paul253

I hate to see Jed Bradley held back in A ball so Alfredo Figaro, Hiram Burgos and Brad Mills can continue starting in Nashville. Suter, Jungmann or Cravy could easily be moved up into the Nashville rotation. You have guys starting in Nashville who don't need to be starting. You have guys pitching very well in Huntsville who should be moved up. I don't see why there would be such a problem with getting Bradley to Huntsville.

I agree with HiAndTight. There's no point in babying Bradley anymore. This is his third season in A ball and he is pitching probably as well as he has since he signed. Move him up now when his confidence is high and see if he can get more advanced hitters out. If he can put up similar numbers for the rest of year in Huntsville he can move up to Nashville next year and may even become a legitimate prospect again.

I know it is still early for promotions but this is Bradley's 3rd year at BC and with the early season success I want him promoted to see if he is really legit. I was thinking the same thing. Milwaukee for some reason has this thing about promoting guys before the all star break. But Bradley needs to be moved up ASAP. Brent Suter or Tyler Cravy could easily be promoted to Nashville to make room.

Do you think by "playing by the same set of rules", Melvin favors the DH or eliminating it? Like a lot of us, my guess is he has a preference but at the end of the day doesn't really care as long as it's the same in both leagues. Imagine how different this team would have been, or would be now, if we had a DH. We probably never would have traded Aoki and Braun would still be in left field. Gamel would have gotten a chance sooner. Overbay wouldn't have been traded when he was. It's an absurd rule and it needs to be changed so that it's the same in both leagues, especially now that AL and NL teams play each other every day almost. Back to Melvin. I hated his signing of Garza, not just because it eliminated Thornburg's spot in the rotation but I thought 4 years was WAY too long. Garza hasn't really done anything yet to change my mind. This is a signing that COULD end up really hurting us, the same way the Suppan and Weeks deal hurt. On the flip side, I didn't like his extension of Gomez because I didn't think Gomez was going to continue to progress and I thought we should trade him when he value was so high. I will happily admit that I was very wrong about that as Gomez and again having a great year and the extension is paying off tremendously.

For the first time in my life, I watched an episode of 24 live. Never thought that'd happen. Solid starter. I'm open to this re-launch, and I think the 12 episode format can only help. Start with episodes 3 and 4 of Season 6 That's what I did and they got me hooked. I'm hopeful that with the time off and the shortened season they will avoid the same old same old that plagued the later seasons. No more government moles secretly working with the enemies. No more Jack is good then Jack is bad then Jack is good then Jack is bad. It's only been two episodes but I can see Kate taking on the role of Renee. The government agent who is supposed to be trying to catch Jack but secretly working with him after he convinces her he is right.

I think a new Power 50 would depress me. Maybe a Power 5?

My main underlying point was they have a very good group, core, whatever of young players who are under team control for several years. And my point is that three of the four guys you listed as part of our core have yet to establish themselves as successful major league starting pitchers. Although we are certainly in a better place than we were four or five years ago, I have a hard time relying on them to be a major part of our future rotation just yet.

If you just don't believe that Thornburg, Smith, Nelson and then obviously Peralta are that good, then that's fine. But to try and take one small sample size here and say he must not be that good because the Royals didn't even start him, or that the Brewers preferred Garza to Thornburg and/or Nelson, so you can't really count either of them as starters....you're taking the confluence of events and say these very young pitchers who've got big arms aren't starters. When I said "they aren't starters" I meant it literally....as in right now they are not starters. I would imagine Thornburg and Nelson both project as starters. Maybe Smith does too I don't really know as much about him. My point is that you can't claim we have a nice core of starting pitchers when only one of the four you mentioned is currently a major league starter. How can they compose "a core" when they aren't even in the role right now? If anything our young pitchers have "promise" or "potential" to form a core but that is much, much different than calling them a core. Regarding Smith. According to baseball reference in his age 22 season where he started 16 games his ERA was not 4.66 it was 5.32. I know he's young but yes, that is "struggling". And just like I shouldn't (and wasn't) assume that he won't get any better you shouldn't just assume that he will. Over the course of his minor league career he put up a 3.80 ERA, though his lowest ERA year came in 2013 when 18 of his 28 appearances came in relief. I can't find his minor league splits but in his brief major league career it seems apparent that he's found much more success as a reliever. If you want to give him a shot as a starter I'd be all for it. But until he actually sees success as a major league starter you cannot consider him a core piece. I wasn't trying to call you out or anything like that. I just think it's a little premature to call those guys, with the exception of Peralta, part of a core. The way Thornburg is pitching out of the bullpen he may never start a game again. Same with Smith. And until DM actually trades away a starter there is no room for Nelson in the rotation either.

