brewcrewdue80

So I am really confused but MLBTR from what I read said that Cuddyer turned down the QO because he already had the Deal with the Mets and that if he hadn't had that deal, he'd have accepted the QO.... How did they have a deal arranged ahead of the QO offerings? Lets say Colorado caught wind of that deal and just in the nick of submitting the QO snagged the Pick from the Mets? That should teach teams to sign FAs before the QOs have been handed out.

From a Hitting DH only perspective, Seems like the Tigers got a great deal to me. 17mil a year over 4years? What's a guy coming off a 5+WAR season all off his bat supposed to be getting? Albert Pujols is going to be paid 25/26/27/28mil for the age years that this deal covers on Martinez. David Ortiz was paid close to this amount for the same aged years in money. If the guy has hit this well at age 34/35 I honestly wouldn't be too worried that this contract is going to be terrible through it. Martinez has raked not in the regular season but in the Postseason as well and that's your ultimate goal to win in the postseason. The guy has a 10.4% for his CAREER Strikeout rate in a day when having 30% seems normal and batting .250 because of it and 20+HRs is acceptable. He's carrying that 10% rate while having just hit 32HRs last season. So they signed the BEST DH in the AL to a 4 year deal at 17mil a year. When other BESTs in baseball are looking at 30million a year contracts. Tigers absolutely win on this deal and Kudos for them for it being rather Team Friendly.

We're kidding ourselves on Heyward for Lohse or Gallardo. Maybe if it were Peralta the deal might happen. Heyward is a Surefire QO player. To Acquire him from Atl I'd expect a Lohse+Davis+one of Taylor/Arcia/Coulter deal. He's 25years old. Has had 2 seasons above 6WAR already. And that is with him being disappointing in his Growth. When he does blossom as a hitter(magic ages of 26-29 coming) The guy is going to be nearing 10WAR likely. I don't see much of a fit between the teams. At least on Milw's side to swap a ML player for ML player. Trading Quintana who's young w/o the proven numbers thus far would seem like the type where a Minor League player is swapped in return. Cody Martin doesn't sound like a Pitcher for Atl who can really go anywhere. The Back end of the Bullpen is solid and he doesn't really read as having much upside as a Starter. The Brewers could use a cheap RP and he may be the one to target. Would be a Brewers get a ML ready pitcher today for a young struggling Quintana who easily in 2-3years time becomes exactly what Martin is today. Another Minor League that would fit could be Todd Cunningham A player who reads as a Logan Schafer type only a switch hitter with a little more Bases on Balls skill. Schafer I don't know if he has any options left for 2015 but he may turn in to a guy who's just going to be let go if Cunningham is the man in trade who's identical but will have options. That'd be my guess on a deal being worked out. I wouldn't understand Atl parting with their Arb eligible Relievers as they are relatively cheap and effective. I don't see who would go to Atl from Milw of equal value and vice versa. They aren't getting Lohse/Gallardo+Quintana for one of them.(well maybe Walden is worthy)

I just enjoy the list in terms what looks like top 5-10 today are going to be ranked on upside HS or Polished College. I'm happy with the Medeiros pick because he's actually a guy who was moving up the boards. I'm happy with the Gatewood pick because he was a top 5 pick HS'er who has the major upside about him, but didn't showcase the right amount of progress to maintain that steam. See right now I want to read about the projected top 10 today. Read about the Upside of a few of these HS players and then I'll remain excited if/when they happen to fall to Milw. Now if it's that Polished College player who falls to us, I'm probably going to feel disappointed. Again, more or less the point is to have more info about the potential draft picks and maybe when we have a predict the Brewers 1st rd pick someone here can take a guy from that list say they want Milw to select him(with a real possibility) and then can gloat and talk all about how their guess and the Pick is going to be so Fantastic for the Franchise.

Hmmm. I make my little assessment of Taylor's swing mentioning just appears to be a Singles hitter. 23 hits in the League. 21 singles. 1Double 1Triple. Can't be too pleased with his growth as a Batter. From the videos I've seen, he has a solid in the zone swing. He's a Low K guy so him Being "Long" in his swing certainly isn't translating to swing and Miss troubles. The Power he's showing is certainly a positive Growth sign. There's going to be a lot to like about him as a Future Brewer.

