How do we turn this sad franchise around?

[Bombers]

I guess for me the 1 Series win in 26 years is disturbing, but brushing aside spending differences is giving baseball a pass when you shouldn't. Spending is at the root of the in balance in baseball. I have posted plenty of times the spending DOES have a direct impact to making the playoffs. Once in the playoffs, in reality spending impact is minimized as hot teams win and advance. But getting in is directly tied to spending. (And it isn't even close)

 

As far as calling this franchise "sad", I would agree with Rick in saying a "sad" franchise is the bucks. However, I don't think many can argue the philosophy that Melvin has built teams and drafted has been overly effective. Maybe it's a bad combo with our development program but there is something wrong in our system and replacing Melvin should be looked into. I can see both sides but the thing that has always eaten at me was his inability to draft pitching.

[TooLiveBrew]

Okay then, who's your replacement who you guarantee who will do better over the next 5 seasons?

I thought it'd be interesting & useful to compare the franchises at .500 or better over the past 5 seasons (from 2010 - today ). I used the 2014 W-L records as they currently appear on Baseball-Reference:

 

[pre]Team W-L WS wins LCS wins LDS wins Div. titles Playoff apps.

BAL 406-396 (1)* (2)

BOS 412-391 1 1 1 1 1

NYY 451-351 2 2 3

TBR 444-360 1 3

 

DET 443-359 1 3 (4) (4)

 

LAA 429-374 (1) (1)

OAK 429-373 2 (3)

TEX 431-372 2 2 2 3

 

ATL 446-356 1 3

PHI 424-379 1 2 2

WAS 423-378 (2) (2)

 

CIN 428-375 2 3

MIL 410-393 1 1 1

STL 448-355 1 2 3 (2) (4)

 

LAD 428-374 1 (2) (2)

SFG 432-370 2 2 2 2 (3)[/pre]

* = any number in parentheses includes a tally for the 2014 season. These might not wind up being right, but are correct if the postseason started today.

 

 

I don't understand the mentality that's fearful of trying a new GM. The Brewers had a better sustained run of success from '78-'92 (15 seasons) than they have from '05-'14 (10 seasons). The fact that the organization was run horribly for basically a decade from the early-/mid-'90s to the mid-'00s has little -- if any -- effect on who the Brewers would be able to hire & the direction they'd take the franchise from 2015 - onward.

[Baldkin]

I don't care if people want a new GM. I understand why people want a new GM.

 

I want better discourse than "We suck, fire everybody."

 

Offering up the problem without having any sort of plan for a solution is pointless. I don't have one, which is why I posted what I did.

 

If people are going to continue to have the same Doug Melvin is terrible arguments which have been made ad nauseam here for the last 3 years, I'll just stop reading this thread.

[TooLiveBrew]

I don't care if people want a new GM. I understand why people want a new GM.

 

I want better discourse than "We suck, fire everybody."

 

Offering up the problem without having any sort of plan for a solution is pointless. I don't have one, which is why I posted what I did.

 

If people are going to continue to have the same Doug Melvin is terrible arguments which have been made ad nauseam here for the last 3 years, I'll just stop reading this thread.

There have been numerous responses in this thread that go a lot deeper than, 'We suck, fire everybody'. And has anyone actually called Melvin terrible?

 

The thing I hate in this kind of discussion is the knee-jerk extreme/polarized canned responses from those on both sides. Gets in the way of what has potential to be a great discussion.

[brewcrewdue80]

Turning this franchise around is simple. You have to draft and/or trade and acquire a Front of the Rotation SP. The Carlos Gomez for Archie Bradley thread/idea being an example. Then you also have to have an Elite Bat in your #3 or #4 in the lineup. We had it in Braun with PEDs. Now? I don't know. Lucroy is as close as we can claim. For all that's being dissed on the Franchise's state, the way to turn this franchise around, the pieces we need we seemed to have drafted/signed what it takes. The hopes are in Kodi Medeiros, Monte Harrison, Gilbert Lara, and maybe Jacob Gatewood.

 

How would I go about doing it? First I'd fire all the managers and Melvin and start fresh. I don't have an answer to who becomes GM or manager.

 

Then my first moves would be to trade Carlos Gomez(hoping to get say a Front end SP prospect in return...Astros anyone?) I'd run out Parra in CF next season then. Can probably pick up some serviceable RH CF somewhere to be #4.