I think I'd take a gamble on Hoffman at 12. TJ is common nowadays and most pitchers come back just as good. The guy has #1 potential and even with the injury would probably still be on track to hit the majors before a HS arm would. My only issue would be that he'd still want top 5 money and that might limit who we take with our next few picks.

If he goes back it hurts us as that is one more player off the board when our pick comes around. That late season push last year still annoys me a little bit. I am really pulling for Grant Holmes to be there at 12 but this would make it just a little less likely.

So if Thonburg is the closer and Nelson and Fier and others make the pen... is it a given we MUST trade a starter. Personally I think it is a must. I don't mind Smith in the pen because he's struggled as a starter and pitched well as a reliever. I wouldn't mind giving him a shot at the rotation but I'd be ok with him in the pen. Thornburg and Nelson, to me, are different. They both have upsides as #3s and I don't think you can waste that away in the bullpen. If they don't cut it as a starters I have no problem with them in the pen. But Thornburg excelled in that role last year and Nelson is putting up fantastic numbers in AAA. For an organization that has so much trouble developing their own starting pitchers it seems odd that they'd take the ones they do have and not even use them. And let's not sleep on Ariel Pena either. He's might be an option next year.

or you can look the fact that we've got a competitive team, a very nice core of young starting pitchers(Peralta, Thornburg, Nelson, Smith) and a core of key players signed for the near future(Luc, Segura, Braun, Gomez). I'll agree that we have a nice core of positional players and I think one thing DM has been good at is developing bullpen guys. But I don't think you can argue we have a nice core of young starting pitchers when three of the four guys you mentioned aren't even starters right now. Will Smith struggled as a starter in KC, which is why he was moved to the pen. And DM elected to throw four years and 50 million at a 30 year old SP rather than give the other two a chance to win the rotation spot. I'd like to believe the farm system is improving but nothing DM or the scouting department has done gives me any confidence at all that they know what they are doing. This draft is important yes, but all drafts are important and they are missing way, way too often. You can't solve your problems with one good draft you need to have a consistent run of good drafts. I'm just not sure if this organization is capable of that. And while people here have argued that prospects are overrated, I'll just ask this. How were we able to acquire guys like Sabathia, Greinke, and Marcum? We had top prospects that other teams wanted. Assuming we are still in contention near the deadline this year, who exactly are we going to trade to upgrade, say, first base? Other than Jimmy Nelson and maybe Tyrone Taylor, do we have any prospects that anyone thinks could be the centerpiece of a trade? So regardless of how overrated prospects may be we still need them. And we need highly regarded prospects, not just ones that we can convince ourselves may be an every day player eventually. Getting back to Estrada. I don't know what to do with him but someone has to be traded after this season. I don't care if it's Estrada, Lohse or Gallardo. But we need to make room for the young, cheap pitcher, be it Thornburg, Nelson, or Smith, and we also need to improve our system. Two birds with one stone.

