Matt Breen

Too bad Gatewood hasn't walked all season.

A baseball writer I know told me that his sources indicate the Brewers are very focused on getting young, quality pitching back in any deal for Lucroy. The same person told me a few teams have called about Braun (again, Brewers want young pitching), but most of the conversations have been about Luc.

I believe we have two more years (through 2018) of control on Carter through arbitration.

I think you are underestimating what Braun *could* be worth. Ryan Braun, to an extent, is similar to Cole Hamels. Each is an elite player, owed a lot of money, and on the wrong side of 30. Cole Hamels was traded for quite a haul so I don't think picking up money is even needed. If Braun is hitting like an MVP he *could* bring back a haul quite easily even while shedding the entire contract. I say *could* because like the rest of you I have zero idea what other teams think of Braun. For all I know Braun is the spawn of the devil and no team wants him even if he is hitting .500 Difference between Hamels and Braun is health. Hamels has 6 straight years of 200+ IP. 8 straight years of at least 30 starts. Even last year, when Braun played well, he still only started 134 games. The year before was about the same (the year before that was the suspension year, which he would have missed a lot of due to injury). Like you note, he 'could' be worth a ton. Braun's just gotta keep hitting and stay healthy. It only takes one team to make an offer.

I saw something (I apologize, but I don't recall where) where the writer was saying that many felt that Gomez had lost his legs. He'd lost his explosiveness, lost his edge. It's affected him in just about every phase of his game. Considering the hammy injuries he had over the last year or so with Milwaukee, I can understand.

The part in bold is really interesting. Yeah, I would agree. Perhaps just looking to buy low on him. But it's hard to think a team with playoff hopes would want a guy who's struggled for such an extended time. Just never know.

As I said, it's not just a PED link. He lied to the team, he lied to his teammates, he lied to the public. He then inferred the specimen guy had done something to taint his sample. Many people don't care about that - just as many don't care about A-Rod (who did many of the same things). But some in baseball (players, front office staff, coaches) might not be forgiving. I doubt it becomes a deal breaker for most, but a team would be foolish not to take it all into account in their overall evaluation of Braun by another team. If Braun had come out on day one and said, "I took these for an injury. I didn't think they were an issue. Dumb on my part. I apologize." - I don't think many people would remember it at all. But he didn't, and some people are always going to see him in a very harsh light.

Back to topic - Braun's trade value. Of course, a great month is going to help his value. But I just don't think anyone really knows how much we will get in return for the guy. The biggest things are probably his injury issues, age and contract. $90M+ isn't outrageous if he performs - but his past injuries and age make taking on such a contract a big risk. The PED thing is also an issue. I know some people say 'no one cares about the PED stuff' anymore - but I disagree. It only takes one person to 'care' about his past usage to put the kibosh on some kind of trade. If one GM thinks that way, it's one less guy who we can deal with. I certainly agree that many people won't care about his PED use - but some will. The PED use is tied to Braun's public perception - some people hate him. He lied to the public about taking them, he lied to his teammates, he lied to the organization, he 'threw a guy under the bus' to save himself (I still here this line from people today - blaming the specimen carrier and inferring that the guy had something to do with the bad test really gets some people angry). A few years ago he was the 2nd most hated guy in baseball. Again, much of this has subsided. But some of it hasn't. There's potential fan backlash, as well as backlash within a team. If a club is thinking about trading for Braun, they are going to assess how it's going to go over with fans and the players. Again, this may not be that big of a deal, but it can go into the overall assessment of acquiring the guy. Last thing is Braun's position limits him. He's a LF, RF or DH. A team is going to have to have a need for one of those positions. In the end, there are a lot of things that make me wonder how much someone will give up for Ryan. There are a lot of things that give someone pause to give up a lot for him. Perhaps if he is hitting .360 in July someone will cave in. I also want to add that Milwaukee has no hitting stars. Braun is the closest thing to a stud hitter. I know it's rebuilding time, and if a great deal is offered, I'd take it. But if not, Ryan could still be part of the next good Brewer club in 2018 or 2019 (I'm hoping!). He might not be great, but he still could be a quality player at that time (or he could be terrible - who knows). I don't want to trade the guy just to free up money (unless that money will be used in better ways).

