2019 Winter Meetings Rumors

[MNBrew]

Simplifying some of the prior discussion, if Gregorius were to sign in MIL and he, Urias, and Hiura were all starting on the IF, inevitably someone wouldn't be playing their most-natural position.

 

The Brewers could do worse than landing Happ from NY with a prospect or two of value attached.

[BrewBalls]

For how bad our farm system is, “buying” some young talent from the Yankees system for taking on only one year of Happ at $17M isn’t the worst idea, IMO.

I completely agree. I’d be asking for Clint Frazier as a possible replacement for Braun in 2021, Albert Abreu who has frontline stuff but struggles with control and the Yankees to pay down $5MM of Happ’s 2020 salary.

 

I would also be in Preller’s ear asking what he’s willing to add from his loaded farm system to take Myers off his hands. These two moves could help restock the farm while remaining competitive.

[A Swing and A Drive]

I also like Wil Myers as a fit for the Brewers roster construction/bounceback candidate with change of scenary. However, his contract would be a tough pill to shallow at $20M per through 2022.

[MadScientist]

Looks like his vesting is 165 innings (easily avoided) OR 27 starts (harder to avoid if healthy and not a train wreck).

 

Looking at the splits he really falls off after the 4th. Unless he's a swing man, I don't see a good role for him on the Brewers staff. This is not a good year for a starter that has trouble going even 5 innings.

[RollieTime]

I’m kind of surprised how we are in a competitive window and people are wanting to take on bad contracts of $15-$20 million. Yes we gain some prospects, but we are pretty much throwing away our window with Yelich now by paying $15 million per year for Myers (if the Padres threw in some money) and/or someone like Happ.

 

I don’t see how taking on $15 million in dead money to bring in someone like Happ to be a 5th starter and adding a prospect that MIGHT help 3 years from now compared to using that money to bring in a big bat like Castellanos to plug into that 4 hole in our lineup since we lack a bat for that spot right now or a couple guys like Flores AND Edwin Encarnacion for that money to field a very good lineup.

 

Seems like sometimes people just always want to rebuild or take on bad contracts. I would much rather field a great team now and try to win the whole thing than to half rebuild/restock the system while fielding a subpar team with expensive/aging players that aren’t going to be real contributors for you.

 

Edit to add that we already have Cain who is making $16+ million the next 3 years who might be on the decline and Braun making $17 million this year to be half as good as he used to be. Do we really need any more expensive contracts on our books to eat into the money we have to spend on actually improving the team?

[KeithStone53151]

I’m kind of surprised how we are in a competitive window and people are wanting to take on bad contracts of $15-$20 million. Yes we gain some prospects, but we are pretty much throwing away our window with Yelich now by paying $15 million per year for Myers (if the Padres threw in some money) and/or someone like Happ.

 

I don’t see how taking on $15 million in dead money to bring in someone like Happ to be a 5th starter and adding a prospect that MIGHT help 3 years from now compared to using that money to bring in a big bat like Castellanos to plug into that 4 hole in our lineup since we lack a bat for that spot right now or a couple guys like Flores AND Edwin Encarnacion for that money to field a very good lineup.

 

Seems like sometimes people just always want to rebuild or take on bad contracts. I would much rather field a great team now and try to win the whole thing than to half rebuild/restock the system while fielding a subpar team with expensive/aging players that aren’t going to be real contributors for you.

 

I tend to agree with this. Taking on bad contracts for prospects makes sense for a team like the Tigers or Orioles or Marlins or Cubs, not the Brewers.

[Devinep]

Give up Frazier and andujar along with happ and take all happs salary. New York wouldn’t need too much in return. They could start with Arcia since I don’t think they have a good utility option

[brewmann04]

Happ is not a top or Middle of the line starter we need and not for that money, let the Yankees deal with it.

[RollieTime]

I’m kind of surprised how we are in a competitive window and people are wanting to take on bad contracts of $15-$20 million. Yes we gain some prospects, but we are pretty much throwing away our window with Yelich now by paying $15 million per year for Myers (if the Padres threw in some money) and/or someone like Happ.

 

I don’t see how taking on $15 million in dead money to bring in someone like Happ to be a 5th starter and adding a prospect that MIGHT help 3 years from now compared to using that money to bring in a big bat like Castellanos to plug into that 4 hole in our lineup since we lack a bat for that spot right now or a couple guys like Flores AND Edwin Encarnacion for that money to field a very good lineup.

