Anyone else losing their patience?

[liveforoctober]

This thread title gave me anxious flashbacks to EVERY SINGLE OFFSEASON AS A PACKERS FAN. Teams sign guys. GB doesn't (2017 withstanding). Fans go crazy.

[JimH5]

The moves are still there to be made. This Winter Meetings has largely been a bust, because most of them are busts. Deals get made into January and February.

 

If the week ends without any roster activity, it would be boring, but it wouldn't be a failure.

[brewmann04]

I am sure DS will look into what left and make the apprioate move.

[pacopete4]

This thread title gave me anxious flashbacks to EVERY SINGLE OFFSEASON AS A PACKERS FAN. Teams sign guys. GB doesn't (2017 withstanding). Fans go crazy.

 

Apples to oranges. NFL is set up so you can draft players who have a very high impact on your team that upcoming season.

[MNBrew]

Am I disappointed there hasn't been a Brewers move? To some extent, yes. Has my diligent refreshing of MLBTR & Twitter pages gone unrewarded, at least Brewers-wise? Absolutely. But losing my patience? Not at all. (I was bummed to lose out on Swarzak, fwiw.)

 

As others have said, few but high-quality moves are more important than a high volume of moves that turn out to be bad decisions. Last year's winning record does not ensure that we're now trading lots of prospects for top roster pieces. It could happen to some extent, it might happen in combination with trades to gain more prospects, or it might not happen at all. I trust Stearns to make right moves.

 

I remember a few (maybe 4-5) years ago, Houston was finally building the foundation of a potentially good team (Altuve, Keuchel, etc.) yet they were trading guys they'd been developing like Bud Norris and Jarred Cosart. It made me wonder if they were so addicted to prospects rather than bona fide MLB players. Well, like the Astros, the Brewers conceivably could be wise to trade off guys with some good MLB results and still-intriguing promise who also have some more pronounced limitations (high K-rate, too-low OBP, questionable defense, etc.) -- such as Broxton or maybe even Santana -- to clear room for higher-ceiling guys (Phillips, Brinson, etc.). Moves like that may happen anyway, whether or not they trade for any high-end, proven MLB talent.

[jerichoholicninja]

If you went in to this offseason thinking we were going to be signing exciting free agents then you set yourself up for disappointment.

[Jenkins5]

If you went in to this offseason thinking we were going to be signing exciting free agents then you set yourself up for disappointment.

 

Exactly. Now I think an exciting trade of some sort will happen because DS has done that. He said (inferred at least) multiple times in interviews to kind of expect the track record of the way they have operated. I don’t see him ever being a guy who is just going to over spend to say he did & make fans happy. Example, Arrieta is asking 200 million.... get out of here! 5 for 100 would be the absolute max & that is still over paying on a guy who is older & coming off down year. Many fans should love if we signed him to a large contract simple because he is a big name & because empty our pockets on a FA. Good for those fans (not talking ones on here because we tend no be more objective, realistic, and knowledgeable than your ole jsonline commenters) but not good for this team when he is pitching like Garza the last few years of deal.... can’t trade his contract, and are now handcuffed.

 

DS I think knows this team isn’t to the point yet to make those moves because we still don’t know what we even have in the guys on this roster & high minors. Santana & Shaw breaking out is awesome but we are only hoping that they will repeat with consistency. Pitching up FA pitcher doesn’t make a Anderson & Davies led rotation a contender. We are only hoping Brinson, Phillips, or Broxton take off & produce at high level. Arcia is still a ? mark of what he will be offensively. Thames we will see on. To me there is more questions on this team than sure answers. Hard to believe signing a big RP or SP & trading for Pitcher & 2B make us on contender level.

 

Again I think 2019 we will have more answers & less questions & can really move forward with needed moves to make us legit. Still a development year for a lot of guys.

