Mench To Phillies?

[Weirdos19]

Wise and Mench should get it done.

[aracko]

I guess I am the minority here but I would definatly rather have Mench than Jon Leiber. There is a reason there is a market for Kevin Mench.

[sbrylski]

I would be against giving up Cappelan, but could we be looking at the 1st part of a three team trade?

 

Mench, Capellan for Lieber and Rowand

 

then

 

Rowand and Miller for Vazquez/Garcia

 

That would leave us with two highly paid starters, so maybe that's not it. Anyone got a better variation?

[brettac1]

There is a reason there is a market for Kevin Mench.

 

Trying to find it is like looking for the Holy Grail, or something, though.

[PeaveyFury]

I agree with Aracko. If we're trading Mench and Capellan for Lieber and picking up salary in the process, I want no part. We'd better be getting something nice in return as well.

[Oldcity]

If the Brewers somehow managed to land Schmidt, I really want no part of Lieber.

[gbpacker40]

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Trying to find it is like looking for the Holy Grail, or something, though.

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If Tom Hanks can find it, Ii'm pretty sure Doug Melvin can. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

[aracko]

Id really just be kicking myself if Mench went to Philly or wherever and filled his potential. He is a young man. I dont understand why so many are so willing to give Hardy a free pass on his season but want to hang Mench out to dry cause of his bad season after switching leagues mid season.

[JoeH33]

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I dont understand why so many are so willing to give Hardy a free pass on his season but want to hang Mench out to dry cause of his bad season after switching leagues mid season

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Mench is a corner OF'er with a career .799 OPS over five seasons. Those numbers would be fine if he were a SS, but in the OF that just doesn't cut it.

[endaround]

Mench isn't that young and hasn't been that good for a while. He turns 29 in January and only had one good year in 2004. He's an 800 OPS player who might turn it on or might not. He has a decent salary to some degree.

[aracko]

I actully thought mench was 27.

[thefutureishere2006]

i am in the trade mench but not jenks camp. (if there is such a thing) i just feel jenks is going to have a decent year and mench is garbage...

[rpms6]

Looks like this one won't happen...

 

From the Brewers website:

 

The Brewers and Phillies were at the center of one of the more lively rumors in the lobby at the Dolphin Hotel on Tuesday. Talk circulated earlier in the day that the teams were closing on a trade that would have included Phillies veteran starter Jon Lieber and Brewers outfielders Kevin Mench or Geoff Jenkins and possibly relievers Derrick Turnbow or Jose Capellan.

 

Melvin and assistant GM Gord Ash did chat with Phillies officials, including GM Pat Gillick, but Melvin dismissed talk of the deal as "an Internet rumor."

 

Melvin asked the Phillies if they had interest in Jenkins and/or Mench, and "Pat Gillick says no," Melvin said.

[TooLiveBrew]

Rotoworld:

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The Dodgers are another team talking with the Brewers about Kevin Mench. Los Angeles may prefer Luis Gonzalez, but he's seeking a two-year deal. Mench won't command much more than $4 million in arbitation next season. As a result, the Phillies and Orioles are among those interested

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Couple that with what Doug said about Philly, and I'd say some combination with Mench and/or Jenkins should start checking out neighborhoods and school districts in the greater Baltimore area

[Bench Coach]

Mench/Turnbow for Lieber Rumor

 

This adds more detail to what they may be discussing.

[PeaveyFury]

Well, Turnbow/Mench for Lieber would suck slightly less than Capellan/Mench, but I still want no part of either trade unless something serious is coming back the other way.

[Weirdos19]

Since everybody is a stat guy around here, why has nobody mentioned that Lieber's WHIP was only 1.31 last year?

 

Maybe he just gave up big innings or something, but 1.31 is more than decent.

 

I think Mench and Turnbow can get that done.

[DHonks]

it's very solid. He also doesn't walk anyone, so the WHIP can fluctuate based on hits. My guess is that our park will yield a few less hits, along with the NL Central in general.

[Bench Coach]

I'm torn. Mench to Lieber would be fine, not suer about Turnbow going to. He could find it and end up a great set-up man in Philly.

[danzig6767]

One thing to keep in ind about Rowand,he's a very good defensive CF,something the Brewers have lacked for awhile.

[AJAY]

The Phillies website article is also interesting . . . .

 

 

The persistent speculation -- which continued for a second day -- revolved around a two-pronged attack.

