Who's The One Smart Free-Agent To Sign From This List?

[sheetskout]

If you had to sign one free-agent from this list who would you endorse?

 

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2014/09/2016-mlb-free-agents.html

 

Who do you believe would be smart to sign or is there a free-agent your eyeing for other reasons? Post yours and explain.

[tmwiese55]

In our situation I like Doug Fister as a buy low bounce back candidate who can be flipped if he does well. Shouldn't be very expensive so not much risk.

 

I don't see any position players making sense as of now. If Lind and/or Lucroy is traded then maybe you grab someone in those positions and hope for a good year to flip them as well. Since we don't really have a lot of options behind those guys.

 

If you're a contending team with money then Price is just simply #1. I like Jaime Garcia too as a lower tier guy at a fraction of the cost of the top guys like Price/Cueto but I'm sure STL will exercise the option. And if he hit FA he wouldn't make sense for MKE being too expensive and he'll want to play for a winner.

[pacopete4]

Alex Avila would be my choice because it would mean we have flipped Lucroy for more pieces.

[jerichoholicninja]

Alex Avila would be my choice because it would mean we have flipped Lucroy for more pieces.

 

Avila should never catch again. The fact that Detroit has put him back there since his concussions is concerning. I'm sure Alex was all for it but it's not smart. The Rays moved Jaso to the outfield because of his concussions.

[ewitkows]

Greinke is the only one who would help us to be a playoff contender.

[ewitkows]

and by playoff contender I mean an outside shot

[pacopete4]

Alex Avila would be my choice because it would mean we have flipped Lucroy for more pieces.

 

Avila should never catch again. The fact that Detroit has put him back there since his concussions is concerning. I'm sure Alex was all for it but it's not smart. The Rays moved Jaso to the outfield because of his concussions.

 

 

This is something I did not know. Being an ex-catcher, that is a scary thought. You're right, not smart. Still should deal Lucroy though.

[jerichoholicninja]

and by playoff contender I mean an outside shot

 

I was going to make a joke post about how he would actually be an improvement over some of the hitters the Brewers currently have. Then I looked at the numbers. Since 2012, Greinke has a .657 OPS. This season, of guys with over 100 PA Schaefer, Hector Gomez, Peterson, Maldonado, and Segura all have a lower OPS than that. Hernan Perez and Gennett are only slightly higher.

[Outlander]

If I had to sign someone it would be Austin Jackson on a one year deal.

[Bnowell4evr]

I would lean towards A.J. Pierzynski with the intention of trading Lucroy and hopefully Pierzynski again at the trade deadline.

[nate82]

On one year deals:

Joba Chamberlain, Tyler Clippard, Tommy Hunter, Joakim Soria, Mat Latos, Mike Leake, Trevor Cahill, Austin Jackson, Gordon Beckham, Alex Avila, Brandon Beachy, and Chad Billingsley.

 

Those are the players I would try to get on a one year deal to see if I could flip them at the deadline. Jackson, Avila, Beachy, and Cahill could be great buy low candidates in the free agent market and allow the Brewers to get a decent prospect in return during the deadline.

 

Jackson is probably the only player on the list that would be able to bring back a good return if he plays well enough. I would also rather have Jackson over Schafer in CF next year.

[3and2Fastball]

The correct move would be signing none of them

 

Invest that money in the international free agent market

[logan82]

You can only spend so much on the international market.

[NievesNoNO]

Daniel Murphy. He can play all over; he could play third for the Brewers. He's a high contact, solid average type. (on a team of free swingers I think having some balance in that regard is valuable). His versatility would be valuable on the field and in a potential trade.

[SoCalBrewfan]

A strange game. The only winning move is not to play.

[brewcrewdue80]

I'd try for Gerardo Parra once again to be the Lefty bat in the OF who can play CF in a pinch.

 

But Really. The Brewers reside in a division where the 3rd best team is at 93.5wins according to win pct. and the Leader is at 102.3.

 

The Cubs are that 3rd place team and they are only going to get better and if not better, add more depth to maintain 93+wins.

The Pirates possess so much depth and have prized Pitchers forthcoming...what the Cardinals have had for a few seasons now.

 

Brewers need to run thin and not force the issue. They reside in the most talented and toughest division in Baseball and that doesn't look like it will end Next season or the year after that. FA spending this offseason is just a waste of money. You can probably add Grienke and Cueto and the team will still not finish ahead of the other 3.

