TheCrew07

I didn't list just one player as Lawrie is a Wild Card on the IF, we have plenty of OF depth, so there's multiple options in there at just about every position except for SS (and Prince and Brewer might someday figure in as well), I didn't even list guys like Schafer. Of course some of the prospects may struggle or fail, that's not the issue. The issue is that people keep insisting that the window closes when Fielder walks, which just isn't true. We have a ton of high talent pitching in the pipeline that will arrive right as Fielder walks, which is also something this current team does not posses much of. Just because you might want to win now, doesn't mean that it's not possible to have a better all around team 3 or 4 years from now. With much better pitching talent the team wouldn't have to score as many runs to win... I don't think it's a stretch at all to think that the team as a whole could be better in 2011 than it was in 2008. For some reason we tend to get hung up on Runs Scored, but Runs Prevented are just as valuable. Gamel has much better range than Fielder today, has a better glove today, Gamel is taller, has a wider wingspan, and is more athletic, thus would be a better target at 1B. Gamel is plus defender at 3B minus his crappy throwing.. at 1B he wouldn't have to make throws. Fielder is an average defender at his best, I don't think it's very difficult to see how Gamel could be a better defender at 1B than Prince. Fielder is a much defender than he was last season, in that there's no doubt, but Gamel has the potential to be Teixeira good at 1B.

I guess that depends how close a fan believes his/her team is to the playoffs. Again to give up what Atlanta did for Teixeira, to miss the postseason, only to flip the player the following season for much less would be absolutely crippling to the Brewer franchise. In Boston or even Atlanta, you can go out and win a bidding war for a frontline talent in free agency to fill a hole. That's simply not the case if you're the Brewers, who are we going to outbid for any player of significance? Atlanta gave up 3 of the top prospects in all of baseball, plus a young latin kid whom no one had heard of in Feliz, and Feliz will be a dominant big league pitcher... Altanta got essentially nothing for all the talent they gave away. If the Brewers make a trade of that magnitude the end goal has to be the World Series, not just getting to the post season. I'm on the fence if Halladay would get the Brewers over the hump to get into the post season, let alone the WS. Yo and Parra are just too unknown at this time, I'd feel much better about things if Yo had pitched at all last season, but he didn't, and he's struggling to get through 6 IP in under 100 pitches... I honestly have no idea how long he'll remain as effective as he's been. He could very well last all season, but he may not, and I'm dead in the middle right now, no strong feeling either way. I am concerned about his pitch counts given his history, but that's a different thread entirely. If we acquire Halladay and Yo runs out of gas then we are done, it's that simple... there's a rather large risk factor that should be considered here, which seems to be getting overlooked by many. That one stupid play at Wrigley continues to hurt over a year a later.

If you believe in Fangraphs value system, the coming in to last season Prince Fielder (30) was of equal value to James Shields (29), then Hardy is easily worth a top prospect with no established track record, especially given that Boston has the means to resign him. I value your opinion and really don't want to get caught up debating what pundits have to say, the whole east coast bias angle, or any of those side issues. In terms of straight value (emotion aside) that's a pretty reasonable deal for both side. I have no doubt that a great many Brewer fans and Red Sox fans alike would think the deal stunk. However Hardy is a already an established player with a WAR value in multiple seasons over 4.5... and at 4.9 last season, was the most valuable player on the team. For the Red Sox only Pedroia and Youkilis would have been better position players.

I feel bad for Cutter, in the same way I felt bad for Prince. It's too bad that the guy who got scammed when he was a ballplayer turned into the scammer post career.

I don't get why he changed his hands, his stance wasn't broke, now he broke it by adding unnecessary complication to his swing. This happens to be a pet peave of mine... movement without reason that complicates and slows everything else down. Bring the hands back in and put them where they belong JJ. I'll probably freak out when I have to watch Salome everyday...

Again people are getting caught up in 1 for 1 replacements where the replacement player isn't as productive as the original. The drop in Production from Hardy to Escobar, and Fielder to whomever can be made up in upgrades elsewhere... like 2B, 3B, C, RF, and CF. A lineup like the following would be as solid top to bottom as we've ever had. Cain - CF (less BBs but higher BA than predecessor, OBP likely a wash, probably less HRs, defensively maybe a slight downgrade? Weeks -2B (could be a huge upgrade over himself) Gamel - 1B (slight down grade from Fielder offensively, much better defender) Braun - LF (should keep getting better towards his peak) Green - 3B (much better production than Hall, steady but unspectacular in the field) Salome/Lucroy - C (huge offensive upgrade over Kendell, 20 HR potential in both players) McGehee/Gindl/Dennis/Whomever - RF (maybe a slight upgrade over Hart, Gindl and Dennis both bat LH) Escobar - SS (will hit for a better average, probably not as much power, walk less, but will steal bases and play better D) Pitcher Don't get hung on the order itself or the positions, I just threw it together, the point is that there isn't a single "out" in the lineup except for the pitcher's spot. Lawrie is obviously an impact bat that will likely figure in there someplace as well (maybe he ends up at 3B if Green is traded). The point is, take out Hardy and Fielder and I still like that line up. The only wildcard production wise is Hart, any of the 3 players I listed would outperform him today, but if he gets back up around .280 with 20 HRs I'm not sure how much of an upgrade we'd get there. We don't have a prospect with plus plus power potential like fielder in A ball or above at this time. edit. figured out the formatting issue.

