RyDogg66

Is this jumping the gun, of course it is, but play along. Would you rather finish with the 2nd best record, to the Cubs, win the wild card and play on the road against Philly in a 5 game series (Also vs. Hamels, a lefty) or finish first with the best record, ahead of the Cubs and have homefield vs. the D'Backs but face Webb and Haren (RHPs) in a short series?

BOC = NEVER! It's like the loch ness monster or Bigfoot.

I say trade him because I dont believe in signing players of his caliber. Instead of 12 million for Suppan followed by guys like Bush, McClung and Parra, I say pay another 6 million to get a guy like Sabathia or Sheets. The difference between Sheets and Suppan is so huge that the extra 6 million is more than worth it. One unltra expensive guy followed by couple arby year guys and a couple pre-arby guys is what I think they should do. Spending money on the likes of Suppan, and to a lesser extent Jeffrey Hammonds is just wasting it in my opinion.

Is this a possibility at all? I know it would be rough to lose 3/5 of our starting rotation (Sheets, Sabathia, Suppan) but we'd have Gallardo, Parra and Bush for sure and perhaps if we moved Suppan we could resign Sheets. Lets just assume that Suppan pitches his career averages the last 3 months...any chance another team could take him?

I even stopped calling him VaJayJay.

How can Bush be moved to the Bullpen with the way he has been pitching vs. Suppan or McClung? I bet it is McClung that is moved to the Bullpen.

TH says Laporta and Green and another prospect. Lets hope it isnt Brantly. It isnt Cain because he was told to report to Huntsville to replace LaPorta.

Why are we all talking about trading Fielder? We control him for three more years. He is one of the centerpieces of the offense. Next year's rotation isnt going to be horrible with Gallardo, Parra, Suppan and Bush. Maybe we can even sign Capuano to a minor league deal. I just dont think we need to trade him right now. Maybe after 2009, but he is the main cog in the offense and now we want to blow it all up??

It could happen at anytime, and often does happen late at night/early morning.

Im definitely not arguing. I was just cautioning people from being emotionally invested. And if you dont think making a deadline deal is similar to playing poker I think you are mistaken. There are a million signs that Doug needs to read to not get fleeced and make a bad deal, or one that is much more than he has to. There is misinformation being leaked on purpose, there are other teams that are serious, some not so much. He needs to read Shapiro and also know the tendencies of the other GMs to make the best move. It is a lot of intuition.

Independence is great. Fireworks are not. I cannot wait for this loud and annoying weekend to be over.

It occurred to me that the same mentality that leads to bad trades might also apply to people with large chip stacks getting busted out of poker tournaments. What this mentality is akin to is having a large chip stack (lots of prospects) a good way through a tournament (the season). You have a plan and have stuck by it to get to where you are (develop young talent, dont over pay for mediocrity), you play tight but agressive, and everyone at your table knows it. You maybe are in late position and the blinds are a decent size, there are a few guys in the pot (teams looking for help) but nobody has come in too strong, and certainly nobody you are afraid of. You are sitting there with pocket Jacks (a really good offer you are confident about) and you make a very assertive raise (offer for the player you want). Players start to fold and you are ready to rake in a great pot (Sabathia) and be on your way to the money (playoffs). But the last guy to fold is thinking...and thinking...and thinking...and finally he reraises you. TO call it will be all of your chips. You figure there is a good chance you are beat (facing Aces or Kings) but you have come too emotionally invested in the pot and so you call, even though it is against your own personal rules of poker to do so with a hand like pocket Jacks. So you call the bet and flip them over and sure enough you are beat. Now your only hope is to flop a set (make the playoffs, even World Series) to make it worth it, and hope bad luck doesnt allow him to make a set as well (lose in the Playoffs or World Series). Al was right when he said that we have made our offer and if Cleveland wants it, they should take it. Cleveland needs power desperately and they need position players. If we are offering them Laporta (who is ready now) and Green, who was our ML player of the year in 2007 and is a legit 3b/2b prospect with pop, then the Indians wont be trading for Adam Laroche and a pitcher from LA. We cant be so emotionally invested at this point that we say "fine just take whoever you want to make the deal then" and go against everything we have been building for.

If you extend him past his arby years, then yes, you are buying average old talent and giving away young cheap talent. Hardy is above-average right now but his range has already gone down from when he was a rookie. You mentioned trading Escobar and extending Hardy. Hardy is going to command 8-10 million a year, I'll be damned if I would pay that for Hardy past age 28.

Everyone here and many professional scouts. Not saying that scouts are never wrong, but the consensus is that Escobar is about ready, and will be next year.

Who the heck are we? The 2000-2005 Yankees? That is a terrible idea. You dont overpay for old average talent, which is what extending Hardy would be.

Including Hardy makes some sense if they feel Escobar can step in and start next year and Hall and Counsell can fill in this year. It saves The Brewers about 12 million over two years by trading Hardy now. That said, ot would be hard to see JJ go...the first of the new generation/wave of prospects amd of course, a fan favorite.

http://www.jsonline.com/watch/?watch=1&date=7/4/2008&id=42671 two weeks in a row.

I say we tell Cleveland to stick it and get Maddux for Gwynn and move on. Especially after reading an Indians board and them saying that the deal should be Lapota, gamel, green, and a pitcher. screw them, let them deal with Philly's crap.

You mean trade LaPorta for a bunch of has-beens and place fillers? Who would be the Cleveland version of Moeller, Counsell and Spivey?

Cubs fans on NSSB think the following Some think LaPorta + Escobar would be great..because the Brewers would be giving up too much. I agree with these guys Some think that Shapiro wouldnt do a deal around guys like Salome/Brantly/Gillespie because "Shapiro doesnt have to deal Sabathia, he can just take the picks" THese guys think that the two picks which would be two late 1st rounders would be closer to the bigs and better than Salome, Pena, etc. These guys are mistaken. While the picks are nice compensation, they are not going to trump a haul from the BRewers system Next, one guy saud LaPorta and Escobar is a good start, but that the Brewers would most likely need to add a player or two to get it done. Wow, as Ned Yost would say, "If you know anything about baseball" you know that is wrong.

Good analysis squambaum, I agree completely.

Anyone care to explain how the Indians would end up getting more for 2-3 months of Sabathia than the Twins did for a year of Santana + the guarantee that he signed a long term deal with no other teams in the bidding for his contract?? LaPorta and Escobar is nuts. If that is the deal I would be really disappointed.

Green, Gillespie, Pena, sounds good to me.

zzz and Al are right on. Sub Dillard out for Villanueva, and maybe we can get Borowski or another older bullpen arm coming back as well. Id say Escobar, Gamel and LaPorta are the untouchables. WHy people are even bothering to talk about them is puzzling, as no other major league team has that kind of talent to give, and is willing to give it...why should the Brewers. THe Brewers only just need to beat out the next best team. A deal built around Villanueva and Salome/Brantly would be most likely. THe crazy talk on WSSP this mornning was Prince for 2 months of Sabathia. What are people smoking. Also, Prince wont be traded until after 2009 at the earliest. Attanasio wants to win and Fielder gives us about the best chance. After Laporta proves himself for a year at the plate it could let us move Fielder.

A true All Star would have gone 0-3 with two walks.