Burnett and Choate sign elsewhere

[splitterpfj]

Sean Burnett to the Angels, Randy Choate to St Louis.

[PrinceEatMeat]

Crap

[MNBrew]

If Howell or Mike Gonzalez or someone else is a more realistic target for the Brewers, then this still isn't bad except for the angle that teams who lost out on Choate & Burnett will be aiming for more guys like these as their next-best options.

[pogokat]

i wanted one of these guys...but! 99% of free agent reliever signings involve stupid money, so i'm cool staying out of it...i'm glad they haven't done anything stupid like give marco scutaro 20 million for three years

[trwi7]

Oh no. We didn't overpay for a reliever who just happens to throw with his left hand. I'm devastated and appalled.

[PrinceEatMeat]

I'm glad we didn't overpay. Just sucks that lefties are coming off the board, and that they are getting too much money. May price all of them out of our budget. But maybe not. Time will tell. Was hoping for Burnett, but wouldn't have given him that deal.

[wisniewski]

You consider 2/8 overpaying for Burnett? I think that's a great deal for him and would do that every day of the week. What's more, keep it in context of watching this pen blow save after save opp.

[Hate those Rodents]

I'll take gorzelanny

[JohnBriggs12]

You consider 2/8 overpaying for Burnett? I think that's a great deal for him and would do that every day of the week. What's more, keep it in context of watching this pen blow save after save opp.

 

Two years and $8 million seems very reasonable. Burnett would be a huge upgrade over Manny Parra.

[SRB]

Melvin better not be signing any free agent reliever then, because you're not going to beat Burnett at $8/2

[RockCoCougars]

I saw two years for almost $10 million for Burnett. That's too rich for my blood for a guy who appears to be a LH version of pre-Brewers David Riske. Personally, I'm encouraged that Melvin hasn't given out a multi year deal to a reliever for a few years. Hopefully, that trend continues.

[brewmann04]

I think Melvin is going to wait it out for the market for both a starter and reliever to get cheaper.

[Ennder]

You consider 2/8 overpaying for Burnett? I think that's a great deal for him and would do that every day of the week. What's more, keep it in context of watching this pen blow save after save opp.

 

The problem is the same set of guys blew almost no saves the year before. What you get with a RP is just so high variance it is hard to convince me that spending a lot on anyone but the total studs is worth it.

[Madtown343]

I want Howell on a one year at less than Burnett money.

[wisniewski]

You consider 2/8 overpaying for Burnett? I think that's a great deal for him and would do that every day of the week. What's more, keep it in context of watching this pen blow save after save opp.

 

The problem is the same set of guys blew almost no saves the year before. What you get with a RP is just so high variance it is hard to convince me that spending a lot on anyone but the total studs is worth it.

 

The market is the market.

 

Conversely, it's hard to convince me that 2/8 is 'overspending' for Burnett. We still have holes in the BP. Weren't some here advocating giving Veras 3 or 4 million this year? Talk about something that would've been pound foolish.

[monty57]

When supply and demand remain constant (25 players per team, 30 teams) and the money multiplier remains relatively stable (GMs don't stop spending), then a massive increase in "money supply" (as caused by the huge new TV deals) will result in a massive increase in player salaries. The value of "dollars per win" will need to be revisited, as players - including relief pitchers - are all becoming much more expensive. I expect this trend will continue until the new TV deals are signed, the money's committed, and "money supply" becomes more constant at the new, higher level, at which point the salaries will somewhat flatten out until the next big revenue stream is found.

 

Suddenly the extra $9MM or so that the Brewers are getting from their new FSN deal doesn't seem like much. It will help us pay for two middling relief pitchers.

[monty57]

That said in my post above, 2 years / $8 MM does seem reasonable for Burnett. He's not necessarily a LOOGY, as his three-year split OPS against vs LHP is .616 and vs RHP is .675. It doesn't seem like a bad pickup at that price. It does, however showcase why building a bullpen through free agency can get expensive quickly. Hopefully we will be able to field a homegrown bullpen in a year or two.

 

The problem for the 2013 Brewers is that while 2 years / $8MM for a LH relief pitcher is reasonable in today's market, it would constitute 5% of their payroll, which is already tight. Can we possibly afford to sign two relievers and a starting pitcher to 2-year deals without trading someone, or is our bullpen going to consist of other teams' castoffs?

[Ennder]

Yeah I don't mind the Burnett deal either. I just think you build a bullpen with young arms from your minor league system. I think we might be the worst team in all of baseball at developing pitchers into relievers though.

[Roderick]

Yeah I don't mind the Burnett deal either. I just think you build a bullpen with young arms from your minor league system. I think we might be the worst team in all of baseball at developing pitchers into relievers though.

 

I'm always wary of taking a promising starting pitcher and putting him in the pen for a year and then assuming he will be decent in that role and that he can get back to where he was as a starter the next season when you need him to be a starter. But that is just me.

[monty57]

Yeah I don't mind the Burnett deal either. I just think you build a bullpen with young arms from your minor league system. I think we might be the worst team in all of baseball at developing pitchers into relievers though.

 

I'm always wary of taking a promising starting pitcher and putting him in the pen for a year and then assuming he will be decent in that role and that he can get back to where he was as a starter the next season when you need him to be a starter. But that is just me.

 

I completely agree. I don't want the Brewers to put guys they expect to be MLB starters into the MLB bullpen. Hopefully, we have enough minor league arms coming up that some will be successful as MLB starters and some of those who won't make it as starters will fill in the bullpen. We are finally near the point where we could have a homegrown rotation and bullpen playing in their pre-arby/arby years. We will hopefully lock the studs up to Lucroy-type deals and cycle the rest: as one starts to get expensive, we trade him for some good young players and supplant him with another solid young arm from the farm.

 

This is what I'm pinning my hopes on for the Brewers to remain competitive as salaries around the league are skyrocketing while the Brewers' payroll is declining.

[Ennder]

The bullpen is where guys who aren't panning out as starters usually end up. I think they probably give too long a leash to their starters in the low to mid minors. A combination of very few major league starters and almost no major league bullpen arms coming out of a system is a sign of doing something very wrong. Some of those failed starters should at least be making it as bullpen types.

[TheCrew07]

Oh no. We didn't overpay for a reliever who just happens to throw with his left hand. I'm devastated and appalled.

 

I got a good laugh out of this one, thank you sir.

[Mass Haas]

New LOOGY Travis Webb discussed on minor league forum

[Madtown343]

Still think Howell would be a good fit.

[brewcrewdue80]

Lefty here who loved playing baseball. Man I could have been getting paid at age 32!!! LMAO

 

Let that be a lesson. Groom that kid of yours to be a Left Handed bullpen pitcher!

 

Anywho on topic. Burnett would have been nice to have. I think it's the years involved at the price that's not suiting Melvin. I believe the farm has been stocked with bullpen arms that may be on the horizon for this team but signing a guy for 3years could only block them at a cost much less than when those arms are ready. I expect a semi revolving door with the bullpen and the minors this year. Trial and error. If a guy up doesn't cut it they will have someone else called up and the other sent back down. Last year Crew had Rodriquez,Parra,Veras,Loe,Hernandez at 14mil right there tied to a worst bullpen in baseball. So, I'm not upset with them not spending on Relievers. It doesn't guarantee results!

Now, spending that 14mil on a proven starter who can give the relievers a break by pitching deep/200ip+ on the season is another story. I'll take one of those over 3/4 RPs making the same amount.