Calls Have Been Made -- K-Rod to the Jays for Corner IF or CF?

[bill hAll Star]

I'm obviously not concerned with trading for placeholders if I'm rebuilding (like Valencia) because I don't find it as a worthwhile endeavor.

 

Outside of the obvious reasons...I'd also like to sign reclamation projects as my placeholders. Pick up Matt Joyce if you need a "placeholder" in the OF next year...see if you can find why he's struggling and flip him ah the deadline. That sort of thing.

 

If you trade for Valencia, not only have you squandered an OK asset in K-Rod in terms of not getting a young player (I realize they won't be getting a top 100 prospect for K-Rod), but you also spend time on Valencia and probably get nothing out of it.

[JohnBriggs12]

I would be curious why cf when our minor league system is loaded at Cf prospects.

 

You guys are missing the point. K-Rod has value, but not "top prospect" value. So going for a position of need makes sense when dealing him. That guy is Gomez who if not traded during the season, most likely will be this winter. When Gomez is dealt, you go for best player regardless of position.

[Mr Southpaw]

I think most Brewer fans are referring to Tyrone Taylor, Kyle Wren, Michael Reed, Monte Harrison, Troy Stokes and the new kid we just drafted.

[Boomer5]

Best prospect available should be the target for all trades. The closer you get to wanting "major league ready" is the reason you get a trade for Mensch and Nix.

[monty57]

On the bright side the rumor of looking for CF prospects should quiet the "Melvin is going to extend Gomez to some ridiculous deal into his mid-30s" talk.

 

There's worry that Melvin will extend Lucroy into his mid-30's, but I don't think there's ever been any chance of extending Gomez. The question with him is just whether they'll trade him while teams can still offer a QO, or whether they'll go into next season with him and trade him at the deadline, diminishing his return.

 

As to the K-Rod rumor, is this coming from the Toronto side, or the Milwaukee side? If Milwaukee is in discussion on trading K-Rod, it would be a good sign that they aren't going to try to patch together a "competitive" team in 2016.

[bill hAll Star]

Cecil got blown up again yesterday. A smart team would find somebody that can pitch the 9th inning (or just close games) out of their bullpen, but here's to hoping that the Blue Jays are dying to get some experience in there.

[JohnBriggs12]

Best prospect available should be the target for all trades. The closer you get to wanting "major league ready" is the reason you get a trade for Mensch and Nix.

 

K-Rod is having a fine season but if you think he's going to bring you a prospect with a high ceiling you are dreaming. Your choice is a prospect who's ceiling is that of a marginal major leaguer or a bottom of the rotation starter or to take a guy who's useful for a year or two as your actual prospects are developing and can be moved later on.

 

Gomez (likely) and Segura (possibly) are the trade chips that will return prospects of quality. If there's a deal for them in the next month that makes sense, fine. If not, wait until the winter when there should be even more suitors.

 

I really don't think the Jays are interested in expanding a deal beyond K-Rod right now. Their best positional prospect, Pompey is a CF, and they are getting decent production from Kevin Pillar in CF. They also have Michael Saunders who is expected back from the DL in July.

 

That being said I wouldn't be interested in Valencia. Not that he wouldn't fit as a stop gap at 3B for a rebuilding team. But they've picked up Perez and Dominguez in recent weeks so why not just let those two battle it out?

[JackNicholson1974]

So we should set out sights on a Nicky Delmonico type. Less if we can unload garbage like Garza or Lohse.

[Boomer5]

Best prospect available should be the target for all trades. The closer you get to wanting "major league ready" is the reason you get a trade for Mensch and Nix.

 

K-Rod is having a fine season but if you think he's going to bring you a prospect with a high ceiling you are dreaming. Your choice is a prospect who's ceiling is that of a marginal major leaguer or a bottom of the rotation starter or to take a guy who's useful for a year or two as your actual prospects are developing and can be moved later on.

 

Gomez (likely) and Segura (possibly) are the trade chips that will return prospects of quality. If there's a deal for them in the next month that makes sense, fine. If not, wait until the winter when there should be even more suitors.

