Brewers sign Michael Olmsted

[torts]

yes! thank you. what a riske signing that was.

[JohnBriggs12]

How did the Brewers get this guy if so many MLB GMs were so hot after him? Was there a claim order and he fell to them (which would imply Gammons tweet was BS) or did the Brewers pay him a little bit more than anyone else as some sort of free agent.

 

The Brewers might have paid him a little more, or maybe were the only team to guarantee him a 40-man spot. Or maybe Olmsted thought Milwaukee presented him with the best opportunity to contribute at the major league level the soonest.

 

He was a FA - there was no claim order.

 

 

Don't underestimate the Axford factor. Axford had very similar background. He may not have been aware of it, but a good agent would be.

[RobDeer 45]

Looks like he should be playing first base for a beer league softball team, I like that.

[Kelbysdaddy]

yes! thank you. what a riske signing that was.

i see what you did there......clever boy

[ORBrewerFan]

245 lbs? More like "El guapo blanco."

 

You made a crack about his weight. Did you mean to put El Gordo Blanco?

 

Yes, I did mean "gordo."

 

With all this optimism, he'll probably end up being "El Guano Blanco."

[Roderick]

yes! thank you. what a riske signing that was.

 

IIRC, Riske had no injury history and had 4-5 decent to very good years in the bullpen for Cleveland/KC. Sign me up to sign that type of bullpen guy this offseason. You can't shy away because of one injury one guy had.

[DoubleSwitch]

The problem with Riske was that we gave him 3 years 13 million. If that's what it takes to grab a guy who's good, but not great I say no thanks. I don't think I'm comfortable giving anything more than 2 years to a reliever.

[jerichoholicninja]

I like this Olmsted guy's stats as much as everyone else does but there's a reason he's been with 2 organizations and hasn't made it above Double A in 5 pro seasons. I don't know what it is but there is a reason.

[Baldkin]

I like this Olmsted guy's stats as much as everyone else does but there's a reason he's been with 2 organizations and hasn't made it above Double A in 5 pro seasons. I don't know what it is but there is a reason.

 

Go read the linked article.

 

So here we are with a potential Major Leaguer who has been through Tommy John surgery, a release, the Japanese Minor Leagues and the death of his mother. He finally got signed because the indefatigable Baird saw him at a Golden West League tryout. All part of the story.

[monty57]

I like this Olmsted guy's stats as much as everyone else does but there's a reason he's been with 2 organizations and hasn't made it above Double A in 5 pro seasons. I don't know what it is but there is a reason.

 

There would be concern if Melvin had signed him to a guaranteed Major League contract. The way it is, if he earns it, he can be a middle reliever who throws quality pitches for strikes. If we have a few "bullpen burnout" days, he can be sent to AAA to bring up a fresh arm for a while.

 

Roster flexibility has been one of the big hurdles for the Brewers' bullpens for quite a while. Hopefully a pick up like this, along with the young guys coming up from our farm will allow us to have some flexibility this season.

[JohnBriggs12]

The problem with Riske was that we gave him 3 years 13 million. If that's what it takes to grab a guy who's good, but not great I say no thanks. I don't think I'm comfortable giving anything more than 2 years to a reliever.

 

You are right. The same year they signed Riske to that deal, they signed Salomon Torres for one year $3.3 million. The difference was Riske was coming off what for him was a very good season, and Torres was coming off a lousy year. Both were essentially the same though. That's why I cringe when I read stories linking the Brewers to Jason Grilli. Grilli is a buy high guy and will command more years than say a Jon Rauch who's essentially in the same class but wasn't quite as good recently.

[reillymcshane]

The problem with Riske was that we gave him 3 years 13 million. If that's what it takes to grab a guy who's good, but not great I say no thanks. I don't think I'm comfortable giving anything more than 2 years to a reliever.

 

You are right. The same year they signed Riske to that deal, they signed Salomon Torres for one year $3.3 million. The difference was Riske was coming off what for him was a very good season, and Torres was coming off a lousy year. Both were essentially the same though. That's why I cringe when I read stories linking the Brewers to Jason Grilli. Grilli is a buy high guy and will command more years than say a Jon Rauch who's essentially in the same class but wasn't quite as good recently.

