Aramis Ramirez

[MNBrew]

I'd still far prefer Rollins and I wonder. esp. if Philly's offering only 3 years and lower dollars, if a 4-year deal with a performance-based vesting option for yr. 5 would do it.

[Oldcity]

I have the growing feeling that I'm going to hate this off-season.

[reillymcshane]

I have the growing feeling that I'm going to hate this off-season.

 

 

You said it. I got a bad feeling about what's coming.

[brewmann04]

No worry we get Yuni at a reduced rate and expect Mcghee to have a rebound year and have Coffey running out of the bullpen again.

[Bench Coach]

I have that same bad feeling. Gamel at First, McGehee at Third and and probably Yuni back at Short. But hey with the way things are going we will have K-Rod at an extremely high price. What are the odd's that Pujols goes to Miami so that they take a step back too? Even in that scenario, I am then worried about the Reds.

 

Now done panicking and back to optimism.

[Bench Coach]

Actually - just to clarify - I don't have a problem with Gamel at first, just not thrilled about the rest of the scenario.

[Warning Track Power]

I have the growing feeling that I'm going to hate this off-season.

I am really starting to feel this way as well. If Doug Melvin thinks McGehee and Yuni and Gamel are going to come close to making this a competitive team next season, i feel we may be entering the dark ages again after 2012, especially if Greinke and Marcum leave. I think our realistic best case scenario right now is to sign Ramirez and Furcal.

[brewtank34]

I have the growing feeling that I'm going to hate this off-season.

I am really starting to feel this way as well. If Doug Melvin thinks McGehee and Yuni and Gamel are going to come close to making this a competitive team next season, i feel we may be entering the dark ages again after 2012, especially if Greinke and Marcum leave. I think our realistic best case scenario right now is to sign Ramirez and Furcal.

Be patient my friends. It's way too early to be acting this pessimistic. What has DM done in the past to show you that he would stay quiet during an offseason.

 

 

[craigharmann]

What has DM done in the past to show you that he would stay quiet during an offseason.

 

I don't think it's the quietness, it's the quality of moves. Remember a couple of years ago, our Christmas present as Brewers fans was Jeff Suppan. Of course, last year, was amazing. So, I'm hopeful that it's a good gift and not the coal that was Suppan.

[fondybrewfan]

Suppan was 5 years ago already; Melvin has consistently made moves to improve the team. If he thinks the Brewers can compete next year; no doubt he will try to improve the team as much as he can. If it turns out that we didn't land the pieces needed; I'll still believe he gave it a shot but just happened to get outbid. Melvin has done enough good things for this team that I am willing to trust him; its not like we have these huge holes and Spring Training starts next week; he has two months to figure this out yet.

 

I will not be suprised at all if either Ramirez or Rollins is with the Crew next year; but almost no shot at both unless someone like Hart or Wolf is shipped out.

[bucksman4]

I am getting a bad feeling as well. He's spending too much time going out of his way to praise Yuni and talk up the "value" of McGehee to this team. I'm 100% in on giving Gamel the 1B job but if his answer at 3B and SS is more of the same, I'd be very disappointed. Melvin seems very hung up on spending a lot of time on bullpen guys and I think position players sometimes get lost in the shuffle for him. He's got to definitely improve the bench as it was a glaring weakness for this team last year. It was good to hear a few weeks ago that he wouldn't be giving Counsell his obligatory PH role just because he's a Milwaukee area guy.

[Invader3K]

The McGehee talk could just be to build him up for a potential trade, though. It's not like he can come out and say, "Yeah, Casey was pretty bad last year. We can't have him as a starter going into 2012, and that."

[The Truth]

The talk by Melvin in the media about Yuni & McGehee is 2-fold: mostly it is because he is in negotiations with the agent for Aramis Ramirez and Jimmy Rollins and he's publically saying "we have other options" as he doesn't want to get taken to the cleaners. He's also looking at those 2 as a "back-up plan"

 

I'll be surprised if neither Ramirez or Rollins are Brewers in 2012. I think the Aramis Ramirez signing will happen fairly soon actually.

 

Am I thrilled by that? Not completely. But Ramirez has the potential to be a very successful Brewer. I would prefer Rollins though because I want no part of Yuni B. Would much prefer Rollins & Taylor Green over Yuni B and Ramirez

 

And I do not think it is impossible for Casey McGehee to bounce back. He's hit MLB pitching before. It is not completely unreasonable to think that McGehee will be better than Taylor Green in 2012. A small market team like the Brewers certainly would benefit bigtime from a McGehee comeback.

[RockCoCougars]

I don't think that McGehee has any trade value whatsoever. Not that they tried to moved him last winter, but he didn't seem to have any value then after being named team MVP.

 

As for Rollins/Ramirez, gun to my head, I'd go with Ramirez. I have the sense that Rollins is going to be an epic bust. No more than three years for Ramirez though, and I think that's a year too long.

