RollieTime

Williams is just filthy!

Is it just me or does it seem like the Brewers are hitting a lot more groundball outs this season compared to last season? It just seemed like we were hitting more line drives and flyouts last season. I was not able to find any stats on this, but thought that it might be an interesting note. Maybe Coles has been harping on having more of a groundball/linedrive approach compared to doing the approach that suits the individual player. It would lead to players changing their swing, which would induce more ground balls and strikeouts since they are swinging differently now than they ever have.

Looks like Hader woke up the bats!

I am not as high on Thames as others are, but his offensive production is similar to Broxton’s. Both are poor offensively outside of a couple hot stretches during the season where they can carry the team for a short time. Both provided solid defense. They are nearly a wash in my opinion. If Thames was removed from the equation entirely, the roster issues would be alleviated almost immediately. Braun starts at first and is backed up by Aguilar, who in my opinion is a much more consistent hitter compared to Thames. The outfield would be Yelich, Cain, and Santana, with Braun and Perez filling in if needed. First base would be Braun and Aguilar, with Perez filling in if needed. I think that they could find a taker for Thames and I would be all for it. I agree that the roster has issues currently with the structure, but moving on from Thames would fix most, if not the entire roster issue.

I find it frustrating that Counsell does so much tinkering with the lineup and platoons with so many different positions. Players will always feel more comfortable receiving consistent at bats, they will see the ball better, and have better results. It would be difficult for any player to sit on the bench for a couple days and then start a game and be expected to do much at the plate. I know they are MLB hitters, but it throws a player off to not see any pitches for a few days and then be thrown in for one game. It’s a bad spot to be in and very few players are successful at doing it (outside of Aguilar). I would like to see more consistency this season with the lineup and letting the players get comfortable knowing that they will be starting at a certain position everyday and not be concerned about not performing and being benched the next two games. It is a revolving door at first, second, and right field. It’s hard to expect players to just come in and be productive. The sitting of Braun twice already confuses me, especially because of the off day after the game he sat for. Sitting Santana doesn’t make much sense with how much he helped the offense last season. He should be playing in right almost every day. Also, Yelich has NEVER played in right field in the MLB outside of this season. He played in right field only once in the minors and that was in 2013. Getting a gold glover and playing him where he has never played makes absolutely no sense. Braun should be moved to first almost permanently. Braun should start most games at first. Yelich, Cain, and Santana should be starting nearly every day. Arcia should almost never need days off either. Pina should receive days off similar to how Lucroy was managed. The use of him has been questionable as well. My main point is that Counsell needs to make a consistent lineup, stop doing a bunch of platoons, and let players get comfortable knowing their roles and what’s expected of them. Players will not perform sitting on the bench for a while and then being thrown in for one game, knowing that if they do not perform well in their handful of at-bats, they will be benched again. Players will perform better having a consistent role and knowing that they can come back the next day after going 0-3 and be in the lineup instead of being removed from the lineup just as quickly as they were inserted.

I know it is early in the season, but I think it is time to address the second base issue. There have been 4 errors the last two games from second base alone. Hiura will not be up until late this season at the earliest. Please sign Phillips and get his gold glove defense for second base and solid offensive output in this lineup.

If we are 4-2 with the rotation struggling as bad as it is, it will be fun to watch them once a few of them work out the early season kinks and get it turned around.

I could listen to Uecker’s home run calls all day and get goosebumps every time. His home run calls for Yelich and Braun last night were one of the best. Uecker is a treasure and will always be the heart and soul of Brewers baseball.

What an amazing game to be at! Walk-off win on back to back home runs! Looking forward to watching the Brewers close out the series tomorrow with consecutive series wins to start the 2018 season!

49 pitches through 4 innings. Davies has looked solid so far. Would be nice to save the bullpen today to give most of them a couple days off.

