Payroll and some options for SP

[chansen]

I am a little upset as well even though the market is not very good with FA pitchers. It makes me more mad that they may want to wait until the all star break to acquire a pitcher. LOL, with the rotation depth now we won't even be in contention.

 

Take a chance on a Minor League deal on one of the pitchers. Recently, they said they are going to look at options on waivers or trades during ST. I think this year's ST will be VERY IMPORTANT considering the market is bad right now.

[monty57]

I'm with you bklyn. They should have signed another starter for the MLB team (Sheets, Johnson and Smoltz were all bantered around). At this point, most pitchers who could improve the MLB staff are gone, and for some reason they will not go after Sheets. Therefore, I think they absolutely need to sign someone with some MLB experience to a minor league deal. Chansen has done a good job coming up with some possibilities. I don't know which of those would be the best fit and would sign a minor league deal, but someone has to be out there that will be a better injury replacement option than our current AAA staff.

[Weirdos19]

I really think the 5 year deal offered to CC was offered with the intention that it would be outbid. Saving face a bit.

 

I still think a trade and a free agent signing is the way to go.

 

Hart has huge value. A promising 2 or 3 starter could be had for him. Hard to believe that he and Jeffress couldn't land an ace right now. I would think that Halladay, Cain, Kazmir or Shields, or Verlander could be had this Spring. Then bring in Dunn or Abreu.

 

or

 

Cameron to the Yanks for Cabrera and Igawa. Then sign Dunn or Abreu.

 

The Brewers need a left handed bat, bad. Pretty obvious about the Brewers and Cubs weakness last year.

[chansen]

I think they already tried to solve the LH bat problem with signing Counsell, Nixon, and Duffy. Think the Crew are hoping one of Nixon or Duffy will be able to produce.

[chansen]

Garland and the Diamondbacks have agree to terms to a one year deal worth between $6-$8 million.

 

Even though I am not a huge fan of him, the Brewers could have at least tried

[fondybrewfan]

Garland and the Diamondbacks have agree to terms to a one year deal worth between $6-$8 million.

 

Even though I am not a huge fan of him, the Brewers could have at least tried

We don't know for sure that they didn't. Just because there were no public rumors doesn't mean that he didn't try

[Patrick425]

Garland and the Diamondbacks have agree to terms to a one year deal worth between $6-$8 million.

 

Even though I am not a huge fan of him, the Brewers could have at least tried

We don't know for sure that they didn't. Just because there were no public rumors doesn't mean that he didn't try

Exactly, Same with Johnson, Smoltz, or anyone else the Brewers did not get. Just because they didn't get anyone, doesn't mean they didn't try. There are 30 MLB teams and not nearly that many FA pitchers that could come in and automatically be a top of the rotation guy. It's not like the Brewers can just pick up who ever they want.

[Raw Biz]

TH mentions in his new blog that Rich Hill may be available and he wonders if the Crew would pursue him. I realize it would be a trade with the Cubs but it really seems like Hill is done in Chicago. What would it take to get him? I think he would be a solid addition depth-wise and he's proven he can pitch in the past. Last year he had some bad control problems but maybe that was just a fluke. He probably wouldn't improve our current rotation but would definitely improve our depth.

[bklynbrewcrew]

I wouldnt mind taking a shot at Rich Hill but there is no way the cubs are trading him to the Brewers.

[chansen]

I would like Rich Hill as well, but as bklynbrewcrew stated, I don't think they will trade to the Brewers.

[Invader3K]

If they are really done with him, they might trade to the Brewers just to get rid of him. I think the "not trading within the division" thing gets overblown by fans...if a deal makes sense for two teams, they'll do it, regardless.

 

I think if I was Doug Melvin, I'd at least call about it. He's only 28 and would be under control through '12. Plus he's 6'5 and a lefty. In '07 he made 32 starts and had a sub-4.00 ERA. Seems like it would be worth checking out.

[Patrick425]

If they are really done with him, they might trade to the Brewers just to get rid of him. I think the "not trading within the division" thing gets overblown by fans...if a deal makes sense for two teams, they'll do it, regardless.

I agree. I will never understand the hesitancy of trading within your own division. Both teams are giving up something and getting something. What's the big deal?

