areacodes

I'd have to agree hawing, that there were similarities. I liked what I heard so far, as it appeared (I was listening to the game while working on a paper so I wasn't paying 100%) that he and Bob worked well together and that he has a good, smooth voice to listen to. My impression was that, at least from what I remember, he sounded more comfortable that when Powell started out.

I think Lamb is kind of double dipping at this point, collecting from the Twins contract as well as what the Brewers signed him for this offseason. Don't the Twins pay his original contract, just minus the minimum that the Crew is paying? If that is the way it works, it doesn't look like he's double dipping.

That's sorta misleading as he appeared in 150 games in both 2003 and 2005. In Kendall's career he is averaging (excluding 1999 when he had a season ending injury) about 146 games a year and in the time frame you quoted he has averaged about 148 games caught per year. I have a hard time believing Yost was a big factor when Kendall has been doing this his entire career with multiple managers.

I don't understand this obsession (not specifically you chansen) of having a guy who throws differently in front of your closer. If the closer and set-up man are facing the same batters than you're already in trouble. If you want a contrast in speeds to have any effect (and at that I'd say it is minimal at best) you'd need to do that an inning or two apart so the same batters would face the opposite type of pitcher. I also want no part of Gagne as the set-up man (I'm not sure I want him on the ML roster anyways, as I like some of the other guys who'd be making less) and in reality I hate the idea of set-up men (and closers) anyways as I'd prefer if the best pitcher availible for the situation is used, be it CV, Swindle, Stetter, Hoffman or whomever. JJHardy7 - you basically just described Dillard as a dark horse in your attempt to say that he wasn't a dark horse.

From the StL Post-Dispatch from yesterday: The Cardinals have abruptly reversed course, releasing second baseman Adam Kennedy and declaring an open competition for the position, the Post-Dispatch has learned. The move, apparently made at the strong urging of manager Tony La Russa, represents a 180-degree shift from the position staked out by the club in December after failing to find a trade partner for the veteran second baseman. ... Even after general manager John Mozeliak designated Kennedy as this year's starter, La Russa found it difficult to embrace the arrangement. Kennedy requested the team trade him shortly after it signed infielder Felipe Lopez last August following his release from the Washington Nationals. When the Cardinals failed to re-sign Lopez and non-tendered infielder Aaron Miles, Kennedy appeared to be unchallenged at the position. La Russa, however, saw an ongoing potential for a camp distraction. So it looks as if there was something going on between LaRussa and Kennedy and that once the Cards couldn't trade him, there was nothing left to do besides cut him. You'd think that if they knew about this they would have done something about 2B, but maybe Mozeliak thought things could be patched up and LaRussa/Kennedy wouldn't have any part of it. How many players does that make that have a beef with LaRussa?

In TH's blog from this morning he says this about Sheets: I would like to reiterate that there appears to be virtually no chance of Ben Sheets returning to the Brewers. Someone familiar with the situation made that clear to me -- again -- yesterday. And I also found this tidbit from the MLB.com beat writer of the Rangers, T.R. Sullivan: Two weeks ago, free agent pitcher Ben Sheets and his agent, Casey Close, had dinner with the Rangers. Rangers owner Tom Hicks was at the dinner, which suggested things were getting serious. Two weeks later, Sheets remains unsigned. All signs points to him not being with the Rangers in 2008 [i'm assuming he meant 2009]. It just doesn't look like it will happen. So, if both these are true, what team(s) would be left for Sheets?

The most recent thing from the Brewers perspective is from TH's blog from the 17th: Ash said the Brewers were still discussing whether to put in an offer to the agent of former Washington closer Chad Cordero, who held a throwing session in California last week for interested clubs. Cordero is coming off shoulder surgery and is not expected to be ready to pitch until a month or two into the season. "It's a risk decision," said Ash. "It's a matter of how much (financial) risk you want to take. His agent has let it be known he's going to sign somewhere." Otherwise, as GAME05 said, there appears to be renewed interest from Washington and mlbtraderumors.com has the Marlins and Dodgers as expressing interest in him.

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Earlier in this thread in post #451, Sam did post rules from the CBA and his interpretation of those rules. Is there anyway we could add that post to the designated threads list or at least create a new thread and have it pinned to the top for the rest of the off-season? I'm pretty sure that question comes up in every thread about a type A free agent.

