So are we going to sign ANYONE?

[jmeks23]

I know the Brewers shouldn't overpay for anyone, and there's no stars left on the FA market, but there is still good players out there. Some of them are players that were on this team last season. Alex Gonzalez? Marcum? Even K-Rod for a bargain price (I'm thinking that's all he's worth at this point). Plus talented guys like JP Howell, and even risky guys like Jair Jurrjens. Just seems like there's suspiciously low activity from the Brewers this off-season.

 

Do you guys think we'll sign anyone else?

[Kelbysdaddy]

They are making the moves they needed to. If marcum would sign cheap or jurrjens will take a 1 year cheap incentive filled plus option deal I could see one of those happening but I am not worried about Any position players right now. Still like 6 weeks til spring training and its not like veteran role players are flying off the free agent list.

[JohnBriggs12]

I posted it in another thread. It behooves the Brewers to see if the guys who did well in abbreviated seasons last year are the real deal. Starting pitching is too expensive to come by to just toss aside guys that came up and did well even if it was somewhat unexpectedly. If they need more starting pitching, it will be out there in July. Some will be available in March if the need is apparent then.

 

Melvin's added a bunch of guys to the pen. At the most there could be room for one more, but there's plenty of in-house candidates there too. Where is Gonzalez going to play? They saw enough Segura to make him their starter. If Melvin wants to add one more vet to the bench, there are still names out there too that are cheaper and verstatile. I threw Jeff Baker's name out there. But there's no rush. Bench guys can always be had. Nyjer Morgan was acquired days before the season a couple years ago.

[TooLiveBrew]

So are we going to sign ANYONE?

 

The Brewers have signed two FA RPs, and traded for another.

[MNBrew]

Your subject line is a bit misleading based on what you wrote...

 

Worst part of '12 team = BP

Offseason moves = 1) signed 2 proven relievers as FA, 2) traded for 1 proven reliever (for seemingly nothing), & 3) let 5 horrid '12 relievers/culprits go (Loe, Hernandez, K-Rod, Veras, Parra, all but 1 of whom are unsigned)

 

Sure looks like good work to me! Headlines? No. But the right moves. And Doug Melvin's proven he's usually quite good at finding good (or, at minimum, strategically targeted) players late .... and there are still 6 weeks to spring training and tons of viable (if not a little tainted here & there) talent left, so there's plenty of time.

 

One question, though. Are you that eager for any kind of signing that you'd really want K-Rod back? Regardless of the potential of his arm, his character's a serious issue and I don't think the Brewers -- and maybe most teams, even -- would touch him w/ a 10-ft. pole given his latest incident w/ the law.

[brwrsfan]

Where is Gonzalez going to play? .

 

I'm too lazy to find the article, but I'm 100% positive that Gord Ash said they have a standing offer to Gonzalez to come back as backup - but that Gonzalez wanted to explore all options that might let him start before accepting it.

 

Gonzalez would provide a nice backup option at SS (maybe some at 3b too?). He would also provide some right handed pop off the bench in a PH role and would be nice to have. I can't imagine he's going to find a starting job being 36/37 and coming off a torn ACL.

[jmeks23]

Sorry, yes I mean sign anyone else. I understand they've signed some BP help and traded for Badenhop. My concern is Gorzelanny and Gonzalez aren't exactly great fixes to a BP that struggled. One could definitely serve as the LOOGY Parra was intended to be, but the other has to pitch important innings. I'm not sure either of those two can. I also personally feel they need 1 more SP as Narveson and Estrada are billed as the "veterans" and they are sketchy at best.

 

As it's been the last few years, they could use some infield depth and some pop off the bench.

 

It just seems like there is still a lot out there, and for (seemingly) not that much.

[brewcrewdue80]

Sorry, yes I mean sign anyone else. I understand they've signed some BP help and traded for Badenhop. My concern is Gorzelanny and Gonzalez aren't exactly great fixes to a BP that struggled. One could definitely serve as the LOOGY Parra was intended to be, but the other has to pitch important innings. I'm not sure either of those two can. .

