Avi Garcia not extended QO - now a Free Agent 11/5/21

[MrTPlush]

Yelich in RF may help, but all it does is send Braun to first base where he won’t be a good fielder either. I don’t think there is much defensive improvement in the grand scheme.

[FVBrewerFan]

Seems like a lot of people believe Braun getting a lot of time at 1B is a done deal. I think that's assuming a lot in December, there will be more moves to come. Maybe he will, maybe we won't but some of you are you are presenting this as though it's a given.

[TURBO]

I think we have about $30 million more to go...

 

Which almost certainly means we are out on Donaldson.

 

I don't dislike this signing, not one single bit, but if getting him means we can no longer even consider Donaldson, then this hurts me, inside...

[DHonks]

I hope this deal is backloaded a bit. 8/12 or 7/13. Defer some of that to 2021 when Braun's salary is off the books, and allow us a bit more to spend toward contending this year.

 

There’s not much more to add. What free agents are left?

[Warning Track Power]

This probably isn't the cleanest fit, but it works if they're willing to play Braun at first base 80+ games. I actually thought Braun looked pretty decent in limited time at first base in 2018.

 

I still think the Brewers need to add a big bat and now the only obvious places would be either SS or 3b.

I think Urias/Arcia are your SS regardless. 3B and 1B are still questions in my mind.

[82brewcrew82]

Yelich in RF may help, but all it does is send Braun to first base where he won’t be a good fielder either. I don’t think there is much defensive improvement in the grand scheme.

I don't think the drop from Thames to Braun will be dramatic. It's not like we had a gold glover over there.

[Montezuma]

Avi's bat is perfect for Miller Park... I approve.

[Thurston Fluff]

More expensive than anticipated, but his was a difficult market to predict. Plus, FAs have generally been making out better than most predictions. It's simply what the market dictated.

 

Cautiously optimistic about Garcia. I'm thinking he is good for .280, 20 or so HRs, and average defense. That's a pretty good player. Not great, but pretty good.

 

That is exactly why I like this deal. I would rather pay two guys of his caliber than pay the same money for one great player. Depth is important. Especially when the farm is lacking in upper level talent at the moment. It might be an overpay compared to the last couple free agent seasons but not so much this one. Even if it is slightly overpriced for what he produces, a mid-level deal like this means it's maybe a million or two over for two years instead of 10 million over value over five or more years.

[DuWayne Steurer]

I think we have about $30 million more to go...

 

Which almost certainly means we are out on Donaldson.

 

I don't dislike this signing, not one single bit, but if getting him means we can no longer even consider Donaldson, then this hurts me, inside...

 

If it makes you feel any better, I doubt we were ever really in on Donaldson.

[3and2Fastball]

I hope this deal is backloaded a bit. 8/12 or 7/13. Defer some of that to 2021 when Braun's salary is off the books, and allow us a bit more to spend toward contending this year.

 

There’s not much more to add. What free agents are left?

 

Ryu, Keuchel, Donaldson

[homer]

Maybe a bit of an overpay for AAV but for two years it's no big deal.

[brewerhuman]

I like the move on its own, which I think is also the healthiest way to examine it in December. I think we as sports fans fall into compartmentalizing moves, as in "they need a, b, c, and d" or "we have this much payroll left and then we're tapped out." Those parameters do matter, but they both scenarios are still entirely fluid until they have to play the games that matter. I think it'll be more tough to acquire a Donaldson or Ryu/Keuchel, but it also doesn't eliminate them until those players have signed elsewhere. Who knows? A Hader/Cain trade could happen and now money is available again. In trying to think one move at a time with careful consideration of which context matters right now and what doesn't, I like the move!

[SRB]

Yelich in RF may help, but all it does is send Braun to first base where he won’t be a good fielder either. I don’t think there is much defensive improvement in the grand scheme.

 

Yes but Braun would be replacing mostly Eric Thames. To me that's a wash, and this is a straight upgrade from Braun to Garcia plus the added value of moving Yelich back to LF.

[SRB]

One thing I'll add. I value balance a lot, probably to a fault. I like bringing Garcia in as a RH option versus some other LH option. I fully expect a LH 1b to platoon with Braun, and possibly a LH 3b or even Cabrera who's a switch. We should have enough quality LH and RH hitters to always have a balanced lineup and avoid getting exposed by RH or LH pitching specifically.

 

They're set up to punish LHP!

 

Last three years (2017-2019) vs LHP:

 

Urias - .404 wOBA (small sample)

Yelich - .373 wOBA

Braun - .369 wOBA

Garcia - .368 wOBA

Cain - .362 wOBA

 

Could use another RHP masher as the backup 1B or as 3B to join Yelich and Hiura (both with >.400 wOBA vs RHP)

[PeaveyFury]

 

No, but I'm willing to bet a VERY large sum of money this is their "big" FA signing for the year, in terms of AAV.

