What should be DS targets

[MrTPlush]

Why is Nelson a for sure starter in the postseason? That a massive assumption. He has yet to play this season and we have no idea when he will coming off an injury to his throwing shoulder.

 

Maybe he should throw a few pitches first. He could easily have a setback and never be seen this year. He could be a shell of last year and be some 4.50 ERA pitcher...would that honestly shock anyone? Is that for sure in the postseason rotation? I hope not.

 

Or anyone else, including our other pitchers and trade targets, could blow out an arm and not pitch in the postseason. Could happen to anyone.

 

Yes, Nelson is at a higher risk but all the medical information we have at this point is that the type of shoulder injury he sustained should not affect his long-term prognosis.

 

Could take him an entire year to regain his control etc. even if he isn’t effected long term. This year is in the short term. It would be great if he could pitch a few times before the deadline...but not sure that luxury will happen.

 

Regarding someone mentioning Lucroy, no thanks. He would likely just end up a cancer. He isn’t replacing Pina and Lucroy I can assure you would be livid to get traded to be the backup. Don’t want to deal with that. A 30+ year old catcher living on one year deals doesn’t need to be playing backup.

[superfly]

All these names thrown around are just depth adds that are no real guarantee to be better than our current best 4 options. Archer is probably the one possible TOR pitcher that could be added, and he's absolutely no guarantee shown by his mediocre numbers this year. And he'll STILL cost Hiura+ to add. Is that really the best use of our resources?

 

We'll get Nelson back and go into August with him and what else we already have, my prediction. Anything that's good enough to be a clear upgrade in our rotation will be too expensive to justify the cost.

 

I don't think Hiura is a huge give. He has the potential to be good, but there's big risk there for us....if he can't play passable 2B due to injury issues his value is shot to half the league. This would be a great time to try and sell high.

 

Maybe not Archer, but another controllable arm like his teammate Snell (+more on our side) and i'd be down.

[clancyphile]

Wade Miley did pretty well until he was hurt. Suter's rebounded some.

 

Playoff rotations DO shorten in the NLCS and World Series. So, you really need four.

 

Plus, the Brewers have a very deep bullpen.

 

If a very good deal comes, I'll take another starter, but I'm not breaking the farm system bank to do so.

[MrTPlush]

If they are going to get a starter it would be someone pretty good. Right now our entire rotation likes to flirt with a #3 standing or worse. That’s...pretty bad. We really could use Anderson to rebound back to how he was last year. If not we not only don’t have a #1, but we even lack a #2.

 

Unless of course Guerra is that guy...but I have my reservations about that.

 

Not saying we need a bunch of TOR guys, we don’t with an elite bullpen, but this rotation is not what we want.

[brewmann04]

I thinking will be targeting an upgrade in starting rotation.

[PeaveyFury]

Well you're not going to have a 5 man rotation in the playoffs, you're going to have 4. So Nelson for sure, Anderson too unless he totally tanks, Guerra most likely, and then whoever the next best one is at the time.

 

I just think that relies too heavily on a guy who was absolutely terrible last year (Guerra), and a guy coming off a major injury (Nelson) to be comfortable with. And it again assumes that none of them get injured along the way.

 

I will agree with Clancy, though: no need to break the bank, but I'd expect a modest deal for a solid starter arm.

[clancyphile]

Well you're not going to have a 5 man rotation in the playoffs, you're going to have 4. So Nelson for sure, Anderson too unless he totally tanks, Guerra most likely, and then whoever the next best one is at the time.

 

I just think that relies too heavily on a guy who was absolutely terrible last year (Guerra), and a guy coming off a major injury (Nelson) to be comfortable with. And it again assumes that none of them get injured along the way.

 

I will agree with Clancy, though: no need to break the bank, but I'd expect a modest deal for a solid starter arm.

 

Ideally, it is for a controllable arm, no rentals for a few months.

[jerichoholicninja]

Re: rotation in the playoffs.

 

With the extra days off, the majority of the innings are going to go to the bullpen ala the Cardinals a couple years ago. As weird as it sounds, I'm not really worried about the rotation in the playoffs. On the way there though, it's certainly an underwhelming group.

[TURBO]

Archer is probably the one possible TOR pitcher that could be added, and he's absolutely no guarantee shown by his mediocre numbers this year. And he'll STILL cost Hiura+ to add. Is that really the best use of our resources?

 

Archer is no TOR pitcher. No way I'd pay what he will demand for a #3 pitcher. Absolutely no way.

[adambr2]

Archer is probably the one possible TOR pitcher that could be added, and he's absolutely no guarantee shown by his mediocre numbers this year. And he'll STILL cost Hiura+ to add. Is that really the best use of our resources?

 

Archer is no TOR pitcher. No way I'd pay what he will demand for a #3 pitcher. Absolutely no way.

 

I guess my point was, and is, that there isn't and won't be a TOR available at the deadline to acquire.

 

Most are in agreement then, let's just go get a pitcher, not a bank breaker. I see Hamels tossed out there, Gausman, Duffy, etc. etc.

 

Okay, why? In what way are any of these guys an upgrade from the best 4 from a group of Nelson/Anderson/Davies/Chacin/Guerra? And if they're not, why in the world do we want to use our limited trade capital available to acquire them?

[ClosetBrewerFan]

Cole Hamels would be an upgrade based on stats alone. Depends on what it would cost to acquire him. Would you give up Freddy Peralta for him at the trade deadline? I'd be tempted.

[pacopete4]

Going to very important Stearns doesn’t hit the panic button as we hopefully continue to win games and trade away quality for rentals. What he’s built so far is great but I want sustained success. Not a one shot at it type of thing.

