Is There Pressure To Make The Postseason?

[MrTPlush]

The aggressiveness on Machado got me thinking if there is an urgency to make the postseason this year after how 2017 ended. I know it sounds a bit of a stretch, but think about it. We bombed 2017 in the second half and we did little to nothing at the deadline. Can you imagine if 2018 goes down similarly?

 

Getting off to a good start and what you did in previous seasons is the biggest impact on fan interest for the year. If we bomb after a good first half two years in a row and miss the postseason I feel like that would have a huge nagative impact for next year. You’d be like the little boy who cried wolf. After a few let down seasons in a row it would be hard to get fan interest going.

 

I don’t think it is crazy to think another close miss could negatively impact next years attendence/interest in a big way. People on here are already just assuming “Here we go again” or “Typical Brewers”. If that truly happens again getting excitement for next year is going to be brutal and even if we can get to a good 2019 start.

 

I must wonder how much pressure there is to do something this year to avoid another 2017. Not even the FO wants to see that happen again. I don’t think the question is if there is pressure, I definitely think there is. How much is that effecting our deadline plans?

[rickh150]

Our team is largely set. How much turnover will there be next season? Not much. Maybe a FA pickup or a couple of guys from the minors, maybe a trade. Just calling it a rebuild now, or year three out of five, is not right since it has been largely built already. We should expect playoffs and be dealing from prospect excess. No playoffs this year or next and CC will be on the hot seat.

[JosephC]

The Yelich/Cain acquisitions really raised the bar. Without those guys, I think the "majority opinion" would be that the Brewers are once again over-achieving but are still in the rebuilding process. With those guys, plus the fact that the Brewers had the best record in the NL through three months of the season, has really raised expectations. I think the end of 2017 is something that baseball writers and fans will focus on but really wouldn't mean that much to Stearns. I just hope Attanasio doesn't get swept up in all of that because if he does and then starts giving orders...that's when bad baseball decisions are made.

[MrTPlush]

But if our fans care about the end of 2017 and will really care about another flop shouldn’t Stearns care? After all if you start angering fans that’s going to hurt the bottom line real fast.

 

Now I’m not saying Stearns is sitting in his office finding a way to sell the farm so we can make the playoffs, but he must feel some sort of “We really need to try and make the postseason this year” after last year.

 

Since 2011 we have barely missed the playoffs in 2012, 2014, 2017, and 2018 hypothetically. That’s pretty bad to look at and the other years we sucked. So in seven years since our last playoff berth we have fell short in 4 and sucked in 3. Three of those short misses were implosions with little deadline moves while 2012 was more of a push.

 

(Once again hypothetically assuming we fall short this year to show how that might look)

[LouisEly]

Next year they hopefully get a healthy Nelson and Davies back. Between Nelson, Anderson, Chacin, Davies, Guerra, Suter, Woodruff, Burnes, Houser, and Peralta (plus Z. Brown and Ortiz) they will have plenty of SP depth to be able to make some trades to fill any holes or upgrade.

 

As for this year, if they can move some fringe Rule 5 guys for rentals I'm fine with that. The extra revenue from hosting a playoff series will go a long ways to funding future payroll. But I wouldn't move any core pieces (i.e. Hiura, Burnes, Peralta).

 

Maybe this belongs in the Machado thread, but I'm wondering what the economic impact would be of adding him. 33 home games left... let's say that attendance boosts by 10% by adding him. An extra 3,000 people per game, 33 games... ballpark it at 100K more attendance. Say the average fan spends $50 on ticket, parking, concessions, souvenirs - that's an extra $5M in revenue. Say the Brewers host the Wild Card game - 45K fans who spend an average of $110 on ticket/parking/concessions/souvenirs - that's another $5M Say they win the Wild Card and host two games in the divisional series - likely another $5M/game, or $10M total.

 

Ballparking that out, if the Brewers make a big splash for Machado and make it to the Divisional round that could be an additional $20M in revenue for the team; minus his remaining salary, nets out to around $13M or so in additional revenue. Not worth Burnes or Peralta, but it could go a long way towards adding an additional player net year.

[Lee16]

At this point there has to be pressure to make the postseason. You can't have this good of a first half and then fold up like a cheap tent yet again. We collapsed in 2014, 2017 and if it happens again this year that's 3 times in 5 years. Someone is going to have to answer for that, I would assume. I also don't think you acquire Yelich and Cain before the season only to sit back and say "Well maybe in a few years it'll pay off." You do that if you think your window to win is open now. I understand we've been hit by a ton of injuries, and yes next year we should have Nelson/Davies back to full health, but even with them back you know someone else is going to get hurt or have a down year, it'll all balance out in the end.

