anyone else seeing big changes ahead? Latest: Mark A says Melvin is going to be here a long time, Macha will not be fired Monday

[brewmann04]

I still though John Garland was the better coice since we already had 2 Lefties on the staff? But DD get until the end of the Month and then throw Manny in there if he not a mess from being in the pen.

[JohnBriggs12]

Parra has worse career numbers than Kameron Loe in almost exactly the same amount of major league innings. Why does anyone think he's any more deserving of roster spot than Loe who's only a year older? Parra might be marginally better than Davis at this point, but that's not saying much. He'll be 28 in October. I just don't see any upside.

 

Melvin's in trouble. He hired/fired Yost. He hired Macha. He signed Suppan. He signed Hall. He signed Hawkins. He signed Riske. He signed Davis. He signed Hoffman. What more evidence of ineptitude do you need?

 

If I'm Attanasio and things don't dramatically turn around by June 1, I'd fire Melvin, Macha, Randolph and Peterson. I'd name Ash as interim GM, then I'd bring in Don Money to manage, Bosio as pitching coach, move Sveum up to bench coach and find a hitting coach somewhere.

[TooLiveBrew]

Parra has worse career numbers than Kameron Loe in almost exactly the same amount of major league innings. Why does anyone think he's any more deserving of roster spot than Loe who's only a year older? Parra might be marginally better than Davis at this point, but that's not saying much. He'll be 28 in October. I just don't see any upside.

 

The pure stuff is always the answer with Manny. Kameron Loe hardly touches 90 with his fastball. Not to mention the fact that injuries held back Manny's develoment -- so, while yes he's 27, he hasn't had the 'normal' amount of developmental time you might expect of a 27yo.

 

Being marginally better than Doug Davis is a scenario I would take every time for Manny. Davis has had a good career.

[joepepsi]

Kameron Loe hasn't been in the majors since 2008. He's never had a season that compares to Manny's 2008. Manny had one bad year, preceded by a year plus of quality. Plus Loe is right handed. I don't understand how you found him to compare to Parra. It's just as valid to compare Manny's first career 350 innings to Jamie Moyer's.

 

Loe has been consistently bad in the majors. Loe's career K rate is 4.7 per 9 ip. Parra's is 7.9. I don't see how that's comparable. 7.9 K's per 9ip is why you don't give up on Parra.

[Warning Track Power]

Melvin's in trouble. He hired/fired Yost. He hired Macha. He signed Suppan. He signed Hall. He signed Hawkins. He signed Riske. He signed Davis. He signed Hoffman. What more evidence of ineptitude do you need?

You are fooling yourself if you honestly believe Melvin is inept based on these FA decisions. Like I stated before, Melvin is inept in picking managers. I will concede that much, but using these as examples are not what makes Melvin inept. Looking at each case:

 

-Suppan was coming off multiple low 4 ERA seasons in a row when signed.

-Hall was coming off a 35 HR season

-Hawkins was coming off multiple low 2 ERA seasons in a row

-Riske was generally considered one of the best RP in baseball when he was signed

-Davis was top 5 in quality starts by LHP last season

-Hoffman had a sub-2 ERA in his 1st season in Milwaukee. No way you expect this big of a dropoff over one offseason.

 

All these signings point to ineptitude on the managing/coaching front. It wasn't like these guys were incapable of performing or duplicating these stats. Under Yost/Macha, it has become apparent they do not know how to push the right buttons to get the Brewers to perform at a high level.

[MNBrew]

I've never been a Macha apologist, but I haven't thought up to now that he's the problem. Macha had good teams in Oakland. Being in the middle of reading Moneyball right now, it seems pretty evident that Macha didn't really have to do so much of the managing in Oakland. I think the team's floundering under him and he's again seem to get away from utilizing much of the team speed this present roster has. He doesn't throw the pitches, nor did he even put those guys on the roster. But he's leading a ship & the ship again surely seems to be sinking fast. At some point the team reflects how the manager carries out his job (and how they carry out their own job even more so, of course). This present nonsense just can't continue.

 

Randolph was a decent manager for the Mets. Didn't he take 'em to the Series? But the Mets organization has a proven track record for dysfunctionality, and eventually the consistently crappy enough teams Minaya & Co. assembled cost Randolph his job. Sveum has had the support of the players and is no-nonsense but real with the players. I could see either of them potentially having a much better chance to get a more consistent & optimal performance out of this current squad. That's an armchair opinion, but it's how I've really been starting to feel lately.

[logan82]

Randolph was a decent manager for the Mets.

