Aramis Ramirez

[reillymcshane]

A better idea would be to not sign him at all. Refocus the effort and money on trading for a shortstop.

This is my preference. but the team seems locked in on Ramirez. I think they'll wait until after they hear from K-Rod, then make an offer once they know K-Rod isn't accepting arby.

[RockCoCougars]

I'd rather have Gamel + $10 million at first than Ramirez. His only great value is that he is the best hitting 3b out there right now. Put him at first, and you can find guys who could come close to matching his numbers for far less. That said, I worry a lot about his defense at third. From what I've seen of him, he is worse than McGehee.

[RightFieldCoder]

Aram the last 4 years:

 

2008 - 289/380/518

2009 - 317/389/516

2010 - 241/294/452

2011 - 306/361/510

Wasn't 2010 the year ARam separated his right shoulder in a game in Milwaukee? If so, that could very well explain his off year.

That was '09. I was sitting behind the Cub dugout laughing at him. He and Cub fans did not appreciate my humor.

I was giving him a standing ovation from RF.

[fondybrewfan]

If he really is worse than McGehee than the only way I want him is if we update SS on the defensive side to make up for some of those shortcoming. Need to find someone with some range to his right.

[Bernman23]

I think you have to deal with his defense or lack there of so in certain games teams can't just walk Braun and that's it for our offense. Also, some percentage of his defensive issues may have been due to the injury, and the team could move him to 1st if he or Gamel aren't good enough overall at their respective position.

[The Truth]

Aram and Yuni B on the left side of the infield could possibly be one of the worst fielding tandems in MLB history. Bad enough that it could actually make it more difficult to extend Greinke. Seriously

 

I wonder if there is any way we could trade for Alexi Ramirez? Probably not as the White Sox are asking for "sky high" returns on Alexi

 

http://chicago.sbnation.c...ale-alexei-ramirez-trade

[monty57]

From a milwaukeebrewers.com article:

 

Melvin dismissed the notion of a "primary target," but the Brewers' plan might hinge on whether talks progress with free-agent shortstop Jimmy Rollins, who would nicely fill a wide-open vacancy at shortstop if Melvin can talk agent Dan Lozano down from a reported five-year asking price. If Rollins does not make sense, the Brewers could shift their focus to a bat like third baseman Aramis Ramirez, whose agent, Paul Kinzer, told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on Tuesday he considers the Brewers a front-runner for Ramirez.

 

Melvin declined to comment on Kinzer's assertion.

 

"I'd like to not say too much when we're getting to the level we're at right now," Melvin said.

 

If the Brewers land a bat like Ramirez, they would probably fill short with Yuniesky Betancourt, whose own agent, Jaime Torres, confirmed Tuesday that his client remains interested in Milwaukee.

 

 

The "when we're getting to the level we're at right now" quote makes it sound like they've had some serious discussions, but the Brewers are waiting on the K-Rod arby decision and the Rollins situation before making an offer to Ramirez. The last sentence I referenced is the scary one... if we get Ramirez, we'll probably re-sign Yuni.

[The Truth]

And if we have to take on K-Rod, we are stuck with Green/McGehee at 3B and Yuni B at SS?

[reillymcshane]

Aram and Yuni B on the left side of the infield could possibly be one of the worst fielding tandems in MLB history. Bad enough that it could actually make it more difficult to extend Greinke. Seriously

 

I wonder if there is any way we could trade for Alexi Ramirez? Probably not as the White Sox are asking for "sky high" returns on Alexi

 

http://chicago.sbnation.c...ale-alexei-ramirez-trade

Alexi would be perfect. We have no SS in the minors. He's under contract for a while. He's a quality fielder and a good hitter.

 

Too bad we have to give up stuff for him!

[TooLiveBrew]

Ramirez and Alex Gonzalez would be a nice duo to add to the Brewers. Not earthshattering but still should provide enough financial wiggle room to make a few other moves.

