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Matt Breen

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Everything posted by Matt Breen

  1. Matt Breen
    Interesting to see Joey Gallo at #60. If I remember right, a lot of people were hoping we'd grab him with our supplemental pick. I think we took Haniger instead. Gallo's career numbers are crazy. In 617 ABs he has 62 HR, a .258 BA, 98BB, a 1.000 OPS and 250k. http://www.baseballamerica.com/statistics/players/cards/2653 It will be interesting to see how he does when he gets to AA. Can really be anything more than Mark Reynolds or Russell Branyon?
  2. Matt Breen
    BA's Top 100 prospect list is out: http://www.baseballamerica.com/minors/2014-baseball-america-top-100-prospects-free/ Nelson is at 96.
  3. Matt Breen
    This is a really cool idea. Thanks. I generally like to just lurk in the draft area. I learn by letting everyone else talk about the players. But I'll volunteer to participate as well. It looks fun. I'll take the Cubs and the Angels.
  4. Matt Breen
    Morales would be perfect for Baltimore. He can DH (not play in the field), solidifies a problem position (Baltimore DHs hit .234 with a .704 OPS, and now only costs you a 2nd round pick. He should hit better getting playing half his games at Camden Yards. Also, Morales isn't blocking any big bat. If they could get him for a 3 year deal at $11-12 million, it would be a nice pick up for them.
  5. Matt Breen
    I argued that a two-year deal for Dempster was the best choice last year (over Lohse). Especially with the draft pick loss associated with Lohse. Hopefully, Lohse keeps it up and proves a lot of us wrong. On the flip side, I was right about Jeffrey Hammonds and Franklin Stubbs.
  6. Matt Breen
    Some people have bandied about trading a pitcher (Thornburg or Estrada) for the Mariner's extra guys (Ackley, Franklin, Smoak). It should be noted that Hisashi Iwakuma (who was 3rd in the AL Cy Young voting last year) is going to miss up to a couple of months with an injured finger. It could make Seattle more likely to make a deal for a pitcher. Also, Taijuan Walker reportedly has a sore shoulder. They say it's no big deal, but they may be a little concerned about things. I'm not advocating trading Thornburg or Estrada - just saying the opportunity may be ideal.
  7. Matt Breen
    I always wondered about that. He got bigger. Maybe if Rickie trimmed down some he'd be a better defender - perhaps even get some bat speed back. Of course, it would probably affect his power. But considering he only hit 10 last year - that's not that big of a deal.
  8. Matt Breen
    The question that brings up is: If he doesn't play well in camp, will they cut him? I agree with you Briggs, that they want to get rid of him, but would rather trade him (even if for nothing but salary relief) than simply cut him. I hate the thought of two guys who only play 2B, especially when paired with two guys who really only play 1B. I just don't know when he could build up enough belief in him to get someone to trade for him. Maybe it's ST, maybe it's a ways into the season when all he's hit against is LHP, giving him the greatest chance to have good "average" stats (OPS, BA, OBP... things that are not "counting stats"). It'd be a small, skewed sample, but on the surface it may get someone to believe in him. Does anyone know if any team in the history of baseball has ever had a platoon of two guys who only play second base? I think they cut Rickie if he looks bad and can't trade him. A Rickie/Scooter platoon isn't a bad idea, but we already have a platoon at 1B. I think the team will just say it's Scooter's job (with our utility IF getting some starts here and there). No distractions, no controversies. Just make the decision and move on. Rickie (and Scooter) are limited to 2B. It's foolish to waste two players at that position - especially one that would only get 30-40 starts - and isn't that good. If Rickie crushed lefties I might consider the option. The last three years he's hit .245 with a .755 OPS against lefties. That's pretty good for a 2B. But not for a part timer who is a bad defender. It's just not worth it.
  9. Matt Breen
    This is a good idea, assuming the team is doing well and 1B is a black hole. But I predict someone jumps at Morales - even with the draft pick compensation tied to him. However, I think it could potentially be a good strategy to wait. He then signs after the draft - picking a team that he can put up good numbers with (and in the playoff race). The team signing him would have to agree not to give him a qualifying offer. He can then be an unrestricted FA at age 31 - get one final big contract. Teams like Milwaukee and Baltimore fit the bill of hitters parks - and having a need for 1B - but who knows if these teams will be a in the playoff race. And you never know who's going to suffer an injury.
