joshjs

Yankees over Twins in 3. Rangers over Rays in 5.Giants over Braves in 4.Phillies over Reds in 3. Yankees over Rangers in 6.Phillies over Giants in 5. Phillies over Yankees in 5.

@BREWCREW5: I think his value's at a low to date, but it could easily never go up again.

I feel like we weren't going to sign a better FA SP than Randy Wolf, so at the end of the day, I got no complaints. Pretty sure the Milwaukee Brewers are going to have to overpay for free agent starting pitchers for the foreseeable future. Wolf should be better than Suppan, and the contract is shorter. So people can cry Soup on this all they want, but it just makes 'em look dumb to me. YMMV, of course.

Counsell's probably considered by many to be the kind of guy you want on your bench in the playoffs. Whether that "many" includes any GM's with the power to pull that trigger is beyond me, but if I were DM, I'd see what I could get for him at this point. Though, on the other hand, there's something to be said for keeping the guy happy and in his home town, if you want to sign him next year. And I do love me some Counsell.

I'm all for selling now, but trading Hoffman could make it a bit more difficult to sign him to a similar contract for next year, which (and I surprise myself here) I'm kind of hoping they try to do. There's nobody else in the pen right now that I'd want closing games next year, and I'd prefer they not spend a lot on a FA closer, especially in a longer-term deal. The risk/reward & cost/benefit ratios on another one-year Hoffman deal seem about right to me.

I like how, in effect, Braun and Macha are doing a good cop/bad cop kinda of thing. I doubt it's intentional, but it's what it feels like.

That's the sort of stuff you sell at the rummage sale. No, it's the sort of stuff you can't even sell at a rummage sale.

FWIW, I read some rumors about the Cardinals being interested in Holliday and Boston being a good match with the Nats for a Dunn trade. I take both of those suggestions with a grain of salt, but I do agree that STL and BOS are gonna be looking for bats in the near future, too. That raises the price.

I think these shirts are part of some sort of bet Ryan has with his brother Mortimer. Like, "You come up with the UGLIEST t-shirt you possibly can, and I bet if I put it on, I can sell them for a hundred bucks a pop." (Yes, the bet is for a dollar.)

I hereby promise to go attend two extra games if the Brewers sign Tom Glavine.

If you told me Tony La Russa was coming to manage in Milwaukee, I would look around for somebody to high-five. Just sayin'.

I don't have a huge problem with the idea, but I don't do it. One note: If you're going to the game with somebody who's not comfortable with it, don't pressure them to do it with you. That's not cool.

1. I will continue to defend Rickie. 2. I will continue to either rip Bill Hall to shreds or put him on a Chuck Norris-like pedestal, depending entirely on how he performed the previous day. (This one's easy.) 3. I will embrace Braun's power and try my best to ignore the uneasy feeling his mediocre plate discipline gives me. 4. I will accept the face that Suppan is not going to be moved to the bullpen, under pretty much any circumstances, and just quietly root for the guy. 5. I will be nice to @kenmacha. 6. I will purchase a Nachos Grande (chicken, no jalapenos) at every game I attend, unless we tailgate. (This one's really easy.) 7. I will attend at least two road series. 8. I will never leave a ballgame early, no matter the score. 9. I will remember why I love this game, and enjoy every inning, even if the Crew tanks this year.

Braden Looper wouldn't be an exciting signing for many people, but if you look at his numbers and compare him to some of the other names we've tossed around, perhaps he should be. I'm all for it.

I'll be hugely disappointed if Gagne is offered arbitration. Because, if I were him, I'd take it. All the other guys: Sure, offer it.