The $60 million dollar challenge. Build the '07 Brewers.

[fleehaw]

It?s time to play the $60 million dollar challenge. Build the 2007 Brewers with that payroll. Trade Carlos, resign him, let him walk, you make the call. It looks like the Brewers will have a payroll around that amount next year, so what would you do if you?re Melvin. Try to keep trades somewhat reasonable and keep an eye on the future.

 

Here is mine:

 

?06 trade deadline

Clark to the White Sox for Sean Tracey. Not much of a return, but his salary is gone and CF will be addressed later.

 

Lee and Kolb to the Rangers for Danks, Mench, and Cordero. Danks looks to be a top of the rotation starter. Mench see below. Cordero has had 4 or 5 solid years prior to this not-so-good year. The bullpen needs an overhaul, so say hello to the ?07 version of Dan Kolb (but good), the Brewers pick up his very pricey option ($5M).

 

?06 offseason

Mench & Demaria/Zumalt to the Pirates for Mike Gonzalez. This was someone else?s idea that I like a lot. The Pirates need a RF, Mench is cheap and solid. Closers are a bit of a luxury on a bad team. Obtaining Gonzalez allows Yost to play the odds on who will close, the righty Turnbow or the lefty, Gonzalez. Gonzalez given 3 yr. extension identical to Turnbow ($6.5M).

 

Resign Shouse 1yr/$1M and Cirillo 1yr/$1.5M

 

Resign Ohka 1yr/$4.5M with team option for $7M (500K buyout)

 

Sign Davis 2yr/$11.5M with team option for $7M (500K buyout)

 

Arbitration with Hall 1yr/$3M, Capuano 1yr/$4M. I went a little on the high end with the arby numbers just to err on the side of caution. Either one of these guys could get a multiyear deal. Hall, see Figgins or Chad Tracy. Capuano, see Webb or Lowry.

 

Eveland/Jackson, Dillard, & Cruz to the Royals for DeJesus. The Royals wanted to build around DeJesus, but this deal is too good for them to pass up. Cruz will team up with Butler and Gordon to form their new offensive core. DeJesus will upgrade the CF position and slide very nicely into the #2 spot in the order (signed a 5yr/13.8M deal last year.)

 

Eveland/Jackson, Wise, & Sarfate/Hendrickson to the Braves for Saltalamacchia. A lot to give up for a prospect, but Miller isn?t getting any younger. An organizational position of weakness just turned into a position of strength.

 

2007 Roster       

1B- Fielder         350K

2B- Weeks        650K

SS- Hardy        350K

3B- Koskie        2.0M

C- Miller        3.75M

LF- Hart        350K

CF- DeJesus        2.0M

RF- Jenkins        7.0M

Bench:       

 

Cirillo

        1.5M

 

Hall

        3.0M

 

Rivera (possibly Saltalamacchia)

        350K

 

Gross

        350K

 

25th man        750K

SP

       

Sheets

       

10.0M

 

Cappy

        4.0M

 

Ohka

        5.0M

 

Davis

        6.0M

 

Bush        350K

Bullpen

       

Turnbow

        2.3M

 

Gonzalez

        1.0M

 

Shouse

        1.0M

 

Capellan

        350K

 

Cordero

        5.0M

 

Tracey

        350K

 

Helling       

1.0M

Total        $58.75M

 

For the Future

 

I?d like to see Hall platoon with Jenkins in RF in addition to backing up most of the IF. In ?08, hopefully Gross and Hall could platoon in RF after Jenkins? departure. Hall?s numbers won?t be as impressive as a corner OF, but he should be solid defensively and overall the team should be improved. Gwynn will come up and be the 4th/5th OF.

 

Hopefully, one of Villenueva, Danks, Yo, or Hammond will step up and replace Ohka in ?08. Either ?08 & ?09 another one will hopefully replace Davis. Ideally, 2 of them will separate from the crowd next year allowing the possible trade of Davis for prospects or a piece of the puzzle if his production warrants it.

 

All in all the farm system takes a hit at the top, however, the major league club is young and very good. I think sometimes it?s better to weed things out a bit. Make deals with guys you don?t see fitting into your team plan. There?s still plenty of pitching in the minors (Danks, Yo, Hammond, Villenueva, Rogers, & Inman), and some good looking position players (Braun, Salome, Saltalamacchia, Cain?).

 

This would be one heck of a team for years to come.

