Ryan Braun

[MVP2110]

To me it seemingly comes down to it Vogelbach is on the team. I think the bench can afford to carry one guy without positional flexibility to be just a pure bench bat, but assuming we carry 14 pitchers most of the season I'm not sure our bench can afford two guys who would basically never start

[pacopete4]

In 2018, our most successful season, we had a bench of guys like Nate Orf, Brett Phillips, and (bad) Brad Miller taking at bats in late July.

 

If Braun wants to come back in July, you let him comeback in July.

[MrTPlush]

Poor offensive players are going to have ABs...why? Because you need bench guys who can play SS/CF/2B. Part of the reason benches are so bad is because they are made up of versatile guys who can play premium positions when needed. If those guys actually hit at an above average clip they wouldn't be on someone's bench.

 

It doesn't help we will already have Daniel Vogelbach, who is a one position dead weight when it comes to playing in the field. I think we could have Braun and Vogelbach on the team just fine...but it certainly requires a bit more position flexibility among the other bench players. Though it could make late game PHs etc. tougher if we are limited on versatile bench guys.

[markedman5]

I’m not sure we should assume Vogelbach will be on the team.

 

He very well may be but I don’t see it as a given.

[MrTPlush]

I’m not sure we should assume Vogelbach will be on the team.

 

He very well may be but I don’t see it as a given.

 

They could drop him, but with a 26th man roster he is a pretty nice LHB to have off the bench. I am not a huge Vogelbach fan, but he is dirt cheap. If you don't want him at some point it would be pretty easy to just drop him.

[JackNicholson1974]

Just wanted to drop in and say I ran into Braun while out on a hike in Malibu (I’m just on a short vacation). We did not talk about his plans on playing this season. Being a Brewer fan, I suspect he doesn’t get recognized too often out here.

[JohnBriggs12]

To me it seemingly comes down to it Vogelbach is on the team. I think the bench can afford to carry one guy without positional flexibility to be just a pure bench bat, but assuming we carry 14 pitchers most of the season I'm not sure our bench can afford two guys who would basically never start

 

"Never start"? Vogelbach certainly would be in the lineup against RHP in AL parks. Hiura won't be given days off? Heck Yelich gets a half dozen days off. Then there's Wong. He's never played more than 150 games and even in that year (2015), he didn't start all 150. Hiura got some time back at 2B this week in Arizona. Counsell will have no trouble finding Vogelbach a bare minimum of a start a week.

[JohnBriggs12]

With Yelich down however long, Hiura in the minors, and Vogelbach trying to find his stroke, isn't now the time to call Braun up and ask what it will take? There appears to be plenty of ABs available particularly at first base.

[OldHeidelberg]

With Yelich down however long, Hiura in the minors, and Vogelbach trying to find his stroke, isn't now the time to call Braun up and ask what it will take? There appears to be plenty of ABs available particularly at first base.

 

It was discussed a bit in the other Braun thread. The guesses are Braun is really retired or didn't plan on returning until later this year. I have to think if it was an option he would signed already, considering how desperate we are and he costs nothing but money it's a no brainer. I guess if he was demanding 10 million for the rest of the season the Brewers would balk but that seems unreasonable.

[Hopper]

If we did call him, and he agreed to come back, how long would it be before he could even suit up?

Unless he is hitting on a regular basis, I'd think it would be 3 weeks minimum to be back in hitting shape.

[MrTPlush]

If we did call him, and he agreed to come back, how long would it be before he could even suit up?

Unless he is hitting on a regular basis, I'd think it would be 3 weeks minimum to be back in hitting shape.

 

I said it in the other thread, but I would imagine Braun is actively working out and staying in baseball shape for the possibility to return if that is actually something he is considering. If he isn't staying in shape I would guess he has zero intentions of coming back.

 

So with that I would guess he would be going the team pretty quickly if he were to sign. I doubt he would want to do any training in Appleton to prepare so likely straight to the MLB roster. Then eased in to the line up.

[pacopete4]

Braun could roll out of bed and hit dingers tomorrow if he wanted.

[brewmann04]

I guess we know by June or July if he wants to come back or officially Retire.

[NYChez]

If Braun hit .203, he’d be an above-average hitter on this team.

[pacopete4]

I mean, Stearns has to be thinking about giving him a call at this point. We just have to score more runs. Braun can help that if he wants to play baseball still.

[SeaBass]

Pity the league and union couldn't figure out the universal DH this season, I think Braun would be that much more receptive to playing if all he had to do was show up and hit.