[adambr2]

Cole Hamels would be an upgrade based on stats alone. Depends on what it would cost to acquire him. Would you give up Freddy Peralta for him at the trade deadline? I'd be tempted.

 

No, I absolutely would not, for several reasons. One, Freddy Peralta is arguably one our best 3 prospects and a lot to give up. Two, Cole Hamels has turned into an extreme flyball pitcher and has a 5.25 FIP. I think he's in for some serious regression and is going to be little more than a big name. And the cherry on top is handcuffing us next year with his bloated salary.

[jerichoholicninja]

Cole Hamels would be an upgrade based on stats alone. Depends on what it would cost to acquire him. Would you give up Freddy Peralta for him at the trade deadline? I'd be tempted.

 

Any perceived value Hamels has is basically on name alone. He's not much of a pitcher anymore.

[adambr2]

Going to very important Stearns doesn’t hit the panic button as we hopefully continue to win games and trade away quality for rentals. What he’s built so far is great but I want sustained success. Not a one shot at it type of thing.

 

Which is why I expect a move or two like last year and little more. A couple cheap rental/salary dump types that help us but don't gut our farm.

 

I am quite a bit surprised that after Stearns has pretty much defied all of the people who said this rotation wasn't going to be good enough, that there is still this much clamoring for rotation help.

 

David Stearns does not care what the masses think about the rotation and whether it's good enough, and we have gotten to 35-20 by being awfully darn good, and we are still going to add Nelson. Is it possible he won't be the same? Yes, it is, but it's also possible he will. Getting him back certainly will not hurt.

 

While the rotation certainly isn't a strength, the one strength of it is having 3 or 4 guys that can be plugged in back end #3-#5 guys with no real concerns.

 

Let's face it, we are not adding an "Ace" to this roster before October, unless we get lucky with Nelson. We can add more back end #3-#5 guys, but I don't see the point. Sure, you can never have enough pitching, I get that. Everyone else also feels that way which makes it very expensive to acquire, even #2-#3 types -- look what it took to land Quintana last year.

 

I think if we are a postseason team, we will go into October mostly looking the way we do, and doing the things we do best -- pitching out of the pen, playing good D and hopefully mashing. If that's good enough, fantastic. If it's not, that's okay. This season is certainly not a failure if we don't make it to the World Series.

[KCBrewerfan34]

Hard pass on Hamels IMHO

[Chicago Here]

Why do we need starting pitching? Nelson will be returning and we have Burnes and Peralta not far away.

it depends where DS wants us to be. If we want to win a ws then we will most certainly have to get an ace.

 

Julyaugust transactions secured ws wins and appearances by either getting an ace (houston verlander) or pen (chapman cubs, miller indians).

 

If DS is thinking ws...and im pretty sure he is, journeymen like Miley isnt who he is banking on.

 

Me thinks we secure an ace. Im almost cedtain.

[trwi7]

He wouldn't be banking on Miley if we made a trade or not. The starters are going to be on huge short leashes and they'll have multi inning guys like Houser, Williams and Woodruff (if he's not starting) to bridge the gap to Hader, Jeffress and Knebel.

[TooLiveBrew]

Well you're not going to have a 5 man rotation in the playoffs, you're going to have 4. So Nelson for sure, Anderson too unless he totally tanks, Guerra most likely, and then whoever the next best one is at the time.

 

I just think that relies too heavily on a guy who was absolutely terrible last year (Guerra), and a guy coming off a major injury (Nelson) to be comfortable with. And it again assumes that none of them get injured along the way.

 

I will agree with Clancy, though: no need to break the bank, but I'd expect a modest deal for a solid starter arm.

 

Ideally, it is for a controllable arm, no rentals for a few months.

In general, I agree with this concept 100%. But to be honest, I'd be fine with a rental of a SP acquisition with our current rotation mix -- assuming it would mean a very palatable trade price.

 

JA Happ looks like a very intriguing rental candidate imo. Given his age, I wonder how reasonable the cost might be. Unless there's a Verlander-type rental option available, I'd like to see the Brewers go after Happ.

[adambr2]

Why do we need starting pitching? Nelson will be returning and we have Burnes and Peralta not far away.

it depends where DS wants us to be. If we want to win a ws then we will most certainly have to get an ace.

 

Julyaugust transactions secured ws wins and appearances by either getting an ace (houston verlander) or pen (chapman cubs, miller indians).

 

If DS is thinking ws...and im pretty sure he is, journeymen like Miley isnt who he is banking on.

 

Me thinks we secure an ace. Im almost cedtain.

 

Who is this ace that's going to be available, and what are we going to give up to outbid the field?

 

And we already have our Chapman and Miller quality relievers.

[trwi7]

Tyson Ross would be a solid rental now that he looks back to what he was a couple of years ago before his injury.

[TooLiveBrew]

Tyson Ross would be a solid rental now that he looks back to what he was a couple of years ago before his injury.

I checked him out as well. Only concern I have with him is his high BB rates.

[pacopete4]

If there was a Verlander type pitcher available, I might change my mind but I am just not seeing one.

[coolhandluke121]

I don't think they'll pigeon-hole themselves into anything. They'll prioritize value over "needs", like they always do. I put needs in quotation marks because they can change so fast. It's hubris to think you know what you need. Nearly everyone thought SP was the greatest need, and hardly anyone thought SS was a big need... yet look where we are now.

 

Just be opportunistic and wait for the Walker/Swarzak type deals. Monitor Realmuto, Perez, and Merrifield, as well as any other good players on the market, but don't get into any bidding wars. And don't be afraid to sell a piece or two if someone is willing to overpay.

[PeaveyFury]

Looking further into Happ, he does seem like an acquisition that would make us better.... pending the cost of what it would take to get him, of course.