Should the Brewers shop Dave Bush?

[GoudaBrew]

Bush is coming off his best year since coming to Milwaukee. I think its time we cash in on that. I know we're trying to add at least 1 SP to the rotation and trading Bush alone wouldn't net us a whole lot, but packaging him with one of our sluggers in exchange for a top of the rotation pitcher might be the way to go.

 

If Fielder were to be traded to say, the Angels (if they miss out on Tex and sign CC, theoretically), we could package Prince and Bush for Santana and maybe Figgins (but its hard to say if that's fair, a prospect would likely be needed at our expense). Then we could take a shot on a guy like Dunn to play 1st. And maybe we get lucky and get Sheets back on a 1-2 year deal.

 

Figgins

Hardy

Dunn

Braun

Hart

Weeks

Cameron

Kendall

 

Sheets, Gallardo, Santana, Parra, Soup

 

I have no idea what this does to our payroll, but it sure looks nice http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

 

I think sometimes the Brewers are afraid to sell high on some of their players. Hindsight is always 20/20, but I'm sure DM and company would love to have traded Bill Hall after 2006.

 

Thoughts on trading Bush?

[joepepsi]

Bush has more value as a Brewer than as trade bait right now.

[piccione88]

Are you suggesting that we should not expect Bush to perform at or very close to the level he did in 08?

[Invader3K]

I don't like the idea. Bush is relatively affordable, and has been reliable as a starter.

 

If we are going to trade Fielder, Bush most certainly be packaged with him. It would just be creating too many holes.

[sheetskout]

You always hear sports news sites stating clubs have been interested in the past. I say keep him unless someone would give the slightest decent pitching prospect for him.

 

Man this year is going to be interesting...

[fleehaw]

I wouldn't trade Fielder alone for Santana and Figgins, let alone add Bush to the mix.

[GoudaBrew]

Are you suggesting that we should not expect Bush to perform at or very close to the level he did in 08?

Yeah, I'll admit that I'm not a big Bush fan, but I also know that not every pitcher in a team's rotation can be elite. I was just curious to see what his value might be. As a previous poster mentioned: "Bush has more value as a Brewer than as trade bait right now."

[paul253]

Let's not forget Bush was so horrible on the road he had to be "platooned". He is consistantly inconsistent, and I hate counting on him as anything more than a #5. That being said, we are still looking for a pitcher, so I dont think trading one is a good idea. Bush wouldnt bring back much, so, as someone already pointed out, his value to us is higher than his trade value. We could package him with Prince, but I'd ask for at least one major league ready starter and two high ceiling pitching prospects in return.

[monkeyman343434]

I don't think the Angels would trade Santana for Fielder straight up, although, it could be close, would you deal Gallardo for Fielder?

[ILuvDaBush]

The best time to have traded him would have been the year after we traded for him. He is what he is. He limits walks, strikes out his fair share, and can be counted on to give up that one big inning. Even during his near-no-no bid (was there, 5 rows behind home plate), he almost lost it (though, obviously, the biggest culprit was Yost). However, I still hold out hope he can replicate 2006's peripherals, or perhaps exceed them. If and when Sheets comes back, we will need a reliable starter like Bush to take the ball every fifth day, guaranteed. Yo will be a year removed from a torn ACL and Parra's innings will still be monitored. The Soup Nazi...good #5 but I'd prefer more to skip him than to rely on him.

[Never Outhustled]

I don't think the Angels would trade Santana for Fielder straight up, although, it could be close, would you deal Gallardo for Fielder?

They're different pitchers, as Gallardo is under control for 5 more years, while Santanna is under control for 3 more years, just like Fielder.

If the Angels sign CC, they will have little money left to pursue a DH. They'll be left asking themsleves, which is better, SP Santanna/DH Garret Anderson or some other cheap retread scrub, or SP Nick Adenhart/DH Fielder? I think they would pick the latter. Fielder has limited value to Milwaukee because his defense negates so much of his offense, but as a DH the Angels would get full value of his offense. The average DH OPS was well under 800 last year. The Angels need offense from there DH because they'll likely go with Kendry Morales at 1B.

[bcf5575]

this will be the problem with waiting around for CC - making decisions on other guys like bush. If CC somehow stays a brewer and sheets accepts arbitration, suddenly Bush might be expendable in a deal to get a LH bat or whatever else we need. When CC leaves, and we dont have sheets anymore then we have little pitching depth and Bush gets harder to trade...

[JohnBriggs12]

Bush would have value but the guy who has more value and might not even be as good as Bush is Manny Parra. Before you guys are all over me, note I said "might".

 

That's the thing about Parra. Do we really know he's going to develop into a number 2 or 3 starter? He is 26, not 22. We know he has the stuff to be but a lot of guys with stuff don't have the results that reflect it. Rich Hill had great stuff and where is he now? Maybe there was something to Fielder's actions we don't know about too. His 1.54 WHIP that he posted last year doesn't quite cut it. Compare that with Bush's 1.14 WHIP and career 1.23 and who's the better pitcher, Bush or Parra?

 

What we do know is that teams covet guys like Parra and might offer a lot in return.

 

Again, I'm not suggesting dealing Parra (the Brewers could be short of starters as it is), just throwing it out there as a topic.

[Invader3K]

I don't think they should deal Parra, but it is dangerous to bank on the "fact" that he will develop into a top of the rotation starter.

[monty57]

I don't see much chance of Bush being moved. There's basically no chance that both Sheets and CC come back, so even if we are able to retain one of those two, they'll still have a need for Bush.

 

In the likely scenario that we start 2009 without Sheets or CC, then we absolutely need to have Bush return, so we can have a lineup of Yo, Parra, Bush, Suppan, McClung... the depth pretty much stops there. If we are able to pick up another starter (which I really, really hope we do), McClung will be the odd man out, returning to the bullpen, where he performed admirably in 2008.

 

My biggest worry for next year is that we don't pick up another starter, and we have some injuries. That could very easily turn into 2006 all over again, with a revolving door of "not ready for primetime" minor leaguers getting lit up while the Brewers watch another playoff chance slip away. We need to add one or two quality arms. Trading away one of the few semi-reliable arms we have is not at all appealing to me, unless that man is Suppan and even he has value to this team next year. I'd only like to see him traded if we're able to use the money we save to sign one or two pitchers.

[Crewin06]

I think sometimes the Brewers are afraid to sell high on some of their players. Hindsight is always 20/20, but I'm sure DM and company would love to have traded Bill Hall after 2006.

 

Thoughts on trading Bush?

I don't think trading Bush or Fielder is really selling high on either of them. Actually I think you are selling low on both of them. I agree selling high on players is very smart and the Brewers should look into doing it more often. The players that fit this category this season are Hardy and Cameron. Both players could fetch alot more than what I think they are worth. I think Cameron will be moved however I think the fan backlash from trading Hardy is something the Brewers don't want to deal with right now. They would rather wait a year and get $.50 on the dollar for him like everyone wants to do with Hart, Fielder and Weeks this season.