[MrTPlush]

Didn’t the Brewers already ask him once? Sometime later in spring training?

[PeaveyFury]

Has their been anything from Braun's camp suggesting that he'd even entertain an offer to come back? At this point, everyone seems to be assuming he's waiting for later in the season. Why? At some point, don't we just have to acknowledge that the odds are that he's actually retired?

[Dean Machine]

Has their been anything from Braun's camp suggesting that he'd even entertain an offer to come back? At this point, everyone seems to be assuming he's waiting for later in the season. Why? At some point, don't we just have to acknowledge that the odds are that he's actually retired?

 

I was talking to Ryan Braun at spring training one time and I can't remember what lead to him saying it but he told me that he wasn't really a baseball fan which made me kind of sad. I told my wife I doubted he was going to stick around past the contract as he was already filthy rich. I was also probably near 40 and for the first time I realized that a lot of these guys are there because they happen to be good at baseball as oppose to love it like I did.

[MrTPlush]

Has their been anything from Braun's camp suggesting that he'd even entertain an offer to come back? At this point, everyone seems to be assuming he's waiting for later in the season. Why? At some point, don't we just have to acknowledge that the odds are that he's actually retired?

 

He or the team made some comment about it in like January when he didn't officially retire, but obviously wasn't signing to be ready for spring training.

[PeaveyFury]

Has their been anything from Braun's camp suggesting that he'd even entertain an offer to come back? At this point, everyone seems to be assuming he's waiting for later in the season. Why? At some point, don't we just have to acknowledge that the odds are that he's actually retired?

 

He or the team made some comment about it in like January when he didn't officially retire, but obviously wasn't signing to be ready for spring training.

 

I think if that's what we were basing this on, and if I recall correctly, wasn't a lot of that sort of 'never say never' or 'we'll see what the next few months brings?' With literally no news recently, I think the assumption should be that Braun is retired retired, not COVID retired.

[pacopete4]

Has their been anything from Braun's camp suggesting that he'd even entertain an offer to come back? At this point, everyone seems to be assuming he's waiting for later in the season. Why? At some point, don't we just have to acknowledge that the odds are that he's actually retired?

 

I was talking to Ryan Braun at spring training one time and I can't remember what lead to him saying it but he told me that he wasn't really a baseball fan which made me kind of sad. I told my wife I doubted he was going to stick around past the contract as he was already filthy rich. I was also probably near 40 and for the first time I realized that a lot of these guys are there because they happen to be good at baseball as oppose to love it like I did.

 

I think this occurs because it becomes a job for these guys. For us, it is entertainment. For them, it is a lot of hard work to be where they are and to stay where they are. I'd bet that there is a sense of enjoyment out of the relieving stress and pressure Braun had during his career.

 

That being said, we are headed towards 50% capacity. A bit more and it might be curtain call time for Braunie!

[MrTPlush]

Has their been anything from Braun's camp suggesting that he'd even entertain an offer to come back? At this point, everyone seems to be assuming he's waiting for later in the season. Why? At some point, don't we just have to acknowledge that the odds are that he's actually retired?

 

He or the team made some comment about it in like January when he didn't officially retire, but obviously wasn't signing to be ready for spring training.

 

I think if that's what we were basing this on, and if I recall correctly, wasn't a lot of that sort of 'never say never' or 'we'll see what the next few months brings?' With literally no news recently, I think the assumption should be that Braun is retired retired, not COVID retired.

 

I guess it all depends on how one wants to take it. I think he is retired for good, but I have thought he would 100% retire and run off into the sunset once 2020 was done. Can't blame him.

[clancyphile]

I think if that's what we were basing this on, and if I recall correctly, wasn't a lot of that sort of 'never say never' or 'we'll see what the next few months brings?' With literally no news recently, I think the assumption should be that Braun is retired retired, not COVID retired.

 

Yeah. Kind of a shame. Would have loved him to get that one last run in front of the fans...

 

Not to mention he'd have been a decent option as a platoon partner for Shaw, given his career OPS of .980ish against southpaws...

[DuWayne Steurer]

I think if that's what we were basing this on, and if I recall correctly, wasn't a lot of that sort of 'never say never' or 'we'll see what the next few months brings?' With literally no news recently, I think the assumption should be that Braun is retired retired, not COVID retired.

 

Yeah. Kind of a shame. Would have loved him to get that one last run in front of the fans...

 

Not to mention he'd have been a decent option as a platoon partner for Shaw, given his career OPS of .980ish against southpaws...

 

This is just like a running gag at this point, right?