Yasmani Grandal signs with Brewers - 1 year, $16 million. Mutual option for 2020.

[xisxisxis]

Frankly, I can't believe CC would say something so stupid and ridiculous. So if one of our pitchers was throwing a perfect game through 17 outs...he's pulling him anyway. No way would CC back himself into a corner like that. Unless you have a source, I wouldn't buy that for a second.

It was after a Chacin start and I also remember he said it and my reaction was the same as yours. Why would he fix a number of outs without knowing the game situation/history. But I remember it too and the 17 stuck in my head.

[anglotiger]

Can we please have a new thread for discussions of CC's use of the pitching staff and another for the trade value of Thames... this one is waaay off the rails...

[LouisEly]

So... random thoughts on Grandal.

 

1) http://forum.brewerfan.net/viewtopic.php?p=1185070#p1185070

 

B) Maybe the plan all along was for Kratz to mentor Nottingham at AAA this year, and to find another catcher on a one-year deal.

 

3) I have yet to see anyone correctly retroactively project Grandal's 2018 numbers based on his spray charts. In order to retroactively project his 2018, you need two components:

1 - Take his home spray chart except for games against the Brewers and apply it to Miller Park's dimensions

2 - Keep the rest of his stats the same as those won't change.

 

Everything I see is applying his spray chart for all games to Miller Park, but only 81 of his games would have been played there.

[wntrtxn21]

Y'all are crazy if you guys think Grandall is worth 18.56% of our (current/pre-arbitration) 2019 payroll. We could have made the Bumgarner trade and signed Lowrie and still have money left over. Way too much money and players in the clubhouse are all (except Braun) going to know how much less they make then this 30 year old catcher...

https://www.spotrac.com/mlb/milwaukee-brewers/payroll/

 

Lowrie signed for $10-11M and Bumgarner is making $12M. Combined they make a lot more than Grandall.

[CheezWizHed]

[sarcasm]So has Grandal ever played 2nd base?[/sarcasm]

[TexasCheesehead]

Stearns is doing something that is almost unprecedented in baseball today. He is somehow building a current winner and focusing on the future simultaneously. He has done a great job of putting a team together, while also keeping our top prospects in Milwaukee (apart from the Yelich deal). I know we moved a few guys over like Kodi Medreios at the break, but we kept a lot of guys that seem to be circulating constantly in rumors.

[TooLiveBrew]

Stearns is doing something that is almost unprecedented in baseball today. He is somehow building a current winner and focusing on the future simultaneously. He has done a great job of putting a team together, while also keeping our top prospects in Milwaukee (apart from the Yelich deal). I know we moved a few guys over like Kodi Medreios at the break, but we kept a lot of guys that seem to be circulating constantly in rumors.

I've wondered often in the last year+ what TheCrew07 would have to say about Stearns's approach. Seems like it's 100% what he was always wishing for.

[TexasCheesehead]

[sarcasm]So has Grandal ever played 2nd base?[/sarcasm]

 

I'm still hoping we can teach Bartolo Colon 2B. That would solve our issues entirely. Fielding might be somewhat of a liability, but his presence at the plate would help us score more runs.

[Eye Black]

I've wondered often in the last year+ what TheCrew07 would have to say about Stearns's approach. Seems like it's 100% what he was always wishing for.

I’ve wondered along these same lines. Hoping someday he makes a return to the site.

[markedman5]

https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/the-yasmani-grandal-signing-shows-why-the-brewers-might-be-the-most-opportunistic-team-in-mlb-these-days/

[phnxcrew]

https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/the-yasmani-grandal-signing-shows-why-the-brewers-might-be-the-most-opportunistic-team-in-mlb-these-days/

 

That’s a good summary of DS and the organization as a whole. They’re likely using those huge 2017 profits for this year and next. Let’s get a title!

[Raw Biz]

I've wondered often in the last year+ what TheCrew07 would have to say about Stearns's approach. Seems like it's 100% what he was always wishing for.

I’ve wondered along these same lines. Hoping someday he makes a return to the site.

 

Maybe they are one and the same?

