Cheap 1B options

[Devinep]

So when CC gets asked about Braun moving to 1B does he just respond by saying "He's not an option there" without any sort of explanation? Basically: "Braun isn't going to move to 1B because he isn't going to move to 1B."

[MrTPlush]

[brewcrewdue80]

The way I read play Rogers almost seems to me to expect him DFA in the near future. Really have a hard time ignoring a Clark/Rogers platoon that seems so right to answer cheap 1b options. Yet, we aren't headed that way. The team is "scouring" 1b options.

I guess Santana isn't in the mix for consideration.

 

1b+CF. Where does he play? Davis+Braun are locks.

I feel like right now Mark A is seeing this overall Payroll and pushing Stearns to find a FA signing to bump it up some. 55mil is probably almost what the team receives between tv revenue and revenue sharing. Probably just feel better of mind if it got to 65mil.

 

I'd play Clark/Rogers. My guess is somebody from this list isn't signed by the start of the season. Only given a minor league contract to opt out of. Well if those 2 can't make a pleasing duo come May. There's your signing

[MrTPlush]

I HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY doubt Mark Attanasio is pacing back and forth concerned that he isn't spending more money for the same product in the end. If that is the case I am shocked he ever got wealthy.

[AKCheesehead]

Count me in the camp of "Rogers/Clark platoon." Any FA we sign this year I want to be someone who we can flip in July or sooner. I just don't see a whole lot of tremendous potential for that in this year's 1bFA class. And if not that, I'd want a FA of plus defense to help our pitchers' success and I don't care about his bat. In my armchair GM mind, that would be my approach. I just don't see a heck of a lot to be gained in a FA 1b pick up right now.

[superfly]

Pedro Alvarez is the guy. Cue more hate and venom though for buying low on a talented player for the short/medium term even though we're losing 90+ next year. Those 28 year olds who have never seen MLB pitching until last year are just so. darn. tempting.

[sheetskout]

I'd actually be pretty good on an Alvarez-signing if the economics worked out right. I'd sacrifice the defense in what's sure to be a down year for a LH-bat that could play up tremendously in Miller Park.

[brewcrewdue80]

I HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY doubt Mark Attanasio is pacing back and forth concerned that he isn't spending more money for the same product in the end. If that is the case I am shocked he ever got wealthy.

 

 

This is the man who Boras has on speed dial to sign his FA SPs not getting interest elsewhere. As Monty will be convinced to say, Attendence matters to him and getting the casual fan excited about some FA seems to matter towards that.

 

Alvarez or Ike Davis may be the type you attempt to sell 30HR middle of the order bat that fills Lind's departure to fans. It's December, Let's just wait til Spring Training and see if Mark A. can lay off the owner signings and let his GM do his job.

[A Swing and A Drive]

As a good businessman, Attanasio still has to put butts in the seats at Miller Park. He knows that there is a good amount of casual type fans that come out and spend their money at Miller Park and will not be excited about "trying" to lose 100 games.

 

A couple of affordable free agent signings on short term deals will, believe it or not, give these type of fans some hope, even if it's just for each game they attend.

[pacopete4]

Umm.. they should sign a few guys to compete this year. Crazier things have happened. Otherwise what the heck is the front office/GM even there for? We could have BrewersNet posters put together the team and make the lineups. Sign a few guys off the heap and see what happens. It's baseball. Teams gel, players have career years, other teams have down years, etc... No one is expecting this team to compete but that doesn't mean they shouldn't make smart moves and sign discounted players and try to win some games. Some of you guys I just do not understand, at all.

[superfly]

No one is expecting this team to compete but that doesn't mean they shouldn't make smart moves and sign discounted players and try to win some games. Some of you guys I just do not understand, at all.

 

I understand them fully. The money is completely fictitious to them...the players are merely names. With no actual responsibility or feet being held to the fire you can type until your heart is content that losing 100+ games a year is acceptable. Who's going to fire them for suggesting it?

 

The funny part is merely a few hundred miles to the west the Twins have had 4-5 years of absolute terrible baseball, and despite an unexpected good showing last year the fanbase did not come out in droves. As a matter of fact, they had LESS FANS ATTEND GAMES even though they contended for a playoff spot than they did in 2014. They have had LESS FANS ATTEND GAMES every single year since their 2010 playoff sweep to the Yankees, which is about 33% less (3.1 million vs 2.2 million). Did I mention their stadium is brand new and one of the best in the league? Oh right, that didn't seem to help draw the fans in either.

