What's Next

[DR28]

Santana for salazar + (hope we get our sell high buy low)

And no plus does not mean mejia. Santana for mejia straight up would make me slap happy.

 

Broxton perez for 2 lottery tix is the 2nd small hot deal.

 

Sign walker

 

Pina vogt

Thames aguilar

Walker Villar

Arcia sogard

Shaw

Yellich Cain Braun Phillips

Anderson salazar davies chacin woodruff

Knebel Hader Jeffress Barnes Logan Williams Suter

 

Still want one more legit RP. A set up man to keep hader from being locked into a mere set up role.

 

I would love to add Oh as last bullpen piece.

[TJseven7]

If I got to write the script on the next set of moves it would be to trade Santana to the Indians for Mejia and to sign FA’s Alex Cobb and Neil Walker. Mejia is probably a year away yet, but he could be a really special bat within a few years.

 

We get mejia for Santana I'll be over the moon. Mejia and Huira are they types that can make a good offense turn nuclear.

 

Mejia Huira Arcia Cain up the middle... assuming cain doesn't implode and arcia improves a bit is very good.

 

We currently talk cain yelich santana shaw braun thames as a 6 stack and completely ignore C 2b and SS. Santana is likely to go but if you end up with a stud in mejia or huira that lineup stays lethal even with say huira phillips in place or 2b santana. Or huira mejia in place or 2b C.

[Jenkins5]

Anyone else not mind Lucroy back? Still think Catcher can improve. His cost has dropped on him you’d think over how he has played since leaving

[TJseven7]

Harrison is not overrated and the key to all our acquisitions this off-season is defensive flexibility. Neil Walker can barely play 2B. Harrison is a beast at all IF positions (minus SS) and can play corner OF. We also only have to commit to one year to him and I promise you we won't be getting rid of any decent prospects on our list to acquire him. Send them Bickford and a life-time supply of synthetic urine.

 

Give them back Broxton and raise them perez. Harrison has a 2 year club option after this one. That's interesting.

 

Either way you go villar broxton santana to harrison cain yelich... there goes 225-250 ks on the year. I like that.

[TJseven7]

Anyone else not mind Lucroy back? Still think Catcher can improve. His cost has dropped on him you’d think over how he has played since leaving

 

Its dropped because so has he. I really doubt hes a real upgrade over pina now. At least not one I'd pay 8 mil for. I see the jump up from villar sogard to harrison or walker as a better use of money.

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

Anyone else not mind Lucroy back? Still think Catcher can improve. His cost has dropped on him you’d think over how he has played since leaving

 

I don't know. He did go a little scorched earth on his way out of town. In hindsight, considering how competitive the team was last year, he probably made a mistake requesting a trade. But ... Brinson was just the main piece that brought us Yelich, and Cordell brought Swarczak last year, who was studly and nearly got the team over the playoff hump. And we still have Ortiz, who is a top 5 prospect in the system. Turned out to be a pretty dang fine deal.

 

I guess I wouldn't mind him back in a timeshare with Pina. I think he's probably better than Vogt, defensively at least.

[3and2Fastball]

I'd be thrilled beyond belief to get Mejia. He has a chance to be a very special player....

[CanOfCorn]

Santana for Meija in a HEARTBEAT. Hard to see that happening.

 

The problem with Walker is he's going to get 3 years from someone. That's absurd. We can't make that deal. I honestly don't think Walker is an option. With Harrison we have ultimate flexibility and we can get rid of him or trade him after this year or next when Huira/Dubon are ready.

[bylo tesi me]

Love the fact the we Brewer fans are getting greedy We have earned and deserve this !

[Jenkins5]

I’d love Mejia! Was over the moon with Lucroy trade! However we need an SP for Santana. Salazar & Mejia will cost more than Santana. Mejia is top catching prospect in baseball. Salazar is cheap, controllable, and electric. Maybe we can build a good package for it but not seeing it.

