Brewers decline option on 1B Eric Thames

[MrTPlush]

I think they go internal with 1B now. I just can't fathom cutting Thames at $6.5mil to go external and save essentially nothing. Even .850 OPS first baseman don't grow on trees. He was 12th in baseball for OPS.

 

Obviously the Brewers view the in house options as providing similar enough production it is worth saving $6.5mil.

 

MAYBE this means Shaw stays, but Thames is only slightly more expensive. Would they really risk Shaw actually being a terrible baseball player again (Shaw is a $1.5mil cost savings)? I expect Shaw to get the axe. I think Moustakas is getting pretty obvious as a return candidate and possibly this is indictive of Grandal coming back too.

[trwi7]

I'll say they sign Grandal and have him play 1st for 75 games and catch for 75 games.

 

That totally defeats the purpose of signing Grandal.

[MrTPlush]

I'll say they sign Grandal and have him play 1st for 75 games and catch for 75 games.

 

That totally defeats the purpose of signing Grandal.

 

Yah, why pay Grandal $20mil a year to play half his time at 1B and be average. Poor use of money/personnel.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

They might risk that because it's a great way for a team like them to survive. If he's even average they saved $8mm to spend on somebody else. I think this is a play for Grandal but obviously we're going to find out soon. I agree though, I'm not expecting a big time FA 1B.

[KeithStone53151]

2 moves later, and the Brewers trimmed 16 million in payroll and cut down to around 90 million if they keep everyone if my math is any good. They can obviously cut guys like Shaw if they choose and save more. There's definitely enough payroll to make a big signing or a few medium sized signings, or a trade that takes on payroll. Will be interesting to see what we do.

[IntentionalHBP]

Brauns contract is up next year so about $20 millions extra from that as well

[OldSchoolSnapper]

Braun has a $4mm buyout. Obviously the Brewers aren't picking up the $20 million, but it seems possible they scrap it and he comes back on a new deal. There is no reason he can't be a veteran bat off the bench and spot starter. He is still good, and wouldn't have a ton of suitors. Of course at his age, he could suck in 2020 and it's an easy decision. I don't think he'd leave to go play in Toronto. I could see him in California but not sure they'd want him.

[homer]

I read a Forbes article and therefore I believe the Brewers can spend over $600 million on payroll.

[josh]

What we know:

* They're freeing up cash.

* They have a lot of avenues for improvement. (C, SP, 3B, SS, now both halves of 1B platoon)

* They haven't made a lot of big-money, long-term signings. (Basically just Cain in the past few years.)

* They value versatility, depth, and cost-effectiveness.

 

What we don't know:

* Do they have a specific plan for the money they've saved today? (I doubt it.)

* Do they have particular areas of need they're focused on? (You could argue that today is evidence that SP and 1B are lower priorities than we thought, but I would tend to disagree.)

* Do they have particular free agents (or trade partners?) they're focused on?

 

What I tend to think is there are probably a bunch of potential uses for the money being freed up, but there's also still a lot of uncertainty. There's not a specific plan, but there are several that look juicy enough to justift dumping a couple of short, non-terrible contracts for merely-not-terrible players.

[MrTPlush]

Brauns contract is up next year so about $20 millions extra from that as well

 

It is about $13mil coming off the books. His salary next year is $17mil and then in 2021 we owe him a $4mil buyout.

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

I read a Forbes article and therefore I believe the Brewers can spend over $600 million on payroll.

 

That hopefully means they'll have enough to afford to resign David Freitas. Eight years and $182 million ought to be enough. A bargain for such a professional hitter!

[markedman5]

[OldSchoolSnapper]

Technically we're paying Braun like $2mm a year until he's 50 or something in deferred money. Think we're still paying Garza.

[markedman5]

[MrTPlush]

Technically we're paying Braun like $2mm a year until he's 50 or something in deferred money. Think we're still paying Garza.

 

Which doesn't start till 2022, ends in his age 47 season. Garza on the books two more years.