 

Apathy is the absolute worst thing a fanbase can have happen to it, and what the folks that sit behind their keyboards and make imaginary minor league trades, draft picks, and fire everybody on roster that isnt 22 years old don't understand is that the Brewers do not have a strong devoted base of fans to draw from. If the team loses 90 games for 4-5 years there will be no Brewer fans at the games, and they may not come back. Sure there will be a few diehards, but it would take another several years of winning just to bring the old fans back, let alone create new ones. You can do a rebuild, but it cannot last too long. This needs to be done in 1-2 years or they will have serious issues on their hands paying the bills. MA can't just pull money out of his bee-hind despite what some seem to believe.

[bill hAll Star]

No one is expecting this team to compete but that doesn't mean they shouldn't make smart moves and sign discounted players and try to win some games. Some of you guys I just do not understand, at all.

The funny part is merely a few hundred miles to the west the Twins have had 4-5 years of absolute terrible baseball, and despite an unexpected good showing last year the fanbase did not come out in droves. As a matter of fact, they had LESS FANS ATTEND GAMES even though they contended for a playoff spot than they did in 2014. They have had LESS FANS ATTEND GAMES every single year since their 2010 playoff sweep to the Yankees, which is about 33% less (3.1 million vs 2.2 million). Did I mention their stadium is brand new and one of the best in the league? Oh right, that didn't seem to help draw the fans in either.

 

You mentioned the key point in your last sentence here.

 

New stadium in 2010 = a lot of fans. It's a bit smaller, so 3.1 million is good.

 

Team begins to fall apart, stadium is still new 2011-2013 = Decrease in fans, but only slight.

 

Team begins to rebuild 2014-2015, last ounce of new stadium excitement wears away = Bottom. Stadium began to fill again near the end of 2015.

 

2016 and beyond assuming they don't fall apart again = lots of fans again.

 

I'm not sure what else you want to do. Do you want to keep signing players to win 75 games? The Bucks tried to "stay competitive" for the last decade before Kohl sold the team and nobody showed up. Fans get tired of mediocrity as well.

 

Nobody's going to show up at Miller Park in 2016 and 2017. They already stopped showing up in 2015, and that team had Lind, Lucroy, K-Rod, Gomez, and were coming off a year that looked to have promise.

 

Sure, I think Pedro Alvarez and guys like that are good pickups and might bring 1% more fans in, but for me, I want these moves to flip for players later to bring fans in down the road. There is nothing the Brewers could do/could have done save for deciding to dump a billion dollars in future money on free agents that would have gotten Miller Park to draw large crowds for 2016.

[pacopete4]

No one is expecting this team to compete but that doesn't mean they shouldn't make smart moves and sign discounted players and try to win some games. Some of you guys I just do not understand, at all.

The funny part is merely a few hundred miles to the west the Twins have had 4-5 years of absolute terrible baseball, and despite an unexpected good showing last year the fanbase did not come out in droves. As a matter of fact, they had LESS FANS ATTEND GAMES even though they contended for a playoff spot than they did in 2014. They have had LESS FANS ATTEND GAMES every single year since their 2010 playoff sweep to the Yankees, which is about 33% less (3.1 million vs 2.2 million). Did I mention their stadium is brand new and one of the best in the league? Oh right, that didn't seem to help draw the fans in either.

 

You mentioned the key point in your last sentence here.

 

New stadium in 2010 = a lot of fans. It's a bit smaller, so 3.1 million is good.

 

Team begins to fall apart, stadium is still new 2011-2013 = Decrease in fans, but only slight.

 

Team begins to rebuild 2014-2015, last ounce of new stadium excitement wears away = Bottom. Stadium began to fill again near the end of 2015.

 

2016 and beyond assuming they don't fall apart again = lots of fans again.

 

I'm not sure what else you want to do. Do you want to keep signing players to win 75 games? The Bucks tried to "stay competitive" for the last decade before Kohl sold the team and nobody showed up. Fans get tired of mediocrity as well.

 

Nobody's going to show up at Miller Park in 2016 and 2017. They already stopped showing up in 2015, and that team had Lind, Lucroy, K-Rod, Gomez, and were coming off a year that looked to have promise.

 

Sure, I think Pedro Alvarez and guys like that are good pickups and might bring 1% more fans in, but for me, I want these moves to flip for players later to bring fans in down the road. There is nothing the Brewers could do/could have done save for deciding to dump a billion dollars in future money on free agents that would have gotten Miller Park to draw large crowds for 2016.

