Corey Hart Love

[Baldkin]

I can understand selling high, but does anyone honestly think that his value is at a point right now that's worth trading him? This would be effectively giving up on the season, and, in my view entering official rebuilding mode. How often do you see a team trade arguably their best hitter to this point of the season in June? Maybe closer to the deadline next month, but I'm not sure. Outside of a few minor league arms, what do you think that Hart will bring? I highly doubt that he would bring a quality MLB-ready arm now. Frankly, the only way that I would consider moving him at this point would be if the other team was willing to take more dead salary with him (Suppan, Hoffman, Riske, Hawkins, Wolf, etc.) and still give up something of good value.

They aren't making the playoffs this season. Hart probably won't be back for 8Mil next year. Get something for him while his value is at it's highest. The sooner you trade him the more you can get. They don't need an MLB ready arm. They need a solid AA or AAA starter who's ready to make the jump next year or 2012.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

I can understand selling high, but does anyone honestly think that his value is at a point right now that's worth trading him? This would be effectively giving up on the season, and, in my view entering official rebuilding mode. How often do you see a team trade arguably their best hitter to this point of the season in June? Maybe closer to the deadline next month, but I'm not sure. Outside of a few minor league arms, what do you think that Hart will bring? I highly doubt that he would bring a quality MLB-ready arm now. Frankly, the only way that I would consider moving him at this point would be if the other team was willing to take more dead salary with him (Suppan, Hoffman, Riske, Hawkins, Wolf, etc.) and still give up something of good value.

 

He needs to be traded, but I agree. To get anything worthwhile back, he needs to be at least decent a little longer. Closer to the deadline, some moron GM desperate for a bat will bite on him.

 

On your other point - let's be real. We are rebuilding. We are 10 games below .500 with arguably the worst pitching staff in the majors. We have Gallardo and trash in our rotation. Without drastic pitching and defensive improvements, we are not sniffing the postseason any time soon.

[RobDeer 45]

I agree he is streaky but it's been awhile since he's had such a good streak and I just wanted to give him some love. I too agree trading him while value is high and he's getting closer to FA is a good move. Again, I don't think he'll fetch a bunch but could be packaged and be a nice bonus.

[TooLiveBrew]

The only thing, though, is that it's not just a hot streak imo. He's hit well for the whole season, really. I think a lot of that has to do with being used correctly by Macha, but still. Of course I realize you guys are referring to this insanely torrid stretch he's been on, but it's not like he wasn't hitting fine overall prior to this as well. And, to be fair to Corey, the "insanely torrid stretch" covers basically a whole month. His Last 28 days line from Baseball-Reference is .267/.330/.721/1.051

[monty57]

It's wonderful that Corey's doing far better than I expected. As far as whether he'll fall from glory, it's impossible to say. However, remember that he was an All Star due to his hot start in 2008, before falling into the worst slump I've ever seen leading into the playoff push. He even had some decent stretches last season peppered into a bad overall season.

 

As for a trade, I hope Doug can get it done. The fact that he still has one more year of arbitration could help get a little more in return, but I still don't want the Brewers to take the risk on having to pay $8MM to the 2009 version of Hart. Let the Lo Cain era begin.

[joepepsi]

Trading every player at their peak means you are in constant rebuilding mode. Think Pirates.

[brains and braun]

Whoever said that people around here don't ever want to "sell high" on hot players seems to be right. The Brewers are going nowhere this season. Is Corey a part of the long-term future? I agree that we trade him if we can get a good prospect or two.

[Invader3K]

Trading every player at their peak means you are in constant rebuilding mode. Think Pirates.

This is a guy people were calling for to get non-tendered before the season started, or assumed wouldn't be kept after this year. Pretty different from the Pirates trading guys with multiple years of control left, or when they first start to get expensive.

[berniebrewer4life]

I guess he finally fixed that elbow.

POTW.

 

While i didn't expect this at all, i figured the contacts would help some(no proof one way or the other at this point, i guess) i am really glad he has turned it around.

 

 

Trading every player at their peak means you are in constant rebuilding

mode. Think Pirates.

I disagree. While that is what the pirates are doing, we don't have a history of blowing the entire team up. I personally think this year for corey is going to be similar to Bill Hall circa 2006. This will most likely be his career year. If the brewers are out of it at the deadline, and someone comes knocking, i would love to see him traded for some pitching(however, chances are if he's traded, it will be in the offseason, knowing Doug.)

