Ron Robinsons Beard

This is both funny and not funny.

Considering the volatility of relievers, I thought picking up Boxberger's option was a no-brainer. But this team has made plenty of perplexing (at least to me) moves like this in the last couple years, so I guess I shouldn't be shocked. Miller has a live arm I guess. Cheap dime-a-dozen reliever that I guess they hope to catch lightning in a bottle with.

General Manager Matt Arnold made the first big solo team personnel decision of his Brewers career late Tuesday afternoon, as the Brewers announced that they would be picking up their club option on veteran second baseman Kolten Wong. The option year will pay him a $10 million salary in 2023 and had the Brewers declined the option, Wong would have been owed a $2 million buyout. Image courtesy of © Michael McLoone-USA TODAY Sports General Manager Matt Arnold made the first big solo team personnel decision of his Brewers career late Tuesday afternoon, as the Brewers announced that they would be picking up their club option on veteran second baseman Kolten Wong. The option year will pay him a $10 million salary in 2023 and had the Brewers declined the option, Wong would have been owed a $2 million buyout. After a 2021 season that saw Kolten Wong play as advertised (a .783 OPS combined with the rock-solid defense he'd come to be known for in his eight seasons as a Cardinal), Wong followed it up with a 2022 season that, while still solid on the surface, mirrored the team in perhaps failing to live up to expectations. Despite a still-solid .770 OPS and a career-high of 15 HRs, Wong took an unexplainable but obvious step back with his glove. His 17 errors tied a career-high, while advanced metrics weren’t kind, with Wong seeing a steep decline with -1 Defensive Runs Saved, -4.7 Ultimate Zone Rating, and -9 Outs Above Average – all far off career norms. Toward the end of the season, Wong acknowledged that his down year defensively, combined with his price tag and the fact that the Brewers had a near MLB-ready replacement in Brice Turang, may have meant he'd be moving on. “Defensively, it just wasn’t my year,” Wong told Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel in October. “I’ve been a free agent one time already, and it’s not the most enjoyable thing. If I got to go through it again, it is what it is. It will be interesting to see where I’d end up landing. Milwaukee was a choice that I kind of had in mind going into free agency as a high pick for me. This next one, I just kind of want to keep an open mind and see how it goes.” Wong's bat has never been the issue. Since signing with the Brewers, he has a cumulative batting line of .262/.337/.439 for a wRC+ of 113. The extra power from the diminutive lefty swinger has been a welcome surprise, as Wong hit 14 homers in 2021 before his follow-up effort of 15 in 2022. He’s always been a solid, opportunistic baserunner, swiping 29 bases over the past two years, including 17 in 2022. Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel spoke to Wong, who said that he was “stoked” about the decision before detailing that his legs weren’t 100% healthy in 2022, contributing to his defensive shortcomings. Wong also pointed out that with defensive shifts no longer allowed; he had extra motivation to up his defensive game to its previously high levels. In a conference call with reporters Tuesday evening, Arnold indicated that the decision to pick up Wong's option was not as tricky as reporters and other insiders made it out to be. Of course, while Wong is officially Brewers' property, that doesn't necessarily mean he is 100% in the plans for 2023. There are several scenarios still in play: Option A: The status quo. This indicates that Wong is penciled in as the starter at 2B for the 2023 Brewers and is in the middle of the lineup. While Wong proved to be a competent lead-off hitter in 2021, that is seemingly Christian Yelich's spot moving forward unless Yelich suddenly unlocks his powerful 2018-19 MVP self. While this may be the "boring" option, Wong was far from the team's biggest issue offensively in 2022. His steady presence and bat would likely be appreciated, especially if the team attempted to break in several young, unproven bats. Option B: A 2023 mid-season or deadline trade. While picking up Wong's option would seemingly indicate that the Brewers intend to compete again in 2023, playoff contention is far from assured. Wong is the ideal type of steady, veteran bat with loads of postseason experience that multiple World Series hopefuls would likely be happy to pick up for the stretch run. While the return probably wouldn't be huge, the Brewers would likely be able to pick up a piece or two to strengthen the farm system. Option C: An 2022-23 off-season trade. Would the Brewers have picked up Wong's option with the intent to trade him? Well, if the value is there, maybe. The aforementioned Turang is probably ready for an MLB role, and while he's a SS by trade, he saw time at 2B, 3B, and even in CF this season in Nashville. This would indicate that he is at least being looked at as a potential replacement for valuable utility player Jace Peterson, a free agent. And while Luis Urias saw most of his time at 3B in 2022, many insiders have long seen him as a future 2B. If the Brewers make a splash in free agency or the trade market this offseason, 3B is an ideal target, which would kick Urias to a different spot. In his closing remarks this season, Brewers principal owner Mark Attanasio indicated that the Brewers would be actively building and turning over the roster this offseason. So buckle up. But regardless of which option the Brewers take, we know that Kolten Wong's steady hand will remain Brewer property heading into the start of free agency this week. View full article

I wasn't necessarily referring to Yelich and Burnes, although I see how that could be inferred. But there's plenty of players out there who have admitted that money is not only their main motivation, it's perhaps about 99% of their total motivation.

