Cameron for Melky Cabrera? Nick Swisher?

[fondybrewfan]

According to rotoworld, Melvin has said he is no longer actively pursuing a Mike Cameron trade:

 

General manager Doug Melvin said Wednesday that the Brewers are now unlikely to trade Mike Cameron to the Yankees.

 

Melvin indicated that he hasn't even spoken to Yankees general manager Brian Cashman since the winter meetings and is no longer looking to clear payroll space by moving Cameron.

Source: New York Newsday

[milwaukeesportsfan]

If it's true, that's great news!

[Crew2323]

If that Newsday report is true, I'm ok with that. Yet, I can't help but wonder if it is just Melvin posturing. Melvin is not "actively" pursuing a trade, but that doesn't mean it wouldn't happen if/when the Yankees call. What I deduce from that report is this: Melvin is done contacting the Yankees; it's up to them now to contact the Brewers. And if they really want Cameron they're going to be the ones to call and they'll have to sweeten the deal.

 

If Cameron remains a Brewer (which would be fine with me) I hope that this means they can still acquire some decent pitching this offseason, which I imagine they still can. Overall, I'm not disappointed if this report turns out to be true.

[PilprinBuddha]

That means we are likely done shopping for a vet pitcher then as well.

[TooLiveBrew]

What I deduce from that report is this: Melvin is done contacting the Yankees; it's up to them now to contact the Brewers. And if they really want Cameron they're going to be the ones to call and they'll have to sweeten the deal.

 

I agree Crew2323. And it reinforces my faith in Melvin. Thank goodness. If the worst thing to come of this is Cameron in CF for the Brewers in 2009, oh darn.

[MillerParkSouth]

I'll join in the rejoicing. I still think he'll end up getting moved at some point, but if we have to play '09 with him then I won't be disappointed in the least. Now we just have to hope that the injury bug bites a contending, prospect rich team in ST and hope we can strike a deal.

[chadomac]

What's the point of overpaying a guy to pitch the 9th inning if we're not even going to be winning in the 9th inning that often? I just think that paying for a closer first and then taking care of the rest is putting the cart ahead of the horse. I would rather address all other starting lineup and rotation concerns before finding a closer, but that's just me.

[Mr QL]

hip hip hooray!

 

*disaster averted* '

 

just keep Cam and let him walk next year

[steve267268]

What's the point of overpaying a guy to pitch the 9th inning if we're not even going to be winning in the 9th inning that often? I just think that paying for a closer first and then taking care of the rest is putting the cart ahead of the horse. I would rather address all other starting lineup and rotation concerns before finding a closer, but that's just me.

Bingo! This is exactly what i was thinking. As far as Melky is concerned, he may turn out to be a good player but i really had to force myself to drink the kool aid when this deal was announced. To me, it sounds more like the Yankees are just too busy adding elite players to worry themselves with a guy of Cameron's caliber.

 

 

[joepepsi]

As Solomon Torres proved, most any good reliever is capable of preserving 9th inning leads 80-85% of the time. So if the Brewers enter every 9th inning in 2009 with the lead, I'm OK with putting out any old schmoe on the mound and suffering through a meltdown 15% of the time.

[lukevan]

Good. Way to stick it to the Yanks Doug. They, Cashman and Yanks fans, thought that they had more leverage than they did. We aren't that desperate to cut payroll. Melvin can still make a prospect package deal for some SP help.

[TuesdaysWithRillo]

If the Yankees are planning on putting Johnny Damon in CF, that's pretty funny. No range and no arm aren't a good combination in your most important defensive position.

[tigerbrew]

According to rotoworld, Melvin has said he is no longer actively pursuing a Mike Cameron trade:

 

General manager Doug Melvin said Wednesday that the Brewers are now unlikely to trade Mike Cameron to the Yankees.

 

Melvin indicated that he hasn't even spoken to Yankees general manager Brian Cashman since the winter meetings and is no longer looking to clear payroll space by moving Cameron.

Source: New York Newsday

News about this Cameron trade talks with the Yankees keep getting worse, I'm very glad DM came to his senses and stop pursuing it. It's pretty obvious that the Yanks are playing hardball, and they're trying their utmost to lowball and squeeze the Brewers. The Yanks are insincere and terrible trade partners for us, no point wasting too much time on them.

 

I really don't understand why DM needs to clear Cameron's contract to sign a $10M+ pitcher. The Brewers should be able to afford one even with Cameron on the team.

[Invader3K]

I really don't understand why DM needs to clear Cameron's contract to sign a $10M+ pitcher. The Brewers should be able to afford one even with Cameron on the team.

Yeah, but the problem is that they need at least one starting pitcher, a closer, and maybe another bat for the lineup. Granted, those probably won't all come through free agency, but the flexiblity probably would have helped. Still, I'm kind of glad Melvin has walked away from this, I think more for the fact that the Yankees seemed to be acting pretty arrogantly throughout this whole thing. After they signed CC away from us, we don't have any reason to do them any favors.

[kramnoj]

Pretty sure the current plan for the Yanks is Damon/Melky/Nady, with Swisher at 1B and Matsui getting most of the DH starts and some games in the OF and hoping that Posada can catch 130ish games.

 

Now if you are referring to the rumor of the Yanks signing Manny and then Damon shifts to CF, the expected offensive production of Damon over Melky should outweigh the defensive woes of Damon.

[JohnBriggs12]

Great, spend $10 million on a guy worth half that thinking you can deal him when you can't. There's no sugar coating that as that was the plan and he failed.

