his job well. Whenever I'm watching he's getting hits or making good defensive plays. And he was robbed of a hit last night. Maxwell made an amazing catch going that far left center to catch it. If Maxwell is 3 inches shorter he doesnt make it and izturis gets another triple.... I'll go so far as to say that if we resigned Izturis next year to be a backup IF, I would be ok with it. People were ok with Counsell being that guy and they hit about the same minus OBP.

I think the Brewers are going to trade 1 player this offseason but it wouldn't surprise me if multiple guys get traded. I think Hart, Weeks, and Ramirez are the obvious ones but Maldonado, Gamel, Gindl and Green could be expendable and of trade value. Maybe not Gamel so much because coming off an injury...... On a side note, I've always liked Caleb Gindl and thought he had a future in Milwaukee. I think he's really fallen off everyone's radar with the emergence of Schafer and both of the Davis's. But the guys only 23 so time is on his side. If he can't make it here, I'd like to see us trade him so he gets a chance somewhere else.

I dont know who I'd have closing or setting up, kind of a crapshoot. I think i would give axford the job but if he starts blowing saves again, then just do it by committee. take it inning by inning and just see which reliever I think has the best chance against the 3 guys that are coming up. as for the position players..... C-Lucroy, Maldonado 1B-Gamel (I would trade Hart this offseason, but if you cant get good return, then he stays at 1st and teach Gamel to play LF or RF) 2B-Weeks (he has to stay bc hes got little value to trade and hoping he can bounce back) SS-A Gonzalez (1 yr deal but id be leary about that) 3B-Ramirez Backup IF-Bianchi (downfall is he only plays SS), Green (Id like him to start somewhere at least 2x a week), Farris (can play LF). I like Farris bc he hits for avg and doesnt strikeout alot. plus hes got speed. I guess ive got a soft spot for him and id like to see him get a shot. LF-Braun CF-Gomez RF-Aoki backup OF-Schafer. The one AAA player im most certain of will be on the team next year. he'd be a quality backup and could get the start against some righties for Gomez, maybe twice a week. overall there would be a very young bench, but I think quality is still there. and I dont see them being any worse than Morgan, Ransom, and Izturis are now. Would be a young team, possibly frustrating pitching staff to watch, but the talent in AAA is soon to come. And I always say, with the division we're in and the hitters we have, we are never in rebuild mode.

The minors have been very fun to watch this year. It will be interesting to see who from AAA is on the team next year. Im the GM, so next year looks like...... Rotation: Gallardo Marcum (sign to 1 yr deal and if not another FA pitcher) Narveson Fiers Peralta -yes this is not very intimidating but I dont want to see us overspend on some FA pitching when we could give our young, cheaper talent a chance. Bullpen: Axford (hoping maybe the offseason gets his mind right) Henderson Hand (give him a shot)' L Hernandez (veteran presence and good attitude. plus he throws strikes, not fast ones, but strikes) Estrada Rodgers (long reliever written all over him with his history of arm problems) Mike Adams (former brewer who has blossomed in other venues and hoping he brings that here) -of course, the obvious, no lefties. and maybe leave Donovan Hand in AAA and sign a vet lefty. but I just want guys who will give us quality innings, no matter which arm they throw with. I like having 3 guys who can be long relievers/spot starters because we'd have such a young rotation (plus Narveson coming off surgery) and we might need innings eaters in our Pen.