I was referring to the Cubs. Jason Hammel/Scott Feldman/Paul Maholm in the last 3 seasons. 1year deal pitchers they traded at the deadline. And my idea was towards Gallardo being that kind of Pitcher. But in digging up that transaction history I see(having forgot) the Cubs traded for Felix Doubront and Jacob Turner who both would qualify as projects who can go either way. Do good and be available in trade. Do bad and likely just be dropped if the team is serious about contending this year or continue playing for depth to get through another Losing season. Guess the Cubs have a Rotation to at least put out there needing just the Ace signing this year and maybe another next year.

I mentioned Yonder Alonso as a trade target. It'd be a miracle if that guy found the open market. Same with Everth Cabrera. Find no way San Diego would just let them walk vs. signing and looking for 1 of the 2 to have a good year and make a trade off of it. But yeah I'd go after both if San Diego decides to live in Fantasy. Chacin/Medlen/David Hernandez Chacin I wonder what his stuff becomes if moved to the Bullpen? He used to be a high K pitcher when he broke in to the Bigs but it dwindled off a lot and maybe that has to do with Velocity? Could he turn in to a Wade Davis reclamation project where he finds immense success in the Bullpen. Medlen. Fantasy to think he will be non-tendered...unless his body is becoming complete crap and he offers no more ability to pitch. Again, another guy that I would believe is kept just for a bounceback to be worth something in trade. Hernandez. Would be a cheap closer Experienced Setup man who's peripherals look appealing for a RP. I know he's coming back from TJ but for 3mil/less on the market? The good Hernandez helps the 2015Brewers. The Bad? He'd just be waived. He's the kind of risk-reward low cost player in the Bullpen the team should target.

All I know is that if there's a FA signing like Scherzer in the mix, one of the Four SPs of Lohse/Gallardo/Garza/Peralta had better be dealt before it occured. Or Melvin is just devaluing the SP that he'd have to trade to make room for Scherzer. Trading a guy away that teams know you're pushing out the door makes your end of bargaining pretty weak. I'm of the disposition that there's no way the Team signs a QO FA. You have a new Draft/Scout director replacing Seid and you take away that individual's(Montgomery I believe) 1st rd pick? His first opportunity to make a 1st rd selection? If I were Montgomery taking the job I'd have put in the request that we aren't signing a QO player and leaving me the draft picks. He's obviously a man in line for promotions up the ladder in Baseball. Doesn't need a weak start to delay said future promotion.

Watching this BP session of Taylor's I find it disappointing. He appears to have little lower body kick with his stance and it shows more in his swing. All upper Body and seemingly off balance. Generating weak contact(ie just swinging for singles) There was some upper cut in to this swing while being taken imo from a singles hitting approach(likely due to swinging to RF) The sound was weak off the bat aside from the next to last I think hit? Only 1 batted ball sounded like it had Gap power. Everything else sounded like weak grounders/pop ups or easy Flyballs. with the occasional Through the hole singles of just over the head of INFs singles. They have to do something with that stance far,far to wide a base that is sapping him of more power in his contact. If it's sacrificing power for contact and that's his only way to be successful at the plate(the upper cut in it) he's not going to be any thing special at the plate. Again Im not a scout so my opinion has very little merit to it. My experience in watching swings comes from Golf and I can pick up the level of player I'm looking at with watching a swing session such as this BP. This is far from the swing skills I seen with Lara's BP and even Gatewood's/Harrison's. Just stating that the upside to me is diminished a little after seeing this w/o some more work/adjustments.

