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Indians only get a prospect and a middle of the road OF for Lindor, Hand, and Kluber? Their GM would be tarred, feathered and ridden out of town on a rail if he even thought of that deal. He would want more than May-Grisham for Kluber alone.

No way in the world Strearns would even think of the deal. Lindor is estimated to get around $17M this year and lots more in 2021 and he is gone in only two years. He's way to expensive for the Crew plus giving up young controlable talent.

In the sense that all catchers in baseball are platoon guys, sure! Alternatively we can pair him with someone who can catch 40+ games and will not cost $16 million. Pina is valuable insofar as he hits both RHP and LHP equally well. I would target a guy with splits that strongly favor LHP, like Nick Hundley. Hundley was so horrible last year (.200/.233) especially bad against LH pitching (.118/.167) that I thought he retired. He's 36 and doesn't hit a lick.

So the DBacks signed Vogt. They have better catchers at their disposal? Varsho has never played above AA ball. The D'Backs will want to see how he handles AAA pitching, both with the bat and on defense. I believe he's at least a year away. They signed Vogt as a very capable backup to Kellyfor 2020. After 2020 they'll have decisions to make.

I wonder if Stearns' inaction means a trade for a catcher is in the works? I'd be ok with Pina and a decent backup if they re-sign Moose and get a much more productive SS. Firstbase and pitching also has to be addressed pretty soon.

I hope it not Josh being moved A Hader/Lutz-for-Mejia/Morejon/Lauer deal would be a good one for the Crew, I think. Solidifies catcher for three years, and two more young starters, one of whom looks to be a potential ace/TOR. Which one looks to be potential ace? Lauer projects to a #4-5 type. The Brewers have too many guys like him. Not a difference maker. Morejon was very mediocre at AA last year and his stock is sinking fast because of it. They tried him in the big leagues and it was a disaster. Mejia was so bad behind the plate the Padres are trying to make an OF out of him. The Brewers could do much better.

IMO the Brewers probably tried to do something with Brown, but got no takers. He was badly overmatched at AAA last year (5.79 ERA - many more hits than IPs - 1.73 WHIP - almost 5 BBs per 9). I don't see any team thinking he would be Rule 5 material. I believe the Brewers left him unprotected because they feel he isn't going anywhere so why waste a spot for him.

You saw what the Brewers think of Freitas when Pina was hurt last year. He caught exactly zero innings and was used sparingly as an early PH. He's a career AAA catcher. The Brewers won't waste a spot on him.

Okay, Woodruff, Yelich, Hader and Hiura is all we got. I did say that they will likely try to piece together a good team this year, and when that happens I'll be optimistic once the games start. Right now is not that time though. Right now I want to turn those 4 guys into 8 guys like them by 2024, cuz getting to a WS (let alone winning a WS) just isn't going to happen with those 4 guys, spare parts and our current farm system. I don't look at it as doom and gloom, I look at it as optimism for 2023 and beyond! I don't think the Crew needs to do a total teardown, but some re-tooling is needed. Hader/Lutz for Mejia/Morejon/Lauer nets the Crew a solid catcher until Feliciano/Henry/Fry get to the majors, a Hader-esque replacement in Morejon (who could also join Woodruff in the rotation), and Lauer becomes another rotation option. Plus, the money saved could land an upgrade at SS like a non-tendered Cesar Hernandez. Bring back Moose to play 1B... make a run for Rendon... bring Thames back as the top 1B/LF/RF backup, add Gio and Miley to the mix... cf: Cain 2b: Hiura rf: Yelich 3b: Rendon 1b: Moustakas lf: Braun c: Mejia ss: Hernandez Pitcher Bench: Pina, Grisham, Shaw, Mathias, Thames rotation: Woodruff, Miley, Morejon, Davies, Lauer bullpen: Pomeranz, Knebel, Peralta, Suter, Houser, Yardley, J. Guerra, Gonzalez The other option could be Stephen Vogt instead of Thames, but that means accepting Shaw would have to cover the corner OF slots. Rendon is going to make north of $25M per. Moose probably $10-11M per. Hernandez is already making $8M and going to get more expensive, plus they would have to trade to get him. With those three guys alone you've added $44-50M to the payroll. Morejon has pitched a total of 36 IPs at AA and hasn't impressed yet. He has done very little in the minors and is nowhere near MLB ready. Lauer is a #5 at best. You're basically trading one of the best relievers in MLB plus Lutz for a catcher that the Padres are trying to make into an OF plus two guys who are questionable prospects. And the starting staff would still be one of the worst, if not the worst in the NL.

