Make your 09 team.

[knowitall]

I'll just do the batting lineup. My key is getting more lefties in the lineup for balance - way to righty oriented this year. This has three lefties in it.

1. SS - Alcedes Escobar (F/A) - has potential at leadoff with good wheels and can play big league SS already

2. 2B - Orlando Hudson - switch hitting second basemen allows for a solid double play combo and consistency up the middle as he can play all the time. Durham or Hall backup. Cut or trade weeks

3. LF - Braun - no brainer

4. 1B - Prince - lets give him his arby money and deal with his 30+ HRs and potential 20+ errors as a trade off for a consistent left handed stick

5. 3B - Hardy - move him to 3rd for a year or two as it should be easy transition - gotta still love him

6. CF - Jimmy Edmonds (F/A) - short term contract and a reliable CF with a left handed stick. Veteran presence in clubhouse. Get rid of Cameron

7. RF - Hart - but a very short leash and I would rather just trade him straight up because he is a liability now at the plate.

8. C - Kendall - veteran behind the plate who handles pitchers well and can legitimately throw out runners - lets exercise his one year option

9. P

[8brewcrew]

Wilson is bad, Taveras is terrible, Atkins can't play defense or hit away from Coors. I don't like it.

 

Wilson had 41 saves last year for a terrible team. Taveras had 68 steals last year, but did only post a .308 obp. Your point about atkins is valid but I would say most players play better at home. I would have put Hawpe in instead of Taveras but I doubt they want to part with him.

[trwi7]

Wilson had 41 saves last year for a terrible team.

He also had a 4.62 ERA, 1.44 WHIP and gave up a hit per inning.

Taveras had 68 steals last year, but did only post a .308 obp.

Right, our problem on offense is OBP. Adding a guy who sucks at getting on base isn't going to help our offense.

Your point about atkins is valid but I would say most players play better at home.

Yeah, but it's usually not huge splits like Atkins has.

Home - .337/.394/.527/.921

Away - .260/.328/.424/.752

[8brewcrew]

Wilson is better than any other option we have on our roster. Atkins is better than any option on the team besides moving hardy to third. But with Atkins, Hardy could play second. Cain is the best available pitcher that isn't a free agent (CC). How would you feel about getting Randy Winn instead of Taveras?

[sbrylski]

The more I try to find a trade or a piece together a 2009 roster at least as good as this season's, the more I find that it just might not be possible. We'll either suffer a bit in the rotation if we don't make a trade (and open up the chance for another Suppan-esque signing), or we'll suffer a bit on offense with a good bat leaving in a trade. Nobody in the minors is immediately ready for OD (Escobar bat, Gamel glove), so we'd be trying to execute a brittle plan of fitting together the right veteran stop-gaps.

 

Its been easy to not get my hopes up so far, but I'm beginning to believe that resigning Sabathia at reasonable cost (avoid severe winner's curse), is our only short term hope. And failing to achieve that might result in pushing the system too hard and thin and mucking up the long term a bit as well. I haven't suggested this ever, but I'm starting to think retaining Sabathia might be more imperative than the risk of the contract. At least if that contract goes bad, for the life of it we should have our second wave of prospects in Jeffress, Gamel, Escobar, Green, Salome and Lucroy, as well as youth from a Fielder trade in the offseason following 2009. We shouldn't exactly need a lot of financial flexibility in the next few seasons to maintain a core. Who's in line for the next long term contract? Gallardo a few years away, and maybe Hardy if he accepts a position change? Parra maybe too early to tell?

 

So my 2009 roster looks much the same as 2008.

• Ink Sabathia, 5 years into the $140's if we have to.
• Probably try to retain Durham, semi-platooning him with Weeks and playing the hot hand.
• Maybe Lamb is a stop-gap answer at 3B, or maybe we can find a better option almost as cheap. Hall platooned, super-subbed, or traded.
• Cameron retained.
• Gallardo in for Sheets.
• Sign a guy like Dennys Reyes or Joe Beimel for the backend of the pen.