I agree, I can see Hiura playing before season’s end as well. The difference between Walker and Phillips is that Phillips could most likely be had on a one year deal, which would leave room for Hiura to take over second next season. Signing Phillips would be for this season only at about 4 or 5 million. The club option for next season could be declined if they feel it is the best decision. He would just be a nice get for this season before Hiura is ready to play every day next season. I could also see Phillips’ second year option being picked up to be the backup second and third baseman for next season, which would allow the Brewers to move on from one or more of Villar, Sogard, or Pérez. He is a guy you would be comfortable with filling in for an extended period of time incase of injury as well. I see Philips as being a very underrated addition if they were to go that route. His veteran leadership and “entertainer” character would fit right in with the club.

I think Phillips would be an excellent addition. His bat would really help lengthen the lineup and his ability to put the ball in play would help manufacture more runs. I wouldn’t mind signing Phillips for a 2 year, $8-$10 million deal with the second year being a club option. He can start at second nearly everyday and fill in at third if needed as well. He gained some experience at third last year and performed as if he had been playing there for years. Cain Yelich Braun Shaw Phillips Santana Piña Arcia P That would be a lineup that would cause nightmares for any opposing pitcher. Sign Phillips and the Brewers would be one of the top 5 offenses in baseball hands down.

Could Brandon Phillips be the “3rd baseman with MLB experience”? He played 25 games there last season without an error. It could be a move where he could become our everyday 2nd baseman, but can fill in at third if need be as well. His veteran leadership and attitude would have him fit right in with the current group. He’s still capable of hitting between 10-15 home runs, hitting .280, and helping cut back on those K’s even more. Only one time in his long career has he had over 100 strikeouts in a season. Just a thought as he would fit as a guy with 3rd base experience at the MLB level. If he isn’t the one signed, this would still be an avenue I would explore as having Phillips as our everyday 2nd baseman would lengthen this lineup even more. He could slot in anywhere in the lineup and would be a very welcomed addition to the Brewers. Being assigned to AAA would allow Phillips to get a few games under his belt before being brought up and it allows Stearns a little extra time to decide who will be moved to make room on the roster.

Braunie baby!!

I wonder if they found a taker for Thames and will be keeping Choi as the left handed option at first base and to pinch hit late in games? Choi does strike out less as well. I would be open to moving Thames in favor of Choi and adding a little more financial flexibility over the next couple seasons.

How did Woodruff look his first 5 MLB starts? Who cares what he looks like in ST, he's working on things. Really? Totally unnecessary. To answer you brewtank, he’s gotten lit up. He has not earned a spot over those two up to this point. I don’t see Woodruff making the rotation as it stands today.

Glad to see that Shaw has been putting together nice at bats and showing that his power surge from last season is not a fluke. It’s very early into spring training, but it is great to see that his production is carrying over into 2018 very well. He played all of 2017 with his heart on his sleeve not knowing what would happen to his daughter after birth and in the upcoming surgeries. Not only is it great that his daughter is doing well, but his results on the field could be even better in 2018 having a more clear mind and normal lifestyle knowing that his child is doing much better. I am not sure if this has been posted somewhere else, but it is definitely worth the read. https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.jsonline.com/amp/920849001

If Cobb signs with the Brewers, do you think the Brewers would make a trade for Archer? Archer Cobb Anderson Davies Chacin Nelson replaces Chacin when he returns or replaces a starter if they are injured. The entire rotation will be locked up for 3 years or more as well outside of Chacin. Cain Yelich Braun Shaw Santana Pina Arcia Villar P That team could be a World Series contender. A man can dream, but this dream could become reality if Stearns wants to pull the trigger. The farm would take a major hit, but it would also have multiple years to be replenished with the rotation and every position player being locked up for at least 3 years as well. WOW!

I agree completely. 4/60 would be ideal, but a 5 year deal at a lower cost per year wouldn’t be too bad. I see Cobb as being the most productive signing out of the 4 big starting pitchers available this offseason.

Thank you! That is exactly what I have said for years! Reduce the 20 or so commercial breaks throughout the game and don’t take 5 minutes to do a replay review. If you can’t see a way to change it after a few different camera views, play on!