Davis and Gennett I believe can be very solid role players on the team for the next few years. The Brewers can survive with role players so long as they have a few all-star caliber players around them. The emergence of Gomez is huge. With him, Braun, and Lucroy you have a very solid core of position guys. However, the where the lack of minor league talent is going to end up hurting very bad very soon is at first base and third base. The Reynolds/Overbay platoon shouldn't be an option any more than it absolutely has to be but unfortunately we don't have much to replace it. Perhaps Morris could be another solid role player but we'll have to see. And at third base while Ramirez is playing well let's not forget that a) he's about to turn 36 b) he's a free agent after the season and c) he's expensive. He needs to be replaced soon as well but we have absolutely zero at third base. While I generally agree with the idea of drafting best player available you cannot afford to ignore positions for so long like the Brewers have been doing. We are so weak and first base, third base and shortstop that any significant injury to a player on the ML roster at one of those positions is going to kill us. Then you have pitching. Again, while we appear to be ok now because we have Lohse, Gallardo, and Garza everyone knows that expensive free agents aren't a good solution. I was extremely disappointed that Thornburg wasn't given a chance to be in the rotation after what he did last year and would feel better about the future of the rotation if he was is in it now. And other than Nelson, who probably profiles as a #3 at best, there still isn't a lot to be excited about in the system. I mentioned this somewhere else but do people realize the last pitcher we've drafted who had #1 potential is probably Jeremy Jeffress. That was 8 years ago. 8 years without getting someone who profiles as a #1. And maybe even a #2 depending on how you feel about Williams and Odorizzi. That cannot continue.

I won't go to Bucks games, because it is downtown. I'm surprised so many people have expressed this. As others have mentioned, the BC is pretty easy to get to. You literally get off the freeway at McKinley Ave, go east about the equivalent of 4 blocks, turn right and there it is. For the most part parking is fairly easy as there are multiple structures around. I actually think MP, even though you see it right there from the freeway, is just as complicated getting too. And forget about getting out of those lots after the game. There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason. There are cars everywhere and there are not nearly enough exits from the lot to main streets. All that being said, as much as I thought MP should have been downtown I think good things COULD happen if the arena was built between MP and the casino. Having lived in Milwaukee all my life I'm not confident in it, but the opportunity would certainly be there.

I forgot to link the article from the JS the other day and I can't find it now but the two new owners seem VERY confident that a new arena will get built. They haven't mentioned anything specific but I'd guess they either have local investors lined up already or are confident they will find some.

Yea, i was expecting Melvin haters to chime in, but i guess the good start makes it harder. I have some beefs with Melvin. There is no doubt about that. But if you sit back and look at the overall picture, especially considering what it was like when he came in, you can't really be all that upset. He has made some really good moves. Braun's contract. Lucroy. The Greinke trade (both of them). And even though I didn't like it at the time the Gomez deal is looking like a winner. He's made some terrible moves (Suppan, Weeks extension, the botching of the first base issue this offseason). I do think he relies too much on veterans and should give his own guys more a chance. And I think the one thing that could really increase his grade is to fix the mess of the player development system we have. Overall I'd give the drafts in his term a D+. Some good talent drafted but overall way too many misses and way too conservative a draft strategy. I realize he doesn't scout or pick the guys but he's in charge of the people that do. If he fixes that I think the organization could really take off. It's got great facilities and a great fan base.

The thing about Gomez's antics that bother me most is his inability to control his temper. I think it was game 2 when he struck out to open the game and immediately slams his bat down and then breaks it over his knee. Its something you expect from a little leaguer. In this case, if he is going watch his home run, which he knows is against the unwritten rules, fine. But then don't get upset when someone says something to you. And I'm sorry but he started the fight. Gerritt Cole may have said something but he was walking away when he did. It was Gomez who lost it and went after Cole. Again, because he couldn't control his temper.

You can also trade those 2nd round picks for late 1st round picks to teams that are looking to add more cap space for free agent signings like Dallas, Miami, and other teams. That's what I was thinking. Perhaps take the #31 and #36 pick and try to move up into the early to mid teens to grab a Doug McDermit, Clayanthony Early or a Nick Stauskis. Or maybe even the #31 and #49 and move into the mid to late 20's to grab a guy like Glenn Robinson III. Someone who has a lot of potential but needs time to develop.

