Cameron for Melky Cabrera? Nick Swisher?

[Never Outhustled]

I disagree strongly with this. This is one of the best free agent classes for pitching ever, and there are certainly guys out there that would be huge upgrades for the Brewers and will certainly help for 2009.

Sure, some of those pitchers are quality, but which one won't be grossly overpaid? Signing a FA pitcher will put the Brewers in a major hole for a long time. Cameron is a good player with a good contract.

 

As for Sheets, we can ask Melvin to re-sign him, but Melvin has already stated he won't be making an offer to him.

[Patrick425]

Apparently the Yankees are interested in Hall as well

 

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

[PeaveyFury]

Sure, some of those pitchers are quality, but which one won't be grossly overpaid? Signing a FA pitcher will put the Brewers in a major hole for a long time.

 

I think that other than Sabathia, the free agent market as a whole will be full of signings that are lower than in years past by quite a bit. KRod already signed a deal that's below what an inferior closer in Cordero got just last year, and once the Yankees stop their mindless spending, some good pitchers are going to be available for contracts similar or less than the one we gave to Suppan a couple of years ago.

[schmidty]

This is an absolute horrible trade if it's just Cameron for Melky, but I have a feeling since the Yankees are trying to make deals with the likes of C.C, Burnett, and etc. that they are willing to trade some of there younger pitchers that really have potential but just hasn't showed it.

[silversurferr]

Maybe not a good trade for 2009, but two or three years from now, could be very good. Particularly if we get a young arm.

[PeaveyFury]

Apparently the Yankees are interested in Hall as well

 

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

 

Also from that report, a deal is not done and talks were postponed until this morning.

[PrimeTime955]

Hall is an added dimension that I didn't see coming. Could make for an interesting day.

[Never Outhustled]

once the Yankees stop their mindless spending, some good pitchers are going to be available for contracts similar or less than the one we gave to Suppan a couple of years ago.

Which ones? Lowe and Burnett already have huge offers. Do you really want Oliver Perez? Braden Looper? Paul Byrd? These guys don't make us better.

[tigerbrew]

Dear God, Cameron and Hall for Hughes please, and they can add another of CC's pal Riske too. Thank you and Amen.

[Yeti73]

I like this deal. Kameron's best attribute was his leadership and fielding range. The former can be found elsewhere, the latter was in decline. I strongly believe that his stats last year were pumped up based on useless extra base hits. I still hold him responsible for his inability to stop the bleeding in the first game at Phillly so I'm glad I don't have to watch him and remember that near catch. I liked his patience at the plate because even when you knew he was going to strike out he did it on 7 or 8 pitches vs. Corey's 3 to 4 pitches.

 

Melky is a bit of an unknown. Maybe he had a down year. Maybe he is a clubhouse cancer. Maybe he just isn't that good. We won't know for a little bit. But he is cheaper, allows us to go after a decent pitcher and maybe sign someone like Hardy to a long-term deal with the hope of moving him to third. He is younger, so could end up being a great player still and could provide more than a year.

 

Not long ago everyone was mad we exercised Cam's option, now we're upset we basically got a new player for just exercising that?

[bklynbrewcrew]

This better not be cameron for cabrera straight up. Thats like trading Cameron for Gwynn. Is anyone confident in Melvin at this point?

[Chio151]

Okay, I could see the grand vision if it were something like:

 

Cam & Hall for Melky & Kennedy

 

Then we could sign Dunn and have something like this:

 

SP - Gallardo, Parra, Soup, Bush, Kennedy

RP - Villy, McClung, Julio, Swindle, Coffey, Riske, Stetter

 

1B - Fielder

2B - Weeks

SS - Hardy/Escobar

3B - Hardy/Gamel

C - Kendall

LF - Dunn

CF - Braun

RF - Hart/Melky

 

That's really not too bad.

[MillerParkSouth]

not a fan of Melky at all. Maybe he can bounce back, but i'd much rather see pitching, marginal as it may be, come back for Cam. Maybe this will free up some cash to sign Fuentes or even JJ to a deal though.

[silversurferr]

Dunn would be interesting. But if we add Dunn, we'd need a better hitting catcher in the lineup.

