Jim French Stepstool

Hard to imagine PJ being willing to do a radio show. No cameras, no TV audience for him to draw attention to himself, no visual histrionics, no way to show off his strange choice of wardrobe......although like you pointed out he does get to talk.....and talk.....and talk........... Sounds like the NIL money is comparatively scarce up there. Not a good sign, being in a larger metro area than many of the traditional B10 schools.

I said it's probably the "best" reason to do so, if they did. Not advocating shopping the guy. "Sufficient amount of talent" means different things to different peeps. I'm the guy who regularly turns thumbs down on most trade rumors b/c I think the cost is too high or the return too low. I doubt SF (or anyone else) meets what I would deem worth considering.

I think the emerging OF talent is arguably the biggest one, but as I said several posts ago, they'd need to find a suitable trade partner & at the end of the day It's more unlikely than likely. Wouldn't do it simply to jettison the contract, which means getting a sufficient amount of talent, which means it's probably a non-starter. Giants make the most sense, theoretically.

El Gigantes would be the leader in the clubhouse if they DO deal him, I think you're correct there. And the last couple sentences, for sure.

I'd be on board with saying he wasn't the MAIN factor. But I think he had work gloves on during some of his normally adept button-pushing. Right or wrong, he likes to lean on veterans when he can, like the obviously questionable choices to have Winker PH. Yet he stayed with Frelick, who was slumping. In that case I guess you wonder why Miller was added to the roster (Monasterio had already been used). As far as the CC rumors, which of course are going to be blown to universal proportions because Mets, I'll stick with the original rumors that if he isn't back managing he'll be de-compressing in some FO job. 0% chance of going to NY? No, more like 20-25% IMO.

It's certainly not impossible. But there are elements to it that might make teams take pause. By the back half of those five years, the back issues & throwing arm might really limit his versatility within a roster. He does a little more sitting than we'd like right now. Age 34-36 seasons......?? I agree, finding someone who can make it work financially isn't necessarily a problem. I'll maintain they'll be more likely to do it later, when a team might accept any potential limitations he may have because they won't have to give up much of anything talent-wise. If we find a suitor now, I just don't think they'll pull that trigger simply for salary relief (not that it wouldn't be a bad idea given the OF talent they possess).

Very nice thread, good stuff. I'll just throw out a few tidbits: If it's either/or, I'd rather bring Canha back than Santana. Carlos has had a really nice 2 months here, and I wouldn't complain if he came back on a 1-year deal, but the age 38 season coming up just concerns me a bit. Of course Canha would be a tougher sign. I hope Mitchell can be consistent enough to hold down the CF fort. I'd rather not see any kind of a platoon situation with Wiemer. Let the kid develop & have the AAA season that was lost to him this year. The stop & go aspect of EBJ's career so far due to the injuries probably makes it less likely Adames will be dealt right now. But if there's more value to him than meets the eye as some suggest, I'd certainly listen. How close to his former self can Ashby be in '24? Very important. It's nice to not have to retool the BP, at least on paper. Would like to see Burnes dealt. If Quero continues on the same path, they'll have a "situation" to deal with soon since Contreras had a magnificent year & is locked up. Nice position to be in.

AFA Yelich is concerned, it would take an interested suitor in order to trade him. I think he'll either finish his contract here, or maybe get dealt closer to the tail-end of it. I don't see how it would take a lot of money to re-up Woodruff now that he's damaged goods (if they want to). I've always felt re-signing him wasn't hopeless--certainly much more likely than Burnes. The injury makes it a little more possible (again, if they are confident enough in his chances at recovery). When Winkers' two ABs ended in outs this week, was the loud booing from the crowd directed at Winker, or his manager?🤔

As to the topic at hand, I get pretty emotionally involved, but it dissipates afterward. I think years of coaching have helped in that regard. Being a big-picture kinda guy--which you really need to be regarding baseball--helps. I like the off-season, the building, the hot stove stuff. It also helps to know that complaints that the so-called "bites at the apple" approach never leads to a championship, is nonsense. I'll bleed Cardinal & White for the next 6 months & be just fine.

I thought that was a turning point, along with one much less dramatic--Peralta issuing the leadoff walk in the 6th to Perdomo. Burnes not getting a call on a 1-1 pitch (again, Perdomo, the #9 hitter) & immediately afterward giving up a boatload of hard-hit balls. He was solid through 2-and-a-third up to that point. All season, things at certain points seemed to unravel him. Un-ace like.

looks like that could hold 25-35 folks from an internet fan board for a viewing party. Just sayin'.............

If the money works & if healthy I wouldn't mind Hoskins. He Ks a lot which is something they're trying to get away from, but also takes his walks. I just don't think they'd want him for more than 2 years at the very most, so the discussion would probably begin & end there.

Absolutely. People always focus on how much more money LA has to spend. They do indeed have much, much more. But the scouting, drafting, player development is the foundation their whole house is built on. It's smart to emulate it. For us it's necessary.

If Longoria doesn't make a leaping stab of Taylors' screamer in game one, and a few other ABs go differently---I'm talking a single at the right time, or even a deep enough fly ball or ground ball where the throw has to go to first base--they easily could've scored twice as many runs as they did the last two days. That's without "pop" or "power bats". Burnes, Williams, and (in the sixth inning) Peralta were much bigger reasons why they failed this week. I have no problem with having HR power. I just think people need to be realistic about how they do things, and why. If I had to guess I'd say Canha has a better chance of returning than Santana, but at the end of the day it'll be neither.