 

I'd try really hard to trade Lohse or Gallardo(if picking up his option) Save some Payroll and use it towards a Cuddyer/Morse type 1b signing.

 

I'd have my ears open to trade offers for Jean Segura. Orlando Arcia's time is approaching. Bandaids for SS til that time happens in the meantime. Keep in mind you're trying to sell high on his 2013 season/young age still. His 3+WAR year in 2013 is going to end up being his BEST ever season in his life. Replacement level SSs aren't dropping the team longterm when trading Segura.

 

That's about it for Player decisions this offseason. ARam holds the 3b decision and I can't make it for him.

 

Then the new GM that's hired is one who takes a win with Draft approach. He's going to be good at putting together a new scouting department. Big emphasis goes in to HS scouting and Latin Scouting. Almost exclusively. The College players I'd have scouting would be the HS kids the Scouting department liked while watching them in HS who either chose College or weren't signable. Otherwise, it's a HS building philosphy with the draft. (I know I'm going to get blasted on this) But. Drafting and signing HS players and hitting on even 1 every draft would go a long way. As their Youth being 3-4years younger than the College aged players would provide longer net rewards for that successful pick.

Also, Hiring the best Scouts possible and reducing the workload for them from Best of College and High School to just a focus on best of HS. I feel like you're then using your resources more efficiently with just that focus. For example, rather than say 100 scouts split 50/50 HS/College It's 85-90/10-15 split HS to College. Heck, maybe instead of having 100scouts it's 65scouts covering HS and only 10 in College. Your staff is only 75 large saving money on personnel and/or being able to put more personnel in to the Latin scouting. What this does too is rather than pouring over Say 5000 players to choose from and argue over who to select. You reduce the number to say 3000 to choose from and argue over to select. And maybe with all the HS scouting you really just have a draftboard of 100-200 players. It's easy to stick to your plan, you get the HS players you like and never get caught up in a College player who falls down to your picks and making the mistake of selecting them vs. the HS kid you were ready to select. (Victor Roache/Jed Bradley being recent examples)

 

Then I just sit back and wait for the rewards to come in.(I know someone will say well Then there's no Ryan Braun selected you're missing on someone like that. Well guess who's in the 2005 Draft with Braun out of HS? Andrew McCutchen 2nd HS'r selected after Braun's pick(Cameron Maybin1st) with Jay Bruce being the 3rd.)

[The stache]

Stache-Accusing most Brewers fans of "accepting mediocre play" is a bunch of crap.

 

I don't think I've accused most Brewer fans of anything. I said that some of you, ie the members of this forum, have done that, but not most. And the members of this forum make up a very small portion of Brewer fans in total. I haven't met or talked to most Brewer fans, so I can't make a generalization about most Brewer fans. There are people here that are trying to say "we get 2.5 million at our park every year. We have made the playoffs twice." There was more, I don't remember it off the top of my head. But what I saw being expressed was accepting of complacency. I'm 43. I have watched this team for 35 years, and I don't know how many years God is going to give me. I would like to see this team get to, and win, a World Series, for once.

 

I think I've said that Brewer fans, if anything, are more patient, more loyal. We come to the park every year, supporting this team even though we don't win championships. If anything, I've been very complimentary of our fan base.

 

I don't care what other people think of our franchise. But I am tired of hearing them rag on us. There's an older Cardinals fan (I forget his name), but he comes to the ESPN discussion board seemingly every time I am there. And he just talks trash about our team, our state, etc. I am sick of hearing how great the Cardinals are.

 

 

We have been supporting this organization in a sport that unlike the NFL, is not playing on a level playing field in terms of money, FA desirability (although we have come a long way), and signings of international players. If we were on a more level playing field (Salary cap, international players in the draft), I'd be shotgun in your bus. We're not on that playing field yet. No small market team is and will be as long as the big markets have monopoly money to play with in terms of local TV money. Limited revenue sharing, the extra wildcard, and a few different draft rules are helping, but the sport still favors the money. Joe Schmo could run the Dodgers or Yankees and probably outperform most smaller markets because of the money difference yet today. Money could buy Joe Schmo better drafters and decision makers so he wouldn't have to do it too.