[Roderick]

Trading every player at their peak means you are in constant rebuilding mode. Think Pirates.

My feelings are that his long-term stats are going to be closer to last year than his stats this year to date. You want the Brewers to pay what he would get in arbitration ($6M?) for another year? I don't, hence he isn't in the long-term plans anyways, so trade him now as you probably won't get anything after the season.

 

If you disagree about his ability and you think he can sustain good seasons, then I can understand where you are coming from. If you agree that Hart isn't going to put up the numbers worthy of $6M then I think you are overpaying just to have an average player on the MLB roster in 2011 versus possibly having a decent prospect in the minors.

[joepepsi]

What's the current value of an average RF'er? $6m doesn't seem that far off. If you trade him and don't replace him with a vet from another team, then you are probably taking a step back for a year or two while his prospect replacement gets acclimated. I understand sometimes you have to do this to remain fiscally responsible, but other than Braun and Yo, the mood on this board is to trade everyone at their peak. The result is the team is always approaching good, but never quite reaches it because each year they trade off another 1,2, or handful of players for prospects.

[Funketown]

My feelings are that his long-term stats are going to be closer to last year than his stats this year to date. You want the Brewers to pay what he would get in arbitration ($6M?) for another year? I don't, hence he isn't in the long-term plans anyways, so trade him now as you probably won't get anything after the season.

 

If you disagree about his ability and you think he can sustain good seasons, then I can understand where you are coming from. If you agree that Hart isn't going to put up the numbers worthy of $6M then I think you are overpaying just to have an average player on the MLB roster in 2011 versus possibly having a decent prospect in the minors.

The problem is that if Hart is not going to be worth $6MM next year, nobody in their right mind would give up a decent prospect. Now, it is entirely possible that he is worth $6MM to some other team but not to the Brewers, but any value Hart has this season or next in excess of his contract is minimal. The only way the Brewers get a prospect that I would be excited about straight up for Hart is if some GM makes a dumb deal, and I'm not saying that won't happen, I just think we need to temper our return demands here (as well as with Fielder).a

[brains and braun]

What's the current value of an average RF'er? $6m doesn't seem that far off. If you trade him and don't replace him with a vet from another team, then you are probably taking a step back for a year or two while his prospect replacement gets acclimated. I understand sometimes you have to do this to remain fiscally responsible, but other than Braun and Yo, the mood on this board is to trade everyone at their peak. The result is the team is always approaching good, but never quite reaches it because each year they trade off another 1,2, or handful of players for prospects.

Who are the good players we have been trading at their peak for prospects? This is exactly what we are not doing.

[monty57]

What's the current value of an average RF'er? $6m doesn't seem that far off. If you trade him and don't replace him with a vet from another team, then you are probably taking a step back for a year or two while his prospect replacement gets acclimated. I understand sometimes you have to do this to remain fiscally responsible, but other than Braun and Yo, the mood on this board is to trade everyone at their peak. The result is the team is always approaching good, but never quite reaches it because each year they trade off another 1,2, or handful of players for prospects.

Actually, I don't remember them trading many vets for prospects in the recent past, and I wish they'd start doing it in years where they aren't in the playoff hunt. They blew their chance last year, so I hope they realize this season they're not a playoff team.

I'm for locking up young "core" players like we did with Braun and Yo, and hopefully will continue to do in the future with our best young players (Lucroy, Escobar, Lawrie, whatever pitchers prove their worth, etc). As we found with Hall and almost with Hart, you shouldn't offer these contracts to fringe players. Hart is way too much of an all-or-nothing guy for me, which is an upgrade to what I thought of him before the season. There's a good chance that he'll fall off a cliff and hit for a .650 OPS the rest of the season. Since we're not in the playoff hunt, I think that if his recent power surge has upped his trade value, we should take advantage of that and bring Cain up to "get acclimated" this season so he's ready next year when the games will once again matter.

So, I'm happy Hart is doing well. He seems like a good guy and I'm glad for him that he's playing better. But, at the heart of it all (no pun intended), I want what's best for the Brewers' franchise, so I'm mostly happy that this hot start may mean a better future return for the Brewers.

 

 

[TooLiveBrew]

There's a good chance that he'll fall off a cliff and hit for a .650 OPS the rest of the season.

