MNBrew
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Everything posted by MNBrew
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I'm thinking Shields might cost a little more than that, JB12, but maybe only one more player & he wouldn't have to be better than Rogers & Morris. There are a zillion ideas being tossed around, but both those ideas you mention (Shields for Morris/Rogers, FA relievers Howell & Rauch) make a whole lot of sense, though Rauch's time here in MN showed me he's someone I'd likely prefer to see in the 7th than in the 8th. That said, if the bullpen were this, I'd think it's pretty solid: Axford Henderson Rauch Veras Howell Kintzler + someone from the minors with options remaining That could be a pretty respectable and probably pretty versatile, too, since both Rauch (majors) & Henderson (minors mostly) also have closer experience. I'm not sure JB12's ideas are the ultimate ones, but collectively there's some solidly rooted logic and realism to them. Even if it meant overpaying, I'd take Grant Balfour over Rauch in a heartbeat every day of the week.
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Ramirez has been pretty darn consistent over his career & his numbers this year, while a bit better, still are hardly ridiculously off career norms.
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Possible Trade Targets - Starting Pitching
MNBrew replied to sveumrules's topic in Transaction Rumors & Proposals
I had thought about Jon Lester back in August when his name was "out there" in potential/speculated trade discussions. Now, if Boston's looking to dump that contract & if the Brewers are willing to take the whole contract on the condition that non-top prospects are all it'll take (or non-tender types like Parra or Loe, thinking optimistically), I'd try to do that deal. Assuming there's no lurking injury or obvious/scouted flaws (e.g., notable velocity drop), he's a bounce-back candidate given his very strong track record AND a trade like that is comparable to a FA signing anyway. -
Brewers 2012-2013 Offseason Optimism Thread
MNBrew replied to torts's topic in Milwaukee Brewers Talk
Between Gamel, Green, Ishikawa, & Bianchi, they certainly have plenty of IF reserves . . . plus the possibility of bringing Gonzalez back, which would bump Bianchi back to AAA for sure unless he were the backup & Segura were at AAA (not that I'm advocating for Segura at AAA). I could see one reserve OF like maybe a Reed Johnson type (Reed Johnson himself wouldn't be a bad move), although that may be the role Ishikawa fills if they play around w/ Gamel &/or Green in the OF as well. However you slice the backup IF & OF situations, I sure like our offense overall going into next year, esp. if Rickie comes back healthy & playing well. . . . To me, it's really the pitching where some crafty/precise GM work needs to be done. . . . And even then, the fact that some of the younger/cheaper arms are positioned to contribute based on positive MLB contribution already, we can be pleased knowing Melvin likely won't feel he needs to bring in 5-6 proven MLB arms! To my thinking, the most shrewd GM-ing Melvin needs to do this winter doesn't lie in those 2-3-4 MLB moves (1 OF reserve, maybe 1 SP, for sure a couple BP arms), but in making sure there's plenty of depth to draw from beyond those seemingly inevitable MLB moves. Quality depth is what saved our cans down the stretch this year when we got hot -- having capable talent ready to fill MLB roles & gaps created by injuries, trades/releases, & demotions. -
Howell, yes. The other two, no. Jeremy Affeldt is a $7.7M/yr reliever? Whoa. That's nearly closer's money and we have a closer.
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Paul, I like that you brought up Saito b/c not every FA vet = an even mildly absurd contract. Saito was 1 yr/$1.5M or something right in that range. That's just over half what Loe & Parra each got paid last year, and for a whole lot better production! The best answers often don't lie in the biggest names or biggest dollars, but in the wisest decisions. Of course, what makes those wisest decisions the wisest is often borne out through performance, which can't be certain in advance. Anyway, I'd still take the right FA starter on the right deal (assuming he agrees to it, whether it's my ideal one -- Greinke -- or an Edwin Jackson or Jake Peavy or whomever). On a related thought, I'd take at least 1-2 "right" relievers via trade or FA (including K-Rod if the price is right) over another year of Loe or Parra! (Addendum: If there's anything to this (http://www.620wtmj.com/news/local/173964751.html), however, it might be time to move on from K-Rod based on principle, not on pitching.)