[jhpc12]

FINALLY, someone that at least things along the lines I've been preaching for the last two months.

 

The pieces are in place, if CC is obtainable sign him for the 4 year $100 million, I think everyone would be disappointed to see Sheets go, but year after year of injury. Adding Yo in his place in the rotation is a push to me. I see Yo as many clubs number 1 and he will be an above average number 2 in our rotation.

 

2007 with this core we had to learn to win, we did. 2008 we made the next natural progression 90-72 and made the playoff. 2009 everyone from Prince, if not traded needs to show more plate discipline and try and not hit a home run in every at bat. Corey & Braun need to show more patients at the plate. Weeks just needs to play the game and try to not take the media, fans, brewerfan, and the press not so seriously. (you know that the majority of all Brewer players read Brewerfan). JJ just needs to try and improve on last year). Sign Durham & Kapler back for the experience if they are willing to come back in a lesser role.

 

And if he is not in our system spend the money to get an established closer if he is out there, but I believe that McClung has a closer mentality if given the chance.

 

A little fine tuning and this group should at least have the same success as last year and with a little luck possibly a little better.

[joepepsi]

Could we add a rule to this topic that Counsell can't be included in any proposed roster?

[fleehaw]

Trade Fielder, Salome, & the Hurricane to the Rays for Kazmir & Aybar. Value-wise this looks to be about even. The Brewers get their top of the rotation SP and an answer at 3B while the Rays get the big bat to stick at DH, plus a top prospect that may be able to catch. An order with a 2-5 of Upton, Fielder, Longoria, & Pena is pretty sick and balanced.

 

Trade a SP prospect (except Jeffress), Pena, Suppan, & cover $4M per year for Suppan to the Nats for Nick Johnson. Johnson fills the void left by Fielder and if he's healthy, an 850 OPS is realistic. The problem is he's oft-injured. The Brewers would have some unproven depth in Nelson, Rivera, & Gamel. Johnson is signed thru '09. It's unlikely, but it's possible that the Nats would take Suppan especially if they're getting a couple of good arms with him. Suppan at 2yrs/$19M isn't too bad. Put him in a pitcher's park like Washington, and you could probably flip him at the deadline in '10.

 

Obtain either Kevin Correia or Brad Hennessey from the Giants to provide AAA SP depth. Both were designated for assignment this season, so I'm not sure if they're FA or not. It not, their price can't be much.

 

Lineup

Weeks

Hardy

Braun

Johnson

Hart

Aybar

Cameron

Kendall

Bench: Hall, Counsell, Rivera, Kapler, and Nelson

Rotation: Kazmir, Gallardo, Parra, Bush, & McClung

Pen: DeFelice, Stetter, Shouse, Coffey, Riske, Villanueva, & Torres

 

Gamel & Escobar in AAA, preferably for the entire year. Gamel starts to learn 1B.

 

A quick calculation has the payroll at around $85M (with the $4M to the Nats). I'd argue that it's a better team than in '08 and it's built for the long haul. Value-wise, the trades look okay, however unlikely they might be.

[DannyKmilw]

I'm predicting no major moves.

 

2 - Kendal

3 - Prince

4 - Weeks

5 - Hall/Branyan

6 - Hardy

7 - Braun

8 - Cam

9 - Hart

Bench - Rivera, Kapler, Heether, Crabbe or Nelson or Langerhans

 

Rotation - C.C., Yo, Parra, Bush, Soup

Pen - Torres, McClung, Villy, Coffey or Dillard or DiFelice, Riske, Shouse, Stetter

 

Well except signing C.C.

And maybe take a flier on Ryan Langerhans as a replacement for Gross

[MNBrew]

I'm not sure a series of major moves are what will happen. That said, I'll "play ball" with this idea and pull together trains of thought from various other threads...

 

(note: Cameron's option picked up today. No word on Torres yet but I'm hoping for the same news on him.)

