brewcrewdue80

You're right Ennder, but Atl is now younger. Both Upton brothers potential is through the roof though and maybe by putting them on the same team they achieve it. Johnson is capable as a hitter so the hole of losing Prado and Jones retiring to me doesn't hurt as much if they hadn't gotten Johnson in return. So Offensively I think they are even with potentially better results. Defensively though is where Atl does take a downgrade. Johnson at 3b could be cringeworthy if the errors pile up, will have to see how many games that costs the team.

Not meant to offend, the comment wasnt directed at any one individual. More that is exactly the type of thinking I see going in to the rationalization that if the team can operate with a 90-100mil payroll, then it must operate at it. It's something that in seeing those who want to extend Hart to play 1b and 15mil/yr seems like a good deal. I don't see Hart, aging, as a player to invest any more than 13mil a year but since there's the tv deal in place more revenue 15mil seems okay just because it can be afforded? That's what I seen in this year's FA signings, at least a bunch of them. Guys I wouldn't pay 10 mil or more for getting over 10mil. Some of it, I think is with the excess of money coming to teams from the tv deal seems to justify spending more of it on one individual player just because. Folks want to compare how great Rays are run yet how many bulky contracts do they have? Answer: none currently. Longo is a Franchise player. Price is in Arby pay. Your next is Yunel Escobar at 5mil, whom they traded for. There's not one FA signing of any significance on that team. And I know TB has a lower expected Payroll as a club than Milw but Milw isn't that far ahead when compared to all the 30MLB teams if Ranked 1-30. Not signing anyone special as a FA and overspending just seems boring but I look at it as addition from subtraction long term. No Suppan/Wolf contract tying the team down financially.

The Marcum trade has had a significant impact on the team. Lawrie could be a stud at 3b. Now the team not only doesn't have Marcum or any compensation, but they have a 10mil+ aging 3b in Ramirez. Who's contract will be expired before Lawrie even reaches FA. That's where all hate comes from. Of course when Fielder left that opened up the 10+mil to spend on Ramirez but had Fielder signed to 20mil/yr now what kind of mess do we have at 3b? and Marcum gone! Marcum's deal made for an entire change of how the team runs the next 5years. Lawrie equaled Marcum in WAR just last season as Marcums only 2 in Milw. His First full season as a player! The team should have gotten another Prospect with Marcum to potentially compensate the 2years vs 7years of service or more Lawrie gives Toronto. It's the Heads up trade that is lousy. Brett Cecil would have been the best realistic option heads up for Lawrie as the service time would only be 2years off, Cecil was coming off a 28Start 170+IP 2.0 War season. The club took on a higher paid player, older for less team control vs. a younger, needed 3b with talent and lots of team control. Cecil at least wouldn't have affected payroll. And yes, he was less of a player Marcum was in 2011/12 but looking at 2010 it wouldn't have been easy to see that happening at that time. The good of getting Marcum is that his weak arm and end result I can see leading to the team looking for/have been stocking FireBallers. 90MPH pitchers who lose anything on velocity become BP for hitters. 94MPH pitchers who lose velocity become 89MPH pitchers as Marcum was. It's a young ownership who I think have been establishing a strong fan base by reaching the Playoffs. Now a few seasons of middle of the pack teams shouldn't turn away the fans. The club can go patient and make smart moves moving forward. (I'm hoping) Anyway, I'm glad Marcum signed with another team. Even with 4mil-6mil cost. At his best for Milw he was a 3WAR. I expect him to become a 1WAR guy over the next 5years at best. All the young pitchers we have can achieve or exceed that, they just need to be given the opportunity.

Like the post above.^^^^ I fully agree. Lousy FA this year to prices. The folks that get upset the team doesn't reach or exceed 90Mil payroll I'd say likely have a budget problem/spending problem in their own personal lives. Just because you have money doesn't mean you have to spend it today, now, no saving up?!! Put it this way. 75-80mil for this year/next and potentially a payroll of 110mil for the next two seasons to me is the same as 90mil a year over 4years. As a small market, I think pushing for a playoff run every 5years vs. trying to compete for playoffs year round will result in a better run that 5th year and more success of achieving said playoff run than the fall-off of failing to reach it every year having players overspent on for 2-4more years who are aging and underachieving. As Milwaukee fans, we need to remain level-headed and accept that Playoff teams aren't the norm. For all the TB Rays love on how they are run they only have 1more Playoff appearance than the Brewers in the last 5years. Can we attribute most of TB's success on 10 straight years of basically .400 ball and the subsequent high draft picks? Draft Compensation picks? They abused the acquiring players on their last year of contract just to get the compensation picks when they left via FA. They had 10 of top 60picks 2011! For me as a fan, I hope for 2-3Playoff appearances every 10years which they've achieved since Selig sold to Mark A. With the added WC I may consider 3-4Playoff appearance in 10years. I really just want 1 strong Playoff team in 10years. 1 team that realistically can go to the WS and win it. I'll trade that vs. 4-5 appearances in 10years on teams that are basically 3/4th best in the NL and never make it to the League Championship Series. Yep, I'm a quality over quantity guy

