Madhawk23

Seeing that there was literally no scuttlebutt before the Aaron Hill trade a week ago, my guess is that DS is keeping things very close to the vest with all of these trade discussions.

And, shouldn't you have to "pony up" for one of the best overall catchers in baseball (with 1.5 years left of team friendly control) along with a very good bullpen arm (also with a couple of years of team control)? Maybe the Indians aren't a match, or maybe I'm just got my expectations way too high here? But, I think we can look back at the Gomez deal last July where we received a very good haul of prospects in return for Gomez/Fiers. Personally, I think the haul for Lucroy and either Smith/Jeffress should be even greater than what we received last July.

Yeah, I think I could get behind this deal if it were to become a reality. The Indians appear to have a really good farm system right now, so getting three Top 100 guys (albeit guys in the 50+ range) and then a high ceiling arm like McKenzie would appear to be a great haul for Luc and one of our relievers. Cleveland would be able to then hold onto their "top 4" guys, and the Brewers would get a guy in Clevinger who could head to Milwaukee immediately and be a mid-rotation arm at worst, Sheffield would probably be ready by 2018, Mejia could be the catcher of the future and eventually move Nottingham to 1B, and McKenzie might be the best of the bunch in 3-4 years and would join other young arms like Diplan, Peralta, Herrera in our system.

OK - Let's say that the Indians decide that this is their window to go for a title and that they don't want to be overshadowed by the Cavs winning the NBA title this year, and offer up the following: Indians gets: Lucroy & either Jeffress/Smith Brewers get: Sheffield, Clevinger, McKenzie and Mejia Too much or too little for the Brewers? Sheffield and Clevinger are both Top 100 guys in BA's midseason rankings, but in this scenario we wouldn't be getting any of the preseason Top 4 guys in Zimmer, Frazier, Aiken or Bradley. Would you need to sub in one of these top 4 guys to make a deal with the Indians work?

OK - if Texas offered the following deal, would you accept if you were DS: Texas gets: Lucroy & either Jeffress/Smith Brewers get: Brinson, Taveras, either Yohander Mendez/Ariel Jurado, either Ronald Guzman/Travis Demeritte Would you pull the trigger on this deal? Guzman and Demeritte both were ranked in the 20's in the Rangers system in the MLB.com preseason rankings, yet both just made the Futures game after putting up good numbers in the 1st half of their seasons. Is this a fair return for Luc and one of our two premier relief pitchers, or does one side laugh the other off the phone? Curious for others thoughts on this trade offer.

Yeah, unfortunately the ship has sailed in terms of any chance we'd have at getting Mazara. It appears that Brinson is starting to heat up though now after a really bad start to his season, so you'd have to think that he'd potentially be in play for us as a centerpiece. Would still like to get one of their better pitching prospects in return for Lucroy though as well.

New report this morning from Rosenthal saying that a ton of scouts were watching the Rangers AZL team this past week, including a few from the Brewers. Specifically mentions Leody Taveras and Anderson Tejada: http://www.foxsports.com/mlb/story/texas-rangers-milwaukee-brewers-trade-deadline-ken-rosenthal-notebook-071116 Any thoughts on these two young prospects? Looks like Taveras is #8 in the Rangers Top 30 prospects according to mlb.com. Personally, I think I'd need at least one of their upper level guys - Gallo, Brinson, Tate or Ortiz in the deal, and then Taveras and probably another younger prospect like Jurado.

So....is it realistic that we could expect a similar return for Hill as to what we received last year for Parra? Both guys provide a lot of versatility (Parra in the OF, Hill in the IF), both having very strong years, both appear to be good clubhouse veterans and both are basically just a 2-3 month rental. Davies is considered by most a 4/5 type starting pitcher without the big fastball, so is it conceivable that we could get another SP that is comparable for Hill? Or, does Stearns prefer to get a couple of lower-level 19-20 year old lottery picks (Herrera/Peralta types) for Hill?

I'm sorry if I missed this in a different thread, but what happened to Jorge Lopez that caused him to go to the Inactive List? Is this just a mid-season "clear the head" move, or is something going on with him personally?

I agree that the Red Sox need starting pitching before anything else, so we might not be able to get the best return from them for Luc. How about the following deal with the Rangers though: Brewers get: Gallo Tate Jurado Rangers get: Lucroy Gallo is a bit of a wildcard as he appears to be an all or nothing type bat, so there's no guarantee that you'll get much consistency out of him. Tate has an intriguing arm, but is struggling so far this year in A ball, and Jurado appears to be an exciting young pitching prospect who's pitching well in the Cal league this year. Maybe we could even throw in a reliever in this deal and pick up another lottery ticket arm in Matuella? Would the Rangers consider a deal like this? Is Gallo off limits? I know there is no way we get Mazara from them now with the success he's had already at the MLB level. If not Gallo, what about getting Profar instead, since the Rangers already have Andrus and Odor up the middle? Gallo is generally considered a Top 10 prospect (Top 20 at worst) by most scouts. I doubt you get Tate - a Top 50 type guy - as well, even if he has struggled. He was the 4th pick in the draft last year for a reason. Teams don't give up on talent like that so quickly. The issue with Profor is you only get him for 3 years after 2016. Like with Wheeler, I hate to build a trade around a guy we won't control that long. I know Gallo is still considered a Top 10 guy, so I get your point. And I agree that I'd rather have someone more cost controlled than Profar. How about: Gallo, Ortiz and either Matuella or Jurado? Is that still too much for the Rangers to give up? I know Ortiz is a Top 100 guy as well, but I feel like a guy like Luc should be worth a couple of Top 100 guys and then another younger lottery pick type guy.