Ahh but he wasn't... his last start was closest to his career BB/9 and K/9... those are my primary concerns for him... keep the walks down and get the K's back up. He simply needs to quit nibbling and just get after hitters, in doing so he'll walk less people and the hitters will get themselves out more. Listening to the audio interviews it was kind of funny that every time he started to struggle out came Bosio to the mound to tell him what to throw. Maybe the Brewers should take that approach, he walks the pitcher, out goes Castro to the mound to remind him how to attack the lead-off batter. It seems that he really lets his mistakes get to him, instead of just refocusing for the next hitter.

Well this is development issue to a limited extent, the the theory is that the crowd should get bigger as prospect advances, part of getting past the "wow" factor in terms of playing in front of so many people. Rogers had a lengthly interview that I put in the Link Report from yesterday, there's more information there regarding the great relationship the Brewers have with all of their affiliates (sentiments echoed out of Appleton and Nashville as well). Both Nashville and Huntsville need new stadiums, I see Ash's comments as he's lending a helping hand to Rogers, trying to get the word out and the awareness up. At least people in Huntsville are actually talking about the stadium now. I'm not sure I buy some of their claims about loudness and not enough baseball. T-Rats games aren't about the baseball for the fans, it's about the experience of the ball park, and it's no different when I listen to games on the radio, you can hear pretty much the exact same things going regardless of the broadcast, Helena, WI, Huntisville, or Nashville... I can hear all of the promotions/events in the stadiums during the games. Hell the people in Missoula MT are such sheep they'll yell "PEANUTS" every 10 seconds between pitches and drive a listener insane... Peanuts are just not that exciting people! The MLB experience isn't really about watching the game either, or people would actually stay in their seats and be somewhat considerate of those around them, it's about the experience of the ball park. One thing that stuck with me from the audio interview yesterday is that people in Huntsville seem real hung up in Oakland's bashers that came through town in the 80s like McGwire and Canseco, and don't see to realize or care that some of the best young players in the NL have come through town recently in Gallardo, Weeks, Fielder, and Braun. Just a strange situation.

Well that's disappointing to say the least... he's the one pick after the 10th that I really wanted to sign who hasn't yet.

If Parra struggles upon his return can I be the first to ask what the point of sending him down was? He only pitched well in 1 game, his last, why not pitch him at least 1 more time down there to see if he's really back or not?

I liked the idea before and still do, it wouldn't be a popular trade in most circles though.

I guess to put this in perspective some for those who don't know the prospects very well in either system. Feliz throw his fastball 94-95 consistently, hitting 99 on occasion, he's got an arm like Jeffress. He's tall, built solidly, and knows how to pitch. He'll struggle with his command here and there, but MiLB rated him as the 9th best prospect in the game after last season. Feliz skipped A+ going directly from A to AA last season, he had 153 Ks in 127.1 IP... he's a machine. At the time of the trade he was in rookie ball. Andrus again is similar to Escobar, stole more bases, but has a much a lighter bat than Esky does at this point. When I talked about Escobar letting comparisons get to his head I was referring to a comparison between these 2 players where Andrus won the speed catagory because he stole more bases, a total of 54 last season. Escobar has been young for his league, Andrus has been even younger. At the time of the trade they both started in A+ though Esky got bumped to AA after the break. Andrus was rated the #2 prospect in Atlanta's system at the time of the trade by Baseball America. Jones is another projectable framed LHP and had high 80s low 90s type fastball with a good curve, he was a supplemental first round pick in 2005 and was anointed the next great Braves pitching prospect, it just never came to be. I've found reports that said he struggled early in games and with men on base. I'm not sure how relieving was the best option for him. He always had good K rates but an alarming walk rate, his WHIP and ERA were never very good. He's somewhat similar to Frederickson now that I think about it, but Evan has gotten better results and seems to be improving. At the time of the trade he was 5-0 in the SAL (repeating the league) with a 2.96 ERA, it appeared he had broken out as a reliever after struggling as a starter. Harrison is a LHP pitcher with a very nice projectable frame, has similar velocity to Parra but they have different pitches, and Parra always had better peripheral numbers. They've both shown flashes of brilliance and struggled over all in the Majors. Again at the time of trade he was pitching very well in AA. Harrison was rated the #3 prospect in the Atlanta system by Baseball America at the time of the trade. Salty again was another supplemental first round pick, a switch hitter, very good power potential, not a great receiver behind the dish, was blocked by McCann, but he was the #1 prospect in Atlanta's system according to BA. Atlanta gave up their 1, 2, and 3 prospects along with a tremendous upside pitcher in Feliz, and a projectable LHP drafted out of HS recently converted to relief in Jones. Our current 1, 2, 3 are Escobar, Gamel, and Lawrie... then they a guy with Jeffress velocity, and a HS LHP who's a poor man's Frederickson. If we make a deal that lopsided for a similar result (sitting on the outside looking in) I might need to be put on suicide watch.