I am surprised Atl gave up so little for J.Upton. I like Prado and I see they want to extend him immediately but even 4-5years of Prado and Delgado while giving up Johnson does nothing to make me feel this trade is even for ARZ. Now Arz has 3SS prospects and I read they are going to use one to acquire someone else. In the end, if Arz makes a plus trade their way, dealing away the SS they just acquired, seeing how the team's depth pans out, then maybe all will be good for Arz and Towers. Otherwise, he traded away #1 Pitching talent and #1 Batting Talent for nothing. NL East is a Beast with Atl,Wash,and Philly. Take NYM,FL about to be the equivalent of Chc/Hou for the Central and it will all boil down to H2H winner between the 3. That's why Philly can be inserted in the talk of competing with Was/Atl. Hamels/Halladay/Lee to me at any time can pitch CG SH. That can be an easy 3game sweep vs Atl/Was. Howard now becoming healthy and playing a full season just may mash again. I'm definitely in the group not counting out Phi even with all their aging players. That team by and Large were the favorites to win the WS just 2years ago and Howard's injury in the Playoffs stunted them for last year. The results had to be in the lowest of projections for Phi. Anyway, random tangient. I wonder if Towers learns to be less open on the trade rumors to avoid upsetting players the way Upton was. Add to it Bauer's displeasure with management in how he prepares for a game and the end result of trading away 2 of the teams best players has to leave one wondering addressing keeping players within happy.

Above Post^ Bourn also has no HR power. Hitting 9 last year will turn out as a fluke and he'll be back to 3/4 a season. Gomez has that 15-20HR in him plus the D, plus the SBs. Younger, and higher potential vs. aging,peaked out, time to decline Bourn. I do think Gomez is less value than Upton but more just because Upton's potential is a whole tier above Gomez's. Sadly, Gomez on a QO will be 14mil or more which is almost 1mil higher than Upton's. So now Gomez is looking at pricing himself above a better potential Upton? He's likely in for some major Bourn-like trouble unless he goes 20/40 again this season. As to the OP and Mets asking for the bend on the rules. It all depends on how the rule was written in terms of top 10 pick protection. If anywhere it leads one to think it was meant to protect the 10 worst teams from the season prior on their draft pick then I think NY has a case to have it bent. If it's just plain only top 10picks get compensation, regardless of how compensation picks fall in to that top 10 then NY has no right to bend the rules.

It's a nice writeup and examination. The only issue I have is that you're starting with a date on a club that was coming out from a non-existant, owner willing to field a team that would be competitive in Selig. The good in that was that the team got high 1st rd picks and put together a core of players to come up and be competitive. The bad is, that, the team had virtually no depth and had to spend money on players that a team not so barron of solid players wouldn't have needed to spend towards. No closer/TurnBlow results in a Gagne signing. Chad Moeller results in a Damian Miller signing. Riske,Gonzalez,Hawkins,Saito all missed major playing time due to injury. They can't put up any decent WAR when they aren't on the field. That leaves Suppan,Looper,Davis,Wolf who all provided neg WAR. What those pitcher signings were about was Starting Games with the hope of production. 200+IP was really the buy. And the fact these pitchers all had quality seasons before their signing. The key I think is tying it to aging. Not re-signing Marcum is a sign the team has seen the results you've posted. I'd probably wager the next 7years of FA signings far outperform the results of these past 7years.

Marcum's recent 2nd half/finish to the season should make him untradeable to a contending team at midseason. If they did and Marcum does what he does late in the season, it would make a GM look awful for ignoring his past and downright in to the discussion of being fired over it for failing.