I agree that the Red Sox need starting pitching before anything else, so we might not be able to get the best return from them for Luc. How about the following deal with the Rangers though: Brewers get: Gallo Tate Jurado Rangers get: Lucroy Gallo is a bit of a wildcard as he appears to be an all or nothing type bat, so there's no guarantee that you'll get much consistency out of him. Tate has an intriguing arm, but is struggling so far this year in A ball, and Jurado appears to be an exciting young pitching prospect who's pitching well in the Cal league this year. Maybe we could even throw in a reliever in this deal and pick up another lottery ticket arm in Matuella? Would the Rangers consider a deal like this? Is Gallo off limits? I know there is no way we get Mazara from them now with the success he's had already at the MLB level. If not Gallo, what about getting Profar instead, since the Rangers already have Andrus and Odor up the middle?

I had quickly forgotten what a haul that the Red Sox gave up for Craig Kimbrel. I realize that every trade is different, and certainly Kimbrel is one of the best closers in the game today. But, the Sox gave up the #40 (Margot) and #52 (Guerra) ranked prospects in all of baseball, along with two other guys that are in the Padres Top 20 prospect list now - including an infielder who is currently dominating AAA pitching so far this year. Lucroy is definitely in the top 2-3 catchers in all of baseball, and plays one of the most important positions in all of baseball. Because of this, I think we should expect a very similar return to what SD got for Kimbrel and a very similar return to what we got for Gomez last summer. Lucroy is more valuable than Gomez, so I think he alone (without adding in a Mike Fiers type to the deal) should command a haul like these two deals.

Honestly, I would expect Luc on his own to pull back a package of at least DeLeon and Bellinger. If Braun is in that deal as well, then I think I'd need DeLeon, Holmes/Montas, Bellinger, Trace Thompson and probably either Alvarez/Diaz. And, for that deal I'd even be willing to eat around 10-15 million of Braun's salary. Heck, I might even throw in one of our relievers if it helped sweeten the deal for LA. We're talking about two All-Star level players in Luc and Braun that would instantly turn LA into a WS contender. Of course though, this deal does nothing to help LA's huge need in their starting rotation.

Did Woodruff just get lifted because of poor results in that 1st inning, or was there an injury involved? Hope it was just performance based, but that's an awfully quick hook isn't it?

What do we know about Jon Perrin? Does he have good stuff and a big fastball, or is he more of a command guy? He continues to put up good numbers at both of his stops this year, so I'm just curious if this is really a guy that will start moving up the prospect rankings? Also, what is the status of Carlos Leal? Assuming he is injured, but do we know what the injury was and when he's expected to get back into action this year?

Ugh - I don't think I could stand seeing either Luc or Braun helping the Cubs win a World Series. If we are going to trade Luc to our hated rivals, the package in return would have to be higher than just Contreras and Vogelbach. Personally, I think I'd need Contreras, Jimenez, and Cease. If they say no to that deal, then you just hang up the phone. If they agree to that deal, I'd probably pull the trigger and then just hope that Luc falls flat on his face in the playoffs this October to prevent the Cubs from winning their first title. Contreras looks like he's going to be at worst a solid big league catcher, Jimenez sounds like their next stud prospect (is it even possible for them to have more of these guys in their system?), and Cease is a bit of a lottery pick with a big arm.

He would hang up so fast you wouldn't even hear him laugh. I am sorry, but we just aren't going to get a prospect that good for Braun barring a complete utter maricle. I think Lucroy has tons more value than Braun and Robles is a huge dream to get. Though for Licroy maybe not impossible. Regarding the money I think $20mil will make a lot of teams happy. That way the contract is small enough to where if his injuries tank his production it won't be a big burden on the payroll. Or God forbid he gets suspended for an entire season(saves the money, but not the prospects they gave up to help them win games). OR make them feel better if his production naturally falls off in a year or two. People have to understand that paying him a big chunk of money and giving up prospects is not attractive to any team. You then have risks on the financial side and on the prospects you just sacrificed. It all depends on how desperate a team is and how the market shakes out. I always look to Cole Hamels who all the experts said the Phillies needed to eat money, but in the end I don't think they did and they got quite a haul. Honestly then, I would just hold onto Braun if we can't get two legitimate prospects in return for him. I realize there are injury risks and PED history with him that teams may want to stay away from, but the guy is still one of the best RH bats in baseball when he is healthy - and despite his indiscretions, he's been the face of our franchise since he came up about 10 years ago. I don't think we should give the guy away for an Adam Lind like deal where all you are getting back is a couple of lottery tickets. I think we should expect to get a couple of good prospects in return for him - guys that have a good shot of at least being MLB starters/contributors for us. I know it isn't my money, but I'd be willing to eat about 20 mil in the deal if it brought back two legit prospects in the deal. Our payroll isn't going to be high the next couple of years, and we were going to have to pay Braun that money anyway. But, if we can't get a good package in return for him, then let's just hold onto him. Either he ends his career as a Brewer, or maybe some other team gets desperate in the offseason or next July (if Braun is putting up great numbers again) - and then we can have this same discussion all over again.