This would be a solid solution for the left side. It's so simple, it's painful.

[monty57]

And if we have to take on K-Rod, we are stuck with Green/McGehee at 3B and Yuni B at SS?

 

Probably Gamel at 1B, Green at 3B and Yuni at SS with unknown league-minimum reclamation project RH to back-up 1B/3B and Maysonet as backup SS. I doubt we'd pay $3MM for Casey or more than league minimum for a utility guy when we're paying $14MM for our setup man. Other than that, yes. K-Rod could really bind us up financially by accepting arby. Maybe karma is catching up with us for laughing at the Mets when we gave up nothing to get K-Rod.

[TooLiveBrew]

I promise you Maysonet will not see Milwaukee next season, barring multiple injuries. The Brewers will bring in a starting SS & utility IF guy that can back up at SS via free agency or trade.

[The Truth]

And if we have to take on K-Rod, we are stuck with Green/McGehee at 3B and Yuni B at SS?

 

Probably Gamel at 1B, Green at 3B and Yuni at SS with unknown league-minimum reclamation project RH to back-up 1B/3B and Maysonet as backup SS. I doubt we'd pay $3MM for Casey or more than league minimum for a utility guy when we're paying $14MM for our setup man. Other than that, yes. K-Rod could really bind us up financially by accepting arby. Maybe karma is catching up with us for laughing at the Mets when we gave up nothing to get K-Rod.

My first instincts are that it'll be good that we have K-Rod and Axford in the 8/9 spots because we may have a tough time scoring runs! (Although maybe not, as we'll still have Braun, Hart, Weeks)

 

K-Rod accepting arbitration could end up being a blessing in disguise if Aramis & Jimmy Rollins & Furcal all prove to be over the hill in a few years. Another way to look at it is that if we keep K-Rod and make no improvements at SS & 3B and go with Gamel at 1B, we could be in a position to get several great players at the deadline in July by trading K-Rod, Greinke, Marcum, etc

[monty57]

I promise you Maysonet will not see Milwaukee next season, barring multiple injuries. The Brewers will bring in a starting SS & utility IF guy that can back up at SS via free agency or trade.

 

Right, but the starting SS will probably be Yuni (at least that's what seems to be the going opinion for our "fallback") and the backup will be a league-minimum guy. It seems like we have the money for one $10MM or so salary this offseason, and Melvin seems focused on that being Rollins or Ramirez. If $14MM or so goes to K-Rod, we won't have money for anything decent at SS - starting or backup - and we'll probably have to go with Gamel & Green at 1B/3B.

 

K-Rod accepting arbitration could end up being a blessing in disguise if Aramis & Jimmy Rollins & Furcal all prove to be over the hill in a few years. Another way to look at it is that if we keep K-Rod and make no improvements at SS & 3B and go with Gamel at 1B, we could be in a position to get several great players at the deadline in July by trading K-Rod, Greinke, Marcum, etc

 

So we sort of win by losing. K-Rod accepting arby will hurt our chances of making the playoffs, so we can start working on our rebuilding efforts this year as opposed to next offseason. I'm sure the Brewers would try to spin it in a more positive light, but I think you're probably onto something. If K-Rod accepts arby, I can't see how we'd be more talented next year than we were this year. However, if the Cards lose Pujols we could still be in the playoff race come trade deadline, so it's not a given that we'd be able to trade off our looming free agents. Missing the playoffs and then losing Greinke, Marcum and Wolf for whatever the new CBA gives us in draft picks would really be a kick in the teeth.

[StearnsFTW]

Wasn't 2010 the year ARam separated his right shoulder in a game in Milwaukee? If so, that could very well explain his off year.

That was '09. I was sitting behind the Cub dugout laughing at him. He and Cub fans did not appreciate my humor.

I was giving him a standing ovation from RF.

