Matt Breen

Figuring out what Colorado is a tough deal. They signed Parra to a 3 year deal. They dealt Dickerson - a guy they had control of for 5 years - for a reliever with 2 years of control. I don't get them. So asking about McMahaon can't hurt.

I'd love McMahan. Just a matter if Colorado would deal him - and at what price. Wily is a decent starting point, but it's kind of hard to gauge his value after last season. Still, Colorado hasn't developed much pitching, and free agency isn't how they are going to build. Such a deal would be pretty interesting.

Hellweg is no longer with the organization. He was a six-year minor league FA and signed with SD in November.

Walsh has never played SS as a pro, so I doubt it's an option. If he was even close to okay he'd have probably gotten some time at the position.

http://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/headshots/mlb/players/full/6218.png&w=350&h=254 Plus I can play 2b, 3b and 1b.

As I try and figure out our lineup, I sort of give up since I just think there's a lot more that's going to happen. I honestly don't think Stearns will do most any deal if he thinks it's going to fit his plan of building a sustainable winning club. That means loading up the minor league system. I'm not arguing if that's a good or bad thing - I just think we should be prepared for lots to go on in the next year. I don't think any player is safe, particularly guys destined for FA in the next few years, such as Lucroy and Peralta. As for this deal, I wouldn't be shocked to see Hill let go or Anderson flipped to another team. As I said above, I don't think anyone is safe.

Yadiel Rivera?

And six years younger. A 19-year old kid can change a lot as he matures in his early 20s.

I really likely this. This is one way we need to operate - get high upside guys before they get a ton of recognition so the cost is reasonable. Sure it's a risk, but that's the kind of thing we need to do. I look at guys in the Top 100 - such as Hader - and see quite a few who were nabbed in trades before they got big. Great move.

Obviously, we'd like to be rid of Garza, but that's not going to happen without eating a ton of salary. Thus, Peralta makes sense. He's only got three years of control left, meaning he's not likely part of the next winning team (unless we extend him).

I wonder if you could do a blockbuster deal for Gallo and Tate. I'd Matuella as well. The Rangers could use Lucroy and Davis. Maybe have Smith involved, but I'm not eager to deal him. That would make things interesting.

Martes would be the most valuable part of the trade. He has very high upside. SRB, you were totally right about Martes. He is showing up in the 45-65 area on BP and MLB prospect rankings. Nice call.

I think that's pretty sweet. If we deal Luc, we could add another one or two as well. What's nice is the first 4 guys will likely be at AAA this season, meaning they aren't far off from getting to Milwaukee. The high rankings are nice, but ultimately, guys have to produce. Let's hope we can avoid injuries.

I would add Minnesota as well: Twins #2 - Buxton #19 - Berrios #60 - Kepler #62 - Gordon

JP Breen from Baseball Prospectus said teams only want Braun if it's a salary dump deal. Here's his tweet: Any teams that are interested only want Braun on a salary-dump deal. They don't wanna pay in prospects & cash. https://twitter.com/JP_Breen/status/693130295353040896

Shaffer is an interesting player, certainly worthy of consideration to acquire. Tampa could certainly use Lucroy, but Shaffer wouldn't (shouldn't) be the centerpiece of any such deal. Add him in a deal with Blake Snell, and you're talking about something of interest.

With only outfielders left to rank for MLB Pipeline, only 7 players have an overall ranking of 65 or better. Arcia has a 65. He should be in the top 10-12 when all is said and done - not a surprise.

I don't know if it's a systematic bias against Milwaukee as opposed to a bias in favor of other teams. Perhaps I'm wrong, but I think there are some teams that actively hype their prospects. This might be the team itself doing the work - or publications/sites/individuals who do the work. I think Peter Gammons has been accused of being a huge homer for Boston prospects. Milwaukee, being a small market team, just doesn't have the champions of their system that other teams do. And let's face it, if a scout from the Red Sox calls a writer at BA or wherever and wants to chat - that can influence rankings.

Arcia is the #3 SS prospect on the MLB Pipeline list behind Corey Seager and J.P. Crawford. http://m.mlb.com/prospects/2016?list=ss Arcia has long been revered as one of the premier defensive shortstops in the Minor Leagues, but it was his breakout performance last season that has him ranked among the top prospects in the game headed into 2016. After making strides last offseason in the Venezuelan Winter League, Arcia, in his first taste of Double-A as a 20-year-old, led the Southern League with 37 doubles and ranked fifth with a .307 average. He also finished among the leaders with 157 hits (second), 52 extra-base hits (third), 74 runs (fifth) and 69 RBIs (fifth). Arcia represented the Brewers at the SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game in July and was named the organization's Player of the Year after the season. Arcia is a gifted defender, to put it simply. His soft hands, excellent range and strong arm could make him a Gold Glove-caliber shortstop early in his career, and there aren't enough good things that can be said about his instincts and overall feel for the position. Arcia has always shown a knack for getting the barrel to the ball, but the quality of his contact improved considerably in 2015 and allowed him to get to his raw power in games more easily. On top of that, his plus speed helped him accrue at least 20 steals for the third straight season, and he should continue be a basestealing threat at the highest level. Arcia is a well-rounded player who offers plus defense at a premium position, and when coupled with his offensive upside, it could make him an All-Star. Scouts also love his makeup and maturity, and the belief is that those intangibles will allow him to make a smooth transition to the Major Leagues.

