Jopal78
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Everything posted by Jopal78
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…Justin Turner… DH, but play a little 1B, 3B maybe even a taste of 2B in a pinch like last year
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Doesn’t it feel like it’s going to be announced Justin Turner is coming to Milwaukee on a one year deal? Like Hoskins, not a lot of buzz as a free agent, has some question marks (age, declining skills) but was still terrific last year, and would fill a need DH/3B
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What’s not to like signing a veteran to a minor league deal? He shows them something and makes the team, or he goes to AAA/exercises his opt out.
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The Brewers would have to release Junk for him to be able to go play in Japan, so I think the answer to your question is no. Interestingly, if Junk is seeking opportunities in Japan it tells me he already has the go-ahead from the Brewers to try to find a situation that would advance his career more than remaining in the Brewers organization. -
I doubt the owner’s involvement extends to dictating actual personnel moves. I don’t think Brewers would have been able to achieve what they have in the last 20 years with that degree of meddling and NOT have it been reported on.
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MLB revenue disparity and its impact on competition
Jopal78 replied to Playing Catch's topic in Milwaukee Brewers Talk
It is irrelevant what I think, I don’t own a team or have a say. Obviously, the large market clubs like things the way they are, so if your team is not one of the big dogs you have no choice but to hope for miracles, or follow one of the big dogs. -
MLB revenue disparity and its impact on competition
Jopal78 replied to Playing Catch's topic in Milwaukee Brewers Talk
Of course it’s not fair; the owners of the large market clubs could always offer to split their local broadcast revenue, but if you’re the Chairman of the Board of the New York Yankees it is probably viewed as a good thing that a third of the teams you’re competing against for the pennant do not have a realistic shot at winning it because you keep all that broadcast revenue for yourself. Then again that’s also one of the beautiful things about baseball, the teams with a roster of players collectively being paid 275 million dollars or more do not always finish ahead of the team with the 100 million dollar payroll which in turn makes those clubs (outside of NYY and LAD) volatile and constantly hitting the reset button. -
Tyrone Taylor while a sentimental favorite is really just a guy (can play all three spots with a little power an no on base skills). Trayce Thompson has nearly an identical career stat line and bounces from club to club on minor league deals, yet Taylor is set to make triple that amount. Sure it was a salary dump, but a smart one for a player who was owed more than market rate for his skill set. Houser is a useful major league pitcher, but in ‘23 he failed to pitch five innings in his starts more often than he made it to the sixth inning. Another player who is kind of pricey for what his skill set brings to the table. Below average starting pitcher or long relief.
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Deferred money or not, it’s all real dollars and the Dodgers’ folly. Despite extreme financial clout they haven’t a won a full season championship since Ronald Reagan was President. The Yankees weren’t the first team to hand out a 100 million dollar contract, a 200 million dollar contract or even a 300 million dollar contract, but they traded for each of those players (Kevin Brown, A-Rod and Stanton) in pursuit of a championship and have one title to show for it in the last 23 years. Point being, it’s very rare that the team making these mega deals doesn’t regret it soon after the ink is dry. Which isn’t to say Ohtani isn’t worth it given the non-performance based revenue he will generate, just from a team on the field perspective I bet the Dodgers regret it before his contract is half over
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It would never work in MLB. No network is going to carry Oakland vs. Kansas City even in a tournament format—not enough interested eyeballs. Thus there would be no additional revenue from Broadcast. There also would be no additional revenue from ticket sales because not many fans are going to decide to pay to see Oakland play Kansas City instead of staying home simply because it’s a “tournament” game. Unlike the NBA and NFL, the MLBPA is too strong and its PR machine is so much better than the oweners’. Thus if there’s prize money to be given to the players, their union will argue the owners have been ripping them off by hiding extra revenue. Then even adding one extra championship game would have to be negotiated with the players union, who 100% would demand additional compensation for that one game. The two sides could barely agree on the covid year and that was simply whether to play at all.
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Probably. A .745 OPS in ‘23 puts him right around 90th overall in league OPS. Plus, even with a WAR of 2.0 in ‘23 his career bWAR is 0 and 1000 PAs is starting to be a significant sample. I get it, he was a big time prospect so there is always the hope and chance he will put it all together; but that’s also tempered with those 1000 PAs where he has shown to be more of a mediocre major league comer outfielder than a blooming star player . As someone else pointed out, the Mariners are taking a calculated risk: if Kelenic becomes the player he was touted to be it will haunt the Mariners. In the short run they cleared 32 million dollars of guaranteed contracts of their books which they can reallocate in free agency, got two intriguing young arms and did not give up any of the top hitters or pitchers from an 88 win team.
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Kelenic got nearly 1000 PAs in Seattle and his career bWAR is zero. At some point, it doesn’t matter if the pundits say a player is a top prospect, they need to play like it.
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Brewers acquire Jake Bauers from NYY
Jopal78 replied to patrickgpe's topic in Milwaukee Brewers Talk
Depends what on your definition of “pricey”. I would bet Santana won’t sign with anyone until after Rhys Hoskins finds a new home. Using Hoskins’s salary as leverage and Santana’s own performance in ‘23, he probably looks for 10+ million dollars. While not “pricey” in the grand scheme of things, Milwaukee simply doesn’t go after players at that price often. -
Given the volatility of his hitting, it is a pretty big risk assuming Adames will be QO worthy. That number (the QO) probably approaches 22-23 million dollars next season. If Adames has another down year at the plate in ‘24 he very well could accept that QO as a big multi-year deal would probably elude him.