[MNBrew]

Nice work, fleehaw. Without picking apart particulars, most of which are beyond what I'm thinking, my only real concern is that I think you're substantially over-valuing DeJesus & Saltalamacchia. Three decent-to-plus prospects for each? Maybe two-for-one at the most on Salty since he hasn't played a lick in the majors. Whatever -- my point is that if the Brewers HAD to get those two guys AND their current teams were willing to deal, three guys should get you the name you're after PLUS something else of value, not just that guy.

 

The time you've spent on this and the thoroughness of your plan is impressive.

 

My 2¢ worth.

[EdgarDiazRocks]

Eveland/Jackson, Dillard, & Cruz to the Royals for DeJesus. The Royals wanted to build around DeJesus, but this deal is too good for them to pass up.

 

I'm going to come out say it.

 

Dayton Moore isn't an idiot.

 

What exactly about this deal is good for the Royals? Getting a bunch of 4A spare parts and soft tossers for their one, young, cheap, Major League ready talent? DeJesus stays with the Royals. Heck, he's only six months older than Cruz.

 

His major league equivalent is Mark Kotsay. And the A's had to give up Ramon Hernadez to get him at the same age.

 

I hate to say it, but the days of fleecing the Royals are over.

[sbrylski]

I'm going to wait until after this trade deadline to see what I have to work with. Too many possibilities right now.

 

I hope I'm not let down and Lee ends up staying.

[sbrylski]

Capuano to Arby

Davis to Arby

Hall to Arby

Mench to Arby

 

Ohka Resigned - 3 years / $17 mil

Shouse Resigned - 1 year / $1 mil

Cirillo Resigned - 1 year / $1 mil

 

Valentin Signed - 3 years / $6.5 mil

 

Jenkins (plus?) to Detroit for Fernando Rodney and Craig Monroe

(Didn't have this at first, but removing Jenkins salary really, really helped. If we keep him, we have to sign a quality bullpen arm to make the pen competitive. Keeping Jenkins and signing a reliever would add $10 million to payroll.)

 

 

Roster

 

Starting Pitchers

 Ben Sheets $10,000,000 Chris Capuano $ 4,000,000* Doug Davis $ 4,500,000* Tomo Ohka $ 5,000,000* Dave Bush $ 352,000

Relief Pitchers

 Dana Eveland $ 350,000 Jose Capellan $ 350,000 Fransisco Cordero $ 5,000,000 Derrick Turnbow $ 2,300,000 Matt Wise $ 1,000,000 Brian Shouse $ 1,000,000* Fernando Rodney $ 385,000* 

Catchers

 Damian Miller $ 3,750,000 Javier Valentin $ 2,000,000*

Infielders

 Prince Fielder $ 329,000 Rickie Weeks $ 500,000 Bill Hall $ 3,000,000* Corey Koskie $ 2,000,000 J.J. Hardy $ 355,000 Jeff Cirillo $ 1,000,000*

Outfielders

 Kevin Mench $ 3,000,000* Corey Hart $ 329,000 Gabe Gross $ 335,000 Brady Clark $ 3,800,000 Craig Monroe $ 3,000,000

Total Payroll - $57,630,000

 

Depth Charts

 

vs RHP

 POS 1 2 3 --- ------- ------- ------- C Miller Valentin 1B Fielder Valentin Cirillo 2B Weeks Hall Cirillo 3B Koskie Hall Cirillo SS Hall Hardy LF Hart Monroe CF Gross Clark Hall RF Mench Monroe

 

vs LHP

 POS 1 2 3 --- ------- ------- ------- C Miller Valentin 1B Fielder Valentin Cirillo 2B Weeks Hall Cirillo 3B Hall Cirillo Koskie SS Hardy Hall LF Hart Monroe Gross CF Clark Hall RF Mench Monroe Gross

 

 

Lineups

 

vs RHP

 1. 2B Weeks - R 2. CF Gross - L 3. SS Hall - R 4. 1B Fielder - L 5. LF Hart - R 6. RF Mench - R 7. C Miller - R 8. 3B Koskie - L

 

vs LHP

 1. 2B Weeks - R 2. CF Clark - R 3. 3B Hall - R 4. 1B Fielder - L 5. RF Mench - R 6. LF Hart - R 7. C Miller - R 8. SS Hardy - L

 

 

If any young starters can break into the rotation, Bush can head to the pen. Bullpen looks much improved. Signed Valentin as a guy who can split time with Miller next year, then take over for the next two while we wait for Salome or another option to come along.

