Denard Span

[DR28]

Thoughts on Span as our CF until Phillips is ready?

 

Span will be a FA this winter... I know his 2015 season has been filled with injuries but he's been a very solid player and he would be a great lead-off hitter for us... I say give him a 2 year deal.

 

I REALLY like an OF of Santana-Span-Braun... Davis and others would be traded for 3B help.

[pogokat]

I don't see the purpose...Span is a good player who will likely command a multi year contract. I think the Brewers are much more likely to either shoehorn Santana in CF, or go with Peterson until Reed or Phillips come up. I doubt seriously that they will sign a CFer, or any outfielder at all, for several years.

[pacopete4]

I could see this move if the front office is going to try to assemble a playoff team next year but that doesn't sound to be the case. If we are going to be a rebuilding team then why waste the dough when we have plenty of options in the OF?

[jerichoholicninja]

After being injured for basically a whole season I don't see a lot of teams jumping at Span with expensive multi-year deals. A one year deal to stay healthy and hit in Miller Park could be great for him to get that money in 2017.

 

The guy I'm kind of interested in is Alex Jackson. He's a free agent who will almost certainly be getting a one year, value builder deal. His defense has generally been good, although his dWar looks to be down this year. Same thing as Span, hitting in Miller Park for a year might be great for his value. Prior to 2014 he put up a .750ish OPS in Detroit but has been brutal since. Players generally don't just forget how to hit at age 27 and I'd be willing to take a gamble that he still can in 2016.

[DR28]

After being injured for basically a whole season I don't see a lot of teams jumping at Span with expensive multi-year deals. A one year deal to stay healthy and hit in Miller Park could be great for him to get that money in 2017.

 

The guy I'm kind of interested in is Alex Jackson. He's a free agent who will almost certainly be getting a one year, value builder deal. His defense has generally been good, although his dWar looks to be down this year. Same thing as Span, hitting in Miller Park for a year might be great for his value. Prior to 2014 he put up a .750ish OPS in Detroit but has been brutal since. Players generally don't just forget how to hit at age 27 and I'd be willing to take a gamble that he still can in 2016.

 

You mean Austin Jackson... I would gladly take Alex Jackson the prospect!

[MrTPlush]

I can't imagine Span getting anything less than 3 years to be honest...and I don't see that making sense for the Brewers.

 

As one person said Austin Jackson would make more sense if he is looking for a 1 year deal.

[jerichoholicninja]

After being injured for basically a whole season I don't see a lot of teams jumping at Span with expensive multi-year deals. A one year deal to stay healthy and hit in Miller Park could be great for him to get that money in 2017.

 

The guy I'm kind of interested in is Alex Jackson. He's a free agent who will almost certainly be getting a one year, value builder deal. His defense has generally been good, although his dWar looks to be down this year. Same thing as Span, hitting in Miller Park for a year might be great for his value. Prior to 2014 he put up a .750ish OPS in Detroit but has been brutal since. Players generally don't just forget how to hit at age 27 and I'd be willing to take a gamble that he still can in 2016.

 

You mean Austin Jackson... I would gladly take Alex Jackson the prospect!

 

I for the life of me couldn't remember his first name. I kept thinking it was Alex so I looked it up and found out it was Austin. I then came here to post and still wrote Alex. Total brain shart.

[JohnBriggs12]

Unless they deal Davis or Braun, why not just play Santana in CF? Sure he's out of position but they have a season to evaluate to see if his bat will play in a corner spot. Let Shafer or Wren be the late inning defensive replacement.

 

I would have figured they could find a capable stopgap for a year, but I'm warming to the idea of Santana's pop being in there. They may not be contenders but they will have some mashers to watch.

[MNBrew]

I like Span when he's healthy, but the news just broke today that he's out for the remainder of the year (MLBTradeRumors.com & elsewhere). I think that the cost/risk combo there doesn't equate to the Brewers making a play on Span this winter.

 

I have no problem with Santana as the starting CF. Davis & Braun are no Gold Glovers, but they're not poor OFs, either (remember the knock on Davis isn't his glove, only his Juan-Pierre-like noodle arm)....

 

Schafer or Wren? Come on, JB12, really? One, Wren shouldn't even be in the discussion because he's done nothing to prove he's legitimately MLB-ready. Two, I'd take Shane Peterson over either of those guys. He's no GoGo, but he's far closer to GoGo than to Izzy Alcantara, and unlike Schafer, the guy can actually hit MLB pitching and pinch-hit (rather than almost exclusively pinch-out), which after the year our bench had last year at the plate is something not to be overlooked or undervalued at all!

[brewcrewdue80]

No. Don't want Span. He'd immediately be blocking Phillips at CF. He's also going to cost 10mil or more because of his "Defense" Him hitting in MP I don't see adding value to his bat. He's pretty much shown 3-6HR power. Sure he may run in to 9 or 10HRs as a Brewer but nobody is going to look at that output and think he's popping 10 now every year. He's a 5HR projection.

 

What's the point in acquiring him anyway with Phillips? For next year? Why waste 12 to 14mil on a team probably scraping for 74wins next season? I can guess maybe as a player to sell in July. You're looking at basically spending 7-9million hoping Span stays healthy to acquire 2 solid prospects. Please just spend that money on the international market instead. For every Parra trade, there's ARam, Lohse, Garza, Gallardo season that, that plan failed. Assets nobody wanted or in ARam's case for very little. Just invest it in the International market and not some half season/full season Name that puts the team closer to .485.