[fondybrewfan]

I am fine with this so long as Doug has a good plan for the money he is saving by dealing Cameron. If by dealing Cameron we can sign or trade for an upper tier SP or 3rd basemen I would be fine with it. Melky has some potential obviously but I think the more important issue is the fact that we now have nearly $10M to spend elsewhere. Doug obviously feels Melky will be adequate to play CF, and the money saved can drastically improve other areas of the club, thereby offsetting the loss of Cam's offense

 

EDIT: Rotoworld has it as a straight up Cam for Melky swap, well see if anything else is involved

[Fear The Chorizo]

I posted this in a transaction rumors thread yesterday:

 

I think a trade involving Cameron and Hall to the Yankees for Melky Cabrera and Hughes (+ or - spare minor league parts on either side) would be possible if the FA starting pitcher spree brings 3 new arms to the Yankees.

 

Since it appears that a trade involving Cameron and Cabrera is being worked on, I'm looking for it to get expanded to include Hall and a young Yankee arm that isn't going to have a prayer to break into a potential rotation of Sabathia, Wang, Burnett, Chamberlain, and Lowe/Sheets.

 

by the way, if the Yankees rotation is what I posted above on opening day next season, the rest of baseball may as well be contracted, because that is disgustingly good.

 

While Cameron for Cabrera straight up is bad for this season, it doesn't look so bad when accounting for team control of Cabrera for future seasons, increased payroll flexibility by trading away a 36-yr old, 10 million dollar player, and the potential that this trade could also bring a major league-ready, pre-arby arm into the mix.

[bklynbrewcrew]

Financially the trade makes sense; its a straight up salary dump. cabrera is nothing more than a 5th outfielder and adds nothing to this team. he is essentially Counsell playing CF. The Brewers seem to be in total rebuild mode which makes no sense coming off a playoff season. I cant be the only one upset with the direction this team appears to be headed.

[JohnBriggs12]

Why is everyone so down on a guy who at age 21-22 hit .280/.360/.391? You don't do that at that age if you don't have ability and a lot of it. So he had a somewhat of an off year at age 23? Most guys that age are in AA. He's shown he's capable of putting up the kind of numbers the Brewers could use, without the K's.

 

Plus is everyone forgetting that with Cameron around, the Brewers had both no interest and no shot at bringing back arguably their best hitter last season, Gabe Kapler?

[Invader3K]

Cabrera has a lot of upside...only 24 years old. Hopefully he can evolve into an everyday CF. It's just that a lot of us don't like the direction this team seems to be headed, after their first playoff appearance in 26 years. Cabrera certainly isn't going to be a huge offensive boost next year for the Brewers.

 

Of course, a lot of attitudes around here will change should the Brewers sign someone like an Adam Dunn.

[fondybrewfan]

So how is Melky defensively?

 

Instinctively I immediately thought the defense would take a hit, but I admittedly don't know a thing about Melky's defensive ability

[PrimeTime955]

JB12 brings up a decent point with Kapler. What kind of productivity could we expect out of a Kapler/Cabrera platoon?

[PrimeTime955]

Of course, a lot of attitudes around here will change should the Brewers sign someone like an Adam Dunn.

If Adam Dunn is here, who is playing center field? Nothing has given me the impression that Braun or Hart are ready to handle 162 out there.

[fondybrewfan]

JB12 brings up a decent point with Kapler. What kind of productivity could we expect out of a Kapler/Cabrera platoon?

I really don't want to see Kapler playing centerfield unless it is a dire emergency. Kapler was fine in a part time role last year and arguably played above his head, I certainly wouldn't count on that same production this year especially if he get 100 more AB's or so

[endaround]

Melky is 1.5-2 wins worse defensively alone than Cameron.

 

EDIT:Kapler's BABIP was .335. His career is .301. Take away the luck and he's the same 750 OPS OFer who can't stay healthy.

[fondybrewfan]

Financially the trade makes sense; its a straight up salary dump. cabrera is nothing more than a 5th outfielder and adds nothing to this team. he is essentially Counsell playing CF. The Brewers seem to be in total rebuild mode which makes no sense coming off a playoff season. I cant be the only one upset with the direction this team appears to be headed.

Cabrera is much more talented then what you give him credit for. His performance last year was certainly worthy of a 5th outfielder but by all accounts he projects to be a solid CF. Give Doug some time, he still has a ton of money to burn this offseason and I have a hard time beleiving that he is even close to done dealing. I mean we are atleast $25M under last year even after you consider raises to our arby guys. (Gagne $10M, Cam $10M, Turnbow $3M, Sabathia roughly $7M I think, Sheets $12M, Etc) I doubt Melvin is just going to sit on all that money.