I'm not surprised the Mets made the deal due to his playing OF+1b Platoon for Duda. I'm surprised that he declined 15.3mil to sign a 2year/21mil deal. The guy should feel like he's going to be able to find over 6mil in 2016 to beat the 2/21. But whatever. Nice start to this offseason. QOs declined today and 1 of them is signed already! I don't believe the Mets have the prospects that the Rockies would want in a deal for Tulo or Cargo. There is no way the Mets would trade Syndergaard and DeGrom and Wheeler are both going to be off the table also. So that leaves Plaweki, Nimmo, Smith and Montero. I just don't see the Rockies accepting anything less than Syndergaard, Plaweki, Nimmo, and Smith for Tulo. There is no way the Mets would give that up just to get Tulo. The Mets just don't have the prospects that would be willing to give up to get Tulo. They don't have the prospects to get Tulo? Prospects the Rockies wouldn't want? They are LOADED with SPs. Colorado? They ruin pitching careers before they ever get off the ground. Thus, they simply get one who's already gotten off the ground. Matt Harvey. While dumping salary for a guy who's displeased with the organization and as I read by many, quits/(Injures) to the point of having to go on the DL. Colorado isn't there with Pitching. Adding a Sure-fire Front line starter as Matt Harvey would immediately provide them with a SP to build with. They have the Lemahieu/Rutledge combo at 2b to jump in and play for Tulo's SS. I'd find it hard to decline a trade offer of just Matt Harvey for Tulo. Straight up. Toss in the Catcher prospect Plawecki I suppose and the deal should be done. Meanwhile the Mets have Wheeler, DeGrom, Niese, Gee and of course Syndegaard to fill out their 5man rotation with Harvey's departure. This was a 79win team last year with a growing superstar in D'Arnaud, having Wright/Granderson and Cuddyer to join in with Tulo for batters? Looks better than the Brewers upside we chimed about going in to 2014. And that is a Playoff team then you're looking at. I don't care about the 15games out of 1st equation. The Mets would be better H2H for 2015 than in 2014 and turning a loss in to a win is 2games of that 15game separation. Btw looked it up 4-15 H2H vs. Wash. a split 9-10 would have meant finishing just 5games behind Washington not 15. Tulo is Great when he plays but he's also now being paid 20mil a season for a guy who in the last 3 seasons has played in 264 of the 486 games possible. How many more seasons as he passes the age of 30 can Colorado expect him to keep his value for a King's ransom of prospects if he's playing around 90games a season? So if I said here's Matt Harvey for Tulo what would you ask more in return? How do you refuse that offer and expect other teams to beat a Cy Young candidate with team control to 2019? Edit: I messed up the quote thingy Reilly posted the first quote. actually think I lost more of the quote I took. sigh.

I missed the Wada signing but that would be 1 SP piece. Wood isn't a SP that I'd really want to rely on. Arrieta and Hendriks pitched over their heads. Arrieta's numbers at least appear he could sustain a reasonable SP ERA. But Hendriks? Not a K guy, doesn't walk many so he's pitching to contact. I expect him to gradually decline as hitters see him more and figure him out which would not make him all that promising to rely on for your team. So let's go with the Lester/Peavy signings. That make Arrieta #3 Hendricks/Wada fill out the #4/5 spots. Wood and Jackson the odd men out of the rotation. Now the team has to look for 31 starts from those final 3. Do you trust them to get you through to September? I think of it as the Cubs should strike to find that "Other #3 like Gallardo" now for an Alcantara vs. getting to the July deadline and having to part with Russell or Almora or even CJ Edwards three more Prolific long term Prospects to add whatever #3 SP is available at the trade deadline(Gallardo/Lohse possibly) if they are serious about making a push next season for the playoffs. Gallardo to me costs less today in prospects than if he's pitching well in 2015 and on the trade market at the July deadline. Simply because Milw will have the QO tag to use as a bargaining chip. A 3.4ERA Gallardo and less with the 7ks+/9 certainly would be grounds for a Milw QO. It's not known whether he's worth a QO today or not but at the July deadline it certainly would be apparent. So at the winter meetings I could see Gallardo being worth Alcantara+Bullpen guy. At the Deadline the Brewers may be asking for Russell/Almora/Edwards+ say Vogelbach for less starts of Gallardo and loss of being in control of a QO tag. The part for me that adds the intrigue is how many times have the Cubs used these 1/2year SPs and gotten back decent prospects for them in the last 3 years? Gallardo today either works as the 4th SP with Arrieta/Peavy/Lester to get them over the top or he becomes the obvious sell off SP at the deadline. If he's the guy that helps them get over the top they QO him. If I'm right about Arrieta/Hendricks and lets say Peavy/Gallardo struggle they just trade him away for something similar in return. Cubs don't stand to lose in acquiring Gallardo.

