Heath Bell

[Schlitz001]

Normally I would be against trading for a reliever for half of a season, but if the Brewers are truly serious about making a playoff run I feel like they should make a play to strengthen the bullpen. The bullpen is a strength right now, but I worry about Axford and his inflated WHIP, Loe and his hanging sinker, and Saito and his penchant for going on the DL and not being able to pitch back to back games. Bell would allow the 8th inning to go to Hawkins or Axford. San Diego will probably looking for a big return considering Bell will bring them a couple of comp picks, maybe even more than the Brewers can afford to give up. Just a thought.

[bobskube]

I would love to have him but who are we going to trade to get him?

Axford is on borrowed time and I see him hurting us later in the season when the pressure is really on.

[adambr2]

The bullpen is the one area where we actually have some AAA depth that could step in if need be. Bell would also cost an arm and a leg and we're already depleted in the farm. If we're going to give up an arm and a leg, I'd rather get an upgrade where we really need it at SS, rather than a reliever who will probably throw 35 innings for us the rest of the year.

[JohnBriggs12]

I would love to have him but who are we going to trade to get him?

Axford is on borrowed time and I see him hurting us later in the season when the pressure is really on.

Where are you seeing Axford being on borrowed time? He has great stuff and the perfect makeup to close. Oh he'll put some guys on base, but his demeanor never changes. He's shown a bad outing doesn't affect him the next time out. He's one of the best closers in baseball and the Brewers are lucky to have him.

 

In short, he's not Derrick Turnbow.

 

Now instead of Bell, Mike Adams is a guy I'd be looking at.

[paul253]

I didn't want to start a new thread on this but are there any relievers out there that we could trade for that have a good shot at being a Type A free agent? Someone in the Linebrink mold who isn't going to cost us three top prospects?

[Roderick]

Now instead of Bell, Mike Adams is a guy I'd be looking at.

I think San Diego will want as much for Adams as Bell because Adams is cheap.

[StearnsFTW]

JohnBriggs12]

I would love to have him but who are we going to trade to get him?

Axford is on borrowed time and I see him hurting us later in the season when the pressure is really on.

Where are you seeing Axford being on borrowed time? He has great stuff and the perfect makeup to close. Oh he'll put some guys on base, but his demeanor never changes. He's shown a bad outing doesn't affect him the next time out. He's one of the best closers in baseball and the Brewers are lucky to have him.

 

In short, he's not Derrick Turnbow.

 

Now instead of Bell, Mike Adams is a guy I'd be looking at.

1.518 WHIP

4.8 BB/9

 

Stats>Meaningless platitudes about demeanor.

 

He's been walking a tightrope all year.

[endaround]

Both stats really aren't that important. If he keeps his K/9 above 11 and a K/BB over 2.5 he'll be fine. WHIP really isn't that useful.

[StearnsFTW]

I don't agree.

 

[RockCoCougars]

In my view, WHIP is especially useful for a reliever- maybe not so much for a closer, but definitely for guys who inherit runners/innings.

[prophet]

I for one would love to have Heath Bell. But, I don't think we have enough to get him that we would be willing to part with. As for Mike Adams, we already had him once, why didn't we want him back then?

[endaround]

Yost and Maddux didn't like him

[JohnBriggs12]

I would love to have him but who are we going to trade to get him?

Axford is on borrowed time and I see him hurting us later in the season when the pressure is really on.

Where are you seeing Axford being on borrowed time? He has great stuff and the perfect makeup to close. Oh he'll put some guys on base, but his demeanor never changes. He's shown a bad outing doesn't affect him the next time out. He's one of the best closers in baseball and the Brewers are lucky to have him.

 

In short, he's not Derrick Turnbow.

 

Now instead of Bell, Mike Adams is a guy I'd be looking at.

1.518 WHIP

4.8 BB/9

 

Stats>Meaningless platitudes about demeanor.

 

He's been walking a tightrope all year.

His WHIP is down to 1.418. He can get away with that a. because his stuff is so good, b. he doesn't panic with men on and C. He's allowed 2 HR in 96 major league innings and opposing hitters are slugging just .288 off of him. His OPS against is under .609 this year and .591 for his career. Those numbers aren't quite as good as Bell, but Axford pitches half his games in Miller Park.

