anglotiger

I'm not at all disappointed, because I had no expectation of him joining the Brewers. I really thought that he'd end up with the Dodgers... but winning was secondary to other things in life - good for him...

Same here. I like the added versatility that he brings.

Two reasons he's highly unlikely to be a Brewer: - Scott Boras - Money The second is certainly an issue, but it's not as if Boras doesn't have a history of approaching an owner directly, circumventing the GM...

I have to think that he'll either pick the best location for his family, or the contender who promises him the most playing time (or both).

It looks like the Brewers' interest is serious. https://www.brewcrewball.com/2018/12/19/18149179/milwaukee-brewers-troy-tulowitzki-workout Along with half of the league, of course...

The only thing that I can think of is that they thought that they were re-signing Bryan Harvey...

Sure there are, but how many of them are really good - a significant upgrade on what a team already has as their starter? When I read this the first time, I saw "what OUR team"...so thought you were referring to the Pina/Kratz/Nottingham combo. I guess I just read it wrong. I've never done anything like that before...

Sure there are, but how many of them are really good - a significant upgrade on what a team already has as their starter? A handful are, but that's also because what we have for starters really aren't that bad. Pina grades out roughly average overall. Kratz is a below average vet with an excellent presence, and for all we know Nottingham could take a step forward this year. He had a pretty solid season overall last year and has an excellent work ethic. And you took my comment incredibly out of context anyway. I was referring to the market on Realmuto overall, not directly related to the Brewers. A majority of the teams I listed will probably be content with one of the lower cost options available...and there are enough that each team could get a solid option and leave the Marlins with no market. Multiple GM's have gone on record saying how ridiculous the Marlins asking price is. Their two most aggressive suitors have signed alternate options and are basically out on Realmuto. This argument of "Realmuto is good and at a scarce position, therefore X team should give up their top prospects" is a terrible argument and it keeps happening. Realmuto is not going to be as valuable as many of these top prospects over their entire team control. Hiura for example I would argue is likely to put up a higher WAR over the next 3 years than Realmuto will in the next 2, and at a lower cost...and then we'll have 3 additional years of likely even greater production beyond that. This exact scenario is the same for Robles, Acuna, Bellinger, Verdugo, etc...this thought process isn't specific to the Brewers. That's why so many on this board consider Hiura or Burnes for Realmuto to be crazy, and why teams are calling out the Marlins for their insane asking price. I really wasn't taking your comment out of context at all, let alone "incredibly". I got what you were saying, and didn't see the need to quote an entire lengthy post, so I just included the line on which the entire argument seemed to be based - a statement which seemed to completely miss the point of my original comment. I was referring to the market in general too, not the Brewers - see the last line of my post that you were responding to: "I don't think that I want that team to be the Brewers, but I think that someone will pull the trigger...". I thought that it was clear that my post was referring to the market in general, and not the Brewers, but if that wasn't clear then I apologize... And, by the way, from what you're saying, I think that we both voted the same way in the poll about catching... we don't disagree on that...

Sure there are, but how many of them are really good - a significant upgrade on what a team already has as their starter?

Am I the only one who thinks that the Ramos signing puts the Marlins in an even stronger negotiating position than they were before? Many here seem to be of the opinion that, with each signing, the market for Realmuto becomes smaller, weakening their position. My view is quite different. Yes, the number of teams who are or should be interested in Realmuto diminishes by one with every free agent who signs with a team or is traded, but there are many teams still in need, and the number of potential targets for those teams has also reduced. Teams chose to balk at the the asking price while there were other avenues to pursue. Now that those other avenues are disappearing, IMO, it's becoming more likely that someone will blink and meet the asking price, or at least increase what they're willing to pay... I don't think that I want that team to be the Brewers, but I think that someone will pull the trigger...

Off-topic a little but I was talking to a friend in L.A. - a huge Dodgers fan - and he hates Machado with a passion, for the same reasons that many here do. He thinks Machado is a great player but is utterly classless as a player, didn't want him in the first place and doesn't want him back... of course, it might help that his team can afford another expensive free agent to fill that hole...

Strahm would be a really good pickup, especially with Burnes and perhaps even Woodruff moving to the rotation. But if you could get Gore or Baez - or even Quantrill... (and you can't, for that package, I know)

37 year old Charlie Morton versus 33 year old Lance Lynn sounds like a tossup to me. I'm glad the Brewers didn't do this, don't get me wrong I have a lot more confidence in Morton (and I felt like his stuff would work well in Miller Park) than I do in Lynn right now, and three years for Lynn? Yikes. Of course, take this opinion with a grain of salt - I liked Alex Cobb last off-season, and we saw how that turned out...

This deal makes the Morton one look even better...

That's a really good pickup for the Rays. Morton is good enough, and that contract reasonable enough, that I'm a little disappointed...

I'm not a fan - particularly at that price. He seemed pretty consistent until last year, and I worry that it was an aberration.

Oh, I'm sure that they had interest - very few teams with ambition wouldn't - but I'm equally sure that they kicked the tires, talked to the salesman, heard the price and laughed heartily as they walked across the street from the BMW dealer to the Honda dealer and picked up something decent at a reasonable price.

Excellent post. I'm always advising people about getting hung up on sunk costs (in a different context to those that you mentioned). Like everyone else, I'm glad that Stearns is owning this and, I'm sure, will be that much better a GM for the experience.

Depending upon the price, this possibility intrigues me...

Count me in the group who wouldn't be surprised if it were true. As I said last week, I have the feeling that the Marlins feel like they "lost" the Yelich trade badly and need to "win" this one but, with the top two free agents at the position still available at zero prospect cost, Stearns has little incentive to give up his top prospect at this time...

A totally pointless exercise, and I'm trapped by a cat on my lap, so I'm in! 1. Yelich 2. Hader 3. Cain 4. Nelson 5. Burnes 6. Woodruff 7. Huira 8. Knebel 9. Chacin 10. Shaw 11. Peralta 12. Arcia 13. Aguilar 14. Brown 15. Ray 16. Dubon 17. Santana 18. Turang 19. Lutz 20. Braun (yes, seriously - I think that he's really useful contributor in the postseason)

If he isn't, then why do we care what he's saying? It sounds more like he got fired than it does that he knows anything... Or he's referencing his past experience as a journalist - where there's a story you dig into it and report it regardless of it being good or bad for an organization. It's rather straight forward what he was saying I ask again - why do we care what he's saying? By his own admission, he's not an active journalist, and there's no reason to believe that he knows a thing of interest.

If he isn't, then why do we care what he's saying? It sounds more like he got fired than it does that he knows anything...

Designated for assignment today. On Thanksgiving. Classy move - in terms of the timing - by the Marlins...

How much is this influenced by the Yelich trade? Yelich is the MVP and, while it's too early to judge, they have to be a bit underwhelmed/embarrassed by the return so far. They may feel that they undervalued their commodity and want to be sure that they don't make the same "mistake" again - that they "win" this trade. The problem with that thinking is that you're an injury away from getting nothing - not to mention that each passing season (or even half-season) sees the potential return drop in value.