 

Jenkins salary cleared (which, as mentioned above, helped more than I thought). We aquired a cheap, young, quality bullpen arm and a very good backup (yet not a player Yost should confuse an everyday starter with).

 

Still a few bucks to play with. Maybe we can spend more to get a better catcher, or put a few more bucks into our pitching rotation (either a Davis extention, or letting Ohka go and getting better player, though Ohka is probably underrated and it could be a very wise resigning).

[DuWayne Steurer]

no major beefs with sbrylski's roster, but I don't see a lot of "upgrade"

 

That make you realize that Jenkins and Clark's contracts are the 2 biggest detractors from adding any kind of "name" player.

 

I would really think at this point that turning down Damian's 3.75 mil option is a possibility, and he'd pick up his own option. When he started hot, the chance was that he'd get more than 2.25 in free agency, but now that he's dipped down into the .250 area (and possibly below), I doubt at his age he'd get more than that. I think Damian and the Crew need to realize he's a 3-4 day a week catcher at this point.

 

My personal preference (but wildly unattainable?)

 

Shed Jenks, Clark, and Miller's salaries somehow. Make a trade for (or sign) a stud CF. Andruw Jones comes to mind (although he's a bit overpaid for what he does) as a middle of the order bat who just might be available.

 

It also wouldn't break my heart to see Davis get his arby contract, and then get dealt away for possible middle relief+prospect(s). Jackson or a free agent pickup could fill his spot in the rotation (bumping Bush and Ohka up a spot possibly)

[sbrylski]

When looking where to add a position player, look at the OPS by position (this years stats and without Jenkins):

 

C - Miller (.740) -

1B - Fielder (.858 ) +

2B - Weeks (.766) +

3B - Koskie/Hall (.969)

SS - Hall/Hardy (.825)

LF - Hart (.???)

CF - Gross/Clark (.887)

RF - Mench (.797)

 

Clark is underrated, and when platooned with Gross, they make a pretty good combo. The two also are one of our only good OBP spots. What would be even better would be a Gross/Mench platoon in RF. Then we could add a CF. We are actually pretty flexible to aquire an stud OFer, but I'd like to hear your idea on how we trade an average OF (either Jenkins or Mench) for a stud one. I think we'll end up sitting on what we have. We will listen to offers for Mench in the offseason, and probably shop Jenkins around, but nothing great is going to come unless we add a stud prospect. Maybe Jenkins for a reliever.

 

EDIT 2: Actually, since I call the shots, I will trade Jenkins. See my edited roster above.

 

If I could pick one, I'll take a SP over a stud OF.

 

EDIT 1: Here's a question: If you are of the opinion that Jenkins should be at least shopped in the offseason, what is the minimum you would trade him for?

[DuWayne Steurer]

If you are of the opinion that Jenkins should be at least shopped in the offseason, what is the minimum you would trade him for?

 

A middling prospect, a middle reliever. I figure the lower the return, the less of his contract the 'Crew would have to pick up.

 

We are actually pretty flexible to aquire an stud OFer, but I'd like to hear your idea on how we trade an average OF (either Jenkins or Mench) for a stud one

 

I wasn't really clear, and I see how you could read my post and think I was suggesting trading Jenks/Clark for A. Jones. What I meant was trade Jenks and Clark away in separate deals, and then acquire A. Jones (for example) in another deal.

 

To get Jones? I'm sure we'd have to give up a few studs, but I'm ok with that. 2007 is supposed to be "the year", and as long as we don't *gut* the farm system to compete, I see no reason why we should not occasionally use some of these prospects as bargaining pieces. They can also bring value to the organization in the form of big name players.

 

Braun, Gallardo/Inman, and then a few middling prospects would probably get the job done. I know some would be appalled at making that trade, and maybe it wouldn't even take that much, given the contract a guy like Jones carries.

[Oldcity]

I thought Jones' contract was up after next season. If so, we shouldn't have to give up as much.

[sbrylski]

I know some would be appalled at making that trade

 

Like me. With Cruz gone, I think our system seems suddenly average. I definatley don't want to weaken it more, especially the pitching.

 

Again, take a look at our CF OPS with a Clark/Gross platoon - .887

 

Jones might be an upgrade, but a whole lot, and at a much higher cost (money and prospects)

[DuWayne Steurer]

With Cruz gone, I think our system seems suddenly average.

 

I'll respectfully disagree on that one. One player, especially a 26 year old corner outfield prospect who strikes out 1/3rd the time in AAA, doesn't make an average system a good one.

