TheCrew07

Quite a bit of programming on ESPN bothers me, which is why I don't watch much of it outside of college sports.

Weeks watches the best pitch go bye in nearly ever at bat, then flails at some behind in the count breaking ball. It's one thing to have plate discipline, but when they groove a fastball, hit the thing someplace. He's a fastball hitter, regardless of his wrist if he's not going to go after his pitch, which is in most cases a get me over strike one fast ball, he's not going to be very successful. He also seems to be lunging out over the plate when he does swing. Like others have said, until he can at least foul off the breaking balls, I'm not sure if he'll ever be .280+ hitter. He walks enough though that his OBP should always be in the mid 300s someplace.

Gillespie continues to struggle... .167 over his last 10.

I saw that line as well, that's a couple pretty solid outings in a row for him.

You're talking about aquiring a player this year... So you'd trade Hardy, Fielder, Hart, Hall, Braun, in a Sexsonesque type deal? We're talking about having a very competitive window of 4-5 years here and maintaining some long term consistently in winning. It's one thing to dump someone who you have no chance of resigning, it's another to aquire a rent player. The whole reason the rent a player scenario doesn't make sense is the very fact that the Brewers are not going to be able to afford everyone on the team. There has to be someone coming along behind them that can get the job done, ala Fielder vs Overbay. If you trade away all of the top prospects for rental players what's left? The Brewers are not in a position where they can make rental player deals, and never will be. You cannot continually trade away talent, it just keeps pushing your top prospects farther away. Cappy wasn't drafted as a top of rotation pitcher, just like Hart never was a top prospect. Again, those 2 guys are the exception to the rule. I don't disagree that the Brewers will have to draft well to be successful, but to assume that they'll continue to have the success they've had recently doesn't seem prudent to me. As you pointed out, they've had a very low flame out rate recently, sooner or later the law of averages is going to start swinging back the other way. If the Brewers can aquire a meaningful piece at the deadline which doesn't cost a top prospect, then I'll post retraction. Until then, we're going to have to agree to disagree.

Peavy, Jackson, Sarfate, etc... these guys aren't top pitching prospects. What major league team would be foolish enough to trade a Buehrle or someone similar for AAA relievers and an AAA starter with an ERA over 4? You're talking about trading away an Inman, Jeffress, or both for that type of player. The Red Sox wouldn't even make a deal like that with the White Sox because the White Sox apparently wanted the 2 top starting pitching prospects in the organization. Melvin got Cappy for Sexson (Wickman Deal), Bush for Overbay (Sexson Deal), Vargas for Davis (scrap heap pickup). Melvin has done an amazing job getting something out of nothing, but are the Brewers in position to continue to make those sort of scrap heap pickups for starters? Would Melvin trade one of our best position players to aquire more pitching at the deadline? Wouldn't that be shooting ourselves in the foot? The only free agent aquisition on the staff is Suppan, who's arguably been the worst starter of the 5. Essentially what your saying is trade away the closest young pitcher or 2 to the majors, for a 2 month rental, with no way to fill the gap with a player of similar talent in house, or without the availability of filling that void via free agency in the off season. What top of the rotation college arm would fall past the first 20 slots regardless of signability? Has it happened in the last 10 years? I have a hard time saying that a hypothetical highschool draft pick would make it to the majors in 3 years. That's a best case scenario, and by far the exception to the rule. Even if they do make in 3 years, their arms aren't ready for a 200+ inning season, so they won't be able to pitch in the rotation anyway. Saying that a drafted pitcher could have the success of Yo is like people who suggest that Yo could make the 200 inning jump this year because Verlander did. We'd be counting on the exception to the rule, instead of the rule itself. To me it's just not feasible to plan your roster based on best case scenarios, I'd much rather go the other way and plan my roster around the worst case. Then you can trade any MLB surplus you have, just like Oakland has done. Not that Oakland is my model of how the Brewers should run their franchise, but they've handled their young pitching about as well as could possibly be expected. Since I'm against doing any deal for a rental starting pitcher, there's no way I'm giving up anything valuable for a relief pitcher either. Again, trading away a Jackson or Sarfate would be fine, leave the high ceiling top prospect starting pitchers alone.