 

I don't think there's a good chance that happens. I think it's a possibility, but a pretty extreme one. Especially if Macha uses Hart well when he inevitably cools off, there is almost no chance that will happen.

 

 

Since we're not in the playoff hunt, I think that if his recent power surge has upped his trade value, we should take advantage of that and bring Cain up to "get acclimated" this season so he's ready next year when the games will once again matter.

 

I agree with this completely, and hope that it's what the Brewers are able to do. I'd be willing to bet there's beginning to be a pretty decent market for a bat like Hart's right now.

[monty57]

There's a good chance that he'll fall off a cliff and hit for a .650 OPS the rest of the season.

 

I don't think there's a good chance that happens. I think it's a possibility, but a pretty extreme one. Especially if Macha uses Hart well when he inevitably cools off, there is almost no chance that will happen.

 

 

I was being extreme, and shouldn't have said good chance, but in 2008:

 

Pre-All Star .831 OPS

Post-All Star .659 OPS

 

2009 month-by-month

 

April .873

May .626

June .785

July .831

August .250

Sept .660

 

Hopefully he'd be more like 2007:

 

Pre-All Star .876

Post-All Star .906

 

He's always been hot & cold. Our risk of trading him is that he's finally "found it," and has become the player many thought he would be, as we will not get equivalent return for him if we trade him now. Our risk of keeping him is that he'll have another cold second half and we won't get any offers for him in the offseason, forcing Melvin to not offer arby and we get nothing for him. An extremely high upside/lowdownside player is tough to plan for, so I'd say selling high would be a good option.

[joepepsi]

What's the current value of an average RF'er? $6m doesn't seem that far off. If you trade him and don't replace him with a vet from another team, then you are probably taking a step back for a year or two while his prospect replacement gets acclimated. I understand sometimes you have to do this to remain fiscally responsible, but other than Braun and Yo, the mood on this board is to trade everyone at their peak. The result is the team is always approaching good, but never quite reaches it because each year they trade off another 1,2, or handful of players for prospects.

Who are the good players we have been trading at their peak for prospects? This is exactly what we are not doing.

I'm not saying this is what the team is doing. I am saying this is what many on this board think they should do.

[topper09er]

We should hope that a contending team has an injury to a RFer and overpays us a lot for the current NL HR leader.

[Beast Light]

I just wanted to make an appearance and eat some crow. Corey is playing much better than I ever would have expected.

[bigjase]

I'm glad Corey is playing up to his potential right now. He seems like a good guy and is really helping a struggling team. I am disappointed that a Corey Hart love thread turned into a trade Hart now thread.

[craigharmann]

When Corey lays off the low, outside junk, he's really good! To me, the whole goal is for everyone on the team to play to their potential, and hopefully, that should lead to wins!

[Ennder]

I have to see him keep it up a full season to be a believer. When Jose Bautista can hit 18 HR by June 5th anything can happen. I don't believe Bautista will sustain it and I'm not sure this is more than a hot streak for Hart. I definitely want to trade him if we get the chance though because I don't think he is a long term solution given his defense and this is the perfect sell high candidate.

[ecjimg]

Did you guys hear Hart's post game comments. I was shocked by his answer to the question "whats the difference between Cory Hart before the hot streak and he hot Cory Hart" (paraphasing). Instead of the stock answer like "Im seeing the ball better, blah blah blah", Hart says something like "Before I was complacent, but then I lost my spot, so I had to motivate myself to work harder". Again paraphrasing, but dang... I guess some of these guys ARENT always giving it their best effort.

[RobDeer 45]

I think it's not they aren't giving it their best but they're not working to get better. If you just think you've got it all figured out and stop studying new trends and working to better yourself and just maintain you will do just that. Maintain or go down hill. Some people can get away with it and others can't. I think he's just being honest. I don't think he's ever dogged it, I think he just got back to what got him here.

 

I'm glad that most of us can admidt when we are wrong on a guy because we really can dish it out sometimes.

 

And I just wanted to give him some more love for his continued good play!

[rluzinski]

I find that comment by Hart as much of a throwaway comment as any other sound bite you get from a professional athlete. What, he took extra BP, which added .200 OPS to his line? Maybe it's true in this case but these guys say so much stuff that I take it all with a grain of salt.