The only reason I remember when it was is because it was the first time I met my then-girlfriend's parents (now my wife). My father-in-law tells me every so often that he was convinced I was a good guy after that. Ramirez is one of my least favorite baseball players. But if he helps the Brewers win, I'm down.

[endaround]

Aram and Yuni B on the left side of the infield could possibly be one of the worst fielding tandems in MLB history. Bad enough that it could actually make it more difficult to extend Greinke. Seriously

 

I wonder if there is any way we could trade for Alexi Ramirez? Probably not as the White Sox are asking for "sky high" returns on Alexi

 

http://chicago.sbnation.c...ale-alexei-ramirez-trade

Well it would be a repeat of the Cubs Castro/Ramiorez combination of last year.

[reillymcshane]

What pitcher would want to hang around Milwaukee with Ramirez and Yuni manning the left side of the infield.

 

Last year, the pitchers were diplomatic about errors and so forth, but it's gotta grind at you when guys constantly can't make routine plays.

[The Truth]

What pitcher would want to hang around Milwaukee with Ramirez and Yuni manning the left side of the infield.

And Nyjer Morgan in CF with the great fielding Carlos Gomez on the bench most of time. And a manager who would start a Mark Kotsay type in CF too sometimes, even in the playoffs! And Corey Hart in RF. We're talking a brutal defensive team overall. And we're losing solid utility defensive players in Counsell & Hairston, too

 

Last year they got away with it to a degree with the 1-2 offensive punch of Braun/Fielder. That is done.

 

The 2011 Brewers were to a large degree a reaction to the 2010 Brewers in terms of upgrading the pitching. I was hoping that Melvin would recognize defense as one of our biggest weaknesses and work to upgrade our defense for 2012, at the very least at SS. (Gamel should be a defensive upgrade over Prince)

[CheezWizHed]

Morgan isn't as good as Gomez in CF, but he isn't Kotsay either (or Brady Clark). I thought his defense was more "above average."

 

Is Ramirez not defensively better than McGehee?

Gamel should be better than Prince defensively.

 

Ramirez + Gamel should be better offensively than the 2011 version of Fielder + McGehee, so I wouldn't worry about the offensive side. No 1-2 punch, but no black hole batting 5th for half the season, either.

[endaround]

Morgan is a very good defensive CFer. He isn't Gomez but Gomez is outstanding.

 

McGehee and Ramirez are likely very similar defensively with Ramirez being older and so a bigger chance of just breaking down. He really should be looking for a 1B job.

[PilprinBuddha]

I would be very surpriised to see KRod on next years roster even if he accepts arby.

[BREWCREW5]

How do we all know that Aram wont play first for the crew? Maybe the plan is for Aram at first with either Green or Casey at 3rd.

 

Our infield could be Aram at first, Weeks at 2nd, Furcal at SS, Green at 3b.

 

Bring it.

[fondybrewfan]

Are we even rumored to be after Furcal? We will probably end up with Yuni or Gonzalez at SS. That could be a pretty darn weak left side of the infield both offensively and defensively

 

EDIT: And Gamel deserves his shot a 1B; getting good production out of 1B for very little salary will be huge for MIL

[YoungGeezy]

Hainley Statia...enough said

 

I'd go Ramirez and Gonzalez, If if we went FA route. Green/Gonzalez or Green/ Bethencourt otherwise

[Warning Track Power]

Are we even rumored to be after Furcal? We will probably end up with Yuni or Gonzalez at SS. That could be a pretty darn weak left side of the infield both offensively and defensively

 

EDIT: And Gamel deserves his shot a 1B; getting good production out of 1B for very little salary will be huge for MIL

100% agree with this.

 

Ramirez can be signed to play 3B and McGehee can be kept to back up both positions. If Gamel should falter, we could put McGehee at 1B OR move Ramirez to 1B and put McGehee at 3B OR move Ramirez to 1B and have Green at 3B. With a signed Ramirez, the Brewers should have depth behind the corner IF in my opinion.