What are you willing to give up for Alcantara? Being its within the division, he will likely cost us a little bit more than another team. I don't feel comfortable giving up a solid prospect, especially since our farm system is already running low on top tier talent, for a super utility player who projects best at 2B (which we already have covered). Ramon Santiago would provide similar value and likely cost the Brewers $3M or 2 years. I thought I stated Gallardo. Yeah, I don't see why the Cubs, who are building around young talent would give up one of their young, talented players when they can just go out and buy better pitchers than Gallardo in the free agent market. Lohse and Gallardo really make little sense to the Cubs, who shouldn't be looking at a guy on a one-year deal. If they really like either of the pitchers, they can simply wait until he's a free agent after next season and pick him up then. To me the Cubs need 4 SPs and maybe even stash a 5th if they are serious about making a run for Playoffs. Scherzer, Lester are what? 5year deals costing north of 100million? Alcantara is a 2b/SS by trade. The Cubs have Baez,Castro and then Addison Russell to find a place for likely behind either. OF they have Soler and Almora to cover Alcantara's next useful position of CF. Essentially Alcantara is the 3rd Backup all over the field and not the every day starter. Take all the payroll they are about to add on 5year deals and guess what? Those 5years deals will run in to the time the team extends these young prospects. There is no reason to add 2@100mil+ for 5years and then 3year deals in the 45-80mil range only to sit back and wonder where the money is supposed to come from to extend Bryant/Soler/Almora/Russell? Also, Gallardo has that 185+IP every season health going for him. So the Cubs can expect him to make it through the season and again like the Yankees just did with Robertson extending a QO. Gallardo would also be extended a QO netting them either a draft pick or a 16mil. pitcher in 2016 that they can afford to pay for the chance of being rewarded a draft pick.

I'm pretty sure Luke Jackson has too high a ceiling to give up for rental players. I mentioned this somewhere else, but rather than get a retread Emilio Bonifacio to platoon with Scooter, the move to make is to get the Cubs super utility Arismendy Alcantara for that role. Switch Hitter easy platoon mate for both 2b/SS if he's swinging a hot bat. Heck, even 3b or OF he's played at. Just go and get the guy. He'd really solve any kind of Backup problems on the team if needed. Easily worth a Lohse or Gallardo....and I'd imagine it being Gallardo due to age, a Bosio refining turnaround could spell QO after the season thus replacing the loss of Alcantara. Based on his numbers in the Minors he looks a lot like Segura's 2013. Some power, a speed demon disruptor on the basepaths. He's 23 young with lots of team control i.e cheap and likely far more serviceable than Bonifacio will be. Accomplish this trade you fill out your utility player needed/platoon partner and free up the money to go spend on any single RP you want to go after. Done for this offseason bring on 2015 Opening Day!

Yes Option which means not guaranteed. I'd have bet Billy Butler's option for 2015 would have been picked up 110% going in to the 2014 season. So to me Lind is a 1year player until his option is picked up in 2015 offseason. Just for an idea why Lind has played some 1b at the ML level since 2010 at the age of 26. Via BRef Defensive Runs saved/cost over a year based on his games played at 1b: 2010: +36 based on 11games-8Games started 2011: +5 based on 109 games-all Starts 2012: +6 based on 61games-57starts 2013: -2 based on 76games-71starts 2014: -12! based on 47games-43starts Lind I'd imagine is set for around 115-125games started at 1b for 2015. Let's give him his career avg for 120games offensively: 468PAs 428ABs 54runs 117hits 24/25doubles 1triple 18/19HRs 65RBI 1SB 34BBs 89/90Ks .273/.327/.466/.793 As a 1b you're looking at roughly (guess) 1.25-1.75 OWAR player. If his numbers defensively decline or stay at the -12 of last season meaning rougly -1WAR defensively....Lind can be expected to be a .5-1.4WAR player. Do you pay 8million for a 1b who stands to not be worth 1WAR? And that's based on career averages. He has to exceed them for me if I'd consider picking up his option. But what if Lind has offensive years like 2010-2012? the .250/.300/.425/.725OPS in 2015? While being a negative value defensively? Offensive Runs with the bat vs an average player in 2010-2012: -12,-4,-1 2011 he appeared in 125games(109at1b remember). So theres his downside value. He could be -4Runs offensively+ -12Runs Defensively There stands as good a chance Lind is a 0WAR/worse 1b for Milw in 2015 as he may be a 2WAR/+ for Milw in 2015. I just don't feel his option is a sure thing to be picked up because he's declining with age defensively.

