Cameron for Melky Cabrera? Nick Swisher?

[joepepsi]

Little Kenny Rosenthal indicates Doug has screwed his head back on straight:

The Brewers are asking for a second player in addition to Melky Cabrera. The Yankees want the Brewers to pay a portion of Cameron's $10 million salary.

 

Milwaukee is not inclined to fulfill that request at a time when the Yankees are on the verge of paying over $200 million for pitchers CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett.

 

http://msn.foxsports.com/...anks-trade-hits-roadblock

[Fear The Chorizo]

Melvin has no leverage to get what he wants. Cameron in this market where some very good hitters are still unsigned is not a $10 million dollar player. Other than the Yankees who's out there interested in him? Apparently nobody.

I think that the leverage the Brewers have is that the Yankees just signed a guy for 7 seasons and 161 mildo who happens to be close friends with Cameron, and who probably has expressed interest for the Yankees to acquire him. It was obvious that the Yankees bid against themselves in order to convince CC to sign with them, and odds are they made some sort of concession that they would actively pursue Cameron.

The idea of the Brewers needing to pay the Yankees in order to get one of their inexpensive pitching prospects is exactly what's wrong with baseball's economics - but, it's probably an option the Brewers need to explore if they have a shot at getting Hughes, IMO.

[splitterpfj]

I just got off the phone with a buddy of mine in NY - he's laughing out loud at the notion of adding Cameron for Cabrera. He says Melky is as average as they come, and can't, "Hit for power like Cameron, run the bases like Cameron, or cover center like Cameron."

 

NY wants a defensive upgrade in CF, for one season - Cameron is it, and they know it.

[Fear The Chorizo]

Doug's probably had his head screwed on straight the entire time, it's the assumed reporting prowess of ESPN that caused many here to push the preemptive panic button. There was never any confirmation to a 1 for 1 trade involving Cameron and Cabrera.

 

I think a trade will still happen, but it may take awhile for all the particulars to line up - instead of the Brewers paying money to the Yankees to get Kennedy, Hughes, or other, some sort of mishmash of marginal prospects may get exchanged that the two teams agree even value out.

[tigerbrew]

Yeah, if the Yankees want money, DM better ask for Hughes in return.

[jjfanec]

Lets see if the Yankees are willing to move one of their young pitchers when the have CC, Burnett, some other FA (maybe Lowe), Wang, Joba all there for a long time. Where does a guy like Hughes or Kennedy fit in on that team?

[brains and braun]

If we are dumping salary, which would be the scenario in a 1 to 1 Cam for Melky swap, I hope we can jettison Bill Hill as well.

[Never Outhustled]

Melvin has no leverage to get what he wants. Cameron in this market where some very good hitters are still unsigned is not a $10 million dollar player.

Melvin has all the leverage, as we have no reason to trade Cameron, he makes us better. So what if theres 3 quality hitters available? How many of them play CF? There all poor defensive corner OFs. That won't fix the Yankee CF problem. The only other CF available is Jim Edmonds, and he is as injury prone as they come. Cameron is as durable as they come.

[JJHardy7]

I hope that's not a setup for an "I told you so".

 

It's not. It's just the fact it's December 11th and I get a lot of negative vibes from the activity (or lack of it). Rumors will swirl with New York and major markets and nothing is final until the Brewers announce it. I just don't get the feeling that Doug Melvin and Mark are going to make moves that clearly hurt the franchise. For example, when they picked up Cameron's option they knew that they could possibly keep him and pay him the $10 million. If the team is worried about costs, the option would have never been picked up, let alone trade him AND pay for some of his salary. I get the feeling that a lot of these rumors/stories are out there because it's the Yankees and not because anybody has any type of scoop. My guess is this deal doesn't even get done.

[Mr QL]

Looks like we're heading back to the cellar pretty fast. I would hope we could get more than Melky Cabrera(who sucks) for Mike Cameron(who doesn't suck).

[jjfanec]

Looks like we're heading back to the cellar pretty fast. I would hope we could get more than Melky Cabrera(who sucks) for Mike Cameron(who doesn't suck).

We are heading back to the cellar because we did not get CC and are trading Cameron? We still have Braun, Fielder, Hardy, Hart, Gallardo, Parra, Weeks, and others. If we can get a starting pitcher say been Sheets we could have the exact same team we had the past couple years that competed for a playoff spot. It is not a Cabrera for Cameron straight up trade. We have no internal options at CF and if Cabrera can regain close to his 2006 form we will be okay.

