Ron Robinsons Beard

So ... those free agent signings have worked out ok so far ...

So Freddy Peralta gave up 6 runs in the opening inning. Also can't lose.

And to think ... Harvey was an idiot owner's decision away from logging starts for a playoff-bound Brewers team last year.

Young pitchers are frustrating. Very, very frustrating.

Well, their scouting report for La Stella sucks.

I know Freddy has to be approaching his pitch limit for this game, but it would sure be nice to squeeze at least another inning out of him, for the bullpen's sake.

Wow .. I will take those odd defensive yips for that bat from Yasmani. And how about Ben Gamel! We may see Braun back to 1B yet this year!

I know Santana started out pretty well, but don't sleep on Ben Gamel. I think he's going to end up being pretty good.

I think Bipolar Freddy should be his new nickname. That was ugly.

By that same token, the guys they depended on for big outs in the pen at this time last year were Hader, JJ, Albers, Taylor Williams and Barnes. This was the early season "closer by committee" stretch that was very effective after a few early hiccups. Assuming JJ comes back and is effective, they are playing a nearly identical hand.

Josh Fields has 2 1/2 seasons of consistently good bullpen work with the Dodgers over the last three years. I expect him to be the next guy brought up when the need arises.

You are spot on. Our recency bias tends to gloss over the fast that we went though stretches of guys like Mike Zagurski, JJ Hoover, Jordan Lyles and Oliver Drake getting leverage innings last year before they got things figured out.

Yep. They've also played three series against three teams that many are pegging as playoff contenders (the Reds arguably are not, but many considered them a darkhorse). Considering the schedule so far, I'll take 8-3.

Bullpens are volatile. You just described the Brewers April-August 2018 bullpen in a nutshell. This bullpen didn't jell last year until Knebel came back from his demotion, and Woodruff and Burnes were inserted.

Context is everything. I'll just say that about your rants. Both of those that you quoted at me was to a guy that would give up just about anything for a Giants reliever right now. It does make NO SENSE. But hmm... doesn't sound like we'd be giving up multiple players for Kimbrel. Might be why Stearns is actually intrigued by the idea? Maybe use a better example next time you want to stand on your podium and attack because you're upset at our bullpen. Maybe the better option is to let it continue to play out, let guys establish roles, get JJ back, see if any of your AAA guys can fill holes, fill with guys off the scrap heap like we've done before, and then when those options are exhausted, then you go out and see what the trade market is for guys that are on clubs willing to part ways. By that time, you're more than likely to find teams willing to part ways with players on better terms than what would occur now. Trading, which this thread is about, doesn't happen very often in April and for good reasons. Next time you want to overreact, aim it at someone else please and thank you. This team needs EXPERIENCED HIGH LEVERAGE pen arms, and we’re not getting that off the scrap heap or AAA. Now maybe JJ can be one again, we’ll find out in the next month. Not gonna count on jj being the dominant first 65 innings of last years jj. Trade with tanking team like the orioles for givens exactly what this team needs in my opinion. The goal shouldnt be to win EVERY trade, it should be to win the title. Ask Theo. There are literally 25 teams that are in contention right now that are looking for the same thing. That's why you rarely see big April trades.

He certainly came out firing, which is exactly what you want to see from the guy who is the face of the franchise.

I agree. We are probably as close as we’ll get to a WS for the foreseeable future. Our window is short... spend the cash and go for it all! And you base this on what? I'm genuinely curious. The fact that Yelich is a FA after this year? Or that Shaw is? Or that we'll be losing Knebel, Jeffress, Wahl, Hader, Burnes, Woodruff, Peralta, Nelson next year? This idea that our window is closing is just fake. I can see the argument that we're close and were a game away from the WS last year, but that has nothing to do with the false narrative that our window is closing. The window is likely through 2022, or the end of Yelich's contract. Yeah, you are going to lose some of the older guys during that stretch to regression, like Braun and Cain, but the core of the team is young enough that you are getting their prime years during that window. This team was built incredibly sustainably.

Exactly. Chacin was fine ... pitched good enough to win had the offense not taken the evening off.

There is no team in the majors that wouldn't be facing tough times if you took two of their top guys out of the pen. It isn't sad ... just reality.

Grass is green, water is wet, Chase gives up HRs

On ad placement? Probably quite a bit. On ad production? Laughably little. Someone could record those on an iPhone. Him holding a baseball bat is about as unnatural as it gets. Don't get into law school by spending all your time as a kid at the sandlot.

On ad placement? Probably quite a bit. On ad production? Laughably little. Someone could record those on an iPhone.

Well that would make sense...we couldn't hit him either. But hey, at least we'll get to see Cahill in a Brewers uniform next year... Ha ... don't know if that should necessarily be in blue. Cahill is a decent vet on a cheap contract. He'll probably have suitors at the trade deadline.

Chacin has been fine tonight. Trevor Cahill is basically Jeff Suppan. Offense has to be better.

That's true. I'm not saying Thames doesn't deserve an opportunity to see what he can do with more playing time. I'm just doubting he'd be all that much better if given that consistent time. It'd be great if he did take advantage, though.