Lind is an answer for 2015 but not beyond. Van Slyke would be an answer for 2015-2020. At least for his prime aged years I'll say 2015-2018. 4 seasons worth. You gotta strike for a player like Van Slyke before it's too late. When the Dodgers decide they must keep him, or another team trades for him this offseason. The Brewers will have a hole at 1b/3b regardless after 2015, now there are far better 3b options out there/coming up than there are 1b options. Thus why I go after the 1b player of the future and not the 3b player of the future. As to Estrada bringing back Lind so Gallardo should bring back "Better" than a Van Slyke.... Lind-Estrada=1year players. Gallardo-Van Slyke=1yr vs 6years. 10mil more in cost on the trade... Yes I believe Gallardo is every bit good of a pitcher as Hammel but Gallardo's trade value is coming based on a 3.94Fip vs. Hammel being a 3.19Fip and Samardzija at 3.09Fip at the time of trade. 2013 trade deadline nobody wanted to take on Gallardo labeling him a #4 Starter for a baseball team. Yeah he's probably back in the #3 fold but this is not someone who I believe can net a top 75 prospect in the offseason. And imo Van Slyke is too old to be in a top 100 rankings if he were in the minors but, he's a guy that I can see being a 5WAR 1b if given everyday PAs. Van Slyke IS a better trade offer than most likely Gallardo is worth. Oh, just want to add that considering the Crew have Parra, Lind, Gallardo, Lohse, ARam on 1year contracts I wouldn't be surprised if a deal is struck to a team getting two of them to fill needs missed in FA or via other trades made missed on. I'd love to see a deal made like Parra+Lohse or Lind+Gallardo that nets a top 40 type prospect in return plus a prospect or two that has some future upside value.

Lind is an answer for 2015 but not beyond. Van Slyke would be an answer for 2015-2020. At least for his prime aged years I'll say 2015-2018. 4 seasons worth. You gotta strike for a player like Van Slyke before it's too late. When the Dodgers decide they must keep him, or another team trades for him this offseason. The Brewers will have a hole at 1b/3b regardless after 2015, now there are far better 3b options out there/coming up than there are 1b options. Thus why I go after the 1b player of the future and not the 3b player of the future. As to Estrada bringing back Lind so Gallardo should bring back "Better" than a Van Slyke.... Lind-Estrada=1year players. Gallardo-Van Slyke=1yr vs 6years. 10mil more in cost on the trade... Yes I believe Gallardo is every bit good of a pitcher as Hammel but Gallardo's trade value is coming based on a 3.94Fip vs. Hammel being a 3.19Fip and Samardzija at 3.09Fip at the time of trade. 2013 trade deadline nobody wanted to take on Gallardo labeling him a #4 Starter for a baseball team. Yeah he's probably back in the #3 fold but this is not someone who I believe can net a top 75 prospect in the offseason. And imo Van Slyke is too old to be in a top 100 rankings if he were in the minors but, he's a guy that I can see being a 5WAR 1b if given everyday PAs. Van Slyke IS a better trade offer than most likely Gallardo is worth.

Van Slyke fills a 1b void. Look at his numbers argue how its not great from one side. Now go over the Minor Leagues, and find me a 1b that you would trade for? Guess what? Van Slyke is about the Cream of the Crop. The argument against a Gallardo for Van Slyke+ seems to be forgetting 1b just generally suck right now. There aren't Prince Fielders coming up to trade for. And if there are you best be sure they aren't going to be available in trade due to the fact stud 1b aren't growing on trees these days...for whatever reason....Maybe your older 1b in this day and age are more atheletic and are able to stick at Catcher or the Outfield or heck SS considering how many SSs are flooding MLB now or soon. As for Gallardo and pointing out is 3.94/3.89 Fip and saying that has a lot of value....Yeah if this were 3 years ago. Today that kind of Fip is a #4 Starter. What used to be thrilled to see a SP with a 3.7ERA and below has now gone down to an average around 3.5 and below. It's a Pitcher's era and Gallardo's 3.9ish Fip isn't special in it. It's very Average. I'd be thrilled to get Van Slyke+ a prospect for Gallardo's last season at 13mil cost. Van Slyke's AA numbers: 195gms 770PAs 210hits 52doubles 7triples 24Hrs 121RBI 10SBs 7CS 83BBs! 137Ks .312/.388/.516/.904 Not bad. Now his AAA numbers:171gms 720PAs 200hits 55doubles 3triples 31HRs 120RBI 13SBs 5CS 98BBs 133Ks .330/.425/.584/1.009 Thats improvement with his bat pretty much everywhere at a higher level. He has nothing left to prove just a chance and LA just happens to have a vet like adrian Gonzalez at 1b and of course the Crawford/Ethier/Kemp/Puig filled OF blocking him. Give me the guy who has something to prove vs. Gallardo who has nothing left to show in improvement just an expected decline as he continues to lose velocity. Oh guess this is completely off topic from Lind/Estrada. Hadn't chimed in but if this is a deal that is made moments in to the offseason, Why didn't this happen before July 31st? I feel like Lind is Lyle Overbay only younger. He's going to be a better bat at 1b than what we had in 13/14 no doubt. And for the cost of Estrada who seemed like a non-tender candidate. Super trade!

