A Swing and A Drive

I think the opposite seems to be true around here. Everyone seems to say "let's see... how can I find a way to convince myself that this is a really, brilliant move?" See Anderson, Brett.

I think I figured on the Brewers plan. We aren't going to have a traditional thirdbaseman. Instead we are going to have an extra "rover" play just behind the 2B bag! To Hell with the HOT CORNER!

Keston Huira to Rays for Tyler Glasnow. Who says no?

Even the customers at the Restaurant Formerly Known As Fridays are fired up!

We've got money to burn baby!

I mean maybe in 5 years and if Houser had a different arm.

I'm not sold on Ray, not in the least. Is it feasible that Houser could be at least as good as Ray? No that is not feasible.

Like I said, I don't think they are punting 2020 but rather focusing on 2021 and 2022. Do you not agree that their roster turnover for a contender is extreme and that they have lost a TON of talent to Free Agency? I think it's refreshing and advantageous to have a GM that knows he has job security so that he CAN focus on a larger window for contention rather than make willy-nilly moves to try to save the upcoming season (a la Preller-SD or DiPoto-SEA) or to have to make flashy "big name" signings to satisfy their fan base. A lot of Brewers fans are strangely excited by most diamond-in-the-rough signings like Ryon Healy (agree) and Brett Anderson (disagree). Some don't understand the mindset and it's completely understandable.

I'm assuming you are responding to me. I'll do my best to answer all 3 of your questions. First answer, kind of. I think his job is to continually build a 26 man, 40 man, and minor league system that is flexible and has current and future upside. "Regardless of position" ... well, yes. If other GM's are not out there trying to also find additional pitching or minor league depth because they have a 2B need on the big league club ... they are either working in one of the big 5 markets or they are not doing their job correctly. Second, I appreciate your passion but please remember it is not yet Christmas. I would wager we will have a different name starting at 3rd for us than what we currently have penciled in... however I would wager more that the name we get is a value grab, wherever on the scale that lands, more so than a marquee name (if FA is the way we acquire). Lastly, I don't believe this is a strategy that Stearns has put in place for this particular stretch of months between seasons. I believe it is his mindset on how to do his job. The offseason is just the time frame when there are more bodies and resumes available to do this job with. Aside from that, I would always encourage you to find value when you are out shopping with your kids. If you go to the Dollar Store and you are looking for a few items and you happen to see beach towels are on sale for $1 each ... I would suggest grabbing a couple even if you don't need them because you will down the line and you will be happy you had a few waiting in the closet rather than having to spend $10-$20 at Kohls. Grabbing items of value in anticipation of depleting future needs is a great way to build financial flexibility and freedom if money is typically scarce. It CAN be a great way to live life and also a great way to operate a baseball team. Lol. Awesome response to my somewhat snarky questions. And for the record, if I take my kids shopping for toothpaste, we somehow leave with candy as well, so maybe it's not the right analogy. lol Moral of the Story... Brewers can't afford to shop at Kohls. And that's 100% fine by me. However, I'd like to think they can at least get a few essential items at Target after leaving the dollar store.

I don't think this is accurate. He wasn't that highly regarded, certainly nowhere near where Lindor and Betts stand, at the time of the trade. He exploded after coming to MKE. He was a good, young player, I don't think anyone thought he was a cornerstone guy at the time of the deal. If they traded for another Yelich you wouldn't be able to tell it. You are right about Yelich, but he did finish in the top 20 in MVP voting in 2016 as a Marlin, so it's not like he wasn't a borderline all-star at a young age before the Brewers got him. He was also a former first round pick with a high ceiling. I quickly looked over the roster of the 5 teams I think have no chance to contend in 2020 and I didn't see many potential "Yelichs" Marlins- Full Rebuild, holding onto any controlled young players at this point. Dark Horse= Brian Anderson? Orioles- Trey Mancini would be a great young player to get, but he already had a big breakout last year. Dark Horse= Austin Hays? Pirates- Gregory Polanco perhaps? Don't see a very high ceiling with him and is injury prone. Tigers- Don't see any players on their roster with Yelich type ceiling. Dark Dark horses= Victor Reyes or Christian Stewart? Nah... Royals- Same as Tigers. Soler broke out last year. Not trading Mondesi. Dark horses but lower ceilings= Hunter Dozier or Bubba Starling? I just don't think a player like Yelich would be available to acquire via trade this year. That was like a once in a decade type opportunity the Brewers were the benefit of.

So as GM, Stearns is just acquiring cheap, young talent, regardless of position? If we just need a warm body next to 3B on Opening Day then so be it? So his offseason strategy is the same as when I take my kids to the dollar store? We go there needing 3 things, only find 1 or 2 of them, but leave with 10 things we don't really need but were some pretty nice values?

Here we go with filling holes again... Lol. With the move of Braun to 1B and the addition of Healy, I think the ship has sailed on any Hader trade with the Mets that doesn't have an impact pitcher coming back to the Brew Crew. And I agree that more would need to be included with Lux for Hader. Potentially Dustin May or failing that, Josiah Gray.

If think this is more accurate than the suggested "poopy-head stupid-face"".