 

Cruz has talent, yes. He's got potential to be a good player, but at this point I'm betting he was simply part of a numbers crunch in the outfield. I'm dissapointed we gave him up in that trade, but I don't believe he was traded if Melvin truly thought Cruz was part of the future here.

[sbrylski]

Okay, I'll agree with the Cruz comment, but then I suppose I don't think our system is good enough to give up a substantial haul and come out okay.

[DuWayne Steurer]

I don't think our system is good enough to give up a substantial haul and come out okay.

 

I wasn't aware that Jones's contract was up after 2007, so with that bit of info, it probably wouldn't take as much to get him.

 

Out of Rogers, Gallardo, Villenueva, Jackson, and Inman, I would definately be willing to give up one of those guys. As evidenced by every last one of our top pitching projects back until Sheets, the chance that any of these guys making a huge impact is somewhat low.

 

Would I trade the 15-20% chance that Inman will be a stud #2 type for one year of Andruw Jones, knowing that 2007 is a very good year to take a shot at the playoffs? Yes. Would I do it if we didn't have at least 4-5 other top tier pitching prospects? No, most likely not. The fact is, our minor league system is still a position of strength, and dealing from that is not going to weaken it substantially.

 

These guys value can't *only* be measured in potential stats they may put up in Brewers uniforms, but also in the return they can bring in trades.

 

I'm not at all advocating running our system dry ala the Yankees in order to stock our MLB roster, but making a choice trade here or there to put in one of the last few pieces of the puzzle should at least be an option.

 

 

One could say, OPS-wise that a Clark/Gross platoon comes close to matching Jones' offensive output, but that doesn't account for Jones' defense, which is worlds better than Clarks, and still a ways ahead of Gross.

 

There's no guarantee that Gross is going to continue to put up these numbers, as he's never in the past hit with power such as he has this year. It's at least as likely as not that this is just a flukey power year for Gross, bearing in mind that 4 of his 8 homers were hit in the first 3 weeks of the season.

[sbrylski]

I suppose it would depend on how much it would take.

 

Out of Rogers, Gallardo, Villenueva, Jackson, and Inman, I would definately be willing to give up one of those guys. As evidenced by every last one of our top pitching projects back until Sheets, the chance that any of these guys making a huge impact is somewhat low.

 

I think that's all the more reason to keep them. We are going to need good pitching for sure in 2008, and if the sucess rate for pitchers is low, the more we have the better. I would also make Gallardo untouchable. I think he has recently passed the point where a top pitching prospect would flame out. I think there is a good chance he is helping the big league by sometime next year.

 

I would also be more willing if we dealt Jenkins and/or Clark for prospects.

[fleehaw]

Here's my updated one.

 

'06 offseason:

Clark to the White Sox for Tracey

 

Jenkins, Capellan, & Eveland + $3M cash to the Indians for Westbrook. Decline Westbrooks' option, resign 3yr/$20M (6,7,7). The Indians have been in the market for a corner OF and Jenkins at $4M isn't bad at all. Add in a solid BP guy which they need and a young SP and it's plausible. Westbrook looked real good at MP early this year.

 

Bush, Hendrickson, & Rogers to the Devil Rays for Crawford. This one could actually get it done.

 

Sign Davis 2yr/$11M (5,6)

Mench to arby ($4M)

Hall to arby ($3M)

Cappy to arby ($4M)

Resign Shouse ($1M)

Resign Cirillo ($1M)

Resign Helling & GG (each 1yr/750K)

Sign Ray King 2yr/$4M

 

1b- Fielder 350K

2b- Weeks 700K

SS- Hardy 350K

3b- Hall 3.0M

LF- Mench 4.0M

CF- Crawford 4.0M

RF- Hart 350K

C- Miller 3.75M

Bench: Cirillo ($1M), Gross (350K) gets a good deal of playing time backing up the corners, Rivera (350K), Koskie ($2M), and Krynzel/25th man (350K).

 

Total for the offense: $20.55M

 

Sheets $10M

Cappy $4M

Westbrook $6M

Davis $5M

Villenueva/Jackson 350K

Bullpen: Turnbow ($2.3M), Cordero ($5M), Wise ($1M), Shouse ($1M), Helling (750K), GG (750K), King ($2M).

Tracey and Demaria provide bullpen depth at AAA.

