paul253

I live in Milwaukee and the lake is disgusting down by here. It stinks from the constant sewage dumping and I will not go swimming at the beaches here. My question is this. Does anyone know about how far north you need to go before you can swim in the lake without smelling like sewage after you get out? Is something like Port Washington far enough, or do you have to go even further?

I am not against trading for guys who won't be ready until 2012, because I think 2012 will be a key year for us. Fielder will be gone one way or the other. Weeks and Hart may be gone as well. Amaury Rivas and probably Mark Rogers will be up. Gallardo will still be here. Cain, Gamel, and Lawrie should be every day players. I think we should hoard as many pitching prospects as possible. What about Hart and maybe a low level mid to low ceiling prospect (Nick Bucci, Del Howell?) for Jake McGee and Alexander Colome? McGee would be about the same level as Rivas and Rogers and could be in Nashville next season. Colome would be with Odorizzi and Heckathorn, starting next season at BC. Both seem to be strikeout pitchers. That means starting in 2012 you have Rivas, Rogers, and McGee about ready. In 2013 you get Peralta and Scarpetta. In 2014 you have Heckathorn, Odorizzi, and Colome. This on top of some of the lower ceiling guys like Anundson, Lasker, Periard, Arnett possibly, etc. The team is going to sputter in 2011 but you at in 2012 things would start to get exciting.

Butler, Rivas, and Rogers all could step in for either Davis or Narveson next year. I am not as high on Rogers as you are. He's having an awfully hard time with his control this year. I just can't see him stepping in the rotation next year. I think Butler would be the best bet but you're just replacing one #4 or #5 pitcher with another one. I don't think we have any real good pitching coming into our rotation until 2012 with Rivas and Rogers, 2013 with Peralta and Scarpetta and 2014 with Odorizzi.

I lived on the east side of Milwaukee about a year and a half ago and Uverse wasn't available. Maybe it's changed but I'd look into that before you waste your time looking at their packages. Also, is this new apartment you're moving into going to allow you to get a satellite dish?

Let's not forget that the Brewers still don't have any pitching prospects ready for 2011. Their starters are awful this year. Bush will be expensive if he sticks around. Narveson is average at best. Parra still has some upside but the results as of yet haven't been there. What exactly are we going to do next season? Sign Kevin Millwood for $8 million a year? We can hang onto Hart and Fielder and try to compete next year, but unless there is a significant upgrade in the rotation, I can't see the team getting any better.

If they had that many picks, they probably wouldn't have the money to sign them I was just kidding about that possibility. It sure would be something though wouldn't it? And I think they'd have plenty of money to sign all the picks if they do happen to go this route because you'd have probably $30 million coming off the books from those three alone. Corey Hart is playing so great right now. It's such a hard decision. If he has actually turned the corner offensively, he could be a great asset to the team. He could actually move back to first base to replace Fielder. But if he resorts to his old status before we trade him, we've wasted an absolute golden opportunity. I'm still leaning towards trading him, but it's getting to be a tough decision.

I'd rather deal Hart + for Minor. Maybe Hart and Coffey could get that done. I'd just hate to give up two major league players for one prospect. It's awfully risky. I really think the Brewers will keep Hart and move Prince instead. I actually think it'll be the other way around. I think Hart's value is going up and Prince's is going down. I think Hart gets traded this month and Prince goes in the offseason. UNLESS....how does the 2012 draft look http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif. If they let Hart, Fielder, and Weeks all walk after the 2011 season, they could possibly get 4 first round and 3 supplemental picks in 2012.

correct me if i am wrong but wasnt melvin the GM when they made the playoffs The one season they made the playoffs under him? He's had two seasons of above .500 ball, one of which was only 4 games over. That's not very good. Not to mention after they made the playoffs the team has been on a steady decline even though most of his key players are in the prime of their careers.

I think they could trade Bush or Davis either way. They still have 5 starters even if they trade one, though depending on who they trade they could have four lefties, and not as much depth. I was actually wondering about trading Bush. Teams seem to over value pitching quite a bit Bush has been solid lately. I wonder if we could get a decent prospect for him.

