adambr2

Do we really want Brinson on the opening day roster? I'm not sure that makes sense strategically. I was thinking mid 2017.

Might mean something, but I can't imagine he'd describe a PTBNL as a "thrown-in" or "lottery ticket" even if that was the case. Nah, I agree, I'm sure he wouldn't. On the other hand, I don't think he would insult our intelligence by calling it a 'very quality prospect' if it was a nothing prospect/Maxim St. Pierre type. (had to call it that, it's been too long)

I'd take pretty much anything for Nieuwenhuis. If we could get 1 lottery ticket similar to the 3 we got for Lind, that's more than enough.

Hypothetically, what if Braun was waived, claimed by a team on his no trade list, and the Brewers let him walk? Would he be required to report to that team?

One problem is that several of the big market teams have exceeded the luxury tax threshold last year, and will end up paying significant penalties by crossing that line again this year (it was $189M last year - don't know what it will be in 2016). The Dodgers and Yankees are in the 50% tax bracket on any overage (they've crossed the line four years in a row or more). The Red Sox and Giants also paid the luxury tax last year as well, so anything over the threshold will cost them a 30% premium since it will only be their second year in a row crossing the line. If a team crosses the threshold for the first time, the penalty is 17.5% of the overage. This doesn't mean a team won't claim Braun, but it might give a few of them pause to do so. The Giants, for instance, already have around $160M dedicated to about 12 guys next year, and they just might not want the additional salary. Again, doesn't mean they wouldn't do it, but they might think long and hard about it. In the end, I agree that someone would likely want Ryan, but it might not be as clear cut as we think. I agree that Braun's contract is a relative bargain, but teams just don't see it that way. I think GMs are generally cautious with players like Braun, and just because Braun is worth the money now doesn't mean they're convinced he will be in 3 years given his past. I see Braun most likely clearing. Braun has drawn trade interest, but I haven't heard about any team that was interested without us eating a substantial portion of the remainder. I think Braun could draw August interest, but I think any interested parties would wait for him to clear and then try to negotiate with us to pay some of the deal in return for prospects, rather than risk biting the bullet on the entire thing with a waiver claim.

Wow, seriously MLB. If you can't call the neighborhood/slide play at 2nd consistently, don't change the damn rule. You guys are so inconsistent with this, you may as well flip a coin to decide how it's going to be called. Maybe you guys ARE flipping a coin. 3 runs so far that has cost us. You're deciding games because you can't get this figured out.

Doh. Don't know what I was thinking, I saw 'em but for some reason I figured if Wang was with us an entire season he probably hit 50 innings. Obviously I was way off. Wang's looked respectable in Biloxi this year, I believe.

1) Brinson 2) Hader 3) Arcia 4) Ray 5) Diaz 6) Ortiz 7) Bickford 8) Phillips 9) Clark 10) Lopez 11) Erceg 12) Ponce 13) Nottingham 14) Diplan 15) Lara 16) F. Peralta 17) Surer 18) Gatewood 19) Medeiros 20) Woodruff 21) Harrison 22) Taylor 23) Williams 24) Wang 25) Kirby By the way, I keep seeing Wang and included him also, but he still eligible for this list? I thought his year in MLB would have nullified that.

My 11 year old son was devastated. Jeremy was his favorite player. Definitely hope to see him back one day and in the meantime I hope he goes and wins himself a World Series in Texas.

Okay 1 more half inning then I'm going to bed. I hate west coast games, unless I'm working and can listen to it.

Thanks Scooter. He had that stolen.

Brinson 4 for 4 with a double and steal in his Colorado Springs debut.

I'm really sick of the 3-0 green light on this team. It's a terrible statistical move and it never seems to work for us.

Yeah, he had a little bit of a 'Ooo, I have this inside information and you don't, and you'll need to beg me to tell you' attitude. I'd rather just find out later than deal with that.