No when an ace of the staff puts up the same number of innings as 4th starter down the stretch I have an issue. Sheets was paid to carry the staff and he did not do it again. You keep bringing up points that people have shown to be incorrect. If you look at the post from trwi7 you see that Sheets was actually underpaid last year according to fangraphs. Just repeating things over and over again does not make them true. Suppan eats up the same amount of innings and gets blasted because they were not quality. Bottom line these guys are sent out to pitch and Sheets was doing that job the same amount as Suppan. Even according to the numbers you posted, they weren't even close to quality innings for Suppan. On the other hand, Sheets put up (once again, according to the numbers you posted) a 3.41 ERA that was over 2.5 runs better than Suppan's. That might be why Soup is getting blasted more than Sheets. Why is it that Sheets gets a pass too much based on what he might or could have done. I will be glad the day he finally is signed by another team. Where is the free pass that Sheets gets? He is one of the more ostracized players on the Brewers over the past few years based solely on his weird injuries, if you feel that Sheets is getting a free pass we must be hearing different things or your concept of a pass is different than mine. Most people have been saying that they would like Sheets back because of apparently how little he might cost and the fact that he is the best available pitcher. I will only be glad if he is signed by a new team if a.) the Brewers have added a high quality starter and b.) if we're getting a 1st round pick for him. If neither is true I'd must rather have Sheets back. Of course, he has to want to come back as well.

I don't think it really matters that much to worry about contrast when it comes to the later innings as the setup men would be unlikely to face the same batters as Hoffman, and if they are we would already be in trouble for the most part. I'd prefer for there to be others than CV as setup because I want him to be able to pitch whenever we need him the most.

The reason has to be the guaranteed money for Smoltz. From yahoo sports, via MLB Trade Rumors, the Braves were only offering 3 million guaranteed while the Sox had 5.5 million guaranteed. The Braves offer with incentives was around 12 million verse the 10 million from the Red Sox.

Would that make him our Reggie White? EDIT: So there is some substance to my post, the LA Times is reporting that Hoffman will decide on Thursday.

I know its been many a moon since i'be posted but it is amlsot a new yea r and its imortntan that i come backe and post toniht, I have to admit as a berwer fan that i met a cub fan tonight and he was a cool kid, so i actually hung out with two cubs fans who were good people.. made me realize that even the crappiest fans have good seeds... anyways.. im wasted, the yankees blow... i hope we sign hoffman and i hate the cubs... ps.. this is profafl y one of the clearest drumk posts i've made... sacary isn't it?

In McCalvy's article from before Christmas, that I also posted in the 2009 Closer Thread, there was a quote from Melvin that made me think that the Brewers were only interested in Looper on a 1 year deal. "I don't think anything is going to happen [with Looper]," he said. "I think he's going to wait until after the holiday, too. Players are all still looking for multiyear deals and waiting for other players to sign." Another thing of note from the article is that Melvin mentioned that he is in "one or two" serious negotiations for FA pitchers apparently not named Fuentes or Looper.

I know this is from a couple days ago, but nobody's posted in this thread since then anyways. According to Melvin, from this McCalvy hot stove article, it doesn't appear if Fuentes is interested in the Brewers. "He keeps wanting to play out there. I don't anticipate us [getting him]," Melvin said. "When I go into this, we don't have to be first in line all the time, but I like to hear the player consider us." The article mentions that he has an offer from the Cardinals and is waiting on the Angles to jump into the bidding.

It's on channel 84 in Madison as well.

Doesn't their new stadium affect this though? I thought I read somewhere on BF.net that they would be paying less towards revenue sharing because of the debt of the new stadium or something along those lines.

I am disappointed that Melvin wasted his time waiting around for Sabathia and wasn't more aggressive trying to make trades or going after other free agents, if he had been maybe the Brewers would have made a move by now. It looks like this may have cost the Brewers a chance at Wood. There is no indication that Melvin is sitting on his hands, even while we were pursuing CC. We've been linked to trade talks and all of the FA closers on the market. I really can't blame Melvin for not wanting to go out and spend a huge chunk of change on some of these other starters as I would prefer if we go the trade route. Not to mention that we have most of the offseason left as the Winter Meetings aren't even over for another day and we now know where we stand. If this situation had gone on for another month and we were in the same boat I could understand some of these concerns but there is a lot of time for moves to be made.

John Perrotto over at BP says: The Brewers are expected to move to the head of the class in the Brian Fuentes sweepstakes now that free-agent closer Francisco Rodriguez has agreed to terms on a three-year, $37 million contract with the Mets. Link He also mentions that the Angles could get in the mix for Fuentes as well.

There was an article posted by tigerbrew (post #680) from the New York Post: Prior to Yankees GM Brian Cashman's meeting with CC Sabathia yesterday in Las Vegas, there was a feeling in the baseball universe the stud free-agent lefty would eventually re-sign with the Brewers. This is from yesterday and was the first that I had heard of the Brewers being considered front runners. This was before there were the quotes about the Dodgers and the Giants if I remember correctly, and definitely before anything about him turning down the Yanks.

A-rod opted out of his last contract and then re-signed with the Yankees.

Didn't Gagne more or less rip on the Brewers and not the city? I thought he called our club "minor league" or something along those lines?

He apparently took less money to be closer to his kids in Arizona so I'm pretty sure the Brewers wouldn't have been able to get him at that price. Link