Devinep

The difference between the two is Casas would be cost-controlled and Bregman, even on an opt-out type deal, will be more $ than the Brewers are willing to spend. And I’m not sure starters are being double-stacked with one at 1B and one at DH.

I would then like to see the Brewers swoop in and make a deal for Tristan Casas, who might be available with Devers moving across the diamond. I think putting Bregman at 2B would make sense since he’s much better defensively than Devers plus they have Campbell almost ready for things at 2B and Grissom also

With Adames leaving, I’m going to hope that $ is used to get a bat, preferably an infielder. In addition to the Kim idea, I’ll add to trade for Brandon Lowe or sign Profar (slow market so far). Maybe another FA signing by another team makes Tristan Casas or Lamont Wade available.

I said World Series winners, not just participants. She me 1995, exactly 3 WS winners were not in the top 1/2 of the league in payroll. $ making it easy to win isn’t really a debate after this research and after the dodgers won the WS then went on to buy a bunch more talent, not to mention give more $ to their own talent before free agency https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/to-win-a-world-series-teams-almost-always-have-to-spend/

Yes I am aware that free agency is after arbitration and guys are older. It’s in no way good for the game that only like 4 team has a legit chance to sign Ohtani or Soto and they were all big markets. The Brewers havent even rumored to be making any attempt at Bregman despite him being the top player at a desperate position of need.

Interesting. I consider competitive balance to be a team having success being determined by being better at trading, scouting and developing players. Sounds a lot better than certain teams having zero chance at the best players after arbitration and a handful of teams being able to get most of the talent. When was the last time a team in the bottom half of payroll won the World Series?

Yep. And floor. And anyone who thinks that wouldn’t help with competitive balance is fooling themselves

It’s funny just as I pulled up this thread the Dodgers just signed Tanner Scott. But money doesn’t mean winning

Alonso and Bregman are both agreeing to massively deferred contracts to become bench bats with the Dodgers

Curtis Mead just turned 24 and has hit well enough to be a top 100 prospect so it’s not sure that he’ll be just a utility guy and deserves a chance to play. Now Palacuos would be a utility guy, but a much better one than Monastario. And one thing they both have that Frelick doesn’t is the ability to play infield. The $ saved I was referring to was if they didn’t do the Lowe trade I proposed (and still prefer). Using some $ for Profar, who doesn’t seem to have a big market, would be that one more good bat that I think the team needs. Getting Mead/Palacios/Durbin to share 3B would mean that isn’t the spot for a bat so that leaves the 1B/DH/LF (with Frelick gone) spot as the spot to add a hitter

Almost exact same story for me and I’m sure thousands of sons and their late dads rushing through their minds today.

I thought of another version of a trade with the Rays and MIL’s surplus do defensive OF. I swear I don’t hate Frelick but I see him as more valuable to another team in CF rather than a powerless corner OF in MIL. Brewers get: Curtis Mead and Richie palacios Rays get: Sal Frelick Mead, Durbin, and Palacios share 3B while being the utility guys and Mead backs up 1B. personally, I would love to see the $ saved by getting 2 pre-arb guys used to get Profar to play DH/1B/LF with Goskins and Yeli cycling through DH. Plus, there would be a bench guy to replace at least one of profit/Hoskins with a pinch runner/defensive sub

In my preseason blueprint from a couple days ago I laid out multiple reasons why a Frelick/Lowe trade would make sense for both teams in my opinion.

Maybe something small would be added, but I do think it’s a close trade already for the following reasons: -Lowe is owed over $10 million the next 2 years each and keeping him would be the exception for TB. Frelick is cheaper and controlled for longer. -TB should give Mead a full time chance. And even if he fails, they have Caballero, Palacios, Basabe, Aranda, and Morel. And Carson Williams is going to make the MLB this year -TB doesn’t have nearly that much depth in the OF and Frelick can split/platoon CF with Deluca -Lowe is injury prone -for what it’s worth, baseballtradevalues thinks Frelick value is 22.2 and Brandon Lowe is 13.7

One addition I forgot: A MILB for Miley

I think this team is affordable, would compete in ‘25, and complete for years to follow. I traded Frelick for Brandon Lowe to deal from a surplus (defensively talented OF) while getting one more IF who can hit. and Lowe can split 2B with Durbin and also play a bunch of 1B with Hoskins at DH and Yeli in LF. That open time in 2B/LF gives Durbin and Black MLB playing time (and fewer ABs for Monastario which is a good thing). C: William Contreras ($7.60M) 1B: Rhys Hoskins ($18.00M) 2B: Brandon Lowe ($10.5M) 3B: Joey Ortiz ($0.8M) SS: Brice Turang ($0.80M) LF: Tyler Black ($.8M) CF: Garrett Mitchell ($0.80M) RF: Jackson Chourio ($4.25M) DH: Christian Yelich ($24.25M) 4th OF: Blake Perkins ($0.80M) Utility: Andrew Monasterio ($0.80M) Utility: Caleb Durbin ($0.8M) Backup C: Eric Haase ($1.80M) NA: Add Dead Money Here ($0.00M) SP1: Freddy Peralta ($8.25M) SP2: Aaron Civale ($8.00M) SP3: Tobias Myers ($0.80M) SP4: Brandon Woodruff ($5.00M) SP5: Nestor Cortes ($7.70M) RP: DL Hall ($0.8M) RP: Trevor Megill ($2.00M) RP: Nick Mears ($0.90M) RP: Jared Koenig ($0.80M) RP: Bryan Hudson ($.8M) RP: Joel Payamps ($2.80M) RP: J.B. Bukauskas ($0.80M) RP: Aaron Ashby ($3.45M) NA: Add Dead Money Here ($0.00M) Payroll is 12.23% under budget

Not 3+ years ago. He was better than Monastario in all those categories in 2024

I’m not even advocating for rodgers unless for cheap, but I find it weird that you asked why I think he’s better in direct response to a quote in which I started the things in which Rodgers is better than Monastario

No, not in my opinion. According to WAR, OBP, SLG, OPS+, DRS

Brendan Rodgers is objectively an upgrade over Monastario

Yes it is. That is why they shouldn’t pigeon-hole themselves into needing a 3B to move Ortiz to SS when Turang can also play SS. Yes there are a couple interesting trade targets in Eugenio Suarez and Josh Smith, but idk how available they are. But Brandon Lowe and Durbin sharing 2B with Lowe also playing 1B/DH and Durbin as UTIL would be nice.

After the Kim signing, I thought about Lux as a 2B target with Ortiz at 3B and Turang at SS but he isn’t the kind of hitter to make that defensive adjustment for. It’s like Lorde says, that kind of Lux just ain’t for us

Did you know he’s from Wisconsin?

Black didn’t hardly play 3B even in AAA and is an awful infielder so he really ain’t even an option at 3B besides emergency

Depending on roster construction, I’d be ok if he Didn’t play much other than a pinch runner/defensive replacement for Hoskins. But I hope he isn’t a progress stopper for Black in MIL or even Martinez/Clarke at AAA. I hope he never ever is a DH again because a bad hitter is a waste of a DH