What could our pitching depth fetch us?

[strawbossisevil]

The saying goes that you get more for pitchers midseason than in the offseason, so I thought this might be a timely thread:

 

We have four starters who in my opinion are currently untradeable - be it for contract reasons or importance to the team reasons:

 

Those four are:

Sheets (we need him to have any shot at the playoffs)

Gallardo (top prospect, shouldn't be traded)

Villenueva (lights out in the Majors, should be a solid #3, pre arby)

Suppan (large contract, most likely not moveable with his current numbers)

 

That leaves these pitchers as expendable:

Capuano (has somewhat above average stuff, but is about to get expensive in Arbitration)

Bush (is capable of being above average, has performed better recently, also close to becoming more expensive in arbitration)

Vargas (has average numbers,still a valuable pitcher, but won't have a role on the team for long, with the emergence of Villenueva and Gallardo)

Parra (just coming off major success in AAA, still the injury cloud looms, and he has trouble working out of the pen and is in position to join an already crowded Brewers rotation)

Z Jackson (while he is a decent prospect, he's stalled at AAA and doesn't really have a place in the Brewers organization)

W. Inman (He's still at least a year away, and has the hype of being one of the Brewers top prospects.)

 

What would you like in return for a combination of these pitchers/prospects?

 

I would really like to make a quantity for quality move. Such as a Bush or Capuano (a former All Star) and Parra or Inman (and another low level prospect if needed) for Philip Hughes/Tim Lincecum/Scott Kazmir/Erik Bedard/Aaron Harrang/Felix Hernandez.

 

Moving Vargas together with Jackson might be able to net us a decent late inning reliever.

 

Making both of the moves listed above would add another "top of the rotation" arm, while still maintaining 6 solid starting pitchers.

 

#1 Sheets

#2 Hughes (or other pitcher from the list above)

#3 Gallardo

#4 Bush or Capuano (whichever one isn't traded)

#5 Suppan

#6 Villanueva

 

And it also provides us with a much better bullpen:

Closer: Cordero

Set Up: Trade Acquisition

Set Up: Turnbow

Middle Relief: Wise

Middle/Long Relief: Villanueva

Loogy: Shouse

Mop Up: Spurling/Balfour

 

Finally, if we add a prearby player, like Hughes or Lincecum. We will have additional money saved which we can use to sign Sheets and Cordero to long term deals.

 

Thoughts? Impressions? Agreements? Disagreements?

[endaround]

Until Sheets is signed to an extensions you can't trade Capuano or Bush. And none of those pitchers listed will be available for a trade for what is being offered.

[brettac1]

A team would be nuts to trade away Tim Lincecum or Felix Hernandez. That's be like the Brewers trading Gallardo, who you said was untradable. Teams won't trade away under 25 pitchers who throw upper 90's for a couple average pitchers or a non-prospect like Jackson.

 

I don't see the Brewers making any changes to the rotation from outside the organization. They have the ability to improve it from within.

[strawbossisevil]

Well thanks for the telling me straight. I can always count on you guys to do that.

 

I think you are overvaluing those pitchers, however. Obviously Felix is a stretch. Lincecum is probably a bit of a stretch as well, not because he's untouchable, but because the Giants don't need a quantity for quality trade (their rotation is unbelievable).

 

The team that needs multiple starters, is the Yankees. I think if you offered them Capuano and Parra, or Capuano and Bush for Hughes, you wouldn't get the rolled eyes that you guys are indicating.

 

The Brewers aren't going to trade Gallardo because they also have a similar depth like the Giants. If they had a weak rotation, you can bet that they would be willing to trade for an established somewhat above average starter and a top prospect lefty who can also jump right into the rotation. Think of it this way, if we still had Franklin Stubbs at the end of our rotation, getting shelled and no viable alternatives. Would you keep Gallardo over the alternative of picking up a pitcher who over the last three years has an ERA right around 4, and another pitcher who throws just as hard as Gallardo, is lefty, and is carrying a AAA ERA in th low 2s (and who also throws in the mid 90s). I'd think you have to do that, since you would be removing a huge weak spot in your rotation by getting the two pitchers for one deal.

 

And why can't we trade Bush or Capuano unless we sign sheets. Let's say we do the Capuano and Parra deal for Hughes. Here's our '08 pitching rotation.

 

Hughes

Gallardo

Villenueva

Bush

Suppan

 

How is that not better than:

 

Gallardo

Capuano

Villenueva

Bush

Suppan

 

And notice, Brett while you are in such a hurry to judge my post, that I didn't throw Jackson into any of the deals for the stud pitchers. Stop being a jerk, and start posting civilly. That will be all.

 

And instead of just blasting my suggestions, how about you guys offer a suggestion of what we would be capable of receiving for a package of those pitchers. That would be much more worthwhile than mocking the person in the original post now, wouldn't it?

[PeaveyFury]

Stop being a jerk, and start posting civilly. That will be all.

 

Not cool.

[twobrewers]

Quote:

---

Philip Hughes/Tim Lincecum/Scott Kazmir/Erik Bedard/Aaron Harrang/Felix Hernandez.

---

 

Pretty sure Harrang is available. Rumor has Hughes available as well - but with his status uncertain for this year, I can't imagine we would trade for a guy who might not be able to help us.

 

The rest are likely untouchable.

 

And I generally have thought of Cappy as pretty untouchable being our only left handed starter - but if the team thinks highly of Parra...

 

I could see Cappy dealt this offseason.

[strawbossisevil]

What's not cool. I put a lot of work into putting together the original post, only to have him mock it. And more than that, to read a few sentences and mock it saying things I never even claimed to say.

 

The only one not being cool in that instance, was Brett. Since when is it wrong to call a Spade a Spade. It was a jerkish post, and smacked of elitism. Which is what I thought was the attitude that we were looking to get rid of on this site.

 

But then again, maybe it's ok to stroke the ego of a guy with 8000 posts.

[PeaveyFury]

What's not cool.

 

Personal attacks. Name calling is not allowed here at all. There is no debate.

[strawbossisevil]

How about derogatory posting. There is no debate.

 

And I think it's just as much a personal attack to go out of your way to make someone look like an idiot, by misquoting them and using only the parts of the post. That is the behavior that can't be tolerated. It was just as much a personal attack on me. Calling someone a jerk, who just acted as such is hardly the worst thing in the world.

 

It's pretty obvious you are going to defend Mr. 8000 posts because apparently he's more valuable to your site. Go ahead and reward his behavior.

[PeaveyFury]

You're getting yourself into very hot water over very little here. I'd strongly advise you to take the warning, learn from it, and drop it.