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Yes, it absolutely would be "ponying up", and most likely, Cleveland would not do it, but none of us know what the current price is for really good bullpen arms with team control either - something like this is not impossible. My guess is, Milwaukee would insist on McKenzie, and Cleveland would insist on pulling one of the others out, replacing someone with a lower prospect, or even two if they were kids all the way at the bottom (not in talent, in pro ball).

Yes, it absolutely would be "ponying up", and most likely, Cleveland would not do it, but none of us know what the current price is for really good bullpen arms with team control either - something like this is not impossible. My guess is, Milwaukee would insist on McKenzie, and Cleveland would insist on pulling one of the others out, replacing someone with a lower prospect, or even two if they were kids all the way at the bottom (not in talent, in pro ball).

In the case of Zimmer and Frazier they are also within a year from being ready for the MLB club. The only way one of those guys gets traded is in a deal for an OF with team control. This is spot-on.

it makes no sense for Cleveland to trade an outfielder with star potential right now, so Zimmer and Bradley are out. If Brady Aiken is moved, it's because Cleveland has doubts - if you think a guy has #1 starter potential, you don't flip him after a handful of starts at the bottom of your system. If the Indians let go of any of their, "top four", I think it almost has to be Bobby Bradley. Whether they would or not I don't know, but he's the only one I could see as a reasonable possibility. If Bradley is out too, I have to think Cleveland would be outbid for Lucroy. I will say this, whether it's for Lucroy, or someone else the Brewers have, Triston McKenzie is exactly the type of player the Brewers will be looking at. Not only is McKenzie an obvious talent, he's also years from the big leagues, which makes it easier for the other team go let him go, since he isn't filling an obvious need at this time. I'm sure the Brewers like Sheffield, I just don't know that they like him as the #1 in a Lucroy deal, and I have to think they'd want McKenzie, so there could be some sort of a match here.

The Brewers have stated, they're focused on young, controllable pitching for Lucroy, and David Stearns is looking for talent right now, without much regard to which minor league level it is currently playing at. If the two teams can match up on a centerpiece, and then a group of 2-3 "upside" kids in the low minors right now, you could see a trade between the two teams. The question, of course, is whether the Indians have, and would deal, the pitching prospect Milwaukee would build the deal around.

First baseman Ryan Aguilar, Round 31, signed today .... 37 signings!

Brewers report, Ryan Aguilar has signed - round 31.

Please trade Villar. Thanks.

Fernando Rodney, and now Ziegler, yes, the bullpen carousel is in spin.

Chris Carter is a strong man, man.

When you consider trade possibilities that send Braun to the Dodgers or Giants, please include your ideas to handle the luxury tax issue. If either team added Braun to their current payroll, they would take a huge hit from MLB .... I believe one dollar in tax for every dollar they'd pay Braun, but I'm not certain of that. If you're either team, it's either take a huge tax hit, get enough cash from Milwaukee to cover the tax hit, or send enough payroll back to Milwaukee to get back under the tax threshold. I don't believe either of these teams would simply trade 2-3 prospects for Braun right now, for that reason.

He HAD plus speed, but lost some to an ACL injury.

This year, the Brewers drafted 41 players, of which, 36 have now signed - two players have indicated they will not sign, we have no updates on the other three. I'm pointing that out in this forum, because I wanted to make sure more of you were aware of it. Please click over to the draft forum to discuss these picks, read opinions, etc: viewtopic.php?f=69&t=34070 Why is this a big deal? It's anyone's guess what this draft class will ultimately mean for the future of the Milwaukee Brewers, but remember, when David Stearns was hired as General Manager, he said he would be pursuing "young, controllable talent." Typically, any team has 10-12 unsigned picks for any draft class, these are most often high school players who choose to enroll in college, or maybe it's a college guy who thinks he can raise his draft stock with a strong senior season, etc. This is common practice - no one raises an eyebrow over 10 unsigned picks. Seeing the Brewers with just five unsigned players shows me this management team paid close attention to its budget, scouted heavily, truly got to know which players were more likely than not to be, "signable", and at what dollar cost. They then stuck to a plan, targeted these players, selected them, and got them into the system. This is very impressive in its own right, and it surely represents a major influx of, "young, controllable talent." Hopefully, the guys they got are as productive as they were agreeable, but in any event, I think it shows excellent preparation ahead of the draft, which is never a bad sign.

He's 20 years old. That's such an asinine statement. Defending Rijo's production, based on his current age is reasonable, prudent, and previously acknowledged by myself in this thread. Perhaps you would have phrased it differently, but I have no problem making the point that a player who is hitting the way Rijo was in AA has a major issue left to overcome. When I said I'm much more intrigued by the pitcher at this point, I meant that. My hope, of course, is for Rijo to relax at Brevard, let his talent take over, and return to AA when he's better equipped for it. My question is - why would Boston leave him there for 51 games, when he was so clearly overmatched?