[Shawn Sabatke]

Word from MLBTradeRumors is the deal is "remote", word from Joel Sherman. On an aside, the Peavy talks are dead, per Kevin Towers.

 

small paragraph from the story suggests Melvin is astute to this also:

"And since the Brewers are already furious at how much money the Yankees guaranteed to take CC Sabathia away from them, Milwaukee officials find it laughable that they would pay the Yankees anything to send the ace lefty's pal, Cameron, to New York."

[bklynbrewcrew]

I have seen Cabrera play a lot the last few seasons and I can say that he is garbage; maybe a very slightly better Gwynn Jr but thats about it. He was so bad last season that they sent him to the minors in favor of the imortal Brett Gardner. If cabrera cant even keep his job over Brett Gardner we have no buisness trading cameron for him. If the Brewers would just resign Sheets, keep Cameron and add a closer we can still contend. There is no reason to throw away 2009 just because CC is gone.

 

It seems like the Brewers decided that they would either keep CC and go for it or give away 2009 altogether and that just makes no sense.

[jjfanec]

I actually think it is okay to wait and see what else the Yankees do and not rush into this trade. If they sign two more top-end pitchers like Burnett and Lowe/Sheets they have no need for Kennedy and Hughes the next couple years except as emergency starters. One of them would seem to be available.

[Mr QL]

Is Melky beating out TGJ even a guarantee?

[TuesdaysWithRillo]

What a garbage trade. Melvin isn't stupid enough to deal Cameron for Melky. If he is, then he deserves to get fired.

[Patrick425]

What a garbage trade. Melvin isn't stupid enough to deal Cameron for Melky. If he is, then he deserves to get fired.

 

Ok, I really hate to beat a dead horse. I know it's been mentioned several times. But it's not Cameron for Melky. It's Cameron for Melky + 9.5mil. (assuming no other players or cash is involved).

[Mr QL]

I'm going edit this because I feel some mod may feel this is "condescending".

 

I'm just really disappointed in this trade and feel it's a sign we're not going to try to compete next season.

[TuesdaysWithRillo]

The 9.5 million still doesn't make it worth it. The 2001 Brewers salary dumped. This team shouldn't be doing that.

[Patrick425]

How is this a salary dump if they turn around and use it for another player? I don't see any evidence that they would not do this.

[Hate those Rodents]

Geez guys! I was one of many here that actually didn't even want his option picked up! If we get a bench player for him, great imho.

[Shawn Sabatke]

We need to get off the ledge a little. Remember, this was Mark A's first taste of the postseason as an owner. I don't think he wants to switch to the poorly-spiked Kool-Aid. Doug has always found the light at the end and Mark has shown the propensity to allow him to do what needs to be done. It's still early in the offseason. Much can happen.

[TuesdaysWithRillo]

How is this a salary dump if they turn around and use it for another player? I don't see any evidence that they would not do this.

But why would you downgrade the most important position on the field that can help pitcher's ERA's significantly with Cameron quality defense? There aren't any CF's on the market as good as Cameron and 9.5 million gets you another Jeff Suppan.

[Crew2323]

Brewers will not pick up any tab on Cameron. But TH does use the word "unless."

 

Link

'No way' Brewers pay Cameron tab

By Tom Haudricourt of the Journal Sentinel

Dec. 11, 2008 12:26 p.m.

Las Vegas - A Brewers official just told me there's "no way" the Brewers would pick up any of Mike Cameron's $10 million salary for 2009 to facilitate a trade with the Yankees unless New York added more than centerfielder Melky Cabrera to the deal.

Talks apparently broke off early this morning when the Yankees not only offered only Cabrera but asked the Brewers to pick up some of Cameron's salary.

This is the same New York team that paid Brewers free agent lefty CC Sabathia $161 million yesterday -- $61 million more than the Brewers offered - and has some $90 million on the table in an attempt to sign free agent A.J. Burnett.

So, the sides might not even talk again before leaving the winter meetings later today. I'm guessing the Brewers are pretty cheesed off right now so they're probably not in the mood to resume talks today unless the Yankees come back and drop the money request or add a pitching prospect.

We have a briefing later with general manager Doug Melvin, so I'll let you know where this stands before everybody gets out of here today.

[PeaveyFury]

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.

 

No, but Randy Johnson, Ben Sheets, Brian Fuentes, and Trevor Hoffman do.

 

Brad Penny too, depending on medical reports.