2014-2015 Brewers Off-Season Optimism Thread

[TURBO]

Can you just please stop with that already? It's old, worn out and boring. There is more to say about this team than hating the manager. Especially in a thread meant to be optimistic.

 

Sure thing, anything to make you happy, but I hope you plan to scold all the other RRR anti-supporters on this site. I know I am not the only one tooting that horn.

 

That being said, I don't think this team needs to be torn down and start from scratch at all. I think the nucleus to a playoff team is here, we just need to fine tune a bit.

 

It is obvious that we need a 1B that can put up some big offensive numbers. The band aids we have been trying to use just aren't going to cut it. I think if we can get that taken care of, we will be able to make a run at the 2015 playoffs as long as we also have a 3B in place, be it Aramis or a free agent type.

 

Our starting pitching shouldn't miss a beat. Peralta is growing up before our very eyes, we know what we will be getting from Gallardo, Lohse, and Garza, which leaves one spot that might have some uncertainty. I can't imagine why we wouldn't go into the 2015 season with Fiers as our #5. He deserves it, he has earned it, so let him be the guy!!!!

 

Segura needs to step up and prove he is our guy, I think he has earned another shot too given all the turmoil in his life this past season.

 

I am not down on the 2015 squad, but I do think there needs to be a change in the coaching staff from top to bottom and get a fresh look on things with a new regime...

 

Things aren't as bad as some are saying, but there will need to be some change if we plan on playing next October. Change can be good...

[pitchleague]

Boy, this thread sure isn't very optimistic! And it's only the second day of the off season! If this continues, this going to be a looooooooong winter!

[torts]

Can you just please stop with that already? It's old, worn out and boring. There is more to say about this team than hating the manager. Especially in a thread meant to be optimistic.

 

Sure thing, anything to make you happy, but I hope you plan to scold all the other RRR anti-supporters on this site. I know I am not the only one tooting that horn.

 

That being said, I don't think this team needs to be torn down and start from scratch at all. I think the nucleus to a playoff team is here, we just need to fine tune a bit.

 

It is obvious that we need a 1B that can put up some big offensive numbers. The band aids we have been trying to use just aren't going to cut it. I think if we can get that taken care of, we will be able to make a run at the 2015 playoffs as long as we also have a 3B in place, be it Aramis or a free agent type.

 

Our starting pitching shouldn't miss a beat. Peralta is growing up before our very eyes, we know what we will be getting from Gallardo, Lohse, and Garza, which leaves one spot that might have some uncertainty. I can't imagine why we wouldn't go into the 2015 season with Fiers as our #5. He deserves it, he has earned it, so let him be the guy!!!!

 

Segura needs to step up and prove he is our guy, I think he has earned another shot too given all the turmoil in his life this past season.

 

I am not down on the 2015 squad, but I do think there needs to be a change in the coaching staff from top to bottom and get a fresh look on things with a new regime...

 

Things aren't as bad as some are saying, but there will need to be some change if we plan on playing next October. Change can be good...

 

please toot your antiRRR rants in any other thread but this one. OPTIMISM is this thread, tearing down someone or players is not the point of this thread, use this to talk about the POSITIVES for next year

[Thurston Fluff]

Segura needs to step up and prove he is our guy, I think he has earned another shot too given all the turmoil in his life this past season.

 

I think there are is reason to feel he will. He started slow but he also skipped his usual routine of winter ball. While that may have been a good thing overall I think changes like that can take some time to adjust early on. Especially for a younger player. At about the time he should have been getting back to normal he had the family issues pop up that would take any normal person out of his game. I think it really will help him that he started to come around as the season ended. It may not have been much but a week or so of good hitting to finish the season sure can't hurt his mindset.

[torts]

I agree! plus, Siggy started to swing the bat well in september! .319/.389/.753 is a lot better than the rest of his season, and not far off from his numbers overall from 2013.

[torts]

BUMP YALL!

 

100 DAYS TILL SPRING TRAINING! CANT WAIT CANT WAIT CANT WAIT CANT WAIT!

[JohnBriggs12]

After watching Aaron Rodgers hobble around with his strained calf muscle, I was reminded that Scooter Gennett struggled with the very same injury for most of the second half. That had to affect his production in the 2nd half.

 

Presumably, Scooter will be 100%, and we'll see the guy that was hitting .305/.343/.481 at the time of the injury in late July. I'm fairly confident that he'll be better than expected facing lefties too.

[pete]

Torts, I look at your avatar and my answer is "yes sir mr. torts."

 

But i feel like I'm in a small minority that is pretty positive. There's a really solid rotation, six deep, with a good candidate going forward for 7 in Jungmann and a couple wild cards in AAA. Melvin won't be shopping for the next Randy Wolf or Braden Looper.

 

The bullpen has 3 really strong candidates to start, a decent back end guy in Wooten and about a dozen maybes. I think they should have at least 2 lefties in the bullpen and I'd guess that the FO agrees by their recent acquisitions.

