If CC and Sheets both walk...

[hauser42]

I dont CC coming back to the Brewers even with all the wonderful talk from both sides.

 

Prince is the guy to move in a trade to get back a high end young pitcher. Fielder is regressing already at first, take into the aspect of his all or nothing at bats and he is the first guy we should ship out of town.

 

Gamel should be a decent guy at 1B next year and to grow over the years. As he is a better athlete and should make the defense better, to make up for the loss of power compared to Prince. But he may at some better at bats by putting the ball in play more and not just striking out while trying to hit a home run every time up.

[jake53098]

Don't trade ANYONE. Just go out and sign a free agent starting pitcher. A guy like AJ Burnett or Derek Lowe maybe. Go hard after someone like that and then have

 

Gallardo

Parra

Bush

Free agent

Give Villy another try maybe?

 

Closer should be McClung

 

As for trading Prince already for a pitcher? I don't care if you get Halladay, who the hell would bat cleanup then for the Brewers? He's got arbitration until 2011 and to trade him with 3 years left would be dumb, just dumb. He'll only get better!! As for Hardy, why the hell would you put him at second base? Waste a good arm like that at second? No, no try him at third and bring up Escobar to possibly bat leadoff maybe? I would also move Gamel to the out field this spring training/AAA and grove him in left and start grooming Braun for CF, he's athletic enough to do it. And from everything I hear about Gamel is that he is horrible defensively at third and that is the last thing this club needs.

 

SS- Escobar

2B- Weeks (he will see more fastballs)

LF- Braun

1B- Prince

3B- Hardy

RF- Hart

CF- Cameron(maybe or?!?!)

C- Kendall

Pitcher

[BrewCrewForever]

Without CC, I just don't see us competing for a playoff position.

 

It seems a lot of people feel this way. I am not one of them. Yes CC gives us a much better chance, but even without him we can compete, just need Doug to do a little work this offseason and add a few pieces and we will compete again in 2009. I have no doubt's.

[Boy Jeenius]

We already had trouble with right handed pitching, with Prince being the only left handed bat in the line up. How in the blazes can we trade him? Bringing in Gamel might be one way, but at best you remain in the same boat. They need both Gamel and Prince for balance. I'd check to see if Hardy wants to sign a Braun - like deal. If not, then he's the guy who gets traded. If does sign, then unfortunately, I agree with the group that wants to trade Escobar for pitching.

[Invader3K]

Again, I really don't want to see them rush Gamel to the bigs. A lot of people are forgetting he was sidelined with an injury at the end of this season. I think it's way premature to be penciling him into the Brewers' 2009 lineup at this point.

[StearnsFTW]

Trade Escobar, Nelson, and a couple pitching prospects for Jeremy Guthrie.

 

I like this idea, although I wouldn't give up more than Escobar and a C type pitching prospect. Nelson is a guy that will be on the bench next year in all likelihood, and Escobar is extremely valuable to a team like Baltimore who has no SS on the horizon. Guthrie would be a nice, relatively cheap piece (I believe he's arby eligible).

 

As far as the rest of the team, I agree that 3b is priority #1 on offense. I like the idea of a Lamb/Hall platoon barring any other major upgrade possibilities.

 

Please please please don't sign a high-priced FA pitcher though. Suppan is killing us already and he's only 2 years in. Burnett has the very real potential to be a complete disaster and Lowe doesn't fit with this defense.

 

I would definitely go the trade route for a pitcher, and would prefer to trade Escobar over Hardy or Fielder.

[logan82]

Don't trade ANYONE. Just go out and sign a free agent starting pitcher. A guy like AJ Burnett or Derek Lowe maybe. Go hard after someone like that and then have

I would go the opposite route and trade for pitching instead of getting it in free agency. Free agency in general is a huge ripoff unless you can get a guy to take a 1-2 year contract. Even then you overpay on a per year basis. A contract isn't as potentially crippling at 1-2 years. Add in the general higher injury risk associated with all pitchers and free agency is definitely not the way to go for pitching.

[rluzinski]

Gamel had a nice year in AA but I don't think he projects as being very good in the majors for 2009. The offensive bar at 1B is set very high. I'd give him at least a half a year at AAA.

[RockCoCougars]

I see Burnett and Lowe's names being thrown around a lot here. Those guys are both going to command about $15 million per. If the Brewers sign any starting pitchers not named Sabathia to an 8 figure/year deal, I will go absolutely ballistic.

[istanbultaye]

The problem I have with trading Prince Fielder is that he is the only guy in the lineup with top end power who can actually take a walk. Sure, I love Ryan Braun as much as the next guy, but until he improves quite a bit in pitch selection, I don't believe he is capabable of being the anchor of the lineup.

[littledoc83]

I have thought about moving Hardy to 3B, and bringing Escobar up to play short. That would be a great defensive left side of the infield. I would think Hardy is above average defense at 3B. He may be lacking a little power for there, but in all honesty hit for more power than anyone we played at 3B this year, except maybe Branyan.

 

Also don't forget about Cappy... Maybe a long shot at this point, but thought his name deserved to be thrown out there.