I've watched the Arcia fielding video like 12 times. I don't know what's more impressive. How fast he throws the ball to 1st on the first play or how in the world did he get to that Bouncer on the 2nd play? That ball seemed chopped fairly hard! Courtesy of Google here's Youtube vids one just a few hours old, the other 2 days old of HRs: Seems to turn on the inside pitch quite well.

I agree that if Gomez is dealt someone who's ML ready or maybe 1year in to the Majors would be the first piece in the package put together. Now the question is who qualifies to put that package together and needs Gomez in CF? Mets/Twins his former teams just don't see them trading back for him. But they have some of the best packages you could build for Gomez. Pirates/Cubs/Cardinals also have pieces to make a deal but in division deals likely aren't going to be done. Dodgers have the package pieces but I believe they are going to go with those guys/Pederson/Seager/Urias so another no. You start looking at the top 100 prospects then between divisions and work your way down for potential deals. Giants, I don't think they have what we'd want. Padres, Again not likely a proper package of what we'd want Rockies, not putting a package worthwhile. DBacks Can. Braves, not exactly what we need Marlins, if they had just kept Colin Moran! Phillies can but would they acquire Gomez in that aging lineup? Nationals can but do they need Gomez Orioles, not what we need for Gomez Red Sox can but don't think Gomez fits them Yankees, don't see them having the package Rays, don't see them having the package Blue Jays, maybe White Sox, don't have the package Indians, don't think they need Gomez Tigers, don't have the package Royals, can but don't need Gomez Astros can but don't see them moving to acquire Gomez to win some more in 2015/16 Angels don't need Gomez Athletics can I believe but doubtful after losing Russell Mariners certainly can Rangers certainly can. So that's Dbacks, Phillies, Nationals, Red Sox, Blue Jays, Royals, Astros, Athletics, Mariners, Rangers imo of who to disect trade ideas from. And I'm going to guess half those teams have zero use for Gomez.

