JJ Hardy to Twins for Carlos Gomez

[MJLiverock]

Yeah. keep in mind over the past 120 games the Brewers are 62-58 with a team ERA of 4.34 and obviously a solid offense. The first 40 games we went 15-25 with an ERA of 5.28. The pitching came out with almost every pitcher on the team underperforming and just built too big of a hole for us to realistically come out of. Part of that can be blamed on personel choices but a lot of it was just bad starts which are part of baseball.

I know you are probably just looking for a silver lining but don't forget scheduling in that split as well. I didn't break down that second 120 game stretch but the Brewers did play the Pirates 12 times in those 120 games. Overall the Brewers were only 34-54 against teams that won 80 games or more. The team was a miserable 8-26 vs. the National League playoff teams.

 

[jerichoholicninja]

Even with the way he finished, the money saved by trading him was worth a craptastic year by Gomez and a disappointing year for Escobar in a season where as it turned out the Brewers didn't have the pitching to contend.

[derflotr]

It's up to Carlos to accept a bench role, as far as I'm concerned. Could be an automatic pinch run/SB option every night. I didn't realize he was formerly a SS...like the idea of him getting work at more positions to make him more versatile. I think he'd be the ultimate weapon coming off the bench, but I don't get the impression he's interested in that.

[trwi7]

Even with the way he finished, the money saved by trading him was worth a craptastic year by Gomez and a disappointing year for Escobar in a season where as it turned out the Brewers didn't have the pitching to contend.

The money we "saved" was spent on Doug Davis.

 

 

[BREWCREW5]

The money we "saved" was spent on Doug Davis.

 

The team spent close to 90 Mil this season so not really.

[trwi7]

What do you mean not really? They stretched the payroll as far as it would go. If we had Hardy, we wouldn't have had the money to sign Davis or Hawkins or whatever other crappy free agent Doug signed last year.

[logan82]

Don't forget Wolf also deferred about $4m.

[Roderick]

Gomez was $4M cheaper than Hardy this season. We know Escobar and Cain are min wage. If you are trying to isolate the cost/benefit "what if" scenario, I think the question would be what would the Brewers have done at CF without Gomez (to start the season) and how much would that additionally cost.

[logan82]

Edmonds/Cain most likely. Much cheaper than Gomez. Gomez wasn't a minimum guy. He was a super 2 and is now into his arbitration years. He made $1.5M this year.

[thebruce44]

The payroll was stretched to $90 mil to make up for the fact that only $70-$80 mil was actually on the field. Hardy being traded was what allowed us to go after a second pitcher. Wolf and Davis together totaled under $10 mil for us, which was a must given payroll constraints, but management felt it was necessary to add to pitchers. Looking back at it now, it didn't work out.

To compete though I still think it was the right move. Save $5ish mil on Hardy and get your 4th starter.

[logan82]

I don't like the return in Hardy but I think we kind of had to play Escobar or trade him. It is just to bad he failed so miserably.

[Roderick]

Edmonds/Cain most likely. Much cheaper than Gomez. Gomez wasn't a minimum guy. He was a super 2 and is now into his arbitration years. He made $1.5M this year.

I really don't think that Cain would have started the season in the majors. And I don't think that Melvin would have counted on Edmonds to make it through the year as the starting CF. Edit: I guess I forgot that Gerut may have been considered the backup to an Edmonds breakdown. Which does mean that the Brewers really did save that extra money as they wouldn't have tried to sign some FA.

 

I never said Gomez was a min guy. What I found was that Hardy was $5.1M (ESPN) and Gomez was $1.1M (Bfan.net). Hence the $4M difference I stated.

[logan82]

We had plenty of options for CF. We didn't need Gomez. Gomez being a puke this year just added insult to injury.

 

I went off of Cot's contracts for Gomez salary. I misread it. It looks like he was at $1.15M.

 

The payroll

was stretched to $90 mil to make up for the fact that only $70-$80 mil

was actually on the field. Hardy being traded was what allowed us to go

after a second pitcher. Wolf and Davis together totaled under $10 mil

for us, which was a must given payroll constraints, but management felt

it was necessary to add to pitchers. Looking back at it now, it didn't

work out.

 

I think we might be looking at a payroll less than $82m next year. We are at $90m but in reality that is more like $86 with Wolf's $4m in deferred money. If we have to pay that $4m in 2011 that takes us from $86m to $82m next year.

[Roderick]

I think we might be looking at a payroll less than $82m next year.

I also assume that MA and DM will reign in the budget. I assume MA lost money at $90M this year. Add that to attendance that will be down next year, I assume that $80M would be the goal. Unless DM pulls enough moves during free agency and through trades, that MA authorizes going in the red to field a playoff-contending team.

[logan82]

I also assume that MA and DM will reign in the budget. I assume MA lost money at $90M this year.

We really were not at $90m this year. Wolf deferred $4m.

[thebruce44]

logan3825]

I also assume that MA and DM will reign in the budget. I assume MA lost money at $90M this year.

We really were not at $90m this year. Wolf deferred $4m.

With callups though I think we are right around $88 and had we added a player at the deadline I think the plan may have been to hit $90. At the same time, even if they drew more than 3 mil fans, they were expecting to take a loss. With attendance what it was, I would guess the loss to the owners will be fairly significant this year.

 

I agree that we they will probably shoot for $80 mil next year and if they are competative they should have no problem breaking even or turning a profit (attendance around 2.7?). The following year (2012) I think the new TV deal kicks in. Going forward from there, in down years we may be looking at opening day payrolls of $85-90 and in "going for it" years hitting $100 at the end of the year may not be out of the question. Of course depending on the economy that may just be required to keep up with other teams 3 or 4 years from now.

[Roderick]

logan3825]

Roderick wrote:

I also assume that MA and DM will reign in the budget. I assume MA lost money at $90M this year.

We really were not at $90m this year. Wolf deferred $4m.

If you total up all of the buyouts and dead money like Hall, Suppan, Looper, Davis, Zaun etc I have the Brewers at low $90Ms before any September callup costs. So they are in the $90M ballpark with deferrals.

[logan82]

So at the start of next year we will be looking at around $82m or lower in payroll. All those call ups and midseason things are figured in at the start and money is left. The $90m was our payroll at the start of the season including Hall and others we are paying to go away. It does also include all of Wolf's 2010 salary even though he deferred $4m. So our opening day payroll was really very close to $86m and they expected to lose money. If we are paying that $4m in 2011 you are looking at about $82m just staying with a similar budget. I don't think they will stay with a similar budget. I think they will anticipate another drop in attendance and will adjust payroll accordingly. We have $4m in buyouts for next year as well.