BrewBalls

Tyler Saladino says “hi”

Tyler Saladino says “hi”

If Anderson is comparable to Gio, then I would prefer to simply resign Gonzalez since he’s already familiar with Pina and coaching staff. I guess Stearns thought changing things up a bit more was the better way to go. This is why he’s the GM, not me lol

If Anderson is comparable to Gio, then I would prefer to simply resign Gonzalez since he’s already familiar with Pina and coaching staff.

I have no idea how this provides LA with “equal value” but if Friedman hits his head hard enough to say “Yes”, Stearns needs to submit the necessary paperwork as soon as he hangs up the phone. Edit: Sorry, I’m not sure why I was thinking of Corey not Kyle. This would be a good return for the Brewers but I’m not sure Dipoto would give up this much just to dump all of Seager’s salary. I think he is more willing to send a significant amount of $$$ out to minimize his need to add value to a deal.

I did, read the first post I made. Fair enough on the explanation. Do you have a better suggestion on who the Brewers could target to replace Moose?

I have no idea how this provides LA with “equal value” but if Friedman hits his head hard enough to say “Yes”, Stearns needs to submit the necessary paperwork as soon as he hangs up the phone.

2019 WAR: Seager: 2.4 bWAR, 2.9 fWAR (in 106 games/442 PA's) = .006 WAR/PA Moustakas: 3.2 WAR, 2.8 fWAR (in 143 games/584 PA's) = .005 WAR/PA So what you are telling me is they are maybe comparable? That would be exactly why I would have just paid Moustakas, who is certainly less risky of the two..and can also play 1B/2B as an added bonus. Seager has posted a .750+ OPS in any given month exactly once in the last two years. If someone wants to get Seager for $15mil a year and still give up a bag of balls (or more) they can have him. Last Three Years: Moustakas - 2.6 WAR average (BRef) Seager - 1.96 WAR average (BRef) I’m with you that resigning Moose would’ve been the better move but he is no longer an option so Seager is now being suggested as an adequate replacement who IS still available to be had. So instead of knocking a realistic idea which provides a viable alternative to fill the hole left by Moustakas signing with Cincy please explain why you don’t think this is a realistic/good option to replace Moose and offer up your opinion on who Stearns should target to play 3B in 2020.

You can't be serious, right?? They need a LEGIT #2 at worst, none of those guys are even solid #4's. How do any of them improve the rotation significantly?? They might as well light their money on fire. We have seen enough from Stearns and his FO to know that they don't want a #2 pitcher in the same way you want one. They want to acquire someone who will perform at the level of a #2 pitcher and I think there IS a difference in those two things. Traditionally acquiring a #2 pitcher would be signing someone who has a track record of good success under most conditions. Those guys cost a lot of money. Stearns and Counsell believe (and have proven depending on your opinion) that circumstance, situational usage, skillset matching, etc can squeeze value out of guys. In theory, you can get a guy like Brent Suter and squeeze tons of value out of his skillset by limiting exposure, piggybacking with an alt skillset, throwing him against free swinging lineups, etc. You can increase value from guys like Gio Gonzalez and Jordan Lyles and Junior Guerra by doing the same. Obviously it isn't always pretty. Shaw was a great example until he wasn't. Chacin was a good example until he wasn't. Jeffress was a unique but good example until he wasn't, etc The point is, the only way we are going to sign a guy like Ryu is if Stearns and Co think we are getting him at a surplus value. If we are signing him for the money of a "#2" and Stearns believes we can extract the value of a "#1". If he doesn't believe he is getting surplus value ... the poster above you is 100% serious and those are the names we will be sifting through. Stearns will sign the guy he believes Counsell can extract a "#3" out of. I would say Alex Wood has produced at a #2-3 level when healthy. Unfortunately he just can’t seem to stay healthy. He’s basically a younger version of Rich Hill who is dominant when he is healthy enough to be on the mound. Speaking of Wood and Hill I’d be happy signing either pitcher to a one year deal.

