Matt Breen

Thanks to everyone who voted. Appreciate it. I'll have things tabulated and online by early next week.

The QB stuff is - as you note - a big deal. If clubs start making moves to get into the top 10 -- we could end up with some nice options. Let's hope it happens.

I like AJ Brown of Ole Miss. I see him as the opposite of Metcalf - a guy who might not be a burner, but does everything else right and simply produces. Good hands, good route runner, smart, strong player. He could line up from day one and contribute big time. While not tall, he's going to be a great possession type player and would be a huge addition for the Packers. I see him as a late 1st round pick - so if he's there are #30 - he's a good pick. Especially if we don't take a receiver at #12.

I've been seeing the same thing. I think Oliver would be a steal at #12 - and if he falls, great. I like the other guys you mention at #12 as well - Bush, White and Hockinson. I'm guessing White is gone by the time Green Bay picks, but you never know. Another guy I love is Montez Sweat - but he had a good combine and looks like he'll be gone. Lately, I've seen the Packers linked to WR A.J. Metcalf as well. The guy is an athletic freak, but he needs to work as a receiver. That concerns me. He should be better than he's shown. But the upside is huge - so it's tempting to go after someone like him - even if he needs some development. And another guy that I feel will be gone - but I'm starting to see drop in some mocks, is OT Jawaan Taylor. He would be a great bargain at #12. Offensive line isn't the sexiest thing to pick, but he would be an instant impact guy.

All the stuff about Norris' character and personality aside, the guy had a stretch of about four years where he was a semi-competent back-of-the-rotation arm, but nothing more. After a pretty bad stretch, he reinvented himself as a mediocre reliever - but again, nothing more than average. At age 34, there's no upside in the guy, so there's not a lot to like. He's got some closing experience, which some teams value. Add in the previously discussed issues - and it's easy to see why some teams would shy away from the guy. His deal with Toronto would have paid him $3M - not a huge amount - but not insignificant. Again, easy to see why Toronto said he wasn't worth it and cut the cord (it was a minor league deal). I'm not sure about demand for his services this past off season, but it might be that he overplayed his hand. While he wasn't bad in 2018, he wasn't that great. I'm wondering if he took the fact that he saved 28 games and expected that would net him a nice contract. Thing is, he just wasn't that good. Fangraphs and Baseball-Reference pretty put his performance as replacement level. Who wants to commit money - even a modest amount - to a guy who's probably about a 4.00 ERA type? And a guy who has a less than stellar reputation. There are lot of these kinds of guys looking for jobs (new Brewer Alex Wilson is an example). Solid veterans, 30+, not a lot of upside. Many are simply fighting for jobs - happy to be making $1M or so. I don't doubt Norris will land somewhere - because as noted, he was decent last year. But he'll be lucky to get a $1-2M at this point.

Hijacking the in-game thread to promote our Top 25 prospect poll. Today is the last day to vote, so don't wait. viewtopic.php?f=64&t=38203

Note: I've extended the voting one day - to April 3. So please add your selections by EOD on April 3. Thanks.

I'm going to hijack this thread and encourage people to go vote in our Prospect Poll. viewtopic.php?f=64&t=38203 Thanks!

Some buzz that New England would like to move up to get either Hockenson or Fant. The Patriots have two 2nd round picks, and probably three 3rd rounds picks (they are likely to get a couple of comp picks in that round since Nate Solder and Malcolm Butler signed elsewhere as FAs). I'm reading that they really like Fant. That would give them plenty of ammunition to move up past the Packers #30 pick. So if the Packers want a TE, they may have to make the move at #12.

Electric Bugaloo? Starring Shabba-Doo and Boogaloo Shrimp. Ah, the 80s.

Little seems like a bit of a reach in the 1st. I could see him in the 2nd round. Might depend on how quickly some of the OL come off the board.

They have the Packers taking Hockenson even though Sweat and Ed Oliver are still on the board. I can see some dropping of Montez due to the heart issues, but I can't see how you could pass on Ed Oliver to take Hockenson. Is Hockenson clearly an elite talent? Sweat or Oliver would be a great get for the Packers. I'd take either over Hockenson. I'm really interested in Devin Bush as well.

No matter what your thoughts on Mark A and ownership and so forth, could people stop arguing and actually talk about the thread - which is about Kimbrel. If you want to discuss those other things, start another thread instead of hijacking this one. Or converse directly to the other person via PM instead of doing multiple pages of back and forth. Thank you.

Thanks, folks, for getting things started. Appreciate it.

Don't expect a lot of movement in this poll, but it is always fun to see how things end up. Let me know if you see any errors or if I missed something. Thanks.