It will be the manager's responsibility to limit mound meetings then to make sure he has one at the end of the game. A team losing a game because the manager used all his mound visits and couldn't set up the appropriate defense isn't on the rule, it's on the manager. How is it any different from an NFL team using timeouts too early because they didn't get a play in timely...and that timeout costing them the game? It's on the coach/team...not the NFL for not granting more timeouts... And I think the reason they want to stick to 3 hours is it becomes a slippery slope. If 3 hours and 10 minutes becomes the new norm, why not 3 hours and 20 minutes? 2 years later...3 hours and 30 minutes. Gotta draw a line in the sand on this stuff, many people would say 3 hours is too long. I agree that it is the manager’s responsibility to keep a mound visit available for late in the game. I just don’t agree with putting an exact number to the amount of mound visits. I see it leading to issues as the season goes on.

I am in no way taking credit away from the players. There are always mental lapses throughout the season whether a player thinks there are 2 outs instead of one, 3 balls instead of 2, or forgetting there was a runner on first and not turning a double play. Those meetings are just to make sure everybody knows the situation and to make sure it is executed properly. Especially if it is late in the game.

I personally see a lot of issues arising from this new rule. What if it is the 9th inning, with the game tying or leading run on third and the manager wants the defense to set up a certain way? Or maybe the catcher noticed something with one of the runners and believed the runner could be picked off? This type of scenario could take place in one of the final games of the season when playing for a division crown and the manager can’t go out to communicate what to do or how to set up for a certain situation. Is this gonna lead to the manager yelling from the dugout while the pitcher remains off the rubber for a while so he can communicate how to be set up? This could lead to the game taking even longer as well. I see this rule backfiring multiple times during the season, and it may end up costing a team a playoff berth (in their mind) based off of the manager not being able to set up something during one of the final games of the season. I don’t see the issue with a game taking 3 hours and 10 minutes compared to 3 hours. I am sure there will be people that will argue for it the other way and want it to be 10 minutes shorter, but I don’t have an issue getting home or back to my hotel room at 11:00 pm instead of 10:50. I paid good money to attend the game. I don’t mind the teams putting themselves in the best chance to be successful, whether it takes a few extra minutes of my day or not. I go to the games to relax and have fun. The few extra minutes should not be deterring fans from attending an MLB game.

I'm under the impression that none of the remaining top SP's are going to take a contract less than 4/80. In that case, would you feel better about signing Arrietta at 4/100, or Cobb at 4/80? I think Arrietta is the safer bet at at $5 mil more a year No Way Cobb gets $20M per year. I see Cobb signing in the neighborhood of 4 years for $60 million. What do you see as the going price to acquire Cobb?

What value? To pad the owners profits? I am not an Attanasio hater, but at some point the ownership has to spend some of the vast profit they have been raking in to add the necessary players to be championship competitive. The $16M savings means nothing to me when they are likely sitting on over $100M excess cash ($50M from MLB rights, $50M from profit last few years). The Seligs wasted money and didn't make great decisions, the Attanasio ownership makes mostly good decisions (jeff suppan waives hi) and doesn't waste money, but we've got 1 world series appearance under the Seligs and how many under Attanasio? Hmmm? That $16 million is a massive difference for a team like the Brewers. That difference is the ability to sign a high quality pitcher one year earlier. It gives the Brewers a chance to make a splash before 2020 instead of before 2021. That $16 million is what allows the Brewers to sign Cobb to a 4 year, $64 million contract NOW and still have an ADDITIONAL $16 million to bolster the rotation in 2021. Saving that money during the time where Arcia, Shaw, and Knebel will start getting expensive is huge as well since they will be going through their arby years. I am sure that the large profits that Attanasio has received the past couple years, as well as the $50 million from the MLB rights, will start to be spent in the next couple years. I believe that Stearns has been given the “Ok” from Attanasio to push the payroll to $130-$140 million at some point. But that will likely be in the 2020 or 2021 season where Shaw, Yelich, and Arcia are all in their prime, as well as the next wave of prospects are starting to break into the majors. At that time, the Brewers will be set up perfectly to make the big splash signing of an ace or big impact bat. It was a quick rebuild where a lot of the impact players from last season are young and need another year or two to develop. Attanasio is not just pocketing the money. It will be put back into the team when the time is right.