[Austin Tatious]

Things are fluid. My recollection is that Stearns started discussions with Arizona at the winter meetings on the Segura trade for Chase and Isan. But, the deal didn’t get finalized until January. As we stand now, I like holding out for lofty value back.

 

When the time is right, Stearns may turn into the decisive guy like Epstein is now.

 

If I had to guess, I’d think we are in on some pitcher trades like Duffy but we have limits on what we are giving up.

 

With our low salary obligations and sheer volume of quality prospects, if Stearns felt like it, he could be buying and trading like a mad man. I’m glad he’s not so shortsighted. He’s in it for the long game.

[brewcrewdue80]

Walker, Lynn, Cobb, Davis are still out there-Arrieta(yuck) as well. Maybe not making a true move on the better options for RP is keeping an opening for Hader to be the setup man and Kneble clean up. Barnes/Jeffress 7th inning duties. To go on with the multiple arms within the minors to be looked at. It does take two to tango, could have thrown great offers at Chatwood or even Swarzak but they had no desire to play in or for Milwaukee. Like I said, there's still those big 5 yet to be signed, though with Davis it becomes a closer issue.

 

I fine with how things are going because I like the future of the ball-club as it stands. I'm more behind a 2018 trade deadline or offseason moves than at this current state of the franchise/rebuild. The minors may have had their best season ever in terms of performance/growth in a number of talented players below AAA. Many of those players are now knocking at AAA door the final step before advancing on to the team. The help may be within versus outside.

[Brewer Fever]

No, because I'm a grown up who knows there are 2 months before pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training

[KeithStone53151]

Walker, Lynn, Cobb, Davis are still out there-Arrieta(yuck) as well. Maybe not making a true move on the better options for RP is keeping an opening for Hader to be the setup man and Kneble clean up. Barnes/Jeffress 7th inning duties. To go on with the multiple arms within the minors to be looked at. It does take two to tango, could have thrown great offers at Chatwood or even Swarzak but they had no desire to play in or for Milwaukee. Like I said, there's still those big 5 yet to be signed, though with Davis it becomes a closer issue.

 

I fine with how things are going because I like the future of the ball-club as it stands. I'm more behind a 2018 trade deadline or offseason moves than at this current state of the franchise/rebuild. The minors may have had their best season ever in terms of performance/growth in a number of talented players below AAA. Many of those players are now knocking at AAA door the final step before advancing on to the team. The help may be within versus outside.

 

This is my biggest fear, part of the reason I want as much activity as I do is Hader needs to be in the rotation to start 2018. And we need good pen arms to replace him and Swarzak. The supply is getting thin, and a lot of teams still need relievers. I feel like we aren't going to get any of the high end relievers, and that's annoying.

[pacopete4]

Walker, Lynn, Cobb, Davis are still out there-Arrieta(yuck) as well. Maybe not making a true move on the better options for RP is keeping an opening for Hader to be the setup man and Kneble clean up. Barnes/Jeffress 7th inning duties. To go on with the multiple arms within the minors to be looked at. It does take two to tango, could have thrown great offers at Chatwood or even Swarzak but they had no desire to play in or for Milwaukee. Like I said, there's still those big 5 yet to be signed, though with Davis it becomes a closer issue.

 

I fine with how things are going because I like the future of the ball-club as it stands. I'm more behind a 2018 trade deadline or offseason moves than at this current state of the franchise/rebuild. The minors may have had their best season ever in terms of performance/growth in a number of talented players below AAA. Many of those players are now knocking at AAA door the final step before advancing on to the team. The help may be within versus outside.

 

This is my biggest fear, part of the reason I want as much activity as I do is Hader needs to be in the rotation to start 2018. And we need good pen arms to replace him and Swarzak. The supply is getting thin, and a lot of teams still need relievers. I feel like we aren't going to get any of the high end relievers, and that's annoying.

