Any real talk or Rumors for the Crew

[brewmann04]

I been looking around different sites but its been no talk in regard to the Crew.

I know we are no spending and continue to look at Bargain basement steals but it will be nice to see some Brewers news.The Brewers are still missing a quality 3rd Base bat and maybe another Starter. The brewers basically failed miserable looking at reclamation projects so not looking for those type of additions.

[wibadgers23]

The offseason so far as been painfully quiet for all of MLB, not just the Brewers. I think it was Heyman that tweeted something to the effect that only around 30 of the 300 free agents have struck deals so far. Hopefully things start picking up here in January.

[brewmann04]

Here is hoping maybe the Crew can find a player or two in this quiet offseason.

[pacopete4]

Other than the Padres, what team has been active?

[MadThinker88]

Other than the Padres, what team has been active?

 

Tampa Bay (2 different trades)...

[brewmann04]

I just hope the Crew can nail someone to play 3RD. This is a year we’re the crew can take advantage of the rest of the division.

[Lathund]

Offseason has been quiet overall. In addition to that, Brewers generally keep things under wrap until a deal is actually done. Yelich, Cain and Grandal all came out of if not nowhere, then at least deep left field in one of those old extremely large ballparks from the 19th century. EDIT: Not that I expect signings of that magnitude, just pointing out that even the big deals don't get talked much about until they actually happen.

 

As for reclamation projects: That it didn't work once is not a reason to not do it again. It's the nature of it, if it was a given (Or at least very likely) that the player would do well it wouldn't be a reclamation project, and the contract cost would reflect that as more teams would be interested. You accept a relatively high failure rate because the upside of a success is high. I would also argue that out of the signings made last offseason, only Gyorko (After an injury-marred 2019) was a reclamation project. Sogard and Narvaez were coming off their career best seasons, Garcia off his second best one, Brock Holt was being Brock Holt. Smoak had a dropoff between '18 and '19, but that seemed largely BABIP-driven when in fact his walk rate, strikeout rate and exit velo had all improved. So he would at most be a "buy low". And the reclamation project among them was the one who performed, by far, the best.

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

If the roster is still sitting where it's currently at on Feb. 1, I'll be concerned. I expect January to be a busy month player personnel-wise, though. Not sure if they will come via trade or free agency, but I expect a LHH 3B, a RHH 1B/3B, another utility infielder type, a starting pitcher, and at least one bullpen addition.

[JohnBriggs12]

The two guys I think make the most sense for the Brewers from a cost and need basis, C.J. Cron and Jake Lamb are still available. It's a waiting game to get them to accept the low end of their range. The Brewers should be able to land both without a huge investment. Both add power, and have logical platoon partners already on the roster. I still could see Joc Pederson as a target too, but he's got quite a few suitors and might be out of their range. I also am sure the Brewers will add arms on minor league deals or minimal contracts.

[pacopete4]

If the roster is still sitting where it's currently at on Feb. 1, I'll be concerned. I expect January to be a busy month player personnel-wise, though. Not sure if they will come via trade or free agency, but I expect a LHH 3B, a RHH 1B/3B, another utility infielder type, a starting pitcher, and at least one bullpen addition.

 

I expect these types of things to happen also. My real concern is who these acquisitions will be. Just not a lot out there that scream “we are contenders”. The rostered guys we do have outside a few, are just meh. Heck, even the top end talent guys have question marks surrounding them. Hopefully, it all goes well for the Brewers moving forward but it just doesn’t have a good feel around the organization to me.

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

If the roster is still sitting where it's currently at on Feb. 1, I'll be concerned. I expect January to be a busy month player personnel-wise, though. Not sure if they will come via trade or free agency, but I expect a LHH 3B, a RHH 1B/3B, another utility infielder type, a starting pitcher, and at least one bullpen addition.

