The Brewers' own free agents - who's likely to return?

[MNBrew]

Maybe I've missed it, but I don't recall this question being discussed here involving all Brewers free agents. Here's the list:

 

Pitchers:

CC Sabathia

Ben Sheets

Eric Gagne

Guillermo Mota

Brian Shouse

 

Infielders:

Russell Branyan

Craig Counsell

Ray Durham

Mike Lamb

 

Outfielders:

Gabe Kapler

 

I'd love to have CC Sabathia & Gabe Kapler back for sure, and Guillermo Mota & Brian Shouse if the terms are remotely within reason.

I'd consider Sheets on a one-year deal heavy on the incentives (possible vesting 2nd year).

Gagne & Durham & Branyan -- reasons to consider all 3 but none seem terribly likely (and even then, Gagne only if he'd take Mota-type money or less; Branyan maybe an AAA/NRI deal)

Lamb & Counsell -- no thanks!

[And That]

Shouse is all but a lock. One of Lamb/Branyan is a lock, maybe both (honestly, I'd prefer Lamb). Kapler is likely. I think Counsell will retire, but if he doesn't, he'll be back. One of Sabathia/Sheets is maybe a 25% shot.

[endaround]

Isn't Lamb under coontract? I never got a full explanation of his signing worked. When the Brewers picked him up do they still keep his rights because he was still being paid by the Twins for next season? That said the Brewers could keep both Branyan and Lamb but that won't be decided upon until they exhaust getting a fulltime 3B.

[JohnBriggs12]

I thought Lamb was still under the 2 year deal he signed with Twins too, but I saw he filed for FA. He's a nice bench player, occasional starter.

 

Shouse isn't a complete lock but close. He wants a 2 year deal and I think Brewers prefer a one year so they're letting him look. I personally don't think anyone is going to give him 2 years, so he'll end up back with the Brewers but on a one year deal.

 

Kapler has a little leverage and may not be so easy to bring back. Bringing back Cameron made it a lot less likely that Kapler would accept such a limited bench role.

 

I think they'll seriously consider Mota in light of Torres retirement. Gagne at $4 million might be a steal if he gets that cheap. There's lots of relievers on the market and he's well down everyone's list.

 

Counsell is a maybe but we won't know on him until the roster is almost set. I don't see Branyan or Durham back due to age and injury questions. Branyan could get another Nashville deal though.

[BrewCrewForever]

Kapler and Shouse for sure.

[fallingleaves]

I agree that Shouse and Kapler are the most likely to return. I would like to see Sheets and Durham stay as well. I also think Mota will be back.

[twobrewers]

I hope Kapler is a sure thing - but I have doubts.

How many playoff bound teams wouldn't like a great bench/4th OF who is fantastic in the clubhouse and could turn into a coach in the future?

Kapler should be sought by several teams.

[paul253]

Are the Brewers going to offer arby to Shouse? He didnt seem to be quite as effective last season, and he's listed as a type B, so we could get another pick for him if he signs elsewhere. I wouldnt mind seeing him back, but I also wouldnt mind getting a pick for him, especially with Stetter ready to go.

 

I'd like to see Kapler back, and now that Torres retired I'd like to see Mota back. He really picked it at the end of the season. I also would like Lamb back. Counsell can go. He is nothing more than a defensive replacement, and I think September showed that the post season experience he brings doesnt really bring much. I highly doubt Sabathia is returning, but I'd offer Sheets a 2 year, incentive laden deal. Maybe a base salary of 7 or 8 million, with incentives kicking it up to 12 or 13.

[jwill535]

There is no way Sheets is going to except an incentive laden deal. I have a feeling he is going to wait out the initial flurry of signings and then field offers from the teams that lose out on CC, Burnett and or Lowe. One of those teams is going to throw a 3-4 year deal with guaranteed money for 12-15 a year.

[bjkrautk]

I could easily see Kapler going back to Boston, so I can't consider him a lock to re-sign.

I'd be willing to bring Durham back, but I'd expect the Brewers to try and find a younger option (maybe someone who could play SS/3b as well); ditto for Counsell.

Branyan or Lamb make for a good bench / platoon options (or emergency outfielders); if I could only sign one of the two, Branyan's recent injuries make me opt for Lamb.

 

The longer Sheets is out on the market, the better the chances are he'll be back. If he's not signed by Christmas, there's a real chance he's back for one more year.

Gagne would be best served going somewhere else.

I somewhat expect Mota to get a better offer somewhere else, but I'd be willing to bring him back.

I don't know whether Shouse's skills started eroding, or if he was just overworked down the stretch. Seeing as how his ERA was the lowest it's been in the past 4 years (and his IP was the highest it's been in the past 4 years), I'm going to guess the latter.

[logan82]

I would like to see Sabathia, Sheets, Gagne, Mota, Shouse, Counsell, Kapler and one of Branyan/Lamb return. We really have no use for Durham. I only expect maybe Mota, Shouse and Kapler to return from that list.

[razzzorsharp]

Pitchers:

CC Sabathia

Ben Sheets

Eric Gagne

Guillermo Mota

Brian Shouse

 

Infielders:

Russell Branyan

Craig Counsell

Ray Durham

Mike Lamb

 

Outfielders:

Gabe Kapler

 

Bold is who I think will be back. Italics is who i would like to return.

[BrewCrewForever]

I hope Kapler is a sure thing - but I have doubts.

 

How many playoff bound teams wouldn't like a great bench/4th OF who is fantastic in the clubhouse and could turn into a coach in the future?

 

Kapler should be sought by several teams.

I have a feeling you are right. I think Boston will try to bring him back. I also wouldn't mind bringing Lamb back, but my heart screams for Branyan.