Using BaseballTradeValues.com: BREWERS GET: C Mejia ($22.2 million) LHP Morejon ($23.8 million) SP Lauer ($16.5 million) PADRES GET: LHRP Hader ($48.3 million) OF Lutz ($7.8 million) Brewers come out ahead, and given how close Lauer and Morejon are to the majors, the Brewers may have extra cash lying around for upgrades. Mejia is also no black hole in the lineup. Yeah, stinks to give up Hader, but at worst, Morejon is 95% of what Hader does at major-league minimum. Or, he is a young ace who pairs with Woodruff. Lauer's solid. And the cash that frees up could land the Crew an upgrade at shortstop, or maybe puts the Crew in a position to make a move for Rendon at third. On what planet is Morejon 95% of Hader? That sight has had many, many problems estimating value. To say Morejon is worth more than Mejia tells you the sight is waaaay off. Morejon in the minors: rookie thru A 128 IPs - 124 hits - 1.3 WHIP - 3 BBs per 9. He has 36 IPs at AA. Nothing suggests he would be even 1/2 of what Hader is, much less an ace. Lauer is a better prospect and he projects to be a #5/long man in the pen arm. Plus the Brewers give up Lutz. NO thanks.

I don't see Roark or Gibson being above average and worth the money. Roark: 4.35 ERA - 4.67 FIP - more hits than IPs - 1.4 WHIP. All those number would increase at Miller Park. He made $10M last year. Gibson: 4.84 ERA - more hits than IPs - 1.45 WHIP - made $8.1M last year. Pineda would cost about the same and was much better. IMO Burnes doesn't start in the big leagues much less the starting rotation. I think everyone wants Pomeranz back, but there might be a bidding war for a lefty pen guy. Kendrick would be a great pickup with Walker as the backup 1B-3B. If Stearns can re-sign Moose, then Shaw is cut or traded.

FWIW, the 2022 year is a club option. Cot's has it at $15 and can go to $20 with performance-based incentives...buyout would be $0-$3m and I'm thinking it may be closer to $0 given his injuries in recent years. I'd still want some cash on the 2 years if we really went that route, though. If it's essentially a cash dump on Seager, that's an interesting idea, although I feel like the Mariners may be at a place where they don't want to do such things. They will run about a $100 million payroll this year but then drop way down as of next year. Say it was a cash dump of Seager/Narvaez and say the Mariners send $5m/each for the next 2 seasons. Seager vs. Mous is probably a wash. So you've got probably 5-5 WAR in Seager/Narvaez for $18-20 million. Instead, you'd have had 7 WAR out of Yas/Mous for $26-30 million. But you'd get basically both Narvaez/Seager for 2-3 years given arby for Narvaez and the option for Seager. For Yas you'd have to have gone 4 and Moustakas might be 3-4. Seager is owed $20.5M (AAV) per year for the next two years. $19.5M-18.5M and the third year is a $15M team option with a $3M buyout. The M's aren't going to send $20M cash plus Narvaez and Seager for Cain.

The best option for the Brewers now: BREWERS GET: C Mejia 3B Potts SP Lauer PADRES GET: LHRP Hader 3B Erceg Lauer is a run-of-the-mill starter. More hits than IPs - 1.4 WHIP - higher era and fip even though he pitched in San Diego. He's a #5 type/long man in the pen guy at best. Potts stunk at AA (.227/.289) and isn't any better prospect than Erceg, who the Pads could get as a rule 5 guy for $100,000. So the trade is really Mejia for Hader. I think the Brewers could do better.

Royals are getting screwed royally by your trade. Why would the Padres want Phillips? He has played his way out of the major leagues and isn't even throw-in material. Erceg and Ray weren't good enough to even put on the 40 man roster. Little value. Claudio is a middle of the road reliever that the Royals can pickup for next to nothing. Potts stunk at AA last year and offers very, very little. Morejon is a decent prospect, but the Royals would want much more for Merrifield.