[DHonks]

I wouldn't mind Tommy Hunter, if healthy. He was filthy as a young kid. He may have a renaissance in his 30s.

[igor67]

I would second that Murphy would make sense on a Lind type of deal maybe even 3 years given that we don't have anyone else on the cusp anytime soon.

[JohnBriggs12]

Break the bank and sign David Price for 7 years and $190 million and become immediate contenders. Look the Brewers could surround him in the rotation with pre-Arby guys for the next 5 years and would still only need to budget $30 million for the entire rotation which is less than they had in 2014 when they had Gallardo, Lohse, and Garza taking up more than that. Of course they'd still be on the hook for Garza for 2 more years, but technically he'd be home collecting it rather than stinking up Miller Park and not part of the current rotation.

 

OR

 

Corner the Khris or Chris Davis market by signing Chris to replace Lind and seeing if the two can combine for 80 HR a year for a few seasons.

[RockCoCougars]

Daniel Murphy. He can play all over; he could play third for the Brewers. He's a high contact, solid average type. (on a team of free swingers I think having some balance in that regard is valuable). His versatility would be valuable on the field and in a potential trade.

 

That would be my pick as well. That said, he's probably going to get a decent payday, and I'm not sure it makes sense for the Brewers to give a guy like that eight figures for a couple of years at this stage.

[jerichoholicninja]

Break the bank and sign David Price for 7 years and $190 million and become immediate contenders. Look the Brewers could surround him in the rotation with pre-Arby guys for the next 5 years and would still only need to budget $30 million for the entire rotation which is less than they had in 2014 when they had Gallardo, Lohse, and Garza taking up more than that. Of course they'd still be on the hook for Garza for 2 more years, but technically he'd be home collecting it rather than stinking up Miller Park and not part of the current rotation.

 

OR

 

Corner the Khris or Chris Davis market by signing Chris to replace Lind and seeing if the two can combine for 80 HR a year for a few seasons.

 

Price or Chris Davis alone does not make the 2016 Brewers a contender.

[JohnBriggs12]

Break the bank and sign David Price for 7 years and $190 million and become immediate contenders. Look the Brewers could surround him in the rotation with pre-Arby guys for the next 5 years and would still only need to budget $30 million for the entire rotation which is less than they had in 2014 when they had Gallardo, Lohse, and Garza taking up more than that. Of course they'd still be on the hook for Garza for 2 more years, but technically he'd be home collecting it rather than stinking up Miller Park and not part of the current rotation.

 

OR

 

Corner the Khris or Chris Davis market by signing Chris to replace Lind and seeing if the two can combine for 80 HR a year for a few seasons.

 

Price or Chris Davis alone does not make the 2016 Brewers a contender.

 

There's no guaranty that any strategy will result in them contending in any given season, but the biggest difference between the 5 NL playoff teams and the Brewers is that they all have studs at the tops of the their rotations and the Brewers don't. It's pretty simple actually and unless the Brewers draft one who'll be up within 2 years, they won't have one when most of their prospects get to Milwaukee either. They have many major league projectable arms but none that stand out as future contenders for Cy Youngs and I don't hold out much hope that even trading their most marketable player Lucroy is going to get that guy back either.

 

I'm having a little fun here particularly with the Davis thing. Only half serious though they'll never be serious contenders until they have a stud or two at top of the rotation.

[JohnBriggs12]

For some reason he's not listed but who will be a FA this offseason that I like is Will Venable. He's a poor man's Gerardo Parra. He's actually pretty good in CF and a better alternative than say Peterson. He'll be cheap, maybe even to the point where he'd take a minor league deal and if he hits at all in a bench role, there will be teams that will show interest later on.

[pacopete4]

I'd love to add Daniel Murphy if it means we are trading Scooter for some prospects. Let Murphy play at 2B and 3B next year with Perez, Herrera, Rivera and Sardinas filling in those positions as well. Scooters hack first and think later approach is exactly what we need to get away from. Another reason Segura should be on his way out as well. Get guys that can get on base more.

[Mr Southpaw]

Casey McGehee, yes I said it, Casey McGehee.

 

One year, 3.5 million. He can platoon at first and play at third without being a total disaster. If he has a great first half (25% chance), trade his behind for whatever you can get. If he falls on his face (35% chance), you did not spend much in money or length of contract. That leave a 40% chance he is just Casey McGehee. He has always been a good clubhouse guy.