tmwiese55

Another thing to note is the two NL juggernauts in PHI/LAD are starting to get old right as MKE should be at their peak years. Phi has a huge offseason here and potential makeover which could bring them down a clear notch. And Turner/Harper are going to start their decline at their age (while carrying massive contracts for like 7 more years). Wheeler said he's done after 26 even before that injury, so he might quit now Freeman is like 35/36 and guys like Betts/Teoscar are 33ish. Unfortunately LA is so loaded its likely they'll find a way to overcome this and just buy new players. Plus, they've already somewhat addressed it by investing so heavily in not aging SPs. But just saying at least their O could take a step back as those MVP types start aging. We'll see who else they buy though.

In a way the Cubs can take some credit. First, them being very good and still on the Brewers heals in spite of the run they went on forced MKE to keep their foot on their gas. They had that 18 in 17 type stretch and then another couple weeks after where they had to try. This likely contributed to several pitcher injuries towards the end of the year, along with extra use on the good guys who did stay healthy. In addition, stretching them to 5 in the NLCS put them behind the 8 ball going into the Dodgers who of course didn't need any help. That said, pitching was not really an issue. It really just came down to the same Achilles they've had the last 7ish years, not enough O vs elite playoff pitching. Maybe a few off days in Aug/Sept help a bit, but its tough to say the hitters could be all that burned out or tired with it being over in the last 1-2 weeks plus then having like 6 days off before the playoffs. Hitters just didn't hit after game 2 vs the Cubs and I'm not sure how much could really be chalked up to being tired considering the 2-3 weeks prior were cruise control and off.

My group has been trying to not be negative and that logistically it make sense to try and give one more year. Get to an easier schedule and see if a step in the right direction can be made next year. Constant firings and all that can lead to spiral quickly, and then add in the money needed. But its gotten so bad and the team is so bad that I just don't think there's any other choice at this point. It just seems complete lost cause or lost locker room level of ineptitude where you just don't have a choice. I think I've posted a time or two on here in the last year that the people I know around the program have been saying its absolutely brutal behind the scenes, which is showing on the field now and it sounds like things are even worse. It just seems like they don't have a choice but to fire at this point. And with the money that will cost I don't see the next coach being a proven expensive guy and the NIL pot won't be too full since so much has to go to buyout and interest is low, lots of dark years ahead. That said, it wouldn't surprise me if they negotiate that 28 mil number down with him. He seems to have given up (in spite of still wearing the stupid vest) and probably prefers to just be gone. I guess lesson learned to the people that spent the good years of the programs calling for axing Gard/Chryst etc or for the people who pushed a guy like Franklin out of PSU. Careful what you wish for, its nearly impossible to turn yourself into OSU/Bama or Duke/Kentucky, but it is very easy to turn yourself into Northwestern/Kansas at football or say Nebraska/Oregon st at basketball

I said wild, I know its longshot and agents are going to want to gamble. Just get the vibe there is a good will on both sides so they might find a way to do something that works for both. But some details I think are being glossed over its essentially a 2/42ish extension. Thats in the neigborhood of yearly value, and say is 2/50 its the same general idea. He gets a raise next year and the player option lets him opt out if all goes well the next two years. So its only moving back his FA one year from where it as as of now if all goes well, while letting him put 42-50ish (whatever number the agree) extra mil in the bank right now no matter what. He's taking the risk on delaying by one more year, MKE is taking the risk that if he gets hurt we're out that money.

I'm gonna take a wild guess that I think the team has a good relationship with him like they do Woodruff and they work out a short extension this offseason. Something like turning 1/8 into 3/50 ballpark with the 3rd year being a player option. He gets a raise next year, doesn't risk injury, locks in money before potential lockout. Still can hit big FA at age 32/33 and try to get a dumb contract from someone else. Chances are his agents would not recommend something like this being one year away from a potential 200 mil contract but that's why I said 'wild guess'

odds on Ohtani walking to start the game, 50%, or even higher? first two pitches curves in the dirt?

Yes, I think a hard cap or even one like the NBAs is probably an automatic No from the players. So your solutions are probably on continuing to crank up penalties on the top teams for spending above X amount, and it compounds more and more as time goes on. Perhaps there's 2-3 tiers of that as well, like the nba. Along with that some kind of min spend rule or else you don't get a cut of the share. The deferred payments have to be addressed. Sharing of local TV money should be shared. Not sure how it is now, but if its fully not shared at all right now perhaps you have to start with a partially sharing it and then gradually moving to sharing more at the next CBA, and so on. I'd toss those out as 3 realistic things that could be addressed at next cba

IF there's a game to give Mona a start its probably with Freddy at P due to the K rate and being generally a fly ball pitcher. Still, I doubt we see it

I know its obvious. But I saw something a few days ago that Dodgers are the likely winners on him. Conforto flopped for them and his contract expires this year I think. If I recall the article mentioned how others (even big ones like Yanks/Mets) will balk at the Tucker mega contract because he's good but not thaaaat good so not only do you know the backend will be bad but even now in his prime you're way overpaying him too. But of course LAD doesn't care about that backend. On paper Tucker is perfect fit for NYY in that park, lefty to pair with Judge. But I know if I'm the Yankees or really anybody I'd rather have someone like Bellinger on a 2-4 year deal than this guy for 10 years 400 mil.