 

Ditto. Can't even believe we are thinking about keeping Hader in the pen. I really can't. For a team "rebuilding" and for a team that's never had a true "ace", and we aren't going to give this talented arm with his bulldog mentality a crack at becoming just that for us? Really is a shame. It's just the Brewers though. This is what we do. Bad decisions, one after the other mixed in with a couple good ones just to keep us interested.

[JohnBriggs12]

Stearns stated he's not going to pay the going rate for quality relievers. Problem is generally you get what you pay for. Last year guys like Holland and Davis got a little too rich for him so he "settled" on Feliz for $5.35 million, when for a million more he might have grabbed Holland.

 

How'd that work out? Might have cost them a playoff berth you say? You'd be right.

 

This team desperately needs not one but two quality relievers minimum, one lefty and one righty yet he refused to even pay to keep Hughes, at what undoubtedly would be a bargain compared to the numbers for guys on the open market and now virtually all the guys out there with proven track records are off the board.

[Humans Need Water]

No. I want Hader in the rotation but I'm fine with him in the pen if he ends up there, which I think he will. I'm comfortable with the pen being mainly comprised of internals at that point - Knebel, Hader, Jeffress, Barnes, T.Williams, Suter (plus maybe Houser). It's not difficult to find 2 arms that are better than half of what we had last year.

 

T.Williams needs a pen opportunity in spring. Guy throws gas with nasty slider. Tossed 51 innings last year so should easily be able to give 55-60 innings for the Brewers. Could be a huge addition from the start

[TURBO]

No, because I'm a grown up who knows there are 2 months before pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training

 

salty...

[pacopete4]

No, because I'm a grown up who knows there are 2 months before pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training

 

salty...

 

[StearnsFTW]

No, because I'm a grown up who knows there are 2 months before pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training

 

salty...

 

I mean, he's right...........

[FVBrewerFan]

Stearns stated he's not going to pay the going rate for quality relievers. Problem is generally you get what you pay for. Last year guys like Holland and Davis got a little too rich for him so he "settled" on Feliz for $5.35 million, when for a million more he might have grabbed Holland.

 

How'd that work out? Might have cost them a playoff berth you say? You'd be right.

 

This team desperately needs not one but two quality relievers minimum, one lefty and one righty yet he refused to even pay to keep Hughes, at what undoubtedly would be a bargain compared to the numbers for guys on the open market and now virtually all the guys out there with proven track records are off the board.

 

Wrong. Feliz flaming out paved the way for Knebel being the closer most of the year. If they had signed one of the other late inning guys available that likely wouldn't have happened.

[KeithStone53151]

Stearns stated he's not going to pay the going rate for quality relievers. Problem is generally you get what you pay for. Last year guys like Holland and Davis got a little too rich for him so he "settled" on Feliz for $5.35 million, when for a million more he might have grabbed Holland.

 

How'd that work out? Might have cost them a playoff berth you say? You'd be right.

 

This team desperately needs not one but two quality relievers minimum, one lefty and one righty yet he refused to even pay to keep Hughes, at what undoubtedly would be a bargain compared to the numbers for guys on the open market and now virtually all the guys out there with proven track records are off the board.

 

Wrong. Feliz flaming out paved the way for Knebel being the closer most of the year. If they had signed one of the other late inning guys available that likely wouldn't have happened.

 

I doubt that Knebel would have been any less effective last year than he was if we had Holland. It would have simply been in a different role. I'm all for trying to find value on the relief market, but I think we need at least one reliable reliever for a setup role.

[Warning Track Power]

No. I want Hader in the rotation but I'm fine with him in the pen if he ends up there, which I think he will. I'm comfortable with the pen being mainly comprised of internals at that point - Knebel, Hader, Jeffress, Barnes, T.Williams, Suter (plus maybe Houser). It's not difficult to find 2 arms that are better than half of what we had last year.