 

I agree with pretty much everything you have said. It isn't an even playing field. But teams that have been near the very bottom in salary cap have made it to the World Series. Expansion teams--all of them--have made it to the World Series in the last 15 years. Arizona won it four years after the franchise was created.

 

Love how you picked out two years when the WS winner had 20 million dollars or so more money than we did those years? Those were the best two you could get, huh? Nice. Thanks for proving my point more. Having David Cone in 92, a SS in 2011, Fielder/closer in 2012, and let's say another two big bats at 1B and SS this year would have given us way better odds to be playing in the playoffs and more. The Marlins won the Series five years after they were created. It took Tampa Bay 11 years to get there, but they did. It took Colorado 15 years. These upstarts accomplished something, just getting to the championship series. We haven't been there since 1982.

 

I picked out a few years where the payroll gap between one of the teams in the World Series and the Brewers wasn't the incredible chasm it's been made out to be. In 2010, for example, the World Series winning team, San Francisco, only had $16 million more in payroll. The loser, Texas, had $26 million less in payroll then we had. The point? Both these teams found a way to get to the World Series because they had both drafted some exceptional talent. Now, $16 million more in payroll could have made a huge difference, of course. Maybe we could have added another pitcher, or another hitter like you mentioned. Or, maybe we just could have spent the money we did have more wisely. Giving Jeff Suppan $12,750,000 wasn't the best idea. $7,500,000 to 42 year old Trevor Hoffman also was not wise. $20 million spent on two pitchers who would go a combined 2-9 with about a 6.00 ERA. 1/4 of our payroll went to those two guys.

 

Of course, there are other years where the Yankees, or the Red Sox, who had the #1, or #2, or #3 highest payroll make it to and win the World Series. In fact, it's not close. Teams with more money will generally do better in Major League Baseball. But other teams have managed to get to the World Series at least once, or a couple times. The Florida Marlins, as bad as they were the rest of their years, still managed to make it to, and win two World Series. They didn't have the superstars. The two years they won, they had 92 and 91 wins. In 2003 they had Mike Lowell, Derrek Lee, and a very young Miguel Cabrera. Young Dontrelle Willis and Josh Beckett were the young pitchers, with Brad Penny and Carl Pavano.

 

How did they manage to get to the Series? They had no Prince Fielder or Ryan Braun. They didn't have any Cy Young winners on their roster for a half season.

 

What I am saying is that there are other teams besides the Yankees, Red Sox, and the other highest payroll teams making it to the World Series, and occasionally winning it. Yet while all these teams are getting there, and a lot of them winning it--we can't even get to the game.

 

Why? Why should we continue on with such complacency? After 32 years, don't you want to get back to the World Series? Of course you do. Do you realistically think we'll get there? Doug Melvin has been calling the shots for a Major League team for nearly 30 years. I live in Texas, and I watched him when he was the GM for the Rangers. I moved to Dallas in 1989. From 1994 to 2001, he was the Ranger GM. Look at the numbers I put up. He even managed to take the division four times. Yet he couldn't win a single playoff series.

 

Things are not going to get better if we give him more time. Doug Melvin has had an awfully long time at his job, in three places, and he has demonstrated he can't.....win. He can't win in the post season. He had a team with Juan Gonzalez, Rafael Palmeiro, Will Clark, Jose Canseco, Ivan Rodriguez, Dean Palmer and Rusty Greer in Texas.

 

I want Brewer fans to be honest with themselves. If we keep this group, we'll get more of the same. And every Brewer fan should ask themselves if they're ok with that. Doug Melvin has shown he does not know how to pull the strings.

 

I am still very confident in Mark A. and his ability to bring championship play to Milwaukee. Even if it is not this year, I support him, am thankful for his ownership, thankful what he has done for this organization in the last decade and eagerly want and wait for more playoff baseball and a championship in Milwaukee.

 

I agree with this, too. And Mark, as an owner who wants to bring a championship to Milwaukee, who I believe will bring a World Series title to Milwaukee, needs to see that this group trusted to operate his franchise is not capable of taking it to that next step. And that's ok. It's not an admission of failure.

 

The relationship hasn't been bad. But it hasn't been as good as we want it to be. So, now it's time to find some new people, and task them with taking this franchise to the next level.

