Melvin's comments before Winter Meetings

[PrinceEatMeat]

http://www.jsonline.com/sports/brewers/35629934.html

This doesn't make me too excited about what will transpire this offseason. He sounds content with what we have now, which worries me a lot. If we don't trade Hardy or Escobar, how will we get a pitcher? Especially since he says he doesn't want to sign one through free agency. A Hall/Lamb platoon makes me wanna puke. I also don't like that he won't even try to go after any of the closers. One thing I do like is not rushing Escobar, but we have don't have many pieces to get a pitcher besides Hardy, except Fielder or Cameron. He won't trade Fielder because he's the only lefty we have, and Cameron will only go if he finds a quality centerfielder to get back, whuch is also unlikely. Ugh. If he stands pat other than signing some nobodies for the bullpen and maybe making a minor trade for a back end starter, I will be pissed. This team can contend with some good moves.

[Ennder]

I'd be much more worried if he suggested Escobar would make the team this year, I don't see how we can improve by trading Hardy and creating a massive hole at SS that Escobar likely would be. I'd also much rather use our money on a starter or bullpen depth than on a closer which is what he said. A deeper quality bullpen is always going to be better than a weak bullpen with a great closer.

 

I wouldn't worry too much about what Melvin says, most of what he tells reporters is just for show and half the time he does just the opposite of what he said.

[paul253]

To me these comments just echo that of a small market team, something that I thought we had put behind us once we were able to get Sabathia. The Brewers offer to Sabathia really isnt that much worse that the Yankees, about $3 million less per year. Why not just add on $3 million to the current 5 year offer. Yes, it's still a year less, but he's made it clear he'd prefer to be in the National League. It'd be a much more competitive offer. Instead...he says stuff like how the Yankees offer "baffles" him.

 

A Hall/Lamb platoon wouldnt be terrible, I guess, but in essence you're putting the same team on the field that played horrible, horrible baseball for the final 5 weeks of the season and took a dump in the playoffs. I went to a game vs the Cubs in Chicago during that losing streak and I was honestly embarrassed at the time to be cheering for the Brewers, thats how bad they were playing. Now we're going to trot that same team, with the same weaknesses out there, while throwing out a noticably worse bullpen and a noticably worse rotation, which currently has no depth.

 

Also, I hate to tell you this Doug, but you cant play 2 shortstops. You have an allstar shortstop now, so why are you so unwilling to trade the other one to fill a glaring need in the rotation? Unless you are planning on moving Hardy to third next year, you are going to have to trade him, and everyone knows you have to trade him if Escobar pans out, which will reduce his trade value. If Escobar doesnt pan out, then his trade value is shot and you get nothing in return.

 

I realize the offseason is far from over, but from the way its shaping up so far, and from the comments he is making, I cant see any possible way this team is going to be any better, and I cant see any possible way in which the team can compete with Chicago. So far the major signing has been a reliever who couldnt even hold a roster spot last season until they expanded in September. Nice.

[GAME05]

yeah, it's all politics. DM is certainly not going to tip his hand to fans. if he admitted worry about a position then wasn't able to sign anybody he'd get all the fans riled up.

 

heck, even when Fielder was ready, he never admitted to having a need to trade Overbay, even though there clearly was one.

[trwi7]

I guess, but in essence you're putting the same team on the field that played horrible, horrible baseball for the final 5 weeks of the season and took a dump in the playoffs.

 

It's also the same team that was 20-7 in August and at one point was 24 games over .500.

 

You have an allstar shortstop now, so why are you so unwilling to trade the other one to fill a glaring need in the rotation?

 

What if teams are offering what he doesn't feel is a fair return for either? Would you like him to do it anyway, just because we haven't done much yet?

 

So far the major signing has been a reliever who couldnt even hold a roster spot last season until they expanded in September. Nice.

 

What did we do last year before the winter meetings? Trade Estrada for Mota. That's pretty much it.

[DHonks]

Just wondering, but isn't Lamb a free agent? Is he planning on returning? He signed a 2 year deal with the Twins but was released. Did we sign him or claim him? I was under the belief we signed him, meaning it was only for the month of Sept.