 

Total for pitching: $38.15M

 

2007 total payroll: $61.7M (incl. $3M for Jenkins)

 

Usual Lineup:

Weeks

Crawford

Mench

Fielder

Hall

Hart

Miller

Hardy

[sbrylski]

Not to rip you plan apart, but I'd rather resign Ohka to that deal who is pretty comparable to Westbrook, rather than give up Capellan and Eveland. I also don't think your Crawford trade is going to go through. Tampa usually asks for the sky (i.e. Weeks) and will probably be less willing to trade a young established star if they keep having problems with their top prospects. Also, that bullpen isn't improved at all.

[fleehaw]

I agree that Ohka and Westbrook are somewhat similar. However, I'm leery of Ohka's shoulder and Westbrook is about 18 months younger. In addition, Ohka has been topping out in the mid-80's as far as mph (that I've seen) while Westbrook works in the low 90s (91-94 at least in his start at Miller Park). So, that is why I would go with Westbrook instead of Ohka. Also, it clears Jenkins out of the way.

 

I also don't disagree that the Rays typically ask for the moon. However, I do feel that is a solid offer for Crawford, and would be willing to tweak it a bit if necessary. I covet Crawford or DeJesus to play CF for the Brewers, so a reasonable package to bring either one in would be fine by me.

 

As far as the bullpen, I kept Helling and GG for inning eaters. They've been decent this year and would allow the 1-inning guys to remain fresh. The back of the bullpen should be good if Turnbow returns to form. I did account for a possible suspect bullpen by keeping a couple solid young bullpen arms at AAA. Overall, it's not the strength of the team, however, I don't consider it a weakness either.

 

One could argue that the bullpen you assembled isn't without fault. Unless Eveland is the garbage guy, you really don't have a long inning reliever. Perhaps if we combined our pens together we'd really have something.

 

It just comes down to what people consider important when putting together a team. And when you think about it it's kinda interesting to see how people use that $60M differently.

[sbrylski]

My Plan

 

 

Catchers

 

Damian Miller is getting pretty old and we are already seeing a decline in his production. I think we pick up Damian's option, as I think he has at least one more solid year left in him.

 

Pick up option on C Damian Miller (1 year / $3.75 million)

 

To help keep Miller healthy and productive, I will go out and find him another catcher to share time with. This new catcher will also take over for Miller after 2007 and serve as a stop-gap until Salome or another option is available. Looking at FA-to-be, I select Javier Valentin. He is relatively young, and has shown some pretty good flashes at the plate. He also has a plus arm, gunning down over 40% of runners, IIRC. Other options would include Greg Zaun, Rod Barajas, and Bengie Molina.

 

Sign FA C Javier Valentin (3 years / $7.5 million)

 

Mike Rivera goes back to AAA and would be an excellent option to call up in case of injury. If Rivera continues to preform well at the plate, he could also be considered as an in-house option to take over after 2007, or continue his role as backup catcher and a new starter is aquired after the 2007 season. I'm not sure Rivera can continue to bat as well as he has been, and I also have a concern with his arm behind the plate (14 SB / 1 CS - 7%).

 

EDIT: Rivera's production has tailed off a bit, though is still respectable. His SB/CS percentage also balanced out alittle bit, as it now stands at 19%. I still think it would be beneficial to sign a FA catcher. Miller could completely bomb at any minute, and Rivera isn't anything more than a decent backup. I still sign Javier Valentin, who has had a great August. Against RHP, he has a line of .291 / .325 / .494 for the season while Miller has bat better verse LHP throughout his career. He has a .868 OPS split this year.

 

 

Infield

 

Almost no moves have to be made in the infield, especially if Koskie is able to return from his injury. Hall and Koskie make great platoon partners at 3B, but Hall deserves to play everyday, so he will start against RHP at SS. Hardy gets starts at SS verse LHP, while Hall is at third and Koskie is on the bench, but he has to earn his way back into an everyday starting spot. Fielder and Weeks anchor the right side of the infield. For my last infield spot, I resign Cirillo. He can fill in at 3B, 2B, or 1B, and has excelled in his backup role. I think he has one more year in him.

 

Resign IF Jeff Cirillo (1 year / $900 k)

 

If for some reason Koskie cannot return or if Cirillo retires, then I would make Graffanino my top option as a backup infielder to resign.

 

EDIT: First off, I am beginning to doubt that Koskie will be returning next year, though I'm still going to assume that he does come back. Also, if he's not, it might not be possible to resign Graffanino due to another team giving him a for sure starters role. In that case, Rottino stays on the big league team as the 5th infielder.