Wow. That inside strike call to Maldonado had to be one of the worst called strikes I've ever seen

I think you're underestimating the desire of most GMs to assume the risk of picking up a contract that large on a player in his 30s with injury and PED concerns - even a productive one. If there was a team wiling to pick up Braun's entire contract right now, I think we would have seen a lot more chatter about a Braun trade before the deadline. I don't think teams are hesitant to give prospects for Braun, I think they're hesitant to commit to a contract for a player like him through 2020. I know we've been adamant that we're not interested in dumping Braun strictly for salary relief, but any team claiming him risks us re-evaluating the situation, considering his age and injuries and the many outfielders in our pipeline, and saying, 'We're out. We'd rather have the financial flexibility than be paying Braun 20M when he's 36.' Teams say stuff all the time. It doesn't mean much. They'd owe Braun every dime left on his contract. I don't think any team would risk that. I'd bet a lot that he'd clear.

I dunno. I don't know if Will Smith is 'great' but we sure got a great return. But I get what you're saying. 'Guys' like Boyer, Marinez, Torres, without much of a great track record, don't give you much. If Thornburg seizes the closers role, I'll think he'll be a valuable chip this time next year.

Hopefully it's to decide if they want to offer Nieuwenhuis for Fasola because that would be an awful 3rd piece. Not even an organizational top 30. I hope Fasola has nothing to do with the PTBNL, because he would never be on a list with a prospect like Mendez.

I'm hoping that '19/'20 is a big coming out year for some high end prospects of ours. Ray, Clark, and Diaz, if they pan out, should all arrive close to then. Maybe Bickford too if he isn't up yet.

Good thread. Was thinking of posting something like this myself but was aiming more later like 2019/20 when some of our best prospects are ready. For 2018, I can't pencil in Isan Diaz anywhere like I would like to, I don't think he'll be quite there, but maybe AAA knocking on the door by July. Same with Corey Ray. Probably 2019 ETA. Braun at 1st seems plausible, unless he's traded in the mesntime. But we've been projecting Braun at 1st for years and he hasn't played a single inning there to my knowledge, so who really knows. If Scooter is still here in 2018, I don't see any reason he'd be on the bemch. I think he'd still be on 2nd until Diaz arrives, Villar at 3rd. I think people are a little too bullish on Perez. I'd be thrilled if he turns into a Jerry Hairston super utility type, but I don't project him as a starter in 2 years. Outfield looks pretty good to me. Clark and Ray probably won't be ready, Brinson will. Knocking on the door seems about right for Bickford, but Ortiz needs to be in there somewhere. I think he's in the rotation, hopefully, by 2018, at least at some point in the season. I highly doubt that all of Davies, Nelsom, and Guerra will still be here.

I seem to be in the minority, but I'm fine with this move. I totally get the argument about service time, but if he doesn't perform it's pretty easy to justify optioning him back down to buy that service time back. I probably would have kept him down but at some point, you've got to balance the service time concerns, with a guy who is basically ready who needs the big league experience and time to grow. Additionally, Villar may be our future at 3rd if he's not traded, so he needs reps there as well. On that note too, players are people, and they know when you're keeping them down because they're not ready vs. when you're keeping them down to squeeze every bit of service time out of them as you can. Maybe they understand, maybe they don't, but they know and remember. In Arcia'a case, I can see it both ways. I think he would have a legitimate argument that he was ready to begin this season, and we have a legitimate argument that he's not really going to be ready tIl next year. So this seems like a fair compromise. In the end, he's turns 22 on Thursday, his glove is definitely ready, and his bat is probably close to ready, and he's under team control through 2022.

I'm curious, does Braun's 65 game suspension time count toward the accumulation of his 10/5 rights? Anyone know? If so, he should acquire 10/5 in late May next year. If not, it wouldn't be until around the trade deadline next year.

Cosart wants no part of Jimmy Nelson.

I wonder how long until the potential names start to leak. Top prospect seems quite descriptive. Who would fit that bill that isn't Gallo? Mendez or Ibanez? I'm guessing it will be Ibanez or Guzman. Mendez wold be amazing, but if he was on the table as the 3rd piece, I think we'd probably be taking him now, not as a PTBNL.

I'm curious about the validity of a 2009 reference since that was under the previous CBA. However I also can't find anything saying players on the 40 can't be PTBNL. I see that for the 25, but not the 40. http://www.thecubreporter.com/book/export/html/3524 Scroll down to Restrictions on Trading Players.