I went through the games one by one and i believe the brewers record, when giving the bullpen a 3 runs or less lead, is 25-26. THAT IS TERRIBLE!

trade Greinke and K-Rod to the Rangers for Mike Adams and Alexi Ogando or Koji Uehara, plus minor leaguers Martin Perez (SP), Roman Mendez (SP/RP), Luis Sardinas (SS) and Will Lamb (SP/RP)....... Im in rebuild mode and I want to get return for our top guys. we'd go into next year with a pretty solid bullpen (resign mike adams, koji uehara in control till 2015, alexi ogando in control till 2017) and we'd have some talented young pitchers to get the chance to start.

with braun's athleticism he can stay at LF i think. he gets the occasional minor tweak or pull of a muscle but thats nothing to be scared about. I dont think just because hes our best player and we have him for the long term that be need to baby him. I bet he wouldnt like moving to first because we are afraid of his legs getting beat up. maybe when hes in his mid-30s ill be fine with moving him to 1st for a younger, more athletic player........ and im guessing to get Yunel Escobar we'd have to give up Peralta or Jungmann. I just dont like that. id much rather see what we can get out of these prospects. I hate watching former prospects do great on other teams hah.

I guess im not sure why people want to trade aramis ramirez. We just signed this guy to a 3-year deal. seems like a waste of money that could have been spent elsewhere if we're just going to trade him while his value is high. i personally didnt like the aramis signing to begin with (just would have put Green in there to begin with), but since we did sign him just keep him. Im more the type who wouldnt trade a player until the last year of his contract unless he is underperforming or an amazing offer comes up. im not convinced i guess. or even trading Fiers bc his value is high. he can be of use to us next year in the rotation. And I wouldnt mess with our starting lineup. next year id like it to be C-Lucroy 1b-Gamel 2b-Weeks 3b-Ramirez SS-??find one in the offseason. RF-Hart CF-Aoki LF-Braun

Your Doug Melvin and Ron Roenicke for a year. What trades would you make now, who do you get back in return, and who do you bring up? what would your lineup and pitching staff look like at the end of the year? Who do you try and sign in the offseason or trade for? At the start of next year, whats your roster looking like?...... you dont have to answer all questions but just throwing out some ideas if your the GM. 1) Trade Zach Greinke. I would offer him 5 years 90 million (he of course wont accept it) so you ship him and K-Rod off to the Rangers for reliever Mike Adams and Alexi Ogando, or Koji Uehara (and If Uehara needs an interpreter, bonus! we already got one! haha) and Minor pitchers Roman Mendez, Tanner Sheppers, and Will Lamb. If we can get Martin Perez from the rangers too that would be great. The Rangers have the money to sign greinke long-term and at least offer K-rod something in the offseason. 2)Find a way to trade Kottaras. and if we cant then send maldonado down to the minors for regular time and tell him that hes the backup catcher next year. 3)Thornburg starts in Greinke's place until Marcum comes back and then you send Thornburg down to keep his regular innings and development going. So your rotation at the end of the year will look like: Yovanni Gallardo, Shaun Marcum, Randy Wolf, Michael Fiers, Marco Estrada. and the bullpen is Kameron Loe, Manny Parra, Livan Hernandez, Jose Veras, John Axford, Mike Adams and Koji Uehara or Alexi Ogando. thats just a start to my thoughts but ill think of some more......

No one has mentioned it but I wonder if we could possibly trade wolf and kottaras to the nationals. since they are going to need a pitcher when they shut down Strasburg eventually and they could use a catcher with some pop in his bat who's a lefty. they have plenty of talented arms in the minors we could get back in return, although im sure we cant get top talent, we could still get a guy like Daniel Rosenbaum and maybe one of their lefty's in the MLB bullpen..... this might be too wishful of thinking though.

AND THIS WAS OUR CHANCE!! we just took 2 out of 3 against the pirates, the cardinals have been sputtering, and then votto is out for 3-4 weeks!?!?!?! ahhhh frustrating

I agree watching the bullpen give up wins for us has been the most frustrating thing this year. i wonder what the record is for our team when our bullpen is given a 3-run or less lead. Its so ironic that our strength this year was supposed to be our bullpen but they have sputtered all year......I dont think we should trade for bullpen help either. just deal with what we got. Upper management and the coaching staff has assembled this bullpen and let them keep blowing leads so ill blame them first before I blame Axford and the other stooges.