Matt Breen

Manny can watch this over and over.

Manny flailing at the last out was pretty sweet. Let that be the lasting memory of the series.

It was a rumor reported (or started) by Jim Bowden (thread link). Bowden reported last January that the Brewers were interested in... "3B Michael Moustakas with the idea that if they signed Moustakas they could trade Travis Shaw to NYY, ATL or NYM according to a club source." Well there's that. Nothing came of Bowden and his rumors. I think Bowden makes up more crap than any national baseball writer. He was a bad front office guy and is a bad reporter. He's all about clicks.

I love Michael Brantley's bat, and if we had a big black hole in LF and a lot of money to spare, he'd be great. But we have neither, so I'd pass. I would also concerned about Brantley's health. I believe he's had on and off back issues for several years, and missed most of 2016 and half of 2017. Also, Brantley is limited to LF at this point of his career. His range is diminished and his arm isn't good. And all of that isn't going to get better. Again, I love Brantley's bat. I can see why we'd want someone who gets on base, makes contact, etc. A team that could put him at DH on occasion would be a good fit. The exception might be if he just doesn't get any offers in FA, and you can get him for a reasonable price. I wouldn't bet on it - but you never know. We've seen some good hitters not get very good offers the past few years.

My main concern with Keston thus far has been he's shown more swing and miss issues than anticipated. In the AFL he has struck out 15 of 50 ABs. His numbers as a pro have been around 20%, which isn't terrible, but it's not great. Heck, Yelich is has a career K rate of about 20% - and I'm not complaining about him. No matter, with his sweet swing, I would love to see a little more contact and a bit of a bump in the walk rate.

Do you suspect there will come a day when American Football will no longer exist, given these things you mention? I don't think it will come to that - but it is diminishing. My old school district recently did not have an 8th grade team after having one for decades. And at the HS level, they won't have separate freshman and sophomore teams. The health issue is certainly on people's minds. You hear it all the time from parents. But I think the other thing is kids simply have more options. Track, cross country, gymnatstics, volleyball, soccer, football, baseball, basketball, swimming, tennis, la crosse, hockey, wrestling, etc., etc. Heck, rock climbing is a sport in Colorado; kids get scholarships for it. And that leads to more specialization as some kids focus on one sport to get really good at it - and thus get some sort of scholarship. All of it means that there will be fewer kids for football. Again, I doubt it will go away as a whole - but it certainly could go away in communities with smaller populations as there are just not enough bodies to fill the roster. I also don't think it's out of the question that some schools abandon football for health reasons. But I think they will be few and far between. It will likely happen - just not a lot.

Ben's dad would attack anyone who criticized his son. He sent PMs to people, went after them on the site, etc. I even got a PM from him once - although it was only mildly combative.

I'd rather go with our young arms than spend on a high dollar veteran. However, if someone falls to the team at a good price - sure. I'm all for it.

Always a fan of this strategy. Grab the guy who looked the best before he started struggling with elbow injuries. This is only slighly hyperbolic, but it's almost better to draft a guy who needs TJ surgery. Get it out of the way and you most likely won't have to worry about it again....at least for a while. Nathan Kirby says hello. He said it doesn't always work out that way. Because Nathan Kirby has struggled should we invalidate the idea?

Good thing to remember. Defensive ratings can potentially reflect the team in some ways. I remember watching Cabrera and not being particularly impressed by defense. But that's just me. Perhaps it's his body type -- he's a little thicker than a lot of middle infielders - and just doesn't look that smooth.

Cabrera is interesting. He's got his warts, but that doesn't mean he can't be good. The bad: At 34 next month, he's going to decline at some point. His defense has never been good and won't get any better with age. He's not terrible, but below average. Might get pricey (in years and money) if someone else really wants him. The good: Switch hitter. He's been a consistent hitter the last few years. He's hit roughly .260-.280 with 15-20 HRs in each of his last four seasons. As noted above, he's hit better away Citi Field - about .50 points in OPS better on the road. So Miller Park would probably be good for him. He doesn't have big splits. He tends to hit for a higher average, but less power, against left handers. He gets more power - but his BA drops - against righties. It sort is a wash - at least looking at OPS. Offers versatility - but isn't really that good at any position. Observations: Would slide in at 2B for the Brewers. We'd give up some defense, but get a more consistent bat that what we have had the past few years. The team would benefit from a consistent guy at 2B, plus the switch hitting bat. If Shaw continues to struggle against lefties, he could get some starts there as well. He would also be a more realistic substitute for Arcia if the latter gets hurt or struggles again. In the end, it really comes down to years and dollars. If he required more than a one year commitment, he could move into a super sub role if Hiura was ready in 2020. But if someone offers him 3 years and $30M, you want to pass. If the team decides he's their man, I wouldn't do more than two years. One year and an option would be better - but I'm guessing at least a 2-year commitment will be necessary.