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Parra has million-dollar stuff, but he has 50-cent confidence & a lousy-for-Class-A career walk rate. He should be good. But the best year he had was the year he came up from the minors & joined the rotation mid/late-year . . . and that was a LONG time ago. I like the guy's ability & I really keep wanting him to do well. But it's been long enough that I'm thinking it's simply time to move on. (and Kam Loe can follow him out the door -- the negatives are increasingly outweighing the positives, so it's time to move on from him, too...)
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The one silver lining to tonight's bullpen overuse caused by scratching Gallardo (which seems more like 1-game protection, not really 2-year workload, however logical their rationale) is this: Roenicke at least didn't put Livan Hernandez out there. Point? At least they used a bunch of over-used arms which have been pretty productive for the most part (Loe aside), not the most worthless one who's shown no skill at all lately in getting anyone out without giving up exponentially more runs before getting pulled.
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... or be able to take advantage of an opportunity that could be presented by another teammate's injury, just like Hart & Aoki did after Gamel's injury to put Gamel into this situation.
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Whew! Besides another nice win, it's at least mildly comforting that now the number in the loss column can only begin with a 7.
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A LH Brady Clark? Geez. Brady Clark originally (meaning when he came up w/ CA) was seen as having potential been good at several things but ultimately never proved terribly good at anything -- and by his later MIL years proved very well that he could become pretty terrible at many things . The only way I think those two players belong in the same sentence are these two: 1. Nori Aoki & Brady Clark each played OF for the Brewers. 2. Nori Aoki is already much better than Brady Clark ever proved to be.
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Should we bring back K-Rod next year?
MNBrew replied to HiAndTight's topic in Transaction Rumors & Proposals
The only thing K-Rod proved convincingly this season is that he should NOT be pitching in the closer's role. No one wanted him at the deadline (or felt he was worth surrendering anyone of value in exchange for) and I can't see any way he gets "closer money" on the FA market. -
Here's what I see about Axford: - Way too many walks, mainly because he hasn't been able to throw the curve for strikes with much consistency (at times, even at all, let alone with any semblance of consistency). - Didn't Axford just convert like 13 straight save opps before today? While some of his other numbers have stunk, the fact is that over April, May, August, & September, he only blew 3 saves including the one today. It's his 7-for-13 months of June & July where he was beyond putrid & seemed to do little right. - Today's "reversion" to that awful form is what has our collective sky falling about his ability, value, & worth to the future of this team. I want him in next year's bullpen. And he sure needs to regain his command. The legitimately "lousy" control he's had this year has to improve notably & do so with consistency. . . . And at this point I'm also rather glad the long-term contract talks never reached a point of closure.
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I'd agree that LH relievers represent a major gap in our bullpen, but that's not to say that there's a need. We need better relievers overall next year (some of which are already here), regardless of the hand with which they pitch.
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Yeah, but only once it got to about mid-May. The first month-plus was ugly -- it might as well have been Franklin Stubbs hitting behind him.
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MVP votes or not, it's fun watching Ryan Braun put on another impressive late-season push toward some statistical milestones in the midst of this playoff push. - He entered September w/ 21 SBs, which projects to finishing with about 25. Well, he's at 29 SBs now w/ 7 more games to swipe #30. - He entered September w/ 150 hits -- in the Top 10 in BA, but 50 hits from another 200-hit season. Well, he's making it interesting: 32 hits so far w/ 7 games left. Highest one-month total was 34 in August. While the odds are very slim, you still can't quite count Braun out. - While the BA crown is too far off, this September push has still seen him boosting his BA a lot at the time of year it's hardest to pull that off. Shoot, he's only hitting .356 this month -- wow! Braun's very much a team-first guy, but it's also cool knowing how his efforts are making a major contribution to this playoff push. Now here's hoping the Brewers run the table w/ Braun's offense being among the greatest reasons for it. Most players couldn't pull this stuff off. Maybe Braun can't either, but the guy has incredible drive to go w/ his incredible talent and you simply can't rule him out. Has anyone else been noticing this huge finish? Do you think he'll make 30 SBs or 200 hits? (Of course, I'd take making the playoffs over the stats. But the stats are fun to follow, too, esp. as long as they're winning.)
