So, what are the Brewers doing....besides nothing...

[The stache]

I wasn't expecting us to sign Josh Hamilton, and resigning Zack Greinke was a pipe dream. But I expected the Brewers to go out and at least sign a servicable starting pitcher to bolster the rotation. Well, pretty much all the good and halfway decent pitchers that were available have signed elsewhere.

 

What the hell is the front office doing to improve this team? Or, are they throwing their hands up in the air, saying "gee, we hope our young pitchers can step up in a big way!"

 

This is absurd. We have done NOTHING to improve our team. NOTHING.

[JimH5]

I'm not going to rip Melvin for holding his cards close. Sometimes the right deal just isn't there.

 

There's a long time between now and Spring Training.

[Ennder]

They didn't overpay for mediocre guys? Nowhere near all of the halfway decent pitchers have signed, this is just an overreact to the early off season spending spree post. We don't have a lot of excess prospects to trade for a big name and all signs point to not having a huge margin of budget to work with so he is going to have to wait on some bargains since the team has a few holes still. There are still a ton of FAs sitting out there.

[brewcrewdue80]

He threw his hat in the Dempster pool. Was outbid. I read they had also bid on Burnett and was outbid. I think the long term solution is sitting on the pitchers coming up from the minors. There's a lot of faith and value saved with holding on to them vs. shipping them away. Should they proceed to be okay to decent the money is likely around to keep the other players they want. Maybe extending Gallardo. Maybe they are holding back because they are working on a deal with Hart or Gomez. All three will be making 10+mil/yr on any extension added to Braun/Aramis/Weeks. With any of that being the case the club has to be cheaper elsewhere or let Hart/Gomez go. Now, if you haven't noticed all these trades lately there are a lot of surplus of arms on some teams. Something that these teams will likely part away with near/at the end of ST. Which could be better options than what is out there for the price. Now, if Brewers sign Jackson to another 1yr deal he's accustomed to, are you still behind the Brewers having done nothing.

 

Dickey sounds ripe to being traded away, Hamilton signing leaves Angels with an OFer to trade away. After those moves their may be something to gain. I've been feeling a Seattle trade with the Angels for their OF for one of those pitchers, since Seattle has been linked to pursuing Hamilton/Swisher. Who knows what's going to happen but every move is changing the landscape for what can be done.

[Invader3K]

I've said for much of this off-season that I figured if Melvin makes any big moves, it's going to be through a trade and not free agency. I'm perfectly fine with him not overpaying for a mediocre starting pitcher or reliever through free agency.

 

In the past I've been one of those who's been in favor of the Brewers being aggressive...but this winter is showing that the team might be better served to take a step back in 2013, maybe saving on payroll some, and then "going for it" again in 2014. We basically have to accept that Milwaukee is a small market team again and can't swim with the big sharks in free agency.

[jerichoholicninja]

Can we stop all the "Why aren't we doing anything!!???" posts/threads.

[Invader3K]

Can we stop all the "Why aren't we doing anything!!???" posts/threads.

 

I guess I'd like to know what moves these folks think we should be doing? Should we have tried to beat out the Angels for Hamilton or the Red Sox on Dempster?

[torts]

Its because Melvin knows the world is ending on the 21st, so why waste his time

[nate82]

The Brewers are currently at about a 80 win team. This means that the Brewers need to find 10 wins either in FA, through trades, or hope that someone over performs that is currently on the team. I don't believe the Brewers can obtain anyone or find those 10 wins in players in FA. If the Brewers would have signed Dempster that would have been the off season and he alone wouldn't have added the 10 wins the Brewers would have needed.

 

So if the Brewers would have signed Dempster the Brewers go from a .500 win team to a slightly above .500 win team. Is Dempster really worth paying all that money just to be an above .500 team? I believe the Brewers can get that by signing someone like Liriano/Braden and a bullpen arm and will probably have a higher probability of getting to a 85-90 win team. The Brewers just need to sit back and wait for the prices to drop a bit before going into FA. The Brewers just don't have what they need to trade for a player that will get them to the same win total.

 

It would probably be better to retool the team for 2014 or 2015 than it is to be adding pieces for 2013.