I think his value depends on when you trade him. Just for the sake of clarity let's propose of deal of Estrada for Jimmy Nelson. Nelson is generally considered to be in the 75-100 range for prospects. If I were looking to get into the playoffs and wanted to make a deadline deal to upgrade my rotation then I'd probably prefer Estrada, realizing it may take Nelson to get him. But if the Brewers don't make him available until the offseason why would I trade Nelson for Estrada when they could both conceivably fill the same role (#4-#5)? Estrada may give you a little better numbers over the course of a season but as another poster pointed out awhile ago, is saving half of an earned run once every 5 games (or one full run every 10 games since teams can't score half a run) really going to make that much of a difference? Would it be worth giving up a top 100 prospect who is cheap and controllable for 5 or 6 more years to get a guy who may be a little better this season but is 31 and could become a free agent after the season? I'd say probably not.

Or maybe keep the tax on and fix the countless roads in this city and country which are half potholes half roads. Yeah I was going to suggest using it for county parks and non-profit attractions like museums and the Zoo. If we build a new arena they should include enough money-making opportunities (sponsorships, luxury boxes, space for multiple restaurants to rent out, maybe an attached hotel) to fund improvements when needed.

Don't forget about naming rights. That should bring in $40-$50 million.

The issue that I see now, is that if we get a new arena, Milwaukee would have 3 basketball arena and 10 music venues But it's not like the three arenas are ONLY used for basketball or the other venues are ONLY used for music. The BC is obviously used for hockey, wrestling, MMA, concerts, monster truck, and so on. The Cell is also used for soccer and I think things like circuses. Some of the music venues are also used for comedy shows and plays and not all of them are year round facilities. It probably is a little much but as long as we aren't supporting them with taxpayer money I'm not really concerned. They can compete with each other and it one fails then so be it. I do agree though. I think if we get a new arena the BC needs to go and the Cell could probably stay, at least as long as the Wave keep playing.

If any significant development is going to occur around the stadium there needs to first be major infrastructure improvements first.....in other words you need to build a better way to get there. I'd love to see a major entertainment development east of the stadium. The lots to the north and south can remain open for tailgating. But what I'd like to see if something similar to Bayshore with less retail and more entertainment. Bars, restaurants, coffee shops, merchandise shops, 2 or 3 hotels, maybe even some office space. And how about a Wisconsin Sports Museum? Put some parking structures on the edges and make it mainly a pedestrian walk area as opposed to letting cars drive all over. Surround it with a large park or two with music in the summertime. Maybe fireworks every Friday night. Something for everyone.

Orlando built their new arena in 2012 at a cost of $480 million. It is listed as one of the smaller arenas in the league though. I would assume $500 million would be the general price we could expect. I would imagine at least a small chunk of that could come from naming rights though. You could be probably get $30-$40 million in the sale of naming rights. Like I said, the City better not waste this opportunity. Without starting a political debate, I'd be willing to vote yes on a referendum to get not only this done but to expand the convention center, which can't even compete with convention centers in similar sized cities. Then couple that with a major development including restaurants, hotels, and office space and maybe Milwaukee can finally get something right.

That has to be a good thing for the future of the Bucks. I could not care less about the future of the Bucks unless they remain here. I am a little reassured by Kohl stating that he only wanted to sell the franchise to an owner committed to keeping the team in Milwaukee. Hopefully now that we will have an actual sale price perhaps Kohl could enlighten us all as to how much he'd be willing to contribute to a new arena. I'd guess a state of the art up to date arena will cost somewhere around $700-$800 million. If Kohl is willing to donate half of that I will be very, very grateful. Hopefully the city will not miss this opportunity and instead of just plopping a new arena across the street from the old one (again) they make this a whole development project.