This offseason can not be compared to those offseason's IMO. There are no Grandal or Moose out there to sign at all, let alone on a one year or short term deal. There is also no one comparably to Cain still on the FA market IMO. If there is a Yelich on another team to trade for (Lindor,Betts, etc), the Brewers don't have the farm system to be able to acquire them.

Correct. Teams not looking to contend are more than comfortable "dumpster diving" for the likes of Brett Anderson. Diving for guys like Josh Lindblom and Ryon Healy make more sense, because if you come out of the dumpster with a Gem, you get to keep your Gem for a few more years.

Truth be told, the Brewers have lost a ton of MLB talent this offseason. In fact, I'd say more than any other team (Grandal, Moose, Pomeranz, Lyles, etc). I think the Front Office foresaw this happening and realized that the Brewers may take a slight step back on the field in 2020 because of it. As a small market team, it's especially important not to make panic FA signing to compensate for this. Instead, Stearns is playing the long game and I think the organization will benefit from it.

Part of this offseason so far makes me believe that the Brewers Front Office might be "playing" for 2021 and 2022. Not saying that they are punting 2020, but they have decided to do a pretty major roster overhaul to a team that made the playoffs for two straight seasons. Some of their moves so far seem to be preparing for the future (especially 2021-22 window) If this is the case I actually think it's a borderline brilliant strategy. Let's explore the moves... 1. Acquiring Luis Urias for future starting SS, yet tendered Arcia a contract for 2020. This leads me to believe the Brewers are comfortable with Urias spending some time in the minors in 2020 if need be. Their real interest in DiDi Gregorious on a one year deal, also speaks to this. 2. Acquiring Omar Narvaez for future starting C. He's 27 (baseball hitters prime) and controlled for 3 more seasons. Fits the window perfectly. 3. Signing Avasail Garcia for future starting LF. Braun's in the last year of his contract and the plan seems to move him to 1B for 2020 (some OF abs as well). Garcia (age 28) signs a 2 year deal with a club option. Once again, fits the 2021-22 window, and the Brewers won't go into next offseason with a need to fill Braun's old starting spot. 4. Signing Josh Lindblom for future mid-rotation. Lindblom is a complete wild card, coming back from Korea for the 2nd time in his career. Other prominent teams were interested and the Brewers possibly beat them out by including a 3rd year in their offer for $9.75M. If the Brewers believe in his new found splitter and have him throw it even more, they probably think they have something here. If so, they have him for 3 seasons. Again, fits the window. If he completely fails, they can easily eat that contract or move him to bullpen role. 5. Signing Ryon Healy for potential future starting 1B. Again, Healy is just 27 (baseball hitters prime) and returning from injury. Has 3 more years of arby control. Let him contend for playing time at 1B or even 3B going into 2020. If he breaks out and regains his previous form when he was with Oakland, you've got a cheap staring 1B (or 3B) for 2021 and 2022. Again, fits the window. If not, you simply cut bait. No risk/possible reward move. Perhaps if Braun can handle 1B duties, he could also come back on a short term deal. 6. Signing Brett Anderson...I'm not gonna lie, this makes no sense any way you slice it. lol My only guess is maybe they have him re-defined as a bullpen arm and trade him for something at the deadline. So in my mind, with the huge roster turnover this offseason, it leads me to believe that the Brewers Front Office took a look at the roster and decided to, not rebuild, but "reload" in 2020, with a true eye on contending in 2021-2022. Perhaps part of the strategy is to drop the payroll a bit this year (say $20M+ or so), with the intention of using that saved $20M from 2020 towards the 2021 Free Agent class. The Brewers control Josh Hader through this entire window as well, however, they might be smart or open minded about moving him a peak value for the best haul of talent that can help by next year as well. This seems much smarter than trading him just to fill holes in the 2020 lineup/roster. And as every Brewer fan knows, the Brewers control Christian Yelich through the 2022 season. This all makes perfect sense.

Wonder if the Dbacks would be interested in a Corey Ray/Adrian Houser for Robbie Ray/Jake Lamb swap? They are looking for MLB ready OFers. Too bad Ray had such a terrible season in the minors last year. This probably won't get it done.

Gavin Lux as a headliner for Hader would be exciting for certain. (His Wisconsin roots a bonus). He has more potential (also risk) than McNeil. It’s not that I think McNeil is not worth acquiring. Just wondering if we could do it without Hader? Turang and Lutz perhaps?

My apologies. It keeps coming up as a general censenus that a Hader/McNeil centered trade makes sense because of “need”. Hader for McNeil best case would be like Mariano Rivera for Jeff Cirillo, IMO And as far as Thor’s early career struggles go, most ACES go thru early career growing pains. (Max Scherzer as example). Scouts are universal on believing that Thor has ACE potential.

Untrue. There are posters comparing McNeil to Yelich.

Thor just needs some of that Brewers pitching pixie dust! And since when is career minor leaguer Jeff McNeil who has one good MLB season, all of a sudden Christian Yelich 2.0?

IMO ang deal with the Mets has to start with Thor. They have the arms that we need. I agree, if the Brewers trade Hader, the headliner needs to be a pitcher with TOR potential, not a couple of league average position players just because they can play 3B/1B. Very short sighted IMO.

And as long as Brett Anderson spends more time on the IL then on the field then that is also ok.

People really think we are signing or acquiring a different starting 3B? I mean, besides Jeff McNeil?