[The stache]

The PEDs did not make Braun an elite hitter. I promise you.

[MNBrew]

Say what you want about Melvin, but at least he hasn't handcuffed the franchise with ridiculous contracts such as the ones given to Fielder, Votto, Kemp, Ethier, Howard, etc. He has given the Brewers a lot of flexibility in that area.

 

That is the most ridiculously paper thin justification of Melvin I've read... he didn't sign any mega contracts, which tend to work out horribly, simply because the Brewers couldn't possibly afford one of those contracts in the first place. Hooray for not doing something that wasn't even an option?Even though he did sign A-Rod to the first mega contract in baseball history on his way out in Texas...

 

(Etc.)

For as meticulous as you are in so many of your lengthy commentaries, Crew07, the bold-faced comment is blatantly incorrect. It was quite well-documented at the time that it was Tom Hicks, the Rangers' owner, who made the decision to overpay A-Rod so absurdly, and when A-Rod alone didn't prove to be enough to turn the franchise around by himself (in other words, when the team still wasn't stellar in spite of a now super-jacked payroll), Hicks fired Melvin. Melvin was merely Hicks' scapegoat.

 

Quoting from Wikipedia (citations are for a T.R. Sullivan article on MLB.com and an Andrew Marchand article on ESPN.com, respectively), "Hicks made headlines across all MLB when he personally negotiated and signed then shortstop Alex Rodriguez to the biggest contract in MLB history at that time; a ten-year, $252 million deal at the December 2000 winter meetings.[18] He would later point to that contract as "one of his biggest regrets."

 

You obviously dislike Melvin as the Brewers' GM and disagree most vehemently with his philosophy for building the team. But you discredit yourself by shading or ignoring certain facts to make your point.

[danzig6767]

To me, it sure seems like any pricey 3-4-5 year contracts are mainly given out or passed on by Attanasio, more so than by Melvin. Of course it's fair to assume that Melvin has input, but ultimately the final decision looks to be in the hands of our owner. Nearly every time a sizable contract is given out, an article will hit the paper/net with stories of Attanasio negotiating with the agents involved.

[WV Brew]

'Stache,

 

Major league payroll is a very poor metric for financial strength. You need to look at revenues. Houston has a low payroll but that doesn't mean they're in a weaker position than the Brewers. The Brewers can ill afford bad contracts but they're almost irrelevant to the Yankees. Payroll doesn't tell you how much is spent on scouting, etc. Notice that the big money teams are still getting the big free agents out of Japan and Cuba. Progress has been made but the Brewers are still at a huge disadvantage versus most teams financially.

 

People need to stop blaming Melvin for years before he got here. I'm pretty neutral on Melvin but it is highly likely that his replacement will be worse.

[Baldkin]

Okay then, who's your replacement who you guarantee who will do better over the next 5 seasons?

 

Almost everyone here, 6 years ago, wanted Jack Z as the new GM. How's he done in Seattle?

 

If we kept Doug Melvin for the next decade, I feel confident in saying that we wouldn't make it to the World Series during that time.

 

I concur, but it has nothing to do with what Doug has done, and everything to do with the fact that our owner approves of mortgaging the future to succeed in the present. I have no problems with the Grenike and Marcum deals, as we were 2 games from the World Series (and were completely out classed in the TLR vs Roenicke matchup -- TLR managed like it was the playoffs, RRR managed like it was a Tuesday night game in April).

 

What bothers me the most with the franchise is the complete lack of development of pitching in the minor leagues... I would've absolutely kept Rick Peterson on in the Brewers Organization to do what he's now doing with Baltimore (director of minor league pitching development or something like that).

 

The other issue is the complete lack of discipline that our minor leaguers show at the plate. Walks and knowing the strike zone are two very important things, and consistently, the guys who come up, seem to have no clue that either one of those things are valuable.

 

2010 to 2014, Nashville finished 15th, 10th, 16th, 12th and 16th in BB for the PCL -- out of 16 teams. While it may depend on the players to some extent, the organizations philosophy affects things as well: the RiverCats (Oakland's AAA team) finished 1st, 2nd, 1st, 1st and 2nd over the same time frame.

[torts]

simple, we just trade all our bad players for all the good players out there.

[craigharmann]

New manager, new GM, a first baseman. Consistent hitting and pitching would be helpful.