I don't think its tired for him. He's always felt like a nerves/pressure/mental type guy over the years when he loses his command. Obviously playoffs ramp all that up and we see the results. That said, at some point he'll get comfortable and over it and get back to his normal self. hopefully that's tonight. Another thing I'd add on him is that they can't forget the guy throws 100. If the breaking stuff is way off like it gets when he's struggling, just remember you throw 100 and gas it in there over the plate. Don't have to rely on the breaking stuff

Wonder if these guys have dropped another Pod or are keeping quiet after the last two days. Probably a comparable Brewers one with sky is falling talk like this too now

I was so close on Wednesday to nailing a Monesterio game winner prediction I made when he got put in. Was on deck when Bauers struck out with bases loaded

pretty spot on. Other top consideration would be game 6 in 1982. Game to clinch the Championship and get smoked. If nitpicking, probably have to put that 2 I guess just due to the weight of it

I'd go Quintana opener since he's lefty with Miz as the plan after. In a weird way, Ashby's bad 1st inning in game two might've ultimately cost them the series even though they won that game. If they'd kept 'overthinking' and used lefty openers rather than who they did its very likely they win at least one of the last two games assuming just one of them doesn't have the blow up first inning. After it didn't work in game 2 they were probably gunshy to do it again

Another quirk of the decision I don't think I saw mentioned (sorry if I missed). If they did save Peralta for 5 with also having the hope that he'd be ready for game 1 if they happen to win tonight is that if he did have to pitch game 5 he wouldn't be able to pitch until game 3 in NLCS. and then not again until game 7 (as a normal starter). Thus, you might be out before he gets a 2nd start. Pitching today keeps him up for game 2 then 6. Of course you might still be out by 6, but earlier the better and do what I can to increase his chances for two starts in that series.

And to a lot of discussions here over the years on "luck/breaks" of baseball. Frelick generally hit the ball sharp-ish, just a couple more feet up the middle and its a hit and this discussion isn't taking place

I also haven't gotten the switch to leadoff of Yeli. To this topic. I put that inning on Turang. I hate making a lefty hitter bunt a guy to 3rd. All he has to do is put ball in play and you still get the move over while also having the chance of getting hit. That said, if Turang after that first pitch felt he couldn't hit it (which based on the complete lack of effort on his swings I get) that he felt a bunt towards 3rd was his best bet to get over but to also steal a hit or cause an error that's his call. But I don't blame the manager that he should call it, a lefty hitter simply has to have a better AB than that. I get the Vaughn critique. I didn't love the earlier timings of PHs either to use up those other guys when they did either. For example, without those earlier PHs you could've used Collins/Perk for Frelick there and still had good D

I would say its definitely weird that the game in LA is the first game. Only logic I can see is if not, it becomes 9 pm start in PHi. But still, I've always thought home stadium local time has been most relevant

I can't see anyway we take on that contract at those ages. I've always been a Seger guy and couldn't believe unlimited money Dodgers let him go. But knowing our budgets as a brewer fan I would not want him at that contract even if given to us for no prospects. And I can't see Texas paying a big chunk of it to dump him. IMO, TX is going to try to win again next year. Hous dynasty is finally cracking making the west easier.

If he doesn't sit him then he faces a lefty which makes him a shell of himself, so its a win win.

I think the best route would be lefty opener then Peralta. Turns out the hindsight mistake yesterday was to not 'overthink' and use a lefty opener like Quintana. Today, I think best route is Ashby/Gasser for 1 to mess with Busch again, try to get 2 if they do well. Then try to get 5 out of Peralta. So its Peralta as the 'starter' but the small caveat of lefty opener to make them mess with their lineup and hopefully have Busch only face a righty once all day. But the simplest route really can't be argued much either

Again, we have no idea what they think. That's all I'm saying, if they're open there's tons of options. If not, limited options. We don't know. I know in my opinion, Turang at SS and Durbin at 2B is a vastly preferred setup than Durbin at SS and Turang at 2B. I don't really know how anyone would disagree on that but to each their own. They very well might have the not moving turang from 2B no matter what mindset, idk. But if I was a guessing man I'd guess with how they value D they would also have no intention of Durbin handling SS other than backup/emergency type things

Maybe misinterpreted. I meant "moving turang to SS". Not moving as if in a trade. None of us have any idea 100% either way on their internal openness to that as the SS solution or not. If they do think it can happen it opens up tons of options, if not then much less

your guess is as good as anyone else's. If I had to guess, I'd think they go with Peralta in game 4 to do their best to end it. Combining that with the same logic as what happened in game 2, I think they'd rather the bullpen type day happens at home as it makes rookies like Miz, Patrick, Gasser more comfortable. Who knows though. And I'm sure depends on how much the BP gets used today in a loss

Exactly, that's an interesting part about 5 game series. The 'stress' flips so easily game to game. Lose this one, all of a sudden next game pressure is all on you to 'not blow a 2-0 lead'. Then of course if you lose that its all on you in game 5 Ground ball pitcher, what about just Yelich in LF and Chourio DH? Yeli is weak on D but they have put him out there this year and he's gonna catch what he gets to. And if JC is on "don't sprint" type guidelines is he all that much better than Yeli at D? Sure would be nice to get the win here and just have 4 days off for Chourio.