[reillymcshane]

No to Span. Even on a one year deal, it reeks of what we have done in the past - trying to patch together a team that might contend if all the pieces fall into place. There's nothing wrong with the guy, just the wrong thing for this club at this time.

 

It's a move, btw, that I would totally see the club doing - at least in the past. I don't know about under the new GM, but we'll see.

[bill hAll Star]

It depends what the motivation is. If it's to "win this year" then it is stupid.

 

If it's to be shrewd like a particular team did to get a decent veteran on a 1-year deal for a rebuilding team to later flip at the deadline that sometimes turns into a useful player down the road then I'm a fan.

 

Span may not be the guy, but I do want the Brewers to seek out as many 1-year deals, or maybe extremely undervalued 2-year deals they can find to flip at the deadline.

[jerichoholicninja]

A 1-year deal never hurt anyone.

[MNBrew]

^^ Right, on the whole, but it sure raised almighty you-know-what when it was Eric Gagne in MIL for $10M, including many BF.net posters just about imploding.

[jerichoholicninja]

^^ Right, on the whole, but it sure raised almighty you-know-what when it was Eric Gagne in MIL for $10M, including many BF.net posters just about imploding.

 

Well many posters here think steroids = despicable piece of human garbage, so that shouldn't be a surprise.

[FVBrewerFan]

No to Span. No to any FA next year- one year deal or not. Absolutely no reason to spend more money in 2016- period. I don't care if Garza plays CF.

[bill hAll Star]

No to Span. No to any FA next year- one year deal or not. Absolutely no reason to spend more money in 2016- period. I don't care if Garza plays CF.

 

I'm not necessarily a fan of Denard Span - but if the team is actively rebuilding, there is plenty of value in picking up random free agents to buy low on. Of course I wouldn't want to block a young player that I want playing, but some buy-low contracts to flip for value at the deadline is exactly what smart GMs do.

[pacopete4]

No to Span. No to any FA next year- one year deal or not. Absolutely no reason to spend more money in 2016- period. I don't care if Garza plays CF.

 

I'm sorry but this is just silly talk. It's fine to want to rebuild for the future, and I know you're joking, but it is not a great way to run a business just randomly throwing out guys to play next year because you are waiting on the "future."

[FVBrewerFan]

No to Span. No to any FA next year- one year deal or not. Absolutely no reason to spend more money in 2016- period. I don't care if Garza plays CF.

 

I'm sorry but this is just silly talk. It's fine to want to rebuild for the future, and I know you're joking, but it is not a great way to run a business just randomly throwing out guys to play next year because you are waiting on the "future."

 

Tell the Astros that. Yes, I was joking about Garza. But I would rather keep Santana in CF, or take a real flier and move Tyrone Taylor up. Reed, Wren... Any of those options would cost you almost nothing, while at the same time test-driving OFs to see if they fit into long term plans.

[bill hAll Star]

Yeah, let's call up outfielders that have a .670 OPS in AA and waste service time.

 

I agree that I'd rather not block anyone, and therefore Santana at CF is OK...but at positions that aren't filled - I'm picking up cheap vets and flipping them at the deadline. Of course, I'm not doing it just to do it. If none of those options exist, well then I roll out a completely washed up AAAA guy for a little bit and then call up the young guy when he's ready.

[Outlander]

Not in favor of wasting service time but fine with having cheap, low ceiling guys like Wren or Guez fill in for a year. Not opposed to giving a guy like a Span or Stubbs a shot in CF if they take a fairly low salary but realistically not going to be able to flip them for much of anything anyway at the deadline.

[superfly]

Wren is absolute garbage. Man some of you folks have low standards...there is no reason to not sign people on short "prove it" contracts as we're rebuilding...it's more ways to try and strike gold on (formerly) proven vets or talent.

[jerichoholicninja]

How many vets did the Cubs sign the last few years to one year deals and then flip at the deadline for prospects? A few. There is pretty much zero risk to do so. I'd imagine a healthy Denard Span playing to his norms plus Wily Peralta or Krod could bring back a nice prospect and change in July 2016.

[trwi7]

How many vets did the Cubs sign the last few years to one year deals and then flip at the deadline for prospects? A few. There is pretty much zero risk to do so.

 

You mean other than the player not performing and not being able to trade them? Even if Span can only get a one year deal, he could probably get a deal more than we would be willing to pay with a team better than us. I'm sure the Nats would take him back if he couldn't find a multi-year deal in free agency.

 

Even if we're using the Feldman/Arrieta example. At the time of that trade Arrieta was a 27 year old with a 5.50 ERA. I don't even think the Cubs thought he would basically turn into a Cy Young contender.

 

I'm not really seeing a whole lot of players at positions of need that would be willing to take a one year value building deal anyways.

 

We should be more focused on maximizing the value of Lind, Lucroy, Davis, Segura and maybe Braun instead of looking for one year value buys that we could maybe flip later.

[DuWayne Steurer]

^^ Right, on the whole, but it sure raised almighty you-know-what when it was Eric Gagne in MIL for $10M, including many BF.net posters just about imploding.

 

Well many posters here think steroids = despicable piece of human garbage, so that shouldn't be a surprise.

 

Hating the Gagne deal had nothing to do with his steroid issue. It had to do with paying a closer 10 million dollars and the fact that he had missed almost the entirety of 2005 and 06, and was pretty much average in 2007. That's not the kind of guy you throw 10 mil at.