 

He was about the same as Yost. Sucked in the 2nd half and poor bullpen management.

[PeaveyFury]

If he handles young players well, he's probably an upgrade even with those two faults.

[logan82]

If he handles young players well, he's probably an upgrade even with those two faults.

To be honest I think those faults of Randolphs and Yost's are more dependent on a poor bullpen than anything they did. There were many people who thought Yost was doing a very good job managing a bullpen at the start of 2008. Managers always look god when teams are winning. Hire a guy off the street for all I care. We watch a guy long enough he is going to suck. Macha was supposed to be some sort of really good 2nd half manager. Well he wasn't last year. His fault? Not really but he was the scapegoat, I mean manager.

[JoeHova]

Are we sure that Sveum wouldn't be the interim manager? I can see an argument for him because this is his 5th season with team and they liked him enough to keep him around after his previous interim stint. Randolph would surely leave in a scenario where he was passed over for manager though, I would think. Not sure if the reverse would be true. I wonder which of the two the players like better?

[tigerbrew]

Macha was supposed to be some sort of really good 2nd half manager. Well he wasn't last year. His fault? Not really but he was the scapegoat, I mean manager.

I agree. Last year, pitching coach Bill Castro was Melvin's scapegoat and the rotation performed even worse last year after Castro was fired. It looks like team manager Ken Macha is Melvin's likely target for scapegoat this year. I wonder why it's never Doug Melvin's fault for the poor results from the team he assembled and coaching staff he hired. To me, Doug Melvin is ultimately responsible and should bear the biggest blame for the Brewers poor results. Instead, he's been awfully quiet while Macha bore the brunt of the blame.

 

 

[Invader3K]

If he handles young players well, he's probably an upgrade even with those two faults.

I get the sense that Randolph would tighten up the defense as well.

[Flood Pants]

Melvin made moves that should have improved the pitching, and I'm

surprised that they havent' panned out. This seems to be bad luck more than anything. Nobody could have reasonably expected Hoffman's collapse. Davis has never been awesome, but he also has never been this bad (well, at least since his breakout with the Brewers). I can't fault Melvin for those moves. Hawkins I can fault Melvin for, because he's always been inconsistent.

 

Despite the efforts to improve the pitching staff, this team's struggles at the plate should be no surprise. They replaced a good CF and average SS with well below average players at both positions. Watching Gomez and Escobar try to hit has been nothing short of brutal. Especially after Cameron got a contract from Boston that the Brewers could have certainly afforded, this looks like a bad move on Melvin's part. ( I understand that Cameron is hurt. But I would have rather Melvin made the right move and ended up with bad luck than made the wrong move and ended up dodging a bullet, if you know what I mean)

 

Unfortunately, even if the pitching staff was performing at its full potential, they likely sacrificed more runs from the offense than they could have gained back from the improved pitching and defense. Melvin deserves the blame for this, and he should be on the hot seat. He's done some great stuff for this team in the past, but he totally blew this offseason.

[Invader3K]

The only saving grace on this season is that the Brewers are in a lousy division. Even though we're only 15-20 on the year, we're "only" 5.5 games out of first, tied for third place with the Pirates, of all teams. I don't expect the Cardinals' recent woes to continue too much longer, though.

[monty57]

Invader3k, that could be our demise. We're not a terrible team, and we'll win enough to stick around .500 this year. Since that will technically keep us "in the hunt," we'll sacrifice more of our future in a Lopez-style trade for a couple of extra meaningless wins this season rather than "selling" to help our future. Next offseason we'll see a bunch of articles stating that "everyone knows the Brewers have to trade Prince, so his value will be diminished" and we'll let players like Hoffman, Davis and Bush go without offering arby (or they won't be Type A/B FA) so we won't get anything in return for them.

[Invader3K]

Invader3k, that could be our demise. We're not a terrible team, and we'll win enough to stick around .500 this year. Since that will technically keep us "in the hunt," we'll sacrifice more of our future in a Lopez-style trade for a couple of extra meaningless wins this season rather than "selling" to help our future.

That's been my biggest fear since the start of the season. I really hope Melvin and Co. are honest and don't try a half-hearted "go for it" attempt again like last year when we're really just in "pretend contention." If we're just sort of hovering around .500 at the All-Star break, I hope they realize it's more than likely not going to happen this year. The Cardinals are too good this year, and there are enough other Wild Card contender teams that don't have as many question marks as the Brewers right now. Then Melvin will need to make some efforts at rebuilding for next year. Biggest and most painful of all will be trading Prince...but if it doesn't happen, this team could be doomed to several years of mediocrity. Prince will have much more value in season than during the off-season, in my estimation.