 

How large, and how do we get in on this?

[TURBO]

I think we have about $30 million more to go...

 

Which almost certainly means we are out on Donaldson.

 

I don't dislike this signing, not one single bit, but if getting him means we can no longer even consider Donaldson, then this hurts me, inside...

 

If it makes you feel any better, I doubt we were ever really in on Donaldson.

 

Oh, for sure, I realize that, but a guy can dream...

[long ball]

This probably isn't the cleanest fit, but it works if they're willing to play Braun at first base 80+ games. I actually thought Braun looked pretty decent in limited time at first base in 2018.

 

I still think the Brewers need to add a big bat and now the only obvious places would be either SS or 3b.

I think Urias/Arcia are your SS regardless. 3B and 1B are still questions in my mind.

 

I think you're probably right, but if they were able to swing a deal for Lindor, Correa, or Corey Seager you'd probably play them at ss (urias could very well be a part of a trade of this magnitude). Obviously this would be tough to pull off.

 

Third base remains the clearest path to add an impact bat. I think we could see a left handed bat added on a small deal to complement Braun? at first, but that probably isn't going to be the type of impact player i'm hoping for.

[Matty V]

I'm not a fan of this deal and think the Brewers will regret at the end of 2020. Too much money to fill a hole that didn't exist.

 

It does fill a hole that does exist, though.

 

This moves Braun to 1B, and fills 40-50 games of OF at bats with a good hitter instead of Gamel.

 

They need bats, and this fills that need. Love their creativity in filling these holes, even if they did pay a lot.

 

$10m for 40-50 OF games is strong money to pay.

[MrTPlush]

Yelich in RF may help, but all it does is send Braun to first base where he won’t be a good fielder either. I don’t think there is much defensive improvement in the grand scheme.

 

Yes but Braun would be replacing mostly Eric Thames. To me that's a wash, and this is a straight upgrade from Braun to Garcia plus the added value of moving Yelich back to LF.

 

I don’t think Braun is as good as Thames as a 1B, but to each their own. Braun’s short time at 1B certainly did not reflect very good defense. If it was anywhere near Thames level I feel as though we would have seen them more often.

[SRB]

Yelich in RF may help, but all it does is send Braun to first base where he won’t be a good fielder either. I don’t think there is much defensive improvement in the grand scheme.

 

Yes but Braun would be replacing mostly Eric Thames. To me that's a wash, and this is a straight upgrade from Braun to Garcia plus the added value of moving Yelich back to LF.

 

I don’t think Braun is as good as Thames as a 1B, but to each their own. Braun’s short time at 1B certainly did not reflect very good defense. If it was anywhere near Thames level I feel as though we would have seen them more often.

 

I'm not expecting him to be good, though in actual fact I think the reason we never saw him there again is because we had two breakout players who could really only play 1B (or OF, which would have defeated the purpose). Braun was supposed to be the weak side of a 1B platoon with Thames in 2018, but when Aguilar blew up it became unnecessary. Last season once Aguilar imploded they just started using Grandal to give him days off from catching.

[LouisEly]

Why do people want to send Braun to the bench or a platoon role?

 

He had a .849 OPS last year and played in 144 games. Garcia has had an OPS greater than that only once in his career.

[clancyphile]

Why do people want to send Braun to the bench or a platoon role?

 

He had a .849 OPS last year and played in 144 games. Garcia has had an OPS greater than that only once in his career.

 

If he puts up an .849 OPS... how does that play at third?

 

Crew signs Thames to handle first...

 

ss: Urias

2b: Hiura

lf: Yelich

rf: Garcia

1b: Thames

3b: Braun

c: Narvaez

cf: Cain

pitcher

 

Just saying... it's an option.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

Overpay is so overused. Overpay means you could have had the same thing for less. I am not so sure that applies here.

 

Also not so sure Braun goes anywhere yet.

[clancyphile]

Overpay is so overused. Overpay means you could have had the same thing for less. I am not so sure that applies here.

 

Also not so sure Braun goes anywhere yet.

 

With the way the Moustakas and Grandal deals went... it's clear this market was running a bit more richer than last season's.

[long ball]

Why do people want to send Braun to the bench or a platoon role?

 

He had a .849 OPS last year and played in 144 games. Garcia has had an OPS greater than that only once in his career.

 

Braun only started 113 games in 2019, 99 in 2018, and 99 in 2017.

 

Probably reasonable to assume he starts roughly 100 again in 2020 even if he's mostly healthy.