Brewers sign Gyorko - MLB deal

[pacopete4]

I don’t even care about the chopping of payroll. Find young, controllable talent and grow it together.

[wildcat2237]

I don’t even care about the chopping of payroll. Find young, controllable talent and grow it together.

 

I think that is going to be the plan for 80%+ of the teams this year....

[Eye Black]

Via Haudricourt:

 

Stearns said could still have interest in either Sogard or Gyorko depending on how offseason plays out.

[Jaylyn]

If they are declining Gyorko at $3.5, it's going to be a dark winter indeed!

[Thurston Fluff]

Gyorko is surprising. I wonder if they're worried fans might not be allowed for at least part of 2021 and really don't want to get caught with a lot of red ink. Or perhaps think salaries will be down considerably because other teams are making that part of the calculation.

[TURBO]

Well I guess we're going to see how good of a GM Stearns can be putting together a roster with table scraps.

 

Did it last year, and the result was pathetic.

 

I find it almost impossible to look forward to another season of the same...

 

crap.

[Thurston Fluff]

Trading Hader might help find some offense in key spots for less than what Gyorko would have cost.

[Simba2020]

Gyorko was a savior for us last year but still probably should be only a bench player at this stage of his career. His average was under .200 the last 17 games of the year and I suspect his batting average would have continued the downward trend towards .220-.230 for a normal season. One way or another, we still need to find a regular first basemen and I don't think he was it.

[JohnBriggs12]

If Gyorko is the answer, I don't want to hear the question. He had a bit of a bounce back after a horrible 2019 buried on Cardinals bench but I don't think he's an every day player on a good team. His bat plays a little better at 3B than at 1B but his ideal role is as right handed platoon player. He won't be in great demand. He'll have to settler for about half of his option amount if he wants a big league contract.

[JohnBriggs12]

if we think Gyorko's option being declined is surprising, watch and see how many guys who are arby eligible are non-tendered. Revenue for 2021 remains uncertain, but it's very likely that there will be a full 162 game schedule. Every team is looking to trim as much payroll as possible. Lots of veteran journeymen types are going to have to settle for under $2 million. Some will retire. There will be lots of opportunities for young players. With no minor league ball in 2020, it's kind of a crapshoot as to who is ready to take that step.

[sveumrules]

Gyorko was a savior for us last year but still probably should be only a bench player at this stage of his career. His average was under .200 the last 17 games of the year and I suspect his batting average would have continued the downward trend towards .220-.230 for a normal season. One way or another, we still need to find a regular first basemen and I don't think he was it.

 

The splits definitely back this up...

 

Gyorko OPS vs RHP

 

2017: 763 | 2018: 702 | 2020: 699

 

Gyorko OPS vs LHP

 

2017: 975 | 2018: 919 | 2020: 1048

 

If they want to bring back Jedd as a lefty bashing backup at 1B, 2B, 3B I'd imagine they will have no problem signing him for less than the option amount given the flooded market & near leaguewide cost consciusness that will likely be on display this winter.

[TURBO]

The fact that Gyrko looked like such a stud in our line-up is just a reflection as to how pathetic our offense was in 2020.

 

It was so bad that Gyroko looked like our best offensive player.

[sveumrules]

The fact that Gyrko looked like such a stud in our line-up is just a reflection as to how pathetic our offense was in 2020.

 

It was so bad that Gyroko looked like our best offensive player.

 

Sure, the Brewers 89 wRC+ was 25th in MLB for the pandemic altered 2020, but it's hard for me to call that pathetic when the Rangers, Pirates & Rockies registered 67, 73 & 76 marks. Unless you want to say those three were abhorrent, putrid, laughable or just downright stunk, I guess.

 

Vogelbach actually outpaced Gyorko in both wRC+ (164 to 118) & batting runs (5.5 to 3.1), so if they decide not to offer him Arby's they could be down their two best hitters from 2020 heading into 2021.

 

Luckily, Yelich (112 wRC+) Hiura (87 wRC+) Garcia (81 wRC+) Urias (66 wRC+) & Narvaez (59 wRC+) will all project for significant positive regression in 2021. Cain will be coming back. They'll add a couple two tree four guys in the offseason. Looks like a pretty easy over on an 89 wRC+ for 2021 before a single acquisition is made.

