Jopal78

Say what you want but Stearns’ reputation will take a huge hit with this team. 18 million dollars on a catcher and a nickel and dime pitching staff

Half the pitching staff has an ERA over 5; not going to beat anyone regularly with that caliber of pitching.

The pitching hasn't been stellar because the pitchers aren't hitting their spots. When Houser gave up hits last night he was almost always behind on the batter (only two hits came with Houser ahead in the count), so obviously there was some predictability in what was coming when he was behind in the count, and there isn't a lot of deception in his pitches because he gave up plenty of hard contact. Most of the damage against Woodruff on Sunday was when he was behind in the count. He only gave up three hits when even or ahead in the count including the two homers to Joc Pederson who just had Woodruff's number hitting an 0-1 pitch out and the first pitch of an at bat for his second homer. Jacob Barnes was behind in the count on every hit he gave up except the single to Molina. I don't know what any pitching coach can do which would result in a pitcher getting more strikes earlier in the count. Woodruff, Houser and the other young pitchers will either adjust to start getting more strikes earlier in the count, or they'll eventually wash out of being major league starters. Some guys like Barnes, who at 29 is what he is, some nights his good fastball will get him through, other nights it won't and that's why he's a low leverage bullpen arm.

Barnes is just a guy who throws hard. He’s Alex Wilson with more velocity and less command, and Wilson spent all off season waiting on a contract. The injuries to Knebel and Jeffress hurt, because outside Guerra and Hader the rest are just cheap guys and are now exposed having to pitch a lot. I don’t think coaches make that big of an impact at the major league level, but certainly Chris Hook doesn’t have a stellar track record of having helped pitchers develop in Milwaukee’s system. Who knows, but the pitching sure has been as bad as it’s been since Stearns got here

It’s not “growing pains” when the pitcher, be it Burnes, Peralta, Houser etc fails to even compete. Houser had a whip of 2.50, and allowed 2 homers in four innings. You’ll never beat anyone with that production. It’s also great that Barnes, Williams, Houser, Petriscka have options but really they’re all sort of bad pitchers and that’s on the GM for focusing on quantity with options over quality.

Just looked up the stats at AAA for Tyrone Taylor and he's off to a great start at AAA with .292/.346/.583. Overall in 131 games in AAA he's hit .279/.323/.512. It sure would redeem one of the poorest drafts in Brewer history where they had 4 picks in the top 100 and whiffed on their first two (Clint Coulter and Victor Roache), while they apparently hit the jackpot on Mitch Haniger he was traded away (in essence) for Zach Davies and 146 games from Gerardo Parra. This is Taylor's 7th year with the Brewers, I don't know what the rules are for minor league players but if he doesn't earn his shot this year, (or is traded off) I assume he'll be looking for a new organization in 2020.

That has to be the end for Burnes in the rotation for awhile. He is progressively getting hit harder and harder in each subsequent start, and there's no point in running him out there on a contending club to hand the team an automatic loss and burn up the pen. The question is do they option him to AAA or move him to the pen

Having nothing to do with today's game, but its interesting that the Brewers really haven't had consistent offensive production at shortstop since 2008. 2009 JJ Hardy .659 OPS 2010 Escobar .614 2011 Yuni B. .652 2012 Segura .652 2013 Segura .752 2014 Segura .614 2015 Segura .615 2016 Villar .826 2017 Arcia .731 2018 Arcia .576 Other than three years out of the last ten its been an offensive black hole, and I didn't realize its apparently pretty difficult to find a SS who can also hit.