[The Truth]

Another thing when it comes to Melvin (and I've admittedly been a Melvin basher in the past, including as recently as last April/May). the guy did have a trade in place for Roy Halladay, which Halladay blocked. The point being, sometimes his hands are tied. For all we know he offered Reyes more money than Miami did, but Reyes had his heart set on playing in south Florida. It happens. Anybody who got that extension on Braun cannot be a horrible GM (love the extensions on Gallardo, Weeks & Hart too)

[Warning Track Power]

I am not bashing Melvin in the least. He has put together a team that has gone to the playoffs in 2 of the last 4 seasons and has re-signed our core of Braun, Weeks, Gallardo and Hart, with hopefully Greinke on the horizon. The only players from the core that truly got away are JJ and Prince. In my estimation, Melvin has done at least a B+ job in Milwaukee as the GM.

 

My only fear is that if Melvin truly believes that we will be competitive in 2012 by relying on Yuni and Casey resurgences at SS and 3B. With Gamel at 1B, the margin for error with mistakes at 3B and SS has been greatly reduced by not having Prince's sure bat in the order. I am not willing to take that bet. I'd rather see the Brewers take a risk on Ramirez and Furcal. If they are overpriced or if the Brewers are outbid then we have nothing to complain about but to genuinely believe that 2012 Yuni/Casey/Gamel will come close to replicating 2011 Yuni/Casey/Prince is a bet Melvin is sure to lose.

[The Truth]

I just don't see the Brewers going into 2012 without at least a new SS or 3B. But then I've been surprised before (such as the 2009 pitching staff). Melvin's inability to see Yuni B as the worst starting SS in MLB is more than a little scary

[Oldcity]

What they truly need is a new shortstop. Third base isn't even a need. They have to see what they've got in Green.

[The Truth]

What they truly need is a new shortstop. Third base isn't even a need. They have to see what they've got in Green.

I believe the Brewers are thinking they need a new power hitter, thus the long look at Ramirez. Ramirez also likes living in Chicago and raising his family there, so Milwaukee seems like a good fit, relatively easy commute for him.

[TooLiveBrew]

I think the Brewers know what they've got in Green, & don't believe he's a fulltime starting option. I think Green has assumed the role filled late in the season by Hairston, & the Brewers are going to make a move to add a third baseman. If you can keep Ramirez at two seasons with maybe a vesting option for a third, I think he's a good target. He can definitely still hit.

[GamelToe]

Brewers are "a favorite" according to TH:

 

Here's what I think is going on with the Brewers. I think they are trying to sign free-agent shortstop Jimmy Rollins, and if they do so, they wouldn't also be able to afford Ramirez. They would give Casey McGehee a chance to re-establish himself at third base, with prospect Taylor Green as a backup.

 

But, if Rollins chooses to return to Philadelphia, the Brewers could go with a lesser shortstop -- and less expensive -- such as Yuniesky Betancourt, and spend their money at third base on Ramirez. In essence, they would be hedging their bets at both positions.

 

Kinzer said he hadn't received an offer yet from the Brewers on Ramirez, and he also has been trying to pitch free agent Rafael Furcal, another client, at shortstop. But he said, "The phone call could come at any time."

 

Kinzer said he didn't know what the odds are of getting a deal for Ramirez before the winter meetings end on Thursday.

[Oldcity]

Ramirez manages to do something difficult: make the infield defense worse. At 10-12 mil a year. I want no part of him.

[jjfanec]

Ramirez manages to do something difficult: make the infield defense worse. At 10-12 mil a year. I want no part of him.

Ramirez is a worse fielder than Casey? That surprises me. The eyeball test tells me Ramirez is easily better but of course my eyes could be wrong. My thought is if we can get Gonzalez at SS and Ramirez at 3B our fielding and hitting improve at both positions (although I guess I could be wrong about fielding)

[fondybrewfan]

I am starting to get my hopes up that Aram is going to be a Brewer next year. I guess it all depends on the contract. We are the supposed "favorites" to land him.

 

I guess I don't buy that Aram is worse than Casey; he has to have more range right? You can't have less range than Casey and Yuni had on the left side last year. Obviously I didn't watch every Cubs game last year but it sure seemed like Aram was a capable defender but made some poor plays every now and then

[nate82]

I think the Brewers are going to be one of the only teams to show interest in Ramirez unless Rollins signs elsewhere then he will be in Philadelphia but the Phillies would first have to trade Polanco before they can do that. Another team that maybe interested in Ramirez would be the Red Sox but they would have to either trade Youkilis or move him to DH and not resign Ortiz and I think the Red Sox are going to look at a corner OF spot before they look at signing Ramirez and making a decision on Ortiz and Youkilis. Ramirez may be out in free agency limbo for awhile as two of the three teams that would have interest in Ramirez wait on other things to develop first. If Rollins resigns with the Phillies the Brewers maybe the best option for Ramirez unless he waits for the situation to fix itself in Boston. The Cubs maybe a surprise team if Ramirez sits out there for to long.

My thought is if we can get Gonzalez at SS and Ramirez at 3B our fielding and hitting improve at both positions (although I guess I could be wrong about fielding)

Actually it would be the opposite at least for Gonzalez at SS that is. Gonzalez would be an improvement defensively over Yuni but offensively they are about the same with Yuni getting a slight edge over Gonzalez offensively. Overall though Gonzalez is a better player because of his defense at SS.