Shortstops available

[logan82]

Robideaux wrote:

(If I hear about Betancourt leading the Royals in RBIs again, I'm going to scream. )

He also led the Royals in HR. I think it really indicates just how bad the Royals were more than showing anything good about YunE-6.

[Yeti73]

What about Lowrie or Scutaro? BoSox have organizational depth...

[GormanHarvey]

Furcal out indefinitely with a broken left thumb. He claims he's contemplating retirement, but he's probably just blowing smoke

[JohnBriggs12]

What about Lowrie or Scutaro? BoSox have organizational depth...

Red Sox need starting pitching badly but Scutaro at 35 could be a big risk. He's off to a bad start. Do Estrada, Mitre, and the young guys give the Brewers enough depth to think about dangling Wolf at the Sox? Is Scutaro worth the risk? I don't seem them dealing Lowrie.

[CheezWizHed]

Wolf for Scutaro? I surely hope not. Maybe a lefty RP for Scutaro (say Stetter - it was reported the BoSox were looking for a LRP also), but not for an SP unless there are some prospects that come back with him.

 

If we were to deal Wolf at some point this season, I'd like to see Rogers, Rivas, Peralta, et al... pitching well to give us multiple backup options for depth. We will see how Estrada does, but no thanks on Mitre as a starter.

[Warning Track Power]

Wolf for Scutaro? I surely hope not. Maybe a lefty RP for Scutaro (say Stetter - it was reported the BoSox were looking for a LRP also), but not for an SP unless there are some prospects that come back with him.

 

If we were to deal Wolf at some point this season, I'd like to see Rogers, Rivas, Peralta, et al... pitching well to give us multiple backup options for depth. We will see how Estrada does, but no thanks on Mitre as a starter.

Here's the thing about this. If we have learned anything from FA the past 5 years or so, paying $10MM/year to #3 or #4 pitchers isn't the best use of the payroll. I like Wolf. I root for him because he's a Brewer but also because he seems like a decent guy. I want him to succeed, but it just seems like we can find a guy like Narveson or even Capuano to give us similar results for an 1/8 of the price. Yes he pitched well during the 2nd half of last year, but man $10MM a season is a lot of cash for a dude who doesn't bring it all season.

 

Once Greinke is healthy and Rogers is stretched out, and even if a small hole were opened this season, if the Red Sox would take the entire Wolf deal, I think we have to take it. We could back fill the #5 spot with an Estrada/Mitre/Parra until Rogers, Peralta or Rivas.

[Hate those Rodents]

Wplf was not paid to be a 3/4. He was paid to be a two. You can say that was dumb, but no way doug pays Wolf ten million a year if he has the first three spots pegged down. Probably even just the first two spots pegged down.

[Warning Track Power]

Agreed HTR.

 

My point was that if Boston makes an offer that would take Wolf's deal off our hands now, you make the deal. Even in this season where Wolf's contract can be tolerated and dealt with, you clear the payroll and roll with a Mitre/Estrada or even let a Rogers work as the #5 because the cost/benefit is so low and in the end could get almost identical results for $8MM less.

 

I think the lesson learned from the Suppan and Wolf deals is that with the Brewers payroll, you can't make the mistake of paying pitchers $10MM and expect them to outperform their career tracks. Yes, Wolf was brought in to be the #2 last season, but his track record, save his 2009 year with the Dodgers and his 2nd half of 2008 with Houston, proved him to be probably a low 3 or high 4. Same with Suppan. His 4 prior seasons to 2007 proved him to be a low 3 or high 4 pitcher.

 

Looking back at this last offseason, we may have been best served to roll with Cappy/Narvy as #4 & #5 if someone would have taken the Wolf deal off our hands.

[derflotr]

For what it's worth, I never liked the Wolf signing from the beginning. But I'm not ready to chalk it up as a wasted investment yet. Maybe the way he closed the season last year is still too fresh in my mind, but he's always been a good pitcher in the latter half of the season and the Brewers will value that stability. I really like the near-MLB arms the Brewers have right now, but I'd be much more comfortable with Randy Wolf starting pennant-chasing games than one of Rogers/Rivas/Peralta should one of the big three (one more brilliant start and I'm counting you in, Chris) go down. There are better ways to get a defensively competent SS should it be necessary.

EDIT: This offseason is a different story. I'm talking about trading Wolf mid-season 2011.

[logan82]

For what it's worth, I never liked the Wolf signing from the beginning. But I'm not ready to chalk it up as a wasted investment yet. Maybe the way he closed the season last year is still too fresh in my mind, but he's always been a good pitcher in the latter half of the season and the Brewers will value that stability. I really like the near-MLB arms the Brewers have right now, but I'd be much more comfortable with Randy Wolf starting pennant-chasing games than one of Rogers/Rivas/Peralta should one of the big three (one more brilliant start and I'm counting you in, Chris) go down. There are better ways to get a defensively competent SS should it be necessary.

EDIT: This offseason is a different story. I'm talking about trading Wolf mid-season 2011.

That is how I feel. I didn't like the Wolf signing but he isn't all that expensive. I think we wait and see how some of our minor league guys pan out before making any decisions on Wolf. Every team needs 7+ starting pitchers every year. Unless we would be forced to release somebody or somebody is clearly better we might as well keep Wolf.

 

[DHonks]

Wolf is paid like a #3 pitcher, and that's what he is. So if a team has two aces, you guys don't want to pay the lesser of them like an ace because he's your #2? That logic doesn't make sense.

