Sheets watch (closed in deference to new thread)

[princeginterhallhelms04]

Personally to me it all depends on what the price is. I don't want to, and i don't think the Brewer's will get in to a bidding war. If he comes at a pretty good price then i'd welcome him back. Thought i am intrigued with Garland.

[lukevan]

Like I said, you can't really have it both ways, either he's not even close to as valuable on the open market as some think (EVERYTHING taken in to consideration) or he's going to get beaucoup coin.

 

But that's the point. You can't really be sure what Sheets is going to get on the open market like you can with Sabathia. Whoever takes on Sheets will be taking a risk but how much will they be willing to pay for that risk? Maybe teams will be TOO hesitant and the Brewers can get him for minimal years and dollars which teams like the Brewers must try to do with a limited bankroll and arby raises looming. Other teams haven't seen as much of Sheets as we have and may overestimate the health risk. If Sheets gets offered 4 years for $60 million, I'd say no thanks. But 2 years for $30 would be something to consider. It'll be interesting to see what kind of offers Benny gets. I just think it'll be hard to replace Benny's 150-180 quality innings next season unless you trade Fielder or Hardy, which likely leaves a hole in the lineup. It's not going to be easy for Melvin to field the same quality of team next season.

[danzig6767]

That's fine, but again Sabathia will not be coming back to the Brewers next year. Management gave it a shot, definitely not a half-assed shot, but definitely not a realistic shot either. I don't think that the Brewers think Sheets stinks. But if he were as valuable as some here make him out to be, the Brewers wouldn't be wasting any time chasing CC, they'd be locking up the next best thing that's been with the organization for a decade or so.

There's really no point that i can see in trying all that hard to get Sheets signed right now from a Brewers perspective because they aren't going to give him some type of offers he just can't refuse. So Sheets is going to want to test the market and the Brewers know this. When you look at free agency every offseason, rarely does a player sign in this limited window and not testing the market. Plus, it may not be just all about cash for him, he may be wanting to pitch closer to home if possible. We can only speculate what Sheets is hoping for money wise and/or how much he desires to try and get himself on certain teams if they are interested.

 

Obviously though the injury issues of Ben the last few years have factored in just how aggressive the Brewers will end up trying to sign Sheets. That said, the fact that the team hasn't made him an offer yet doesn't have to mean they don't value Ben or don't want him back. If Melvin knows that he won't be able to make an offer that will make Sheets pass on seeing what's out there in free agency, why bother even wasting time making an offer?

 

I think Melvin has legitimate interest in Sheets coming back if the very likely event happens that Sabathia chooses to sign elsewhere. Doug also knows he won't be making some huge offer to Sheets that's enough to make Ben say to his agent, jump on that offer and lets pass on testing the market. Thus we are where we are right now. Melvin let's Sheets/his agent know that the Brewers are still interested and that if they are also interested in coming back to Milwaukee after they've seen what's out there on the market, then get back to Melvin.

 

I suspect Sheets wouldn't mind coming back, but there are also a couple of places around the league that he's interested in possibly playing for. This is his first time being free to sign anywhere. He and his agent will see what's out there. Maybe after CC signs elsewhere, we make Ben an offer. If someone offers Sheets 4yrs at good money, odds are high he takes it. If offers are only in the 2-3 year range wth an option year, i could see Melvin trying to jump in the mix. For now though, the only common sense thing i can see was what Melvin did, sit back and wait to see what the market for Sheets shapes up to be.

[TooLiveBrew]

TLB: If he isn't different than other pitchers out there, then why are you suggesting an "ideal" scenario of a two year incentive laden contract in another thread? That doesn't sound like a normal pitcher as far as health goes, especially one who is a free agent, and one that is supposedly one of the best pitchers in baseball.

 

Because I wouldn't want to do anything much more than a 4-yr. deal with any other pitcher out there. With all due respect, NDOGG, I think your impression of what pitchers are like in terms of health is off-base. A small to mid-market team like the Brewers can't afford the risk of taking on a contract much longer than 3 or 4 seasons. And that would be for a guy still in his prime-aged seasons, like Sabathia. Sheets is a 31 (iirc) y-o pitcher, and that's a risky time to sign any arm. Just look at what a horrible contract the Suppan deal now is. Are we really glad we signed a past-his-prime pitcher to a 4-yr. deal? I'm sure not.

 

Sheets is still worth paying top dollar for, but just like any other 31-y-o or older pitcher, he's too big a risk to sign much longer than 2 or 3 seasons for the Brewers. When your payroll is restricted in the manner the Brewers' is, you can really only afford one or two albatross contracts, and sadly those have been burned up already in Soup's & Hall's.

 

If he's still available for an incentive-laden two/three year deal, with perhaps vesting options for the second &/or third seasons, that'd be about my ideal contract.

[Postseason2006]

If anyone wants to argue that anyone on that list is a better option than Sheets for 2009, I'm sorry but I just think he/she'd be lost.

 

That was not the argument. It was about innings pitched. A poster mislead about how many more innings pitch Sheets had over logged over that time. Sheets is durability is the main question.

 

Also, Carlos Zambrano could be added to that list but was just a rookie that first year and has averaged more innings per year than Sheets after 2001.

