paul253

I am a huge fan of Schafer and Komatsu and I am convinced one of them will be the starting CF in Milwaukee next season. I am also very intrigued by Khris Davis. It's a shame he is limited to LF but he could also be an option at first base should Gamel not work out. I think eventually at least two of them are traded, probably for bullpen help. For now though it's just nice to see so many of them hitting well, especially in pitcher friendly BC. I'd love to see Khris Davis, Komatsu, and Schafer all bumped up a level soon too.

The more I read about Guerrieri the more I like him. I am a bit concerned with Norris' control, but I'll go with everyone else here and hope for Guerrieri and Norris.

I just noticed that Matt Purke is coming back to pitch this week. If he looks good and feels OK, is there any chance that the Brewers look at him with one of their picks? The talent is certainly there it's just a question of health. I hate to see yet another example of a team like Boston being able to take a chance of a talented but injured player because of all the extra picks they were handed. On another note. What are the chances Milwaukee takes two HS pitchers? Obviously HS pitchers are risky but they tend to come with a higher ceiling. If they select Guerrieri at 12 and then Archie Bradley is still around at 15 do they consider taking him? Or even a guy like Daniel Norris who may not command as high of a signing bonus? Two HS pitchers with high ceiling would be exciting to follow for the next couple of years.

Matt Barnes or Archie Bradley are your guys then. Heck they could probably get both if they wanted to forgo taking a bat in the first round. I would be thrilled with this scenario. I'd also be thrilled with Guerrieri in there somewhere. While I have wavered for a long time now on what combination to pick in terms of hitters vs pitchers, I think in a draft that is so strong in pitching and so weak with top level non outfield bats you have to select two pitchers. One college and one HS would be ideal, but either way we need to make sure both of them sign. Unless Lindnor somehow falls, I'd love to see Guerrieri at 12 and Barnes at 15.

Yeah I dont get Schafer to BC either but it's good to see him playing again. I wouldn't mind seeing him get moved up soon with Komatu either shifting to right field or better yet center field in Nashville. Rogers has to be one of the most disappointing prospects in all of baseball. The guy was starting games in Milwaukee last season and he was pitching well. Now down to BC. Hopefully he can figure out that control. Does he have any options left after this year? I was under the impression he was out of options next season.

Yeah I've noticed him this season too. If he can keep those walks down and maybe add a tick or two to the fastball he could turn out to be a very good prospect. He's one of those guys that we need to step up in order for the system to turn around again.

I think any fix has to drastically reduce the number of compensation picks handed out. The point of the draft is to allow the worst teams to choose the best amateur players to help improve the team. The draft right now is way too much about reimbursing teams for lost free agents. If you want to reimburse teams for losing free agents fine. But don't do it at the expense of the bad teams who didn't really have any good players to lose. And it needs to be consistent. One team may lose a "type A" FA and get the 17th overall pick. Another team may lose a type A and get a pick in the 60s. That's why my idea severely limits the number of comp picks you can receive (2 at the most) and also makes all comp picks consistent (at the end of a round). It also takes the entire off-season into affect instead of basing it on single transactions.

I'd make the draft 20 or 25 rounds.

There a lot of changes I would make but this compensation thing is getting ridiculous. It's inconsistent and like Ennder said its affected way too much by who signs someone and who else that same team signs. When the Brewers lose the second best free agent and receive a 2nd round pick in return vs a team who loses the six or seventh best free agent and gets a first round pick....that's [expletive deleted by mod]. Or a team like Boston who loses a type A, signs a type A but moves up four spots in the draft. Or the Yankees who sign two type A's and lose none but still get a first round pick because its protected from compensation. My idea may not be perfect, but at least it takes into consideration the whole aspect of free agency, not just one individual transaction at a time. More and more teams are relying on the draft to build the franchise because free agents cost too expensive, yet MLB hands out comp picks like candy and the neediest teams end up picking 25 slots lower than they should be. In my version, the most comp picks a team can get is 2 and even that would be rare. Obviously a world wide draft and a hard slotting system would be nice but if I could make one change for the draft it would be to the compensation portion. I'd like to see teams being able to trade picks too but until you fix the comp that's not really realistic because so many teams are losing and gaining picks right now. If the Brewers trade Fielder to the Yankees at the trade deadline for a first round pick, then the Yankees go out and sign a type A and lose their first round pick, what happens to the trade? Do the Brewers now get a second round pick? Next season's first round pick? This thing is so badly in need to repair. I know it will be a topic on the next CBA, I just hope they go far enough. (edit: removed "BS" --1992)