[Warning Track Power]

Wolf is paid like a #3 pitcher, and that's what he is. So if a team has two aces, you guys don't want to pay the lesser of them like an ace because he's your #2? That logic doesn't make sense.

$10MM/year in a market like Milwaukee doesn't make you the #3. It makes you the #2 or maybe #1. Marcum, a guy who was the acknowledged #1 in Toronto and pitched like a low #1 or high #2, is the "#3" in Milwaukee. #3 only in title due to the presence of Gallardo and Greinke. I would have no problem giving Marcum $10MM/year assuming he pitches to his Toronto standard the next 2 seasons in Milwaukee.

 

I can't speak to the others who have posted on the topic, but my point is that we can get similar results that we have gotten with Wolf in a year plus with someone who doesn't make $10MM/year. Wolf's track record never indicated him to be anything other than a low #3 or high #4

[endaround]

$10m a year in MLB makes you a #3. How long does Milwaukee have to keep paying a top half payroll until we stop pretending their the royals?

[Warning Track Power]

$10m a year in MLB makes you a #3. How long does Milwaukee have to keep paying a top half payroll until we stop pretending their the royals?

I am not arguing this fact. If Jorge de la Rosa can make $10MM/season then that fact is evident. I do believe that in Milwaukee, that number comes with an expectation of being better than a #3 regardless of MLB economics. Shaun Marcum will likely cost right around this price to extend. Do I believe him to better than a #3? Yes. Do I believe he is a #1 or #2? A #2 definitely. A #1; not on a good team. The point is that Wolf's output is not the equivalent of Marcum and they will likely cost close to the same.

 

I believe that the Brewers should not pay a #3 like the Wolf's of the world $10MM/season. That money can be better spent to either find a better deal/bargain, which they have in Marcum, OR use that $10MM/season to supplement the Greinke and Gallardo's off the world salary to ensure you have a dynamic #1 and #1A, and backfill the rest of the rotation with the Narveson's of the world.

 

 

[endaround]

Marcum will likely cost more to extend. If he has two good years significantly more. You talk about Wolf not showing anything, but Marcum has had only 1 good year as well.

[Warning Track Power]

Marcum will likely cost more to extend. If he has two good years significantly more. You talk about Wolf not showing anything, but Marcum has had only 1 good year as well.

Not true. Marcumhas had three good years. Remember, he was pitching in the AL East and not the NL West like Wolf. If he has another two years like this in Milwaukee, you might be right about the cost of re-signing. I doubt it though as he will be 31 when he is a FA.

 

 

[PrinceEatMeat]

http://www.mlbtraderumors...feed&utm_medium=facebook

 

Thought I'd put this here. We are getting thin as an organization at SS. Apparently we are looking for one. I wonder if one of our backup catchers could be traded for one? This is why it was stupid not to keep Cruz.

[monty57]

Re: Wolf. Unless we're out of the race, there is no way we trade Wolf mid-season this year. Why would we trade a proven MLB pitcher when we're trying to make the playoffs or even the World Series? First, Wolf is much better than Mitre or Estrada, and second, there's too much chance of injury to any of the pitchers in the rotation. Mitre and Estrada are the insurance in case someone gets hurt. If Rogers, Rivas, etc prove themselves in the minors this year, I have no problem trading Wolf in the offseason, but not mid-season this year.

 

Re: Cruz. Totally agree. For some reason, we had to keep Kotsay on the roster. This led to us cutting Boggs, and since we didn't have another RH bat, and Cruz's bat wasn't good enough to be the sole RH bat on the bench, we kept Almonte. So, if Yuni gets hurt, we can look at our insistance on keeping the washed-up Mark Kotsay as the reason we have no SS.

[endaround]

We had to keep Kotsay and Reed. Cruz left because he was likely sure there was nothing he could do to get back. He had a good season in AAA last year, killed the ball in winter play and had a very good spring and still Reed makes the team over him.

[vannzee]

I like the earlier idea of Everth Cabrera. I'd say that he is better then Cruz was and can play second as well as short. He is still young with good speed, but those factors may make the Padres reluctant to deal him. Maybe we would be looking at a Narveson for him type of deal?

 

Alexi Cassilla hasnt hit yet this year and he cant be likely to stick for long in Minnesota, there pinch hitting for him every other night.

[Roderick]

I still think we'll trade for Furcal at the deadline. Just seems like something Doug Melvin would do, but only if Betancourt is really struggling. I expect that to happen, so I expect this deal to happen.

Why will the Dodgers trade Furcal?

Is the divorce still a big financial issue for the Dodgers? If so, maybe they need to shed salary. They could take Betancourt (we'd pay some) and prospects and still sell that they are trying to win. Furcal is down for $13M for the year, so they would save $5-$6M depending on how soon.

[Bombers]

What about Christian Guzman? Does he have anything in the tank?

[TheCrew]

Furcal may be retiring plus the guy is as fragile as they come - I think you'd have to keep Betancourt as insurance if you went with Furcal.

[Bombers]

Our questions are solved! Via www.brewers.com, Braun talks about his recent return to the infield during the 10th inning.

 

 

"It seems like every year that situation comes up a couple of times," Braun said. "That's my natural position. I'm good at short. I'm comfortable there. I'm serious, I'm just waiting for an opportunity to get back there."

 

 

Edit: I would put this in blue if I could but am posting from my phone.

[brettac1]

Boy, would that be a trainwreck. He wasn't even very good there at the U, which was why even they moved him over to 3B and used him a fair amount as a DH if I recall.