 

As Hardy hopefully re-establishes himself as an everyday player, he can get more time at SS. Against RHP, Hall can shift out to CF and Gross to LF, pushing Mench out of the lineup.

 

Also, we should buy out Hall's arby years.

 

Sign UTIL Bill Hall (3 years / $15 million)

 

Outfield

 

We should shop Jenkins around. I have been a big supporter of Jenkins in the past, but now it appears he has begun to decline. He is also only a part time player, and we have plenty of left handed outfield bats. I don't have high hopes for the return, but I feel we can aquire a good young reliever without having to pay for any of Jenkins salary. I figured one team that would have an interest in a corner outfielder would be the Giants, with both Bonds and Alou possibly on their way out. A pitcher from their team that I targeted was Jack Taschner. He's a lefty who pitched great in 24 appearences for the Giants last year (1.59 ERA / 1.24 WHIP), but struggled pretty bad in just 4.1 innings to start this year. He was optioned back down and has pitched very well in AAA. He's also from Milwaukee, but not that young anymore. He will be 28 next season. The goal of this trade is to aquire the best relief pitcher that we can for Jenkins, and one who will hopefully be in the teams plans for the next couple of years. Hopefully we can get someone more established than Taschner, but I will set the bar low.

 

Trade OF Geoff Jenkins to San Fransisco for RP Jack Taschner

 

Next, I would call around to see what it would take to bring in a stud CFer. In particular: David DeJesus, Carl Crawford, and Andruw Jones. I fully expect to get shot down on all my offers, as I will be unwilling to part with Gallardo, and Braun in my talks with Atlanta. I won't offer as much for Jones because he is expensive and wouldn't be with the team after next year. So plan B in CF would be to platoon Gross and Clark. By batting Gross against RHP, and Clark against LHP, using this years stats we would be getting .887 OPS points out of the position, which is very good.

 

That gives us the starting OF of Mench - Gross/Clark - Hart. In house options for the 5th OFer would be Tony Gwynn Jr. and Laynce Nix. Unfortunately, they are both left handed batters and would likely be very bad options against LHP. When we are facing a LHP, Clark is starting in CF, so our 4th OFer is Gabe Gross. Gross is 0-15 against lefties this year, so he is also a bad option. For this reason, I feel we should look outside the organization for a backup corner OFer. As I was scouring some FA-to-be lists, I came across a seemingly obvious choice: Gabe Kapler. He is a right handed batter who hits both lefties and righties equally well. He is a career .271 / .330 / .422 hitter, which profiles into a very good backup. He has above average range and an above average arm, and was with Melvin in Texas.

 

Sign FA OF Gabe Kapler (2 years / $4 million)

 

Tony Gwynn Jr. and Laynce Nix will remain in AAA. Gwynn could use some more time developing, and I need to see more out of Nix before I give him a big league spot.

 

EDIT: I've changed my mind about signing a backup outfielder in free agency hence the gray font. I think an outfield of Mench, Gross, Hart, Clark and Gwynn/Nix would be fine, especially if Hall starts to get time in CF. If we did though, a better target might be Jose Cruz Jr., who has put up some great OPS numbers against LHP over the last 4 years - .924, .951, .829, .924.

 

I also want to say that a trade for Andruw Jones should probably be explored. I still expect him to be priced a bit higher than I would like to pay, but if he can be had for a reasonable deal without giving up Gallardo, Inman or Braun, he would fit in very well with my long term plan. Plugging him into CF would push Gross over to RF, and keep Mench on the bench more often. He would be a great bat to plug into the middle of our lineup. I don't expect us to resign him, but in 2008 Braun would come up to play 3B and Hall could be shifted to CF full time. Jones would be the best "stop-gap" ever, but I still wouldn't give up very much to aquire a stop-gap no matter how good he is. It would be a great way to boost the offense and energize the team however. Even though I would like to aquire him, I do think his bat is overrated a bit. It is very good for a CF, but a career OBP of .343 and OPS of .846 is nothing stellar.

 

Pat Burrell is another potential trade target, though I am very high on Gross and Hart. Burrell is ripped on by the media but management may still want to keep him around and he does have a no-trade clause that would have to be waived.

 

 

Starting Pitchers

 

Sheets in back, as is Bush. We might as well buy out Capuano now. Davis goes to arbitration, and next year is likely his last as a Brewer. Previously, I wanted to resign Ohka, but with concerns over his health and recent preformance, it might be better to let him walk.