John, you're right that Grilli would be a buy high guy at this point. Age 36 and suddenly he has an awesome season. Still, it was a pretty great year.

 

I don't agree on Rauch. I think he's nothing more than ordinary. Maybe one year at a low salary (say $1 million).

 

And he has one of the ugliest tattoos ever - the one on his neck. I don't know if I could handle seeing that hideous thing all year.

 

Guys I'd consider: Grilli, Brandon Lyon, Mike Adams (assuming he's healthy), Jeremy Affeldt, JP Howell - those are a few off the top of my head. Obviously, price and years comes into play on any player. None of these guys is worth four and five years.

 

I wouldn't even mind the team trying to add LaTroy Hawkins for another year. He's nothing great, but if you could get him for a one year deal at $1 million, I think he could help. He seemed to really be a quiet leader in 2011 - a guy people respected (the story of him buying Tim Dillard a couple of suits is awesome).

 

http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/sports/140826113.html

 

I wouldn't expect a lot out of the guy, but he could be a mentor to the young players, and still get you 40-50 innings.

[Mass Haas]

If you still have Journal-Sentinel page views, here's Haudricourt on Olmsted, who he spoke to via phone.

[ORBrewerFan]

 

Guys I'd consider: Grilli, Brandon Lyon, Mike Adams (assuming he's healthy), Jeremy Affeldt, JP Howell - those are a few off the top of my head. Obviously, price and years comes into play on any player. None of these guys is worth four and five years.

 

 

You can probably cross Affeldt off that list. All indications are he will resign with the Giants for three years for at least $5M per season.

[RockCoCougars]

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. No multi-year deals for a free agent reliever. I'd do one and an option, but that's it. I'd rather they overpay someone for one year then get into a bad three year deal on someone else. Keep picking up guys off the scrap heap, and sign a few vets to reasonable deals.

[TooLiveBrew]

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. No multi-year deals for a free agent reliever. I'd do one and an option, but that's it. I'd rather they overpay someone for one year then get into a bad three year deal on someone else. Keep picking up guys off the scrap heap, and sign a few vets to reasonable deals.

I couldn't agree more with this stance. I'd much rather see the Brewers put a guy like Stinson in the MLB bullpen for a year than get suckered into a multi-year deal for a Proven Veteran™.

[nate82]

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. No multi-year deals for a free agent reliever. I'd do one and an option, but that's it. I'd rather they overpay someone for one year then get into a bad three year deal on someone else. Keep picking up guys off the scrap heap, and sign a few vets to reasonable deals.

I couldn't agree more with this stance. I'd much rather see the Brewers put a guy like Stinson in the MLB bullpen for a year than get suckered into a multi-year deal for a Proven Veteran™.

 

But but but the Rays are the greatest organization ever and they run things perfectly and they do the opposite of what is being said here. This isn't against you or anyone really but I find it rather ironic that everyone wants to be like the Rays but when you suggest something that the Rays are doing people flip out and say you shouldn't be doing that.

 

The Brewers really do need to be aggressive in the FA market this year for relievers as there are a lot of quality relievers out there which is going to bring down some of the prices. Signing someone like Howell or Wilson to a one or two year deal with options for a second or third year are not that bad. I am not talking about giving a reliever $10m a season I am talking about doing what the Rays have been doing and which is giving guys contracts that total about $5-8m over two to three years.

 

I would much rather see the Brewers bring in someone like Howell or Wilson into the bullpen on one or two year deals and I don't even care that they are veterans to me they are better options than what the Brewers currently have in the minors like Stinson.

[trwi7]

But but but the Rays are the greatest organization ever and they run things perfectly and they do the opposite of what is being said here. This isn't against you or anyone really but I find it rather ironic that everyone wants to be like the Rays but when you suggest something that the Rays are doing people flip out and say you shouldn't be doing that.

 

The Rays bullpen this year was homegrown players (Davis, McGee), cheap players they traded for (Howell), guys on one year contracts (Badenhop, Peralta) and guys on the second years of their contracts after they signed one year deals with club options (Rodney, Farnsworth).