Another SanAntoio arm who will probably never see MLB. Low cost move so why not.

Castellanos will be looking in the $14-17M range after the year he had. That still leaves holes at 3B-SS-starting pitching-and a parttime 1B in Braun. With all those holes to fill I don't know if Stearns will want to spend the money for an OF.

They want to move Kingery back to the infield and 2B, I think. Then have Brohm coming up for 3B. From the reports in Philly, the Phils were disappointed with how Kingery playd 2B. They are committed to making him a CF to utilize his speed. They say Bohm is still a year or two away from the majors having just moved up to AA last year. The talk around Philly is that they are going to try and con somebody into taking Franco and move Segura to 2B or 3B if they get Gregorius. Either way I don't see the Phillies salary dumping Segura.

Franco is at least 2 years away from the big leagues, and maybe 3. Liberatore played in rookie ball most of last year so he is 3-4 years away. You are giving up on a team that reached the playoffs two years in a row in favor of a prayer 3-4 years down the road. Plus the chances that the center pieces of the trade are flops like Brinson are high considering they haven't even seen AA much less AAA yet. Stearns would get ridden out of Milwaukee on a rail if he even thought of anything close to those trades.

I don't see Segura as an option at all. He is due $15M each year for the next 3 years. Way too much money for Stearns. It's an overpay but not a ridiculous one if you get him in a pure salary dump and he's young enough and controllable to enough to move him for the last year or two of his contract by eating some of that deal. To sign most FA requires an overpay. Segura last year: .280/.323 - 743 OPS - 12 HRs - 60 RBI ..... Iglesias: .288/.318 - 734 OPS - 11 HRs - 59 RBI.... Imo Stearns could sign Iglesias for a lot less money and get a better defensive player and a very comparable offensive player. Plus he wouldn't cost anything to sign.

I don't see Segura as an option at all. He is due $15M each year for the next 3 years. Way too much money for Stearns.

Say what you want about being financially efficient, but the White Sox are throwing their money around. That is a ton of money invested in a couple older free agents over the last couple days, though. High, high risk. Jose Abreu isn't even that good either. I am still trying to figure out how he won a Silver Slugger in 2018. Abreu had an outstanding year. 2019: .284/.330 - 33 HRs -123 RBIs.

And what or who would be the alternative if the don't re-sign Moose? Shaw is a role of the dice and and your point is 4. There is nobody even close to Moose out there that would be available at a better price.

I've been a fan of the "dirt dog" for years. Kipnis moving over to 1B would be a stunning development.. I guess it would depend on how big a cut Kipnis would take after making $14M last year. He is a .245/.310 type hitter with some power. Thames was better, so Kipnis would have to take a drastic cut to be affordable to the Brewers. The thing that scares me about Ramos was he played in the PCL so the numbers are inflated quite a bit. However he had a great year by any measure. The big question: Why didn't the Rockies protect him?

I'd love to get Duffy too. He would be an excellent backup infielder. Not a platoon with Shaw because Duffy has absolutely no power and if Shaw continues to stink, it makes 3B a huge hole w/o a remedy. Goody would be a decent pickup as a backend of the pen reliever, especially if the 26th man can be a 14th pitcher. Just say no to Cortes. He was badly overmatched in the big leagues last year (5.80 ERA - 5.57 FIP - 28 walks in only 66 IPS - 1.55 WHIP - 2.2 HRs per 9). He needs to prove he is a big lg. pitcher. Maybe if they can get him signed to a minor lg. deal. I'm not sure what you see in Cotton either. Even before the TJ surgery he wasn't much. In 2017: 5.58 ERA/5.68 FIP - 2 HRs per 9 - more hits than IPs - almost 4 walkes per 9.. Now he hasn't pitched for two years and a huge injury history. Maybe take a flyer and sign him to a minor lg. deal with a spring training invite.

Avila is a very low BA (.207) with a high whiff rate (32%). He walked a lot against RH pitching, but the high strikeout rate and very low BA is a problem with a team that already whiffs at an extremely high rate.