Arcia is the #3 SS prospect on the MLB Pipeline list behind Corey Seager and J.P. Crawford. http://m.mlb.com/prospects/2016?list=ss Arcia has long been revered as one of the premier defensive shortstops in the Minor Leagues, but it was his breakout performance last season that has him ranked among the top prospects in the game headed into 2016. After making strides last offseason in the Venezuelan Winter League, Arcia, in his first taste of Double-A as a 20-year-old, led the Southern League with 37 doubles and ranked fifth with a .307 average. He also finished among the leaders with 157 hits (second), 52 extra-base hits (third), 74 runs (fifth) and 69 RBIs (fifth). Arcia represented the Brewers at the SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game in July and was named the organization's Player of the Year after the season. Arcia is a gifted defender, to put it simply. His soft hands, excellent range and strong arm could make him a Gold Glove-caliber shortstop early in his career, and there aren't enough good things that can be said about his instincts and overall feel for the position. Arcia has always shown a knack for getting the barrel to the ball, but the quality of his contact improved considerably in 2015 and allowed him to get to his raw power in games more easily. On top of that, his plus speed helped him accrue at least 20 steals for the third straight season, and he should continue be a basestealing threat at the highest level. Arcia is a well-rounded player who offers plus defense at a premium position, and when coupled with his offensive upside, it could make him an All-Star. Scouts also love his makeup and maturity, and the belief is that those intangibles will allow him to make a smooth transition to the Major Leagues. Edit: Meant to put this in the Top 25 thread. My mistake.

One HR on 214 ABs at AA last year - after hitting 15 on 291 ABs at A+ ball in the Cally League, which is very hitter friendly. Some people are just not sure how much power he's going to produce. Personally, I think he'll be fine. He was still hitting lots of doubles and triples at AA, which is a good sign.

Please go back and see what Cecchini hit at those levels at a similar age. .322/.443/.471/.915. 47 extra base hits 23 SB's 94 BB to 86 K. Also Cecchini can field both 1B & 3B. Moreover, he is not a liability in in the field. Is he going to win ton of Gold Gloves, no. But, he is not going to hurt you or be a liability either. So please explain to me how he can't hit or field when clearly at the same levels and age, the major difference is Cecchini walks a ton more, Mancini hits for more HR power. http://www.overthemonster.com/2014/3/5/5473208/garin-cecchini-and-the-importance-of-the-hit-tool Boston was in love with his bat until he had his struggles in 2015. His hit tool and ability to walk were considered top of the line. Most of the scouting reports I've read on Cecchini's defense is that it's below average - but not terribly so. It's not like he's Braun at the position - but he's nothing special - and likely never will be. If I recall, most scouts thought he had the capacity to be average - usually praised his makeup and work ethic. I doubt moving around has helped him get better - Boston had him at 3B, 2B, 1B and OF at times. Focusing on one position should help him (if that's what we elect to do). As for Cecchini's hitting - last year was a disaster, but he's had success at AA (in 2013). And even 2014 at AAA wasn't that bad (it wasn't that good either). I read that after the 2013 season, he tried to hit for more power and messed up his approach. Here's something from the Boston Globe's site a few months ago: Evaluators over the last two years saw a player who appeared pull-conscious in trying to force power rather than sticking to a high-average/doubles approach, resulting in a spike in his swings-and-misses and a lot of rollovers to second base that had been, in the past, liners to left field. https://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/2015/12/10/red-sox-trade-garin-cecchini-brewers/PheeR8FTzQsqfqAZgYfEwN/story.html I think he's a perfect buy low guy - just let him come in and have a fresh start. Tell him to get back what he does best and not worry about thing. I just hope we give him a real chance.

I'm guessing that Cappy is strictly depth for a young and unproven group of starters. The starters next season are Nelson, Peralta, Jungmann, Davies and Garza. But injuries happen, and the club should really have seven guys ready in case of injuries. If a spot or two opens, the big prospects next on the list are Lopez and Wagner, but the club may want them to stay at AAA for a half season or more. That leaves Thornburg, Cravy and Pena as the most likely guys to step into the rotation. You could always consider Suter and Burgos from AAA as well. But the club might prefer some of these guys in the bullpen. Or just don't think they should be in the ML rotation. Who knows. That leaves a guy like Cappy. If things go wrong, he's ready. He can fill in until Wagner or Lopez or whomever is ready. It also adds some depth should Peralta or Garza gets traded (I'm don't think either will, but you never know). Perhaps Capuano knows he is 7th or 8th on the rotation depth chart, and he's willing to start at AAA if needed. But he knows guys get hurt, and he knows a guy like Garza could get moved at some point - and he'd get his chance.

I do not think that phrase means what you think it means.

Gallo might end up a bust, but the power is so tantalizing, I doubt I could pass on it. The guy was rushed last year (he just turned 22 two months ago), and he needs some more time at AAA.