[RockCoCougars]

I'd rather them do nothing then attempt to match some of these absurd deals people have been doling out. Off hand, the only free agent contract given out this season that I'd have done would have been McCarthy... and that would be a major risk. Let the big spenders fill out their rosters and then scavenge on guys who have fallen through the cracks. I think that I can live with 'missing out' on players like the Dempsters, Burnetst, etc. of the world.

[wisniewski]

I'm thrilled he passed (or was outbid) on Dempster. I understand the Brewers position, and I get the financial aspect of being handcuffed so it is what it is. I posted last week that clearly Melvin has a certain financial plan and he isn't deviating from it. I can respect that.

 

The deals this offseason have been inflated, all of them, but I still maintain Burnett at 2/8 was a pretty good value - especially considering this team's needs - and I would have been fine with Melvin making that move.

[dlk9s]

What the hell is the front office doing to improve this team? Or, are they throwing their hands up in the air, saying "gee, we hope our young pitchers can step up in a big way!"

 

This is absurd. We have done NOTHING to improve our team. NOTHING.

http://i.imgur.com/XgOKN.gif

[PrinceEatMeat]

I wasn't expecting us to sign Josh Hamilton, and resigning Zack Greinke was a pipe dream. But I expected the Brewers to go out and at least sign a servicable starting pitcher to bolster the rotation. Well, pretty much all the good and halfway decent pitchers that were available have signed elsewhere.

 

What the hell is the front office doing to improve this team? Or, are they throwing their hands up in the air, saying "gee, we hope our young pitchers can step up in a big way!"

 

This is absurd. We have done NOTHING to improve our team. NOTHING.

 

http://i48.tinypic.com/195u29.jpg

[brewmann04]

We still have almost 3 months to ST calm down.

[Eye Black]

This is absurd. We have done NOTHING to improve our team. NOTHING.

Well I guess we know what must be sitting on DM's coffee table...

 

http://www.kellogg.northwestern.edu/News_Articles/2012/~/media/Images/News_Images/2012/murnighan_book.ashx?w=250&h=379&as=1

[TracyThom]

Can we stop all the "Why aren't we doing anything!!???" posts/threads.

 

Agreed. Some people are acting like Melvin unplugged his phone months ago and has been playing Angry Birds Seasons since then. Mike Adams just signed for 6 mil a year. 6 MILLION! I'm glad we aren't overspending.

[StearnsFTW]

I haven't seen a single deal where I thought to myself "I wish Melvin had made that deal", and I've seen a lot of them that I would've been very angry about.

 

I have no problem with our offseason so far.

[Ennder]

The Brewers are currently at about a 80 win team. This means that the Brewers need to find 10 wins either in FA, through trades, or hope that someone over performs that is currently on the team

 

There are 2 or at most 3 teams in baseball who project at 90 wins right now. The Brewers need to add about 4-5 wins to be serious playoff contenders when you add the 2 wild cards. These wins could be added just by young guys producing over expectations but that obviously is the riskier path.

[patrickgpe]

they will do something, i think they are waiting for the market to play out. i still think Marcum is coming here on a 1 year deal. I am sure they will bring in some relievers too. They just won't overpay by years or dollars so they are waiting.

[Ennder]

The Brewers are currently at about a 80 win team. This means that the Brewers need to find 10 wins either in FA, through trades, or hope that someone over performs that is currently on the team

 

There are 2 or at most 3 teams in baseball who project at 90 wins right now. The Brewers need to add about 4-5 wins to be serious playoff contenders when you add the 2 wild cards. These wins could be added just by young guys producing over expectations but that obviously is the riskier path.

 

I will add this to the discussion. If we had signed Hamilton we would have not come anywhere near adding 5 wins. He is at best a 2-3 win upgrade over our worst OF, he is a downgrade to Braun and at CF over the next 3 years he is a downgrade to Gomez to be honest.

[logan82]

The Brewers are currently at about a 80 win team. This means that the Brewers need to find 10 wins either in FA, through trades, or hope that someone over performs that is currently on the team

 

There are 2 or at most 3 teams in baseball who project at 90 wins right now. The Brewers need to add about 4-5 wins to be serious playoff contenders when you add the 2 wild cards. These wins could be added just by young guys producing over expectations but that obviously is the riskier path.

 

I will add this to the discussion. If we had signed Hamilton we would have not come anywhere near adding 5 wins. He is at best a 2-3 win upgrade over our worst OF, he is a downgrade to Braun and at CF over the next 3 years he is a downgrade to Gomez to be honest.