I'm sure Kimbrel saw what happened to Greg Holland last year (signed a one year deal late with a contender, called up before being ready to pitch, struggled, removed as closer, subsequently released ended up signing a one year bargain basement deal for 2019) and is determined to avoid it. He'll continue to hold out for a multi-year deal at a lesser price than he earlier sought. If it gets to a point where he has to take a one year deal in order to pitch in the major leagues in 2019, all 32 teams would be in on him (because non-contenders would simply flip him at the deadline for a prospect) and he will be able to control when he is ready to pitch and in what role. Frankly, a three year deal with the Brewers shouldn't be out of the question. It probably would be hard to squeeze in another 13-15 million in payroll for 2019, but in 2020 Braun's decrease in pay almost equals Yelich's increase. They will clear $16 million in payroll when Chase Anderson and Eric Thames' club options for 2020 are declined. There's virtually no chance that the mutual options on Moustakas or Grandal are exercised and Chacin will also likely be gone, so there is plenty of payroll space in 2021 and beyond for a multi-year deal for Kimbrel, especially if the team intends to be in the hunt in the next few upcoming seasons.

I dislike the criticism of these extensions as somehow ripping off the players: First of all, they have to want to sign an extension in the first place instead of going year to year. Think Ryan Braun vs. Prince Fielder. Two, all of these players have agents who have a fiduciary duty to the player to work in the player's best interest. You wouldn't be an agent for very long in professional sports if you had the reputation of looking out for yourself as opposed to being a zealous advocate for their client. Third, after receiving offers for an extension, the player has the ultimate negotiating tool, the ability to say no. Finally, for almost all of these extensions I assume it gives the player incredible peace of mind knowing they and their family are financially secure at a young age, and in almost all cases the player will still have another bite at the apple when they do eventually hit free agency.

What organization has Oliver Drake? Hart appears to be the the left handed version. DRAKE Career Whip: 1.45 H/9: 9.3 HR/9: 0.9 BB/9: 3.8 K/9: 9.9 HART Career Whip: 1.50 H/9: 10.3 HR/9: 0.9 BB/9: 3.4 K/9: 6.0 Hart seems like they type of pitcher the team would call up after a lengthy extra inning game or following a double header. If Drake's production provides any indicia of anticipated performance of Hart; let's hope the Brewers never need him.

Seems hard to believe that the last Brewer first round pick to actually make an impact for Milwaukee was Ryan Braun in 2005 (I guess you could argue Jeffress from 2006 but he only put it together after nearly washing out of the big leagues in 2014). There's a pretty healthy run of former first round picks who never made it to the major leagues: Evan Frederickson, Kyle Heckathorn, Kentrail Davis, Eric Arnett, and Victor Roache. Only three first rounders since 2006 have seen significant action and it has been for different organizations: Jake Odorizzi, Brett Lawrie and Mitch Haniger. At this point it doesn't look promising for Clint Coulter, Jake Gatewood and Trent Clark/Trent Grisham making an impact in Milwaukee. Nathan Kirby simply hasn't pitched enough due to arm injuries to realistically project as a major league pitcher either. So who makes an impact first Hiura? Ray? someone further down the system?

2019 Brewers Predictions Win-Loss Record: 83-79 Playoffs (Yes, No): No Highest Playoff Level Achieved: None All-Star Game Representative(s): Christian Yelich Offensive Player of the Year: Christian Yelich Starting Pitcher of the Year: Jhoulys Chacin Relief Pitcher of the Year: Josh Hader Most Surprising Player: Corbin Burnes Most Disappointing Player: Mike Moustakas I'll throw the bucket of cold water on the hopes and dreams. I do think the Brewers can be good and compete for the playoffs, but there is also a strong chance that their rotation with three rookie arms doesn't hold up. Even if Knebel avoids TJ surgery and gets PRP injection it still means he likely misses most if not the entire season. A thin rotation and shaky late inning relief sounds a lot like the 2012 Brewers.

I have a Preferred Parking Pass for Opening Day (3/28) but I'm no longer going to the game. If anyone wants it make me an offer. Mods: I know this technically should go in the Trading Post section, but not as many people will see it there.

If Kimbrel is willing to accept a one year deal, almost every team, contenders and non-contenders alike. He delivers immediate value and for the teams out of the race at the break he has value as a big trade chip on July 31st.

I have a single ticket to opening day (3/28) vs. the Cardinals. CIB 333, Row 5, Seat 5, also a preferred parking pass. I can't go to the game, if anyone wants to purchase the ticket please let me know. I'll sell it for face value $98 eat the fees, and throw in the parking for $5.