And then 2016? Gallardo/Lohse are for sure gone. What's better for the team's future? Finding out with Nelson learning on the fly if he's going to be a #3/4 type innings eating SP or an emergency #5 but honestly made for Bullpen type? At the cost of in the suggestions Gallardo? Meanwhile we hopefully attained a future 3b? You gotta remember Nelson Pitched 152 minor league inning plus 10 in Sept for 162IP in 2013. So now in 2014 He pitched 111IP+5.2shutout in May so at 116.2 taking on the SP role for Milw in July. A really poor callup outing vs. the Cardinals(not surprising) 4.1 8Runs 6ER. Now at 121IP. He then rips off 5 straight quality starts. 32IP 12ER a 3.37ERA clip that puts him at 153IP on the season. So can we start to believe his arm would begin wearing down at that point? 9 IP from his previous max on a baseball season. While 3 of his next 4 starts weren't Quality Starts. they still were capable of keeping the team in the game. 5.2:4ER, 5:4ER, 6:3, and 5:4 21.2 19ER Yes the ERA is 7.9 but what would you rather have? A SP who goes 5IP giving up 4ER on his non quality starts. OR a SP who provides say 66% QS out of 33 starts so 22starts. And 8 of those 11 other starts are the kind of 0.1-4IP 5-9ERs? pretty leaving the bullpen to pick up so many innings and putting them in a most likely losing game situation. 4ERs in 5IP keeps the team in the game. And he left under 100pitches so maybe he could have gotten 6IP but due to "Wear and Tear" the team limited the arm usage this late in the season. I'm also considering his FiP at 3.78 vs his end of season ERA at 4.93. Lohse's FiP: 3.95 Gallardo's FiP:3.94 Garza's FiP: 3.54 Peralta's FiP: 4.11 Fiers' FiP: 2.99 Nelson has improved his control. Has good sink in his pitching to keep the ball in the park. I don't think the Brewers are going to lose much in their pitching if they traded one of Lohse or Gallardo and put Nelson in their rotation...Aside from 10+million in Payroll expenses. This is exactly the situation you want if I were a GM. I have what appears to be a capable SP to be my 4/5 and can move a veteran who's the team's #1-3 to fill a hole elsewhere/build for the future. Gotta learn to let go of the vets when you're capable of doing so and try making the team better elsewhere/for the future. 10mil can go in to the team some other way.... a Bullpen guy on the market. A Utility man OF/INF or just to save towards contract extensions. Or you stand pat, waste a year's of team control on Nelson and watch Lohse/Gallardo walk with no future pieces to show for it. The only win is if Lohse/Gallardo lead the Brewers to a Division Title/World Series Appearance and of course winning it. Whereas Nelson would have maybe cost them a Playoff shot in his 185-190 2015 IP vs. Lohse/Gallardo's 185-190IP 2015. Lohse/Gallardo were both worth about 2.5WAR vs. an ERA bloated Nelson's 0WAR. I'd at least project Nelson to be Peralta like in WAR being anything from -1 to 2.7WAR. So we're arguing about 0-3Wins essentially. Now somebody please tell me how many wins could Cecchini be worth Brewers in a 6year team controlled span? Especially over the 3b fillins we'd be looking at in 2016/2017? I'd imagine Far more than 3Wins. It's time to make the move.

I would be fine with having Nelson/Fiers in the starting rotation and removing Gallardo from it via trade. I dunno if I'd take Prado for Gallardo. Put it this way. You're essentially dumping ARam at 10-14mil cost to put an equal in Prado at 3b for 11mil. and lose Gallardo in the process. Prado's numbers look similar to ARam's declining numbers. Just younger and a little better defensively. I'd rather just pick up ARam's option and target some younger Prospect talent like someone mentioned Garrin Cecchini to be the future at 3b/backup in ARam's final year for Gallardo. In an even fancier thought, ARam plays AS caliber with the bat in the 1st half while Cecchini shows enough that he's ready and the Brewers trade ARam in July's trade deadline. Acquiring some other talent. This scenario plays out in that Braun isn't fixed, Lohse declines, Fiers/Nelson don't pitch to potential and we are saddled back in the standings like the Reds this year all season long. Good enough to be competitive but not good enough to play above .500 ball. That scenario would play out the best for the future. a 3b prospect now and then whatever you'd get for ARam. Prado led to Peter O'Brien and Headley led to Yangervis Solarte+Rafael de Paula. So it's not like we couldn't come away with a ML piece for half year of ARam.

I get Kozma's numbers aren't impressive at all. He has a positive WAR over 1+ seasons of games. That's what I was looking at was a draft pick having played at least a full season's worth of games or more with Positive WAR. Daric Barton's led to Mark Mulder via trade, but also put together a decent WAR in his time. That isn't a Bust imo for a draft pick. Busts pretty much are selections that don't even make a ML roster. Gonzales. He made the team in 1 year after being drafted. He's 22. Nitpicking about him then exclaiming IFs on Coulter and 2014's draft pick helping Seid's side of the equation? Gonzales has made it on a Division Winning team. I feel pretty safe he's good to call a non-bust draft pick considering. You don't just promote a draft pick to a Playoff team if he's not talented enough to contribute to it. It would be different if I'm calling Gonzales a successful draft pick after getting promoted within 1year by say Houston or Colorado or Minnesota. Being they were playing for nothing but a better draft pick the next season/potential ticket sales. Pointing out the 2009 draft class as being one of the best draft classes would also just give the idea that it was pretty much can't miss. While the Brewers have 4 ML players to hold their draft to it would sound like every team likely came away with 3-4 to do so to. Again the whole point in my disdain for the 2009 draft choice like the 2011 is they took Eric Arnett. 6 of the 7 next selected Pitchers(if you're drafting to pitching) have made decent beginnings to their careers. Well, 5 of the 7 with Tyler Skaggs the only HS pick of that 7 slowly catching up to being an impact selection. So..yes, if you compare Bruce Sieds drafts(Which is the point of the thread) with the most successful drafting team during his tenure, he's not going to compare favorably Comparing the Brewers Draft to StL who've drafted that successful while having 0 picks in the top 12. That's the point, why are they so successful while Seid+Milw who've had so many more picks in higher selections to work with? Imagine StL's. draft then if they had Milw's picks and Milw had StL's picks! Wonder then if 8 or 9/20 would be 15/20 and we'd likely fall in the 6/26 range huh?

