Matt Breen

I think you are on the right track with something like this (assuming Milwaukee is okay parting with Nelson as well as Luc). I have heard that the Dodgers are not as enamored with De Leon as some people - so perhaps he is gettable. But the guy keeps producing - and in the upper minors, which is encouraging - so you got to like him. Otherwise, I like Grant Holmes a lot. He's further away, but I think he can be pretty special. It'll just take a couple of more years.

I don't live in Wisconsin, so the people I know don't care about the Brewers. But I can say that when Braun's name comes up virtually everyone I know doesn't like him - not because of the PEDs - but because of his insinuation that the sample collector had done something with his test. Technically, he never accused anyone of anything, but his vehement denials, coupled with his comments about the sample taker crossed a line. Once he did that, Braun wasn't just a guy who took PEDs to get better - he was a guy who was willing throw another human being under the bus to save his own butt. That, more than the PEDs, is what sticks in people's minds (at least in my experience). As noted, if Braun would have just fessed up - said, "took some stuff to help get him back on the field, didn't realize it would cause a problem, sorry, sorry, never happen again..." - then most people wouldn't really care anymore. Or even if he had, at his press conference, said something like, "I didn't do it. We think there were some irregularities that caused it..." He might have been okay - but the aggressive tone he took, the vague references to the sample collector - those things implicated another person. They yell 'steroids' at the game because it's a lot easier to get that going than 'weasel how threw guy under the bus' or something like that. But it was his arrogance that really turned people off - and that's all they remember of Braun now. I think this latter point is important - most people outside of Wisconsin don't care about Braun or know anything more about him. They just have that image that the scandal brought up - and they'll never move beyond it.

Diaz has a nice quick swing - pretty effortless looking - yet there's the obvious power. Very encouraging.

Tyrone Taylor been hitting well of late. Up to .241 and 6 HR. Let's hope he's on track for a good rest of the year.

Diaz is now tied for the Midwest League HR lead. Not too shabby after his tough start. Also goes to show why we play a full season. Sometimes we get all bent out of shape after a bad month or two. Gotta be patient sometimes.

Gatewood walked twice. That's even more shocking than Diaz's two HRs.

Did the Orioles intend/try to resign Parra? I guess the Orioles may have paid more for Parra, with the thought in mind to help sign him in free agency. In that case Parra is younger, so I would say Parra brought back more than what Hill would bring. If the Orioles had no intention of signing Parra long term and he was just a rental, then he would probably be about as comparable to Hill in value as you can get. Parra was hitting .328 with an .886 OPS when we traded him, so I'd say he was probably more valuable than Hill is at this time.

To me the biggest issue is with how the starters are selected. I know this is 'for the fans', but let's be honest, the fans are going to mostly vote for their home town guys. The teams encourage it. I think the NFL does a mixed approached to electing the all stars - 1/3 to fans, 1/3 to writers, and 1/3 to players. I'd much rather have something like that.

They started Jose Reyes there yesterday. So I imagine they'll play that out a while and see if he has anything left before doing anything else.

The story quotes all of the 'good' stats of Scott. They don't mention that he had ERAs above 4.00 in 2013 and 2014. Or that in addition to the 1.96 ERA at Myrtle Beach last year, he had a 5.23 at AA with 20 walks versus 21 K in 31 IP.

I agree that the Indians are a good spot for Hill. Uribe looks like he might be at the end of the line. Hill would be a solid fill in - nothing special, but solid. The Indians are middle of the pack in the AL in offense, but with their top ranked pitching, that can take a you a long way. I'm sure they'd love Lucroy, but they aren't the type of team to make a big splash (but you never know). Also, regarding Gomes - he's shown he's a better hitter than what he's producing - so I imagine the club is hoping he turns things around. He's only 28, so it's not like you would expect the guy to fall off a cliff. Plus, they could go a more simple (and cheaper) route and target a better back up to take some of the load off Gomes. The one exception to all of this is if Gomes is injured and not saying anything. If that's the case, a big move might be in order for them. I'd love Clint Frazier - gingers rule!

There's a whole thread in the Trades Forum on Guerra that covers a lot of this that I would recommend: viewtopic.php?f=66&t=34171

McClanahan signing gives us 9 guys in MLB.com's Top 200. Not too bad.

Nice win.

He had a 10.95 ERA this year (only 24 IP).

Nice performance by Guerra today. Can't ask for anything more.

Pitcher wise in the NL, he's a solid candidate. Right now, however, Maeda and Matz probably have the edge. One guy that's been amazing is St. Louis reliever Seung Hwan Oh. 41 games, 42 IP, 57K, 1.71 ERA, 0.90 WHIP. He's 33 years old, however - from Korea - so he's not exactly a raw rookie. But he qualifies.

Pitcher wise in the NL, he's a solid candidate. Right now, however, Maeda and Matz probably have the edge.

I've never been a fan of Middlebrooks. He parlayed 1/2 season of decent play in 2012 into chances most guys would kill for. He has a modicum of power, but little else. He barely walks, strikes out a lot, and isn't good defensively (at least at 3B). He has been playing well at AAA after a horrible start, but I just don't see him as ever being valuable. I wouldn't have a problem with Wren. He profiles as a 4th outfielder. Plays all the positions, hits for average, a little speed, decent defender. Zilch for power - but that doesn't mean he can't be an asset in the coming years.

Padres get Paddack. Nice get. He has 48K and 2BB in 28 IP on Low A ball.

A ball pitcher Chris Paddack might be coming back. That would be a great player for SD.

I agree that Gallo is a risk, but his upside - that of a 35-40 HR guy - is pretty tantalizing. A power hitter like Gallo is someone this system really lacks, so it would be nice to have. Plus it would just be cool to watch the guy - you just never know when one would go out of the park.

Heyman threw out a bunch of trade ideas, including Luc for Gallo: Jonathan Lucroy to the Rangers for Joey Gallo. Gallo is blocked, at least at third base, for two more years by Adrian Beltre. The Nats, Arizona Diamondbacks and others were also in the mix for Lucroy this winter but those two teams have gotten as much production from catcher as anyone. The Rangers haven’t seemed desperate for catching either, but Lucroy represents a chance to solidify their mantle as the A.L. favorite. “You put Lucroy on the Rangers, you’ve got to put them at the front of the line,” one A.L scout said. The Brewers have gotten superb seasons from both Lucroy and Ryan Braun and could still consider an extension for Lucroy, who at 30 is still a great building block for a young team. http://www.todaysknuckleball.com/inside-baseball-with-jon-heyman/dream-trade-scenarios/ There's also a suggestion of Braun to the Giants for Tyler Beede and Mac Williamson. Please debate that one over at the Ryan Braun trade thread if you want.

Beede is okay, but he's nothing particularly special. I'm with you on not doing the trade - I mean why get rid of a special bat for an average prospect. And we have to cough up millions for the privilege. The big question is 'What is Braun's value?' Some people seem to think he's worth a Top 20 prospect while others think he's barely tradable. And that's not just on this board - many writers are all over the place on assessing Ryan's trade value. I guess Stearns is the only one who knows that.

Sounds like a Keon Broxton kind of game. He would have to get a start to get 5 at bats. touche.