 

I get to watch games on MLB extra innings. Axford gets raved about nightly by color analysts from opposing teams. His stuff is electric. I compare him to Jim Kern of the 1970's. Kern was a bit of a late bloomer too, tall and lanky, and had the nastiest stuff in the AL in those days before he hurt his arm.

[prophet]

Yost and Maddux didn't like him

Ah, then that makes sense. Swing and a miss by them then.

[StearnsFTW]

Where are you seeing Axford being on borrowed time? He has great stuff and the perfect makeup to close. Oh he'll put some guys on base, but his demeanor never changes. He's shown a bad outing doesn't affect him the next time out. He's one of the best closers in baseball and the Brewers are lucky to have him.

 

In short, he's not Derrick Turnbow.

 

Now instead of Bell, Mike Adams is a guy I'd be looking at.

1.518 WHIP

4.8 BB/9

 

Stats>Meaningless platitudes about demeanor.

 

He's been walking a tightrope all year.

His WHIP is down to 1.418. He can get away with that a. because his stuff is so good, b. he doesn't panic with men on and C. He's allowed 2 HR in 96 major league innings and opposing hitters are slugging just .288 off of him. His OPS against is under .609 this year and .591 for his career. Those numbers aren't quite as good as Bell, but Axford pitches half his games in Miller Park.

 

I get to watch games on MLB extra innings. Axford gets raved about nightly by color analysts from opposing teams. His stuff is electric. I compare him to Jim Kern of the 1970's. Kern was a bit of a late bloomer too, tall and lanky, and had the nastiest stuff in the AL in those days before he hurt his arm.

I agree with most of this...........and the Jim Kern comparison rings true too.

 

He has been better in the last week. I just get nervous with all the baserunners. And he needs to get his walks down.

[pitchleague]

Yost and Maddux didn't like him

I don't think he threw his cutter back then either, but I could be wrong. That pitch is filthy.

[berniebrewer4life]

Yost and Maddux didn't like him

I don't think he threw his cutter back then either, but I could be wrong. That pitch is filthy.

He didn't pick that up until he moved to the padres(and dropped his slider). Still, he put up solid numbers with us, but once he added that cutter, he became dominant.

[dlk9s]

As for Mike Adams, we already had him once, why didn't we want him back then?

Because he's really good now.

[monty57]

I didn't want to start a new thread on this but are there any relievers out there that we could trade for that have a good shot at being a Type A free agent? Someone in the Linebrink mold who isn't going to cost us three top prospects?

Their being Type A is what causes them to cost so much. The trading team could hold onto the reliever and receive a first rounder and a supplemental pick. If traded, this right is transferred to the team which receives the Type A player.Therefore, the price tag has to start at that value, and any marginal price increase is determined by the value of the player for three months.

 

There are also present value/future value considerations as well as service time and possible "flame out" considerations, but the statement above is as clean as I could put it. Since we really don't have any former 1st rounders left worth trading, any trade for a Type A would probably cost us 2-3 of our top 10-15 prospects.

 

As another poster stated, since Heath Bell would cost at least close to as much as a Type A SS, if we were to trade away prospects, I would rather trade them for a SS than for a reliever, as the Brewers need to replace Yuni far more than they need to replace Axford.

[GamelToe]

http://bleacherreport.com...wers-already-a-done-deal

 

I don't get it.

[Warning Track Power]

This would be an extreme waste of resources in my opinion. I cannot see any realistic deal in which we receive more than what it will take to acquire. Unless this is truly about stockpiling 1st round picks in next years draft, I think this does not help much. Crazy though if we do trade for Bell and him and Fielder both walk. Likely 3 1st round picks, and 2 supplemental picks would go a long way to re-building the system.

[TooLiveBrew]

Well the title certainly isn't backed up by anything included in the article. Nowhere in that or any of the links is it indicated that the Brewers already have a deal in place.

[Invader3K]

Bleacher Report is terrible. Typical misleading headline hedged with a question mark at the end.

[GamelToe]

Honestly, Heath Bell would do more bad than good. It would piss off our long-term closer by making him set-up, and it would take resources away from more pressing needs (see: Shortstop).

[Invader3K]

Yeah, I see no need for Bell at all.