[PrinceEatMeat]

I agree that these comments do sound like they are coming from a small market team. It seemed like that might change when CC came to town, and we finally made the playoffs. I guess it was just wishful thinking. I'm not saying that Melvin won't do anything. I just don't see him making any big free agent signing, or trading someone like Hardy to get a legitimate starting pitcher to fill the spot of Sheets and CC. I guess we can be a winning team as we are now, but I really don't think we could make the playoffs with our current roster. We need another strong starter and some serious depth in the bullpen in order to compete. It also would help a lot to get some lefty balance for our lineup, and at least get on the road towards becoming a more balanced offense that doesn't rely so much on the homerun ball.

[logan82]

I agree that these comments do sound like they are coming from a small market team. It seemed like that might change when CC came to town, and we finally made the playoffs. I guess it was just wishful thinking.

We are a small market team. We have a bad TV contract and are in one of the smallest TV markets for a MLB team. Making the playoffs doesn't change that.

[PeaveyFury]

I just don't see him making any big free agent signing, or trading someone like Hardy to get a legitimate starting pitcher to fill the spot of Sheets and CC.

 

Well, he does clearly say in the article:

"If he loses both Sabathia and Sheets, Melvin immediately will look to add an established starting pitcher, if not two.

 

"We'd like to try to get at least one," said Melvin. "Two protects you against injuries."

 

Also, I hate to tell you this Doug, but you cant play 2 shortstops.

 

No, you can't. But one of the ones we have doesn't have a bat that's ready for major league pitching yet.

 

I think people are reading way too much into the article, as Doug has historically been very misleading quite often in the media. Remember headed into the winter meetings last year, when the team was 'perfectly comfortable with Derrick Turnbow as our closer', and the team went out and acquired Torres, Mota, Riske, and Gagne? Or when he "wasn't motivated to move Lyle Overbay" then traded him like a day later?

 

It's all GM speak, IMO.

[jimmyjeromehardy7]

What's DM suppose to say they want to trade Hardy to get Escobar on the team, that he plans to sign a 3B and Hall is basically a spare part now. Other GMs will read this and offer a bag of balls for each. He has to play it close to the sleave otherwise he is at a disadvantage.

[Ennder]

Gallardo can replace most of what we lose in Sheets and we only had CC for half a year. We don't have to sign 2 big pitchers to repeat last year, we need a very good SP and a mediocre one and we are where we were last year.

[logan82]

Gallardo can replace most of what we lose in Sheets and we only had CC for half a year. We don't have to sign 2 big pitchers to repeat last year, we need a very good SP and a mediocre one and we are where we were last year.

I don't think we even need that if we platoon Hall at 3B and Hart, Weeks, Fielder and Braun play closer to their 2007 numbers.

[owbc]

It all depends on CC. He has Melvin's hands tied right now. As for the small market comment:

 

If we sign him, we are a small market team for the next 6 years. We might get to brag about 1 player out of our 25 man roster, but all of our extra money will be taken up and our buying power will be extremely limited--possibly for as long as the next decade.

 

If we let him go, we will suddenly have lots of money freed up to make a number of moves.

[PrinceEatMeat]

I'd rather have CC, because Melvin has already said that he won't spend the money on multiple players if we don't sign him. Basically, if we sign CC, our payroll will be higher, if we don't it will stay around where it's been in recent years.

[phxMILWfan]

We could sign CC, trade for A-Rod and Jeter and still be a small market team. The term small market team has to do with the amount of fans (population) and sponsors willing to give you money to advertise during your games. Not how much money the team spends on its players. Sorry just a pet-peave.

[logan82]

That money has to come from somewhere. It sounds like the contract offer to CC has defered money. I would take it to mean that we are going to have our payroll go down after CC leaves to make up for years of overspending. I admit we are probably going to need CC quite a bit for the next couple years at least.(or some pitching help) Until we get some of our pitching prospects coming up through the system. I just don't want to be hamstrung by a bad contract which whoever signs CC will have to deal with at some point in that contract. We have limited means and at some point we are going to have to pay the piper. I would rather have a payroll consistently in the $85M range than have to drop it to $75M for a couple years because we overpaid now.

[trwi7]

We could sign CC, trade for A-Rod and Jeter and still be a small market team. The term small market team has to do with the amount of fans (population) and sponsors willing to give you money to advertise during your games. Not how much money the team spends on its players. Sorry just a pet-peave.

Yep. We're the smallest media market in baseball. It doesn't matter if our payroll goes up, stays the same or goes down, unless we get a huge population surge before next April, we're still going to be a small market.