 

Sign SP Chris Capuano (3 years / $16 mill[/i]

 

I am not comfortable with simply handing Doug Davis a job next year and relying on a youngster in the rotation. So in an effort to create more competition in the rotation and to add more depth, I would go after a free agent pitcher comparable to Ohka. Personally, I like Vincente Padilla. His 4.27 ERA and 1.34 WHIP this year are pretty respectable in a hitters park. He would be a good bet to give us an ERA anywhere from 4.00 to 4.50 next year, and he has potential to do even better.

 

Sign FA SP Vincente Padilla (3 years / $16 million)

 

Now we have a rotation of Sheets, Capuano, Bush, Padilla, and one of Davis, Villanueva, Eveland and Jackson. We are deep and well protected from injury. With what happened this year, we should all know that you can never have enough depth.

 

 

Relief Pitchers

 

Picking up Cordero's option is a must.

 

Pick up option on RP Fransisco Cordero (1 year / $5 million)

 

Wise, Capellan and Turnbow all return. We go to arbitration with Shouse. One more spot is taken up by the 6th starter, likely Davis or Villanueva. That leaves one spot. I think we need to go out and sign an arm. Someone to really solidify the bullpen. The lefty Jamie Walker has had an ERA in the threes or lower for the last five years, including a 1.93 ERA this year. He will be 35 next year. It might cost a bit to get him, but he would really solidify the pen into one of the best in the NL.

 

Sign FA RP Jamie Walker (3 years / $8 million)

 

If the market goes high for Walker, there are some other options. Signing Walker puts guys like Taschner, Sarfate and Spurling on the outside looking in, though they would have a chance to win a job in ST.

 

 

Summary

 

Trade Geoff Jenkins to San Fransisco for RP Jack Taschner

 

Sign FA C Javier Valentin (3 years / $7.5 million)

Sign FA SP Vincente Padilla (3 years / $18 mil)

Sign FA RP Jamie Walker (3 years / $8 million)

 

Resign Jeff Cirillo (1 year / $900 k)

 

Pick up option on Fransisco Cordero ($5 million)

Pick up option on Damian Miller ($3.75 million)

 

Buyout Arbitration for Capuano (3 years / $16 million)

Buyout Arbitration for Hall (3 years / $15 million)

 

Arbitration for Davis (~$4,000,000)

Arbitration for Shouse (~$1,000,000)

Arbitration for Mench (~$3,000,000)

 ------ ROSTER ------ Starting Pitchers Catchers ----------------- -------- 1. Ben Sheets $10,000,000 Damian Miller $ 3,750,000 2. Chris Capuano $ 4,000,000* Javier Valentin $ 2,000,000* 4. Vincente Padilla $ 5,500,000* 3. Doug Davis $ 4,000,000* Infielders 5. Dave Bush $ 352,000 ---------- Prince Fielder $ 329,000 Relief Pitchers Rickie Weeks $ 500,000 --------------- Bill Hall $ 3,500,000* LR Carlos Villanueva $ 327,000 Corey Koskie $ 2,000,000 MR Jamie Walker $ 2,500,000* J.J. Hardy $ 355,000 MR Matt Wise $ 1,000,000 Jeff Cirillo $ 900,000* MR Jose Capellan $ 350,000 SU Derrick Turnbow $ 2,300,000 Outfielders SU Brian Shouse $ 1,000,000* ----------- CL Fransisco Cordero $ 5,000,000 Kevin Mench $ 3,000,000* Brady Clark $ 3,800,000 ----------- Gabe Gross $ 335,000 Pitching Payroll $36,329,000 Corey Hart $ 329,000 Tony Gwynn $ 327,000 ----------- Positional Payroll $21,125,000 ---------------------------------- Total Payroll $57,454,000 ---------------------------------- Depth Charts Lineups ------------ ------- POS 1 2 3 --- ------- ------- ------- C Miller Valentin 1. 2B Weeks - R 1B Fielder Valentin Cirillo 2. CF Gross - L 2B Weeks Hall Cirillo 3. 1B Fielder - L vs RHP 3B Koskie Hall Cirillo 4. SS Hall - R SS Hall Hardy 5. RF Hart - R LF Mench Gross 6. 3B Koskie - L CF Gross Clark Hall 7. LF Mench - R RF Hart Gross 8. C Miller - R POS 1 2 3 --- ------- ------- ------- C Miller Valentin 1. 2B Weeks - R 1B Fielder Valentin Cirillo 2. CF Clark - R 2B Weeks Hall Cirillo 3. 1B Fielder - L vs LHP 3B Hall Cirillo Koskie 4. 3B Hall - R SS Hardy Hall 5. LF Mench - R LF Mench Gross 6. RF Hart - R CF Clark Hall Gwynn 7. SS Hardy - R RF Hart Gross 8. C Miller - R

[JohnBriggs12]

I cannot believe everyone has Davis on their roster.