The more I look at the Giants prospects, the more I really don't like them as a trade partner. I'm still holding out hope that the Nats come to their senses and realize that their window is now to win a WS - and they desperately need a big RH bat to go between Harper and Murphy. Brewers get: Turner or Robles Fedde or Lopez Nats get: Braun (maybe the Brewers agree to pay the remainder of Braun's '16 salary in this deal) Either Blazek or Thornburg (not sure if they need any relief help but we should have a surplus in which to deal from) Do the Nats laugh Stearns off the phone with this offer, or is this a reasonable offer?

Why are we giving up two OF's in this trade? Especially, a young corner OF like Santana who still has some good upside in my opinion? Aren't those the type of guys we're looking to add, and not get rid of? I'd personally rather package Braun and a reliever for De Leon/Holmes, Montas and maybe 1-2 young teenagers with upside.

How about Aaron Hill for Pedro Fernandez? Is that expecting too much for a guy like Hill?

With all of this speculation around the Dodgers possibly being a good landing spot for Braun, is there any scenario in which they'd be willing to give up Jose De Leon in the trade? Maybe we can even throw in one of our bullpen arms in the deal to sweeten it for the Dodgers. How about this deal: Dodgers get: Braun and Jeffress Brewers get: Jose De Leon, Trayce Thompson and Cody Bellinger Is that too much to expect for a Braun/Jeffress package - or should we expect even more than that? Would we have to take back someone like Crawford/Ethier to eat some of the salary owed to Braun in order to get more prospects in return? The other team that could have some interest in Braun is the Giants. Pagan is hurt now and I think this is the last year on his deal anyway. Could we get a package of either Beede/Bickford and Aramis Garcia in return for Braun?

Here's my crazy draft proposal for the day: Stearns should call up the NY Mets and offer CC in exchange for Matt Harvey straight up! Harvey is a head case right now for the Mets, and they might just be stupid enough to deal him if they got a 1B in return now that Duda is out for an extended period of time. I'm sure they'd laugh Stearns right off the phone, or they'd probably ask for Lucroy instead (which I absolutely would not do). Thoughts on this idea? Are the Mets just going to ride this out with Harvey, or will they make an emotional decision and try to make him somebody else's "problem?"

What are everyone's thoughts on Garrett Cooper? Hit a very respectable .290 at Brevard last year, and has now got his BA at .320 to start the year in Biloxi. Obviously, he doesn't possess the type of power bat that you'd like to see out of a 1B, but is it possible that he might still have some pop that he could grow into? I know he's not young at 25, but he does seem to have a big frame at 6'6" 230. Just curious if anyone has seen that kid play, and if there is any reason why we should be looking at him as more of a legit 1B prospect?

I know the Rangers weren't willing to pay the price for Lucroy in the offseason, but there was also a lot of concern back then about Luc's health and of course his decrease in production last year. Now that he's healthy, and proving that he's one of the two or three best catchers in all of baseball, I would have to think that they'd have more interest in him? And, I'd also have to think that their desperation level would only increase as the next two months go by here if they continue to get nothing out of the catching position and if their pen continues to blow late leads. I'm definitely hopeful that the Rangers step up to the plate in July and offer up a really good deal for Luc - provided that he stays healthy and continues to produce the way he has thus far.

It just seems to me that the Rangers are the perfect trade partner with us for Lucroy. They have a huge need at catcher, and they have plenty of good prospects to choose from in their system. Also, I wouldn't be opposed to sweetening the deal with them by adding in one of our late-inning bullpen arms to get a little bit more back in the deal. How about: Rangers get: Lucroy & either Jeffress/Smith (if he proves healthy when he returns) Brewers get: Gallo, Dillon Tate & Matuella (if he comes back and proves he's healthy before the end of July) I know there are some questions about Gallo and if he'll ever hit consistently at the big league level, but he certainly could provide a lot of pop and excitement to the lineup. Can he stick at 3B long term? Matuella is also a big question mark coming off the arm surgery, but would seem to have big upside if he proves that the arm is healthy and his stuff hasn't dropped off much. Is this a realistic deal? I just think that the Rangers have to be getting desperate for a World Series title now after coming close a few years ago and with their window starting to close now. This deal would help their offensive and pitching tremendously with Lucroy in the lineup and behind the plate, and would also help a weakness in their bullpen.