 

Well, you may not feel those two can but Milwaukee paid 5+Million between the two of them as their belief they can. Whether they do or not, the team paid much more between Loe,Veras, and KRod to end up being bad. The Club has added quite a number of minor League Bullpen guys as well. I look at this year as the team being flexible with their Minors system and not getting caught in playing a player just because you paid/invested to much to not to.

 

Thay last sentence alone is what I think Melvin has taken an approach as this offseason. Between Wolf 9.5M,KRod 8M,Loe 2.12M ,Veras 2M he had 21.62Mil of an inflated 100Mil+ Payroll tied to those 4. 20% of the teams payroll tied to 4players who had a grossly negative impact on the team. The team was already 10mil over an expected budget around 90mil. And I'm sure the team always thought they could move these players/money if needed. But those 4 played themselves to an awful Untradeable state leaving the team's hands tied and forcing them to continue playing them dispite the results.

 

With Bullpen guys generally you get mixed results(It's why they are bullpen guys and not starters!). An outstanding year followed by mediocre, followed by great years, and then years you wonder how they have made it to the Majors. I like the moves and non-splash among the FAs. Just because they didn't get a 6mil guy who on paper has marginally better stats doesn't make the 2-3mil guy as a poor signing.

You take the Wolf,Marcum,KRod contracts and lack of success at a whopping 25+mil cost to a small market it's understandable for the Brewers to become gun-shy. The fact this has been ongoing with FA signings by the Brewers and I'm happy they haven't tied up any 7+MM guys to our payroll.

[MNBrew]

On the surface, I'd totally agree that Gorzelanny's not a "sexy" signing. However....

 

jmeks23, I don't see how you can look at Gorzelanny's stats from last year and not see him as a significant improvement over most '12 Brewers relievers. Granted, every reliever can be a total crapshoot. But 19 of his 44 outings were also for multiple-innings. What more did the guy need to do in '12 to prove he's likely a major BP upgrade?

[Mr Southpaw]

Cots has use at 69.5 million with 11 $500,000ish players to sign. That is right at $75 million with a pretty good team on paper. A $3 million backup shortstop might be a good investment, but other than that, I think our real transactions will happen in July (either for the good or for the bad).

[brewmann04]

I still think they need to add a bat especially off the Bench,and maybe a cheap veteran starter.

[nate82]

I still think they need to add a bat especially off the Bench,and maybe a cheap veteran starter.

 

no, there are plenty of players in the minors plus there is nothing but garbage left in FA unless you want another relief pitcher or two. There is still a lot of depth and value in terms of relief pitchers available.

[sheetskout]

Cots has use at 69.5 million with 11 $500,000ish players to sign. That is right at $75 million with a pretty good team on paper. A $3 million backup shortstop might be a good investment, but other than that, I think our real transactions will happen in July (either for the good or for the bad).

 

Spot on. The Brewers might sign a backup SS but I'm afraid we're looking at what we're going into the season with.

 

Here's the payroll chart from Cot's: https://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=tz1FL3X6KldYXIoGOHXpv6A&output=html

[yoshii8]

I'd like to see another RH reliever brought in, there seems to still be some good ones out there. I would feel much better if we added one of Capps, Valverde, Farnsworth, Lyon, or Rauch.

 

Other things I'd like the Brewers to consider are adding a RH first baseman/OF like Carlos Lee or Luke Scott. I'd also be pretty happy to see Alex Gonzalez back as the backup IF.

[JohnBriggs12]

I'd like to see another RH reliever brought in, there seems to still be some good ones out there. I would feel much better if we added one of Capps, Valverde, Farnsworth, Lyon, or Rauch.

 

Other things I'd like the Brewers to consider are adding a RH first baseman/OF like Carlos Lee or Luke Scott. I'd also be pretty happy to see Alex Gonzalez back as the backup IF.