[BrewersSuperCollector]

simple, we just trade all our bad players for all the good players out there.

 

You should be the GM.

[JohnBriggs12]

I'm loathe to analyze with the body still warm. There's going to be plenty of time for that. It's unfathomable how a team could just utterly collapse offensively like this one did. Yes the rotation picked a bad time for their little slump that started in San Diego, but they righted themselves to the point where any offense at all over the past two times through the rotation would salvaged a playoff appearance.

 

But eventually the mistakes this team was prone to all year came home to roost when it counted. One boneheaded baserunning goof after another. The first baseman not knowing how many outs there were in an inning and on and on. It appeared that over and over mistakes were never addressed or corrected. That's a failure of leadership. That's on the manager, the coaches and the GM's selection of the manager falls squarely on him. Melvin's biggest flaw has been his managerial hires.

 

This team needs accountable leadership and accountable players. Right now, they seem to have neither.

[3and2Fastball]

 

What bothers me the most with the franchise is the complete lack of development of pitching in the minor leagues....

 

Wily Peralta, Yovanni Gallardo, Mike Fiers, Jimmy Nelson, Jake Odorizzi, even Jeremy Jeffress all came up through the Brewers minor league system. I wouldn't call that a "complete lack of development". Maybe not as much development as we'd like, but I don't believe that the minor league coaching is the problem

[FVBrewerFan]

Well, the Braves just fired their GM. One could argue he's done a decent job. No guarantee the new GM will do any better, so why make a change? Well, they don't see it that way and neither do I. Of course there's no guarantee that if the Brewers bring in a new GM he'll be better than Melvin. So what? If that was the rationale, no GM or Manager would ever be fired.

 

I think they need to hire a GM from an organization with a history of identifying and developing talent- especially pitching talent. To this day I don't know whether the problem has been drafting or developing, impossible to prove either way. But I'm ready to bring a new crew to take over from top down.

 

Another step they can take is move the walls back in Miller Park. I've said it before, and nobosy has ever commented one way or another, but I'm serious. Maybe it's a coincidence, but the Cards, Dodgers, and Giants all play in big parks. If you're going to develop better pitching, help them by playing in a pitcher friendly park.

 

Finally, Mark A and other small market owners need to be more vocal and take a stand on Intl signings. There's no logical reason these players should be able to skirt the draft and sign wherever they want.

[jjgott]

 

Another step they can take is move the walls back in Miller Park. I've said it before, and nobosy has ever commented one way or another, but I'm serious. Maybe it's a coincidence, but the Cards, Dodgers, and Giants all play in big parks. If you're going to develop better pitching, help them by playing in a pitcher friendly park.

 

Logistically how would they move the walls back? The only area they could get rid of without major structural changes is the ATI Club, but I doubt they'd want to get rid of that revenue stream.

[trwi7]

Yeah, you can't really move the walls back without a major reconstruction of everything structural in the outfield. It's possible, it would just cost a ton of money and wouldn't be worth it overall.

 

It's much, much easier to move the walls in like the Padres, Mariners and Mets did. That allows them to add more seats and "party" spaces while having to do nothing but tear down the walls and move them closer.

[FVBrewerFan]

 

Another step they can take is move the walls back in Miller Park. I've said it before, and nobosy has ever commented one way or another, but I'm serious. Maybe it's a coincidence, but the Cards, Dodgers, and Giants all play in big parks. If you're going to develop better pitching, help them by playing in a pitcher friendly park.

 

Logistically how would they move the walls back? The only area they could get rid of without major structural changes is the ATI Club, but I doubt they'd want to get rid of that revenue stream.

 

You'd be surprised, if you really look at the wasted room in many areas beyond the wall, there is definietly room to move it back. They could also raise the wall in some areas also. I think they could change the dimensions fairly significantly without a major rebuild.

[TheCrew07]

For as meticulous as you are in so many of your lengthy commentaries, Crew07, the bold-faced comment is blatantly incorrect.