Something forgotten in Seattle to me is, Zunino may just be playing better than Jaso in Seattle's minds either now or by season's end that made him expendable. So, I don't see losing Jaso as a bad thing with a Stud Catching prospect pushing his way on the team. This has the makings of Montero catching for the 1st month and then Montero/Zunino splitting time at DH/C. This also goes in line with the team taking calls on Smoak. Moving him out will create that DH opening to split Montero/Zunino ABs. Morse is an upgrade for OF, Zunino keeps the drop off on Jaso being slim to none. I'm curious to see if Seattle goes all the way this season with adding Walker,Hultzen on their staff with Franklin/Zunino as bats. Having their clocks all start together. Seattle will be a team to watch just because the youth will all be playing and seeing how good they will do.

With Hart starting year on DL I feel Weeks will bat 5th Lucroy 6th Segura/Gomez interchangeable at 2nd/8th. Gamel 7th. Hart's injury really sets up my Aoki,Segura,Braun,Aram,Lucroy,Weeks lineup with a coin flip on Gamel/Gomez 7/8. I was saying Weeks fits the 6th slot like Hart does but one had to be removed.

Well, I just posted in the 2013 Draft topic that 8 of the 10 1st rd picks have been College players. Covey a non-signed pick so only Coulter the lone HS aged player picked in 1st rd. 72 of MiLB's top 100 prospect watch are of HS Aged draftees vs 28 College exp. draftees. Kinda tells you right there Seid is picking on the opposite spectrum 8-2 vs 3-7. Taking away 2012 as incomplete the three drafts prior and next 2 HS Hitters/Pitchers taken to each pick Jungmann: OF Brandon Nimmo,RHP Jose Fernandez,RHP Tyler Beede,C Blake Swihart Bradley:RHP Tyler Beede,C Blake Swihart,RHP Taylor Guerrieri, SS Jake Hager 2010: Covey was a HS pick Next College B/P were:RHP Hayden Simpson, 2b Kolbrin Vitek. HS's were:OF Jake Skole,RHP turned 3b Kaleb Cowart 2009:All College so next two HS B/P Eric Arnett:SS Nick Franklin,CF Raymond Fuentes,LHP Tyler Skaggs,RHP Brooks Pounders Kentrail Davis:LHP Tyler Skaggs,SS Chris Owings,RHP Brooks Pounders,CF Everett Williams Kyle Heckathorn:RHP Brooks Pounder,CF Everett Williams,SS Mykel Givens, LHP Andrew Oliver Looking that over, that is Nimmo:Low A to date Fernandez:High A 2era for Minors Beede:Nothing prospect to date Swihart:#72 Prospect pre 2012 Guerrieri:#90 Prosepect pre2012 Hager:A Ball to date Simpson:High A 6+ERA Vitek:AA to date Skole:High A Cowart:#46Prospect 100+Rbi last year as a 3b in minors Franklin:#22Prospect Fuentes:AA to date Skaggs:#9 Prospect Pounders:High A to date Owings:AA to date Williams:High A to date Givens:A ball Oliver:7 ML Starts for Detroit already 0-5 7+era So That's 3 top 50prospects 3more top 100 prospects vs. 1 top 100 prospect. 2009 burns missing Skaggs and Franklin. I can see people argue on well Franklin wasn't a need since Brewers had Escobar and Cowart because they had Lawrie, but the argument is you draft BPA regardless of position. He may have finally got it last year but he had the comfort of 3picks and chose only 1 Coulter HS aged pick. I don't know what it is about College players failing to their draft selection....Maybe it's Mental? Playing in your age group being the best on the field. Get drafted go to A ball and 18/19 years olds are making you look like how you made all the opponents look like in College? And it just defeats them? But to me it's clear a need to draft more HS players than College. Since 2000, looking at 1st rd picks, once you get past the 5,6,7th college pick players, It's a Vast Majority of busts,Replacement level ML careers. Arnett was 13th college picked in 09. Jungmann/Bradley were the 7th and 8th college drafted in 2011 Roache was the 13th college drafted but as a top 15 pick projection that has him as 6th or better. This team needs to wake up to these facts since they aren't top 10 pickings anymore and turn to drafting HS players as the College players aren't turning out.