  10. Matt Breen
    Fangraphs top 100 prospects: http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/2014-top-100-prospects/ Nelson checks in at #91
  11. Matt Breen
    Watching Rickie last year he looked like a guy who had lost an edge. His bat is a little slower, he's a little slower, he's lost a little strength. It all adds up to a guy who is guessing more, not taking advantage of mistakes. Here's a short article from Fangraphs last fall about Rickie - how he essentially failed to hit fastballs last year: http://www.fangraphs.com/fantasy/is-rickie-weeks-a-bounce-back-candidate/ A lot of players simply lose that physical edge around 30ish. A lot of power / BB type guys wash out at this time. Injuries and Father Time simply take their toll. I'm hoping Rickie has a great season, but I just wouldn't bet on it. If he starts, he could easily hit 15 HR and hit .230. Not horrible. But with his bad defense, it's not helping.
  12. Matt Breen
    And lets not forget he's coming off a major injury. He tore his hamstring. His defense is likely only going to get worse (which is kind of scary). The ankle injury Rickie had in 2011 seems to have really hampered him defensively. Perhaps offensively as well. He just isn't the same player. I love Rickie. The guy plays hard. But he just looks like a shell of his former self. If he comes back and hits .260 and 20 HR, I'd be thrilled. But I just don't know if that's going to happen.
  13. Matt Breen
    Roy Oswalt has retired. http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/10437267/roy-oswalt-decides-retire Quite an impressive run - 150 wins over a 10-year span (2001-2010). Two 20 game win seasons. Averaged over 200 innings a year in that time frame. In retrospect, pretty amazing. Went down hill starting with injuries in 2011. 2012 and 2013 he was awful. Good reminder that injuries can derail a career pretty quick. He had 7 consecutive years of 30 or more starts. I'm sure people thought he was a durable guy. But that ended in 2011 (23 starts). Then the wheels fell off. Last year he had a 8.63 ERA. Ouch. Still, nice career for Roy.
  14. Matt Breen
    Bonifacio would be a nice depth pickup. He could replace Bianchi. He could platoon with Scooter at 2B, play some OF. I'm not sure how good of SS he is. However, I don't think the Crew would pay $3.5 million for a backup infielder. That's just too rich for this team. And besides, I think someone else will take him. He'd fit well with the Mets.
  15. Matt Breen
    So right. Reynolds should not be put in the field other than 1B unless we are desperate. He's a butcher at 3B.
  16. Matt Breen
    Actually Law did the 10 prospects that just missed the list, so now he doesn't have any Brewers in his top 110, so he is back to being the most pessimistic. edit here is his Brewers top 10: 1. Tyrone Taylor, CF 2. Devin Williams, RHP 3. Nick Delmonico, 3B/1B 4. Michael Reed, OF 5. John Hellweg, RHP 6. Jimmy Nelson, RHP 7. Mitch Haniger, OF 8. Orlando Arcia, SS 9. Victor Roache, OF 10. Hunter Morris, 1B The thing to be optimistic about is that 7 out of 10 of these guys were in A ball last year. Unless you really have a pedigree and/or eye-popping stats, it's hard to be looked at as a Top 100 guy if you haven't proven yourself against higher competition. With some luck, a few of these guys might be Top 100 guys in a year or two after they've shown their mettle against AA and AAA competition. Otherwise, the only guys at AA/AAA that anyone thinks is halfway special is probably Nelson (some people like Hellweg, despite his scary peripherals). But neither Hellweg or Nelson is a that hot of a prospect. That they aren't in the top 100 (or 110) isn't a shocker.
  17. Matt Breen
    Melvin loves his veteran closer type guy. I guess it gives him some piece of mind. I think it's a little pricey, but it's not the end of the world. I'm surprised K-Rod is only 32. Seems like he should be five years older than that.
  18. Matt Breen
    I was lucky to see Hank play. It was his last year in Milwaukee and my school had a trip to a Brewers game. I don't remember much (I was maybe 10 or 11 at the time), but I do remember Aaron. We all sat in the left field bleachers, and he came out to the warning track, signed some baseballs and tossed them up in the stands (I didn't get one). I love the guy. Such as class act - treats the game, the city of Milwaukee, and the state of Wisconsin with respect.