[Humans Need Water]

Chacin, Chase, Davies, Wade, Guerra, Suter, Peralta, Gio were in true starter roles and they combined to start 157 games and 73% of those games they went 5+ innings. The vast, vast majority of the rest of those games they were pulled in 4th or 5th inning due to struggling - it wasn't because of some strategy involving seeing their order once.

 

CC was on record saying he was only looking for 17 outs from the SP or something along those lines. Before the game started CC already knew when he was going to pull the SP independent of how the game was going.

He can say whatever he wants. But what I just stated actually happened. 73% of the time the rotation arms pitched 5+ innings. 17 outs also equals 5.2 innings pitched. He didn't say 17 batters he said 17 outs. Look at how many 5.2 outings rotation arms had - it'll show CC made a decision based on how the game was going.

 

It goes to what I've been saying the past month, which is what my responses have been about and not some one time through the order strategy people keep pushing. They're going to be treated as typical starters. If they're super good they're going 7. If they're good/solid they're going 5-6. If they're struggling they're pulled in the 3rd and 4th and this 25% of the time situation is where it greatly benefits us having Burnes/Woodruff/Peralta/Guerra types as they can (1) stop the bleeding keeping our offense in the game and (2) eat up 3 innings to get the game into the 6-7th inning only using 2 pitchers - which is no different than a starter going 5-6 innings with a pen arm going 1. Like I said, this isn't a one time through the order approach - it's a versatility approach.

 

Back to the topic at hand, which I honestly have no idea why it's at this many posts to begin with as there's really nothing to say other than Grandal signing was excellent.

[jerichoholicninja]

Chacin, Chase, Davies, Wade, Guerra, Suter, Peralta, Gio were in true starter roles and they combined to start 157 games and 73% of those games they went 5+ innings. The vast, vast majority of the rest of those games they were pulled in 4th or 5th inning due to struggling - it wasn't because of some strategy involving seeing their order once.

 

CC was on record saying he was only looking for 17 outs from the SP or something along those lines. Before the game started CC already knew when he was going to pull the SP independent of how the game was going.

He can say whatever he wants. But what I just stated actually happened. 73% of the time the rotation arms pitched 5+ innings. 17 outs also equals 5.2 innings pitched. He didn't say 17 batters he said 17 outs. Look at how many 5.2 outings rotation arms had - it'll show CC made a decision based on how the game was going.

 

In my fantasy baseball league we use quality starts as a one of our stats. Of course, you need to complete 6 innings and allow 3 ER or less to get a QS. I didn't have any Brewer pitchers on my team last year but of the starters that I did have, it was very common for multiple starters go 5.1 or 5.2 innings and allow 3 ER's or less in a week. I even complained to the members of my league about it, that it was getting frustrating how often one of my pitchers finished an out or two shy of a quality start. Makes me think that Counsell and Co's thinking is in line with most of the rest of the league. The Brewers just happened to do it with every starter and had the best record in the NL so they got all the attention for it.

[Eye Black]

Everything I see is applying his spray chart for all games to Miller Park, but only 81 of his games would have been played there.

Yeah, that was pointed out in the original tweet with the Miller Park overlay, but in hindsight should have been reiterated in the post with the image. One thing I have seen mentioned is that while the NL West ballparks generally skew pitchers parks, Dodgers Stadium is actually above average in allowing home runs. Not nearly to the extent of Miller Park, but still more homerun friendly than it is generally considered.

[Eye Black]

In the most recent Effectively Wild Podcast (starting around the 7:00 minute mark) they discuss the Grandal signing. The do talk briefly about Grandal’s past reputation of not being the most well liked guy in the clubhouse (which Jeff had briefly mentioned in his previous FanGraphs article). They discuss reports that he has had trouble developing relationships with his pitchers. Warning if you listen to the podcast, there is a NSFW comment used to describe Grandal.

 

They also go on to mention that Zack Greinke had quite the opposite to say about Grandal:

 

“He’s been unbelievable back there,” Greinke said. “His catching is better than advertised, and working with me individually, he’s been as good as you could expect. I don’t think, from what I’ve seen so far, you could ever have expected anything more.