 

Not necessarily great crystal ball-type thinking here. Just trying to piece together some ideas.

 

- Re-sign Sabathia

- sign Randy Johnson

- Suppan + possible B-caliber prospect to TX for Saltalamacchia & Blalock -- we come out ~$3M ahead

- (optional: Fielder moved somewhere for a couple young studs (creativity's not flowing well here, sorry))

- Hall traded anywhere for anything -- preferably something like PITT got from us for Torres -- heck, send him to Pittsburgh for the rest of Torres' family -- maybe a net of a $2-3M saved here after including cash to trade partner to offset some of Hall's cost

- Sheets ($10M), Gagne ($10M), Turnblow ($3.2M), Counsell (hallelujah! $3.4M), & Capuano ($3+M; minor league deal + NRI) salaries off the books -- basically $30M in salary relief right there!

- Scrappy, Punto-like #5 IF signed who could be regular starter at multiple positions if need be

- Re-sign Shouse; also Mota if the price is right

 

In the field:

OF: Braun - Cameron - Hart

IF: Blalock - Hardy - Weeks - Fielder

C: Kendall

 

Bench:

Rivera, Saltalamacchia, Kapler, Gwynn, Punto-type

 

Rotation:

Sabathia, Gallardo, Randy Johnson, Bush, Parra

 

Bullpen:

Torres, Riske, McClung, Villanueva, Shouse, Stetter, Mota

(Dillard & DeFelice waiting for an open spot, Capuano possibly available by mid-year?)

[yoshii8]

I am very bored at work, and I was just thinking of different options to make our lineup better.

 

First off, I would sign Adam Dunn, who I think is the most underrated FA, to a 4 year deal in the 60 million dollar range. This would mean Braun would be moved to RF.

 

The next thing would be to trade for Brian Roberts and try to get Melvin Mora in the deal. I'm not sure what Baltimore would want back for these two, but by signing Dunn and trading for Brian Roberts it would make Hart and Weeks available, so a package of one of those two and prospects would be the deal.

 

So the new lineup is:

 

2b Roberts

ss Hardy

LF Dunn

RF Braun

1B Fielder

3B Mora

CF Cameron

C Kendall

 

This would probably give us very little to no extra money to spend on pitching, and we would likely still need a bp arm and starting pitcher. So Melvin would have to be a little creative. He would however have Hart or Weeks, whoever he didn't trade to Baltimore, to use in a deal.

[Robideaux]

Sign Dunn. 4 year/60 mil

Sign Sheets. 1 year/17 mil

Sign Juan Cruz 3 year/23 mil

Convince Torres to come back.

Let CC walk.

Trade Hart + good prospect for Cain

Bring back Branyan.

 

Lineup:

Weeks 2b

Dunn LF

Braun RF

Prince 1B

Branyan platooned with Durham? Hall? Somebody else who can hit lefties? 3B

Cameron CF

Hardy SS

Kendall C

 

Pitching:

Sheets

Yo

Cain

Bush

Parra

 

Closer/high leverage reliever (yeah right): Cruz

 

I have no idea how to guess salaries, but the Sheets salary shouldn't be much more than this season (given the injury). Gagne off the books will relatively equal Cruz on the books. Dunn's and Cain's salaries would add payroll, but CC and Hart would be off the books. It might be too expensive and there is still a big hole at C (at least offensively) and potentially 3B if Branyan can't replicate last season's lighting in a bottle, but Dunn, Prince, and Branyan in the lineup should help against lefties. Dunn adds much needed OBP to the lineup. I think the scenario I highlighted would be better than the 2008 Brewers, though it remains to be seen how good the prospect would need to be in the Cain package.