You're right it isn't likely to work out that nicely. I guess in the BPA talk, how easy is it to really decide that 1 player is the BPA over the next 10BPAs after him? What I'm at is you're likely going to have 3-6players you are looking at with your draft pick. The top 2 are equal and the next 4 are equal. or it can be 3 and 3. When I'd end up picking between the the top 2 or 3 I would lean on my decision where I see the team in 4-5years across the board. The club has a bunch of pitchers to pitch for them in the next 4years, albeit not at a top 2 level but at least in the 3/4range. So if my top 2/3 on my draft board contains a College Pitcher followed by a HS Pitcher I'm going to feel comfortable to pick the HS pitcher. Now, moving on 2drafts later, my 4-5year team has a hole for SP in 2-3years and the scenario comes up HS pitcher 1st College Pitcher 2nd I'm pulling my pick in to the college player. For the most part in 1st rd picks I'm feeling the College player joining the club in 2-4years. And the HS pick joining the club in 3-6years. As you said, in that terms a HS player joins the team age 21-24 while the College player joins age 23-26. Being the small market, if you are going to sign extensions I'd rather they be by age 26 through to their 30-32 age years. The college player joining the team at age 25/26 would fall in that extension happening around age 28/29 with that extension for years 30-35. Contracts being what they are are typically going to be higher priced the final years I'd much rather be paying top dollar on ages 30-32 over 33-35. In truth, being a small market, the Brewers ought to seek to draft the HS over College players unless its just such a sure thing like Braun. But, again, I see with being a small market, trying to sign away a HSer from Going to College could turn on you like Covey. And I think part of that is why a majority of picks have been College guys recently in 1st rd 8 of 10 since 2009. This all goes with the high floor, lower ceiling, and having guys make the team at age 27. I think all these coincide with the CC and Grienke deals and the team went to making safer picks with the high floor. But it's time to find those big upside HSers!

But Nate in BPA with Baseball choosing between High Schoolers vs. College-Refined players, the College players would be better players over many HS at that point in time. But in regards to a HS aged eventually exceeding the better 2013 College player at the same age 4years later....I don't know how to say it. I guess it all depends where you place BPA. Is it in upside potential? Or of current results graded on ML ability at that moment? And between BPA, if we go on a 1-100 grade scale if you're choosing from a tier of 5players who are of the same 95grade for instance which one is the BPA? That's where I'm going for HS Pitcher in that scenario. I'm not trying to say draft a 92grade HS SP if 94/95 grade players who are batters or college players are still remaining, only, among a tier of like grade players, I want to see the HS Pitcher drafted. I feel there needs to be ties on how you draft to fit 3-5year windows. Timing High upside HS players with Solid College players to come up on the club expectancy around those 3-5years. Otherwise you will be having 1 or 2 players graduate from AAA to the Club around the same time 1 or 2 players leave the club due to FA. Taking a leap on Big Potential HS players for 2years followed by 2-4years of College players so you create a ballclub of 24-27year olds who come up together and win together. Obviously if a HS player in a given year exceeds the college player you can pick when you would be expecting a college pick player, Trout/Harper types changes that. I guess what I'm suggesting is mixing in 4-5year to ML ready picks with 2-4year ML ready picks. It would still be following you BPA only on a scale of what year you are drafting for that player to reach the team. I'm suggesting drafting a HS pitcher whose upside may be of the 220ip/200k sub 3.4era potential, over a guy who within a couple years may achieve 200IP/170k around 3.4-4.1Era level who's 4years older. Sure by 2015 that College pitcher could be on the team doing as expected, But, Watching a team with that HS pitcher who had the higher upside pitch against you "Lights Out" in 2017-2023 will leave a bad taste in your mouth for passing on him for BPA today. The same can be applied to hitters, and I won't argue if the team drafts one. I was just voicing my opinion considering the team is obviously overpriced on signing ACE pitchers, and the cost to attain one for only brief period leaves the farm in dire need. So, to solve I see a draft pick on a #1 pitcher potential.. If he exists on the Brewers Draft Board when their pick comes. If the team doesn't see a #1 Ace potential pick when their pick comes then I'm going with the BPA on a hitter. Of MiLB's prospect watch top 50. 14 are pitchers drafted who didn't attend college. 5 are that went to college. And of Batters I count 24 out of 31 who didn't go to college. Now, I wonder what it looks like #s 51-100? 22HS aged Pitchers 12HS aged batters 7College Pitchers and 9College batters. That's 72HS aged draftee/signed players in the current top 100 to only 28 in the top 100 who went to college and then were drafted.