A 'Cubs model' isn't really what the Brewers are going to be able to follow. The Cubs have dropped tens of millions of dollars signing international free agents. We simply aren't doing that. And the Cubs have committed $150M+ contracts to veterans (Lester, Heyward) - again, something we aren't going to do. Milwaukee have done many of the things the Cubs have done in their rebuild, but we are rarely going to play in the deep money pool of free agency and international signings. That's a huge difference between these clubs. The Cubs can spend and spend some more to overcome shortcomings. Milwaukee needs to be more disciplined, find more bargains, develop more players via the traditional draft, and turn players over at a higher rate.

I remember him being touted as having the ability to throw 100 mph going into the draft (especially after the draft - people analyzing the picks). Here was Kevin Goldstein's analysis of from the 2006 draft for Baseball Prospectus: Jeffress was all over the board as late as this morning, going anywhere between the Dodgers at No. 7 and Boston with one of their two picks towards the end of the first round. Because he's touched triple-digits with his fastball, people have compared him to Colt Griffin, but Jeffress is really a different beast as he's a much better athlete with far better command. The lack of a solid breaking ball prevented him from going higher, but he has steal potential. http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=5163 PS - it's crazy looking at that year's draft list. So many guys bust in baseball - just the nature of things. But then there's guys like Kershaw, Longoria, Lincecum, Scherzer, Andrew Miller. The bottom part of the draft turned out really poorly - I bet from 12 to 30 there's only one guy (Ian Kennedy) that has produced more than 5.0 WAR in his career. In time, Jeffress likely will - but for now it's loaded with busts.

Flores just looks lost. No authority on his swing. He looks like he has that timidness that infects a player when they are struggling.

...wow! Yeah, and I'm not even up in the mountains. As noted, some people were getting 3-4 feet of snow. Luckily, it had been warm last week, and it never got too cold when it snowed, so things are melting quickly. Supposed to be 70 degrees this weekend! Wahoo!

Not even close. This one had two comments - and one was mine - and I made it because no one had made a comment whatsoever. viewtopic.php?f=65&t=33394 Late last year the IGT were pretty sparsely attended.

Taylor is an immensely talented young player who has not turned his natural ability into baseball success. He did not focus on baseball full time until he was 19 years old. The organization is wise to give him time to develop - the reward could be significant. In the end, he's got to produce. But that needs time to see if it's going to happen. It might never, but rushing him is not the answer. Thankfully, he doesn't have a big flaw such as the massive K rate of a guy like Broxton. He makes good contact, doesn't strike out a lot, and already plays good defense. That's a good starting point - he's got to make the next step as a hitter.

I live about 1/2 hour north of Colorado Springs - I can't imagine them playing today. We got 2 feet of snow over the weekend and the high temperature is in the upper 30s. And Colorado Springs is expected to get a bit of rain/snow later today.

Yeah, I really like Tate and had him at the top of my 'get' list - but if he keeps this up, he's a Top 20 player in short order - and off limits.

Texas just inked Beltre to a 2-year extension. That may make Gallo more available - although they may just plan on moving Gallo to 1B with Moreland a free agent after the season.

If Sandoval was a free agent, I doubt he gets anything close to $28M. The guy was one of the worst full time players in baseball last year, and he's looking even worse with the weight he has put on. The only reason the guy would make a team is someone would be hoping he could regain his previous form - but let's face it, his weight isn't going to change overnight. I wouldn't be surprised if no one wanted him - even at league minimum. The guy should walk away from the game, get a personal trainer and chef, and get into playing shape. Perhaps by the end of the season he could come back and be an asset. But again, let's face the facts. The guy had the chance to do that in the off season and didn't do it. He seems to be in denial that he has a problem. The Giants must be so happy that the guy walked away from their offer.

Crash, thanks, this was a pretty nice comparison. I think that maybe we at BF.net get enamored with shinny new toys (Nottingham, Hader, etc.). It's exciting to have new talent - we see the good in them very quickly without having lived through the bad times. And it's easy to forget how promising a guy like Tyrone Taylor was. It also allows a guy like Devin Williams to fly under the radar for some people. No matter - it's all fun. We are all still guessing - which makes it a blast to look at these guys. The best part is how much better the system is looking.