[RockCoCougars]

In my opinion, if this team keeps this Jekyll and Hyde stuff up (look like they might be finally putting it together then lose 3 or 4 in a row), the first thing that needs to be done is to fire Macha- and soon. He's not coming back next year anyway if they don't have a winning record, so why not try to catch lightning in a bottle like in '82 or with the Rockies a couple of years ago? As I've said before, I'd prefer Sveum to Randolph, but that's not going to happen. If nothing else, this will give the team a chance to audition Randolph, and then have no qualms about showing him the door if there is no improvement.

 

I also agree with those who feel that it's time to get Parra in the rotation. Davis can take his role in the bullpen, whatever the heck that is.

 

After the season is over, depending on how bad things are, Melvin may need to go as well- especially if Sheets and Hardy have good years, because in my view, he bungled the handling of both of them. He is the one who hired Macha, and since the Carlos Lee trade with the Sox, his trade accumen has been closer to Dean Taylor than Sal Bando. I'm not sure if I want him to be the one to trade Prince, if that has to happen.

[hawing]

If he handles young players well, he's probably an upgrade even with those two faults.

I get the sense that Randolph would tighten up the defense as well.

Isn't that part of Willie's role right now? I'm not trying to be snarky, just wondering.

[Invader3K]

Isn't that part of Willie's role right now? I'm not trying to be snarky, just wondering.

Presumably. I guess it wouldn't make a difference, I just get the feeling that Macha doesn't really emphasize good defense with the players much. Maybe Randolph would.

[PilprinBuddha]

I think there should be.

Macha had no business being brought back...in fact I think Sveum should have gotten the job before last year.

Randolph is no more capable in "fixing" the defense than I am. These things get worked out in the offseason, not during it.

Fielder needs to get dealt...I hate to say that because he is a ton of fun to watch, but the Ryan Howard deal killed us. 20 mil is the starting point with Boras. I expect a 24-25 mil deal for him. Boston is likely the only place (maybe Seattle) that would be an option.

The core of this team is YO, Braun, and......???

Maghee is a nice story, but is he our long term answer??? I hope so, but who knows. Gomez...doubt it. Hart? No! Weeks maybe. Escobar....hope so.Wolf....by virtue of his contract he better be.

Many questions that need answering. Overall I still like Melvin, but at some point a change might need to take place there as well.

[paul253]

Yeah I've always thought one of the problems the Brewers had is just constantly throwing soft tossers out there to start. After Gallardo, you have Wolf, Davis, Bush, and Narveson. Do any of them throw harder than 90 consistently? You can only fool major league hitters with your soft tossing for so long. I think Parra needs to be given another shot in the rotation. I don't understand how he is of any value to the team coming out of the bullpen.

 

As far as the changes go. I think Hoffman, Vargas, Suppan, Davis, and Bush need to go. Position player wise, Hart and Zaun need to go. Lucroy and/or Salome should be playing every day next season. It was mentioned before but Hart is making too much money for what he gives the team. Fielder needs to be traded as well. We need to stop fooling ourselves into thinking we will be able to afford to sign him. Boras will not let him sign for under $25 million a year, not after Howard's contract. Trade him for hard throwing pitchers. I would love to see the team either move Gamel to first base right away and have him play every day next season, or move Lawrie to first and sign a stop gap for 2 years (Derek Lee). I also think Carlos Gomez needs to play every day when he gets back. I like Edmonds, I really do, but we need to see if Gomez can cut it or not. If he can, then we have some decisions to make with Cain and Schafer.

 

Finally.....Ken Macha needs to go. I just assumed he was a good manager because of how he did in Oakland, but I personally think he's a terrible manager. His bullpen management is awful. He sits young guys rather than letting them get consistent at bats, which is what young players need. He has no "fire" either. It's like he has one emotion....dull.

[SoCal Brew Crew Fan]

I don't see big changes happening anytime soon. They will likely give it some time this season to see if they can make a run and get back in the race which is very possible. The only near term options they have are in the bullpen where there is some talent at AAA. They probably keep Soup another month or so to sop up blowout innings and provide rotation insurance. At some point the bullpen is overworked to the point where it makes sense to clear the spot for another reliever like Hawkins coming back or Braddock.

 

I'd probably throw Parra into the rotation at some point. I'm one of those who rightly or wrongly view him as mentally soft, but you can't teach a 95 MPH fastball. We need to know if he can do it or not...only one way to find out. Out of desperation, I might be willing to roll the dice on his upside.