At least the compensation aspect of it. I think the compensation rules are a joke and they hurt the bad teams more than they help. My idea to fix it is this: -Keep the Type A and Type B free agents and the same way to determine who fits into the category. Then you assigned a value to each category. A Type A free agent is worth 3 "points" and a Type B free agent is worth 1 point. - For every free agent you lose who is either a type A or B free agent, you obtain a score based on the value of the player you lose. For instance, if you lose one type A free agent, your score is 3 since a type A free agent was assigned a value of 3 points. If you lose two type A free agents, your score is 6. If you lose one type A and one type B, your score is 4. And so on -For every free agent you sign who is either a type A or type B free agent, that goes towards you score as well but in a negative value. For instance, if you sign one type A free agent you have a score of -3 (in other words you lose three points). If you sign a type A and a type B free agent your score is -4. And so on -After all the free agents have been signed, every team is assigned a score based on the total amount of type A and B free agents that they both sign and lose. It's simple math really. If you sign one type A (-3 points) and lose one type A (+3) your score is 0. In other words, it's a wash. If you sign a type A (-3) and lose a type b (+1) your score is -2. If you sign a type B (-1) and lose two type As (+6) your final score is 5. And so on Here's the real change. If you end up with a score from 1-3, you gain one extra pick at the end of round 3. If you end with a score 4-6, you gain one pick at the end of the second round. If your final score is 7-9, you gain one pick at the end of the first round. If your final score is 10 or higher, you gain one pick at the end of round one AND one pick at the end of round 2. On the flip side, if your final score is 0 or -1, nothing happens. If it goes from -2 through -4, you lose your third round pick. No team gets it, you just lose it. If your final score goes from -5 through -7, you lose your second round pick. Anything -8 or lower, you lose your first round pick. I know the positive scores for gaining picks and negative scores for losing picks don't match up exactly, but I don't think a team should lose a draft pick just for signing one type B free agent. I'd keep the comp pick for failing to sign a first round pick. I think that's a good rule. The reason I want this is because it limits the amount of comp picks handed out. In this years draft, there are 27 comp picks handed out before round 2 begins. That's almost an entire round and it punishes teams like Pittsburgh and Baltimore who are terrible but have to wait while division winners and playoff teams get multiple comp picks. Just taking two teams from this past season to see how my rules would affect them. Tampa Bay: They lost 3 type A free agents and 4 type B free agents. They signed none so their score would be 13. So in my scenario TB would receive an extra pick after both round one and round 2. Under current rules they received 9 comp picks before round 2. Boston: Lost 2 type A free agents and signed 1 type A. Their score would be 3 and they'd get one pick at the end of round 3. Under current rules they lost a first round pick (#24 overall) but gained 4 picks including #19 overall and #26 overall for the free agents they lost. It's important to note also that since there would be far fewer comp picks handed out with my rules and a round 2 or round 3 comp pick in my scenario would be a lot higher than a round 2 or 3 pick right now. Right now, round two technically starts at pick #61. Without going through every teams free agents moves I'd guess round 2 in my scenario would start somewhere in the late 30s or early 40s meaning bad teams like Pittsburgh would get their second choice twenty some picks higher. It sounds complicated but really it's not. I was wondering what everyone here thinks.

I definitely hate the idea of a signability pick too, but we're probably going to have to live with it at 15 because the pick is unprotected. I understand you can't take someone who is not likely to sign for anything even remotely close to slot but that doesn't mean you have to take someone who would otherwise go in the 30s just because you don't want to spend an extra million dollars. The farm system is in terrible shape and this is the best shot you have at revamping it. You can't ruin that chance by being cheap.

Larry Greene? I hate the terms "raw" and "should be able to sign him easily" when talking about Brewer draft picks. The Brewers need the most talented player in the system, not the cheapest. The fact that teams have been dealing with these "signability" issues for years now just underscores to me how pathetic the MLB draft has become. The TB Rays, who won the AL East, get 10 picks before the Pirates, the worst team in baseball, get their second pick. Something about that just screams BS to me. Anyway, as far as the picks go, I just can't get on board with an outfielder right now, especially one who would be picked for signability reasons. I'd rather take the best available pitcher over the best available outfielder. I'd also be ok with someone like CJ Cron or Blake Swihart. I am really, really crossing my fingers that Lidnor falls but I can't see it happening. Other than that though, I think you have to go for pitching. Since we seem to be a little more well of pitching prospect wise than hitting prospect wise, I think you can go with a couple of HS pitchers who may take longer to develop but may have a higher ceiling.

Does Komatsu have a good enough arm for right field? What I'd like to see eventually is Schafer in CF and Komatsu in RF with Corey Hart being traded for prospects. I think Schafer and Komatsu could make an ideal top of the lineup with Weeks moving down to utilize his power a bit more.