 

First, the Phils would trade center fielder Aaron Rowand back to the White Sox with right-handers Ryan Madson or Gavin Floyd for righty Freddy Garcia, lefty Mark Buehrle or righty Javier Vazquez. Even a separate White Sox-rumored acquisition of righty Ervin Santana and third baseman Chone Figgins (for Garcia and third baseman Joe Crede) would still leave the White Sox with excess to trade.

 

Secondly, having landed a pitcher, the Phillies would ship righty Jon Lieber to the Brewers for some combination of outfielders Kevin Mench and Geoff Jenkins and right-handed relievers Jose Capellan and Derrick Turnbow.

 

Following up, the deals appear to be held up for a variety of reasons. There has been hesitation on the Brewers' part as to whether to include either reliever. A baseball source said Milwaukee loves Turnbow's stuff and thinks he can return to his 2005 form, and the club also likes Capellan's durability.

 

Also, the White Sox, one American League scout said, are enjoying their position of having pitching to deal, and may wait until the market shakes out before making a move.

 

This has frustrated Milwaukee GM Doug Melvin, who is believed to have a number of potential deals in place, but has been told that any swaps with his club are contingent upon the completion of other deals.

 

That said, Melvin and Brewers assistant GM Gord Ash were spotted in the lobby of the Dolphin Hotel chatting with Gillick and members of the Phillies, but Melvin dismissed talk of the deal as "an Internet rumor."

 

According to Melvin, he asked the Phillies if they had interest in Jenkins and/or Mench, and he was told no. Another scout speculated that the Phillies' reluctance to deal Rowand was also complicating things.

 

A high-ranking Phillies official denied the report's validity.

 

The understandable problem from the Phillies' perspective is that they don't want to trade Lieber or Rowand without first adding a starter, especially given the market.

[sbrylski]

This has frustrated Milwaukee GM Doug Melvin, who is believed to have a number of potential deals in place, but has been told that any swaps with his club are contingent upon the completion of other deals.

 

And has frustrated the throngs of people flocking to the chatroom at Brewerfan.net!

 

Good to hear he's ready to start swapping. We just need to wait for some other chips to fall.

 

Following up, the deals appear to be held up for a variety of reasons. There has been hesitation on the Brewers' part as to whether to include either reliever. A baseball source said Milwaukee loves Turnbow's stuff and thinks he can return to his 2005 form, and the club also likes Capellan's durability.

 

Prediction: If we make this trade, we will include a reliever. However, we will also recieve a Melvin nugget along with Lieber.

 

Not saying I like the idea though.

[AJAY]

It's possible that Melvin really wants to dump Turnbow but is just holding out for a better offer. But if Melvin really believes Turnbow is worth keeping, then I would be worried. Not only has Turnbow lost it, but the money can be better used elsewhere.

 

I personally think Turnbow stunk even when he was saving 36 out of 39 games a few years ago. He was ALWAYS in trouble and was lucky to get out of all those jams. He just doesn't have enough clean 1-2-3 innings for a closer or setup man.

[TooLiveBrew]

Thanks Bench Coach, for a great link & find.

 

Quote of the article:

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If things shake down right for the Phillies at this week's Winter Meetings, general manager Pat Gillick might head home Thursday having filled most of his needs with two big trades that probably would get fans excited.

 

Talks are preliminary, but Gillick was working on multiple deals that could pry top starter Freddie Garcia from the Chicago White Sox, plus reliever Derrick Turnbow and slugging outfielder Kevin Mench from the Milwaukee Brewers.

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http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/roll.gif http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/roll.gif http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/roll.gif

 

(Even Mench has no idea how he got mentioned in the same class as Freddy Garcia)

[danzig6767]

I personally think Turnbow stunk even when he was saving 36 out of 39 games a few years ago. He was ALWAYS in trouble and was lucky to get out of all those jams. He just doesn't have enough clean 1-2-3 innings for a closer or setup man.

 

Turnbow had a 1.08 WHIP in 2005,that is pretty damn good for the number of baserunners allowed per inning.He threw 67 innings and only allowed 49 hits and 24 walks,pretty hard to say that's a guy always in trouble.

 

I think because closers are almost always in during a very close game,fans get stressed over any hitter that gets on base so that leads those fans to perceive it as being "in trouble" even though all closers alllow hits and walks.Clean 1-2-3 innings aren't the norm for closers,even very good ones.

 

Maybe it turns out 2005 was a fluke,but i can't buy that he wasn't pretty damn dominant that season.Hell,he only gave up 3 earned runs from June 24th to September 30th.I certainly wouldn't give him away without a decent return,it's not like his 2.5 million dollar salary will be preventing the team from getting another good player.