 

Its a pretty complete lineup with some stars and a great BU catcher. The rest of the potential bench has guys who aren't popular in discussions like Rogers, Clark, Jimenez and Gomez but could become good backups or even every day regulars. The choices by management here could be huge.

 

I've got my own complaints about RR, but honestly there aren't many guys I would prefer. I wish he would stop letting veterans tell him when they are going to play and would rotate in his bench guys so they wouldn't be asked to PH against some reliever they've never seen after eating sunflower seeds for a week while injured guys are taking the field. I wish he wouldn't use his relievers till they start to lose effectiveness. But Ron Washington... he's bad. Could some other guy be better, maybe. But the odds of finding him are long and one of the constants of baseball is that if a team isn't doing well, DA MANAGER IS A BUM! RR is a bum and the next manager will be too.

 

The AAA team doesn't seem like its going to be scintillating, but AA should be fun to follow. The lower minors have a bunch of guys who could be awesome.

 

its a terrible season if you're looking for 'respect" from predictors and writers. Repeat after me: "I don't care."

[reillymcshane]

There's a really solid rotation, six deep, with a good candidate going forward for 7 in Jungmann and a couple wild cards in AAA. Melvin won't be shopping for the next Randy Wolf or Braden Looper.

To me, this is a big plus for the team going into 2015. We don't have a #1 type pitcher (maybe not even a #2). But I think we can have six guys that can produce ERAs in the 3.50-4.00 range. That's solid (the average NL starter last year had a 3.74 ERA). That gives the team a chance every game.

 

The depth is critical because we don't have a stud like Kershaw or Cueto to balance really mediocre (or even bad) back of the rotation types. In 2013, Milwaukee trotted out Hellweg, Figaro, Burgos, Gorzelanny and Hand for 35 starts. That's roughly 170 innings with an ERA that was somewhere around 5.50 with a 5-17 record. That will kill a team that doesn't have a dominant starter or two.

 

We've often built our pitching staffs on a razor's edge - one injury or bad season cripples us. Having the depth is really nice.

 

I have to say that I am not adverse to dealing a starter, but if the team wants to contend in 2015, it's a risky deed.

[clancyphile]

For me, Ryan Braun getting those hand issues resolved has me optimistic. He comes in 100% healthy, it's a whole new ballgame with him, Lucroy, and Gomez at the heart of the order.

 

There's a lot of off-season left to play out... and who knows what will happen?

[RobDeer 45]

I'm doing my best to show optimism early on here. Some good words by you guys does help! I try to take off a few months from baseball after the season and I wait until after the first of the year to jump back in. I then go all in after the NFL is done. I'm looking forward to what this new season brings. I'm hoping for solid steady play and a chance in the end. I think we could make that run, of course, there are a lot of "ifs." But there is for all teams.

[RobertR]

I think September just left a bad taste in our mouths.

 

But, from where I'm sitting, the Brewers have this going for them in 2015.

 

1. If Braun is healthy, 3 of 8 everyday starters can have MVP aspirations in Lucroy, Gomez, and Braun.

2. The starting rotation can go at least 6 deep with what looks to be average to well above average performance. Most of the rotation looks to be pretty durable too.

3. It's not unreasonable to predict improvement by Segura. Lind promises to replace a big black hole. Parra is a really solid 4th outfielder and 1st bat off the bench. Maldonado is a solid backup catcher. Yeah, they're a bit challenged in OBP, and Gennett and Lind probably need platoon partners, so the Brewers can use a pair of backup infielders. But when utility infielder is arguably your biggest need, you're doing something right. The majority of teams in the NL have bigger lineup problems than the Brewers.

4. We'll see about Thornburg and Henderson, but if they come to Spring Training healthy, that will surely help the bullpen.

 

The Brewers are about a .500 team. But, .500 with a little luck, isn't really far from contention. The way I look at it, there's nothing wrong with the Brewers running out with the attitude that they can contend. If they do, great. If not, sell off at the deadline. There's no reason to think that there won't be demand for Lohse, Gallardo, Ramirez, and Parra, barring injuries, at the deadline.

 

The one thing I don't want at the deadline is to do nothing. Either be a contender or sell, but don't be inactive.

 

Heck, looking around the NL, which has 5 playoff spots, I like the Brewers in 2015 better than the Braves, Mets, Phillies, Marlins, Padres, Rockies, Cubs (who will be both exciting and have some growing pains in 2015), Reds, and Diamondbacks. Obviously, I like the Cardinals, Pirates, Giants, Dodgers, and Nationals chances better. You can make the argument that the Brewers are the 6th best team in the NL. Yeah, they have a hill to climb, but by the same measure if only one of the Cardinals, Pirates, Giants, or Dodgers slip, due to injuries, age, team dysfunction, etc. the Brewers could be right there.