[lukevan]

bullpen closer

 

For some reason, this made me smile. What other kind of closer is there? Is this the guy that shuts the bullpen door when a Brewer reliever heads out to the mound?

 

The encouraging thing about this is Melvin talking about going out and getting one or two starting pitchers if CC goes elsewhere. I think he's resigned to the idea that Sabathia won't accept our offer and he's already thinking about a blockbuster for a nice SP.

 

And there's no way that Melvin is satisfied with the 3B situation. He will be looking to upgrade there but like others have said he is holding his cards close to the vest. There's no reason to appear desperate other than to appease the fans.

[JJHardy7]

I still don't understand the trade Hardy talk. Hardy is an all-star SS...we know what to expect out of him. Escobar's bat isn't ready to be on the major league team yet and he could potentially be a very good MLB player, but by the time he is ready it also will be close to the time Hardy is reaching free agency. I can possibly see trading Hardy next off-season and bringing Escobar up then, but Escobar can't be counted on this year IMO. I also wonder what return Escobar would bring. What team will trade a young, cheap (like Escobar) MLB quality pitcher for Escobar? I think we'd have to get a player closer to free agency and IMO that hurts the true return on Escobar.

[paul253]

If we sign him, we are a small market team for the next 6 years. We might get to brag about 1 player out of our 25 man roster, but all of our extra money will be taken up and our buying power will be extremely limited--possibly for as long as the next decade.

 

Just because we are a small market team doesnt mean we have to....for lack of better term....act like it. St Louis isnt that much bigger of a market and they have been successful for years. When you go around making comments like how you are baffled about a contract offer to one of the best pitchers in the game, you tell everyone that you are "wooing" that you arent going to overpay them. The good players know they will be overpayed and wont even bother with you if you have an attitude like that. I'm not saying you have to overpay to get everyone, but you also dont have to advertise how small your pockets are.

 

Also, lets not forget we have some huge contracts coming off the books in a year or two. Assuming we dont trade Cameron, thats $10 million. Hall and his $5 million, Kendall I believe is maknig close to $5 million, Suppan of course and his ridiculous contract. All in 2 years they will be gone. Yeah you're going to have to pony up to resign Hardy/Weeks/Fielder/Parra?Gallardo, but i think Fielder will be gone, possibly Hardy, and Weeks hasnt played his way to a big contract yet. And we have a lot young position players to replace them on the cheap. Giving Sabathia $23 million over 5 isnt going to kill us any worse than $20 million over four. We're talking about a backup infielder for that kinda of money. And considering how dominant he's been and the fact he's only 27 (i think) makes me willing to take that chance on the extra year.

 

I know its early, and I know comments dont really mean much, but I'm not very confident about this offseason. We have too many holes to fill with no really good options to fill them with.

[splitterpfj]

and the fact he's only 27 (i think)

Close, he turned 28 in July.

[tigerbrew]

Great to read that Hardy is very highly valued by DM to the point of untouchable.

[PeaveyFury]

I know its early, and I know comments dont really mean much, but I'm not very confident about this offseason. We have too many holes to fill with no really good options to fill them with.

 

Too many holes? It's tough to say that before we even know what holes we have yet with 100% certainty. Say Sheets accepts arby tonight, and that makes SP less of a concern. Then there's the need for a closer, but this is probably the best year ever for closers on the free agent market in terms of both quantity and quality. All that's really left after that is 3B.

 

So I really don't see how we have two many holes, as even if Sheets and Sabathia are both gone, we really only have 4 (2 SP's, closer, and 3B).

[TSack27]

Just wondering, but isn't Lamb a free agent? Is he planning on returning? He signed a 2 year deal with the Twins but was released. Did we sign him or claim him? I was under the belief we signed him, meaning it was only for the month of Sept.

 

Can't find much more details, but this sentence appears on many of the websites tracking player moves this offseason - "Jim Molony, of MLB.com, reports Milwaukee Brewers 3B Mike Lamb filed for free agency Thursday, Oct. 30."

[tomwopat]

The current plan is to platoon Hall and left-handed hitting Mike Lamb at third base. Casey McGehee, a right-handed-hitting prospect claimed off waivers from the Chicago Cubs, also is in the picture.

I had completely missed this part of the article. Surely there isn't a nugget capable of producing at replacement level that has more upside than Mike Lamb? Surely the list for potential LH halves of the platoon was longer than Russell Branyan and Mike Lamb?