[nate82]

1. Trade Fielder to the Yankees for Hughes, Jackson, and Kennedy. Probably to much for Fielder or maybe to little.

2. Sign Adam Dunn to play 1B 5/$65 mil with the 5th year being a team option with a buyout.

3. Sign Brad Penny. 1/$15 mil and a team option for a second year at $18 mil.

4. Trade Hall and Suppan to the Tigers for Willis and Polanco.

5. Trade Weeks, Villanueva, and Nelson to the Mariners for Putz and Beltre. Probably not enough to get that trade done but if the Brewers take on all of the salary for Beltre it shouldn't be a problem.

6. Trade Cameron and a low prospect to the Rays for Jackson.

 

Lineup:

1. Polanco 2B

2. Hardy SS

3. Braun LF

4. Dunn 1B

5. Beltre 3B

6. Hart RF

7. Jackson CF

8. Kendall/Rivera C

 

Pitching:

Yo

Parra

Penny

Bush

Hughes/Jackson

 

Bullpen:

Shouse

Torres

Putz

McClung

Kennedy

Jackson/Hughes

Dillard/DiFelice

 

Bench:

Lamb/Branyan 1B/3B

Kapler 4th OF

Rottino C/1B/3B

Rivera C/1B

Iribarren 5th OF/2B/3B/SS?

 

I don't like the bench but the pitching rotation would be set for the next couple of years at least.

 

I believe this would put us above $90 million for the team salary though so I don't see this as a possibility at all though.

[reillymcshane]

How about this:

 

Trade Fielder and Hart to Rays for Shields and Crawford.

Trade Weeks for something - prospects, whatever.

Sign Orlando Hudson - 4 years/$36-40

Resign branyon or lamb $1 million or so.

Resign Kapler (assuming healthy) $1.5 million

Resign Shouse - $2-2.5 million

Sign Juan Cruz - 3 year, $18 million (is that over paying?)

 

C - Kendall - $4.5

C- Rivera - $.5

1B - Gamel (or if not ready, sign Ken Griffey Jr. to play 1B - but only against righties - maybe at around $5 million for one year)

2B - Hudson - $10 million

SS - Hardy - $5 million

3B - Hall/Branyon or Lamb platoon - $6.8 million and $1 million respectively

INF - sign counsel or someone similar as all around backup - $1.5 million

LF - Braun - $1 million

RF - Crawford - $8.5 million

CF - Cameron - $10

OF - Kapler - $1.5

OF - Gwynn or some other guy like this - $.5 million

 

Starters

Gallardo - .5 million

Shields - 1.5

Bush - $5

Suppan - $12.5

Parra - $.5 million

McClung - 1.5

(one guy to pen if all healthy - which rarely happens)

 

Relievers

Cruz - closer - $6

Torres - $4

Villanueva - .5

Riske - $4.5

Stetter - .4

Shouse - $2.5

Coffey or rookie - $1 million

 

Capuano - don't count on until 2nd half of year - $1-1.5 million

 

Total Salary is about $90 million - which might be rich for the brewers, and offer no flexibility to add someone during the season, like we did with CC.

 

Crawford, Gamel, Branyon/Lamb are lefties. Hudson is a switch hitter. You'd have to live with gamel's growing pains. Or, you could splurge and add Ken Griffey as a 1B. At least as a platoon. It's a much more balanced lineup, but with lots less power. Defense would be far superior (assuming Gamel is okay at 1B). Hudson and Crawford would be upgrades. All around you'd have more athleticism, speed, better defense. Crawford offers a quality leadoff guy.

 

I'd love to get rid of Hall's salary, but no one will take it, and he still has value for hitting righties, and his versitility.

 

Capuano offers help in 2nd half, should guys falter or there are injuries.

 

You'd not be setting yourself up to have too high of salary in 2010 and beyond, as increases to arby guys would be offset by salaries coming off books (hall, suppan, cameron, etc.).

 

I've tried to be realistic in salaries, but it's just a guess at this point. I've rounded some players numbers off too, just for simplicity's sake.

