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Folks, no kidding now, there are kids out there signing for $1,000. I think Mike Fiers signed for 2K.

You get paid when you're assigned to a team....extended spring training is not a team.

One thing that makes me laugh - the Mets are downplaying pretty much anyone the Brewers have right now. "We weren't impressed", blah, blah, blah. Really? Then why do they keep sending scouts to watch Milwaukee? It's not hard to find a scout from another team who will tell you who was where on the road.

Tyler had a rough spring, he was in extended spring training...which means you're not being paid, and you pitch against the same guys each time out, who are also grumbling and tired of it. It was a true test for the young man, but he did the work, and he's actually pitching better because of it.

Tyler's just lighting it up right now, and his mother is on top of the world. He's pitching for Brooklyn, and the family lives on Long Island. He's getting 30-40 friends and relatives at each of his home starts. If the Brewers and Mets make a deal, I want 'em to throw in the kid.

Max Scherzer, with Daniel Schlereth, for Edwin Jackson. Zack Wheeler for 2 months of Carlos Beltran - the Mets threw in some cash. (Caution, side rant coming) People on this board have a problem with words like, "always", and, "never." There are probabilities, of course, but we're dealing with human behavior when it comes to trade-making decisions. If you want a, "never"... never underestimate the possibility of a surprise. Arizona would never trade last year's top pick just to save some money, so don't bother speculating, teams always keep those guys.

I agree with this. In my opinion, "the rebuild" has already begun, with more talent in the farm system than the team has had in years, but they should push hard in that direction. My biggest hope for this season is a hot streak from Gomez prior to the deadline, when it would seem his trade value will be its highest. Guys like Lohse and Aramis aren't going to get much in return, but Gomez will. Guys like Segura and Lucroy - you bet, make them available. They're a little bit different, I don't think the trade value of either will decrease much if they're kept into the winter, but I'd deal them both before the start of next season. There will be young talent ready to come up sometime next year, with more behind them for the following years - it must makes sense to back them with more like them, rather than keeping one or two guys, for the sake of keeping one or two guys.

What a drag, I would love to see how many HR he could hit in a full season.

I was there with my wife and kids, we had a blast. I was telling the boys about these young kids the Brewers had called up, but they had no idea who they were. They sure knew by the time we drove home.

This is certainly a story, since it's new information, but I'm not moved much by it. I'm not, because this is all so long ago now, and he's already banned for life. Where, exactly, do you go from, "Banned For Life?" The whole thing is a shame, but it happened, and he's gone. I wish it wasn't true, because he was a lot of fun to watch, but it's real, and its been dealt with.

Prior to this season, "Baseball America" ranked Atlanta's farm system 29th out of 30. Wow.

All of this, and a draft that brought in four more pitchers, a third baseman and a catcher in the first 89 picks.

This was nothing but a salary dump - "Take Arroyo's contract, and you can have one of our best prospects with him." Twitter has exploded, with every baseball analyst you've ever heard of just destroying AZ, and praising John Hart for turning Atlanta's farm system around in six months.

Folks, pay attention to what has happened in Atlanta since the end of last season. The "blew it up" - new GM, some changes in scouting, and trades all over the place, aimed at adding young talent. Both Uptons are gone, Craig Kimbrel is gone, Evan Gattis is gone - in their places are plenty of young pitchers, some in the big leagues now, some not yet. With them came extra picks and extra signing allotments for the just-completed draft, and tonight, the Braves got Touki Toussaint, who was a first-round pick just a year ago. The Brewers looked long and hard at Toussaint, as did plenty of other teams - he's a young pitcher with a very live, but unrefined arm. What this will all add up to remains to be seen, of course, but if you're hoping the Brewers go into total rebuild mold, pay attention to Atlanta.

Two runs, earned, in six innings, two walks, five Ks. Brooklyn won in extras.