[TooLiveBrew]

And Zambrano is every bit as much an injury question mark now as Sheets

[rluzinski]

This guy thinks Sheets is worth $15.7 mil next year:

 

"Ben Sheets, 167 IP, 3.84 ERA, 15.7 mil, 45.9 mil. Yankees could probably get this guy if they waved Andy's 16 million around. But fear of signing another Pavano like injury case might deter them."

 

http://lanaheimangelfan.b...-free-agent-pitchers.html

 

Guess who's the number one free agent starting pitcher? http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

[southpaw121505]

I said earlier Id offer him 3/45. I stand by that and I'd be doing it now and not waiting on CC. The guy has frustrated a lot of us with his injuries but look at what else is out there, even if we sign CC somehow Id still go after Ben. That would only change my focus to trying to dump Cameron and Suppan. CC, Sheets, Gallardo, Parra and Bush would be the best rotation in baseball.

[rluzinski]

The Brewers are not going to have two starting pitchers making a combined $40 mil, so I think it's safe to assume CC AND Sheets are not coming back. Also, I don't think ay team is going to sign Sheets for a couple of months.

[ecjimg]

I just think its odd thats Sheet's name hasnt come up in ANY mlb rumors that I've read (ok, other than the Oswald wants him on the Astros). I wonder why. Is it just that his agent is avoiding the press or avoiding "negotiating through the press".

[BrewCrewForever]

Sheets injuries have frustrated me, but he is a very good pitcher and I would totally take him back at 1 or even 3 years for the right price. Him paired all season with a healthy Gallardo, an improving Parra and a solid Bush would be a very nice rotation. Oh and Suppan as the 5th.

[rluzinski]

Sheets is going to have to be able to prove that he's 100% healthy if he wants a good contract offer. He can't do that right now, so he's laying low.

[Invader3K]

Has there actually been any news on his current health status? There was talk he was going to need surgery, before the off season.

[Oldcity]

I believe the injury was expected to heal on its own and not require surgery... Unfortunately I have no link because I can't remember where I heard that.

[BrewCrewForever]

Would Sheets take a 1 year deal from the Brewers with some incentives? Maybe even an option for a second year?

[rluzinski]

It's already been discussed but if no team is willing to give Sheets a multiyear deal to his liking, a one year deal might be possible. As for it being primarily incentive driven, I don't see it. If Sheets proves himself healthy (as he's expected to), he'll likely get $15+ mil guaranteed, with a maybe few mil more thrown in for 200 IP, or something like that. Even if he's not completely healthy by spring training, I could still see mutiple teams willing to give him a 1 year, $10 mil deal.

[bcf5575]

the brewers will have to offer him arbtration, and he might just accept. I am sure that it isnt what he has hoped for, but he is going to have a hard time finding a mutli year deal. I predict he is a brewer next year in another fee agent season...

[Tbadder]

1 year--16 million. That would be fair. Then let him cash in. He really does deserve one ridiculous contract.

[Principessa21]

the brewers will have to offer him arbtration, and he might just accept. I am sure that it isnt what he has hoped for, but he is going to have a hard time finding a mutli year deal. I predict he is a brewer next year in another fee agent season...

Maybe he would want arbitration. He could use it to show he's durable and up his value, a la Burnett. I would take Sheets over Burnett in a second, and not just a one year deal. If his elbow is okay, which his camp is saying is, then I see nothing wrong with a two year deal. Being a Yankee fan, I would like to see the team take advantage of him now on the cheap.

[twobrewers]

Rarely hear Ben Sheet's name mentioned. Other than a push by buddy Roy Oswalt to make him an Astro, there doesn't appear to be much action on this high-risk (and sometimes high-reward) righthander. Sheets could wind up going back to Milwaukee, but even the Brewers, who have experienced all of his injury history, might be leery without protection in his contract.

 

Boston Globe

[PeaveyFury]

I think the basic theme of the Sheets news is all the same- everyone knows his potential and ceiling, but all are leery of giving him a long-term deal because of his injuries.

 

I think it's becoming more likely by the day that Sheets is a Brewer in 2009. I think the odds of him accepting arbitration are very high at this point.

[Ennder]

I'm not buying it. Once CC signs then the Sheets types will start getting offers from whatever team didn't get Sabathia. There is virtually no way he doesn't get at least a 2 year deal from someone and I'm still guessing 3 years. The only way that doesnt' happen is if his elbow is much worse than they said in which case I doubt we even offer him arbitration.

[logan82]

Ken Rosenthal seems to think there is a good chance we don't even offer Sheets arbitration. I think not offering arbitration to Sheets would be a huge mistake.

[mothershipconnection]

Why in the world wouldn't we offer him arbitration: would we be afraid of getting a potentially dominant pitcher on a 1-year deal for maybe $13MM. Oh no, I just couldn't imagine how incredible awful that would be. The elbow injury would have to include serious damage for him to not be worth it.

[PeaveyFury]

Why in the world wouldn't we offer him arbitration: would we be afraid of getting a potentially dominant pitcher on a 1-year deal for maybe $13MM. Oh no, I just couldn't imagine how incredible awful that would be. The elbow injury would have to include serious damage for him to not be worth it.

 

I'd think the only realistic way they wouldn't offer him arby is if the injury would cause him to miss nearly the entire season. The only other way I see it happening (but not so realistic) is if CC does somehow re-sign, and we don't want to risk Sheets accepting and being on the hook for like 35 million between the two.