Greinke scratched Wednesday

[fondybrewfan]

Enough with the 3 games in a row schtick. He pitched 4 stinkin pitches in Game #1, didn't even pitch 5 innings in Game #2 and had his normal days off between Games #2 and #3. I think it is just that point of the year that he has a little arm fatigue.

 

Even if he is hurt I highly doubt that the last week somehow blew up his arm. He is probably just reaching that point in the pitchers life cycle where he is due to hurt something. Not great timing as far as the Brewers are concerned thats for sure. But better to do it now to make sure he is healthy on July 31st.

[adamds22]

This seems awful strange, if it were a trade wouldn't the team trading for him want him to make his next start with them? If so what kind of benefit would the Brewers or the other team be getting by the Brewers announcing that he is skipping his next start? Why not just wait till the trade is announced? If he isn't starting vs Cincy either you have to think something is wrong with him. Not good any way I can see it.

 

Our pitching match ups for the Cards series sure looks a lot worse now that Greinke isn't in there.

[bjkrautk]

RR "We're just trying to get him back in his routine." via Haudricourt on Twitter.

 

 

...what part of getting back into a routine involves not pitching 5 days after his last start? I get that making an unexpected start the day after his scheduled start could have been draining for a starting pitcher, but Sunday-to-Friday is as close to regular rest as could be accomplished with the AS break in the middle.

 

The only thing that makes sense to me would be if a trade were imminent, with the Brewers doing their best to make sure that Grienke will be ready to pitch ASAP with his new team. Anything else makes for a head-scratcher.

[Oldcity]

Crippling. Franchise killer if they can't get anything for him.

[monty57]

Enough with the 3 games in a row schtick. He pitched 4 stinkin pitches in Game #1, didn't even pitch 5 innings in Game #2 and had his normal days off between Games #2 and #3.

 

Unless, of course the MLB pitchers go through pre-game rituals, have to warm up, things like that. If there were no problems going back-to-back days, then why don't more pitchers do it when they have a "blow-up" game? Why don't they go on two-days rest if they only pitch two or three innings? It may or may not have had anything to do with this "battery recharge" thing, but the timing sure is suspect.

 

He is probably just reaching that point in the pitchers life cycle where he is due to hurt something.

 

More ammunition in the belt of those feeling that offering him a "blank check" extension is a bad idea.

 

Crippling. Franchise killer if they can't get anything for him.

 

...or Marcum. That's a potential "farm rebuild" crumbling into nothing.

 

Not good any way I can see it.

 

No, it's not. The only "silver lining" I see is that if it is indeed an injury I'm glad it happened before he accepted a mammoth contract extension rather than after he signed one.

[SRB]

LOL. You do not sit your ace for 9+ days against your two biggest division rivals if he is just "recharging."

 

Either there's a trade (unlikely, why would they have to scratch him two days in advance?) or something is wrong with him physically or mentally. If there's no a trade in place now (there probably isn't) then he simply isn't getting traded after this.

 

Oh well, it didn't seem like they were going to get anything of greater value than the comp. picks anyways.

[jerichoholicninja]

Crippling. Franchise killer if they can't get anything for him.

 

Those 2 draft picks will be nice.

 

I think everyone is way overreacting here. Until there is actual news about him being hurt this is almost a complete non-story.

[dlk9s]

http://i.imgur.com/4WK8q.gif

[rluzinski]

This would just so demoralizing if the Brewers get nothing for Marcum AND Greinke.

[PrinceEatMeat]

It would make no sense to have him pitch the first game in Philly instead of Sunday against Cincy. My guess is he'll just basically skip a turn and pitch in his normal spot next Tuesday against Philly. He better pitch well, or his trade value will be vastly diminished. This really hurts the Brewers chances in the next two series as well. At least he would still get 2 starts in before the deadline to build his value back up, unlike Marcum.

[TuesdaysWithRillo]

Crippling. Franchise killer if they can't get anything for him.

 

Not necessarily. While a Greinke injury would hurt his trade value it could also hurt his value on the open market in free agency depending on how long term the injury is. Other teams I'm sure would question his reliabliity and durability while it could result in the Brewers getting him at an affordable price now with an extension or during offseason negotiations. Sure, I might be overly optimistic here, but it's not all doom and gloom.

 

Also, at worst, we will recieve draft compensation for Greinke if he leaves in free agency if teams start to low ball us on trade offers. I would hope Melvin wouldn't sell Greinke for pennies now that his value has lowered. He's smarter than that.

 

Bottom line, as long as we get something of long term value - Prospect(s), High Draft choices, or Greinke himself returning to the Brewers with a long term contract agreement, this is not a Franchise Killer by any means and is an over reaction on your part because we didn't give up our franchise to obtain him. All we gave up was a solid but not great SS, a pot smoking reliever with a good arm, a nice pitching prospect that probably only projects in the middle of the rotation, and a solid but not great CF. If we had given up something more, I'd be more ticked as well.

[TuesdaysWithRillo]

This would just so demoralizing if the Brewers get nothing for Marcum AND Greinke.

 

Agreed. It would. But I just don't see that happening unless you consider 1st round draft picks as "nothing".

[monty57]

Crippling. Franchise killer if they can't get anything for him.

 

Those 2 draft picks will be nice.

 

I think everyone is way overreacting here. Until there is actual news about him being hurt this is almost a complete non-story.

 

As SRB said, the Brewers have built up the Pitt, StL, Cincy stretch as the "make or break" point of the season. There is something wrong with him, or he should start in the most important games of the year.

 

Hopefully this "something wrong" is small and Greinke will start in a week or so. Worst case is that it's something major, and we aren't even going to get comp picks for him. Even if he only misses a couple of starts, this certainly would cast a lot of doubt in opposing GM's minds, and the return in trade will go down dramatically.