 

I really don't think the Jays are interested in expanding a deal beyond K-Rod right now. Their best positional prospect, Pompey is a CF, and they are getting decent production from Kevin Pillar in CF. They also have Michael Saunders who is expected back from the DL in July.

 

That being said I wouldn't be interested in Valencia. Not that he wouldn't fit as a stop gap at 3B for a rebuilding team. But they've picked up Perez and Dominguez in recent weeks so why not just let those two battle it out?

 

I dont recall saying KRod would bring back a top prospect. I suggested we should be trading for best available prospect, as opposed to a major league ready piece that likely will be a 22-25th roster player.

 

I also think KRod holds enough value to not be a salary dump candidate. i think he is worth more than say a Delmonico level prospect, which at the time was pretty decent, such as it turned out.

[FVBrewerFan]

I've read over the thread and have a few thoughts:

 

1) I don't know where this idea of being "overloaded with CF" comes from. We have Taylor who is not anywhere close to guaranteed avg MLB CF. Wren and Reed are not true CFs, and then you're talking about guys at the rookie league level. That's not stacked by any means.

 

2) This idea of including Garza for a salary dump makes no sense. Contracts of Lohse, Broxton, Ramirez, likely KRod are gone next year. You trade KRod so you can get young talent, the money really doesn't matter as much.

 

3) I guess I see KRod as having more value than most of you. He is a proven closer, and at his age you're not worrying about his FB losing steam or anything, he lives off the change. He's actually a value to have as a closer for another year. Key is you need more than Toronto looking around. There are more teams that that who need/will need a closer- that's when you can start dealing from strength. I don't suggest he's worth a top 50 MLB prospect either, but he is worth a couple young players with higher ceilings. For example, let's say Jorge Lopez/Diaz in return. Two guys AA or lower, probably lower, that have true potential.

[Luke99]

I would aim for Anthony Alford and Rowdy Tellez. Alford is reminiscent of Monte Harrison and I think would be a great get. He is 20, supposedly raw but having a very good year in low A. Rowdy Tellez would add some 1B prospect depth and is a strong OBP guy which I believe this organization needs more of.

[Roderick]

I am of the thinking that KRod won't bring back a bunch, and if we could package him with Garza to get rid of both, I would do that in a second. I don't think that is possible at this time, but if Garza has a couple of average starts in a row, and the Brewers ship a couple million with Garza then maybe it gets done with some low-level prospect back in return.

 

Even if the Brewers don't spend that money on players immediately, this would allow the owners to pay down debt or whatever now, and when the Brewers next window arises, they would be in a better position to go over budget at that time as can build up equity now.

[gregmag]

I'd give them K-Rod and Garza for nothing if they take on both remaining contracts in their entirety.

 

This would accomplish pretty much nothing. What is the saved money going to be used for? More aging free agents? This franchise doesn't need money it needs talent. To give up someone who might actually be able to bring talent back just to not have to pay Garza seems like a backwards move to me.

 

It could accomplish plenty. They could invest more in international free agents and rookies. It doesn't need to be a move for immediacy. I'm fine with an approach where they go with a tiny payroll for a few years, bank the profits, and use them to make a move to bulk it up when they see a window, or use it to keep future stars that they might be drafting in the next couple years, like a Marlins model.

 

Shedding dead weight payroll would be a huge part of the rebuilding process. I'm not talking about giving them Gomez or Segura. It's not like K-Rod is going to net us a major prospect anyway.

Is this right? The draft and international free agency rules limit the difference money can make. It doesn't seem like the Brewers are facing a huge opportunity cost with their payroll right now. I guess if you can dump salary you don't need, you might as well do it; but in that scenario, presumably you can get talent back if you eat some of the salary.

[JohnBriggs12]

Why trade Garza now when his value is way, way down and he's got plenty of time to rebuild it into something? It would be understandable if you wanted to use the salary, but if they are rebuilding they aren't going to be dipping into premium FA pool anytime soon.