  19. Matt Breen
    http://www.minorleagueball.com/2014/1/30/5363560/milwaukee-brewers-top-20-prospects-for-2014 Nothing shocking here. Nelson, Roache, Taylor at the top of the list. He reiterates what everyone says about the system: Any impact talent is at the low levels. How things go depends on guys like Arcia, Taylor, Roache, Williams and Coulter. Those are the guys with upside who could elevate the system in the next couple of years. Hurts to see Jungmann and Bradley flounder. I had high hopes for Jungmann last year. We are in competition for the worst minor league system. Perhaps not the worst - but certainly in the mix.
  20. Matt Breen
    I like Bianchi. I know he hasn't hit well, but if he looks like a solid backup infielder. His glove has been pretty good (as WAR attests to), and if he can improve - even a little bit - he's a nice asset.
  21. Matt Breen
    C - Lucroy, Maldanado 1B - Reynolds 2B - Scooter SS - Segura 3B - A-Ram INF - Bianchi 1B/3B - Francisco LF - Davis CF - Gomez RF - Braun OF - Gindl OF - Schafer SP - Yo, Lohse, Garza, Estrado, Peralta RP - Henderson, Kintlzer, Smith, Gorzelanny, Blazek, Thornburg, Wooten All these guys are currently healthy, except for Gorzelanny. If he can't make it, I wouldn't be shocked to see Wang make the roster. I debate between Overbay and Francisco, and I'll go with the guy with more upside and the ability to play 3B as well. But it won't take a lot of for Lyle to beat out Francisco. Taylor Green could also sneak into this position if he looks good. I think Weeks will be traded or cut before the season begins.
  22. Matt Breen
    The major league teams simply watched film from the last few years and quickly pretended they were never interested in him.
  23. Matt Breen
    With Cano in Seattle, Dustin Ackley has no chance at playing 2B. I know Seattle has been playing him in the OF, and plan on having him there in the future. However, his play last year in the OF was pretty bad - so I don't know if he's got a future there. I've always liked Ackley, and would consider him a good 'buy low' guy if Seattle decides he doesn't have a future as a starter. He's struggled the last couple of years, but he has a nice swing. Obviously, if the Crew acquired Ackley, he could be a candidate for 2B. But what about 3B? He's never played there in the minors or majors. Does he have the arm to play there? He always graded out well as a second baseman, but I haven't seen him play defense enough to know if he would work at 3B. Any thoughts? A-Ram could easily be gone after 2014, and there's no one on the horizon that could take over for him. Heck, you could even switch A-Ram to 1B now if felt Ackley could handle 3B. I'm not sure Ackley would hit enough at 3B. But if he could hit .280 with 12-15 HR at 3B, that would be pretty decent (assuming his defense was okay). Dave Schoenfeld at ESPN included Ackley as a guy who in the 'make-it-or-break-it' seasons. http://espn.go.com/blog/sweetspot/post/_/id/43894/five-players-in-make-or-break-seasons Ackley will be 26 this year, so maybe it's his turn to put it all together. Just trying to think about the future a little - trying to see alternatives. Perhaps Ackley doesn't have the arm for 3B - which makes this a fruitless discussion. But I thought I'd see if others had an opinion on the subject. Thanks.
  24. Matt Breen
    I have to be honest and say I'm skeptical about the Brewers being a playoff team, even with Garza. I see a .500ish club. However, if the team is going to go for the playoffs, this is a decent move. It's not a huge overpay, and Garza is only 30. The team simply needs a lot of good luck - minimal injuries and a few young players need to emerge (not to mention veterans continuing to perform well). We're a better team with Garza. Maybe not a great team (or even a good team). But we're better, and if the team is going to eschew rebuilding, at least it's an honest effort to improve our starting pitching to a respectable level.
  25. Matt Breen
    Interesting note about Garza: Since becoming a full time big league starter in 2008, here's his WHIP and ERA: 2008: 1.24 WHIP / 3.70 ERA 2009: 1.26 / 3.70 2010: 1.25 / 3.95 2011: 1.26 / 3.32 2012: 1.18 / 3.91 2013: 1.24 / 3.82 Remarkably consistent. Gotta like that. Gotta like that he's not that old, having just turned 30 two months ago. The bad: He missed 1/3 of his starts over the past two years - making only 42 starts from 2012-13. That just has to worry you. Hopefully it's not a sign of things to come.
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