tmwiese55

Agree, you can get to that floor with Contreras and Turang. I guess the issue on going this route would be that sure it hits the minimum requirement now, but as a small market team the many years of commitment could still be a hinderance to deal with later.

I fully agree the 'Vaugnn is only a platoon who can't hit righties type' became way overblown this year. He was used that way due to our team being so lefty heavy and Bauers getting on a heater. But an upper 700s OPS is perfectly fine in today's hitting landscape. Guys who have normal season OPSs in that world start all over the league and get 100+ mil contracts. The overall point people are getting at is that if Bauers leaves, we can trust and have some strong confidence that we're going to get perfectly adequate 1B numbers from Vaughn on a 1/9ish type deal, which is a bargain these days. Sure, he won't be Pete Alonzo or prime Freeman, but he also doesn't have 150 mil attached to him

Sure, but they also probably have the best on paper roster in the AL. Or at the least its on par with TB/NYY if Judge is healthy. 6 solid starting Ps, good closer, several good proven hitters (though Arozarena is likely gone). Two top rated prospects who just came up. Get to play in the very bad AL West. It really was crazy they had such a bad year, you'd think many more established names would've wanted this job so they must have really liked something about this guy

Id say a thing to note that is a bit different than Adames is the years on contract. He ended up at 7 but going into that there was the chance of some crazy 8-10 year thing that had been getting handed out all over at the time. In Contreras's case, everyone knows he's a C so chances are if he hits FA next offseason the most he's getting is 5 years. If we could get him for 5 total (buying out next year) right now I think we'd do it, that potential 6th year could be the sticking point though. But the main thing I meant to point out is that in a deal like that we're all generally confident that the first two years will be fine (barring horrible injury luck like shoulder/ACL etc), most likely even 3. So the risk is really just twooverpaid years at the end, 3 if you get talked into doing the 6th year. That's not that tough of a pill to swallow, especially since Yeli will be gone then. Whereas Adames and contracts that long you're possibly looking at 4-5 years of it as awful, just as SF is doing right now.

Just think how good he could be if he can spend all offseason working on hitting vs LHP and get himself to just OK level vs lefties. Hopefully he made friends with Schwarber at the WBC ETA: I had a $4 bet on Turang MVP back in like April at something like 170-1 odds. Idea being that if Ohtani got hurt he'd be the best player on the best team so who knows. If PCA didn't turn into a Bonds light for 3 months it probably works

Yea no hate on Bauers, I've generally been a supporter even when he was just ok but thought he got too much bashing, so I'm glad it all worked out. But I think I'd prefer to get the pick, keep Vaughn for next year and bring up one of the youths to share time with him. You then have 15ish mil extra to play with on signing others, like towards Contreras, Made, Turang extensions. Or even as simple as reduced financial pressure to trade Megill since he'll be pricey next year. But I'm generally OK if he accepts, then move on Vaughn. I'd just prefer the other route slightly.

Yea and you have to travel 6-8 hours with connecting flights, etc for something that isn't exactly your accomplishment. Like say if it was planned celebration of a 20 year anniversary of winning a division or something that's different. I'm sure plenty would've done it if it was convenient, like they live in Chicago or something, but to jump through so many hoops along with it being a little awkward because its not really for you probably makes it an easy 'nah I'll let them have their moment without me'. Unless you're at the level like a Braun/Prince type where you're frequently in contact and doing things with the team it probably didn't make a lot of sense. The upper level guys like that probably had much of this planned or been in frequent comms throughout the playoffs for various events.

I'd been thinking similarly here. Many teams are well stocked at this position, especially the good teams. I really doubt many are going to want to plan on much OF for him, especially beyond next year. There might be a tighter market than people think on the surface. But, every year in baseball we see that it only takes one team.

In the Brewers situation with so many other young arms and likely Woodruff on a cheap deal it probably doesn't make sense to spend on a guy like him. If they want a stable vet innings eating type they can probably find someone on a 1 year 10 or less type deal that checks that box. But I think May does have a lot of potential value/upside as he's now a couple years removed from the surgeries where he could really go up a level next year. The stuff is clearly there, just needs to refine it. All word is that he's an obsessive worker (possibly too much). If I'm a team with a more flexible budget I'd take that 2/30 type deal for him and hope for the best. Or even someone like the Cards he would make sense to go back, they should have plenty of money after trading everyone away. The team did better than expected, if the Cubs fall off next year they could maybe steal a wild card. Or, if he's doing well but they're not in contention can just trade him away again. Maybe SD too he could be a lower cost (less years commitment) than other options they look at. Giants too. There's a lot of teams that could make sense.

Not sure if that article linked mentioned it, but I saw before it ended that they would be only the 3rd team since the WC to have best record, best run differential, and win the WS. And I think only like the 9th ever? Add in that they also did by going 11-2 in the playoffs vs the other best teams including sweeping a 100 win two time defending champ and I think it's tough not to give them top 5 since then (WC era last 30ish years). Though 'eye testing' on paper they won't look as good as some stacked Yanks/Red Sox lineup but I chalk a lot of that up to our brains (and computers) still think in the old terms of SP and big hitters, and don't fully account for how the Brewers manage their pitching/pen so differently

I'd still be really skeptical about 6 years. But if there's ever a time to overpay for 'right now' production knowing its likely going to have a negative 4 years down the line it would be when you're the WS top or second favorite for the next 2-3 years. Which they should be, barring mass injuries to the pitching staff

I really wouldn't mind seeing Hall, and even Ashby, be given one more crack at starting.

I've been curious if Bob recorded a video for the whole public for whenever this happened.

Throughout the year that has certainty been the case. However, the last two rounds they've rolled with the lefties vs lefties over and over and it has continued to work. And his two prime PH guys Bauers and Yeli have both been good so they haven't pulled the trigger on it like they did all year. I was also surprised to see Sanchez get a PH instead of him in game 1 I think

Assume they do win it this year, and assume that middle ground extension doesn't work with Bill. I'd go with keeping him next year to go for the repeat. You're still getting the draft pick back for him. Of course, if there is an overwhelming offer to trade then you have to do it. But based on the only so-so type returns they've gotten for all the other trades the last few years I don't think that whopper of a deal will be out there. And that's not to say that they still haven't come out well on all the other trades, just that none of the packages on paper at the time were in the 'holy cow' type level with overall top 20 ranked type prospects coming back. But considering the value Bill gives us and with going into next year as probably the #2 favorite to win the WS, I think you go for that title and take the draft pick.