 

No, you missed the point. When Melvin had the money and the motivated owner he signed that kind of player to a horrible contract, I wasn't ignoring the reality of the situation. The point Louis made was that Melvin had been smart enough not to sign those deals which was only true because he hadn't the means or opportunity with the Brewers to do so. Melvin wouldn't stand his ground on guys like Lohse and Garza, Mark A went and got those guys and if Mark A wanted to sign a player to a 7 year $230 million deal are we really expected to believe Melvin would say no, or would he'd do what he's always done? It's not that he's smarter than that, it's simply that he hasn't had the opportunity to make that kind of mistake, but if Mark A wanted to do it, Melvin certainly wouldn't stand in his way.

 

I don't want Mark A making baseball decisions for the Brewers, I'd like him to focus on the business side like increasing revenue streams and let the baseball people handle baseball. I don't a want a Jerry Jones situation and we're teetering on the edge of that lately. As I've point out numerous times over the last 8 years Melvin isn't a visionary, he's an extremely conservative reactionary GM. He has his strong suits but the end result of his regime has been death by a thousand paper cuts, he never assembles enough pitching, enough different types of hitters, or a manager willing to work outside of established protocols so the team keeps running back into the same issues year after year.

[reillymcshane]

Here's my 'blow up the team' scenario:

 

First, acknowledge we will likely stink for at least three years. Everyone's patience will be tested.

 

Second, build through the draft and by trading for high upside young players. Sometimes this means trading a good player, but it's essential to keep replenishing the talent well to stay relevant.

 

Third, get a front office and coaching staff committed to his system. Without it, you end up with infighting and failure.

 

Guys to Trade

 

Trades should be for the highest upside guys you can get. I don't care if you get A ball players. This team lacks upside. Solid players are great to have, but good or great players is what we need.

 

Gallardo, Lohse, Parra, Broxton and Gomez should all be dealt. Garza as well, but I assume no one will want his contract. But if you can deal it, great.

 

Parra won't bring a lot. You could always keep him if there are no takers, and look to deal him at the deadline for someone who needs a guy like him. You could consider non-tendering Parra if you don't think there is a market for him. That would save $6 million or more.

 

Lohse and Gallardo should net a couple of decent prospects (maybe not great ones, but decent ones). Both contracts aren't bad, and both players are coming off solid seasons.

 

At $9 million, Broxton is more a salary dump, but whatever you can get is a bonus.

 

Gomez is the key trade bait. He's got two years left at a really affordable rate. He turns 29 in December, so he's in his prime. We deal him because we have a guy who should be ready to take over for him within 1-2 years (Tyrone Taylor), and I worry his playing style is going to see him have a lot of small injuries in the future. Plus, he'll bring back a ton.

 

The result of all these trades could be several top 100 type minor league prospects. I bet Gallardo and Lohse could get a top 100 type guy each (maybe not top 50, but top 100). Gomez could land a top 20 type player and more.

 

These moves go a long way to replenishing the farm system.

 

BTW, Braun won't be traded. No one wants him. He's one of the most hated guys in baseball, has serious health issues, and is owed $110 million through the rest of the decade. That's an untradeable contract.

 

Free Agency

 

Pick up A-Ram's option. He'll like decline and become a FA. We make him a qualifying offer, then hope and pray he rejects it, and we get a comp pick. If A-Ram accepts, you plug him in at 3B then trade him as soon as possible (I think teams have to wait until May 15 to trade guys like this).

 

Reynolds, Weeks, Overbay, Duke, K-Rod - thanks, we wish you well.

 

Players/Positions:

 

Cather

 

Lucroy - He's the one player I would consider extending beyond his current deal (which ends after the 2017 season). You don't have to do it now, but he's an exceptional player, the face of the franchise, and he fills a key position that there is no clear replacement available in the minors.

 

Maldonado - If you can find something nice for him this year, take it. Otherwise, he's a good player to have for cheap. He'll hit his 2nd year of arby in 2016, so deal him by then. Adam Weisenburger should be ready to take over at that time (so will Zarraga, but his bad defense makes him a poor fit).

 

1B

 

Go with Clark and/or Rogers next season. (or Morris or whomever we can get) If one or the other turns out to be a decent player, awesome. If not, try again in 2016. You can always try some other guys like Clark - a AAA lifer who just hasn't had the chance. Whatever works. The key is to give someone a chance to develop - even if it is a long shot.

 

There is no clear replacement at 1B in the minors, unless Coulter gets shifted here.