3-years and $21M seems like a pretty good deal for Arizona. I think Escobar could have gotten more on the open market - but hey, you never know. A lot of 2B/3B types will be out there, and maybe he's the smart guy. A lot of guys like Escobar have not got what they expected the last few years. The guys who sign early seem to be the ones with the best deals. Personally, I would have been happy to have the guy. He's a better version of Perez (at least around the IF). He could have played 2B next year - then become a super sub type guy once Hiura is ready. But whatever. The guy netted himself $21M. His life is set. Good for him.

A lot of good points. Especially payroll, your plan payroll is probably 125-130ish depending on how much Miley/2b/C cost. I'd expect around 20-25 combined per year. I can understand Peralta/Burnes/Woodruff kinda competing for that 5th starter role with the biggest loser ending up in AAA and 2nd loser ending up in the bullpen. One guy you didn't fit in anywhere was Nelson, not sure if you are ignoring him and figuring anything he provides is a bonus. That's a reasonable take considering the injury. I'd like to give 2 rotation spots to younger guys if we can. 2 of Woodruff/Peralta/Burnes. We do have options coming up behind them in AAA. I'm not entirely sold that Chacin/Miley can do this again, so I don't think I want to count on either as more than a 4th or 5th starter. Those young arms are our chance for mid-rotation or better starters...the odds of them becoming that are greater than another low 3s ERA out of either one of Miley/Chacin in my opinion. I forgot about Nelson, but I will stick with my ideas until I know he is healthy. If he is, then we could entertain trading a starter such as Anderson. But I'll hold my breath on Jimmy until I see him. It would be a huge boost if he could come back and pitch next year.

1. Get a catcher to platoon with Pena. Wilson Ramos would be sweet. Kratz is not the answer. I'm fine giving the guy a job at AAA as depth, but not the big league roster. 2. Determine if you want to have Schoop as your 2B in 2019. I am skeptical after his 2018 season, but he was very good just a year ago. The price of $9M+ might help us make this decision. The lure of Schoop putting up his 2017 numbers (.290+BA, 30+ HR) might be too hard to pass up. Otherwise, add a one year stop-gap player. Dozier, Murphy and Harrison are few options. There are some other guys out there as well. All these guys have their warts (age, injuries, etc.), so there's no perfect situation. Hiura may be an option by season's end. 3. Figure out what's up with Domingo Santana. I just don't know. A 30 HR hitting RF would be nice to have - I just don't know if that guy is coming back. 4. Resign Miley to a shorter term deal. Hopefully, two years. Maybe have an option if it's necessary. I'm happy checking in on Patrick Corbin, but he's going to be the top pitcher on the market (barring Kershaw reaching FA), and will just get way too much cash and too many years. 5. Let Soria and Moose become FAs. $10M for a reliever is just a lot of money - especially one who's not that great. Moose just doesn't have a position. 6. Don't tender contracts to Jennings, Cedeno. Neither is that good. It's not a big deal to keep either, but there are other options who will be cheaper. The rest of the roster is good. C - Pina 1B - Aguilar/Thames - I'd keep Thames in case Aguilar plays more like the post-all-star game Jesus. Thames can still contribute as a PH and occasional starter, and he provides valuable depth if Aguilar falters or is hurt. If a trade was worked out for Thames this off season, I'd want to make sure there was a decent fallback available in case Aguilar struggled. SS - Arcia with Dubon as a fallback. 3B - Shaw - His struggles against lefties were troublesome, but he still hit 30 HR and played good defense. Just keep him and hope he can rebound a bit. OF - Yelich, Braun, Cain are set. Again, not sure about Santana. If Domingo is traded, then a solid reserve is needed. SP - Chacin, Anderson, Burnes, Davies, Miley (while Anderson and Davies had their issues last season, they have shown the ability to do well, and I think they can provide solid production, which is really important over a long season). RP - Jeffress, Hader, Torres-Costa, Barnes, Knebel, Guerra, T. Williams, Woodruff Peralta or Woodruff can step into the rotation as needed. Peralta may need to start at AAA to work on his control, but he'll likely be up sooner than later as injuries or someone else's ineffectiveness comes into play. He could also work his way into the bullpen if the club elects to move him there. Big things are depth and financial flexibility. The team's payroll is going to rise with all the arby cases, so avoiding big contracts on luxuries (like Soria) and focusing on our homegrown talent is critical. We add a few 2nd tier FAs, but nothing more. To win, this team needs to take some chances on young players. It's just the way baseball works for a small market club.