Perhaps. But to me, it's hard to fault a guy for outwardly wanting to win, and not just collect a paycheck.

Maybe some fingers need to be pointed. Glad to see someone taking a leadership role, because we haven't really seen it from guys like Yelich and Burnes. At least not publically.

Or keep trade compensation leverage in place. How is it laughable? He's just supposed to let a front office exec who is under contract just leave to go to a rival for nothing?

Hart is a dinosaur. Might as well see what Doug Melvin is up to if you're going to go that route. As alluded to by other posters, Luhnow has his fair share of skeletons.

With Arnold stepping into the POBO role, I wonder if they will hire a new GM?

redundant thread

redundant thread

The Brewers literally blocked Arnold from interviewing for the Mets GM job one year ago to the day. Arnold also interviewed for the Angels GM job in 2000. So this is literally flat out incorrect.

Just my speculation, but I imagine MA wanted Stearns to commit to a contract extension, and Stearns likely said no with the intent of wanting to eventually move on.

Stearns will land on his feet somewhere. It will be interesting to see if Arnold has a more aggressive philosophy. I wonder how much of this was Stearns' decision, or if anything was forced by ownership?

I think that is just an odd way of saying Cover Letter.

I don't know if its that they have zero quality WRs so much as the receivers they do have are miscast. Lazard is a quality NFL WR, but he doesn't have the skillset to operate as a #1 WR and regularly beat the opposing team's #1 corner. But as a #2 or a slot guy, Lazard is a matchup nightmare due to his size, strength and requisite speed. Doubs has a ton of talent, but he's a rookie and makes those kind of mistakes. Watkins looked washed to me in that game though. I think he might be done.

Erceg is a flame-throwing righty reliever without much wear on his arm. Good numbers last year. Already 27 and seemingly mature. He was probably close to getting a call-up this season. He seems like the type of guy that some team will easily take a chance on in the Rule 5.

Erceg is a flame-throwing righty reliever without much wear on his arm. Good numbers last year. Already 27 and seemingly mature. He was probably close to getting a call-up this season. He seems like the type of guy that some team will easily take a chance on in the Rule 5.

They will never, ever defer that kind of money. The Mets are a literal laughing stock of the league with that Bonilla contract, yet you continue to hold it up as some sort of gold standard that teams should continue to do. Kicking the can down the road does not eliminate anything. It just gets you in a financial mess. I don't get your addiction this this idea. At all.

The answer? Apparently nothing.

Good point. I think that Dillon was drafted to be the Packers' version of Derrick Henry, but Henry has elite field vision, especially for a big back. However, many draft profiles (https://nflmocks.com/2020/01/19/2020-nfl-draft-aj-dillon-scouting-report/) on Dillon also lauded his vision and ability to find holes and follow blocks. He was knocked more for a lack of speed and for not being utilized as a pass catcher.

I think this is a little too one-sided. I don't think Lafleur is the terrible coach you make him out to be, nor is Rodgers the god-like presence you seem to be indicating he is. I see some issues with Lafleur for sure, but I also believe that he truly hasn't been able to implement the offense he really wants because of Rodgers still being there, and Rodgers' insistence on sticking to what he is comfortable with. The only times that Rodgers has really bought into the lafleur gameplan is these few games that Adams has been out the last few years. I thought that would translate to this season, but instead, Rodgers has basically inserted either Lazard or Cobb into the "Adams" role, and has tried to operate the same way he has the last three years. That obviously isn't working. Rodgers has had some moments this year, but they are too few and far between for any sustainability. But he's also trying to play hero ball. He needs to check the ego and take a step back and allow the offense to work as its intended.

By Rodgers standards, his accuracy has been terrible so far this season. I think it's pretty clear that time is creeping up on him. That doesn't mean he can't QB a Super Bowl contending team, though. It just means that they need to surround him with talent, circa late-career Broncos Peyton Manning. They really haven't done that. Yeah, blaming the cap is the easy way out, but there are ways to add talent while circumventing the cap. Just look at what the Rams and Chiefs continue to do. It's almost as if the Packers front office wants Rodgers gone, and they are taking an extremely passive aggressive trail to get there.

I'd be willing to bet that's the silver lining many Padre fans are clinging to this morning.