For the long term health of the organization....trade Braun?

[crossface21]

This is purely hypothetical, just tossing ideas out because we can't talk about winning baseball. If the consensus is that the whole thing needs to be blown up and the organization needs to start from scratch, where do they begin and how blowed up do they need to do it? You have all the guys that are front and center that would be gone to get prospects-Hart, Ramirez, etc. But what kind of players do they really get you in return? If they really want to blow this up, and start from scratch for the long term health of the organization to where they can be realistically competitive 3-5 years down the line and replenish the farm system, do they trade Braun??? How big of a haul would that bring back? Obviously, you'd get some stud minor leaguers, but do you risk having guys like Segura, Gomez, Morris, Gennett, Schafer be the future offense of the franchise?? They would risk a mutiny by the fan base(me included)but should this be something that DM at least puts on the table for discussion(no matter how remote the possibility is of it happening?) As has been happening for the last 10 years, the price of pitching is only going up every year and teams like Milwaukee need to grow from within their own system. Braun would catch some pretty nice arms.

[trwi7]

Everything should be on the table including trading Braun. It would take an absolutely massive haul to deal him and no team is likely to meet the asking price but I feel every player should always be available for the right price. No sense in shutting doors when a potentially great trade could come your way just because the player is "the franchise."

[Invader3K]

"Never say never", but I just can't envision a scenario where it realistically happens. He means more and is more valuable to this franchise than any other team. I think they gave him his current extension with the full intention of having him be the face of the team for years to come, and eventually having him go to Cooperstown as a Brewer, getting the number retirement ceremony at Miller Park, a statue someday out front, etc.

[3and2Fastball]

Braun has a clause in his contract that allows him to approve or decline any trades. He is heavily invested in the city of Milwaukee and enjoys being the face of the franchise. I seriously doubt the Brewers would trade Braun, but even if they wanted to it might be very difficult to do so. Never say never, but I think it is less likely than Marco Estrada winning a Cy Young award, at least for the forseeable future.

 

Braun gave the Brewers a pretty sizeable discount in order to sign on for longterm. He makes quite a bit less than most All-Star/MVP level players in MLB. If he was going to be traded, he may want to renegotiate a new contract with a different team which would further complicate matters

 

I really don't see it happening

[splitterpfj]

I would say, "never."

 

I get it, there may be a deal that would make sense, and almost every time, I'd say, "Do what's best."

 

Once in a while though, there are unique circumstances, and I want my statue.

[brewcrewdue80]

Yeah, you're looking at someone who's putting up Cooperstown numbers. The team hasn't had that player and ability to retain them since Robin Yount. I don't see any Prospect haul at this point convincing the homebase fans it's the right move to make. Now, getting a 1st year Players who's looking like a Future Perennial All-Star Plus Top Prospects then you can probably justify it.

 

It goes with someone's mentioning in the Sellers thread Bryce Harper for Braun. Literally that's the kind of Player that fits the mold of that scenario. But Baseball teams have shifted to retaining these players and locking them up to long term extensions...

In other words, what we are hoping from in Jean Segura soon.

 

The team can be torn down some and built up again but Braun at this stage of his career for the money, shouldn't be in a class of trade discussion.

 

It would have to be something historically epic for a Trade. Probably taking more than 1 team to do the deal.

He doesn't jump in payroll to 19mil until 2016 season. So the earliest that would even make sense to consider trading Braun would be around Trade Deadline 2015 if not the 2015/6 Offseason when that occurs. That's why I think he's untouchable.

[Bombers]

I agree Splitter / BrewCrew. The trade Braun stuff is ridiculous. HOF players don't grow on tree's. And at the end of the day Attanasio isn't going to trade his main guy and go in full re-build mode after what he has built over the last decade. I just don't see that happening.

[Invader3K]

I firmly believe you can keep Braun around along with a few core players (Segura, Lucroy, etc) and do a mini-rebuild that could make the team competitive again in a couple years. I don't buy the idea that if the team sells off aging and expensive players in the next couple months, it dooms the franchise to being cellar dwellers for 4-5 years.

[Roderick]

I would say, "never."

 

I get it, there may be a deal that would make sense, and almost every time, I'd say, "Do what's best."

 

Once in a while though, there are unique circumstances, and I want my statue.

 

Exactly.

[JimH5]

Of course he should be part of trade discussion--he's their most valuable asset.

 

A-Rod, Barry Bonds, Pete Rose, Greg Maddux, Pedro Martinez, Randy Johnson, Clemens, Piazza, Manny Ramirez, Jim Thome, Ken Griffey, Ichiro, Frank Thomas, Pujols, Josh Hamilton. . .all of those guys played for multiple teams in their careers. Some left by free agency, and others were traded. Multiple times.

 

Where Melvin's Brewers have failed in producing in quantities of top minor league talent (especially pitching), he's been rather adept at getting good players from other organizations. I wouldn't want to handcuff him from being able to do that in the case of Braun.

[torts]

i'll say it, it'll never happen. ever.

[Roderick]

Of course he should be part of trade discussion--he's their most valuable asset.

 

A-Rod, Barry Bonds, Pete Rose, Greg Maddux, Pedro Martinez, Randy Johnson, Clemens, Piazza, Manny Ramirez, Jim Thome, Ken Griffey, Ichiro, Frank Thomas, Pujols, Josh Hamilton. . .all of those guys played for multiple teams in their careers. Some left by free agency, and others were traded. Multiple times.

 

Where Melvin's Brewers have failed in producing in quantities of top minor league talent (especially pitching), he's been rather adept at getting good players from other organizations. I wouldn't want to handcuff him from being able to do that in the case of Braun.

