Testimony to greatness: a mini slump may have cost Ryan Braun a Triple Crown

[xisxisxis]

We replaced Prince Fielder's production with Aramis and Corey Hart.

 

I remember Hart from the 2011 team, but I don't remember that Aoki guy......

[Ennder]

But trading Braun wouldn't help us "go for it" in 2013/2014. That would be a sign that the team is looking to it's future, and NOT thinking about the present. And in the meantime, you'd see Brewer fans staying away from Miller Park. They'd be ticked that in a two year span, we let Zack Greinke, Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun get away.

 

What exactly, Ennder, are you going to point to in your last post if we complain about signing those two pitchers? That you would have compounded the problem by trading away the face of the franchise after just missing a Triple Crown?

 

Reread my posts, I didn't say anything even remotely close to what you think I did.

[logan82]

The players we'd get for Braun would start out in the minors. In the interim, the Brewers would see their chances at reaching the postseason decrease, and the turnstiles at Miller Park would slow.

If at any point after the next few years you think there will be at least 2 years you will not compete for the playoffs, they should strongly consider trading Braun. All baseball players are replaceable. Some are obviously harder to replace than others. If it improves your team in the long term it should be considered. All players will decline at some point.* It's great to have a guy like Braun on the team who might stick around for his whole career but at some point he has to leave either because of declining skills or being traded. I would rather trade him for a good return than wait till he can't play well anymore.

 

 

*All trades based on good return.

[Fear The Chorizo]

I agree with Ennder - and it's not about saying that the Brewers should trade Braun. All he was saying is that the Brewers need to continue to try contending every year during Braun's prime years, because he's so good at baseball. Right now Braun's contract is great for a small market team, and it allows them extra flexibility to bring in other pieces to improve the team around its best player. The Brewers do need to continue drafting and developing talent (especially pitching) to remain competitive at their payroll, but having a player of Braun's caliber on the team gives them good reason to avoid a total firesale and waste his prime years while rebuilding the roster.

 

Braun becomes a tradeable piece to the Brewers at the tail end of his contract if the team needs to make a firesale to improve as an organization - right now he's probably one of the mose irreplaceable players in all of baseball when considering his production and his contract. If the Brewers manage their organization properly, they never get to that point.

[thebruce44]

Fans would come back if the Brewers are winning. Winning is all that matters.

 

I hate to say this, because I am for the most part adamant about not getting attached to pro athletes, but there are some people who would stay away despite winning if their favorite player was traded. For example, I've never followed the Bucks since they traded Ray Allen. Of course, I'm only a casual NBA fan and I'm sure I'm in the vast minority.

[logan82]

Fans would come back if the Brewers are winning. Winning is all that matters.

 

I hate to say this, because I am for the most part adamant about not getting attached to pro athletes, but there are some people who would stay away despite winning if their favorite player was traded. For example, I've never followed the Bucks since they traded Ray Allen. Of course, I'm only a casual NBA fan and I'm sure I'm in the vast minority.

I know some fans would get upset and stay away but I think the vast majority would get over it in a year or two if the Brewers would start winning.

[3and2Fastball]

I see Braun as having the potential to finish with 600 HR's in his career and be thought of as a Top 20 all-time player. He's that good. I think he deserves the MVP this year, too