[fleehaw]

Trade Bill Hall to the White Sox for Nick Swisher

Trade Fielder to the Rays for Niemann, Aybar, and Perez

Trade Cameron, Suppan, and a decent prospect or two(outside of top 10) to the Yankees for Cabrera & Kennedy

Sign Fuentes 4yrs/$45M (with so much $$$ coming off the books, make it frontloaded, 15M, 12M, 10M, 8M).

 

S-Perez-CF

R-Weeks-2B

R-Braun-LF

S-Swisher-1B

R-Hardy-SS

R-Hart-RF

S-Aybar-3B

R-Kendall-C

Bench: Cabrera, Nelson, Rivera, Heether, & veteran RH hitter

Rotation: Gallardo, Parra, Bush, McClung, Niemann/Kennedy Odd man out goes to AAA for depth

Pen: DeFelice, Stetter, Coffey, Riske, Villanueva, Torres, & Fuentes

 

I love the idea of having a righty and lefty that can close. You could choose whichever one based on the matchups in the 8th and 9th inning. Rotation would be solid, but probably unspectacular unless people step up. The lineup would be nicely balanced with the addition of 3 switch-hitters and could argubly be on par with the '08 offense. The defense should be improved. From Cameron to Perez is a slight downgrade, Hall to Aybar is probably a push (I'm not sure), and Fielder to Swisher would be an improvement. Lastly, this would drop the payroll to about $65-$70M while leaving the minor leagues unraided.

[Crewin06]

OK here is my try at an off-season

 

I am operating under a couple of assumptions: Sheets and Sabathia will not be back, our new scouting director knows what he is doing

 

Trade #1: the Popular Cameron to the Yankees for Cabrera and Kennedy

Trade #2: Suppan, Bill Hall, Salome, and possibly another mid tier prospect for Vazquez and Nick Swisher

Trade #3: Adrian Beltre for low level prospects (Brad Nelson, Tony Gwynn) of Jack Z's choosing. Basically a salary dump for Seattle. See if they would pitch in some money.

 

Sign Randy Johnson to a 2 year $20 million contract to close for the Brewers

Sign Felipe Lopez to a 1 year $1.5 million contract.

Re-sign Russel Branyan after a thorough physical.

Re-sign Kapler.

Re-sign Shouse.

 

Next years Lineup

2B- Ricky Weeks

SS- J.J. Hardy

1B- Prince Fielder

LF-Ryan Braun

CF-Nick Swisher

3B-Adrian Beltre

RF-Corey Hart

C-Jason Kendall

P-

 

Bench

C-Rivera

CI-Branyan

MI-Lopez

OF-Kapler

OF-Cabrera

 

Starting Pitching

Gallardo

Vazquez

Bush

Parra

McClung

 

Bull Pen

Villanueva

Riske

Torres

Stetter

Shouse

Dillard/DiFellice

CL-Randy Johnson

 

AAA Arms- Kennedy, DiFellice/Dillard, Aguilar, Pena, Later in the year-Jeffries

AAA Bats - Gamel, Escobar, Gillespie, Errecart, Cain, Brantley???

[NievesNoNO]

Trade Weeks and Hall for Swisher and Vasquez. Interest the Angels in Fielder instead of Texeira. Trade Fielder for Figgins, Kendrick, and Adenhardt or Napoli/Mathis. Move Swisher to 1st base. We end up with a more versetile and better defensive team. Sign Damaso Marte. Bring back Shouse, Branyan, Kapler and Torres.

 

1. Figgins 3b

2. Hardy ss

3. Swisher 1b

4. Braun lf

5. Hart rf

6. Kendrick 2b

7. Cameron cf

8. Kendal c

 

Bench

1. Branyan

2. Escobar

3. Kapler

4. Gwynn

5. Napoli

 

 

Staff

1. Yo

2. Parra

3. Vasquez

4. Bush

5. Suppan

 

Bullpen

1. Marte cl

2. Torres

3. Riske

4. Villenueva

5. McClung

6. Shouse

7. Coffey

[piccione88]