Another dominating start by Odorizzi today. His numbers are looking really good. High K rate, low walk rate. I think he deserves in be in BC soon.

I didn't want to start a whole new thread just for this, but is there some kind of rule in the NBA where every time you give an interview you are required to use the phrase "at the end of the day" at least two times? Seriously....every single interview by a player and every time an "analyst" talks, that phrase is used. It's getting really annoying. At the end of the day, I think people need to come up with a new catch phrase.

Yeah I think Lawrie ends up moving regardless. Gennett looks like a good second base prospect too, much better defensively than Lawrie. The Brewers have some decent replacements coming up...guys like Gamel, Cain and Lawrie. But you can't trade everyone. I'd be ok with signing Weeks to a 3 or 4 year extension, move him down in the lineup, and trade Hart and Fielder.

The July 6th article mentions that someone will have to lose their spot in the rotation once Alex Periard comes off the DL. Is there a chance someone instead gets promoted to Nashville? Butler and Rivas would seem like good candidates for that.

Don't either of these teams have some guys in AA that would be worth taking a chance on? You can't expect Bumgarner for Hart. Bumgarner just has too much potential. He'd be a guy you'd have to acquire in the offseason so SF could replace him, but I still don't think you could get him.

I still think Lawrie ends up somewhere other than second base. I think if Weeks is traded, they acquire a two stop gap and wait for Scooter Gennett. Gennett is domination A ball and should pull a Lawrie and move up to Huntsville next year. I'd hate to see Lawrie play one or two years of second base in Milwaukee just to switch again. Obviously Gennett and Lawrie both can't play second, and Gennett is better defensively. I would actually like to see Weeks resigned, though.

hate Keith Law with a passion... What he said is probably true though. That's why I am so in favor of trading Hart.

I'd be ok with getting Cain, but I'd like him extended through at least 2014. I am not big on giving up on Parra though. Trading him now would be the epidomy of selling low. Parra needs to enter the season as a #4 or #5 starter. I think his control will eventually get there, and once it does he'll be a much better pitcher. But again, I wouldn't mind trading for Cain, although I'd prefer someone younger and cheaper.

As for tanking the rest of the season, I've never understood this logic fans have in any sport. I know he said "yes" when you asked him if he wanted them to tank. I personally don't want them to "tank", but what I don't want them to do is play average baseball and maybe gain a game in the next 2 weeks and have Doug Melvin think that the team is going to make the playoffs. I'd love to see them go on a tear and win 10 of 11 games too. But they have a real opportunity to upgrade a declining system right now and I'd love to see them take it if they aren't going to make a run. 8 1/2 games is a lot of games to make up, and they have to pass two teams, not just one. I can't necessarily disagree with Trwi's attitude because I want the team to improve for the future, and the only way to do that is to upgrade the pitching with young, cheap guys. Signings likes Braden Looper, Jeff Suppan, Randy Wolf, and Doug Davis are going to do nothing other than keep the team floating in mediocrity.

Are you basing this on anything other than last season? No it's just based solely on my frustration with how he handles trades. They are not even negotiating with Fielder now. There is probably a 95% chance they don't make the playoffs, and any in-house pitching candidates that could have any impact are still probably a year away (thinking specifically of Rivas and Josh Butler). There is zero reason to keep him. Zero. I hope they don't keep Hart because I think they could get a good return for him as well, but I can at least understand why they would. He's signable and may have actually turned the corner offensively. Fielder is not signable. If you trade him this year a team like Tampa could turn around and trade him again in the offseason and wouldn't have to pay more than probably $5 million or so of his salary for this year. If you trade him next season the team would have to pay his full salary, which will probably be around $12 million, and they risk losing him for nothing. I agree with sveumrules. I think that this is about keeping the fans happy and not about improving the team in the long run.

Knowing Melvin he'll think he can sign one or two average veteran pitchers in the off season and expect to compete next year. He's not going to trade Fielder. He'll take draft picks for him. And he won't trade Hart either. He'll trade for a reliever and a backup infielder. Mark my words.