 

T.Williams needs a pen opportunity in spring. Guy throws gas with nasty slider. Tossed 51 innings last year so should easily be able to give 55-60 innings for the Brewers. Could be a huge addition from the start

This. Signing a Cishek, Reed, Swarzak, etc... would be sexy and fun for Brewer fans but I am willing to go into the season with Knebel, Jeffress, Barnes, Taylor Williams and Adrian Houser in the bullpen (with the addition of a LHP somewhere). I am willing to take the chance the difference in performance between those guys and Williams and Houser is not worth $9 million.

[Humans Need Water]

Stearns stated he's not going to pay the going rate for quality relievers. Problem is generally you get what you pay for. Last year guys like Holland and Davis got a little too rich for him so he "settled" on Feliz for $5.35 million, when for a million more he might have grabbed Holland.

 

How'd that work out? Might have cost them a playoff berth you say? You'd be right.

 

This team desperately needs not one but two quality relievers minimum, one lefty and one righty yet he refused to even pay to keep Hughes, at what undoubtedly would be a bargain compared to the numbers for guys on the open market and now virtually all the guys out there with proven track records are off the board.

 

Wrong. Feliz flaming out paved the way for Knebel being the closer most of the year. If they had signed one of the other late inning guys available that likely wouldn't have happened.

No, Briggs is right. The *sole* reason the Brewers didn't make the playoffs was Feliz lol

[superfly]

No. I want Hader in the rotation but I'm fine with him in the pen if he ends up there, which I think he will. I'm comfortable with the pen being mainly comprised of internals at that point - Knebel, Hader, Jeffress, Barnes, T.Williams, Suter (plus maybe Houser). It's not difficult to find 2 arms that are better than half of what we had last year.

 

T.Williams needs a pen opportunity in spring. Guy throws gas with nasty slider. Tossed 51 innings last year so should easily be able to give 55-60 innings for the Brewers. Could be a huge addition from the start

This. Signing a Cishek, Reed, Swarzak, etc... would be sexy and fun for Brewer fans but I am willing to go into the season with Knebel, Jeffress, Barnes, Taylor Williams and Adrian Houser in the bullpen (with the addition of a LHP somewhere). I am willing to take the chance the difference in performance between those guys and Williams and Houser is not worth $9 million.

 

So you are willing to go into the season with exactly (1) proven arm at this juncture. Jeffress could be ok, could not be. Barnes drove us up the wall for a portion of last year, another that could be ok, could not be. The other two have no experience. Sounds like a possible disaster.

 

We lost the division last year because our pen was SO bad for half the year. I feel like i'm living deja vu year round now instead of only with Ted Thompson. Nobody is asking for a spending bonanza, most are asking for "A" proven arm to supplement the pen. "A" as in one. It's not asking for the bank to be broken, hell it is barely digging under the couch cushions. I don't know about anyone else but i'd rather not blow 20 games again early in the year with an otherwise competitive team.

[KeithStone53151]

No. I want Hader in the rotation but I'm fine with him in the pen if he ends up there, which I think he will. I'm comfortable with the pen being mainly comprised of internals at that point - Knebel, Hader, Jeffress, Barnes, T.Williams, Suter (plus maybe Houser). It's not difficult to find 2 arms that are better than half of what we had last year.

 

T.Williams needs a pen opportunity in spring. Guy throws gas with nasty slider. Tossed 51 innings last year so should easily be able to give 55-60 innings for the Brewers. Could be a huge addition from the start

This. Signing a Cishek, Reed, Swarzak, etc... would be sexy and fun for Brewer fans but I am willing to go into the season with Knebel, Jeffress, Barnes, Taylor Williams and Adrian Houser in the bullpen (with the addition of a LHP somewhere). I am willing to take the chance the difference in performance between those guys and Williams and Houser is not worth $9 million.

 

So you are willing to go into the season with exactly (1) proven arm at this juncture. Jeffress could be ok, could not be. Barnes drove us up the wall for a portion of last year, another that could be ok, could not be. The other two have no experience. Sounds like a possible disaster.