Burnes specifically said he will throw four pitches if he goes back to starting. “I mixed in the curveball and slider out of the pen … obviously we didn’t throw the changeup much because we didn’t need a fourth pitch,” he said. “I’d mix it more in as a starter. https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/mlb/brewers/2018/10/21/brandon-woodruff-corbin-burnes-showcase-potential-2019-brewers-rotation/1694782002/ I'm not saying he will be effective as a starter, just that using the data for his time as a reliever does not reflect on how he would pitch in the rotation.

Two wins in a row? No problem. We just did a 12 game run, so two is easy. Go Crew!

Article about Arcia and his adjustments on JSonline. https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/mlb/brewers/2018/10/15/after-rocky-regular-season-orlando-arcia-becomes-brewers-mr-october/1645818002/ "The main focus is just getting my (front) foot down, getting 'loaded' early and being able to recognize pitches. And I think that's what I've been able to do, and everything just takes care of itself."

Thanks for bringing this up. I don't watch enough games to notice things like this, but it's encouraging to know that there may be hope that Orlando can develop into a better hitter. His glove is so good, you just want the bat to get to a point that it's acceptable, so he can be counted on as an everyday player.

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I love Goldschmidt, but - for various reasons - I don't think he fits with Milwaukee. - 1 year of control - Fairly expensive ($14.5M for 2019) - Will cost a lot to obtain - Already have a decent, low-cost alternative Perhaps if we had a loaded farm system - I could see making such a deal. Or if we only had a one-year 'window' before us. Goldschmidt's bat would be great in our lineup. But this team is being built for long-term success. A one-year rental of a great player is a very 'all in' move - especially when we lack a really deep farm system. It does not hurt to check in on what the cost of Goldy would be - but I'm guessing it will be a lot.

I'm thinking the same thing - especially when you take in the cost, which will be near $10M in his final year of eligibility. I will say that if the team can get him to sign for significantly less - they may keep him. But yeah, he's not shown a lot. However, they may count on a rebound season. Who knows.

I believe free agency starts 5 days after the World Series ends.

Against Colorado, I'd start as many right-handers as possible. They have a .738 OPS against right handers, but a .799 OPS against lefties. That's a huge difference.

He's doing his 24oz curls instead of 12oz curls. Progress. Next up is a 40oz can.

That. For me, I never blamed Molitor for not signing after `92. I blamed Bando. It was his job to keep a star like that - to find a way. And Molitor's last six years would have been worth every penny. For me, it would have been like seeing Walter Payton play three years with two other NFL teams... Bando offered Molitor a one-year deal for $2.3M. It was $1M in salary, and $1.3M in deferred payments. Plus the team wanted a $2M club option. The team, if I recall, ultimately offered him arbitration, which would have resulted in a deal nearer to $4M for one year. But the Crew knew he'd turn it down. Molitor would sign with Toronto for three-years and $12.9M. Kind of hard to to blame Molitor for that. The team - Bando in particular - were pretty much set on getting rid of him. Here's a nice rundown of this affair: https://shepherdexpress.com/sports/brew-crew-confidential/messy-divorce-brewers-paul-molitor/ I will say that I was crushed when Molitor left. I was 15 when he came up with the Crew, and I got to love the team watching him and Yount and all of the Harvey's Wallbangers crew. But Molitor was my favorite, and when he left, it stung. But I was old enough see the numbers and know why it happened. But it still stung. This was one event in a long string of poor moves made by Brewer management - primarily Sal Bando. I still can't believe that guy stayed GM for eight years. The team was mismanaged badly during this time and it took a long time for it to recover.