Juan Cruz

[reillymcshane]

The Cruz situation really shows how marginal Type A's get stung. I think it's good the league does something - allow the trading - but it should just be bargained out of the next agreement. I'd rather just have a team get a sandwich pick and nothing else. In return, the league gets a strict pay slotting system. Guys like Cruz aren't likely going to the big dollar teams - they're going to middle or lower income teams that can't afford the very best. So in the end, the smaller market clubs lose out. Right now, one of cruz's best options is a team like the Yankees. Sign for cheap - say $3-4 million for one year - the Yankees only lose their 4th round pick and a great arm for one year. Cruz signs the deal on the stipulation they don't offer arby next year - and he comes out a full FA.

[ILuvDaBush]

What about a sign-and-trade with the Yankees? It gives the DBax a supplemental and another pick (albeit, a fodder pick). I know the rules state he can't be traded without his approval, but that would hardly be a problem.

[kramnoj]

The Yankees don't need to trade for Cruz, they could just sign him if they want. MLB didn't publicize the decision when it was first made, but teams can sign 8 Type A and B FA.

 

I know some people don't believe it, but the Yankees do have a payroll limit, and they are pretty much there. There were even rumors that Swisher or Nady might have to be traded once Teixeira was signed to reduce payroll, but that hasn't happened yet. I wonder if the Yankees are just waiting for a ST injury to occur to another team so that they can offer Nady or Swisher when a team has a need.

[yoshii8]

According to Jeff Passan from Yahoo, the Brewers are one of the three teams that have interest in Juan Cruz. If we somehow got him or Chad Cordero, our bullpen could be outstanding.

 

McClung

Stetter

Riske

Villanueva

Cruz/Cordero

Hoffman

[chansen]

Cruz would be my top choice out of Cordero, Cruz, and Isringhausen.

 

I don't want Izzy

 

Cordero would not be a bad choice

Cruz can pitch a 94-95mph fastball

 

Someone else mentioned it and I thought the same thing, the Brewers looking at these guys makes me believe that David Riske has an injury. If we had a healthy bullpen, we wouldn't be looking to add another imo.

[yoshii8]

On jsonline today, there was an article talking about how David Riske is fully recovered from his elbow injury. I think they are just trying to get the deepest bullpen possible, which I'm very happy to see.

 

Here is the link... http://www.jsonline.com/sports/brewers/39694332.html

[strawbossisevil]

Wow, I really like the idea of a bullpen that has:

 

Hoffman, Cruz, Villenueva, Riske, McClung, and Stetter.

 

Cruz's numbers and Francisco Cordero's numbers are not all that different over the past three seasons (Cordero gives up more hits, Cruz gives up more walks). All three of the major projections actually think that Cruz will be the better pitcher (FIP) than Marmol next year.

 

Even if that isn't the case, adding Cruz would likely give us the top two or three bullpens in the league. Especially if Riske can revert to pitching the way he did before his injury (he's been a mid 3 ERA guy almost his entire career).

[MJLiverock]

Maybe the Brewers realize they have a bunch of starters who don't go deep into ball games so the bullpen needs to have depth. They will have to go to all guys in the pen and can't afford to have 1 or 2 guys just there for emergency use only like in past years. The CG's thrown by Sheets and Sabathia won't be there to provide rest for the pen or even consistent 7-8 inning starts to limit pen usage.

[ILuvDaBush]

When I mentioned a sign-and-trade with the Yankees, what I was talking about is that it would cost less to trade for Juan Cruz on the Yankees (opportunity cost of losing a fourth rounder) than trading for him on the DBax (opportunity cost is a supplemental first AND a better draft pick than a fourth for obvious reasons). I don't see why the best team for such a trade would be the DBax outside of them simply just waiving the supplemental first round compensation.

[mothershipconnection]

Sucks for Cruz. Wouldn't a simple amendment be to drop FA's from type A to type B if they sign after opening day? I can't really see teams cheating around it with legit type A's because someone else would sign them first. Making him wait until after the June draft is just not a fair punishment for being a good but not great player.

[kramnoj]

Making him wait until after the June draft is just not a fair punishment for being a good but not great player.

 

This isn't the case. If a team wants to sign Cruz without giving up their best pick, they can negotiate the frame of a deal with Cruz, and then they can call Arizona to work out a sign and trade. This benefits Arizona, because it is better than not getting anything in return.

 

A team can't assign a contract for a newly signed player, but the player can be traded with their permission.

 

The problem at this point may be that many teams may not have much of a budget to sign Cruz, regardless of draft pick compensation.

[bjkrautk]

Why hasn't Cruz signed an incentive-laden minor league deal (a la Gagne)? I don't know if the current CBA allows for this, but in the past, minor league contracts wouldn't cause the signing team to lose a draft pick.

 

(Similarly, I'm curious if the rules would prohibit a player from signing a minor league deal, then signing an "extension" 1 month into the season.)

[And That]

Why hasn't Cruz signed an incentive-laden minor league deal (a la Gagne)? I don't know if the current CBA allows for this, but in the past, minor league contracts wouldn't cause the signing team to lose a draft pick.

 

Ben, unless this all took place after the June draft, this doesn't solve the problem. The minor league contract wouldn't cost the team a pick. But assuming that Cruz would make the major league roster at the end of spring training (or at some point before June), he'd need a major league contract then and ergo, the signing team would still be out a pick.