Interesting that there is an option for next year, does that imply he would have to be on the 40 man roster for the team to exercise its option? It seems that if they could exercise their option for 2020 without adding Lawrie to the 40 man roster he would be Rule 5 eligible?

I'm sure the Giants would need a young MLB ready pitcher and young OFer in return for Bumgarner. Exactly who it is might be negotiable given his recent injury history and expiring contract. The D'Backs got three intriguing pieces and a Competitive Balance pick in exchange for Goldschmidt. Thus, I don't think the Giants would trade Bumgarner straight up for Corey Ray.

It is not really that far fetched. Braun lives in Los Angeles. Playing for the Diamondbacks he would be a one hour flight away from Los Angeles. What is more, the Diamondbacks play in Los Angeles ten times a year which would mean multiple weeks of being at his own home during the season. In the grand scheme of things money, and lifestyle are what matters to most professional athletes while winning is a distant third. Therefore the fact that Arizona is re-tooling their roster while the Brewers are looking to defend their division title likely isn't as significant factor as suggested. (To wit, Braun has never grumbled about all the below average teams he's been apart of in Milwaukee since signing his massive extension). The Diamondbacks are re-tooling their roster and are motivated to move long-term commitments of their financial ledger. Ergo, they traded Goldschmidt because they didn't want the risk of handing him a longterm market rate contract at 32 years old. They let Corbin and Pollock walk as free agents. Even throwing in cash to make the financials of a Greinke--Braun, Thames swap more even, they'd be coming out ahead because Greinke's deal runs three more seasons while the long-term commitments coming from the Brewers would end in 2020 and 2019 respectively. Frankly, while certainly plausible, I'd concerned that Milwaukee couldn't pull the trigger because they don't have the space in their budget to add Greinke in this scenario even at 15 million a year.

The Diamondbacks are retooling and looking to cut payroll. Greinke is owed 92.5 million dollars over the next three years. The Brewers owe Ryan Braun 40 million dollars (incl. buy out of option) and they owe Thames 7 million including the buyout of his option. Straight up the Brewers would be adding a top of the rotation starter for 3 years and adding 45 million dollars (or 15 million per season) to their total payroll. There are not equivalent free agent arms available at that price. Moreover, there is little chance at adding a front of the rotation arm at a cost of $15 million per season. Thames is a superfluous player and Braun's production could be nearly be matched with Derek Dietrich without breaking the bank. Dietrich could provide versatility to play a little first base, and could be spelled in the outfield with Broxton and Gamel. There are also a plethora of useful outfielders available who likely will have to accept one year deals: Adam Jones, Nick Markakis, Denard Span, etc. If the Diamondbacks were willing to throw in cash in exchange for some fringe minor league players; it would only open up more options to fill in the roster with free agents. Corey Ray should be knocking on the door sooner than later, making the need for an outfielder temporary. The proximity of Phoenix to Southern California would likely be an enticement for Braun to waive his "10-5" rights.

Neil Walker back in 2019 as a stop gap? He had a career low BABiP (.257) last year which likely explains his poor overall slash line .219/.309/.354. It appears his eye for balls and strikes remains intact, and his ground out to fly out ratio remained at his career mark. He also played 100 innings or so at 1B, 2B, 3B, and RF with mixed results, plus he switch hits for more versatility. I like him on a one year deal or one year deal with option for a 2nd season.

I'm not sure his value is even a couple good prospects. The Giants are not a very good club. Their offense is terrible with their best hitters on the wrong side of 30. They've got a ton of money sunk into injured or declining players like Cueto, Samardzjia, Melancon and Longoria. They play in an ultra tough division, where they're going to need around 90 wins to have a change. Considering they outpaced their pythagorean and still lost 89 games, they probably don't have much of a realistic shot in 2019. With Bumgarner heading to free agency after 2019, they only leverage they truly have is to play teams off one another. His stats the last three years are trending the wrong way in terms of allowing more hits and walks and fewer strike outs. Not to mention his ERA on the road last year was nearly 5, and he gave up 11 homeruns in only 63 innings, and he has been a much different pitcher statistically outside the Bay Area than at home. If a team believes they'll get 32 starts of the 2014-2016 Bumgarner, then that would be worth a couple prospects. I don't think teams are going to give up their elite prospects for one year of Bumgarner if they believe he's going to pitch like a middle of the rotation arm.