He would be an intriguing option especially if reports are true that he’s willing to waive his $15MM vesting option to go to a contender. Heck I’d be ok if it simply remains a team option. If Dipoto picks up say $11MM ($6MM in 2020 and $5MM in 2021). I’d be willing to send out a prospect like Supak in exchange for Seager. He fits well with the current roster and is worth $13MM per based on the current free agent market.

I know Boyd was one of the "hot" names at the deadline last summer, and in looking at his overall numbers from last year - he must have really struggled in the 2nd half of the season (after the deadline). Gave up 39 home runs to lead baseball in that category, and looks like his ERA really ballooned as well. Not sure how much I'd feel comfortable giving up for a guy like that? Yeah, he K's a bunch of guys, but some of the other numbers leave a lot to be desired. I can't see Boyd either. After July: 53 IPs - 60 hits - 37 ERs - 22 BBs. Then there's the 39 dingers. If he pitched in Milwaukee he might set the all time MLB record for big flys allowed. I'd rather keep Turang, Rasmussen, et.all and look elsewhere for a pitcher. I guess I hadn’t checked out his numbers or aware he struggled so bad last season. I’ll pass too. Thoughts on guys like Robbie Ray and Jon Gray?

Another trade target should be Matthew Boyd. He’s projected to earn $6.4MM in 2020 and is controlled through 2022. I know Detroit is hurting for infielders so maybe something along the lines of Arcia, Turang and Supak/Rasmussen gets their attention.

we just don't know. He has faced lesser competition in Korea, so its hard to compare. He wasn't very good in MLB, went to Korea and became their MVP. I think its worth the risk, but we don't know if he will succeed here or not. He wasn't even actually that bad in the majors, to be fair. Huge caveat that he was mostly working in relief, but in 147.0 IP he has a 4.10 ERA, 4.27 FIP, 4.48 xFIP, 8.7 K/9, 3.7 BB/9. Even factoring in the transition to starting, that's the profile of a pitcher who is a few changes away (primarily cutting down on walks) from being a #2/3 starter, and at least in the KBO he fixed the walk problem (1.3 BB/9 last season). Looking at his MLB stats he actually performed better than I got the impression he did. My guess is he was able to refine his pitches and improve his control which are the differences between a reliever and middle rotation starter. He very well could become a solid 2-3 option for the next 3 years. I’m intrigued to see him pitch in 2020. This could be the biggest steal of the offseason.

I’m also in the boat of Donaldson will get 4yrs/$100MM+ this offseason so I’ll pass. It’s looking like Todd Frazier ot Asdrubel Cabrera are more likely options to be signed.

And it's signings like this that make me embarrassed for factions of our fan base. LOOK AROUND! Roark got 12 mil AAV. Lyles got 8 mil AAV. Gausman got 9-10. Treinen got 10 coming off an awful year. Would any of those guys make you feel warm and fuzzy? Are any of those sure things? It's like a huge number of people have never had to be strategic about anything in their lives. MKE can't afford to be strong everywhere and pitching is often highly inflated in cost. MKE can not afford top end ace pitchers. Can not. I've pointed to the .9 to 1.1 run diff for well over a year now and that there is an easy way to achieve it if you can simply find 1 starting pitcher solidly sub 4 (3.5 range) and then keep the rest under 4.2. Nothing world beating. If your 5 starters can sit at a 4 ERA the pen can drop you dramatically under 4. That's a great staff. There are 30 teams in this league. 6... SIX... were sub 4 era. What's the cheapest way to do that? Guys like this! Guys like Miley, Gio, Chacin, Anderson, Davies and trading next to nothing for a nobody like Lyles. How many times have they pulled serviceable out of thin air. This team was 1 game from the WS one season ago. ONE. In the last 2 years they were in the playoffs twice and NLCS 1 time. I mean I'd understand if you never saw it work but you just watched it work to the tune of 1 game from the WS. I somehow remember they were leading the team that won the WS this year. Leading in an elimination game, without Yelich. Who was on MKE's staff? Strasburg Cole Verlander Kershaw and Darvish right? RIGHT? 3 mil a year. 6 mil if he pitches as a starter. Cheaper than all the other nobodies we've seen sign deals. Low risk, upside, and a guy who can be a 3mil pen piece if it doesn't pan out. Will Roark give back half his money if he flops? Guy started 30 games last year and was at 6.5 IP per start. This is a brilliant signing. It might not work out, but the idea is brilliant. Yet, factions of this fan base complain. There is nothing to complain about with this signing. Welcome the KBO Cy Young to the roster and hope DS did it again. Great post!!!! This basically says it all. So many fans have no clue what it takes to manage a professional sports team and are always looking for the big name splash signings in free agency which isn’t the norm for a small market team like the Brewers.

