willy mo pena

[aracko]

The Redsox are STILL in the market for a closer. With Manny and Drew on the corners and Coco Crisp in CF, they have some give when it comes to moving Willy Mo Pena.

 

I know the masses have lost faith in Turnbow and think that Cordero is the Dominican Rollie Fingers, but Pena would give us an unreal offensive lineup, one that would rival anyone in the National League.

 

I want to see Cordero offered to Boston. I guess my problem is that I still believe in Turnbow. I believe that Jose Capellan is ready to take a more prominent role in the Pen as a setup guy. I believe Matt Wise can return to form. I believe Cordero is a really good closer and a frickin blast to watch pitch, but he isnt as great as he looked here in his brief stint in Milwaukee.

 

The Redsox Pen is really pretty deep at this time. Kevin Donnely, JC Romero, Mike Timlin, Wilie Taverez, Craig Hansen, and Hideki Okajima are all real solid. That leaves some real nice arms on the outside looking in.

 

Lefty - Kason Gabbard, whom would make an excellent long relief man. He worked out of both the Pen and as a starter in 2006.

 

Lefty - Craig Brieslow - who ironically enough was drafted by the Brewers in 2002.

 

RHP - Manny Declarmen - was one of the brightest prospects in the Redsox organization until he was derailed by Tommy John Surgery in 2003. Came back from Tommy John and now throws a high 90s fastball along with a plus curve and good changeup. No doubt that he would be a nice addition to the Brewers BP.

 

 

My proposal would be to give the Sox Jenkins and Cordero and in return take Pena and Manny Declarmen and one of John Sickels top 10 Redsox Prospects :

 

1 Jacoby Ellsbury, OF, Grade B+ (not as much power as Damon but otherwise similar)

2 Clay Buchholz, RHP, Grade B+ (good combination of stuff and command)

3 Michael Bowden, RHP, Grade B+ (good combination of stuff and command)

4 Craig Hansen, RHP B+ (I am still optimistic about him but he was rushed)

5 Lars Anderson, 1B, B (I love this guy, enormous power potential)

6 Daniel Bard, RHP, B (Best stuff in the system but may need more time than other college arms)

7 Dustin Pedroia, 2B, B (Another personal favorite)

8 George Kottaras , C, B (Should be ready in 2008, solid player but not terrific)

9 Justin Masterson, RHP, B (Underrated ground ball artist with great control)

10 Bryce Cox, RHP, B- (Great arm but Rice pitchers scare me)

 

Most will probably say we are giving up too much here but I really dont think so. Getting Pena would put our offense over the top. Jenkins would be a real nice 4th OF for Boston and his salary will look like pennies to Theo Epstein. The deal might also help keep Manny happy, because I believe he and CoCo are good friends.

 

2007 Milwaukee Brewers

 

1. 2b Rickie Weeks R - We will live and die by his leadoff skills

2. rf - Corey Hart R - gets to build on a good 2006

3. 1b - Prince Fielder L - With some real boppers behind him - big things on the horizon

4. cf - Willy Mo Pena R - Pitchers will have to come after him with Koskie behind and Prince in front.

5. C - Johnny Estrada - S - Having a switch hitter in the middle of the order is going to make things real tough on opposing bullpens. The Majority of Estradas career has been out of the 5 spot.

6. lf - Bill Hall - R put up best numbers hitting 6th last year -

7.3b - Corey Koskie L .910 OPS out of the 7 spot in career.

8. SS - JJ Hardy - put him on a no pressure spot in the order and hope that he can fulfil his potential.

 

Bench

--------------

Miller

Mench

Gross

Counsell

Graffanino

 

Available for trade - Brady Clark - we keep Mench because he would provide a right handed power bat off the bench.

 

Rotation

-------------

Sheets

Capuano

Bush

Suppan

Vargas

 

Bullpen

-------------

Wise

Shouse

Capellan

Turnbow

Aquino

Declarman

 

 

Its just a random thought and bound to be an unpopular one because of all the Coco love around here. If Turnbow should falter(which I really do not think he will) then Capellan can get a shot at the closer role or even Aquino. I truly believe that you can make a great closer (kolb, dejean, papelbon, bj ryan, joe nathan, borowski, chris ray). I also remember when we acquired Capellan MANY of us thought that his stuff was best suited for a future closer role.

 

Anyhow - happy new years - I hope 2007 is your best year yet.

[twobrewers]

I think you have a lot of fairly valid points. I like Turnbow a lot, but trusting him as our closer really scares me. Unless, the Brewers have seen his slider in the offseason and it looks great.

 

However, Coco had a great second half last year as our closer. He is also in the last year of his contract. I doubt we can afford a ton of money to pay him next year - making this likely his last year with us.

 

If that is the case, then perhaps moving him to a team like Boston makes a lot of sense.

 

However, that is a big blow to our pullpen (already our biggest weakness) and makes contending in 2007 harder.

 

Not to mention, Wily Mo Peno strikes out 1/3 plate appearances. You surround him with Prince, Ricky, and Billy and every starting pitcher against us would be do for a 10K game.

 

I am not against moving Coco...I am just not to excited about the idea of getting Wily in return. (Though a lot of that depends on Wily's contact status)

[mothershipconnection]

I want to see Cordero offered to Boston.

 

I believe Cordero is a really good closer and a frickin blast to watch pitch, but he isnt as great as he looked here in his brief stint in Milwaukee.

His FIP indicates that he was quite lucky at MP but almost equally unlucky in Texas. His past performances are far less fluky.