 

I think this could be the last hurrah for the team, with the Cubs set to join the Pirates and Cardinals in a year or two, but the scenario for the Brewers making the post-season isn't that far fetched.

[MNBrew]

Right on, RobertR.

 

For as much as the Cubs & Pirates are seen as teams on the rise, baseball history is chock full of teams whose seemingly-inevitable ascent was derailed for one reason or another as quickly as it became trendy & heralded. So yeah, their futures look quite promising. But I'm thinking that while it's wise to note their ascent and be concerned that the Brewers' ascent isn't of the same caliber (or at all or is trending the other way), it's still foolish for anyone to realistically concede anything to the Cubs (for instance, or anyone else, either) and their apparently-looming dynasty until it actually proves real.

[pete]

It's drifted off the front page over at Fangraphs, but I thought I'd throw the url in here.

 

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/ball-in-play-leaders-and-laggards-national-league-hitters/

 

It was written by former Brewers' employee Tony Blengino, recently of the falling out with Jack Z. Not all of it is immediately apparent as positive or negative, but there's some interesting data. It is limited to players with 215 balls in play.

 

Reynolds is gone. Only one other player had a higher pop up rate and he had the lowest line drive rate. Heyward is on the pop up leaderboard as well.

 

Jon Jay had a nice season. He was a hair away from the best line drive rate and an incredibly low pop up rate. At least he's at or near the end of his arb years.

 

Segura had a really high ground ball rate. Only 2 players had a lower batting average on fly balls as well. He was close to the bottom of the league on BA of balls put in play. I guess the negative view of that is that he's not barrelling up the ball. But I'd think that even with struggling mechanics and the personal things happening, he was unlucky. Khris Davis had a pretty foul BA on grounders as well.

 

There are also a bunch of NL Central members with some shiny results. Really high averages on fly balls by Mesoraco and Rizzo, Leaderboard rates on LD averages for Alvarez, McCutchen, Snider and Holliday. That's a lot of Pirates, especially considering that the lists seem skewed by Rockies although its also dominated by guys who hit the ball hard.

 

But there on the list of positive results for balls in play is McCutchen, behind Stanton, Goldschmidt and a handful of Rockies. Blengino suggested that the data might indicate that McCutchen could have an even bigger season. That seemed contrary to me as he had a very low line drive rate and great results.

 

That led me to check babip results. For qualified batters (500 PAs?) 1st was Starling Marte, .373 along with a 24 percent K rate, McCutchen at .355 coming in 7th and Josh Harrison at 9th with a .353. Yes they are all fast, but 1 - 7 and 9 in all of baseball is extremely high and bound to come down.

 

That's my positive. They also had a catcher with a career year and great results from now departed Volquez. There are positives for them too, but they've got plenty of question marks.

 

Well, I'm not sure how well I did in presenting a positive. I wonder if some will read this and think "YO PETE, that's some bad stuff too."

[JackNicholson1974]

This has been a depressingly quiet off season for Milwaukee. Dont get me wrong, I dont want them to make moves just for the sake of making moves, but I check the news every morning for something to get me excited about Spring Training and it just hasnt happened for me yet.

[pacopete4]

I really, really like baseball. That is all.

[fondybrewfan]

We are getting close to the point where Spring Training is at least in sight. That's pretty cool.

 

Ryan Braun's thumb is going to be important to the Brewers; perhaps as much as Aaron Rodger's calf. I will watching Braun's performance in spring training pretty closely despite it being meaningless. I need hope that he can be the MVP player he was a couple years back.

[reillymcshane]

Nick Punto signed with Arizona. That means he won't be on our team!

[torts]

ITS COMING!!!! BASEBALL IS ON THE HORIZON!!!! FEB 19TH IT BEGINS ANEW!

[jerichoholicninja]

Nick Punto signed with Arizona. That means he won't be on our team!

 

Yuni's still out there. Oh wait, this is the optimism thread. Yuni B still isn't a Brewer!...yet.

[Mass Haas]

Tracy Ringolsby says one of three clubs primed to climb (Braunie)

[torts]

Nick Punto signed with Arizona. That means he won't be on our team!

 

Yuni's still out there. Oh wait, this is the optimism thread. Yuni B still isn't a Brewer!...yet.

 

I am optimistic he will land a bench role for the brewers! It is, of course, an odd-numbered year!

[brewmann04]

It's getting close. And maybe now Melvin will finally realize it's time to add that bullpen help that needed as well as that bench help so desperate needed.

[Invader3K]

It's getting close. And maybe now Melvin will finally realize it's time to add that bullpen help that needed as well as that bench help so desperate needed.

 

Fortunately those things are relatively easy to add during Spring Training.

[Patrick425]

Couldn't find a "Hank the Dog" thread (thought for sure there was a thread dedicated to Hank somewhere?) So, I'm putting this here as a random off-season brewer related "happening":

 

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mlb-big-league-stew/brewers-mascot-hank-wears-a-tux-to-the-world-dog-awards-173236837.html