NOT if we are on the hook for 48 million or more. You are talking about Price like he's just terrible. He is still a pretty effective pitcher. $48M doesn't buy what it used to. In this market, you'd be really hard pressed to find a better deal than 3/48 for a pitcher with the resume and numbers of Price, much less pick up extra for him. 3 years is not a terribly long commitment. Three years is how long we will likely have Yelich. Not a bad move imo

If Stearns is looking for a solid veteran to slot behind Woodruff it’s either Ryu or Keuchel (I don’t think he would give MadBum the $100MM he’s wanting). Otherwise we are looking at guys like Wood, Teheran, Walker, Miley, Gonzalez, Hill, Porcello, Cashner, Bailey and Sanchez. Of the second group I’d prefer Wood or Sanchez since they have shown front line level production when healthy. Everyone else would simply be league average at best inning eaters.

I think Lindblom will be given every opportunity to start along with Houser, Burnes, Peralta and Lauer. The main difference is everyone except Lindblom have options remaining and can start the year in SA. Do I think that is the goal? Possibly depending on who else Stearns signs before ST.

I hope Stearns is not penny pinching, not signing Junior Guerra seems like penny pinching. Spending $3.5MM on a middle reliever is penny pinching? Considering the D-Backs got him for 2.55MM tells you he isn’t worth what he was going to make in arbitration. This is simply good business not penny pinching.

Ok. Can you come up with a proposal of sorts that makes sense for both us and a trade partner? Any suggestions? You can't just say to trade Hader for a TOR starter, it's not that easy. Other teams like having TOR starters as well. Contending clubs aren't usually looking to trade them away, and rebuilding clubs aren't usually looking to trade theirs for relief aces with 4 years of control. +1 I’m trying to think of a team who is looking to offload a TOR starter atm. Maybe Kluber or Price but both come with warts (i.e. coming off down seasons and are getting older) at this time. Robbie Ray, Jon Gray, Matthew Boyd are all good pitchers but none would be considered a front line “ace”.

AAV of $16MM is actually very doable for the Brewers unless we go crazy and sign Ryu or Donaldson which doesn't seem likely.

Can you relax? You might as well become a Dodger/Yankee fan. Well, yes or no, is this or is that not what they do as far as starting pitching goes. It's a factual statement. Investing 25% of your total payroll into one starting pitcher who will play in at most 22% of your total games in any given season doesn't sound like a sustainable strategy either. Hence why we have always traded for TOR starters (i.e. CC and Greinke) instead of overspending on pitchers when they are nearing the end of their primes (age 30-32). This is a great signing based on potential upside versus guaranteed cost. If you don't understand why Milwaukee will never outbid the large market teams than you simply do not understand baseball economics.

I’m still hopeful Stearns can add Keuchel (3yrs/$42MM) and a bounce back candidate (my preference is either Walker or Wood) I would be happy with our rotation going into ST. Woodruff, Keuchel, Houser, Peralta, Burnes, Lauer and Walker/Wood provides plenty of upside and depth

Knowing me I’d pitch one inning, maybe two and call it a year. In all seriousness, this contract will get ugly quick once he starts regressing.

You can't be serious, right?? They need a LEGIT #2 at worst, none of those guys are even solid #4's. How do any of them improve the rotation significantly?? They might as well light their money on fire.I never said the Stearns shouldn’t look to sign someone like Ryu, Keuchel or even Roark. Or trade for another starter (i.e. Price, Ray, Boyd, Kluber). My point was simply stating that I wouldn’t be so quick to drop $9MM on a bounce back candidate when you can likely find someone similar later in the offseason for less to compete in ST for a spot in the rotation since Burnes, Peralta, Lauer and Houser all have options