How about Schafer since he will probably be the one in CF after this year? I personally would prefer Gomez this year and Schafer over the next 2 plus money spent elsewhere to Hamilton.

 

I like the offseason so far. The contracts are ridiculous. I would like to see a veteran starting pitcher added to give us a bit more depth but the money has been crazy so far.

[nate82]

 

There are 2 or at most 3 teams in baseball who project at 90 wins right now. The Brewers need to add about 4-5 wins to be serious playoff contenders when you add the 2 wild cards. These wins could be added just by young guys producing over expectations but that obviously is the riskier path.

 

Right but 90 wins is more of a safer bet to get you into the playoffs and I am not sure the Brewers can or could get to that point through FA or even through a trade right now. Hamilton at best would give you a 2-3 wins over what we have right now. Dempster would have given the Brewers another win or two that is not enough. Basically the Brewers would have had to of spent like the Dodgers have done. In order for the Brewers to have gotten to 85-90 wins would have been to add Hamilton, Greinke, and one or two bullpen pieces which would have put the Brewers at a payroll of around $130-150m.

 

Realistically the Brewers are probably going to add someone like Braden or Liriano and a bullpen piece which should get the Brewers to about an 82 win team. In order for the Brewers to be a 85 win team Braun will have to play at an MVP like level again with Weeks, Hart, Ramirez, Aoki, Gallardo, Lucroy and Axford all performing around an All Star level. This is not to mention that Peralta, Fiers, Estrada, Rogers, Segura and Henderson will all have to be at or above league average.

 

I just don't see all that happening and see the Brewers finishing 3rd in the NL Central behind both the Reds and the Cardinals. The Cardinals are closer to an 85 win team but they are about in the same boat as the Brewers are and the Pirates could be an 85 win team but are they? I am not sold on them especially their pitching mainly their starting pitching and they will probably end up around 80 wins. Like the Brewers the Pirates needed to add a lot of wins to get to the 85-90 win range and the additions that they had this off season just did not get them to that position.

 

How about Schafer since he will probably be the one in CF after this year? I personally would prefer Gomez this year and Schafer over the next 2 plus money spent elsewhere to Hamilton.

 

Schafer is a downgrade from Gomez defensively and offensively I would put them at about the same but giving the edge to Schafer. Now it isn't as big of a downgrade if you went from Gomez to Hamilton but the drop off is still there.

[DuWayne Steurer]

In order for the Brewers to be a 85 win team Braun will have to play at an MVP like level again with Weeks, Hart, Ramirez, Aoki, Gallardo, Lucroy and Axford all performing around an All Star level. This is not to mention that Peralta, Fiers, Estrada, Rogers, Segura and Henderson will all have to be at or above league average.

 

This really doesn't make sense. You're basically saying that if we have one guy have an MVP caliber season, and then 5 of the remaining offensive starters have all star caliber seasons, AND the rotation is all at least above league average, with Gallardo performing at an all star level, you'd consider that an 85 win team? I realize the bullpen was bad last year, but they'd almost have to fall into an incredible vortex of bad luck to be that bad again this year. Either you're assuming the bullpen will be historically bad (again), or you're undervaluing exactly what an 'all star' level performance really is.

[nate82]

 

This really doesn't make sense. You're basically saying that if we have one guy have an MVP caliber season, and then 5 of the remaining offensive starters have all star caliber seasons, AND the rotation is all at least above league average, with Gallardo performing at an all star level, you'd consider that an 85 win team? I realize the bullpen was bad last year, but they'd almost have to fall into an incredible vortex of bad luck to be that bad again this year. Either you're assuming the bullpen will be historically bad (again), or you're undervaluing exactly what an 'all star' level performance really is.

 

Not an 85 win team a 90 win team. I still believe in 90 wins gets you into the playoffs even with the added 2nd wildcard. Yes the bullpen is going to be bad again as I don't see much of an improvement over last years bullpen. It is possible that they won't be as bad as last year but that bullpen is going to hurt the Brewers again.

[owbc]

Considering how improved the bullpen was by September, I can't see how it will be last in the league again. It still might be a bottom-10 bullpen though. There will probably be a few more acquisitions though that will make everyone feel better. The Dempster acquisition would have been horrible, it would have cost all of their available funds.