 

Seems like sometimes people just always want to rebuild or take on bad contracts. I would much rather field a great team now and try to win the whole thing than to half rebuild/restock the system while fielding a subpar team with expensive/aging players that aren’t going to be real contributors for you.

 

I tend to agree with this. Taking on bad contracts for prospects makes sense for a team like the Tigers or Orioles or Marlins or Cubs, not the Brewers.

 

Exactly. And one thing that almost fits our window perfectly is all these teams handing out these massive 5-7 year deals. We are in a window to be competitive for 4-5 years and could enter a rebuild at that point. Trading guys like Urias, Hiura, Lauer, Woodruff possibly in there, guys like that. At that point, we can take on those deals like a final year of Wheeler and adding some prospects, an ugly Bumgarner contract with a year or two left, things like that. I thought of this recently with all these huge deals being given out again this year like years past that they almost fit our window perfectly where we could do a very quick turn around in a year or two span from taking on some of these likely ugly contracts a few years down the line.

[patrickgpe]

Happ is not a top or Middle of the line starter we need and not for that money, let the Yankees deal with it.

the point is to get a prospect back in exchange for eating his salary.

[adambr2]

I’m kind of surprised how we are in a competitive window and people are wanting to take on bad contracts of $15-$20 million. Yes we gain some prospects, but we are pretty much throwing away our window with Yelich now by paying $15 million per year for Myers (if the Padres threw in some money) and/or someone like Happ.

 

I don’t see how taking on $15 million in dead money to bring in someone like Happ to be a 5th starter and adding a prospect that MIGHT help 3 years from now compared to using that money to bring in a big bat like Castellanos to plug into that 4 hole in our lineup since we lack a bat for that spot right now or a couple guys like Flores AND Edwin Encarnacion for that money to field a very good lineup.

 

Seems like sometimes people just always want to rebuild or take on bad contracts. I would much rather field a great team now and try to win the whole thing than to half rebuild/restock the system while fielding a subpar team with expensive/aging players that aren’t going to be real contributors for you.

 

I tend to agree with this. Taking on bad contracts for prospects makes sense for a team like the Tigers or Orioles or Marlins or Cubs, not the Brewers.

 

Exactly. And one thing that almost fits our window perfectly is all these teams handing out these massive 5-7 year deals. We are in a window to be competitive for 4-5 years and could enter a rebuild at that point. Trading guys like Urias, Hiura, Lauer, Woodruff possibly in there, guys like that. At that point, we can take on those deals like a final year of Wheeler and adding some prospects, an ugly Bumgarner contract with a year or two left, things like that. I thought of this recently with all these huge deals being given out again this year like years past that they almost fit our window perfectly where we could do a very quick turn around in a year or two span from taking on some of these likely ugly contracts a few years down the line.

 

I disagree for a few different reasons:

 

1) Worrying about the future is always necessary. You can't solely focus on the 3 year Yelich window.

 

2) Just because you trade for guys that aren't going to play in that 3 year window, doesn't mean they can't help you in that 3 year window. Whose to say DS doesn't have a bigger plan to turn around and use the new prospects from the Yankees as buying ammo either at the deadline or this time next year? We don't have much for trade chips right now. Someone like Dominguez could see a substantial spike in value in the near future and be worth a haul before we know it.

 

3). Happ isn't far removed from being a really really good starter and still has great K numbers. At worst you plug a hole in the back of your rotation and at best you could have a really good rebound candidate.

 

I think if it's short term, the prospect(s) are right, and you don't want to get heavily involved in an overpriced FA market, it's potentially a creatively useful way to use some of the extra money available.

[brewmann04]

Happ is not a top or Middle of the line starter we need and not for that money, let the Yankees deal with it.

the point is to get a prospect back in exchange for eating his salary.

most of the yankee prospects are overhyped

[RockCoCougars]

Better not bail out the Yankees.

[A Swing and A Drive]

Better not bail out the Yankees.

 

Lol the Yankees are getting Gerrit Cole if they trade Happ or not.

[brewcrewdue80]

I think Id feel safer at SP with Happ than Burnes as the #5. Al East to NL Central.