 

“I couldn’t draw up a better catcher at the moment.”

 

They do credit Grandal with more recently improving his ability to develop and maintain good relationships with his pitchers.

[SRB]

I feel like the Dodger clubhouse must be a very dysfunctional place for a variety of reason. Team chemistry was one of the Brewers secret weapons last season, so I'm not concerned with Grandal fitting in.

[CheezWizHed]

That is kind of funny that Greinke liked him. Not exactly a ringing endorsement for Grandal being Mr. Welcome Wagon.

[sarcasm]Maybe this means we are planning on bringing Greinke back?[/sarcasm]

 

Regardless, with a one year contract if that does become a problem we move on. Nice lease before buy option.

[OnTheBlack]

Chacin, Chase, Davies, Wade, Guerra, Suter, Peralta, Gio were in true starter roles and they combined to start 157 games and 73% of those games they went 5+ innings. The vast, vast majority of the rest of those games they were pulled in 4th or 5th inning due to struggling - it wasn't because of some strategy involving seeing their order once.

 

CC was on record saying he was only looking for 17 outs from the SP or something along those lines. Before the game started CC already knew when he was going to pull the SP independent of how the game was going.

 

Frankly, I can't believe CC would say something so stupid and ridiculous. So if one of our pitchers was throwing a perfect game through 17 outs...he's pulling him anyway. No way would CC back himself into a corner like that. Unless you have a source, I wouldn't buy that for a second.

 

 

I think CC did say he was only "looking" for 17 outs...that certainly doesn't mean it was pre-determined that once we got to that point we were going to pull our starter, irrespective of how he was doing or the game situation. Seems like he's combing what was actually said, and then added his own inference to it. Obviously if a starter is at 70 pitches and rolling you don't yank him.

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

I think CC did say he was only "looking" for 17 outs...that certainly doesn't mean it was pre-determined that once we got to that point we were going to pull our starter, irrespective of how he was doing or the game situation. Seems like he's combing what was actually said, and then added his own inference to it. Obviously if a starter is at 70 pitches and rolling you don't yank him.

 

If I remember right, this was a game in mid-April where Chacin was pulled after 64 pitches and 5 2/3 innings. I think he got in a little trouble, and Counsell got out the quick hook. He was answering the "Why didn't you let him go longer?" question. They weren't letting Chacin go deeper into games until later in the year. He didn't start especially great at the beginning of the year. I don't think Counsell saying that had anything to do with a change in philosophy, but was rather justifying a quick hook to go to his shut-down pen, basically saying that 17 outs was a solid expectation for a pitcher that up to that point had been up and down. If you remember, both Hader and Albers, along with Jennings and much of the rest of the pen, were pretty lights-out after Knebel got hurt.

[IntentionalHBP]

Any clue to why he hasn’t been officially signed yet? I know he has to pass the physicals and go through paper work but it is taking longer than usual.

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

Any clue to why he hasn’t been officially signed yet? I know he has to pass the physicals and go through paper work but it is taking longer than usual.

 

Not really. Sometimes players are on a trip or even out of the country with they "sign", or have other commitments. Look how long it took to announce the Spangenberg signing.

 

The story is still up on the team's official website saying the physical is a formality, so I expect to see this signing made official early this week.

[JDBrewCrew]

Milwaukee Brewers

Verified account

@Brewers

35s35 seconds ago

Catcher Yasmani Grandal has been signed to a 1-year contract.

[JDBrewCrew]

Jon Heyman

‏

Verified account

 

@JonHeyman

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Grandal: $16M - 2019. Club option 2020 for $16M or $2.25M buyout. $100,000 for MVP ($75,000-2nd; $50,000-3rd)

$50,000 for Comeback Player of the Year

$50,000 for All Star

$50,000 for Silver Slugger

$50,000 for Aaron

$25,000 for Gold Glove

$25,000 for LCS/MVP

$50,000 for WS/MVP

 

Wow... we have a club option for 2020....

 

I LOVE THIS DEAL

[Warning Track Power]

 

Oh! A one year $16 million deal with a TEAM option for $16 million for next season. Am I reading this right?