 

Have you guys watched him pitch this year?

 

I'd much rather use the $5 million to bolster the bullpen with a younger left hander and let Villanueva or a guy from a trade be in the rotation

[Brew Man Dan]

2006 off season trades

 

Davis, Wise, Sarfate, Jenkins, Gross, Clark + 5mil for Garza and Nathan, a good lefty starter to complement Santana and Liriano, two pretty good relief pitchers, and three outfielders, white is getting old, they are stretched at DH, and all I ask is a closer and a prospect.

 

Bush and Ohka + 5mil for Danks and Diamond, the pitching will bolster the already weak and young staff of the rangers, and will give good young pitching back.

 

Hendrickson, Rogers, Diamond, Hammonds for Papelbon and Delcarmen, hopefully four great prospects will be enough to get these two, but maybe not.

 

Eveland, Jackson, Villanueva for Hughes, this might be a longshot.

 

Gellespie, Fermaint for Saltamacchia, the brewers need a catcher more than anything, and the outfield is still jammed with players, so why not trade are 2 best outfield prospects for there best catcher, Jones isn?t getting younger.

 

Signings

sign Hall to a 2yr, 6.5mil deal (3,3.5)

sign Mench to a 1yr, 4 mil deal (4)

sign Bell to a lyr, 4.5 mil deal (4.5)

sign 'Rillo to a 1yr, 1mil deal (1)

sign Cappy to a 2yr, 9 mil deal (4,5)

purchase Hughes, Gallardo's, and Garza's, and Saltalamacchia's contracts

pick up Cordero's 5Mil option

sign papelbon to a 2yr 10mil deal (4.5,5.5)

 

Infield

Fielder ? 1B ? 329K

Weeks ? 2B ? 500K

Hardy ? SS - 355K

Hall - 3B - 3 mil

Saltalamacchia - C - 329K*

 

Outfield

Mench - LF - 4mil

Gwynn - CF - 327K

Hart - RF - 329K

 

Bench

Bell - 4.5 Mil

Gross - 335K

Rivera - 327K

Cirillo - 1 mil

 

Offense Total 15.331MIL

 

SP

Ben Sheets - 10MIL

Cappy - 4MIL

Gallardo - 329K

Hughes - 329K*

Garza - 329K*

 

Bullpen

Papelbon - 4.5mil

Nathan - 5.25mil

Cordero - 5 mil

Turnbow - 2.3mil

Delcarmen - 329K*

Danks - 329K*

Another relief pitcher ? 750K

 

Pitching Total 33.445MIL

 

Grand Total 48.776MIL

 

Well short of the 60mil, but I still think this would be a competitive team.

[endaround]

Wow that would be a crappy team ignoring that those trades would never happen.

[Brew Man Dan]

Ok, why would that be a crappy team. By the way, were is your team, I don't see one. Not smart enough to make one.

[DuWayne Steurer]

Sign FA OF Gabe Kapler (2 years / $4 million)

 

Why? The last time he played full time, he put up a .701 OPS. Whatever he had when he came up, he lost. I have to believe we could do better than Kapler for less than 2 mil per.

[sbrylski]

Why? The last time he played full time, he put up a .701 OPS. Whatever he had when he came up, he lost. I have to believe we could do better than Kapler for less than 2 mil per.

 

Yeah, $2 mil per might be a bit much. But consider this: He is hitting .271 / .327 / .458 right now, but in just 48 AB's. His career line is .271 / .330 / .422 , which is also decent, though in 2004 and 2005 his OPS was .700 and .632 respectively. This was mainly due to his awful RHP splits. Against LHP he posted a .833 and .877 respectively, and that is the arm he would get most of his AB's against in my plan. If Nixon's out a while, Kapler should get more playing time and we should get a good idea of whether or not he's returned to form against RHP as well (This year he suddenly has a 1.061 OPS vs RHP). He does play solid defense though, and when I saw that he played for Melvin in Texas I thought he'd be a good fit.

 

I still like him on my roster, but you are probably right in thinking that he can be had for a bit less than $2 mil per.

[Brew Man Dan]

I was talking about my team that I made. Yes, any team with Kapler on it isn't going to be good.