Matt Breen

I hope Lawrie does great for Toronto. I hope Marcum does great for us. Those the best trades - when everyone wins.

That's a great question. Haudricourt has a post talking about the money Gonzalez and Werth are getting as proof the Brewers can't sign Fielder. The reality though is other than age, that Fielder is closer as a player to Dunn than he is to Werth, who's got all around ability and Gonzalez who's a better all around hitter. Besides with Boston and New York already set a 1B, if either bid on Fielder they would do so with the intention of him being a full time DH, a position of less value. My feeling is that Fielder has to match his 09 numbers to get the kind of money Boras has talked about. If he repeats his 2010, season, he'll not get much more than the $100 million over 5 years that he turned down from the Brewers. JohnBriggs, I think you got this about right. What is a one-dimensional 35-40 HR guy worth? Dunn is a good comparable. He's older, but Prince's body type scares people into thinking he's going to fade quicker than most guys. But as you said, if Prince hits 45-50 HR, then we're talking a different player. I will say this - it only takes one crazy team to throw reason out the door. Even if Prince hits 'only' 32 HR next year, one team could be convinced that Prince is their savior and pony up $25 million/year. Did anyone think Werth was going to get $18 million/year? He's a very good player - but $18 million! And for 7 years! It only takes one lunatic.

Well, did not see this one coming. No matter, Marcum is a good pitcher. We need them. It sucks to give up Lawrie, but what's done is done so I'm not going to worry about it. I say sign Weeks, and find another starter. For some reason I think we are going to end up with Pavano for 3/$30 million. Do not know why, I just think it.

Villy probably should get a change of scenery. It just seems like the team lost faith in him. I wondered if it was just Macha, but I assume that means Melvin and others as well. He had some flashes of brilliance, and then he'd just totally screw up. Kind of frustrating because you can see the talent.

The hard part about Pavano was the perception in New York that he didn't work hard, he didn't really care, etc. I don't know what the truth is, but it scares you to give a guy like a big contract. You'd certainly have to do your due diligence. The odd part is that the players in Minnesota seemed to feel he was a real positive in the clubhouse.

Any thought of trading Floyd would have to be tossed out the window if Peavy won't be ready.

I was trying to figure out what happened former Brewer 1st round pick Ken Felder. At baseball-reference.com it shows he got to AAA in 1996 (playing really badly), and then in 1997 it says 'injured'. And that's it. Anyone remembers what actually happened to him? Thanks.

What about Floyd for Casey McGehee? Let's say the Sox can resign Konerko. They end up with a lineup of: C - Pierzynski 1B - Konerko 2B - Beckham SS - Ramirez 3B - Vizquel / Teahen RF - Quentin LF - Pierre CF - Rios DH - Dunn SP - Peavy, Jackson, Danks, Buehrle and Floyd If they dealt Floyd, they could bring back a guy like Freddy Garcia to take the 5th starter position, and by adding McGehee, they fill out their lineup. They'd need to work on their relief corps. The move would save them money - something they'd likely need to resign Konerko. ESPN had this about the Dunn deal: Williams said that instead of the three or four offseason agendas he usually presents to chairman Jerry Reinsdorf, he had just two this time. One was a young team that, while more affordable and full of potential, would take its lumps. The other was to add to what existed. "Ultimately [with the Dunn deal], you see the obvious decision," Williams said. "We just didn't want to be in the middle. The decision was that if we were going all in, we were going all in. " That is not the talk of a team that wants Omar Vizquel (bless his soul, i love the guy) every day in the lineup. The Brewers would then have Floyd for two years and could put Gamel at 3B.

Nice article on Roenicke by ESPN: http://sports.espn.go.com...ick_jerry&id=5871665 Nothing we really haven't heard before, but I thought I'd share it with everyone.

Lars Davis had 22 passed balls and 14 errors in 93 games in 2009. He cleaned that up some last year but it would appear this guy has some problems behind the plate. Production doesn't matter. Only that he's Canadian.

I'd also add the Orioles, White Sox, Angels and Dodgers as teams that might have interest in Casey. Would they match up well or are they willing to trade pitching is another story. These teams are unsettled at 3B - or in the case of the Dodgers - feature an aging player with diminishing skills (and production). The Sox and A's have been chasing Beltre, but after he signs, you'll probably see a few teams come calling if the Crew put McGehee on the market. Personally, I'd deal McGehee if I can get a solid guy in the rotation for him. I like Casey fine, but I would roll the dice with Gamel at 3B. I think another lefty in the lineup would be great. Moving any good player is a risk, but like when we dealt Overbay, it was because we felt there was a good replacement for him. Of course, the team has to feel like Gamel can play 3B without getting boatloads of errors - but they know the guy better than anyone, and if they feel he can play there, I'd say give him the job and get some pitching for McGehee.