For some reason I have my eye on Garrett Cooper. I just look at what he did in the pitcher friendly FSL last year, and wonder/hope he might emerge as a 1B who could help us - sort of a Overbay light. Maybe hit 10-15 HR and .280 at 1B - nothing special - but a guy who might produce a .780-.800 OPS for a few years of his prime. Just a hope and a prayer.

Stripling said it was the right move. He said he was gassed and he could see things were trending in a bad way. Kid even went and told Roberts the same thing.

I think all of those guys we got from Seattle kinda just floated under the radar. I imagine they will start to get more attention once the season gets going.

Observations: - The top 21 players are really pretty obvious - they all were named on 85% or more of the ballots. After that, it was pretty much all over the place. - The influx of new players caused a lot of players to fall - so it wasn't a shock we didn't have many risers. - All five of the new Top 25 players were acquired this past off season. - Looking at the ages of the prospects, you can see there's really an influx of young, high upside types. 4 of our top 10 guys are teenagers.

The 2016 Pre-Season BF.net Community Top 25 is complete. We had excellent participation - 36 ballots. Thanks! Orlando Arcia captured 34 of the 35 1st place votes as he nabbed the top spot again (Brent Suter got the other top vote again. Newcomers: Nottingham, Isan Diaz, Broxton, Liriano, Cecchini Exited the Top 25: Roache, Wang Number of ballots: 36 Number of players on ballots: 54 Mr. Irrelevant (1 point): Leal, Luna, Iskenderian, Collymore Risers: Ponce (4 spots) Fallers: Taylor (8 spots), Roache (7 spots), Davies (6 spots), Reed (6 spots) If you see any mistakes, please let me know. I will update as needed. We'll plan on doing a new top 25 mid-seasonish.