Ladies and Gentlemen, we would like to invite everyone to take part in the 2019 Pre-Season BF.net Fan Community Top 25 Prospects voting. Voting is now open. Please take time and submit on this thread your top 25 Brewer prospects. Feel free to list any resources or news that you feel might help people with their voting. Voting concludes on Wednesday, April 3. You can change your votes at anytime through that date. this should allow everyone to get a good understanding of the Brewer rosters, and any late camp moves the club may make. RULES 1. Submit your Top 25 prospects, in order, by end of day on November 28. Put the player's full name to avoid any confusion. I appreciate it you would number them. Also, please list your players from #1 to #25. 2. You MUST submit 25 prospects. If there are only 10 or 15 or whatever, your list will not be included. 3. You are encouraged to go beyond pick #25 - adding a few more is great, especially as rosters can change in the next couple of weeks. This way if a guy you vote for is released or traded, we can just bump up your next player. 4. Rankings are determined by total points. The top prospect gets 25 points, second prospect gets 24 points, etc. 4. As noted above, if you submit your list and want to change something, just add the change to the thread. I'll accept changes up to the deadline. 5. Within a week or so after the deadline, we'll publish the new BF.net Community Top 25. Eligibility guidelines: Rookie eligibility is determined by the same standards as MLB: “A player shall be considered a rookie unless, during a previous season or seasons, he has (a) exceeded 130 at-bats or 50 innings pitched in the Major Leagues; or (b) accumulated more than 45 days on the active roster of a Major League club or clubs during the period of 25-player limit (excluding time in the military service and time on the disabled list).” - Eligible players with ML experience: Adrian Houser, Aaron Wilkerson, Nate Orf, Jacob Nottingham Players no longer in organization P Jorge Ortego - Released There may be some late moves in camp, and we will adjust this list accordingly. New players in organization to consider P Bobby Wahl - Obtained in Keon Broxton trade - Will likely miss season with torn ACL P Adam Hill - Obtained in Keon Broxton trade IF C.J. Hinojosa - Obtained in Eric Kratz trade Prospect Rankings: Post-season prospect reports are few and far between, but below are some mid-season reports. We will add others if they are made available in the next few weeks. MLB Pipeline Top 100: http://m.mlb.com/prospects/2019 MLB Pipeline Top 30 Brewers: http://m.mlb.com/prospects/2019?list=mil Fangraphs Top 100: https://blogs.fangraphs.com/2019-top-100-prospects/ Fangraphs Top 32 Brewers: https://blogs.fangraphs.com/top-32-prospects-milwaukee-brewers/ Baseball America Top 10 Brewers (via Brew Crew Ball): https://www.brewcrewball.com/2018/12/20/18149492/baseball-america-releases-top-10-milwaukee-brewers-prospect-list Baseball Prospectus Top 101: https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article/46653/2019-prospects-the-top-101/ Prospects1500 Top 50 Brewers: https://www.prospects1500.com/top-50-lists/milwaukee-brewers-2019-top-50-prospects/ Previous Polls: BF.net 2018 Post-Season Top 25 - viewtopic.php?f=64&t=37894 BF.net 2018 Mid-Season Top 25 - viewtopic.php?f=64&t=37395 BF.net 2018 Pre-Season Top 25 - viewtopic.php?f=64&t=36597 BF.net 2017 Post-Season Top 25 - viewtopic.php?f=64&t=36082 BF.net 2017 Mid-Season Top 25 - viewtopic.php?f=64&t=35723 BF.net 2017 Pre-Season Top 25 - viewtopic.php?f=64&t=35089 BF.net 2016 Post-Season Top 25 - viewtopic.php?f=64&t=34747 BF.net 2016 Mid-Season Top 25 - viewtopic.php?f=64&t=34472 BF.net 2016 Pre-Season Top 25 - viewtopic.php?f=64&t=33867 BF.net 2015 Post-Season Top 25 - viewtopic.php?f=64&t=33436 BF.net 2015 Mid-Season Top 25 - viewtopic.php?f=64&t=33032 BF.net 2015 Pre-Season Top 25 - viewtopic.php?f=64&t=32447 BF.net August 2014 Top 25 - viewtopic.php?f=64&t=31859 BF.net May 2014 Top 20 - viewtopic.php?f=64&t=31355 Please note that we reserve the right to throw out ballots if we feel that the voting was done without following the rules or spirit of the exercise. Thanks for participating!

Trying to comp 'aging' is always really hard. Age and injury related decline of players just happens. You really have to simply look at overall trends and not try and compare Goldy or whomever to other guys. It's just too hard. Some guys decline fast, others don't. Some guys have injuries, some don't. I'm sure the clubs have detailed info that we don't about certain factors that they track as well. No matter, I wish Goldschmidt WASN'T in St. Louis. He's a really good player.

I love that the team isn't afraid to go with Freddy, Burnes and Woodruff. I'm a bit surprised - thinking they'd stay with Anderson and put one of those three in the pen. But that's fine. I expect some ups and downs with the young guys, but in the long run, we'll be better for it. The injuries to Jeffress and Knebel are disheartening, but it happens. Let's get through things and hopefully both those guys come back this year and are effective.