Coco putting up a 1.69 ERA again is not really likely, but look at the numbers - in one of baseball's better hitter's parks in TX, Cordero actually had a better WHIP since 2002 than he did at Miller Park.

[brettac1]

I like Pena quite a bit, and I don't even think they would have to give up Cordero to get him. He really doesn't have a spot there, unless they decide to trade Lowell, move Youk back to 3B, and play Wily Mo at first.

[strawbossisevil]

I would like having Pena. Although I think he would be miscast as a clean up hitter. But, if we could get rid of Jenkins and Mench. I wouldn't mind having Pena and Gross splitting time in a corner OF spot as together they would provide some decent power to our lineup. And if Gross proves that his numbers from last year were a fluke, than we could still have the option of plugging Pena in full time.

 

Lineup: (when Pena would start *Pena would start every game vs. Lefthanded pitchers and would play about a quarter of the games vs. Righthanders)

Weeks

Estrada

Pena

Fielder

Hall

Koskie

Hart

Hardy

 

Lineup: (with Gross starting *all of his starts would come against right handed pitchers)

Weeks

Estrada

Fielder

Hall

Gross

Hart

Koskie

Hardy

[brewtank34]

Why would the sox take Jenkins and his salary if they are trying to get rid of an outfielder.

My guess is it would take JJ Hardy and Turnbow to get Pena. and if that's the case...i say hell no that!!!

[dadofandrew]

The Crew are legit contenders in '07, no way they trade their solid closer.

[Ennder]

Pena is an injury prone OF who has a sub .800 OPS playing in hitter favorable parks and has severe problems making contact with the ball. Maybe an ok deal long term but I'd have no interest in this for 2007 so I say no thanks. Personally I don't think Pena is ever going to turn into much.

[Weirdos19]

I think Turnbow and Mench gets Pena.

 

Why wouldn't it?

[JohnBriggs12]

I think they could get Pena's production (if not more) if they made a play for Marcus Thames (.882 OPS in 07 in Comerica) who the Tigers have been dangling all offseason and who could use a left handed bat (Jenkins), or free agent Craig Wilson.

 

But all of these guys have quite high strikeout rates and suddenly it's a low strikeout rate that has become the Melvin focus this offseason.

[bsglorydays]

I like Pena quite a bit, and I don't even think they would have to give up Cordero to get him.

 

Right. Why give up Cordero, when Turnbow and another player (perhaps from the surplus of OFs) could possibly get it done. The Brewers are not in a position to trade Cordero, IMO (see August 2006 - no reliable RPs except for Cordero).

[TheMCG]

He can't hit a curveball. The people who have fits over the productivity of Mench and Jenkins would pop a blood vessel over Pena in Miller Park.

[DannyKmilw]

Jenks cant hit a slider. He is a rh Jenkins but younger a bit faster and has played all OF spots.

 

Just doesnt seem like it could happen without getting rid of one of our OFers first and i dont see Boston in need of an OFer.

 

But id love to have Pena no doubt

[sbrylski]

He can't hit a curveball. The people who have fits over the productivity of Mench and Jenkins would pop a blood vessel over Pena in Miller Park.

 

Jenks cant hit a slider.

 

Maybe not, but he led the team in BA. I don't care if you can't hit a fastball, BA is what counts.

[endaround]

He did in Boston. In Boston he hit over .300 will decent power. Previously he hit .260 with huge power. Either he completely changed his hitting style or Fenway did something. Given he hit .322 at Fenway versus .276 away, I'll go with the later.

[sbrylski]

In Boston he hit over .300 will decent power.

 

With a .411 BABIP, very high and a large increase from the previous year despite his LD% holding steady at ~20%.

[Brew Man Dan]

I think I might trade Jenkins and Cordero for Ellsbury, Buchholz, and Pedoria. But I dont like Pena, he reminds me too much of Branyan.

[Bikeage77]

Are the Sox 100% committed to giving Papelbon a starting job? I know he had a shoulder problem late in the season, and that he would rather be a starter, but, has there been any for sure update on this?

 

If he is going to be a starter, I think we could get Pena for less than Cordero. As said by many, Turnbow and someone else could get it done.

[TooLiveBrew]

What, precisely, is the point of adding another corner OFer for a bullpen arm? Especially since Pena Ks so much! To me, this is the definition of a trade for trading's sake. "Lateral move" is relevant as well, and in depleting the pen, you can argue it's a backward step.

 

Let's cool off on trading Mench/Jenks for just anyone. Melvin is hard at work right now, I guarantee you that. The FA market is finally getting all picked over, and we will see Menchkins's value rise in the month of January. I've said it before, and will say it again: Menchkins will be used to land us another LOOGY/LHRP. Bundling one or both with a Pen arm makes little to no sense, unless the return is fabulous (obviously).

 

I understand TBow's contract ain't lookin' so good at this point, but it's really not that pricey, and having another guy able to consistently throw mid-to-upper 90s can't hurt. If Maddux can't help him regain at least his fastball control, move him early 2007. I definitely doubt that TBow won't be able to help the team, though. We don't even need him to be the set 8th inning option, as Cappellan can help there, too.

 

 

By the way, who else (I know BF.net's got this one) remembers that horrific showdown between Pena and the Miller Park CF wall in 2006? That was, simply stated, the most violent collision I have ever seen live -- player-to-wall. Pena was as prone as a player could be, and that wall simply wasn't gonna give. I honestly thought his neck was snapped as he lay on the warning track, limp as a dishrag.

 

I've never felt more compassion for an injured Brewers opponent in my entire life. It was sincerely good to see him rebound with the BoSux