 

So where are the multi-year deals there?

[nate82]

 

The Rays bullpen this year was homegrown players (Davis, McGee), cheap players they traded for (Howell), guys on one year contracts (Badenhop, Peralta) and guys on the second years of their contracts after they signed one year deals with club options (Rodney, Farnsworth).

 

So where are the multi-year deals there?

 

Peralta wasn't on a one year deal prior to resigning with the Rays he avoided arbitration his final year. I wouldn't be surprised if Rodney signs an extension with the Rays this off season and they have done this in the past.

 

Joel Peralta

2 years/$6M (2013-14), plus 2015 option

re-signed by Tampa Bay as a free agent 11/4/12

13:$3M, 14:$3M, 15:$2.5M option

 

Fernando Rodney

1 year/$2M (2012), plus 2013 club option

signed by Tampa Bay as a free agent 1/4/12

12:$1.75M, 13:$2.5M club option ($0.25M buyout)

Tampa Bay exercised 2013 option 10/31/12

 

The Peralta and Rodney contracts are exactly the ones I have been suggesting. If you read over the second part of my post you would see that. Both Howell and Wilson would fit in with both of the signings that would be similar to what the Brewers would have to pay for these players. Again there are a lot of options in FA this year where there are players who are better than Stinson's and will still be relatively cheap. This is what the Rays do they exploit the market when they can and sign players to multi year deals at a low rate.

[TooLiveBrew]

But but but the Rays are the greatest organization ever and they run things perfectly and they do the opposite of what is being said here. This isn't against you or anyone really but I find it rather ironic that everyone wants to be like the Rays but when you suggest something that the Rays are doing people flip out and say you shouldn't be doing that.

The way in which 'people want to be like the Rays' is in basing their org. building strategy around developing young impact pitching, and not over-committing to veterans in general. I don't think I've ever read anything at BF talking about the Rays' bullpen (short of lamentation over Balfour a few years back). I realize you are attempting to speak to hypocrisy, but I don't think it's there. I'm also confused as to why you felt RockCo's & my responses were directed at you -- there are a lot of posters on the site that are suggesting signing RPs on 2-3 year deals (meaning w/o considering option years).

[monty57]

I'm not completely opposed to a 2 year/$6MM deal for a reliever. However, I hope the Brewers know their farm system pretty well, and know which of their prospects are likely to end up in the MLB bullpen. We have a lot of near-MLB-ready arms in the minors, so I would guess that many of them will not make the cut for the MLB rotation. If we will have an excess of bullpen arms by 2014, I don't see a need to sign someone to a two-year deal.

 

If the front office thinks our prospects will not be ready for the MLB 'pen in 2014, and sign a guy with decent stuff who consistantly throws strikes to a two-year deal then I won't be too upset. The problem is that most relievers are pretty inconsistent, and Melvin seems to like live-armed guys with control issues, so we could easily end up with a lightning-armed headcase who we're stuck with while better pitchers are blocked in AAA.

 

Since I think we'll have plenty of young MLB-ready bullpen arms by 2014, I'd put my vote against signing a guy to a multi-year deal this offseason, even if that means paying a little more AAV for a one-year deal (for example, one year/$3.5MM vs two years/$6MM).

[PrinceFielderx1]

Michael Olmsted is back in the news in a positive way for the "Brewers."

 

http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/sports/192100851.html

[fondybrewfan]

The more flamethrowers we can find the better. They have so much margin for error if they don't have there good stuff. The guy had an incredibly year last year in the minors; I sure hope we found a hidden gem here.

[jerichoholicninja]

The more flamethrowers we can find the better. They have so much margin for error if they don't have there good stuff. The guy had an incredibly year last year in the minors; I sure hope we found a hidden gem here.

 

 

Not really. If you can't throw strikes you can't throw strikes, it doesn't matter how hard you throw. Look at Axford last year. Derrick Turnbow. Mike MacDougal. Manny Para.

[markedman5]

The guy had 15 walks in 59 innings so clearly he can throw strikes.....