Here is my two cents on the NFL draft (at this time). First, there are a group of guys who won’t be available, so let’s just cross them off. This includes Kyler Murray, Nick Bosa, Josh Allen, Quinnen Williams, Devin White, and Jawaan Taylor. At #12, here’s my guys. Montez Sweat - Edge - Tests reveal that he has a heart condition, which may cause him to drop. If so, he’s an amazing pick at 12. Devin Bush - LB - Explosive, athletic linebacker, lots of upside. Could be gone at 12, but would likely move right into the lineup and be a playmaker. Ed Oliver - DT - Monster interior DL. Coming off an injury, he could be a steal at 12. TJ Hockenson - TE - I’m a little leery of Hockenson this high as he’s got a lot of buzz around him and I don’t want to overvalue him. However, if the team loves him, they likely need to grab him here as he won’t last much longer. Getting a premium weapon for Rodgers is important. Jonah Williams - OT - Not the sexiest pick, but a safe and very useful one. Williams is a smart player who can play guard and tackle - both areas we will need in the coming year or two. Depending on how things go, you might be able to drop a few slots and still get him. Edge players - Bryan Burns, Clelin Ferrell, Rashan Gary, Jachai Polite - There are a bunch of Edge guys who could help the team. These guys get rated all over the board. The first three get ranked in the 10 all the way down into the 20s - so it all depends on who the team really likes. Polite is probably more of someone you hope falls to 30. And Edge guy might be a bit of a luxury at this time, so unless the club really loves one of these guys, I can see them passing at 12. If they really want an Edge guy, they may hope one falls to them at #30. At #30. Noah Fant - TE - Might not make it to here, but he would be a good weapon for Rodgers. Obviously, you don't need to draft if you take Hockenson earlier. Greedy Williams - Top CB in the draft, so likely won’t reach here, but if he is, he’s a great value pick. Maybe not what we wanted, but too good to pass up. Cody Ford - OG - Really good player. May not be a superstar, but he seems like a really safe pick. Probably won’t drop to 30, but if he did, good value. Josh Jacobs - RB - Probably the highest ranked back in the draft, but has never carried a huge workload in college (which some argue is good). Not the fastest guy, but is quick and tough. He is also a very good receiver, which would help the club. Would be good value at #30. AJ Brown - WR - Big, productive WR that could step into the slot and really help. Would really open up the passing game. I like Brown because he's the kind of guy you won't need to worry about. He's big and strong, runs good routes, doesn't make mistakes. He's the kind of possession guy who Rodgers would love to have. If any of the Edge guys fell, they would be good value here as well. OT Andre Dillard would be a nice get at #30, as would DT Christian Wilkens. Trade/Drafting Strategy I think the club looks to see if someone they really like falls to #12. If so, you pull the trigger. However, there are a lot of players we could take at #12 that might be a bit of a reach. Thus, a trade down might be in order. A lot might depend on where some of the QBs land. If there is a rush on them, it might cause some quality guys to fall to us. Or we might get a good deal in a trade at #12 from another club. No matter what, I expect the club to add a weapon or two for Rodgers in the first few rounds. A TE or WR is obvious - but it could be RB. I’m guessing we use one of our first two picks in such a fashion. I’m guessing we go defense on the other pick - as there are a lot of good impact guys in this draft. However, I wouldn’t be surprised if we loaded up on offensive skill players early - even both our #1 picks. I think in the 2nd round we could target an offensive lineman or a safety (such as Nasir Adderley) - assuming we don't draft an OL or DB in the first round. Packers have a lot of needs, so whatever we do, it should be fun.

Houston IF Alex Bregman has signed a five year extension with $100M. The deal buys out Bregman's three years of arbitration and two years of free agency. It takes Bregman through his age 30 season. https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2019/03/astros-extend-alex-bregman-six-years-100-million.html

Gio Gonzalez finally finds a home with the Yankees. Surprisingly, only a minor league deal. He gets $3M, plus 300k for every game he starts, which is not insignificant. If he makes 30 starts, that's $9M extra. Still has to make the team, which shouldn't be an issue barring injury. Thought for sure Gio would get a better deal than this.

Tigers starter Michael Fulmer is likely going under the knife. Tough break for all concerned. https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2019/03/michael-fulmer-expected-to-undergo-tommy-john-surgery.html

Angels and Mike Trout have agreed to a new deal - 12-year, $430M. Trout is set for the rest of his career as he is under contract through age 39. He was set to be a free agent after the 2020 season. Deal comes out to $35.83M per season. http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/26306935/sources-angels-trout-430m-extension

As a note, we will look to do our Pre-Season poll in the next couple of weeks. I don't expect lots of change from the post-season poll, but we will still see how things shake out.

Taking on a catcher with $39M remaining on his contract, PLUS is having TJ on his throwing arm -- that just seems foolish. Perez has been a good player, but who knows how TJ surgery is going to affect him. Why risk taking on this kind of contract with the health uncertainty ahead of you? Especially when Perez is a good - but not great - player. Even if KC picked up all of this year's salary - which is $11M - you're still on the hook for $28M for 2020-21. That seems kind of crazy for a catcher coming off TJ.