[paul253]

The problem with what we’ve done so far is that other teams know now that we pretty much HAVE to trade an outfielder. We are not going into next season with Braun Cain Yelich and Santana (not to mention Phillips and Broxton) on the roster unless one of them is playing first base. I think that drives down the return for them. I don’t see any way Santana gets Mejia. Not even close. Nor do I think Santana or Phillips gets us a good starting pitcher. Teams trading for Santana or Phillips are likely in a win now or win soon mode. Teams like that don’t trade good starting pitching. I fear we made a mistake trading our top prospects for an outfielder as opposed to a pitcher. We should have just signed Cain then traded Brinson and some other prospects for pitching.

[splitterpfj]

The problem with what we’ve done so far is that other teams know now that we pretty much HAVE to trade an outfielder. We are not going into next season with Braun Cain Yelich and Santana (not to mention Phillips and Broxton) on the roster unless one of them is playing first base. I think that drives down the return for them. I don’t see any way Santana gets Mejia. Not even close. Nor do I think Santana or Phillips gets us a good starting pitcher. Teams trading for Santana or Phillips are likely in a win now or win soon mode. Teams like that don’t trade good starting pitching. I fear we made a mistake trading our top prospects for an outfielder as opposed to a pitcher. We should have just signed Cain then traded Brinson and some other prospects for pitching.

 

The Brewers have shopped Santana all winter, and did you notice how Cain passed his physical already - that means that deal was agreed to before today.

 

I think a Santana deal was in place before today’s moves were announced.

[MrTPlush]

The problem with what we’ve done so far is that other teams know now that we pretty much HAVE to trade an outfielder.

 

Stearns isn't an idiot. Even someone with the most basic knowledge of baseball transactions knows this. Stearns was very aware of what Santana would fetch before ever acquiring Yelich or Cain. I understand this and I went to a state college...people on this forum with high school diplomas understand what you are saying. I am pretty sure a guy with a Harvard education working in a baseball front office for years didn't screw up such a basic concept. HH19 said he would be traded soon...I don't think that is due to insider information, but the obvious notion that Stearns has already figured this out. Stearns isn't just going to find himself with a 4th OFer that put up 3-4 WAR last year with no idea where to send him.

 

Stearns will get appropriate value for Santana. That is why he just got two big time OFers to replace him. If you thought about this don't you think he thought about this? If someone on a baseball forum can think of it I can bet the GM getting paid millions thought of it too.

[3and2Fastball]

The problem with what we’ve done so far is that other teams know now that we pretty much HAVE to trade an outfielder. We are not going into next season with Braun Cain Yelich and Santana (not to mention Phillips and Broxton) on the roster unless one of them is playing first base. I think that drives down the return for them. I don’t see any way Santana gets Mejia. Not even close. Nor do I think Santana or Phillips gets us a good starting pitcher. Teams trading for Santana or Phillips are likely in a win now or win soon mode. Teams like that don’t trade good starting pitching. I fear we made a mistake trading our top prospects for an outfielder as opposed to a pitcher. We should have just signed Cain then traded Brinson and some other prospects for pitching.

 

We could start Phillips and Broxton in MiLB, right? And every MLB GM knows that Braun is as fragile as an eggshell, so the excuse that we need OF depth is valid.

 

More than likely the Santana trade options are already in place and have been for a week, it is just a matter of fine tuning the final details. MLB Network, Bill James and host of other "experts" all rated Santana as the 8th best RF in all of Baseball last week... He is a young controllable player with a lot of value. RH hitting power hitters aren't easy to come by...

[TJseven7]

The problem with what we’ve done so far is that other teams know now that we pretty much HAVE to trade an outfielder.

 

Stearns isn't an idiot. Even someone with the most basic knowledge of baseball transactions knows this. Stearns was very aware of what Santana would fetch before ever acquiring Yelich or Cain. I understand this and I went to a state college...people on this forum with high school diplomas understand what you are saying. I am pretty sure a guy with a Harvard education working in a baseball front office for years didn't screw up such a basic concept. HH19 said he would be traded soon...I don't think that is due to insider information, but the obvious notion that Stearns has already figured this out. Stearns isn't just going to find himself with a 4th OFer that put up 3-4 WAR last year with no idea where to send him.