[wntrtxn21]

Grisham for Dom Smith -- 1B solved

Dominic Smith was the first thing that went through my mind when I saw this news. My bold prediction for the Brewers off-season is that Dominic Smith is the starting first baseman on Opening Day 2020.

 

What would the Mets want for Smith? He's a real butcher in the OF so 1B is his actual position. They have Alonso at 1B so Smith is not needed. He was once a top prospect, but now, who knows?

[pacopete4]

[sarcasm]El Cheapo Attanasio strikes again![/sarcasm]

[reillymcshane]

Surprised by this, but I understand that players of his skillset are fairly cheap.

 

I wish Eric well. I liked the guy.

[FVBrewerFan]

There is a chance they go rebuild mode. I don't think they will, but there is that chance. We'll have to wait and see what Stearns says or does next, you would think if they'e not rebuilding Stearns would say so soon to squash that talk. This board will be an interesting place if they trade Yelich and Hader.

[Jopal78]

Braun has 12 starts at first base in his career and all of them came over the first 50 games in 2018. If Braun was truly a viable option at first base I suppose they would have played him there since May 25, 2018 instead of the likes of: Brad Miller, Hernan Perez, Eric Kratz, Tyler Austin, Yasmani Grandal and Jacob Nottingham.

 

Hard to fathom on Thames, unless they think they can get him back at a lower price.

[MrTPlush]

They aren't going to rebuild...

 

After the comments by Stearns it sounds like he might be seeking payroll flexibility until some dominos start to fall and we know who we may or may not be able to get. The problem with Thames (and Anderson to some extent) is once you accept that option that salary is locked in. It isn't like arbitration where you could release them if you go a different direction at that spot on the roster.

 

By declining the option we have freed up the money for now. The free agency market will be littered with competent offensive first basemen. So worst comes to worst we can grab someone later on if we don't want to roll with Braun/Shaw. The fact he said they could offer Thames a different deal tells me A) they are seeking the payroll flexibility right now and B) they won't be sad if Thames moves on and they have to go with someone else.

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

There is a chance they go rebuild mode. I don't think they will, but there is that chance. We'll have to wait and see what Stearns says or does next, you would think if they'e not rebuilding Stearns would say so soon to squash that talk. This board will be an interesting place if they trade Yelich and Hader.

 

Would the GM of a rebuilding team EVER come out and state that they are rebuilding or not rebuilding? I mean, avid fans would be able to figure that out, but the casual fan, which is probably 80% of ticket sales, likely would have no idea unless they traded Yelich and didn't sign anyone in the free agent market. Instead a rebuilding team would follow up its big trade-offs by signing mid-level veterans to short-term deals, which imploring their marketing arm to start pimping those guys as superstars. Call in the Miami Marlins Way.

 

I personally don't think a trade of Hader would signify a rebuild. Of course, it would depend on what the return is, and how close that return is to making an impact on the ML roster.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

There is a chance they go rebuild mode. I don't think they will, but there is that chance. We'll have to wait and see what Stearns says or does next, you would think if they'e not rebuilding Stearns would say so soon to squash that talk. This board will be an interesting place if they trade Yelich and Hader.

 

I could see and might advocate a soft rebuild. Don't see the sense in trading Yelich. A young star on a modest deal still years out from FA, that makes little sense. I think ASB 2021 you cross that bridge depending on how things are going. But that's also why I could see a soft one this year, to pool cash for a run in 2021. Lightning strikes too often to trade a controllable player like Yelich away at this juncture.

 

Really doubt Hader goes either but if the offer is right I'd be fine with it. I'm expecting 2020 to be a lot like 2019. How it unfolded, not how people thought it would before the season.

[markedman5]

[phnxcrew]

I have to believe this means they're going to be big players for an everyday, preferably right-handed 1b. I'd love to get Abreu from the White Sox. Abreu and Moose at the corners would be excellent.