 

I don't know what the best deal to make is this summer, but Stearns cannot just sit on his hands and hope for the best, not after such a great start.

[Fear The Chorizo]

Next year they hopefully get a healthy Nelson and Davies back.

 

I would be surprised if Davies is on the Brewers' opening day roster in 2019. While this essentially lost season for him should hamper how much he gets in his opening arbitration year, he's going to start costing more - and I think with Nelson, Anderson, Chacin, and Peralta presumably 2019 rotation locks, it would leave only spot open for guys like Burnes, Guerra, Woodruff, Suter, etc to compete for.

 

It stinks, because Davies' value has been diminished due to his performance/injuries this year...I still expect him to be traded this offseason - he just won't bring as much in return as I would've liked.

 

Specific to this thread - I think there should be pressure to at least make the playoffs this year - the team has had the best record across the NL for most of the season to date. If the fizzle out this second half, it'll be really deflating to a fanbase who has taken interest in this roster.

[82brewcrew82]

There will be if they make a move for a guy like Machado.

[Boomer5]

Every team should feel the pressure to make the playoffs or why bother?

[reillymcshane]

Yes, there is pressure to make the playoffs. The team has the second best record in the NL. We'd be foolish not to be trying to make a run.

 

What moves we make is debatable - but without question, we should be keeping our eye on the prize - World Series. But first, we have to get to the post season. It isn't easy, but it can happen. One step at a time.

[long ball]

Yes there is pressure to make the playoffs.

 

I think whatever moves they do make will FEEL like more significant moves than in 2017. Even though Walker, Jeffress, and Swarzak all worked out very well it seemed like they could have done more to ensure a playoff spot in 2017.

 

I would guess the Brewers add at least 2 pieces before the deadline and likely another August move. What those moves are I don't know, but with 2-3 obvious areas of opportunity in the every day line up even a Walker-type deal feels big at the moment.

[tmwiese55]

though adding Cain/Yelich certainly increased expectations, I think going into the year there wasn't much pressure to 'must' make the playoffs in that you had WAS, LAD, CHC locked in as clear cut faves for the divisions. And after that you're in the next cluster of maybe wild cards and with the WC being the 1 game thing now it's a bit different.

 

If we'd have just been 2-6 games back of the cubs and 1-4 back of the WC the whole first half everyone probably would think that was about right. Now though, after such a good run in the first half pressure comes in to not blow it or waste. So yes, I think after the first half and a guy like Jesus stepping up you should feel pressure to make it this year after it slipping out last year.

 

Thing to note in 2012 is that we traded Greinke and still had that great second half push, weird but fun year that was.

[FVBrewerFan]

No, there's not pressure to make the playoffs. They ramped up payroll this year because they could. They have tried to improve the roster without giving away too much of the future, and then the cards fall where they may. More moves will be made, but again, they're not going to trade away top prospects because the pressure I so great to make the playoffs.

 

Fans are fans, some may complain but they'll keep coming to games.

[Boomer5]

They are the top WC team now and the Brewers haven't been to the playoffs too many times.

 

Of course there is pressure to make the playoffs. If not why do they bother playing the games?

[Eye Black]

The Brewers have the 5th longest current playoff drought in MLB, and have been to the playoffs 4 times in the organization’s 50 year history (49 years in Milwaukee). They made big splashes in the off-season and started the season 54-36 before a pre-All-Star break collapse. I think it’s fair to say there is some pressure.

[pacopete4]

No pressure. From where? The media? The smallest market in baseball?

[adambr2]

No, there's not pressure to make the playoffs. They ramped up payroll this year because they could. They have tried to improve the roster without giving away too much of the future, and then the cards fall where they may. More moves will be made, but again, they're not going to trade away top prospects because the pressure I so great to make the playoffs.

 

Fans are fans, some may complain but they'll keep coming to games.

 

No MLB team just spends more money for the simple fact that they can. Of course there is increased expectations and pressure that stem from their moves.

[brewmann04]

I am not sure they have pressure on them but the fans are not going to not like making the playoffs

[82brewcrew82]

Where is this pressure coming from? Counsel isn't going anywhere. Stearns isn't going anywhere. The majority of the players will be back. The fans will still come. I just don't see the pressure.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

Attanasio is still afraid to ask for Ryan Braun's autograph, so I don't think we have to worry about him giving orders.

[brewmann04]

I think Mark if he thinks he needs to spend the money to make the playoffs he will.