[MNBrew]

Isn't Lamb under coontract? I never got a full explanation of his signing worked. When the Brewers picked him up do they still keep his rights because he was still being paid by the Twins for next season? That said the Brewers could keep both Branyan and Lamb but that won't be decided upon until they exhaust getting a fulltime 3B.

No one claimed Lamb when the Twins had him on waivers, so they released him. The Brewers signed him when he had become a FA. The only way the Brewers would've inherited Lamb's contract is if they'd claimed him. However, the Twins are stuck with that contract and its remaining terms of time & money. The Brewers only signed him for the balance of the year. That's why he's a FA even though he's still getting paid by the Twins.

[paul253]

What is Sheets' status for the beginning of next year? Is he going to be 100% by spring training?

[TracyThom]

Kapler was on the Jim Rome show a few weeks back. He was a great interview. He was only supposed to be in for a segment or 2, but Rome kept him on for a whole hour. Kapler seems like an awesome, awesome individual.

 

Kapler would not commit to coming back to the Brewers. He said he would like to, but that is up in the air. His main focus was going somewhere he would get a chance to play.

[JohnBriggs12]

TracyThom wrote:

 

Kapler would not commit to coming back to the Brewers. He said he would like to, but that is up in the air. His main focus was going somewhere he would get a chance to play.

 

That's the problem. Unless they deal Cameron and open up a spot for at least a shot at a platoon, I don't know why Kapler would want to come back. Sure he'd be great insurance for the Brewers, but he'd be backing up 3 righthanded hitters. He's got to figure there are better options out there. He's moved way up the food chain after last year in the market.

[endaround]

No the problem is opening up a spot for a mediocre player like Kapler. He's the same player he's always been; a 750 OPS guy who can't stay healthy.

[mothershipconnection]

Unless the money saved by trading Cameron is needed and used to sign a front-line pitcher AND that or another trade brings us an acceptable CF or almost-ready prospect, I wouldn't endorse any plans to make Kapler our starting CF.

[JoeHova]

I would bring back Branyan and maybe Kapler. Obviously Sheets and Sabathia too, but I don't think that is likely.

 

The rest of the guys I would move on from. I've seen enough Counsell and Gagne to last a lifetime. I hope they both go somewhere else. Mike Lamb is terrible, not sure why people want him back. Sure, he might bounce back somewhat from his terrible year last year, but so what? He's just not as good as Branyan, not even close.

 

Resigning bad players like Counsell and Lamb and Gagne and Mota won't do anything except make it more difficult to sign good players. Better to use young players instead of them and use the monetary savings on actual good players.

[Invader3K]

I would bring back Branyan and maybe Kapler. Obviously Sheets and Sabathia too, but I don't think that is likely. Resigning bad players like Counsell and Lamb and Gagne and Mota won't do anything except make it more difficult to sign good players. Better to use young players instead of them and use the monetary savings on actual good players.

 

I kind of agree with that. I personally wouldn't mind Mota coming back if better options aren't available, but it's hard to imagine that will be the case. You'd think Melvin could just find one of his patented "diamond in the rough" types and get similar results.

[mothershipconnection]

I wouldn't necessarily mind signing those "bad players" so long as they're signed to bad player contracts. Mota, for example, wouldn't be so bad as long as he's signed to the kind of deal that makes it easy to pull the plug and release him if he totally sucks. But yeah, you totally don't want another Gagne $10MM contract preventing you from signing someone good.

[MNBrew]

I wouldn't necessarily mind signing those "bad players" so long as they're signed to bad player contracts. Mota, for example, wouldn't be so bad as long as he's signed to the kind of deal that makes it easy to pull the plug and release him if he totally sucks. But yeah, you totally don't want another Gagne $10MM contract preventing you from signing someone good.

I don't want a single "bad" player back regardless of his salary. This team MUST get better. It's all about putting together the strongest roster/team with the ideal combination of high levels of talent, the regular productivity, and a strong team-first concept. Counsell and some of these other FAs weren't good enough last year. Why would anyone want them back again?

 

I've said before, the Brewers need to have capable role players who in essence should realistically challenge for starting roles and be able to produce well as starting IFs #5 & #6 if called upon to start -- like Tony Graffanino turned out to be in '06, for instance.

 

Mota didn't totally stink at all. Most of his year was solid to strong. His real horrid stretch was due to flawed mechanics that took awhile to finally correct. Once corrected, he was even better and an asset to the bullpen. I'd take him back. The '09 Brewers need to improve on their '08 weaknesses, sustain their '08 strengths, and improve their overall talent levels and capabilities. I just can't see how Craig Counsell, Mike Lamb, and Eric Gagne could remotely fit into that plan unless it's mid-March, roster holes are still gaping, and no other viable option has panned out.

[TooLiveBrew]

One of Lamb/Branyan is a lock, maybe both (honestly, I'd prefer Lamb).

 

Why Lamb over Branyan, AndThat?

 

Of the positional players, Branyan is the guy I'd like to see retained the most. Don't forget Yost made him the invisible man for weeks leading up to his injury. Imo Russ is a very good Plan B at third base -- and I don't think that there's much of a chance that the Brewers could improve over a Branyan/Hall platoon at 3B.

[danzig6767]

I like Branyan, but wouldn't be comfortable going into next year counting on him to be the everyday option at third when a righty is on the mound. My main concern would be that he has really struggled to stay healthy in his career from what i remember and he strikes me as being very prone to prolonged slumps. I should add though that i'm basing the slump issues on my perception and maybe there are numbers out there to debunk that perception about Branyan being abnormally prone to deep slumps.