[Raw Biz]

All we gave up was a solid but not great SS, a pot smoking reliever with a good arm, a nice pitching prospect that probably only projects in the middle of the rotation, and a solid but not great CF. If we had given up something more, I'd be more ticked as well.

 

Not sure if you've followed the Royals at all this year but Escobar really seems to be turning it around. He's only 25 so there's still some room for improvement. And also not sure why you think Odorizzi is only a middle of the rotation guy. He's only 22 and has had a pretty great year so far (last year was good too). His WHIP is a little high so far in AAA but the ERA is still down and the K/9 and K/BB ratios are pretty good. And doing what's he doing at 22 in AAA is great compared to other highly thought of prospects (Miller, Teheran, Perez, his teammate Montgomery). Most scouts say Odorizzi is now the top arm in the Royals system and projects to be a 1-2 guy, much more than the 3-4 you're saying.

 

And honestly, even if all they gave up was exactly what you described, its still a lot compared to losing Greinke for nothing (if that's the case, not counting draft picks). A young solid offensive SS with above-average defense who's controlled for 5 years and a "middle of the rotation" pitcher who's controlled for 6 years would be great right now. I'd do the Greinke trade all over again but I also would have had the plan to sell him in early July had this season not gone the way I envisioned (and it hasn't). Now we face losing Greinke for nothing more than hit-or-miss draft picks, which is not a great way to build a system (at least not as good as trading for young impact talent).

[brewmann04]

so he misses starts against the Cards and Reds but the Manager allows him to start back to back game against the last place Astros total Genius.

[trwi7]

All we gave up was a solid but not great SS, a pot smoking reliever with a good arm, a nice pitching prospect that probably only projects in the middle of the rotation, and a solid but not great CF. If we had given up something more, I'd be more ticked as well.

 

This to me just seems like trying to trash the guys we gave up in order to make the trade look better.

[Oldcity]

Crippling. Franchise killer if they can't get anything for him.

 

Those 2 draft picks will be nice.

 

I think everyone is way overreacting here. Until there is actual news about him being hurt this is almost a complete non-story.

They can get players who are FAR more advanced than either they'll draft with a first (our maybe a second... Remember CC?) and a sandwich pick. Considering how they've drafted recently, I would much, much rather have a trade package.

[PrinceEatMeat]

Dennis Punzel of the WSJ just tweeted that Greinke is currently playing catch in the OF with a trainer watching.

[pretendastronaut]

Early word on Twitter from McCalvy and Haudricourt seems to be that Greinke isn't happy with the decision, but it doesn't seem there'll be any more details than we have now. Greinke goes in game 2 in Philly.

[owbc]

You don't just skip your ace in the rotation, especially during the week that everyone says is going to decide the fate of the season.

 

I can only conclude that either:

1) There is some piece of information that we do not know

or

2) This is a stupid decision

[Raw Biz]

Early word on Twitter from McCalvy and Haudricourt seems to be that Greinke isn't happy with the decision, but it doesn't seem there'll be any more details than we have now. Greinke goes in game 2 in Philly.

 

This makes me feel a little better. Basically Greinke said he just didn't feel right last start but thought he could go again. My guess is Melvin & Co. are being very very cautious here, so that Greinke can make one more start to prove he's fine and then trade him. Or at least I hope that's what happens.

[PrinceEatMeat]

http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/sports/162645956.html#!page=0&pageSize=10&sort=newestfirst

 

Roenicke admits it was stupid to start Greinke 3 games in a row. I honestly think they are partly trying to play this off as an excuse for his poor performance against Pittsburgh to keep his trade value up. They'll just hope he comes out sharp against Philly rather than risking another bad start on Wednesday. If anything, Greinke will have at least 2 starts before the deadline to regain the confidence of other teams, but just the one might do it.

[SRB]

On the one hand, this seems really dumb, because even if there isn't something physically/mentally wrong with Greinke, lots of teams are going to be assuming there is now.

 

On the other hand, maybe it's a good strategic decision. If the team tanks vs. STL/CIN and Melvin decides to finally sell, Greinke will be able to start for whatever team trades for him the day after the trade. Might work out so that the trading team gets an extra start out of him over the rest of the season.

[PrinceEatMeat]

On the one hand, this seems really dumb, because even if there isn't something physically/mentally wrong with Greinke, lots of teams are going to be assuming there is now.

 

On the other hand, maybe it's a good strategic decision. If the team tanks vs. STL/CIN and Melvin decides to finally sell, Greinke will be able to start for whatever team trades for him the day after the trade. Might work out so that the trading team gets an extra start out of him over the rest of the season.

 

I don't see any team trading for him until after he makes that start vs. Philly. Too risky to trade for him before seeing him pitch again to make sure he's ok. Plus, he was lined up for that same start anyway, so it's not strategic. He's just skipping a turn.

[pretendastronaut]

The only thing that makes any sense to me in this, is that every explanation defies logic.

 

I just don't see how you sit someone like Greinke voluntarily out of these next two series, when you've put so much emphasis on them, without a solid reason, and I haven't seen a solid reason offered by the team. And worse, fill in his start in that stretch with someone making his second start, who has had absolutely no solid routine for the past several weeks.

 

If he's hurt and they're worried about being able to trade him, this move clearly doesn't help and would only serve to make teams more concerned about his health and any hidden injury than just coming out and saying it.

 

If his routine being out of whack caused this much of a set-back, that you would sit him in a crucial stretch, that doesn't help trade value either. That doesn't give confidence to a team looking for someone to plug a hole for a postseason run, where they'll likely need him to be out of his routine.

 

All-around I think this is weird.