If the Brewers don't trade Fielder, what are the odds that someone actually tops the 5-year $100 million deal that they offered this past year? He can hit, no doubt, but he also sports poor defense, slow base running, and a body type that scares a lot of people. How do people perceive him? As Adam Dunn? As Ryan Howard? Do teams see Dunn as a $15+ million/year player - much less $20 million? Unlikely. Is Fielder that much different than Dunn? If not, maybe the Brewer offer will turn out to be the best that Fielder gets. Howard (who gets $25 million a year) and Fielder aren't that dissimilar - but Howard from 2006-09 he averaged 49.5 HR a year. Fielder averaged 40 the past four years. Is it realistic to use the Howard contract as a benchmark? Or were the Phillies a bit insane to give out this contract? I don't think any team really considered Howard a $25 million/year player. If Prince hits 'average' - say 40 HR, .280ish BA, .390-.400 OBP - is someone going to drop more than $20 million for him? Perhaps it will come down to what kind of season he has - if it's 35-40 HR, maybe no one will sniff near $20 million. But a 50 HR season and someone will likley look beyond the warts and add the impact bat. Especially a team with an opening - such as Boston (see you Big Papi) or the Dodgers or Orioles or Cubs. Fielder has expressed a desire to play 1B - not DH. Does he take $20 million from Boston to DH or $20 million from Milwaukee to play 1B? With that in mind, it might just be best to hang on to Prince. If he has a monster year, perhaps he prices himself out of Milwaukee - but if he does have a monster year, that might mean the Brewers are in playoff contention. Even if we lose him, we still get 2 draft picks. But if we trade him now, I doubt we'll get the chance to bring him back. Keeping him might be worth the risk - assuming you want to sink $20 million a year in Prince following 2011 (and that's another question - if Prince does hit .280 with 40 HR, would you bring him back for $20/year for five years).

You are correct that players in the majors can't have specific performance bonuses - such as you get $100,000 if you hit 20 HR or $1,000,000 for winning 20 games or whatever. You can have bonuses based upon playing time (games played, innings pitched, etc.) and awards (all star game, MVP, etc.). For A-Rod, he has some clauses based upon 'historic' milestones - 700 HR, 3000 hits, etc. 'Historic' is my term - MLB may use something esle. I'm not sure who decides what kinds of things can considered 'historic' - but they can be negotiated into a contract.

http://bbwaa.com/ Hernandez wins, Price second, Sabathia third. Hernandez got 21 of 28 first place votes, despite winning only 13 games. But he lead the league in ERA, innings pitched, and was 2nd in strikeouts. Stat folks should be happy about this win.

I'd like to see Capuano back, but to be honest, with three other lefties in the mix - Wolf, Parra and Narveson - he's likely isn't going to be guaranteed a spot in the rotation. And once we sign Cliff Lee - that makes four. Unless the team promises him a spot, I would think he'll get the opportunity elsewhere.

Bill Scott was an Irish footballer who played as a goalkeeper for, among others, Everton, Leeds City, Liverpool and Ireland. In 1913 Scott was a member of the Ireland team that beat England for the first time with a 2–1 win at Windsor Park. http://en.wikipedia.org/w...y_Scott_%28footballer%29 And he's a voice over actor: http://en.wikipedia.org/w..._Scott_%28voice_actor%29 He's also a racecar driver: http://en.wikipedia.org/w...ott_%28racecar_driver%29 And he's a famous ukulele player: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_%22Uke%22_Scott

BA's Jim Callis fielded a question in the 'Ask BA' column about what prospects a team would/should consider 'untouchable' if they were interested in trading for Greinke. For the Brewers he wrote this: Brewers: None. Brett Lawrie and Jake Odorizzi aren't deal-breakers. http://www.baseballameric...ask-ba/2010/2610854.html Just thought i'd pass it on.

As there's been a lot of speculation about dealing Prince for pitching, I was curious to hear an analysis of who would be the best person to actually move to 1st base if the trade occurred. All involved Mat Gamel. There could be other options, especially in free agency, but I am limiting thing to him so it doesn't get to long. Here are options: 1. Move Gamel to 1B 2. Move Gamel to RF, Hart to 1B 3. Gamel to 3B, move McGehee to 1B 4. Move Gamel to LF, Braun to 1B Of Hart, McGehee and Braun, who's defense hurts us the most? Obviously any move is dependent on Gamel taking over that position adequately. But if he can, what move makes us best defensively?