 

Stearns will get appropriate value for Santana. That is why he just got two big time OFers to replace him. If you thought about this don't you think he thought about this? If someone on a baseball forum can think of it I can bet the GM getting paid millions thought of it too.

 

Phillips can go back to the minors. Broxton isnt exactly a big deal. If anyone even tries to pull the... well you are overloaded at of... you have braun say at fan fest hes getting comfortable with his new 1b glove.

 

Yelich cain santana broxton fits

Thames Braun (with braun as the LF sub) fits just fine.

 

The leverage talk is incredibly overblown. And if they pull that crap you put braun at 1st and ride cain yelich santana shaw braun/thames.

 

As many state... braun fragile. No one in the OF is lacking control and the one we truly don't want is Braun. No one has to move. Except aguilar who we scooped as a FA anyway. The glut can be simply solved by moving Broxton or Aguilar. Hell if Broxton has options you can stash him and phillips. Cain or yelich man cf. Braun can play rf or lf. Perez lf... villar maybe. Thames lf.

 

People say we have 6. We have 3... braun who mentioned 1b this offseason and can barely play 100 games... a prospect... and a guy. If you count braun at 1st we have to decide on aguilar or perez. Perez or broxton or aguilar are the ones who became unnecessary today.

 

Braun could rest yelich cain (yelich to cf) santana and replace aguilar at 1b and get to just about 100 games. Broxton stays as def rep pr. Or aguilar stays as a power ph and because villar sogard can sub at everything but 1b... perez goes.

 

Instead of struggling every damn time braun goes down he'd merely be a plus when healthy.

[CanOfCorn]

Phillips profiles as a PERFECT 4th OF. He plays all 3 OF positions well above average and is a left-handed bat off the bench. Gives us two lefties and two righties to work with. Broxton and Santana could very well be packaged together. Or Broxton going in the 'smaller' deal for a 2B.

[paul253]

Stearns isn't an idiot. Even someone with the most basic knowledge of baseball transactions knows this. Stearns was very aware of what Santana would fetch before ever acquiring Yelich or Cain. I understand this and I went to a state college...people on this forum with high school diplomas understand what you are saying. I am pretty sure a guy with a Harvard education working in a baseball front office for years didn't screw up such a basic concept. HH19 said he would be traded soon...I don't think that is due to insider information, but the obvious notion that Stearns has already figured this out. Stearns isn't just going to find himself with a 4th OFer that put up 3-4 WAR last year with no idea where to send him

 

Well at least you are being a dick about it.

 

We could start Phillips and Broxton in MiLB, right? And every MLB GM knows that Braun is as fragile as an eggshell, so the excuse that we need OF depth is valid

 

Of course we need depth but we don’t need 6 players who are capable of starting. Broxton and Phillips aside, everyone knows we aren’t going into the season with Santana Braun Yelich and Cain. It would be a huge waste of talent.

 

More than likely the Santana trade options are already in place and have been for a week, it is just a matter of fine tuning the final details

 

I’m sure he has trade options out there. But as MrTPlush was so kind to point out, major league GMs aren’t idiots. So if you were an opposing GM who had some talks about Santana before today, then you see the Brewers acquire Yelich and Cain wouldn’t you as a smart, major league GM all of a sudden see Milwaukee with a surplus of outfielders and use that against them by lowering your offer? I know I would.

 

He is a young controllable player with a lot of value. RH hitting power hitters aren't easy to come by

 

And yet here we are trying to trade him. Perhaps this is all part of Stearns master plan. After all he is a Harvard Grad who already knows what us pathetic little state college students know, but if Stearns is so interested in trading him maybe he sees something that concerns him. And if he sees it maybe others do as well.