Thanks Mass.

Good question, Heether has had a decent year though at AA. We've talked a bunch about Gamel, and honestly I have no solid opinion what to do with him. He's been awesome since early May and definately has earned a promotion, I just don't know where to. Even if he's moved to the outfield he creates a bigger prospect logjam than already exists. I know people like to talk about the lack of outfield prospects, but it's more a lack of true power prospects as Colby has pointed out. There are quite a few guys that could be 20/20 type guys or better down the road, like a Corey Hart... I see nothing wrong with that. Heether and Sollman have both played pretty well, they don't deserve to get bumped off of 1st and 3rd respectively. Maybe you could bump one up to Nashville, especially in Sollman's case. They both have some intriguing numbers, like in Sollman's case, he has more BB and SO after 287 ABs, that's no small sample anymore. I realize both kids technically are probably not considered elite prospects, but they've played well, and deserve to be treated accordingly. edit. I still find Brewer's season very encouraging. I was hoping he'd start reducing his strikeouts, but I can live with it if he doesn't start improving till next year in that regard. He's had a couple of tough games with the glove recently though, so I hope he's not losing his confidence.

I've posted this before, and And That posted it as well, but does anyone have any information on Robinson? He's the only DFE yet to see action and it's driving me nuts. edit. And no Gindl again... boo... I hope he's just sick.

4 for 4 with a walk... this kid will be an OBP machine with his plate discipline.

Ya okay.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, I have a real hard time giving up pitching prospects with the relative lack of success the Brewers have had developing them over the years. Trade all the position players you want, but please keep the young pitching prospects. I want no part of any deal that includes young pitching coming back. The kid may flame out due to injury, or he may be a very good 2 or 3... you just don't know. The are in the position where if they are going to compete it doesn't make sense to run the Glendon Rusch types out there anymore. Peavey has pointed out in the past that you get draft compensation if a player leaves in free agency. However you have wait a year to draft a kid and sign him, and even then we're talking about High School arms in the sandwich round, either starting in Arizona or Helena, that are easily 5 years away. It's just too difficult to replace pitching depth when you aren't able to compete and overpay for the top end free agent pitchers. I would hate to be on the other end of a Franklin for Villy deal.

True enough Colby, but it was still a nice article about a young kid.

Wow tough night for the minor league teams again. edit. No Gindl again, boo, but Haydel is finally starting to hit. Eric Newton has snuck up on me, but he's a college bat in the Pioneer league, still the early returns on him and Lucroy have been encouraging.

Jeffress pitches for WV which is A, Seidel is pitching for Helena which is R+. If you click the Player Index on top and then the player's name you can find out where they are currently assigned.

Peavey is going for the consecutive series record of dropping that same quote!

Walking the pitcher cost him the run, Hall is Hall. We argued the whole way from the game on the 24th about if Hall throws the ball to 2nd to hold the lead run if the Brewers win that game. Haha Damien!

We had interesting discussion at a party last week about what to do with Suppan if he becomes the worst pitcher on the staff. I could definately see that happening in the next 2 years with the kids having success AA and above, and Villy already in the pen.

Walking the pitcher doesn't seem to ever end well for the Crew.

1 or both will price themselves out of Milwaukee at some point, he wasn't saying next year, as Jeffress is at least 2 years away if he's healthy and dominant.

Huntsville up huge early in game 1, good to see. edit. Then Narron gives it all back but 1. dang it.

Well he's missing up and over the plate, sometimes a good 2 feet from where Miller's glove is located. I certainly hope he settles in, but he's not locating well early. The ball over Jenkins head was hit pretty well, but should have been an out all the same.

Very nice review, congrats Brian and all of the other staffers who's work I enjoy, especially Colby and Mass.

I don't mind the Pirates scoring one early, but the misplay and Suppan primarily missing up in the zone doesn't give me a warm and fuzzy.

It's not so much their glove, but I remember in the past Salome would airmail throws. I haven't been following his errors PB or Throwing this year, I'm just happy he's healthy and hitting.