 

I expect these types of things to happen also. My real concern is who these acquisitions will be. Just not a lot out there that scream “we are contenders”. The rostered guys we do have outside a few, are just meh. Heck, even the top end talent guys have question marks surrounding them. Hopefully, it all goes well for the Brewers moving forward but it just doesn’t have a good feel around the organization to me.

 

That is correct. It is very unlikely that the Brewers are going to be able to acquire major difference-making talent from outside the organization. It's going to take the top-end talent guys like Yelich, Hiura, Cain, and to a lesser extent Narvaez and Garcia, to step up and perform like that have proven they are capable of in the past. It's going to take Woodruff to continue to operate like a #1, and Burnes to continue the trajectory he showed in 2020. It's going to take a couple of Houser, Lauer, Lindblom or perhaps one of the young guys like Bettinger or File stepping up to effectively fill out the rotation.

 

Yeah, lots of "ifs" there, but what MLB team outside of the Dodgers and perhaps the Padres now doesn't have the same type of "ifs"?

[JosephC]

I can understand why Stearns might think he rolled the dice and got Gyorko's last big offensive season in 2020 and now wants to move on. However, Gyorko seems like such a great fit with needing third base help and a right-handed bat to fill in some at first base...now it just makes perfect sense to bring him back. So I'm really surprised that there is no chatter regarding him. Just wonder if the Brewers aren't all that interested or if Gyroko now thinks he's a 2 year, 12 million dollar player (which he might be in a normal market, but very likely not in a COVID-19 market).

[Brewers Numbers]

If you bring Gyorko back you have to find a platoon partner. Gyoko had a OPS of 1.048 against LHP but a .699 against RHP.

[brewmann04]

reclamation projects are just not the way to build a WS Team. There has to have a lot of luck involved getting production from those type of players.

[narwhalattack]

reclamation projects are just not the way to build a WS Team. There has to have a lot of luck involved getting production from those type of players.

 

Agreed. Nothing wrong with using those guys as occasional/situational bench bats, but expecting them to be difference makers and relying on them to help carry the team to the WS is a tough sell. They’re basically band-aid players, and expecting more of them is a fool’s errand.

[Lathund]

reclamation projects are just not the way to build a WS Team. There has to have a lot of luck involved getting production from those type of players.

 

Agreed. No team could win the WS by signing a 3B with 93 wRC+ and so-so defense and just magically hope he gets better. Or a utility guy who put up 70 wRC+ in his first two years who even the Oakland A's sent to the minors for a whole year and then released. Or a reliever in his 30s coming off an almost 5 ERA season. No, better stay away from Justin Turner, Max Muncy and Blake Treinen.

 

Dodgers of course had many other players who were acquired under different circumstances too, but they are where they are because in addition to having all the money in the world to sign Mookie Betts or extend Clayton Kershaw, they still look for improvements whereever they can find it. A reasonably point would be to say you can't sign "only" reclamation projects. But you can, and should, look to find the players among the overlooked and unwanted who actually can be good players still. I would say that for any team with a substantially lower payroll than the richest teams, that's what you *have* to do to even have a chance. If you only ever pay market value (or more) for established players and "sure things", you will lose to a team that does the same but spends more.

[brewmann04]

The Brewers will add these guys and they will try to sell the fans.

[monty57]

The offseason so far as been painfully quiet for all of MLB, not just the Brewers. I think it was Heyman that tweeted something to the effect that only around 30 of the 300 free agents have struck deals so far. Hopefully things start picking up here in January.

 

I'm sure teams and players are talking, but the offers are just below what the players hope to get. Eventually, someone is going to have to crack as teams need players and players need teams, but most of the deals will probably be for one year, as the teams are worried about whether there will be any fans in the stands, and players will just want to get to the new CBA.

 

If this is the case, I hope Attanasio okay's a "Grandal/Moose" type of signing where the team goes a bit over budget because a player they didn't expect to be able to afford falls into their price range.

[brewcrewdue80]

Do we have a date when Arbitration happens for Hader and Woodruff?

[Jopal78]

What does anyone truly expect?