 

Plus, we need pitching. When is the last time a quality major league pitcher was traded for another major league player? Teams add guys like Santana to compete. You don’t compete by trading away quality pitching

 

Obviously we’ll never know all of options that are out there. Or that were out there. I’m just worried that perhaps he’s backing himself into a corner a bit. I’m sorry if that concern is so out of line that I should be ashamed of myself for having it. But sometimes things don’t work out as intended. And sometimes even Harvard grads make mistakes. As I said, if I had an offer out there for Santana before today my offer would change. The Brewers now need to move an outfielder much more than they did yesterday and if I were an opposing GM I would exploit that. But then again I’m sure everyone already knows that.

[paul253]

The leverage talk is incredibly overblown. And if they pull that crap you put braun at 1st and ride cain yelich santana shaw braun/thames

 

Maybe. But nobody is going to believe that all of a sudden Ryan Braun is going to be our first basemen just because he says he’s ok playing it. . MAYBE if first base was a black hole like second base but it’s not. We can try to fool people into thinking we’re fine with what we have but everyone knows we want to (need to?) move Santana.

[TJseven7]

Im sorry, you're wrong, we are fine, let it go.

 

Again

Pina vogt

Thames braun (75 to 80 games)

Addition villar

Arcia sogard

Shaw

Yelich cain santana (braun subs for all 20-25 games)

 

Phillips to CS... pick 2 of aguilar perez broxton. Villar sogard can cover 2b ss 3b rest days.

 

You literally release perez and add a 2b like harrison or walker and the offense is stacked and ready to kill. Lets not pretend aguilar can play 1b worth a damn. Thames is mediocre. Braun could be bad there and barely make an impactful change to the defense. Braun started in the infield and couldn't throw accurately. But even now he's more of an infielder than our dh aguilar.

 

If they try to leverage it, tell them to grow up and or suck eggs and horde talent. Sign cobb and blow the gms trying used cars salesman bs a kiss.

[MNBrew]

Our fear of "lost" leverage and the team's reality often don't jive. 3 examples off the top of my head:

 

1. Melvin "wasn't motivated to move Sexson" even though it was pretty much a given he was a goner. Melvin theoretically had little leverage but got quantity over quality, but still 6 major leaguers for a total crap team.

 

2. A couple years later, Melvin "wasn't motivated to move Overbay" even though the whole world knew Prince Fielder should/would be the Brewers' starting 1B come Opening Day, then pulled off a very solid return for Overbay anyway in spite of everyone knowing he pretty well was set on moving Overbay.

 

3. Ditto for the Greinke exit trade. In theory, no trade was required. But reality necessitated that a trade be made, so "everyone knew" Melvin's lack of leverage, per se. The return seemed good at the time, although only Segura amounted to anything.

 

While trading Santana seems inevitable, he doesn't literally have to be traded. Phillips has options remaining (Santana may, too). I think Broxton's out of options, but even if he is, he'd still likely stick as the 5th OF behind Santana & the 3 starters..... or as the 4th OF with Santana starting over whomever got injured (Braun?)...

 

Of course, the other side of the coin is that the Brewers wouldn't be fools enough to let an asset like Santana lose value by rotting on the bench. But for all the leverage they may have lost, we've got to expect that they'll also capitalize on any leverage they may have, too.

[MrTPlush]

After all he is a Harvard Grad who already knows what us pathetic little state college students know, but if Stearns is so interested in trading him maybe he sees something that concerns him. And if he sees it maybe others do as well.

 

I think that is a valid assumption any time it seems a GM is heavily shopping a proven MLB talent, but in this case maybe Stearns just doesn't like the heavy K rates a lot of our players provide right now. I think the addition of Yelich and especially Cain screams Stearns does not appreciate all the strikeouts this team provides. Maybe it is nothing personal against Santana. If the rest of the team for the most part didn't strike out at high rate maybe he would mind Santana fanning 25%+ of the time...I know I wouldn't. However when the rest of the team likes to strikeout too it is not that attractive. I think Stearns is just taking advantage of an opportunity to make the team less dependent on homers and reducing that K rate to make it more diverse.

 

I don't think Stearns hates Santana that much to be honest. I just think on the current team he is better suited as a valuable trade chip vs. a buildin block on offense. His defense limitations certainly do not help.

[paul253]

im sorry, you're wrong, we are fine, let it go.