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Players of past eras using amphetamines & greenies, Gaylord Perry's blatant "spitters" & other doctored balls . . . Lots of those guys in the HOF. The list of players who've "cheated" or taken things they shouldn't to gain a competitive advantage goes back for multiple generations. That the writers would suddenly apply "moral standards" to current players -- whether their actions are known or merely suspected (circumstantial evidence or not) -- without also applying it to players already in the HOF reeks of arbitrary-ness and double standards. Some have argued that steroids are different because they were illegal at the time. Well, so was the upper -- cocaine -- taken by our beloved Paul Molitor and lots of his '70s & '80s peers who've since made the HOF, but that's not being held to the same standard, which again seems arbitrary or selective. I'm one who readily admits with great frustration that the standards for right & wrong are often compromised or neutered in today's society. But I think there's so much contradiction -- and unknown -- that drawing ACCURATE moralistic lines is darn near impossible, & so when it comes to drugs/steroids/etc., all eligible guys whose play & career is deserving ought to be in.
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Pending any FA signings, I'd still bet they approach ST by saying that only Gallardo has a spot for sure, and that all the other young guys still need to win ST competitions to earn their spots in the rotation. .... And I think it's also safe to say that even if the team states it in that way, what Fiers, Estrada, plus probably Rogers & Peralta did in the 2012 Mil. rotation well may still give them an inside track on some of those "open" rotation spots. I'll also add that I think that Fiers is just fatigued/tired even though he's not saying so. His 5 K's in 2 innings at one point last night shows he still has it. It's just the continual building process in the longer MLB season & exceeding previous IP amounts.
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NO TO BEDARD. I see your "NO TO BEDARD" and raise you a double-strength "NO TO LIRIANO." I've watched WAY too many of his starts the past few years to be fooled by his stats and his few good starts. Million dollar arm. Million dollar stuff. 50 cent confidence and sometimes, therefore, 50 cent decision making.
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Whew! Back over .500. Keep the momentum going!
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I took it the same way. Braun's performance more than justifies it and the increases in many of his #'s w/o Prince behind him and in spite of the positive test pressures & backlash are factors that should matter hugely, but Stark points out that many voters will vote on sentiment and shallow whim rather than legitimate on-field reasoning.
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I like our young starting pitching.......................BUT
MNBrew replied to rickh150's topic in Milwaukee Brewers Talk
I've seen Francisco Liriano included on some people's lists of FA SPs to consider. After watching him up here the past several years, I really hope to see him at Miller Park . . . pitching for the visiting team. He's a long, long way from being the pitcher he used to be. -
I'd love to see Fiers or Aoki named ROY -- I'd think Aoki's chances are much better. But I also doubt either ends up w/ it. For all his potential, Harper's year has been nothing spectacular, so I think the greatest injustice possible (relatively speaking) would be if he won it b/c he's just not that deserving by comparison.
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Stating the obvious, if you can make it into the playoffs, even if it's as the 5th-worst team and merely earn the right to play a one-game "play-in" to the NLDS, you still have a chance. "Pennant race" is a semantically incorrect phrase (since the regular season itself hasn't automatically decided the pennant for 50 years or whatever) and "pennant chase" or "playoff hunt" are probably more apropos for the current day. . . . But ultimately that's not the point! The point is that the Brewers are playing in a way which, if they can keep it up, gives them a solid/fighting chance to make the postseason. They're out of it by less at this point than the Cardinals were on this date last year. A lot can happen, good or bad. But being in this position right now sure as heck beats a September where the best they can possibly hope for is getting a good, thorough, & positive MLB look at a number of prospects. Granted, there are a zillion reasons why the Brewers should be far better than a .500 team right now. But things didn't work out that way and, for how crappy much of the season has been, I'm thrilled we're finally back at .500 and playing good ball. I can't wait to follow each day's game online or on the radio if I'm driving carpools or running errands (106.3 FM out of River Falls carries at least somewhat across most of the Twin Cities metro area).
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If we could bring Valerio de los Santos back, I think we'd have every DLS from MLB in the past 30 years on the current roster. I wonder where that guy is these days.