 

To me, it's more about doing what you can to try to win as many games, not matter what your resources are. If the Brewers want to keep payroll around $65 million this season, fine. But at least do it with the best 25 (40) players you can find and try to win as many games as we can. If that's 75, hooray! If thats 65, okay well at least they did what they can to try to win games and not just play who's convenient to them. To me, the rest of this talk is bunch of malarky.

[A Swing and A Drive]

To me, the rest of this talk is bunch of malarky.

 

Also, some poppycock.

[jerichoholicninja]

With revenue sharing does attendance even make a difference for a team like the Brewers who are always going to be in the bottom half of revenue anyway?

[bill hAll Star]

 

To me, it's more about doing what you can to try to win as many games, not matter what your resources are. If the Brewers want to keep payroll around $65 million this season, fine. But at least do it with the best 25 (40) players you can find and try to win as many games as we can. If that's 75, hooray! If thats 65, okay well at least they did what they can to try to win games and not just play who's convenient to them. To me, the rest of this talk is bunch of malarky.

 

I think they'll inadvertently do this by trying to buy low on certain players like Alvarez this year and next. They'll grab a few vets to flip later on. Those guys will help for a bit.

 

It'll be pretty apparent that they have no chance about 40 games into next season and they'll probably sell even more players at the deadline. Will this matter to fans? Absolutely not. Anyone that wants to come to see the Brewers not just going there to drink or bring their kids does not care if their 32-57 Brewers do not have Pedro Alvarez or even Lucroy for that matter in the 2nd half. The 100 or so fans that stop coming because the team is pathetic instead of "trying, but not good" will not matter to ownership as they're pocketing a few extra million bucks.

 

Will this 2-3 year period of selling players like that matter to fans in the long-haul? Once again, no. Given that we're going to go through a rebuild, nobody is going to care who was playing 3rd base in 2016 when the team is in the 2019 playoffs. No Cubs fan cares that Garza, Dempster, Soriano, Feldman or any other veteran having a solid season 2011-2014 are gone now that it is 2015. All they care about is Bryant, Schwarber, Russell, etc. and they're all back at the stadium. The Royals stunk for 20+ years and I guarantee they're going to go through an era of packed stadiums, even for a few years after this window closes.

[JohnBriggs12]

Kelly Johnson is out there as a poor man's Alvarez. Has played all over including 1B. Could be counted on for some power, and around a .750 OPS vs, RHP. Might take a bit more than the $1.5 million he played for last year but not much more.

[patrickgpe]

i don't understand the reasoning for signing a 1st baseman on the wrong side of 30 to a 1 year deal. I know they need a stopgap 1st baseman, but doesn't it make sense to go internal instead. i would prefer the brewers acquiring a young 1st baseman somehow.

[pacopete4]

I think they should wait out a guy like Justin Morneau and take a cheap 1 year shot with a guy like that. If he can be had for cheap, stays healthy and produces, then he is the guy to be had at the deadline meaning we can ship him for a piece or two. As much as Rogers can man 1st base and nothing really changes with the 2016 Brewers, adding a guy that can bring you value back can do more for this franchise.

[bill hAll Star]

i don't understand the reasoning for signing a 1st baseman on the wrong side of 30 to a 1 year deal. I know they need a stopgap 1st baseman, but doesn't it make sense to go internal instead. i would prefer the brewers acquiring a young 1st baseman somehow.

 

I'd prefer a younger guy like Alvarez to Kelly Johnson, as you have the possibility to maybe keep Alvarez if you really like his career turnaround. Johnson would likely only be used to flip later. Alvarez probably would be in the same boat, but a higher reward.

 

I'd go internal (Rogers) AND external (Alvarez). I hope to eventually have a 1B ticketed for a 2017 or 2018 entry to the majors - and that may come via a different trade or draft. Rogers can get his ABs and we can decide if he's a role player accordingly. When you trade Alvarez or Johnson at the deadline, Rogers will get his full shot, though I believe his ceiling is a nice-hitting role player.

[pacopete4]

Cross Rogers off the list.

[And That]

The Brewers should trade for Jason Rogers.

[mlloyd10]

Jon singleton?

[Devinep]

Jon singleton?

 

He'd be a good roll of the dice for cheap. As for free agents, Inthink Morneau would be the best gamble on cheap production to flip. I'd also like to see John Jaso as a consideration there

[patrickgpe]

Wish they could get the Keon Broxton version of a 1st baseman.