Can someone please explain to me how the Cardinal Batters are suddenly HR hitters in the Postseason? Matt Carpenter 8HRs in over 700PAs in the Regular season. 4 now in 6games? 11HRs by Cardinal Batters total in 6games. 2nd fewest HRs in all of MLB this season to this? Just seems odd to me to bust out the big bats when they didn't have them all year.

I did add Haniger in the plus column. You're right I did leave out LaPorta so it becomes 9/20 projected. The thing about 1st rd busts or Booms. Is that they are looked at as having natural talent with less work generally to be needed to reach a ML ballclub. The later rounds are development picks guys who show a thing that's positive and need to be groomed in the system. Here's the whole thing that seems to bother me. We're calling 2009 a success because of hitting on Fiers, Gennett,Davis. Cardinals 2009? Not only do they hit with Shelby Miller on their 1st rd choice but: Joe Kelly 3rd Matt Carpenter 13th Trevor Rosenthal 18th Matt Adams 18th Destroyed Milwaukee's Successful Draft. Nevermind the 1st rd. Destruction theyve done. 4 of those 5 players are having major impacts on this 2014 Cardinal team's Playoff run. My complaint plain and simple is how often I can look at the 1st rd draft choices and see the pool of players that were available and failing to make the best choice. I just see it as a like being a Multiple choice question with a,b,c,d,e being the answer. 3 of the 5 are correct. They had the 1st choice of the 5. and got it wrong. Ok the multiples are a little more in a few years. It's just 2011 choice of Bradley/Jungmann are turning out so awful compared to the majority of the entire draft class within the next 15 picks. It's like 15 of 18picks are producing ML players who look to have a positive WAR. And we managed to choose 2 or the 3 that won't. From the Brewers 12th pick all the way to the Giants pick of Joe Panik at 29. Bradley is the worst pick by far. Tyler Beede 2nd worst since unsigned, Jungmann, Sean Gilmartin@28, Joe Ross @25 would fall in tied for 3rd worst. So 5 of 18 choices could have been bad. We made 2 of them. with the 1st choice and the 4th choice to avoid doing so. It's just the way the 2010 draft is shaping, we appear to be lucky Covey didn't sign giving us the pick in what is a far deeper 2011 draft. Gods were on the Brewers Side in that event. And instead of taking advantage of that fortune, they stunk up the show with their draft choices. 13/18 (72%)would be good draft picks as fate would have it that day and we managed to go 0-2 with those odds. And I mean think of it after Jungmann is picked we then have an 11/15 73% chance of making a better draft choice. 0-2 with those percentages! How about this run? Picks made just ahead of Milw: 2009: Mike Trout. 2010: Chris Sale 2011: George Springer+Jose Fernandez LOL!

Not in the mood to look it up but Nate? Are you DM? I feel like your proclamation that the team won't fire Roenicke and Melvin stays, and Narron plus another coach will be the only moves done with the staff this offseason...Just came to fruition. Maybe it wasn't Nate but I feel like it was. Meanwhile, how does everyone feel 2015 will play being Roenicke's final year on contract after 2014's collapse? He's likely to be the 1st on the Hott Seat the moment the season begins. I'll guess he'll be gone before the AS Break. 2015 is about to be an even bigger disaster than this year because they kept Roenicke. He doesn't have control of the team now. He sure wont in a Hott Seat final year in contract season! Please DM/MA trade 4-8players this offseason just to give me a reason to pay attention in 2015!