 

The problem with guys you mentioned like Lee and Gonzalez are that they have never been bench players. Lee was only marginally productive as a starter last year and Gonzalez is coming off major knee surgery. It's not that easy for guys in their mid 30's to transition from full time player to part timer. Scott is left handed by the way and he falls in the same category. None of these guys is certain to get a major league deal. The Hart injury really opens up the 5th OF spot, that would have been Gamel's, and seemingly solidifies Green's roster spot that was a lot less certain.

Khris Davis seems like he'd have a decent shot now and he may. But that would leave them with a very inexperienced bench (though not without ability) of Davis, Schafer, Bianchi and Green to start the year. Logic dictates they'll bring in at least one more vet, but probably on a minor league deal like they have with Donnie Murphy who can't be ruled out either. The other and perhaps stronger possibility is a late spring training deal for bench help. That's been done often in past seasons.

[MVP2110]

I'd like to see another RH reliever brought in, there seems to still be some good ones out there. I would feel much better if we added one of Capps, Valverde, Farnsworth, Lyon, or Rauch.

 

Other things I'd like the Brewers to consider are adding a RH first baseman/OF like Carlos Lee or Luke Scott. I'd also be pretty happy to see Alex Gonzalez back as the backup IF.

 

I almost agree completely with this post! signing another reliever would be perfect, I would really like Rauch, Valverde, or Farnsworth. I would definately also like Carlos Lee and/or Gonzalez back on the bench

[Mr Southpaw]

Cots has use at 69.5 million with 11 $500,000ish players to sign. That is right at $75 million with a pretty good team on paper. A $3 million backup shortstop might be a good investment, but other than that, I think our real transactions will happen in July (either for the good or for the bad).

 

 

There is your team (he did not cost the $3M though). Play Ball!

[Warning Track Power]

Barring us signing Greinke, I think this offseason has gone about as well as can be reasonably expected.

 

1. Re-built bullpen. Gorzelanny, Gonzalez and Badenhop. Check

2. Backup SS to mentor Segura. Check

3. Most importantly, didn't waste money on an overpriced FA pitcher like Dempster (Still crossing my fingers on Lohse). Check.

 

Add a power pinch hitting RH and I think the Brewers offseason, while relatively quiet, should be considered an enormous success, save Hart's knee.

[derflotr]

Barring us signing Greinke, I think this offseason has gone about as well as can be reasonably expected.

 

1. Re-built bullpen. Gorzelanny, Gonzalez and Badenhop. Check

2. Backup SS to mentor Segura. Check

3. Most importantly, didn't waste money on an overpriced FA pitcher like Dempster (Still crossing my fingers on Lohse). Check.

 

Add a power pinch hitting RH and I think the Brewers offseason, while relatively quiet, should be considered an enormous success, save Hart's knee.

I think I'm with you on this (definitely on the Dempster/Lohse part), though I might subtract the word "enormous". Not as much of a fan of their bullpen re-structuring as you seem to be, though I do like Gonzalez.

 

I have to admit, there have been several times the tiny voice in my head has hoped for the addition of just one starter who's at least had some kind of track record in the big leagues. I'm still a little sore from seeing a pitcher as good as Shaun Marcum taken off the market for $4 mil without even a whiff of possible Brewers involvement in the bidding; perhaps I worry about his arm issues too little. I've even found myself perusing stat pages for guys like Ted Lilly or Luke Hochevar, wondering about their trade value, then vigorously shaking it off with a quick ctrl + w.

 

Which is why I'll be very proud of Melvin & co. if they stick to their guns with the home-grownish rotation, because I think giving a few of these guys an extended opportunity is crucial to the future of the organization. I hate to use the expression "throw it at a wall and see if it sticks", but it's sort of a requirement sometimes. The potential benefit of one or two of Peralta, Fiers, Rogers, Thornburg, or Burgos proving middle-of-the-rotation ability is worth the trouble should they fail.

 

But, because of this, their contention for this season relies on unprovens overachieving, which isn't particularly comforting. Unfortunately, I think they kind of have to do it.