 

2B

 

Scooter is our 2B for a while. He's cheap and productive. Even if he's a platoon player, he still gets 75% of the ABs, and if he can continue to hit .280-.300, he's a heck of a value for at least 3-4 more years.

 

SS

 

Segura - Let him start at SS again in 2015. If he rebounds great. He'll be a nice trade chip when Arcia is ready in a couple of years. If he fails, then you give someone else a chance to keep the spot warm for Arcia.

 

3B

 

There is no one in the minors ready to take over 3B. The team should target a couple of reclamation projects. Examples: Mike Moustakas from KC and Matt Davidson of the ChiSox. Guys like Davidson are great gambles. He's a former top 100 prospect who had a terrible year at AAA (he hit .199). The Crew should get a couple of these types and give them a chance to become a decent major league player. If it fails, no biggie. We'll suck anyway, and we find another in 2016.

 

Move Coulter to 3B next season. He'll be our future 3B.

 

LF

 

Davis did a solid job. Hopefully, another year will make him better. If he could produce an .800 OPS you have a decent player - especially at a low cost.

 

CF

 

Let Logan Schafer start. While Schafer has failed the last two seasons, he's hit for an .800+ OPS at AAA in his career. Give the guy regular playing time and see if he can turn things around. If it works, you have a trading chip once Tyrone Taylor is ready. If he fails - oh well. If he can hit .270 and play good defense, he's a valuable player.

 

You could find another guy like Schafer if the team just hates the guy. Again, give someone a chance and see if they can produce with regular playing time.

 

RF

 

Braun's our man. He ain't going anywhere for years.

 

Starting Pitching

 

Peralta, Fiers, Nelson, Garza (assuming we can't trade him). You can consider Jungmann for the 5th spot, but he might need a little more time in the minors. You could add a cheap veteran starter. Or give Thornburg or Smith a try.

 

Relievers

 

Live with Henderson, Thornburg, Pena, Wooten, Kintzler, Jeffress, Goforth and whatever minor leaguers and reclamation projects you want to give a try. Look how well Duke turned out. I'd target other failed starters and see how they might turn out in the pen. They can become nice trade chips if they do well.

 

Conclusion

 

Ultimately, you know your going to stink for a few years. So let the young guys (Clark, Rogers, Schafer, Segura 3B) have a chance to produce. Then, in a couple of years, the farm system can start to produce some guys - Taylor and Arcia, plus any players we acquire by dealing Gallardo, Lohse and Gomez.

 

A few bad years will give us some top 10 (top 5?) picks, allowing us to add some top tier talent to our 2014 haul of players.

 

The plan: replenish the farm system via trades as best as possible, get some high draft picks, give unproven guys a chance, don't spend in free agency (save for minor additions), target players that may have failed with other teams who can fill a need, and commit to this process over the long haul.

[Baldkin]

 

What bothers me the most with the franchise is the complete lack of development of pitching in the minor leagues....

 

Wily Peralta, Yovanni Gallardo, Mike Fiers, Jimmy Nelson, Jake Odorizzi, even Jeremy Jeffress all came up through the Brewers minor league system. I wouldn't call that a "complete lack of development". Maybe not as much development as we'd like, but I don't believe that the minor league coaching is the problem

 

Jeffress had no success while he was in the Brewers organization. It took another organization with some forethought to get him properly diagnosed and on the correct medications so he could become a success story.

 

Again, you've listed 6 pitchers in 7 years. That simply isn't good enough. The Brewers have consistently had to go out and sign free agents and hope for bullpen arms to catch lightning in a bottle.

 

Maybe things have turned a corner, having 2 starters ready in AAA for the first time in a long time is an amazing thing, and we'll see how the continued development of the young guys happens.... but look at how many teams have home grown guys on the cheap in the bullpen, then look what the Brewers fielded this year.

 

Definitely the difference between having a first baseman and not having one.

[dlk9s]

How in the world is this a "sad franchise?" We all may be sad that the team collapsed this year and won't make the playoffs, but I don't see the Brewers as a sad franchise at all. In fact, I see things as quite the opposite. The franchise and its fanbase has become reinvigorated over the last several years after eons of incompetence from head to toe.

[FVBrewerFan]

How in the world is this a "sad franchise?"

 

Some would say a franchise going on 45 years without a title is sad.