 

Seriously? You’re penciling in Ryan Braun at first base and I’m the one who needs to let it go? There has never been one indication that Ryan Braun CAN play first base or WILL play first base and I’m the one who is wrong? Your little scenario where a guy who has never played first base is now apparently not only willing and able to play first base but also willing to essentially be a utility player flipping between first base and the outfield is such a long shot and an unlikely scenario that opposing GMs would laugh at you if you try to convince them it’s a legitimate possibility. I can just see it now: “No we don’t need to move Santana. We can have Ryan Braun play first base 75-80 games a year and then have him substitute for Cain, because Braun can play centerfield too you know, Santana and Yelich. That’s totally something we can do”.

 

MNBrew. I don’t think your examples are Apple to Apple. The reason we need to move Santana is because right now we have four players for three spots. Let’s face it. Cain Yelich and Braun are all going to start, which means Santana has nowhere to play. Sexson was traded not because he didn’t have anywhere to play but because he was the best player on a bad team and we needed to improve our talent level. Greinke didn’t have to be traded either as I believe back then we still would have gotten a first round pick for him is he left in free agency. The Overbay trade is the closest scenario to thing and we got a back of the rotation starter and a soft tossing lefty prospect who never did anything. Plus, we don’t know if perhaps they would have gotten more had Fielder not been ready. It’s possoble Fielders presence drove down the return.

 

i think that is a valid assumption any time it seems a GM is heavily shopping a proven MLB talent, but in this case maybe Stearns just doesn't like the heavy K rates a lot of our players provide right now. I

 

Perhaps. It just seems odd to me given all his other strong offensive numbers and after his breakout year that they are all of a sudden so eager to trade him.

[TJseven7]

1... he stated he's willing this offseason. Quote basically says... Im up for anything but 3rd. I never liked 3rd. I still tell CC i can play SS. I actually believe i can play SS i liked SS. If its 1b I'm in... for a few games or longer if the personnel requires it. What's best for the team, just not 3b.

2... aguilar isn't capable but we had him there last year. How would braun be different? Playing a dh at 1b isnt better than playing an ex 3b LF at 1b.

3... braun plays left for yelich, right for santana and left sliding yelich to cf for cain. I thought Ive said that 20 times already. Guess you missed that.

4... he's not a utility player. 1 stearns thinks playing multiple positions makes you more valuable so he now plays 3. Makes him better. Braun how you feel, you wanna go today... yup... ok one of 4 dudes is sitting. He plays every time he can... and if that leads to Thames playing less games... oh well. If he can go 120-130 thames loses starts. He's not the utility player. He's a multi position starter. If he's starting you choose someone to sit. If he's resting or hurt 60-70 games no harm. But you start your lineup with question 1, is braun going. Question 2, who needs a rest between the 3 of and thames. If none... its thames and its thanes every time vs a lefty.

 

If this leverage scenerio plays out, and it won't, because we aren't forced to deal anything, this is what you do. Other teams will realize that's a real enough option to blow the bs used car salesman logic that won't play out to bits. Teams want Santana. They aren't going to get cute about it and risk not getting him over a dumb assumption that the additions made his price go down.

[liveforoctober]

There is another angle to Santana's price tag that is being overlooked I think? There are a lot of teams that still need OF help and the Brewers just arguably took the 2 biggest OF targets off the market. People are saying Santana's value has taken a hit because we have to trade him now but I kind of think the opposite is true. If you need OF help ... Santana just became one of the best options.

 

I think his price tag has increased, if anything. Stearns will get fair or better value in a deal for Santana.

[TJseven7]

Great point as well.

 

We're selling santana.

Eh there are a lot of options out there. Yelich is the one we are looking at.

OK yelich is gone.

Well there's cain.

Nope.

Oh, I see. So you are selling Santana?

 

So of spenders lost options. The non spenders just watched spenders enter their market as competition.

 

I think the reverse leverage is unlikely, but the anti leverage is bunk. But its another viewpoint that dispels the idea that we are putting ourselves in a place to get leveraged so I like it.