Brewers Offer Arby to Prince and Krod

[PrinceFielderx1]

I am glad if we keep KRod, especially with the way our idiot manager refuses to adjust his bullpen use at all. He is going to use someone to pitch every 8th inning for the whole inning and every 9th inning for the whole inning. KRod + Ax will be around $12M at the most, we just just paid Eric Gagne $10M for nothing and that didn't kill us. This also may force Melvin to go with Green at 3rd even though he seems to think that would be automatic doom for the team instead of over paying for Ramirez who will underproduce, get hurt and block Green.

You don't think it's a little harsh to call Ron Roenicke an "idiot" when he was the manager of a 96 win team in his first season with the franchise? I do. Anyways, Ramirez is a very productive 3B man and would be a huge upgrade over McGehee and Green. By signing Ramirez the Brewers would have a trade chip in Green. btw.. Good point about DM paying Gagne 10 million.

[hyerbro1]

I want to believe K-Rod has options to close, just as he does. But where?

Baltimore, Cincy, Houston, Boston, and Cleveland could use a #1 guy in their bullpen. I just don't see any of those happening. Maybe the BoSox would bite on a short term deal.

[fondybrewfan]

If RR is an idiot for having very defined roles in the 8th and 9th inning than just about every other manager is an idiot as well. If you have Axford and Krod you use them in the 8th and 9th; 29 other managers would have done the same thing. (TLR might play a hunch and through Estrada in there and have it work spectaculary)

 

RR has his faults but his use of roles in the bullpen isn't really high on the list IMO. Who knows what he would do if he would have actually had an effective LOOGY; we won't find out until he really has one.

[GamelToe]

3 mins. Christmas miracle?

[jjkoestler]

Come on Festivus miracle...

 

Edit: Let the airing of grievances begin.

[pretendastronaut]

McCalvy says it's official, K-Rod accepted arby.

[hyerbro1]

Haudricourt Tom

Francisco Rodriguez has accepted #[/s]Brewers[/b] arbitration offer.

[topper09er]

If RR is an idiot for having very defined roles in the 8th and 9th inning than just about every other manager is an idiot as well.

Good point, they are

[GamelToe]

#brokenheart

[StearnsFTW]

So lame.

[PrinceEatMeat]

Well, this sucks.

[Oldcity]

Crap.

[Oldcity]

The Brewers released someone in this way a couple years ago... I want to say Claudio Vargas?

[GamelToe]

I need SOMEONE'S reaction from this. K-Rod? Melvin? Attanasio?

 

I just want someone to hold me and tell me everything is going to be allllllllright.

[reillymcshane]

The Brewers released someone in this way a couple years ago... I want to say Claudio Vargas?

 

 

Correct. But he had a $1 million contract - not $10 million.

[hyerbro1]

K-Rod for Marco Scutaro. C'mon Sox.

[MNBrew]

While this isn't preferable, the bullpen's maybe 1 guy (Saito, hopefully) from being VERY settled and darn strong . . . at least as far as the "on paper" thing goes this time of year.

 

That'll be a high salary and less flexibility, but now there are really only a couple IF holes to fill. While unfortunate in some respects, this isn't a totally bad thing.

 

No, I'm not drinking anyone's Kool-Aid on this.

[PrinceEatMeat]

The sad thing is we paid $4 million to buy out of his option, and now we'll pay probably $2.5 million even if we release him. That's $6.5 million right there. If we keep him, K-Rod makes out like a bandit. That $4 million plus as much as $14 million. $18 million for one season as a setup man. Yikes.

[MNBrew]

BTW, all the buzz has been about K-Rod. Do we know if it's official that Fielder's declined? His accepting would cause a much bigger Brewers payroll & roster mess than K-Rod.

[gregmag]

Try this for a silver lining: Because we're about to lose Fielder, the pressure to sign a slugger to a big-money contract this winter is tremendous. That would mean a multiyear contract for a risky and/or declining hitter. Ramirez and Rollins are the best options, and I don't love either one, plus they know the Brewers would pay a premium to try to make up for the loss of Prince.

 

The Brewers can't do that now. They're "stuck" giving substantial opportunities to young players. This could be a disaster, or it could work out fine. But by the end of this year we'll know something about what we have in Green, Gamel, and (to a lesser extent) Gindl, as well as, hopefully, sorting out some of our young relievers. At that point, Greinke, Marcum, and Rodriguez come off the books (unless one or more gets extended during the season), and we can plan our future with a clear head.

 

I'm not saying that financial inflexibility is good. I am saying that being stuck with one year of financial inflexibility may be preferable to locking ourselves in to three or four years of a burdensome commitment to a consolation prize for Fielder. Of course, even if I'm right about any of this, half of it flies out the window for me if we resign Yuni.

[brewmann04]

Well i am ok with this because it gives a great 8th an 9th inning combo. If we can get Saito signed to a one year deal this will solidify the Pen.

I think the Brewers will go with Gamel @ 1st and Green.Mcghee @3rd, I think Doug have all the intentions of bringing back yuni.

[PrinceFielderx1]

The sad thing is we paid $4 million to buy out of his option, and now we'll pay probably $2.5 million even if we release him. That's $6.5 million right there. If we keep him, K-Rod makes out like a bandit. That $4 million plus as much as $14 million. $18 million for one season as a setup man. Yikes.

Most of the buyout was paid by the Mets.

[Iron Chef Napalm]

At least they get a good player and potential trade bait. It guess it could be worse, the Brewers could be in the running for Albatross Pujols until he is 50 for $270 million.

[reillymcshane]

Okay, we got K-rod. Fine. Live with it.

 

I wanted Gamel and Green starting all along, so I'm okay without aramis Ramirez.

 

But we gotta add a decent fielding shortstop. And a good backup infielder. I'd like saito back as well. Sad to see hawk leave.

 

We made our bed with this. I'm okay with it. It was a risk that didnt play out like we wanted. Just have to move on the best way possible.

 

I Wish we'd let go of McGehee, but that doesn't look like its going to happen.

[bucksman4]

Fielder did decline his arby per Haudricourt's post recent blog. I think Melvin most likely uttered a 4-letter word when he found out K-Rod was accepting followed by his obligatory 'and that'...he got owned here by Boras. Melvin said: “We know going in there was a little bit of risk,” said Melvin. “We’ve been frustrated over the years with the lack of draft picks we get (by not offering arbitration to free agents)."

 

This sets the team back in their plans. Expect Yuni back, McGehee/Green at 3B and Gamel at 1B. Sure, they have a nice pitching staff but where are the runs going to come from? And the defense Melvin wanted to improve? Unless you look at Gamel as an upgrade from Prince, they haven't done anything to shore that up.

 

My opinion: Cardinals run away with the division by 8-10 games anyways...but a very disheartening start to the off-season thus far.