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That’s a baseball decision to trade for Jake Bauers. If the owner is that involved in baseball ops that he’s dictating individual players to acquire via trade Heaven help us. What is more probably true than not, is the owner sets the budget and the front office builds a team within that budget. Now any calls that the owner is cheap aren’t really fair. First, the Brewers annual payroll when they’ve been competitive with this owner has always hovered in that 90-100 million dollar range. Second, there’s nothing the owner can do when the new CBA all but eliminates compensation for losing free agents, salaries boom to where even mediocre free agents command $10 million dollars a year, and the pre-arbitration contract extension basically dies out with the players. What the Brewers are in is the downside to a success cycle. They built it up, took their shots, now with free agency breaking up their team they have to rearrange and shuffle the pieces and start the cycle all over again.
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Update: Brandon Woodruff is non-tendered.
Jopal78 replied to Jake McKibbin's topic in Milwaukee Brewers Talk
I’m sure if a multi-year deal was going to be struck it would’ve happened already. Odds are, like any player, Woodruff is more than happy to sign at market rates for a top of the rotation starter. Otherwise he may as well bet on himself and take his chances. On the other hand, with the ability to be given a Q.O. After ‘24 I doubt the Brewers give Woodruff up for nothing, so he’s either traded today or they tender him in my opinion. -
Perhaps but even so the other side of the coin is also true: the manager approached him regarding a need “the team” had, and tried to persuade Weeks into helping “the team” by playing out of position and instead of being on the bench, yet Weeks said no. I assume the reason was because of his ego, or because of contract status, etc, at the expense of potentially helping the team win more games
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If I recall correctly in his final year in Milwaukee, Weeks was platooned at 2nd base against left handed pitching, the team asked him to play outfield and 1B because they were thin there and it would mean more ABs for Weeks, but he refused their request. Yet, the very next season while trying to hang on to his career he did play OF for Seattle. Admittedly, who knows what Weeks has been up to since retirement, but I’m still surprised that a “me first” move like that not only didn’t burn his bridge in Milwaukee, but also apparently still qualifies him to be a team leader as bench coach.
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Read carefully, I said Stearns quit. Which is 100% true. He resigned as President of Baseball Operations. Next I said less than a year later Counsell followed him. Again 100% true. Never said Counsell quit. I don’t really care that Counsell left. I do think he looks kind of foolish after all his “baseball in Milwaukee is personal to me” to run for Chicago for a huge payday, but then again he’s a former pro athlete so it’s not all that surprising—it’s a business and most people go work where the pay is best.
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You’re right, the talent on the roster dictates how many wins the team has not the guy in the dugout hollering at the umpires. Culture and chemistry are just buzz words. My main point is, when the well regarded GM quits and the well regarded manger follows suit less than a year later, you can’t get the help but get the feeling “we’re over”. That’s where a bold new hire would maybe make things seem new exciting. Whereas Murphy feels like the organizational soldier who gets his chance to call the shots while the pieces are sold off for the future.
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… and the “culture” will last right up until they lose 85+ games. Winning= culture. But I agree it’s a boring hire. Murphy likely won’t be around for the next success cycle, and I suppose this is a way of running it back as best they can without Counsell
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Believe it or not, the Cubs Pythagorean was exactly the same as the Brewers (90-72) so it appears they hit a patch of bad luck whereas the Brewers were a touch lucky at 92 wins. From a talent standpoint, the Cubs have fewer question marks than the Brewers. They return their ace Steele, Javier Assad both of whom are pre arbitration eligible. Azolay as closer is a good one. Suzuki, Morel and Happ are good hitters and Hoerner, Swanson aren’t bad. Not a World Series contending club, but certainly not bad. Add a pricey free agent hitter and pitcher (which I assume is all but a certainty) and the whole roster looks much more formidable.
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Time will tell if the Cubs job is a better situation or not. I think even Counsell believes the Brewers are reaching the end of this success cycle (wants a different challenge), and he correctly assumed he could make more money elsewhere, I don’t think the uniform or brand as he put it makes a bit of difference where he performs his work.
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Well, Schildt did get fired for “philosophical differences” in St. Louis so maybe he wasn’t “Cardinals Way” enough. Nonetheless, an underwhelming candidate in general. Never played in either the majors or minors, racked up a bunch of wins as Cardinals manager yet couldn’t land any other manager gigs since getting canned in ‘21. I’m not real impressed with Pat Murphy either. Bench coach for one of the better clubs in the NL the last 5+ seasons and never interviewed or seemingly tried to take a step up a manage a team again. Seems like a guy that gets hired to get fired in a couple of years when the team “needs a spark” or “wants to change directions” I guess I’d take a chance on one of those front office assistants who is a former player: Villanueva, Rickie Weeks, Charlie Greene etc. with one of those baseball lifers as bench coach.
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Or maybe player salaries have exploded since the most recent CBA putting all but bargain bin free agents outside Milwaukee’s budget, and wrecking any chance of extending current players. Second, this player group has been together since 2018, anybody who wasn’t expecting it to break up has been in denial or not paying attention. Why did Stearns resign? Because GMs in today’s game don’t typically stick around for the rebuild. Counsell left to chase the money plain and simple and probably also knew it was the end. So there’s not much to do now except be excited for the inevitable young and hungry players. Maybe they catch a break and hit on a few of them and get back on top fairly soon.