Valentine is an ego - no question. He's also done very well in his two major league stops - putting up winning seasons 4 of his 6 full seasons in Texas and 5 of 6 full seasons in NY. Some guys talk about him almost in awe at his knowledge of the game, his ability to push a player's button at the right time, etc. He supposedly works extraordinarily hard, and absolutely loves the game. Some people see him as a kind of a kook - or quirky if you favor him. Here's a good overview of thoughts on him: http://www.palmbeachpost....ing-presence-771378.html Here's one other quote I found on him that I thought personified him: Marlins right-hander Scott Strickland was a member of the 2002 Mets. He loved playing for Valentine. “The guy loves too win and he wants to win bad,” Strickland said. “If you’re going to go to war, that’s the guy you want on your side… He’s just a fighter. The thing I remember about him was he just hated losing with a passion. I enjoyed my time with him… He’s not scared to chew your ass out if you need it. He’s definitely not a guy that’s going to sit back and let the boys play. Maybe he’s changed since I’ve had him, but he was more of a take charge kind of guy. He’s not afraid to shake things up a little bit.” Others aren't so kind. They say he doesn't believe anyone can know more than himself. That he rides certain guys. That he can alienate others. Here's one not so nice article from 11 years ago: http://www.nytimes.com/19...html?ref=bobby_valentine He has a rep for speaking his mind in public, including calling out his own players. You can call this good or bad - it is what it is. He's also butted heads with management at times. His time in Japan may have mellowed him a bit - and made him appreciate the game more. And at age 60, he might know there's not that many shots at managing left. I would be excited to have him.

The hiring of Sveum might simply mean that the Brewers know who they want to hire, and that individual is cool with Dale as hitting coach. Why they announce the addition of Sveum first is odd, but maybe they are just ironing out the details with the finalist.

And if you got Greinke now, and the Crew are competitive the next couple of years, you'd probably have a better chance to resign him at that time. He's had his anxiety issues, so he might appreciate playing in a smaller market - that contends.

davidoff of newsday (not the most reliable source) says that Greinke could be dealt since the Royals know they won't be competitive over the next two years. two years of greinke would be awesome - guys like this aren't on the market often. as people say, perhaps a 3-way trade, sending Prince for a couple of decent prospects that the Royals want. I'd like to not have to trade Lawrie. I guess it depends on what we can get for Prince. http://www.newsday.com/sp...son-1.2301292?print=true Rotation of: Gallardo Greinkee Wolf Narverson (I didn't think he was an option, but he's been pitching great lately) TBD

I love valentine, but sanberg would be fascinating if the cubs pass on him. I love how he has been willing to do the dirty work and work his way up the system. I honestly do not know how he's perceived as a manager - but it would be fun to take him from under the cubbies nose.

For only one year of Fielder? That seems like an overpay. I hope that kind of deal is out there this offseason, or the type of deal colby proposed. heck, i thought that was more a lowball offer. Odorizzi isn't in AAA yet, and most teams, if they want a prospect, want an ML ready one like LaPorta was. i don't believe Odorizzi is quite as valuable on the open market as we're making him out to be, so i think a trade for a star has to start with him. i doubt an outsider would value Gamel too much, and Braddock is certainly replaceable.I believe the offer is on the lowball side as well. Gamel is a good, not great prospect. He has questions about his position, and hasn't proven he can hit at the major league level. Odorizzi is a low level guy. Recently the guys at BA were asked about him, and he was called a borderline Top 100 player. He was not an elite prospect, given his tools and no track record at the highest levels. As for Braddock, he's looking to be a fine player, but for now, he's a reliever, and while that's great, it's not a game changing guy. I think this is a decent offer for a guy who will hit 30-50 HR for you - a potential game changing player. I don't think Gamel, Odorizzi or Braddock offer that.

I would look for young pitching back for Fielder - but I don't want a middle of the rotation guy with only a couple of years left of control as a centerpiece. I want a guy at AAA or just getting his feet wet in the majors with big upside - so we have 5-6 years of the guy and have him be able to dominate. I've used Madison Bumgarner as an example. If you could get a guy like that, plus another minor league player with high upside, that's great. The second guy might be lower level minors, but that's okay. The Brewers need a top of the rotation type player - that means we have to get the guy before he's a star. This is more risky of a tactic than taken a more proven player with less upside, but I'd rather take the risk.