Pitcher Fromtrade + Gamel >> McGehee + Doug Davis in 2011. You could get more by trading Corey Hart. Hart is much more expensive and is only under control for a year. Or you could move McGehee to first after trading Fielder. This doesn't have to the simple "Gamel and McGehee both play third so one of them has to go" type conversations. The Brewers could deal Fielder and Hart, save a buttload of money AND get good young pitching in return. Then you can play mix and match with McGehee, Gamel, and another player with RF, 1B, and 3B. The high upside pitching will only come from trading Fielder and/or Hart, not McGehee.

Why on earth would they call him up? He got rocked in AA last season. If he throws strikes, then he should be starting. I think calling up would be a PR move, which isn't something Milwaukee should be doing. This isn't the Brewers of the mid and late 90's. Do what's best for JJ. I don't think that includes a call up. It's also a slap in the face to potential call up who have earned a promotion and don't get one, like Heether last season.

In his career he hasn't taken many walks or struck out much, he's a contact hitter. Yes he found power out of nowhere, but he puts the ball in play. It's not a knock on him, it's who he is. I apologize I misunderstood what you meant. I thought you meant he was a contact hitter versus a power hitter. I don't think he's necessarily a pure power hitter, but like I said, 20-25 home runs is pretty decent. Where did I say anything about Gamel? Green and Lawrie could figure in the mix there, maybe a stop gap FA type... I'm not one to ever get hung up on names. Gamel could possibly start out at 3B and ultimately end up at 1B, whatever the case it's completely irrelevant. Gamel is the most obvious of choices, that's why I brought him up. Green is struggling in AA and Lawrie hasn't played third base since he signed with Milwaukee. The point is people need to get past the idea that if a guy is performing well he's untouchable, the situations are always quite a bit more gray than that. You're missing my point entirely. I am not saying don't trade him because he's hitting well. That's not at all how I think. I've been one of the most vocal advocates of trading Corey Hart and I don't think anyone is playing better than he is. My point is that on top of performing well, he's cheap and he's still under team control for a number of years. Yeah if you get a good offer for him you take it and make due with what you have, but I wouldn't actively look to trade him like I would Fielder, Hart, and some of the relievers. We need cheap, productive hitters so we can continue to spend money on pitching. Once again this is turning into Player A vs Player B conversation when that's not what this is all about. We're trying to say that Player A < Player B + Acquired Player C. I don't care about the names, I'm into the concept. I do understand this. But you do that with anyone who gets traded. I can't remember if it was in this thread or another where I said this, but I'll say it again. If Doug Melvin can't get the pitching he needs by trading Fielder and/or Hart, he shouldn't be GM anymore. I'll just add that if he can't the pitching from trading one or both of them, I doubt he'll get it by trading McGehee. I want no part of using McGehee as a throw in with another major league player to obtain pitching. I think he's more valuable to the franchise than that. Plus at some point you need to hold on to some of the offense or else you'll have no offense when the pitching finally comes around. Overall I understand what you are saying about McGehee. I don't want to make it sound like I think you are nuts or something. I just think he has more value as a player than as a trading chip.

This isnt a straight up rental, he still has a year. This is why I think they need to trade him this year, so that the team that takes him on doesn't view him as a rental. I think Bumgarner would be a great start, but I'd be very hesitant trading the biggest chip you've had in years for only one player. I'd like to see at least 2 high ceiling pitching prospects back.

Objectively he's a poor fielding contact hitter He's going to probably end up in the 20-25 home run range. I'm not sure I'd consider that a contact hitter. Defensively, the guy whom I'm sure you want to replace him, Mat Gamel, isn't exactly gold glove material at third base either. Maybe he'll be a small upgrade, but defense isn't an argument you should use in Gamel's favor. His season line is nice, but he's still very replaceable Of course it's replaceable, but he is cheap and he is productive and he's under control for a few more years. Gamel could just as easily replace someone like Fielder or Hart who are not cheap. You also spend your thread knocking down McGehee on his defense and his age and how he is so replaceable. If this is all true, then you wouldn't think he'd bring back any decent pitching. So why trade him just for the sake of trading him?