A very fair point.

Honestly, Wilkerson interests me more than Rijo. Wilkerson hurt his arm in college, so he had to go the indy route to get a shot, which he did - he's done well. Wilkerson, as a minor leaguer, not counting the indy stuff, has a career ERA of 2.52, a WHIP of 1.01, he strikes out nearly four times as many has he walks, and he has allowed 0.4 HR per nine innings pitched. Wilkerson has earned each promotion, with results, and is knocking on the door of the major leagues. Mr Rijo, if you can't hit .200 in AA, I do not consider you an actual MLB prospect, regardless of any "ranking."

Swing, I think you're one player long. I think you have to take out one of the pitchers behind De Leon.

http://www.si.com/mlb/2016/07/01/boston-red-sox-international-signing-punishment

The Brewers have reportedly signed SS Antonio Pinero, who was one of the kids the Red Sox had originally signed. Piniero is from Venezuela, he is 6' 1", 155 - a switch hitter.

With Boston you are absolutely correct - everyone with a big salary there is an important piece to that team that they cannot give up. There are solutions with San Francisco as they have several unimportant pieces who are free agents after the season, not requiring a terrible contract to come back to MIL. SF could easily send Pagan, who is a free agent after the season, back to MIL to balance out that trade along with one of Javier Lopez or Sergio Romo (I'm 98% sure you can trade players on the DL prior to the trade deadline) if the Brewers include Torres. Gregor Blanco could be added if the Brewers include Nieuwenhuis. They could also send Peavey, who is also a free agent after the season, back to MIL; MIL would have to include Guerra, but then I don't know if SF has the trade chips to make that happen given how valuable Guerra is especially to MIL. Or MIL could include Chase Anderson. But Pagan + Lopez + Blanco + prospects for Braun + Nieuwenhuis would balance. The Dodgers get a little trickier, but Brett Anderson could be sent to MIL to balance out the salaries. Other than that it might have to get creative; LAD could include Utley and Ellis but the Brewers would have to include Gennett/Maldonado. Howie Kendrick's contract isn't that bad, and if Braun is off the books next year the Brewers will definitely be able to afford it. But Anderson + Ellis + Van Slyke + prospects for Braun + Maldonado would balance. Guys, read through LouisEly's explanation here. A Braun trade could look just plain strange - trading dollars, and lots of them, so you can trade players.

McClanahan cost a lot more. Erceg is more polished. I don't think they would have spent so much more on McClanahan if they thought he was an inferior prospect. I didn't say McClanahan was inferior, I said it's unfair to Erceg, who has faced better competition, to suggest McClanahan is better at this point - I stand by that. Baseball's draft process is such a mess, I will not judge prospects based on their signing bonus, or the round they were picked in. It's just not that clean anymore. I believe Mike Fiers initially signed for $2,000 ..... I'd bet Jed Bradley got a bit more than that. McClanahan had leverage, and he used it - good for him. He told teams he wanted to play for Arizona State, and it would cost 1.2 million to buy him out of that commitment - then he stuck to his guns. Who can blame him? I'm thrilled to see the Brewers get both players, the team set a strategy and played it out - as far as getting talent into the system - it worked. That's what we need to see. Whatever anyone's opinion right now, I hope both of these young men kick butt for the Brewers for years.

At this point, that's unfair to Erceg, who has faced college, and now the start of pro competition, vs McClanahan, who has seen neither. The Brewers have done a great job here, giving themselves the opportunity to find out who will have the better career, and hoping it's a photo finish.

Werth has a full no- trade.

I think Lucroy goes to Houston for a package fronted by pitcher Francis Martes. I think Aaron Hill is absolutely gone, but i have no idea yet which team will get him. I'll be surprised if the Brewers don't trade someone out of their bullpen, but I'm not sure who goes. I'll guess Will Smith, but I don't think it's a certainty. I'll say Braun stays, and is then traded in the winter to a team the Brewers discussed him with at-length right now. The issue with Braun is, if you look at the teams he cannot block a trade to, the Dodgers and Giants make sense, and I suppose the Marlins could at least be a possibility. The other teams are either in rebuilding mode, or small market, etc. The Marlins' farm system is a mess right now, so even if they decide to buy aggressively, I'm not sure they can get it done. The issue with LA, San Francisco, and even Boston - all teams that could surely use Braun, is the luxury tax. I believe all three of those teams would be subject to penalty if they added Braun to their payroll, so Milwaukee would have to kick in some big time dollars, or take back a terrible contract, to get a deal done. The luxury tax is the culprit, I think it keeps Braun right here until winter. I've got Lucroy, Hill and Smith traded, so three guys.

There's no doubt about it, the Brewers have some outfield prospects I really like, but I would trade any one of them for Benintendi.