2009 Closer -- Hoffman to Brewers

[nate82]

Is wood even being looked at in the Rotation? Id give him a 2 year deal with a promise that he will get another shot at the rotation.

I don't think Wood has the endurance any more to be a starter and he is to much of a health risk to consider as a starter again. I wouldn't put Wood as a starter anymore and I believe this is the reason why the Cubs made Wood into their closer.

[Invader3K]

I think I remember that supposedly the doctors said Wood couldn't pitch more than 50 pitches in one game, ever again. So that pretty much rules out him being a starter.

[sheetskout]

It'd be sort of sweet to see Wood beat the Cubbies in the ninth......I never thought I would hear Wood and Brewers in the same sentence.

[ILuvDaBush]

If you can get K-Rod for 4/54M, would it be the end of the world? I think the longer K-Rod stays unemployed, the better the chances the Brewers are going to end up with him. He would be the only pitcher on the market outside of the Big Bucket of Gold who could be considered "special." And honestly, even with the dip in velocity, he still can crank it to the mid-high nineties on occasion. He would obviously be worth more to us than Coco would have been, especially given his age. I've long been enamored with K-Rod, and don't see why everyone is so afraid of him. 4/54M is definitely low, but there aren't many teams out there ready to splurge on a closer. And while we would lose a pick, we would gain a top 3-5 closer. But if giving the largest contract ever for a Brewer pitcher...to a closer makes you a bit squeamish, what about a package deal for Putz/Beltre?

[PeaveyFury]

I think the longer K-Rod stays unemployed, the better the chances the Brewers are going to end up with him.

 

I think the longer he stays unemployed, the easier it's going to be for the Brewers to sweep in and grab one of Hoffman/Wood/Fuentes without much competition.

[ILuvDaBush]

What I mean is that the Brewers are hopefully shopping at the premium pitching FA bazaar. Last year, they attempted to sign the best FA closer (our own Coco), and when that fell through, we signed the next most expensive relief pitcher to change hands. Hoffman will be able to pick his team, and I doubt money is at the top of his list. I could see him actually going to STL or LAA. Fuentes is an interesting case, and we could be players. But I just continue to hope that we sign K-Rod. His presence in this market is an anomoly.

[piccione88]

Doug Melvin said in an interview with Tom Haudricourt, that he does not anticipate, after addressing other needs on the team, to have enough money to sign one of the big name closers. Haudricourt assumes that means K-Rod, Fuentes, and Wood. You have to take everything Melvin says with a grain of salt however.

[MillerParkSouth]

I really hope that he's bluffing on that. Wood and Hoffman could probably be had with 2, maybe 3 year deals. With the options we have at closer right now, I think we need to make a play on one of these guys.

[PeaveyFury]

Hoffman wasn't mentioned on Doug's list of guys he won't pursue, for some reason.....

[Gobias Industries]

Maybe Hoffman wouldn't mind just a 1 yr. contract. That would be ideal, but I wouldn't even hesitate given him a 2 yr contract if he demanded it.

 

Signing Wood to a 2 year contract is a big risk. I wouldn't touch him on anything besides an incentive based 1 year deal, which he'd rightfully never accept.

[ILuvDaBush]

Hoffman is probably the top option for our dollar, but that's because the dollar won't be his driver. He will have his pick, and he will probably choose the option that best allows him to begin his onslaught on Mariano Rivera's postseason numbers.

[piccione88]

It is starting to look like teams will have to pay much less for closers this year than originally expected. Omar Minaya was already "blown away" by Fuentes asking 3 years 30 million. And now the NY post is reporting that K-Rod's agent Paul Kinzer is saying that the Mets are talking about a 3 year 33 million deal. Kinzer's response was that he will try to be creative, adding an opt-out clause as opposed to more money.

[yoshii8]

I'm not sure if its more than speculation, but in this article it lists the Brewers and Tigers as the most serious suitors for JJ Putz. The author mentions that he has heard that if they made a trade it would be for multiple players. Interesting read.

 

http://blog.seattletimes...._to_set_closers_mark.html

[And That]

You have to think a Brewers-Mariners trade of some nature is gonna happen sometime this offseason. I'm sure Jack Z. has guys in the Milwaukee system he likes more than Melvin, and Seattle has some parts the Brewers could use (including Putz).

[TuesdaysWithRillo]

I don't really know much about Morrow besides that he was a reliever who they are trying to turn into a starter and that he's young. Is he a top of the rotation type starter? If he is, I would do the deal.

[jjfanec]

With the Mets looking like they are signing K-Rod who are the remaining known suitors for the likes of Fuentes, Wood and Hoffman. Cleveland seems likely to be a team making a play, who else?

[GoudaBrew]

With K-Rod likely only costing around $12 million a year for 3 years, I think I'd rather sign Wood for 2 years and around $20 million than trade for a closer at this point.