 

Up until this point, this offseason cannot be characterized as anything but utter failure by Melvin. No help in starting rotation. Only help in bullpen are minor leaguers and the very erratic Julio. No new lefty swinging OF bat. Current backup up OF consists of Tony Gwynn and two converted infielders, Nelson and Iribarren. Wow! Same inoffensive catcher who could play another 150 games.

 

This team could lose 90 next year as presently constituted.

[PeaveyFury]

This team could lose 90 next year as presently constituted.

 

Or make a run at the playoffs again, as they're the basically same team that was in contention enough to acquire Sabathia to get them to the wildcard.

[hauser42]

Great, spend $10 million on a guy worth half that thinking you can deal him when you can't. There's no sugar coating that as that was the plan and he failed.

 

Up until this point, this offseason cannot be characterized as anything but utter failure by Melvin. No help in starting rotation. Only help in bullpen are minor leaguers and the very erratic Julio. No new lefty swinging OF bat. Current backup up OF consists of Tony Gwynn and two converted infielders, Nelson and Iribarren. Wow! Same inoffensive catcher who could play another 150 games.

 

This team could lose 90 next year as presently constituted.

John you are turning into the Grinch. We have not even reached the end of the year and you are complaining about what the team is going to be in 2009. There is a lot of off-season and spring training to make moves to improve this team. This not a sport that a player has to learn plays to be a major force for the team. Hitting and Pitching are the same no matter what team you are on.

 

Cameron would have gotten more on the open markter than 10 mil. Yes there is a lot of old OFers out there, but very few of them can play CF. Complain all about the Ks and what you think he is missing as a player, but Cameron is the best option out there to play CF for the Brewers. I dont recall a lot of Jenks supporters crying about all his Ks the last two years he robbed the Brewers of money. But then again he came up in the farm system while Cameron came here as an outsider.

[greeg35]

Great, spend $10 million on a guy worth half that thinking you can deal him when you can't.

Melvin spent 10 mil on him because that is good value. Traded or not.

This team could lose 90 next year as presently constituted.

I may have Brewer colored glasses; but that sound wildly pessimistic and unrealistic. From the start of last year, we basically have lost Sheets (not even officially) and some bullpen parts we either weren't counting on or shouldn't have been counting on to start the year. We retain all of our young hitters, none of which had what you would term a "career year" last year (maybe Braun and he could repeat), and several of which underperformed. There's no reason to think they won't at least produce what they did last year as a group. So losing Council, Branyan and Kapler should have us looking for the nearest bridge? I'm not saying this has been a banner offseason, nor that we will necessarily improve; but losing 90 games? Yikes.

[brewmann04]

Thankfully this is over period,and good job by Doug for backing away from thsi bad trade.

The one problem is does this tie up the brewers from getting any help they might need.

[davego]

Can we assume that Braun, Prince, JJ and the rest may still continue to improve?

[kramnoj]

Great, spend $10 million on a guy worth half that thinking you can deal him when you can't. There's no sugar coating that as that was the plan and he failed.

 

Since you say that Cameron is worth only $5M, it should be easy for you to justify that.

 

Cameron's option was picked up because his value at $10M is far better than any value the Brewers could get from CF internally and there was no good FA option. One option may have been to put Hart in center and sign someone like Burrell or Dunn, but that would have given us a softball league defense and bad defense will hurt a pitching staff. Melvin was willing to explore trading Cameron to the Yankees if he could have got a nice pitcher back, but if Cashman won't give up talent to get Cameron, than Cameron will provide good value to the Brewers.

[logan82]

We retain all of our young hitters, none of which had what you would term a "career year" last year (maybe Braun and he could repeat), and several of which underperformed.

 

Braun wasn't even as good in 2008 as he was in 2007. I think 2008 is worst case scenario(baring injury) for what to expect from Braun.

 

I hope future deals with the Yankees are few and far between. The rumors surrounding this deal are ridiculous if what Melvin says is true.

 

He had called me on an idea, and I got back to him with another idea, and we haven't heard from each other since. - Melvin Link

[Roscoe Chill]

I'm usually with you on a lot of things JohnBriggs, but we're way off on this one. Getting Melky Cabrera in return for Mike Cameron was depressing, I don't care if Cameron is only going to be around for one more year. The fact that Cameron, not Cabrera will be in the Brewers outfield (as of now) with Braun and Hart makes me that much more optimisitic about next season.

 

I don't see ANY pitchers out there that would be available for Cameron's money. This talk of John Smoltz coming to Milwaukee is a pipe dream. Randy Johnson? Maybe, but be careful for what you wish for. Other possibilities out there as far as pitchers go (starters) just don't do it for me.

 

I'm still not cool with Mike Lamb getting the lions share of work at 3B. But Lamb and Cabrera in the lineup along with Kendall and the pitcher spot...that would have ended up getting ugly, I think.

[squambaum]

If the team is really intent on trading Cameron they can wait. He is being paid reasonably for his production and if we are having a bad year some contender is going to covet his power/defense for a stretch run. I have no idea if Cameron will be on our opening day roster but I doubt he is on our roster come August 1st. That and the fact that he may become a type B or A free agent means the Brewers have no real motivation to deal him just because the Yankees want him. Let them wait until spring training when someone on another team goes down with an injury and we start getting other inquiries about Cameron; I bet they will have no problems picking up all of Cameron's salary and giving us something better than Melky and Igawa.