adambr2

Most were severely disappointed in a 2018 rotation that included Wade Miley and Jhoulys Chacin as our best starters and that team missed the World Series by one game. Our severe disappointments do not always translate into actual disappointing results on the field and this again is why I think they've earned the benefit of the doubt regardless of who they do or do not add to the roster before March. Who really thought that Drew Pomeranz was going to be Josh Hader 2.0 for us last year in the second half? These guys are better at their job than we are at trying to do it for them.

When you lose 1/3 of the starters on your team there is going to be doubt as to the credibility and competitiveness of the future of your beloved team. I get it we are a small market team but the fans have supported this team through attendance and apparel etc as if it was one of the Largest markets in baseball. And they've been rewarded for that support with winning baseball the last three years. 1/3 of the starters? People couldn't wait to get Shaw out fast enough. A replacement player at 3rd would be an upgrade by default. SS has been upgraded. Yes, they'll miss Moose and Grandal. They still have a ton of time and the most important addition they're making is getting back a top 3 player in all of baseball. As Joey said, still a ton of time.

He was a light out reliever for the Cubs in 2015. Not sure what happened since.

I like it a lot. But it's not my money. I liked Lowrie a lot last year too and he could still have value.

Shaw isn't going to be back. I think both parties just have reasons that maybe a change of scenery is best right now. I also think he'll get a MLB deal based on his track record from 2017 and 2018. He'll be a great cheap rebound candidate for someone that misses out on the expensive options.

I'm not addressing this to anyone specifically in this thread, but I just find it remarkable that a GM who has brought winning baseball back to Milwaukee, made the playoffs in consecutive seasons and has averaged, yes averaged over 90 wins per season the last 3 years has not earned even a little bit of the benefit of the doubt from some. Moose and Grandal go off the board and some other FAs outgain their projections in free agency and it's just mass panic from some. It's early December. There are so many free agents without a home especially after the arbitration deadline. I love the trade we made with the Padres. The winter meetings are coming. There will probably be more trades to be made. It's a fun time of year and I can't wait to see what DS has in store for the 2020 team.

Re: Homer: College: I understand that is IS that way, I just wish it wasn't. I understand that just making the Rose Bowl generally constitutes a fantastic season for the Badgers and in some cases a Sweet 16 appearance alone is a successful season. Just seems pretty unfair to me with all the cawing the NCAA does about fair play and competitive balance that basically 3 teams have a monopoly on national championships and the rest of us have been so conditioned to that just being the way it is that we've accepted the pats on the head and "good jobs" of just making a NY6 bowl or a Sweet 16 run.

That's the way it's designed, that's often not the way it works in reality. They can't submit a salary that they necessarily think is fair, they submit a salary that they think would have a chance to be awarded in arbitration. If the Brewers would have tendered Schoop last offseason for instance, a "fair" offer based on his estimated FA might have been 5M, which is what he actually ended up getting. If the Brewers had submitted that offer in arbitration, they would have been slaughtered in arbitration and Schoop would have gotten whatever figure he submitted, probably $10-$11M. The Brewers would have had to submit an overpay offer of about 8-9M to have a chance of winning even knowing that would be an overpay relative to his free agent value. Thus the increased non-tenders and broken arbitration system. Schoop actually signed for 7.5 million. Teams don't compare similar players to determine pay in a vacuum. Using Schoop for example at this time in 2018; he was 26 years old, averaged 26 homers per 162 games, had a .257 batting average across 2484 career at bats. Played a premium position 3B, and was not a liability defensively. He made 8.5 million for the 2018 season. Anyone here would give 10 million dollars for those offensive numbers from a third baseman when viewed in a vacuum. In fact, Moustakas made more than that with the Brewers in 2019. The Brewers cut him loose over concerns his poor play down the stretch would spill into 2019. The Twins got him at a bargain for 7.5 million due to the bear market that was the 2018 off season. Don't forget Schoop went out an hit .256 for the Twins with 23 homers in a 121 games. If Moustakas is getting 16 million per in 2020, Schoop is probably going to be just a bit behind in AAV for 2020. Yeah, I remembered wrong on Schoop. A better example would be when we non-tendered Chris Carter. Had we tendered him, we would have been forced to offer 8-10M and he signed for much less. My point was, there are many examples in recent history of arbitration estimates exceeding likely FA value of players, thus the increased amount of non-tenders of good players, thus the need for an overhaul of the arbitration system.