 

We lost the division last year because our pen was SO bad for half the year. I feel like i'm living deja vu year round now instead of only with Ted Thompson. Nobody is asking for a spending bonanza, most are asking for "A" proven arm to supplement the pen. "A" as in one. It's not asking for the bank to be broken, hell it is barely digging under the couch cushions. I don't know about anyone else but i'd rather not blow 20 games again early in the year.

 

I want multiple arms, but I'd feel better and be a bit more comfortable once we sign one guy. Add a bit of experience to the bullpen. Otherwise we are rolling out 2-3 minor leaguers and Suter, with Jeffress/Barnes in setup roles. Houser and Williams absolutely could be good, and I'm hoping they are. But this is not that much different from having a rotation of Woodruff/Hader/Wilkerson filling the back 3 spots. You want some more dependable guys filling innings and taking pressure off the younger players. Let Williams/Houser/Wang/Derby grow into roles starting with low leverage innings and work their way up. That isn't realistic with the pen as it stands now.

[DR28]

I want multiple arms, but I'd feel better and be a bit more comfortable once we sign one guy. Add a bit of experience to the bullpen. Otherwise we are rolling out 2-3 minor leaguers and Suter, with Jeffress/Barnes in setup roles. Houser and Williams absolutely could be good, and I'm hoping they are. But this is not that much different from having a rotation of Woodruff/Hader/Wilkerson filling the back 3 spots. You want some more dependable guys filling innings and taking pressure off the younger players. Let Williams/Houser/Wang/Derby grow into roles starting with low leverage innings and work their way up. That isn't realistic with the pen as it stands now.

 

Agreed! I want multiple arms as well.

 

Reed and Watson would be ideal.

 

Cubs and Cardinals are getting better and Stearns isnt being aggressive... So glad to be battling Pirates for 3rd place.

[Warning Track Power]

No. I want Hader in the rotation but I'm fine with him in the pen if he ends up there, which I think he will. I'm comfortable with the pen being mainly comprised of internals at that point - Knebel, Hader, Jeffress, Barnes, T.Williams, Suter (plus maybe Houser). It's not difficult to find 2 arms that are better than half of what we had last year.

 

T.Williams needs a pen opportunity in spring. Guy throws gas with nasty slider. Tossed 51 innings last year so should easily be able to give 55-60 innings for the Brewers. Could be a huge addition from the start

This. Signing a Cishek, Reed, Swarzak, etc... would be sexy and fun for Brewer fans but I am willing to go into the season with Knebel, Jeffress, Barnes, Taylor Williams and Adrian Houser in the bullpen (with the addition of a LHP somewhere). I am willing to take the chance the difference in performance between those guys and Williams and Houser is not worth $9 million.

 

So you are willing to go into the season with exactly (1) proven arm at this juncture. Jeffress could be ok, could not be. Barnes drove us up the wall for a portion of last year, another that could be ok, could not be. The other two have no experience. Sounds like a possible disaster.

 

We lost the division last year because our pen was SO bad for half the year. I feel like i'm living deja vu year round now instead of only with Ted Thompson. Nobody is asking for a spending bonanza, most are asking for "A" proven arm to supplement the pen. "A" as in one. It's not asking for the bank to be broken, hell it is barely digging under the couch cushions. I don't know about anyone else but i'd rather not blow 20 games again early in the year with an otherwise competitive team.

I am not OK with blowing leads as you mentioned but I also am not comfortable with most of the salaries being tossed around to relievers. $7-$9 million per for guys like Swarzak just seems high. Relief pitching was at a premium at the winter meetings and prices reflect that. I am a believer in Jeffress in Milwaukee based on history; Barnes, who did drive us crazy but pitched to a 4.00 ERA in his first season, should improve; Williams and Houser need to be given a chance. Stearns can always find RP via trade as well if need be.