Jackson Chourio Never batted an eye with each promotion. Numbers suggest he's starting to really hone the plate discipline & contact rate which is huge at age 19. Bat to ball was extremely impressive after going up to AAA. Won't be long now.......Jeferson Quero Sad to see him have the health issues, but his behind-the-plate skills, combined with the bat, that's a combo as good as gold. Thought of dropping him one spot. Just can't do it.Tyler Black Only ? is the glove, but he was pretty good at 3B when moved up to AAA. The main question appears where he ends up defensively, but wherever it is, the bat plays. And the plate discipline is off the charts. Never knew how fast he was until he got to N'ville. Just an entire offensive package save for power, but actually he has enough of that, too.Jacob Misiorowski Smooth, easy gas. True top o' the rotation potential. They'll be ultra careful with him. Like all young uns, just refine the command.Brock Wilken Love guys who get promoted & don't bat an eye. Thought he'd move to 1B, but from what I understand his work at 3B belies his size. Wouldn't be surprised if he moves through the system quickly.Luis Lara Another guy who moved up a level & didn't bat an eye, at the age of 18. Lack of power might hold him back, but I think he may open some eyes around the advanced-A circuit next year. Robert Gasser Going on 25, so it's time. Didn't see him throw as often as some of you may have, but it seems to me the command maybe needs to tighten JUST a bit. Has a real chance in Milwaukee next year, esp if Ashby is gonna take awhile to get back up to snuff.Eric Brown Jr Stay on the field & get comfy, that's all I ask. Seems like a guy that can beat an opponent in many ways.Carlos F Rodriguez Almost seems like the Misiorowski hype & Gasser being closer to the bigs overshadowed him just a bit. But there's nothing not to like. Career WHIP just over one. Just over 6 hits/9 innings. Consistency.Mike Boeve Looked like his season ended on a sour note? Would love to see him settle into one position & get comfortable.Cooper Pratt Many think he can stick at SS. At his size that's all you need to know about his athleticism. Will probably skyrocket up these lists if he develops a power stroke.Yophery Rodriguez Showing some power (6 HR) & taking his walks at the age of 17. Yeah, it's the DSL, but sign me up.Jadher Areinamo A terrific glove who knows his way around the batters' box, too. Would like to see him draw more walks moving forward. Really looking forward to his stint just up the road in Appleton in '24.Luke Adams Still high on Luke. Great combo of size/strength, athleticism, speed, plate discipline.Logan Henderson Another guy I haven't seen enough of. But a WHIP just under one w/Carolina.Josh Knoth Sounds like he's starting to touch 95-97 with the FB. And the spin rate on his curve is supposed to be exceptional. It'll be interesting in seeing what they do with this young (18-yr-old) arm in 2024.Juan Baez I Like hitters who are stingy with the Ks. He continued to be even when moving up to Carolina. Also seems to have a knack for driving in runs, something I still hold on to as an important feature. Wondering what he can do in full-season ball (and where he winds up defensively) in '24.Eric Bitonti Yet another big, raw-boned kid for the INF. Already has shown pop. Dylan O'Rae I love the little guys who just compete & make a positive impact in winning baseball games. And there's some versatility there. Arm apparently is suspect at best though.Wes Clarke Lots of reasons to omit him, but dang it, he deserves mention. 3TO guys aren't the "thing" they once were so he has an uphill climb, but he'll be someone who can catch when asked so that'll help him crowbar his way on to a roster. Someday. Maybe. It speaks to the volume of depth they've built that Devanney, Mendez, Zamora, Norman, Wood, Blalock & some of the younger pitchers don't make the cut. Looks like a golden era for the Brewers minor league system.

So instead of developing the farm system, the best way for them to compete is...............................??

And a couple of critical walks. Those are almost always a big part of who wins & loses. Drawing them, or avoiding them as a pitcher.

No one "knows". But it's the lifeblood of any organization. Yes, even the big spenders. Being glad your system is ranked highly sure beats the alternative. Strange, in that your above list has some very good talent on it.

You know the money allocated for stadium improvements can't go into paying players, right?

Funny isn't the word I'd use. More like "Living on a planet I've never visited".

And I'd like to know how much they've invested into relatively untapped Venezuela in recent years. In the almost 50 years since free agency, I think there have been way more cases of teams wasting money frivolously & failing, then failing because they "didn't spend enough" (see Diego, San😄). Hell, for all the money that team on the north side of Chicago spent over the years, the one time they won a series was on the backs of prospects they acquired in trades or grew themselves.

The DP he hit into today was clocked at something over 100MPH. He hits the ball more than hard enough. He had a really impressive stretch marred by a 3-4 week stretch where he was really poor, at the worst possible time. When you've put in all of 2 or 3 months vs big league pitching, it happens. It would be an upset if it didn't. Certainly there's no guarantee of prospects maturing into difference-makers. that's why you build depth in numbers throughout the system. it's especially important here but it's vital even in NY or LA, too.

A better than 1% chance--and someone I really like--is Quintin Berry. But CC would have to give up the job first, and of course the speculation will run like wildfire because internet.

Power is nice. But just a single in a couple of those instances would've been more than good enough.

Yep. They're doing pretty well & certainly in the "right" division to do so, but I wouldn't anoint them as some kind of model to follow. Minnesota pitched well the last two days. Our "ace" was hardly that, Peralta lost his edge after five, and the best one of the "big three" was unavailable.