The Indians are in a payroll bind with 127 million already committed for 2019, not including arbitration to Trevor Bauer and Francisco Lindor. (Their all time high payroll was last year at 134 million) They have plenty of depth in their rotation behind Kluber with Bauer, Clevinger, Carrasco, Shane Bieber etc. They also have an alarming lack of outfielders on their roster. Brantley, Chisenhall, and Melky Cabrera have all filed for free agency, leaving a glut of players with barely a .700 OPS for the outfield. They also lost relievers Cody Allen, Andrew Miller and Oliver Perez to Free Agency. The Brewers by contrast have a surplus of cost controlled outfielders: Santana, Keon Broxton and Trey Stokes, Corey Ray. They also have a 40 man roster crunch and surplus of cheap arms both starters and relievers that could be intriguing: Brandon Woodruff, Junior Guerra, Zach Davies, Taylor Williams, Adrian Houser, Marcos Diplan, Trey Supak. It would be a gut wrencher to ship out the talent to acquire Kluber (Santana, Broxton, Ray, Woodruff, Williams and Guerra hypothetically), but then again two time Cy Young award winners with three years of team control don't become available for trade very often.

The Brewers would be wise to exercise their half of the 2019 mutual options on Soria and Moustakas. At 10 million for 2019, Soria would be in line with the top tier relievers who cleaned up as free agents last offseason: Bryan Shaw, Jake McGee, Tommy Hunter (9 mil. AAV), Greg Holland (10 mil.) Brandon Morrow (10.5 mil AAV). Soria is an excellent late inning reliever and his statistical line in 2018 in terms of hits allowed, homers, walks and strikeouts is right on point with his career averages indicating there has been no slippage at 34 years old. The real question with Soria, does his agent believe he can get a multi-year deal in the same neighborhood. If so, he'll decline his half and go to free agency. I'm not a big Moustakas fan but I would still exercise the team half of the 15 million dollar mutual option for 2019. If nothing else it give the Brewers options during the off-season. Shaw could be shopped for front line starting pitching, Shaw could move to 2B permanently and Schoop non-tendered. Schoop and Shaw stay, and Moustakas traded off. etc. Or keep all three for 2019. It is hard to predict what will happen witch Schoop. Other than his grand slam against Bumgarner he has been a total disaster. Yet they did give up a promising pitching prospect and others to get him and he had a pretty good track record the last two years. I tend to think he'll be back because the front office's unwillingness to write it off as a mistake after 140 at bats with the Brewers. Frankly, I kind of hope the Brewers bring back Granderson for 2019 as the 5th outfielder, and another quality left handed bat with some speed, power and ability to play multiple spots. The question here would be the price at which Granderson is willing to play at all in 2019. He made 5 million next year, and has said he'd retire before taking a minor league deal. That being said, I'm not concerned about an extra 30-40 million in payroll given Chacin and Braun's salary goes down next year and the likelihood that Thames and possibly Chase Anderson are traded.

Well, to be fair the Networks have to constantly promote the game they are broadcasting to drive viewership/ratings. The Dodgers are a historic franchise, laden with superstar players and in one of the largest television markets in the United States, in that context it makes perfect sense they beat the drum for the Dodgers over and over because it is their best best to drum up viewership. On the other hand, the Brewers are a franchise more known for futility than anything else, with no real heritage and no real fan base outside the borders of Wisconsin. I don't think Buck and Smoltz have anything against the Brewers, the simplest explanation is they're doing what they were told to do in the production meeting in order to drive viewership in the game. Ditto with the talking heads on the pre-game and post-game show.