[JohnBriggs12]

Rich Hill can't throw strikes anymore. He's basically got Steve Blass disease. For those of you too young to remember, Blass was one of the top pitchers in the NL in the late 60's and early 70's when suddenly, virtually overnight, he could not throw the ball over the plate. In 1972 he was 19-8 with a 2.49 ERA and 2nd in the Cy Young voting. The very next season he walked 84 and struck out 27 in 88 2/3 innings, hit 12 batters and threw 9 wild pitches and went 3-9 with a 9.85 ERA.

 

He tried to come back in 1974 but only managed 5 innings over which he walked 7. He never made another major league appearence.

 

Hill pitched earlier this winter in Venezuela and the results were not good: 23 Walks and 23 hits in 21 innings. That was before his team told him to go home. He'll get cut this spring unless the Cubs find someone foolish enough to trade for him. It shouldn't be the Brewers.

[endaround]

Melvin has already mentioned that if he had a major trade with the Cubs he'd expect to get more back than from other teams so no it isn't overblown.

[Brew City Baseball Fan]

Things happen in spring and if there is a need for a pitcher we will grab someone then, unfortunately with payroll being what it is we just all need to get used to this and realize what we got is what were gonna have. Sad but true.

[CWSOmaha]

That over $25 million we're spending on Hall, Cameron, and Suppan this season sure hurts. Even if we had a quarter of that money we'd be able to get another pitcher.

[chansen]

Apparently the Brewers are not even interested in Kris Benson, Jason Jennings, Mark Redman, and Victor Zambrano.

 

They are still in on Mark Mulder.

[yoshii8]

Apparently the Brewers are not even interested in Kris Benson, Jason Jennings, Mark Redman, and Victor Zambrano.

 

They are still in on Mark Mulder.

If this is true, I guess thats good news especially about Redman and Zambrano. Where are you getting this information from, do you have a link? I believe that they would be interested in Mark Mulder, since Macha raved about him in an article I saw, but there was also an article where Melvin claimed to not have any interest in him.

[chansen]

Just on MLBTR according to Rosenthal

 

The Brewers are not interested in projects such as Kris Benson, Jason Jennings, Mark Redman, and Victor Zambrano. They're just lukewarm on Mark Mulder.

[Invader3K]

Well, none of those guys are exactly exciting to begin with...I just don't get what Melvin's plan is if someone goes down early in the season. We basically have no one to call up right now, and Capuano probably won't be ready until June or July in a best case scenario.

[RU Rah Rah]

What I dont understand is that we were willing to give CC 20 mil per year but arent willing to give half or a third of that for another starter. Is it really possible that Melvin went into this offseason knowing he would lose CC and Sheets and have no plans to replace either? I really have a hard time believing that we are going into the season with this current rotation. No doubt in my mind that we will kill the bullpen by the all star break with all the short starts we are gonna get from the likes of Suppan and espcially McClung who I am willing to bet never pitches 7 innings in a game.

 

Obviously we have no interest in Sheets or any other viable starting pitchers. I am shocked and very disappointed in Melvin and the owner for thinking we should go into the season with this awful rotation.

I wouldn't say "awful" -- maybe just "shaky" -- but I agree with pretty much everything else.

 

Maybe we should have a contest: Predict the Brewers' rotation on June 1, August 1, and September 1. (Anybody who winds up getting that last one right is waaaaaaaaay smarter than me.)

[SeriesFinale]

What's Tomo Ohka up to these days?

[strawbossisevil]

http://profile.ak.facebook.com/profile/1586/71/n56803269_19653.jpg

[Invader3K]

He's got a spring training invite with Cleveland, according to rotoworld.

[chansen]

The only thing I don't understand is why the Brewers are not interested in adding an arm anytime soon. What happens if Gallardo or Parra or someone else gets hurt? We don't really have any Minor Leaguer's ready for action and certainly no depth.

 

I know we will probably wait until Spring Training to look at options. I wouldn't mind getting Mulder or some other veteran arm to see if they have it.

 

Also on another note, Rich Hill may be headed to Baltimore. The deal would be for a player to be named later based on the success that Hill has.