Their prospects suck though. Some say Frazier to replace Braun but Frazier's bat is worse than Brauns today. Nothing about leaves 800+ OPS future consistently. So I think we'd be taking care of two headaches for the yankees.

I suppose you can take the 16yr who signed for 5mil from them and hope he makes it to AA. The Yankees must have a lot of graduated prospects in 2019 to have such a sad farm. Guess time to go check what is on their ML rpster.

[wntrtxn21]

Yankees don’t really have any intriguing prospects for us that are close to MLB ready. If they want us to take that contract or most of it off their hands, they will need to include one of their cost controlled bats off the MLB roster. Someone like Mike Ford or Mike Tauchman.

 

I'll take Jasson Dominguez off their hands if they want us to take on Happ. It doesn't need to be an MLB ready prospect. Any value on the farm helps.

 

IMO it does have to be a MLB ready player to take Happ and his $17M salary. Happ was awful last year. 4.91 ERA - 5.12 FIP and he's going to be 38. Everything indicates he will be getting worse, not better. The Brewers would be spending $17M to get the other player. If it was just a prospect it would be way too expensive for a smaller budget team.

[mrn1ceguy]

Yankees don’t really have any intriguing prospects for us that are close to MLB ready. If they want us to take that contract or most of it off their hands, they will need to include one of their cost controlled bats off the MLB roster. Someone like Mike Ford or Mike Tauchman.

 

I'll take Jasson Dominguez off their hands if they want us to take on Happ. It doesn't need to be an MLB ready prospect. Any value on the farm helps.

 

IMO it does have to be a MLB ready player to take Happ and his $17M salary. Happ was awful last year. 4.91 ERA - 5.12 FIP and he's going to be 38. Everything indicates he will be getting worse, not better. The Brewers would be spending $17M to get the other player. If it was just a prospect it would be way too expensive for a smaller budget team.

 

I think a few people mentioned Miguel Andújar. Was fantastic at 3b in 2018 and Yankees are covered with Gio Urshela. The baseball trade simulator would need us sending Lutz and something else to get Happ and Andújar but it would solve the 3B and #5 starter problem. Need to find a 1B (or LF) and a #2 and we would be done-ish.

[brewcrewdue80]

Ok. From what I seen the thought above on graduates is not the case. Ots just bad after bad. But here are the two to target. Mike Ford and or Ben Heller. Ford has been previously mentioned. Heller is a RP with a solid history yet to take any foothold in the Majors. Seems he was finishing gamea in the Minors and had a few for the Yankees. He Should have 4 or 5yrs control and since you may need Bullpen help for Happ's performance he would help.

Another thing of note on Happ. This is essentially a contract year for him. If hes pitching well bonus. If hes just that 5. You release him before September. Or August whatever it may be. And let another team pick him up and deal with the option potential.

[RockCoCougars]

Better not bail out the Yankees.

 

Lol the Yankees are getting Gerrit Cole if they trade Happ or not.

 

Right. That's why they are not going to include any prospects worth acquiring either. Let them eat their bad deal and pay the tax.

[nate82]

David Price's name keeps on coming up in the rumor mill. If Price becomes available and the Red Sox want a team to take on all of his salary a Price for Arcia trade would be about fair.

[TURBO]

David Price's name keeps on coming up in the rumor mill. If Price becomes available and the Red Sox want a team to take on all of his salary a Price for Arcia trade would be about fair.

 

ummmm, have you seen what would be owed to Price?

 

3 years, 96 million dollars. Even if the red sox picked up half that salary, 3 years 48 million?

 

No freaking way.

[adambr2]

David Price's name keeps on coming up in the rumor mill. If Price becomes available and the Red Sox want a team to take on all of his salary a Price for Arcia trade would be about fair.

 

Arcia works in the deal, he's whatever, no real value either positive or negative.

 

But holy smokes the Red Sox better be sending us more than David Price if they want us to take on the entirety of his remaining contract for a 34 year old pitcher.

 

I'm not opposed to the deal, but there has to be more incentive than just taking on David Price for free.

[long ball]

The Rex Sox would probably have to pay 50-75% of the amount owed to Price for it to make sense for the Brewers.

 

He's owed $32/year from 2020-2022

 

https://legacy.baseballprospectus.com/compensation/cots/al-east/boston-red-sox/

[markedman5]

[markedman5]

CC says that Hiura will be the 2nd baseman