Feliz is a stud pitching prospect, similar to Peralta I guess. Andrus is a top prospect, right there with Escobar, though he hasn't hit as well. MiLB had him ranked at 21 in the off-season top 50. Harrison was another top propect in the Atlanta organization, I believe he was top 5 prior to the trade and in AA, no Brewer comp comes to mind immediately. Jones was a 1st round pick by Atlanta, he's struggled thus far though and he's a relief pitcher.. I forget how hard he throws, and what he throws, his name was familiar and I remembered it from the draft. Salty was another 1st round pick. He's been somewhat disappointing as well, he's a C, 1B now. Huge prospect at the time, a switch hitter with middling power, another guy we don't have anyone who really compares. All in all, a great trade for Texas, the throw in player Feliz may turn out to be the best player in the trade and they acquired a ton of talent. Probably one of Atlanta's worst trades, Atlanta didn't go anywhere and spun Teixeira for much less to the Angels. edit. Tigerbrew I don't necssarily agree with your comps. Parra to Harrison is fair.... is Dillard supposed to be Feliz? Swindle to Jones? Escobar and Adrus are compared by everyone. Salome to Salty.. I see what your doing in them being the best catchers in the organization at the time of the trade, but they are very dissimilar at the plate.

Huntsville on it's way to getting swept by a team they beat 13 out of 15 in the first half...

Crazy play in Helena, Brewers have runners on 1st and 2nd, the pitcher Balks, it's not called, the pitcher throws to 2nd and the ball goes into CF, both runners froze, then the ball gets under the CF's glove and both runners move up to 2nd and 3rd on an error on the CF.

Steve interviews prospect Damon Krestalude. Damon says he's got good run on his fastball which tops out in the upper 80s, talks about his delivery, developing pitches, and dealing with failure.

It was a line shot to the LF, no way he was scoring regardless.

Yo does waste too many pitches, but he's been doing that since he was in the minors. I hope at some point he'll become more economical with this pitches. Is it just me or has base running becoming a lost art? I don't recall ever seeing this many horrible outs on the bases (not only Brewer games) in a season before? It's like an epidemic!

Brett interviews GM Buck Rogers regarding the stadium.? Very interesting comments from Buck regarding the Brewer organization and the Huntsville fan base.? Very intriguing and informative.? Buck does have a mic problem in the middle so be ready to turn up your volume to catch all his comments.

Chris interviews just drafted Peter Fatse. I had totally forgotten about the rain delay dance off (posted in off topic I believe). Peter was doing his thing in the Irish line dancing and Cotton Eye Joe segments.

I love Buck Rogers! Brett is currently interviewing him regarding the stadium. This is must listen audio when I get it posted. Wow.

I forget who the GM was with Hammonds but they ate his contract that last season and dumped him.

Wasn't it Erik Cordier?Indeed it was. Well done sir. Colby's response should once again put to bed the questions about the draft, even though it didn't the last time I linked to that post. edit. And yes I looked through the forum page by page to find it.

I'd be shocked if we pulled off a major deal without moving one of the young AAA players who's on the 40 man roster, or more to the point Salome specifically. It stinks that Aguilar, Periard, Rogers, and Scarpetta all need 40 man spots, while none are all that close to the majors today. It's also too bad we lost a year of Periard due to visa issues.

Off topic: Colby knew about that somehow as well, there was a huge debate in the draft room over whom to take, I forget who the other player was and the search on the Draft Forum isn't working or I'd go link the original posts in thread. It's a tad bit unnerving to think of where this team would be without Yo...