 

The Brewers have never historically been big players in free agency. Since Stearns was hired to run the team, all of their free agents outside of Lorenzo Cain have been either value signings or more of the spare part variety than core player.

 

They are more active in trades; however since they intend to compete in their division, the major league roster features players who are arguably more valuable to the Brewers than what they could get for those same players in a trade.

 

As for trading minor league talent for major league players; the moves to bolster the major league roster the last three years with Yelich, Swarzak, Moustakas, Schoop, Soria, Gio Gonzalez, Jordan Lyles, Pomeranz, etc. has left their minor league system virtually devoid of premium talent which is an impediment to making a trade to bring aboard an established veteran.

 

If the 2021 season does start on time there will likely be a flurry of activity at the end of this month and into February, and I'm sure the Brewers will be on the look out for value signings like the vast majority of free agents they have signed in the last half decade.

[brewcrewdue80]

Do we have a date when Arbitration happens for Hader and Woodruff?

Ok looking it up sounds like Jan 15 is the date to submit what teams are willing to pay a player and for players to submit what they believe should earn. Then mid February if they hadn't come to an agreed salary, the arbitration hearing would begin.

 

That's where I think action takes place. After a 60game season, salary increases won't be normal. Or will they? Seems a lot of Arb eligibles are still without a contract. You clear this up and teams such as the Brewers will have an understanding of what payroll they have to work with. And/or the trade value tied to a Josh Hader for example. Is he going to make 8-10mil next season? Or 5.5-7? Counsell believed Hader should have won 6.4mil his first go. So jumping to 10mil doesnt seem like a reach. Youre talking price difference around an early 1st rd pick to early 2nd rd pick value. Or a full tier below class of prospect return. At that point if its worst case scenario, they keep Hader and pay the man til the end and let him go at FA. The worst would also mean the end of FA signings over 2mil. They'd probably settle with minors sign and invites with strong chances to win 1b or 3b role. Woodruff is also on the Arb process which has to be near a 2mil space once submissions happen. On worst case scenario that's a combined 4-6.5mil nearly a Blake Treinen deal the Dodgers just handed out.

Teams that are buying right now how many arb guys tbd do they have? Maybe they don't have any significant one or any at all so payroll is easy to spend.

[Outlander]

As for trading minor league talent for major league players; the moves to bolster the major league roster the last three years with Yelich, Swarzak, Moustakas, Schoop, Soria, Gio Gonzalez, Jordan Lyles, Pomeranz, etc. has left their minor league system virtually devoid of premium talent which is an impediment to making a trade to bring aboard an established veteran.

How so? You could say that after the Yelich trade a number of years ago but if the Brewers are void of premium talent now it isn't because of previous trades. In hindsight they didn't give up much of anything, certainly not premium talent.

[narwhalattack]

 

I wonder how many bargain bin deals this would mean

[DR28]

 

I wonder how many bargain bin deals this would mean

 

Of course he's gonna say that.

 

He's not gonna admit he's not doing anything and getting paid for it.

[nate82]

 

I wonder how many bargain bin deals this would mean

 

Doesn't really say anything though Haudricourt isn't really the best source for Brewers rumors or speculations. He hardly ever breaks anything concerning the Brewers actually I can't remember when Tom was the first to report anything on the Brewers that wasn't just a press release for the Brewers. The Brewers have actually become even more tight lipped in terms of information on who they are going after.

 

Cain, Grandal, and Yelich being the prime examples of very little to nothing was heard about the Brewers pursuing these players until they were just about to sign. I did find it interesting that a team was looking at Semien to play 3B I think that was the Brewers. The Brewers are not going to be in on Bauer or the other top tier free agents but Joc Pederson has been linked to the Brewers and I wouldn't be surprised if someone like Profar, La Stella and others at some become linked to the Brewers. I think the Brewers are going to get a bargain on a starting pitcher on someone like Tanaka, Quintana or Odorizzi not sexy names in free agency but definitely guys that could be had on a bargain <$10m a year.