[sveumrules]

Something else interesting I came across, Brewers ranks since 2017 (wRC+ is position players only)...

 

2017 | wRC+ 100 (15th) | Wins 86 (10th)

2018 | wRC+ 104 (12th) | Wins 96 (5th)

2019 | wRC+ 102 (12th) | Wins 89 (11th)

2020 | wRC+ 89 (25th) | Wins 29 (17th)

Total | wRC+ 101 (13th) | Wins 300 (10th)

 

Every year of the competitive Stearns era & cumulatively, our team wins have outpaced our position player wRC+ (& we know its not because of clutch hitting) so it must have something to do with pitching &/or defense...

 

2017 | FIP- 97 (12th) | ERA- 91 (8th) | DRS +12 (15th)

2018 | FIP- 98 (11th) | ERA- 92 (10th) | DRS +107 (2nd)

2019 | FIP- 100 (17th) | ERA- 99 (15th) | DRS +40 (11th)

2020 | FIP- 85 (3rd) | ERA- 92 (11th) | DRS -14 (23rd)

Total | FIP- 97 (10th) | ERA- 94 (9th) | DRS +110 (9th)

 

I think one thing it seems like people are still wrapping their heads around, even four years in, is that the Brewers win more because of pitching (specifically the bullpen, FIP- 92 (7th) ERA- 91 (10th) from 2017-20) & defense than because of hitting.

[monty57]

If the $3.5 million is too much for a corner infielder spot, 2021 is going to be a rough season.

 

I think/hope that these options are being declined because Stearns believes that players like Gyorko will be available for less than the option value, not because it means that the Brewers don't have $3.5M to spend on a corner IF.

[trwi7]

If the $3.5 million is too much for a corner infielder spot, 2021 is going to be a rough season.

 

I think/hope that these options are being declined because Stearns believes that players like Gyorko will be available for less than the option value, not because it means that the Brewers don't have $3.5M to spend on a corner IF.

 

This is the same reason he used for declining Thames' option last year and we ended up with Justin Smoak.

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

If the $3.5 million is too much for a corner infielder spot, 2021 is going to be a rough season.

 

I think/hope that these options are being declined because Stearns believes that players like Gyorko will be available for less than the option value, not because it means that the Brewers don't have $3.5M to spend on a corner IF.

 

This is the same reason he used for declining Thames' option last year and we ended up with Justin Smoak.

 

Who was actually better than Thames. Thames was terrible last year. That was no loss. At all.

[monty57]

If the $3.5 million is too much for a corner infielder spot, 2021 is going to be a rough season.

 

I think/hope that these options are being declined because Stearns believes that players like Gyorko will be available for less than the option value, not because it means that the Brewers don't have $3.5M to spend on a corner IF.

 

This is the same reason he used for declining Thames' option last year and we ended up with Justin Smoak.

 

And Thames signed for $3M with Washington, so Stearns was correct that the Brewers' option was well over market value. The Brewers can't afford to pay players twice their market value. They need to find ways to pay people less than market value, not more.

 

If it's true that payrolls are going down, it will be the journeymen that feel the most pain. The top guys on the market will still make a lot of money, but guys who would normally sign for $4-6M will probably be getting something like $1-3M.

 

Maybe it's a pipe dream, but I'd like to see the Brewers sign some "$10-15M talent" for well under market value. Fill the holes with better players without raising payroll. Probably more likely that payroll gets cut, but it'd be great if the Brewers could take advantage of a down market.

[trwi7]

Who was actually better than Thames. Thames was terrible last year. That was no loss. At all.

 

Not really my point.

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

Who was actually better than Thames. Thames was terrible last year. That was no loss. At all.

 

Not really my point.

 

I guess I'm missing your point then. I don't think the Brewers moved on from Thames because he was too expensive. They likely could have gotten him on a lesser deal if they wanted him. They moved on because they simply wanted to move on, and viewed Smoak as a better alternative. As it turned out, they basically traded junk for more junk.