 

If Braun was in his last year or two of his contract and made noise about moving on, then yes. But that isn't the case, and I assume we are not talking something silly like the Cardinals are going to give up all their starting pitching staff for Braun.

[JimH5]

 

If Braun was in his last year or two of his contract and made noise about moving on, then yes. But that isn't the case, and I assume we are not talking something silly like the Cardinals are going to give up all their starting pitching staff for Braun.

 

The thread started as a hypothetical, so I'm not speculating on any trade at all. I'm saying he's the most valuable trading chip, and if we are in a rebuild, then it's okay to rebuild.

 

He seems happy and content now. It's a team friendly-ish contract (we haven't seen his decline phase, so we don't know how he will age). That he's the face of the franchise has some value, though there was a day when he wasn't, and there will be a day when he isn't, so it's okay to imagine a time when he's not the face, and to be proactive about it.

 

I think being the face of the franchise only has real value when they're winning. Who goes to Mets games just to watch David Wright?

 

I don't want to dump Braun for a quantity of dreck, but if the Cards offered Shelby Miller, Oscar Tavares and Allen Craig, then what?

 

If the Rangers offered Jurickson Profar, Derek Holland and Mike Olt, then what?

 

I think it's necessary to include him in trade talks if they're going to break it down and rebuild. I don't think they have enough quality in other areas (Hart, Lohse, Ramirez, Weeks, Aoki) to get quality and quantity in return.

[logan82]

Trading Braun would be a step back in the outfield but we have a good amount of depth in the outfield so that step back could possibly be more than made up by acquiring a couple good pitchers for him. We have a lot of room for improvement in our starting pitching so saying we could be a better team without Braun if we would get a good return on a trade is not much of a stretch. It might be the quickest way to get back to being a winning team.

 

Braun hasn't exactly been the healthiest player over his career either. He hasn't missed a lot of games yet but always seems to have some nagging injury or another.

[vegasbrewcrew1993]

 

If Braun was in his last year or two of his contract and made noise about moving on, then yes. But that isn't the case, and I assume we are not talking something silly like the Cardinals are going to give up all their starting pitching staff for Braun.

 

The thread started as a hypothetical, so I'm not speculating on any trade at all. I'm saying he's the most valuable trading chip, and if we are in a rebuild, then it's okay to rebuild.

 

He seems happy and content now. It's a team friendly-ish contract (we haven't seen his decline phase, so we don't know how he will age). That he's the face of the franchise has some value, though there was a day when he wasn't, and there will be a day when he isn't, so it's okay to imagine a time when he's not the face, and to be proactive about it.

 

I think being the face of the franchise only has real value when they're winning. Who goes to Mets games just to watch David Wright?

 

I don't want to dump Braun for a quantity of dreck, but if the Cards offered Shelby Miller, Oscar Tavares and Allen Craig, then what?

 

If the Rangers offered Jurickson Profar, Derek Holland and Mike Olt, then what?

 

I think it's necessary to include him in trade talks if they're going to break it down and rebuild. I don't think they have enough quality in other areas (Hart, Lohse, Ramirez, Weeks, Aoki) to get quality and quantity in return.

 

Fun hypothetical but highly unlikely. A haul of Miller, Tavares, and Craig would be incredible. No one on the team should be untouchable. Braun is no longer a young player. If the Brewers can get an epic return, it should be considered. I think if someone had offered the Cardinals a great deal they would have traded Pujols.

[3and2Fastball]

If Braun got suspended 100 games, admitted his guilt and admitted he'd been lying to fans the last few years, then all of a sudden that really changes the fan perception and would open the windows for the Brewers to trade Braun. Of course that might really lessen his trade value, too

 

Now, I don't really see that happening, at all, but stranger things have happened.

[brewcrewdue80]

 

If Braun was in his last year or two of his contract and made noise about moving on, then yes. But that isn't the case, and I assume we are not talking something silly like the Cardinals are going to give up all their starting pitching staff for Braun

 

Fun hypothetical but highly unlikely. A haul of Miller, Tavares, and Craig would be incredible. No one on the team should be untouchable. Braun is no longer a young player. If the Brewers can get an epic return, it should be considered. I think if someone had offered the Cardinals a great deal they would have traded Pujols.

 

I'd fall over on that trade of Miller/Tavares, and Craig. I don't think the trades work that way too often. Craig/Miller have already proven quite the ability and are helping STl win today. Tavares will help them win too likely before the season is over. Holiday/Beltran both can't go the season without injury right? Right?

 

Again, this is all hypothetical and just fun to throw names out there. I'm thinking in lines of the Upton deal. A Major League ballplayer plus a player with brief ML exposure. and then a bunch of highly regarded prospects.

 

The problem is that ML ballplayer isn't a long term player so he's a vet. Miller/Craig are all 6year control guys. Tavares would be 7....anyway. just commenting.

 

I think Braun cannot be traded away anymore. At least not til all this biogenesis smoke clears, and Braun isn't sitting a strike away from banning.

[JimH5]

Yep. I agree that the Biogenesis stuff hangs over any trade talks. I posted that before the report that Bosch had agreed to talk to MLB.

 

I was throwing out crazy trade offers to counter the idea that Braun could never, ever be traded. I want the front office to think about making the team great, not about selling merchandise or ensuring he gets a bronze statue.

 

If they aren't "wowed" by a trade offer, there's nothing wrong with keeping him.

[BrewCrewForever]

It could happen, but the Brewers better get the WORLD for Braun. I'd rather they keep him for at least another 2-4 years if not longer. But yeah, if a team just totally blows you away with a handful of top notch talent that is under control for 5 plus years then you have to maybe do that.