Michael Brantley signs (w/CLE) for 4 years/$25 million

[bork]

Michael Brantley signs a 4 year/$25 million contract to avoid arbitration.

 

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/brantley-signs-4-extension-indians-174301452--mlb.html

[TheCrew07]

Good for him, he always came across as a likeable young man during his time as a Brewer farmhand.

[fondybrewfan]

Isn't he pretty much the only guy in that CC trade that ever amounted to anything? Even with Brantley being a moderate success that trade was a trainwreck for Cleveland.

 

When CC was pitching for the Brewers that was about as close as must see TV as is possible for me. He was incredible.

[monty57]

Even with Brantley being a moderate success that trade was a trainwreck for Cleveland.

 

They may wish they had received more, but getting what they got was better than letting him pitch out the season for the Indians and losing him to free agency. They were in a position where they pretty much needed to trade him, so from their perspective, they got eight years of an everyday MLB OF in return for three useless months of a good pitcher and a second rounder. From the Brewers perspective, they got three useful months of a good pitcher leading to a playoff bid and a second rounder. The Brewers are glad they made the trade, but the Indians are probably better off with Brantley than they would be with whoever they picked with their second rounder. Not something they're going to brag about, but not a complete disaster.

 

That said, it's kind of surprising to extend a corner OF who's career stat line is .277 / .330 / .382 / .711. They must really think he's going to break out, or it would seem like a guy they'd just go year-to-year with in arby.

[fondybrewfan]

O I get having Brantley is better than having CC leave for nothing. But they were expecting and should have gotten more for a dominant pitcher like CC. If they could have gotten anything from LaPorta they would be feeling better. LaPorta wasn't a can't miss prospect but he was very highly ranked by basically everyone at the time and everyone missed.

[TheCrew07]

Everyone didn't miss on LaPorta, BA just tends to go with the consensus opinion... most people thought he'd hit "enough" to be an everyday MLB player. Who knows, maybe he might one day, but it's not looking good.

[jerichoholicninja]

Brantley seems like the kind of guy who's just good enough to keep through his arby years but not worth it to hold on to when it comes free agency time.

[Mass Haas]

Scary contract -- great writeup by the talented young Mr. Dopp here.

[logan82]

Seems like an overpay. UZR has him as an average corner defender at best. His numbers look like Carlos Gomez without the defense or power.

[gregmag]

As a bigtime Brantley pusher back when we had him, I'm confused. Do I say "I told you so" because he's made it as a MLB regular (and despite the fact that saying "I told you so" is obnoxious)? Or do I concede I was wrong because his plus OBP skills never transferred to MLB, leaving him as a very mediocre regular at best? This has to be the most ambiguous prospect outcome I've ever seen.

[jerichoholicninja]

As a bigtime Brantley pusher back when we had him, I'm confused. Do I say "I told you so" because he's made it as a MLB regular (and despite the fact that saying "I told you so" is obnoxious)? Or do I concede I was wrong because his plus OBP skills never transferred to MLB, leaving him as a very mediocre regular at best? This has to be the most ambiguous prospect outcome I've ever seen.

 

Like I said in my post, he's a bonafide Major League player, no doubt about that. He's not terrible at anything (maybe power hitting) but he doesn't do any one thing especially well either. He's great for a small market team during his arby years because he's effective and cheap. If he was still with the Brewers I would be in favor of going year to year with him and then letting him walk. He has a career OPS+ of 100. He's basically a younger Aochi. I don't think too many people would have been in favor of signing Aochi to this deal (provided he was the same age as Brantley).

[endaround]

Ehh, the deal isn't bad assuming Cleveland keeps him as a starting OFer. In arby he would make what, $3m, $6m and $9m? So Cleveland gets 1 year of FA for $7-9m. Given that Brantley could be a guy who has a huge BABIP year and looks amazing Cleveland may have wanted to avoid that risk his arbitration amount explodes. That said, Brantley really should be platooned and if Cleveland did so they would be better off as a team and Brantley's arbitration amounts would be lower. The problem isn't so much the contract as its giving Brantley a full time corner OF spot.

[homer]

Brantley reminds me of Darryl Hamilton.

[RockCoCougars]

Looking at this, what would Gomez command on the open market right now? Melvin got him for just a tad more, and that might be one of the best moves that he's made as Brewers GM.

[logan82]

Looking at this, what would Gomez command on the open market right now? Melvin got him for just a tad more, and that might be one of the best moves that he's made as Brewers GM.

Right but Brantley doesn't play defense like Gomez or have Gomez' power.

[brewcrewdue80]

Good for him getting paid for the next 4 years. I'm quite surprised really. They bought out 2 arb years and his first 2 FA years for a guy that just seems ok. As someone said, he doesn't do anything great but he doesn't do anything bad either. I don't know what the going rate is for guys like that but I don't think 11mil that final year will happen. BRef has Brantley as an avg of 3WAR the last 2 years so I guess based on the going FA rate per WAR he's worth far more than this contract over the next 4years.

[joepepsi]

He has shown some improvement in offense the last two years. He's entering his age 27 season, so he could have a mini breakout and run a couple seasons of 300/350/450 numbers.

[Warning Track Power]

Looking at this, what would Gomez command on the open market right now? Melvin got him for just a tad more, and that might be one of the best moves that he's made as Brewers GM.

Hardy for Gomez was one of those deals that was a win and should have been a win-win. Unfortunately Minnesota gave up on JJ way too quickly as he won 2 gold gloves and returned to the 20-30 HR per year SS he flashed in Milwaukee in 2007 and 2008.

 

I hated the deal at the time and quite frankly still wish JJ had never been dealt but it provided us with Gomez and that has been outstanding.

[RockCoCougars]

Looking at this, what would Gomez command on the open market right now? Melvin got him for just a tad more, and that might be one of the best moves that he's made as Brewers GM.

Right but Brantley doesn't play defense like Gomez or have Gomez' power.

 

Yes, but I was just comparing the years and dollars. Almost the same exact deal (except wasn't Gomez closer to FA?). I should have left open market out, any type of extension for Carlos would be big money now.