#1 ( - ) Orlando Arcia, SS, AAA Colorado Springs, Age 21 899 points (35 1st place votes) - 36 of 36 ballots Arcia is ticketed for AAA to start 2016, but most people expect him in Milwaukee sometime this year. The only question is how quickly - and much of that will depend on the success (or lack thereof) of Villar and Rivera. As most people know, Arcia is a superb fielder with an emerging hit tool. He doesn’t strike out a lot, but could be a little more selective at the plate. He appears to be getting stronger each year as he matures, so it will be interesting to see where his power goes from here. #2 ( - ) Brett Phillips, CF, AA Biloxi, Age 21 831 points - 36 of 36 ballots A potential five tool player, Phillips is an extra base hitting machine (60+ in each of the last two years) with a cannon for an arm and the goofiest laugh in baseball. The main question mark is how much power he will develop. If he plays well, Phillips will likely end up in Colorado Springs later this year - and maybe in Milwaukee this September. #3 ( - ) Jorge Lopez, RP, AAA Colorado Springs, Age 23 796 points - 36 of 36 ballots Lopez - Milwaukee’s Minor League Pitcher of the year in 2015 - broke out huge last season, culminating in a cup of coffee with the Brewers in September. 2016 is about sharpening his command and not getting eaten up by the thin Colorado air. Lopez has an excellent chance to be in Milwaukee’s rotation some time this year. #4 ( - ) Trent Clark, CF, Helena, Age 19 773 points - 36 of 36 ballots Despite being only 19, Clark’s great speed, compact swing and good eye at the plate make him an ideal candidate to move aggressively through the Brewer system. He probably possesses the best hit tool in the entire organization. Down the road, he may move out of CF due to an average arm. #5 (+1) Josh Hader, LHP, AA Biloxi, Age 21 755 points - 36 of 36 ballots Hader blossomed last year after being acquired from Houston in the Gomez trade. He continued his success in the AFL, and has emerged as one of the more intriguing left-handed pitchers in all of baseball. Like so many young pitchers, Hader needs to maintain his consistency and his control. #6 (new) Jacob Nottingham, C, AA Biloxi, Age 21 666 points - 36 of 36 ballots Nottingham, acquired in the off season for Khris Davis, makes a strong debut in the BF.net Top 25. The big catcher broke out in A ball last year, hitting .316 with 17 HR. Nottingham’s defense gets mixed reviews (bad: 19 passed balls; good: threw out 38% of runners trying to steal), but the Crew like his athleticism and work ethic, and feel he’ll stick behind the plate. #7 (-2) Gilbert Lara, SS, Helena, age 18 624 points - 36 of 36 ballots After a solid start last year, the then 17-year old Lara faded as the season went on. The youngster from the Dominican Republic displays tons of potential, but is still adjusting to life as a professional ball player. For Lara, he needs to focus on fundamentals, make adjustments and just show up focused every day. He is immensely talented, but it will take time to translate his skills into production. Lara reportedly added 10-15 lbs of ‘good weight’ over the off season - not uncommon for such a young player. #8 (-1) Kodi Medeiros, LHP, Brevard County, Age 19 600 points - 35 of 36 ballots The man with the nastiest slider in the organization offers tremendous upside, but he must hone his command and learn to spot his pitches more effectively. You have to be intrigued by a guy who didn’t allow a single HR all season (as Medeiros did last year). #9 (new) Isan Diaz, SS/2B, A- Wisconsin, Age 19 594 points - 36 of 36 ballots Welcome to the Brewers Top 25, Mr. Diaz. After struggling in Rookie ball in 2014, Diaz won the Pioneer League MVP last season, hitting a robust .360 with a 1.076 OPS. The Brewers, who acquired Diaz in the Jean Segura deal in the off season, love the young man's tools and high upside. For now, he’ll stick at SS, but most scouts project Diaz as a 2B in the long run. #10 (+4) Cody Ponce, RHP, A+ Brevard County, Age 21 565 points, 36 of 36 ballots Ponce, Milwaukee’s 2nd round pick in 2015, has steadily moved up the BF.net rankings after a solid performance in the off season and growing buzz in the scouting community. The big right hander lost 15 lbs in the off season, and was throwing 95+ this spring. Look for a big 2016 for Ponce, starting in pitcher-friendly Brevard County. #11 (+2) Monte Harrison, OF, A- Wisconsin, Age 20 480 points, 35 of 36 ballots Harrison’s disastrous start in 2015 is in the past - not to mention the broken ankle that ended his season. The talented outfielder is healthy and set to move to the next level. Harrison possesses great speed, a good eye at the plate and lots of raw athleticism. Now he has turn that athleticism into results on the baseball diamond. #12 (-1) Devin Williams, RHP, A+ Brevard County, Age 21 447 points - 35 of 36 ballots Williams sports one of the organization’s most electric arms. He showed great improvement last year, but appears poised for a big year at the pitching friendly Brevard County. Like with so many of Milwaukee's young, raw arms, continuing to improve his command will be a priority for Williams in 2016. #13 (-1) Clint Coulter, RF, A+ Brevard County, Age 22 431 points - 35 of 36 ballots After a middling 2015 campaign, Coulter is set to repeat Brevard County in 2016, but don’t be surprised if he is moved up to AA once an opening occurs. Coulter is a work in progress in RF, but he has a strong arm to go with his power bat. #14 (-6) Zach Davies, RHP, AAA Colorado Springs, Age 23 429 points - 36 of 36 ballots The acquisition of Chase Anderson from Arizona no doubt