I can't believe Carlos Gomez would or should be anywhere near the starting lineup in 2012. I only see him as the starting CF right now because there are no better options right now and once Morgan gets back we will have a better option. I think once Schafer comes back from his injury, he should be the every day CF in Huntsville. Once that happens, Komatsu should be promoted to Nashville and be the every day CF there.

Carlos Gomez, Nyjer Morgan, Logan Schafer or Eric Komatsu? Gomez is a plus defender with great speed but terrible on base percentage. Morgan is solid but he's getting up there in age and has had problems staying healthy this year. Also plus defender with good speed. Schafer does nothing but hit and I believe is also a good defender....when he's healthy, which has been a problem the past two years. Komatsu is just tearing the cover off the ball this season in AA to the tune of a .347 BA and an OBP over .430. Hardly ever strikes out but not sure he can handle CF defensively though and obviously in only in AA right now. I can see him having a Lorenzo Cain type season this year as he should be promoted soon. If Morgan comes back healthy though Milwaukee won't need him like they needed Cain last season. I personally am tired of the Carlos Gomez experiment. I wouldn't mind keep him around because his speed and defense would be good off the bench, but his OBP is just too low to keep him as an every day player. I can't imagine we'd get much for him in a trade either. I could be ok with Morgan starting with Gomez backing him up. A Nashville outfield something like Gindl in left, Schafer in center and Komatsu in right would be ideal too. At some point I'd like to see Corey Hart traded to make room for some of the prospects and to save money which will hopefully be put into resigning Zack Greinke and Marcum. Of course this would involve Hart actually hitting again and making other teams want him.

How is his off speed pitch? People with good off speed pitches can get away with a fastball in the low 90's. Besides, it seems like lately the Brewers don't have very many pitchers than can even touch 92. Narveson, Wolf and Marcum this year. Capuano and Bush last year. Suppan before that. I don't think a mid 90s fastball is a prerequisite to be a successful major league pitcher, though it certainly helps.

But TheCrew07's point was that it's not enough of a workload yet to know if Ross is actually this good, or just on a hot streak. I'm confident enough that 40 innings is enough to move past "hot streak". What I'm afraid of is that he'll have one bad start and everyone will be all "see I told you so". I just don't think he has anything left to prove as a 22 year old in low A ball.

What is with the FoxTrax in the corner of the screen? One of my biggest pet peeves are all these needless extras that networks throw on their screens. I don't need Fox to tell me if the pitch was a ball or a strike. That's what the umpire is for.

I'm hoping that either Schafer or Komatsu is ready to be the every day right fielder next year. Trade Corey Hart to help replenish the system and let your prospects take over. Morgan in CF batting first, Weeks batting second, Gomez on the bench. Hopefully in a few years Scooter Gennett will be that type of hitter we are looking for. He's really been coming on lately after a terrible first few games.

I have two terrace box tickets to the Pirates game this weekend that I can't use. I was wondering if anyone here is interested. They are in Section 427 row 1 seats 10-11. I'm looking to get the season ticket face value price of $21 each. I'll even throw in four ticket vouchers for any May Wisconsin T-Rats home game. Let me know.

My thinking is this. He's not really a prospect as a 22 year old dominating low A ball hitters. He is more of a prospect as a 22 year old having success in AA. If he's not going to have success in AA, I'd rather know now than in 2013. I'd like to see him moved up to BC now. Give him 6-7 starts and re-evaluate him. If he is struggling or just average, keep him in BC all year. If he is pitching well with good secondary numbers, move him up again. What harm does it do to push college pitchers?

6 starts 37.2 innings pitched 22 hits, 11 walks 36ks and a 1.43 ERA for a 22 year old starting pitcher in low A ball. Why hasn't he been promoted yet?

I just hope that Almonte doesn't wind up back in Milwaukee. The guy is completely over his head at the plate and his defense is nothing to write home about. Green isn't needed in Milwaukee either. I'd love to see Defilice get a shot. He was spectacular in Milwaukee before his injury and is pitching well in Nashville.

I thought I remember Gamel talking about position changes last season and him saying that he basically didn't want to move off of third base but if he had to he'd rather play outfield than first base. I'd be fine with Gamel in right field because I think Corey Hart would be ok going back to first. I wonder if Gamel's heart is really into the change.

I've been following Davis closer this season and I am impressed by his numbers. Hopefully the Brewers don't hold him back in BC all season. With the exception of a few players, they don't really seem to push their prospects very much. Guys like Davis, Peralta, Heckathorn, Thornburg, Wooten, Fiers, Komatsu and Ross should all be moved up by June 1st if they continue to play like they have been. I'd love to see them fast track Schafer too because there's a chance he could be Milwaukee's starting CF in 2012.