 

Macha? Just doesn't matter IMO. I have no way of evaluating if he's the problem or not. He's probably not the problem, but doesn't add much either.

 

Biggest decision they have is sign, trade or hold Prince. If we are out of it and they determine the bid/ask is too wide on re-signing him, it probably makes sense to shop him. This is likely an off-season issue and I doubt they'd want a public situation like Halladay was last year. That wouldn't help ticket sales, and for a franchise that needs the revenues for salaries, maybe that makes sense.

 

If we are out of it July 1, I hear what everyone else says about trading or dumping this guy or that guy...my own target would be Corey Hart (for that price he is replaceable), but these guys have little value. If that changes, by all means DM should move a guy that won't be of value next year, but right now I just don't see it.

[monty57]

I'd probably throw Parra into the rotation at some point. I'm one of those who rightly or wrongly view him as mentally soft, but you can't teach a 95 MPH fastball. We need to know if he can do it or not...only one way to find out. Out of desperation, I might be willing to roll the dice on his upside.

 

I agree, and I'd rather have him get starts when the games aren't as important (if we're out of it later this season) than starting next year in the rotation after a full year in the pen this season. I hope Davis can start pitching well for many reasons, but if there aren't any injuries in the rotation and we're still plodding along like we have been so far this season, I'd trade whichever of Bush or Davis could bring back the most return and insert Manny. I'd trade both of them if the price is right and give someone from the minors some starts this year.

 

If we are out of it July 1, I hear what everyone else says about trading or dumping this guy or that guy...my own target would be Corey Hart (for that price he is replaceable), but these guys have little value. If that changes, by all means DM should move a guy that won't be of value next year, but right now I just don't see it.

 

I think much of the "value" we'd get by trading players like Hart or Zaun would be (1) the money saved and (2) the ability to bring up someone from the minors to get them some experience. If the season's a wash, I'd rather see us get little return for Zaun and allow Lucroy to get MLB experience rather than playing the season out with Zaun and getting nothing in return for him anyways.

 

Some players like Bush, Davis and Hoffman (if Davis and Hoffman turn things around) could net some type of return, maybe a decent upside A-baller, who could potentially help us in a few years. I'm sure some team would like to have Counsell on their playoff roster as well.

[pete]

-Ken Macha is fired. While I don't necessarily need the over-the-top personality in a manager, I believe this team does. A young ballclub like this needs a little fire and ice in my opinion and Macha is not that.

 

I've never really liked Macha and the fact that he doesn't like to go with his young guys.

 

the first thing that needs to be done is to fire Macha- and soon.

 

Macha had no business being brought back...

 

If the goal is long term success of the team, they should bring Macha back, especially considering how many young guys are bound to be playing in the future. I'd guess he is more willing to go with a young guy than any other manager I am aware of. The popular suggestions I hear, Torre, Baker and Piniella seem to have less willingness to play younger players than Macha. Doesn't this whole thing stem from anger over playing McGehee?

 

The "fire" thing is empty. Tim whatever his name is whines about that on the radio. He also screams about how they should have signed Lackey. I hear that one fairly often although sometimes people actually check on how the guy is doing. Witrado actually explained to him how it wasn't possible and was stupid and all he could say was "do something." I think its completely pathetic to tune into a postgame and have Squeaky Fifer suggest Torre who looks to be near death most of the time. Sveum answers everything in a monotone and he is the guy with the weird pitching decisions who also loves his veterans. Go read some old Mets blogs and forums - they HATED Randolph.

[DonMoney4Mgr]

JohnBriggs12[/b]]Melvin's in trouble. He hired/fired Yost. He hired Macha. He signed Suppan. He signed Hall. He signed Hawkins. He signed Riske. He signed Davis. He signed Hoffman. What more evidence of ineptitude do you need?

 

If I'm Attanasio and things don't dramatically turn around by June 1, I'd fire Melvin, Macha, Randolph and Peterson. I'd name Ash as interim GM, then I'd bring in Don Money to manage, Bosio as pitching coach, move Sveum up to bench coach and find a hitting coach somewhere.

I like the Don Money idea. Also, I'd like to add that many of the successes of this current roster fell to him from Jack Z's drafts; Gallardo, Prince, Braun, and Weeks. I will give him credit for the scrapheap however; Coffey, Edmonds, McGehee, etc. But the bad signings will ultimately lead to his demise. Roughly 37M of the 90M is either dead money or money paid to players that been of little help.