stung Davies, who produced a solid 3.71 ERA in six starts late last season. But the skinny righty will likely be the first starter brought up to Milwaukee once an injury or roster move (I’m looking at you, Matt Garza) occurs. There’s not a lot for Davies left to do - it’s now a matter of translating his skill set to major league hitters. Davies lack of upside probably contributed to his steep drop in the BF.net rankings. #15 (-1) Demi Orimoloye, OF, Helena, Age 19 414 points - 36 of 36 ballots There aren’t many players more exciting or intriguing than Orimoloye. The big OF showed a combination of speed and power in his debut last year. He’s also a free swinger with a low walk rate and high strike out rate. Both are areas of his game he needs to work going forward. #16 (-6) Michael Reed, OF, AAA Colorado Springs, Age 23 357 points - 33 of 36 ballots Reed does so many things well - he takes his walk, steal bases, has a strong arm. What he hasn’t show, however, is power. He improved in that department last year, but he’s at the age where he’ll likely need to show some more pop in order to be a regular at the major league level. #17 (-8) Tyrone Taylor, OF, AA Biloxi, Age 22 295 points - 35 of 36 ballots No prospect has tumbled down the BF.net prospect list like Taylor. He has oodles of talent, but that only takes you so far. He’ll repeat Biloxi in 2016, but some people have noted that he may need to revamp his batting approach if he’s going to generate more power and hit with more authority. #18 (-) Marcos Diplan, RHP, A- Wisconsin, Age 19 250 points - 31 of 36 ballots Diplan has floated under the radar a bit as a prospect since being acquired prior to the 2015 season. He’s not a big guy (6’0” and 160 lbs), but he has a lively fastball that can reach the mid-90s. #19 (+3) Nathan Kirby, LHP, IR, Age 22 245 points - 30 of 36 ballots Milwaukee’s second 1st round selection (40th overall) only managed to throw 12.2 innings in 2015 before needing Tommy John surgery. One of college baseball’s best pitchers in 2015, Kirby will likely miss all (or most) of 2016. Despite the injury, BF.net readers love his potential - moving him up three spots in the Top 25 - impressive considering the additions made to the system this off season. #20 (-4) Jake Gatewood, 3B, A+ Wisconsin, Age 20 243 points - 33 of 36 ballots Still only 20, Gatewood remains an intriguing prospect due to the plus power. Unfortunately, the hole in Gatewood’s swing is quite pronounced, making him a prime boom or bust prospect. Shifted to 3B this year, Gatewood needs to improve on not only his contact rate, but his pitch selection. A return to Wisconsin should be good starting point. #21 (-4) Adrian Houser, RHP, AA Biloxi, Age 23 223 points - 31 of 36 ballots The big right-hander took a step forward after joining Milwaukee last year. He sharpened his command tremendously - a task he needs to continue to focus on in 2016. He dropped a bit in the BF.net rankings, perhaps due to getting lost in the excitement of all the additions to the system. #22 (new) Keon Broxton, OF, Milwaukee, Age 24. 132 points - 19 of 36 ballots Acquired from Pittsburgh in the Jason Rogers deal, Broxton is a good athlete who sports an excellent defensive reputation, some power and the ability to take his share of walks. Unforutniaty, the young CF strikes out north of 30% of the time. Broxton needs to show he can adjust to major league pitching and hold down his strikeout rate if he wants to stay in the majors. #23 (+2) Yadiel Rivera, INF, Milwaukee, Age 23 92 points - 19 of 36 ballots A strong winter campaign and spring training his landed Rivera in Milwaukee as a reserve infielder - a spot he almays seemed destined to occupy. No one will deny Rivera looks great in the field, but his bat has been erratic. He showed some pop in winter ball - as well as spring training - but we'll have to wait and see if it's more than just an aberration. #24 (new) Garni Cecchini, 3B, AAA Colorado Springs, Age 24. 60 points - 13 of 36 ballots Cecchini - a former top 100 prospect with Boston - struggled badly last season and fell out of favor with the Red Sox. The Brewers snapped him up with hopes of resurrecting the promise he showed in 2013 when he had a .413 OBP between A+ and AA. Cecchini reportedly tweaked his hitting approach the last two seasons in order to produce more power. The result was a disaster. A return to his old hitting style - and a fresh start - is exactly what he needs. #25 (new) Rymer Liriano, OF, Milwaukee (60 Day DL), Age 24 58 points - 12 of 36 ballots The Brewers acquired the former Top 100 prospect from San Diego this off season. He sports a solid all-around tool set. His ability to play all the OF positions had made him a favorite of many to win a job in Milwaukee this spring. Unfortunately, Liriano will miss significant time after being hit with a pitch in the face. It’s not known when he’ll return, and once he does, where ends up may depend on how well Broxton and/or Flores have performed. The Rest Jorge Ortega - 46 points Miguel Diaz - 39 Victor Roache - 38 Brent Suter - 32 Taylor Williams - 30 Colin Walsh - 26 Javier Betancourt - 25 Wei-Chung Wang - 25 Bubba Derby - 23 Damien Magnifico - 21 Troy Stokes - 20 Ramon Flores - 19 Garrett Cooper - 18 Joantgel Segovia - 18 Freddy Peralta - 15 Sean Nolin - 12 Brandon Woodruff - 8 Tyler Crazy - 8 Angel Ventura - 7 Nathan Orf - 5 Carlos Herrera - 4 Trey Supak - 3 Dustin Houle - 2 Hobbs Johnson - 2 Jacob Barnes - 2 Carlos Leal - 1 Carlos Luna - 1 George Iskenderian - 1 Malik Collymore - 1 All ages noted are for April 1, 2016. Here's the link to this year's voting: viewtopic.php?f=64&t=33787