So, if Hart after 6weeks shows up on video on the 'Basketball court or playing golf you would feel okay with that? I said between now and his "Return"

That's what Gonsalves would be. It doesn't have to be Gonsalves, it could be Kaminsky or any HS SP prospect with any ties of an upside to be a #1 or 2 on a ML staff. The Brewers need to find another Gallardo. They tried in 2010 and 11 but it's looking like those picks will not achieve their draft upside. Time to try again.

He's having SUR-GER-Y. He's not saying he has a booboo and needs his beauty sleep. I get he's having surgery. But why did he wait to have it to a time where it coming back is at start of the season? It's 3-4months out but what if he assumed it was a 2-3months out? Where 3months at worst case has him back just in time for the season's 2nd week? The injury he has and having a tear isn't something that should taken lightly and not have counciled with a Dr. upon feeling pain. This isn't a guy with no insurance/no money. If he feels any pain especially in a knee that was recently injured he should have been in the Dr's having it looked at on Day 1. That is the scenario of him sandbagging. And, he could have just in that week felt pain had it looked at, and was told surgery is needed. I don't know what Hart's case is, just able to see the sandbaggin side like the poster who said he could be. I have an open mind to either side. This does help with Gamel getting playing time again. I'm not sold on Morris being ready. The club has Green or Lucroy to spell Gamel some time at 1b as well. No need to rush Morris's clock until he's proven himself at AAA to be the type of hitter he was at AA last season. Morris making the team's 25man roster would be shocking to me I could see the odds being in the 500 to 1 or higher on it happening. The Brewers starting his clock prematurely for 30games to start a season, could only be justified if he was to be their everyday 1b in their minds when Spring Training ends. Who here believes that right now? Out of this injury, I hope the club shifts their thoughts away of extending Hart to a deal of any length. 2years more maybe but that would fall on the lines that Gamel pukes his opportunity and the club honestly has no 1b option in which it now justifies that extension.

Via Baseball Reference Braun's salary would go as follows 2013 $8,500,000 2014 $10,000,000 2015 $12,000,000 2016 $19,000,000 2017 $19,000,000 2018 $19,000,000 2019 $18,000,000 2020 $16,000,000 2021 *$20,000,000 $20M Mutual Option, $4M Buyout

How about a poll in this discussion? Who do you think the Brewers should draft with their #1 pick? Batter or Pitcher? For me, I'm picking a Pitcher as the majority of top prospected pitchers in the organization are all in the very near graduate stages to the club. Add to it none of them are graded on the upside of a #1 pitcher and only a couple grade with upside to #2 pitcher. When looking long term in batters SS,LF,C are set for at least 5years. and between Schafer OF,Gennet 2b, Morris 1b, Haniger OF, Taylor OF, Coulter C, Roache, mixed in with the Davises, the club has batters to rotate with for the near future. Between Taylor,Coulter, and Roache the club may have top level prospects when it pans out. So, I think drafting an upside SP with this year's pick is on the team's need.

Here's a question. How many deals have ever been made like this? Signing him to a big 2yr/28mil contract but then paying half of it years from now? That money counts on Wash's payroll for those years correct? From some standpoint, shouldn't MLB have a problem with this? If I were the Yankees I'd over pay someone and load the contract for 2016-2020 with just 1-3mil counting for these seasons. Seeing as a loophole to get under the luxury tax. Just doesn't seem legit to me for them to spread out his pay over multiple years, years from now. I feel like by dating the pay for the future brings in the fact that the luxury tax will rise to accomodate these kind of contracts paid out. I am floored at the fact the option picks up on a total of 120 games finished. That seems like a no chance on Soriano's part to accomplish. Heck, even appearing in 120 games isn't easy. The team easily can withhold him from finishing games throughout both seasons. And as it stands, with this incentive in his contract, Soriano HAS to be Washington's Closer from day 1 pushing out Storen. 1month w/o being closer for Washington has to end any chance of Soriano reaching that incentive.

The poster suggesting Hart is sandbagging wasn't saying during the regular season but through Spring Training. From 2009 and on how many "Spring Training" games has Hart played to missed? I get the idea of saying Hart is sabotaging his having to go to Spring Training. He has his spot on the team. So the guy is suggesting is he's dogging ST by delaying revealing his injuries until the point where the healing time coincides with beginning of the season. This one bring Hart in to the 10th game (best case) through to the 45th game(longest suggested healing time) of Hart to return. Which smells exactly like last season. Hopefully no videos come up where Hart is playing Golf or Basketball or something now until he returns because that would just add fuel to this fire of him avoiding ST.