The NBA is as exciting as it’s been in years, certainly more entertaining than the NFL. Why bother posting in here if you don’t follow it? Just craving attention or what? I follow from afar for the Bucks is about it. I seriously wonder why it has such a strong following. The top teams will win just about every night and will meet up in the finals. What suspense is there with the league? It's not at all competitive for the most part. Doesn't this pretty much apply to NCAA football and basketball as well? Heck, 90% of college football games have ridiculously high spreads and aren't competitive at all and you go into every season knowing that OSU, Clemson, and whichever SEC team makes the playoff are about the only 3 teams with a chance to win it all.

Yelich is under club control through 2022. It's highly unlikely that any moves they are making now have anything to do with a Yelich extension. Far more likely that they just didn't think Grandal and Moose were worth the salaries they received in free agency.

That's the way it's designed, that's often not the way it works in reality. They can't submit a salary that they necessarily think is fair, they submit a salary that they think would have a chance to be awarded in arbitration. If the Brewers would have tendered Schoop last offseason for instance, a "fair" offer based on his estimated FA might have been 5M, which is what he actually ended up getting. If the Brewers had submitted that offer in arbitration, they would have been slaughtered in arbitration and Schoop would have gotten whatever figure he submitted, probably $10-$11M. The Brewers would have had to submit an overpay offer of about 8-9M to have a chance of winning even knowing that would be an overpay relative to his free agent value. Thus the increased non-tenders and broken arbitration system.

I think any non-tendered player would consider it insulting to get an offer from the team that non-tendered him. They had every opportunity to bring him back, but only want to now at a discounted price?! I wouldn't take that deal, and I'd try to land on a division rival just to be spiteful. One of my great joys in life was walking away from a job after being expected to accept a pay cut. I can't imagine a competitive athlete would be any more forgiving than I was. Then maybe MLB and the MLBPA should actually work to fix a terrible arbitration system. Teams aren't dumb. Why would they offer arbitration to a player knowing the outcome is completely out of their hands and they'll likely, in some examples, pay $10M in arbitration to a player whose skills and production is worth half that on the open market? The arbitration system is broken and should have been fixed years ago.

The Rays would never entertain that. And if Hiura ever hits .400 in a full MLB season I will sell my house and use all proceeds to purchase Keston Hiura jerseys.

Come on Briggs ... of all people, you know better. It is Dec. 2. You would think. This is not Briggs' first offseason as a fan.

Yeah, that's a pretty bush league comment by his agent. Shaw was given ample opportunity to turn it around last year. It's a results-oriented business on a contending team. This isn't the Marlins. At some point, the results need to be there. We can't plug a .157 hitter into our lineup for 140 games.

So they are cutting payroll then, right?? Cutting payroll, is cutting payroll. Instead in Yelich's prime you should be increasing it substantially. Payroll is fluid every year, it isn't linear. You don't automatically just increase payroll every year. That's just spending for the sake of spending. You spend when the right deals present itself like with Moose and Grandal last year and manage your resources wisely so that you can afford to make those deals when you need to.

Step away from the keyboard... LOl what else do you expect him to say?? he's not going to come out and fully admit they are cutting payroll...they can just not sign FA's and give the standard "we tried"(like they did with Grandal line) and some of you incredibly guillable, DS slobbering fans would believe it. I don't get it. Were you all Ted Thompson fans too?? Where did his being frugal leave the franchise?? Besides what does DS define as being "competitive"?? Competing for a playoff berth, world series, just not being terrible?? Yes, that's it. Won 90+ games and made ths playoffs the last two years, but to David Stearns, being competitive just means not being terrible. Win 75 games, call it good. Goodness gracious man. Is there any part about being a Milwaukee Brewer fan that you actually enjoy?

Why? It's nothing. It's Nightengale making an aside assumption for clicks. I guarantee you that even if Mark A and Stearns were intent on cutting payroll this offseason, Bob Nightengale would not be privy to that information.

I feel like that on December 20th, 2012 you were probably up all night on Internet forums convinced that the world was ending the next day.

No, they're just winging it. They may not even have a player starting at 3B on opening day.

Claudio I think is pretty surprising. The others aren't.

Odd. It seems more likely to me. The return for Hader can plug some pretty big holes. I think he is in agreement with you. I personally think one has little or nothing to do with the other.

I don't think Moose signing elsewhere makes Hader any more or less likely to be dealt. There is still so much offseason left and far too early to say who our starting 3B will be in 2020. I don't think they are looking at trading Hader as a priority as all but rather an open option where they will let the market come to us and decide whether or not we like what we see.

I remember being at a game in 2002 or 2003 when we clinched the North ridiculously early. Can't remember what week though.

I'd still rather have a Seattle win. I expect the West champ to end up with a 13-3 or better record regardless of the outcome tonight so I don't see Seattle losing being all that beneficial in the end. I'll take the cushion in the division. I don't expect us to win out anyway, but if we do, there's a good chance that will be enough for a bye.