I thought now that we have much more information as far as what the Brewers want to do, are working on, and what players are available, and will cost, that this would be a good time to bring this thread back up. My revised moves would be, Cameron to the Yankees for Melky Cabrera, and Daniel McCutchen. Sign Randy Johnson for 7 mil, plus incentives, sign Rocco Baldelli for 1 mil plus incentives to platoon with Cabrera, and sign Takashi Saito to a 3.5 mil plus incentives deal. So the roster would look like this

 

C)J.Kendall, 1B) P.Fielder 2B)R.Weeks 3B) B.Hall/M.Lamb SS) J.J. Hardy LF)R.Braun CF)M.Cabrera/R.Baldelli, RF)C.Hart

Bench: C)M.Rivera, 2B/OF) Iribarren, 4C)B.Nelson

Rotation: 1)R.Johnson, 2)Y.Gallardo, 3) M.Parra, 4) D.Bush, 5) J.Suppan

Bullpen: MR)T.Dillard, MR)T.Coffey, MR)M.Stetter, MR)T.Saito, SU)S.McClung, SU)C.Villanueva, CP)D.Riske

 

I do not think Riske is the best reliever out of those players, but in my mind McClung, and VIllanueva have more value when they are able to pitch multiple innings, an opportunity closers rarely get. The bench also is very lacking, but I just could not think of a decent middle infielder that would be worth aquiring. All together that roster would cost roughly 68 million, which is not counting any incentives that Johnson, Saito, and Baldelli could earn in their hypothetical contracts.

[nate82]

OK I will revise mine now.

 

1. Sign Randy Johnson to a 1 year $8 mil + option year.

2. Sign Adam Dunn to a 3 year $36 mil contract.

3. Sign Chris Britton to a 2 year $3 mil contract.

4. Trade Hall and Cameron to the Yankees for Melky Cabrera and a pitcher.

5. Sign Wigginton to a 2 year $6 mil contract plus incentives.

6. Sign Brad Penny to a 1 year $4 mil contract plus incentives.

 

Rotation:

1. Gallardo

2. Johnson

3. Parra

4. Penny

5. Bush

 

Bullpen

Suppan, McClung, Britton, Villanueva, Riske, Swindle, Stetter.

 

Lineup

1. Weeks 2B

2. Hart CF

3. Braun RF

4. Fielder 1B

5. Hardy SS

6. Dunn LF

7. Wigginton/Lamb

8. Kendall C

 

Bench: Wigginton/Lamb, Rivera, Iribarren, Gwynn, Cabrera.

 

The bench isn't exactly ideal with Hall and Cameron gone the defense especially in the OF would be a nightmare. Britton could be a Turnbow like closer good for a year and half and then nothing. With the contracts coming in and out I believe the Brewers would be taking on about $12 million in salary still within the budget.

[strawbossisevil]

Ok, I'll play. They won't do this, but a guy can dream.

 

Trade Escobar + for Peavy.

Sign Randy Johnson to a one year 8 million dollar contract.

Trade Suppan + Pena for Rolen.

Trade Cameron and Hall to the Yankees for Cabrera and a pitcher (preferably not Igawa). (Cabrera is a one to two year fill in until Cain is ready unless he lives up to his previously hyped potential).

Sign Joe Nelson to a two year 4 million dollar contract.

Sign Aaron Miles to a two year 5 million dollar contract.

 

Rotation:

1. Gallardo

2. Peavy

3. Johnson

4. Parra

5. Bush

 

Batting Order:

1. Weeks

2. Rolen

3. Braun

4. Fielder

5. Hart

6. Hardy

7. Cabrera

8. Kendell

 

Bullpen:

Nelson, Villanueva, McClung, Riske, Stetter, Coffey, Dillard/Defelice

 

Bench:

Nelson (1B, LF, RF), Hurricane (2B and CF), Lamb (3B), Rivera ©, and Miles (SS and 2B)

 

As they say, pitching wins championships, and this plan would give us a very solid 1-5. And if I am adding correctly, it would add only about 11.5 million in salary from where we currently stand.