If you really feel no team would lose their 1st rd pick for him, then the Brewers reeeaaalllly need to trade him. It's no lock the Brewers can afford Hart on the reasonable contract. Don't give him a QO next year, he walks Brewers get nothing. Give him the QO he signs at the 14mil year contract. How long do you continue with that? This will likely play out much like the LaRoche situation did in Wash. And there were a few teams interested in LaRoche so I still believe Hart would be signed as a QO player. The way it stands, especially with Hart's newest injury, the Brewers are in that losing situation. Can't trade him for decent prospects, shouldn't tie him to any long extension with his injury risks, QOers on him will make him a 14mil/yr player and if he doesn't except you're saying no one else signs him so no compensation while he walks anyway. I actually think Bourne is stuck due to the price tag, his lack of power, age, and if his BA/OB declines he offers you nothing in your lineup. Chone Figgins anyone? Figgins is a recent example of what can happen with extending a player of Bourne's skills long term. SBs are great, but you have to get on base to get SBs. Now, Bourne shouldn't be labeled the next Figgins but, when 14mil/ loss of a pick and worst case scenario pops in your head of a more expensive Figgins. That's scary. Hart has nothing but the injuries to scare away teams. He's been consistent with his bat for awhile now and still hits for power. He fits the 5/6 spot in a lineup well with what he does. If the Brewers could sign him for 9-10mil a year I think that's fine. Above 10 and for our club Hart becomes to much of a risk/burden potential in case of injury or decreased bat skills.

I mentioned this in his newest injury thread. But I think worth mentioning, Does Corey Hart now become available to all the teams? He should be able to waive his no-trade clause to any team who does ST in FL since he will miss it. Maybe the deal becomes one of those where the Brewers take on some of the payroll to retain his value to prospect attained in trade. In reality Hart going anywhere I think went dead when Seattle acquired Morse. But, the timing of this surgery just happened to play out with the last OFer I could see a team wanting to trade for more than trading for Hart and now see Hart as the best OF/1b to trade for. I know the injury would make Hart's value less but if a team wants him and wants to QO him, then a deal has to be made before the season starts. So, I'm not going to rule out the potential trade of him. With the Brewers Payroll where it stands, the team could easily eat up a nice chunk of Hart's salary to entice a team to trade for him, figuring more upside to the cost should Hart's injury reduce his performance on the field. Who knows? just spicing up this thread some with out there ideas. Edit add: Teams that could be suitors suddenly: Atlanta,Baltimore,Boston,NY Yankees,Philly,and Tampa Bay that I could see having a place for Hart.

Well, there goes the no trade clause to teams in Fla Spring Training? Since he will be a FA and no ST that clause should be nullified at this point. Could this open a new door to available teams to trade Hart to?

I think this is a great deal by Seattle. Though the ptbnl has to be coming from them. Morse was the player most like Hart with OF/1b duo ability and the bat around the same. Seattle didn't give up any of thier top 6 prospects, half the price as Hart. And with Montero at Catcher, trading away Jaso for Morse fills in a huge hole in their lineup. I don't get the A's part either in terms of trading away Cole+ for Jaso. I understand platooning at Catcher Jaso vs. Righties and I read Norris vs Lefties. Which if you're going to platoon that way Catcher makes the most sense with wear/tear on body. Either way, with this deal, makes Hart to Sea non-existant. I really figured if Morse was dealt to any team other than Sea, that's where he'd end up. Time to move forward and plan to watch who the Brewers have on their roster.

Wowsas! Didn't see that coming. Guess if you're going to lose your RPs you may as well replace them with one stud. Not in my philosophy of paying a RP big time contract money but now we get to see who's bullpen is better. Atlanta's or Washington's? Storen was to be Atl's Kimbrel when he first came to the bigs. I'm just floored at the money spent by Washington. Laroche,Werth,Soriano now. Maybe the added Bullpen depth with the upcoming deal away of Morse? That whole run differential is about to get tighter with Morse not in their lineup. Though I keep forgetting they got Span. Just a wonder who else does Washington get for Morse? They are really only lacking with Catcher for a bat. And they are loaded with SPs. It has to be a helluva fun time being a Natinals fan currently.