[fleehaw]

MLBTR had a blurb about a possible Mariners/Brewers deal. It looks like it's just speculation, and it suggests that it'd be a multi-player deal. The only specific name given was JJ Putz.

 

Perhaps they grabbed that from here?

[Crew2323]

MLBTR had a blurb about a possible Mariners/Brewers deal. It looks like it's just speculation, and it suggests that it'd be a multi-player deal. The only specific name given was JJ Putz.

 

Perhaps they grabbed that from here?

It would appear that they grabbed that from The Seattle Times. Article

[TooLiveBrew]

I don't really know much about Morrow besides that he was a reliever who they are trying to turn into a starter and that he's young. Is he a top of the rotation type starter? If he is, I would do the deal.

 

I'm no expert, and am not especially familiar with Morrow, but from what I can recall in watching him pitch some this season for the M's, yes, he is a top kind of talent.

 

Putz had some injuries, but I don't think anything major enough to really be concerned about. I'd just worry about the price tag to add Morrow onto that kind of deal.

[And That]

Morrow was the 5th overall pick in the 2006 draft. He has a big (BIG) fastball, good slider. It looks like he's added a splitter to his repertoire, too. He is very highly regarded. Gamel would not be enough to get him, probably.

[TooLiveBrew]

He has a big (BIG) fastball

 

That's what I thought I remembered, but didn't want to mis-speak from trusting faulty human recollection. Now that it's confirmed, I can say I remember being almost shocked (I hadn't heard much of Morrow prior to 2008... clearly just my own ignorance) by how nice that heater is. BIG is right.

 

 

EDIT: Here's a link on Morrow:

 

Prospect Insider scouting report from 2006 draft

 

"At 6-foot-3 and 205 pounds, Morrow is near prototypical size for a big-league starting pitcher, and his arm is as sound as any in the entire draft.

 

Morrow uses a plus-plus fastball to set up a plus-splitter, which serves as his out pitch. He's had command issues in the past but improved his walk rates this season.

 

...

 

Here's the scouting report.

Fastball: 70

Morrow sits 93-96 with his four-seam fastball that will reach 98-99 at times. He gets enough movement to work in the upper half as he moves the pitch across the strike zone.

Split-Finger: 60

Usually sitting in the mid-80s, he developed the splitter after struggling to find a feel for a breaking ball and change. He's very much like current Mariners closer J.J. Putz in this manner.

Curve Ball: 40

It's likely that he'll scrap the slider altogether and concentrate on improving his curve ball to give hitters a different look. It's a work-in-progress at this point, which probably adds a year to his timetable in the minor leagues.

Command: 45

Much improved from previous seasons, Morrow's control was the key to his success, and his draft stock. But he'll need to continue to develop better command through a consistent release point.

Strengths: Not unlike Max Scherzer, Morrow is a no-nonsense pitcher who comes right after hitters with an aggressive diet of hard stuff. His fastball is devastating and the split-finger may turn out to be his golden ticket to the majors.

Morrow's size is ideal and he should have very little issues physically with remaining in the starting role.

His mechanics are solid and may be altered slightly to assist in better control

Weaknesses: Control will be the key to Morrow's career, as it is with most arms. Adding a useful curve ball is the likely difference between Morrow the closer and Morrow the front-line starting pitcher.

He's capable of developing into a 200-inning starter with better than league average results.

Overall: Morrow wasn't the glamour selection many were hoping for, but he was safer than Tim Lincecum and grossly cheaper than Andrew Miller.

 

...

 

Comp: Morrow has a lot of similarities to Detroit's Joel Zumaya, but lacks the command and polished breaking ball that Zumaya possesses.

Others that are similar: Wade Miller, Matt Clement, J.J. Putz, Jason Marquis.

Morrow is most likely a No. 3 starting pitcher with 200-inning, sub-4.00 ERA abilities. If he's able to improve his command above the average grade and add a curve ball to change planes in a pitch sequence, the sky is the limit."

 

Link also has two video clips of Morrow. Keep in mind this is from 2006, before he had thrown one professional pitch.

[dpapo]

According to mlb.com, the Mets are close to a deal with Rodriquez on a 3 year, 37 million dollar deal. While the Indians are getting close to a 2 year deal with Kerry Wood, with a possible option for a 3rd year, though that is not confirmed yet.

[bklynbrewcrew]

Hey Doug its time to wake up before its too late. How many more Julios are you gonna sign while other teams make moves on real pitchers. Wood would be a perfect pick up for the Brewers and if its Cleveland that is signing him I am sure its an offer we can beat. Throw in the fact that Wood would probably love to stick it to the cubs and its a perfect match.

 

Waiting on CC is gonna destroy this offseason for the Brewers. We will miss out on Sheets and Wood and end up looking like fools in the process.

[fondybrewfan]

According to rotoworld the Indians are close to signing Kerry Wood for 2 years with a possible 3rd year option