SI.com's Top 50 Free Agents (Fuentes/Byrd Content)

[Fear The Chorizo]

Would park factors have anything to do with who the home team has for a pitching staff? I would think it would play as a pitcher's park when two out of every 5 starts made by the home team had Sheets or Sabathia taking the ball.

 

Miller Park probably plays about as neutral a park as any in baseball, since wind and weather rarely affect games there. The dimensions are relatively standard, too. If the Brewers have a decent pitching staff (which they did last year), Miller Park's a pitcher's park. If they have a poor pitching staff (as they did in 2007, especially once Sheets went down and Turnbow imploded), Miller Park's a hitter's park.

[Ennder]

Good park factors at least attempt to neutralize things so the home teams players don't matter. I don't think any good park factors are out for 2008 yet though which is why I used ESPN's.

 

Miller park is somewhere near neutral overall though, sometimes they come out with it as a slight pitcher park and sometimes as a slight hitter park.

[Ennder]

Good park factors at least attempt to neutralize things so the home teams players don't matter. I don't think any good park factors are out for 2008 yet though which is why I used ESPN's.

 

Miller park is somewhere near neutral overall though, sometimes they come out with it as a slight pitcher park and sometimes as a slight hitter park.

[jwill535]

If the Dodgers are already scrambling to figure out where they are going to get the money for Manny, how does this writer expect them to get CC too?

[jwill535]

If the Dodgers are already scrambling to figure out where they are going to get the money for Manny, how does this writer expect them to get CC too?

[joepepsi]

Why can't the Brewers have Raul Ibanez?

[joepepsi]

Why can't the Brewers have Raul Ibanez?

[Hate those Rodents]

While I know next to nothing about Byrd beyond his career record, I don't really like how often people say "he's just another Suppan". It seems as though everyone that isn't a number one or top notch number two starter that is on the market gets labeled "just another Suppan" by us on the board here.

 

I'll tell you what. Doug is going to need to find out which of these "another Suppan's" is actually much better than Jeffrey if we are going to be contenders in the coming years. I can guarantee you there are starters beyond CC, Sheets, Lowe, Burnett, Demspter that are out there in free agency and will have a very nice next three years or so. It's up to Doug to find out which couple/few those are.

 

I really think we are labeling too many pitchers "just another Suppan". I am not happy with his performance on the mound. But I also don't want us to say "we are never going to go after another starter in free agency unless it's a 100 million a year type." That is kinda what we are saying when we label everyone as another Suppan. That just seems like an unwise plan for the brewers to have.

[Hate those Rodents]

While I know next to nothing about Byrd beyond his career record, I don't really like how often people say "he's just another Suppan". It seems as though everyone that isn't a number one or top notch number two starter that is on the market gets labeled "just another Suppan" by us on the board here.

 

I'll tell you what. Doug is going to need to find out which of these "another Suppan's" is actually much better than Jeffrey if we are going to be contenders in the coming years. I can guarantee you there are starters beyond CC, Sheets, Lowe, Burnett, Demspter that are out there in free agency and will have a very nice next three years or so. It's up to Doug to find out which couple/few those are.

 

I really think we are labeling too many pitchers "just another Suppan". I am not happy with his performance on the mound. But I also don't want us to say "we are never going to go after another starter in free agency unless it's a 100 million a year type." That is kinda what we are saying when we label everyone as another Suppan. That just seems like an unwise plan for the brewers to have.

[craigharmann]

Why can't the Brewers have Raul Ibanez?

Because the wealth has to be shared between all the teams.

[craigharmann]

Why can't the Brewers have Raul Ibanez?

Because the wealth has to be shared between all the teams.

[yoshii8]

A guy that I would like to sign to be our backup 1b/3b/Corner Outfield would be Doug Mientkewicz he quietly put up some good numbers in 285 ab's w/ the Pirates last year 277/.374/.379 w/ a 44 walks and 28 K's. He also batted .326 as a pinch hitter, and played pretty good defense at all three positions.

[yoshii8]

A guy that I would like to sign to be our backup 1b/3b/Corner Outfield would be Doug Mientkewicz he quietly put up some good numbers in 285 ab's w/ the Pirates last year 277/.374/.379 w/ a 44 walks and 28 K's. He also batted .326 as a pinch hitter, and played pretty good defense at all three positions.

[Ennder]

Ibanez is a pretty bad fielder(somewhere in the range of -7 to -13 runs) which offsets a chunk of his offense, add in the age factor and I'm not so sure we really want him for the price he'll likely be asking.

 

If we trade Hart it could make some sense but if the suggestion is to sign Ibanez and move Hart to CF the net loss in defense probably makes the team worse than just keeping Cameron does and we probably end up paying more for the privilege.

[Ennder]

Ibanez is a pretty bad fielder(somewhere in the range of -7 to -13 runs) which offsets a chunk of his offense, add in the age factor and I'm not so sure we really want him for the price he'll likely be asking.

 

If we trade Hart it could make some sense but if the suggestion is to sign Ibanez and move Hart to CF the net loss in defense probably makes the team worse than just keeping Cameron does and we probably end up paying more for the privilege.

[endaround]

Ibanez only makes sense if Hart is traded moving Braun to right (and even there its iffy) or as a replacement for Fielder if he's traded. But $12m for 3 years and a 1st round pick is a high cost for a guy who has a good chance of dropping off a cliff.

[endaround]

Ibanez only makes sense if Hart is traded moving Braun to right (and even there its iffy) or as a replacement for Fielder if he's traded. But $12m for 3 years and a 1st round pick is a high cost for a guy who has a good chance of dropping off a cliff.