Here, here. That is the same non-sense as bunting to break up a no hitter being bush. At point during a no hitter/perfect game are hitters just supposed to give up so the pitcher can get his achievement? No, it most certainly is not the same thing. Bunting for a hit, is getting a base hit if you can do it, leaning into a pitch, intentionally, is against the rules.

Watch the slow motion on this. THIS, with a perfect game on the line, YES, the umpire should have stepped in. atmlb.com/1TEy9RI

I'm going to leave that last post up, even though it came from a fake account....no worries, a bunch of us fell for it. In any case, that's exactly what happened, Tabata leaned into one that wasn't all that far inside. Bush. League.

Max Scherzer was one strike from a perfect game - Tabata leaned into a pitch, with his padded elbow, reaching first in a 6-0 game. The next batter flied out, for the no-hitter. Ken Rosenthal has just tweeted that the Pirates have released Tabata.

This is where Lohse's performance really hurts. He's the quick and easy solution for a team that needs a SP, because there's no future commitment, you get him, you use him for the rest of the year, and he's gone. K-Rod and Lohse would have been a great fit for Toronto right now, if Kyle was pitching the way he had through the last few seasons. As it is, there's no way I'd try to package a big contract with K-Rod, it will just diminish the return. If Toronto decides they want K-Rod, (they're also talking about Papelbon), then I'd get the best prospect Toronto will give up, and just do the deal. As for any nonsense about the Brewers trying to lock Gomez up, never mind what you think the Brewers might want - Scott Boras will never do that at this point. He'll want his client on the open market as soon as he can be, and I don't blame him.

I agree. It makes plenty of sense to try to fill an obvious need in the system, but heck, pitcher, catcher, who cares, if it's a real prospect.

Today's tweet from Tyler... Very excited to start the season opener tomorrow night in Staten Island for the Brooklyn Cyclones

There is, "what you want", and, "what is available"....when a team is this flat on its face, unfortunately, both will play a role. Fill the holes, while you build - like it or not. The Astros and the Cubs are two examples of what the Brewers need to do. Get what young talent you can get for the collection of stinking garbage you have, play all the young players you can while you invest heavily in building your young assets. Yes, and the Brewers are in the process of doing that. The farm system has more talent in it than its had in a while, but the guys we'll want to see are all AA and below right now. There isn't a third baseman ready to fill the spot when Aramis is gone, and obviously someone has to fill that spot, while the team is rebuilt, so why not try Dominguez? This is going to take some time, just like it did in Chicago and Houston, and someone has to play for now...I really don't see a problem with claiming a kid like this at this point.

There is, "what you want", and, "what is available"....when a team is this flat on its face, unfortunately, both will play a role. Fill the holes, while you build - like it or not.

A couple of points here. High school kids should have to opt in, heck, college kids should have to opt in, to identify, without question, which year they're, "in." This is not hard, this is not paperwork, this is telling your draft advisor, "agent", to tell the MLB Scouting Bureau you're in, or you're not...that simple, perhaps one signature, and on you go. Low-level minor leaguers are absolutely owned....no, they are used. They pay for their own gear, if they can't get an endorsement, they pay for their room, if they are assigned to extended spring training, they don't earn a cent until they are assigned to a team, which in some cases, is the entire first half of the season. It's a sad joke, really. Suppose you're a "senior sign", a kid who has used up his college eligibility, and thus, you were taken in round 27, and you signed for $5,000 - or less, which is absolutely what you would have been offered. You have no money. You are paid little, but the bills for simply being there are coming in. Yes, it's a chance to chase the dream, but you are absolutely nothing. You can't be good to make it, you have to be exceptional, and always on your best behavior, because the big club has big money in other kids around you. If they have seven figures in one kid, and $3,000 in you, they will give the seven figures every possible chance to pay off....if you get lit up, or if you show up late for a workout, sending you home takes 30 seconds. This is a different story than what I would call, "fixing the draft", but it's a very real issue.