2008 Offseason, Possible Ideas

[colbyjack]

If Upton isn't ready for the bigs, why did the D-Backs call him up so early? It's clear they intended for him to learn the ropes on the job.

 

And Kat already commented on Gonzalez' availability. He wouldn't come cheap, that's for sure, but he's a lot like Jarrod Saltalamacchia from this past year in that he really doesn't have a spot with the big-league club. The D-Backs more than likely are going to have to move a couple of talented outfielders, although they don't have to do a thing with Gonzalez for probably another year.

 

I was thinking the same thing, one of Parra, Villanueva or possibly even Dave Bush as a starting point for Quentin or possibly even Gonzalez, with some other parts mixed in. But that is only if you intend for one of those OFs to be one of your future corners, not a guy to work in a platoon with Gabe Gross, as that's just way too much to give up for a platoon-mate.

[kgbaseball]

If Gonzalez ends up playing to his potential, they'll certainly find a place for him. I think my untouchable statement was incorrect, now that I think about it, but it certainly was the case a year ago, as Gonzalez was the #1 outfield prospect in the game by many accounts.

[sbrylski]

While he obviously shouldn't be inked in as the LF starter yet, I think with LaPorta's projected arrival as sometime in '09 would have us looking for more of a stop-gap or platoon type player if we don't keep Jenkins. I think I'd do that regardless rather than sending away young pitching.

[MNBrew]

Games like today's in Pittsburgh make me think that for all Dave Bush's merits, he's not proved to be anything much more than a #5 starter. With the other talent available for the rotation, he could be a nicely useful chip to use toward improving the overall talent quotient on the roster.

 

As well as LaPorta hits, just as they did with Weeks, Fielder, Hart, & Braun, I don't think they're bringing LaPorta to the bigs for sure until he has his act at least somewhat together defensively in LF. Given that he's only just touched A ball this year, I have a hard time envisioning him playing in Miller Park for at least 2 more years. That said, I also wouldn't mind him hitting like Braun and forcing his way up sooner. However, I just don't see him being a major-league starter in just over a season.

[paul253]

I just don't see him being a major-league starter in just over a season.

 

I agree. I think Matt LaPorta should have absolutely nothing to do with any off season plans. He may be a good prospect, but lets not forget he has yet to take an AB about low A, and he hasn't even played half a season in the outfield. As much as i hate to say this, I can actually see him eventually replacing Fielder at first base.

[kgbaseball]

Kenny Lofton would be a perfect addition to this team as a leadoff hitter they've been so in need of.

[ILuvDaBush]

Pardon me but I have to think that Rickie's recent run since returning from Tennessee has in my humble opinion cemented his status as a higher ceiling Alphonso Soriano. Now I understand he could regress back to his former status, but since he's come back up, I've been of the opinion that he is more valuable than Ryan Braun, at least at present. I always enjoy bringing up our record with Weeks in our lineup this year as opposed to our record with Braun on the big league team. Now I am a true Braun-backer, but I think expecting the young gent to somehow continue putting up these insane numbers is probably asking too much. All I can say is it must be nice to have the Regal Prince of the Park protecting you. I can only imagine the types of pitches Weeks would get with Prince in the 2-hole, followed by Braun and Hart. Imagine...

 

Weeks 2B

Prince 1B

Braun 3B

Hart CF/RF

Gross RF/Mench LF

Hardy SS

Jenks LF/Hall CF

Miller C

YoGa P/DH

 

Que Bella

[ILuvDaBush]

OK. Explanation would probably be good.

 

Weeks 2B - Great On-base skills. Can dial up HR's well, with quick wrists, that have been sapped of power, Samson and Delilah-style, by injury. With the mighty Prince behind him, he should see many heaters. And when he's on, he feasts on fastballs like Ray King...feasts.

Prince 1B - Don't you want to see as many at-bats as possible for the Regal One? Let Prince have as many trips to the buffet as he wants!

Braun 3B - Ned's failed experiment gets a bit of tweaking. I like having Braun bat third, just with Prince behind him and an improved Hart and Gross behind him, or the lefty-crushing Mench.

Hart CF/RF - Hart has become the OF version of what we all wanted Hall to be, a multi-purpose utility player, both in the field and in the lineup. Hart has speed and power, and good on-base skills. He is one of the best base stealers on the team, and I like how Ned has been playing his hot bat.

Gross RF/Mench LF- Gross has been quite the revelation as of late. Obviously Melvin knew something when he sent Weeks and Gross down. With the precedent set with those two seasoned indiviuals, I cannot wait to see what a healthy Jr. Gwynny is going to look like. I'm hoping...Brian Roberts offensively with Mike Camron's defense. As for Mench, at least he and Hall make for quite the cute couple.

Hardy SS - The Kid can hit, and play his position, and take a pitch, and hit, andhit-and-run, and run, and break up a DP, and protect, and sac fly...and bunt....and hit.

Jenks LF/Hall CF - The second half performers... They're probably the most vital pieces to our destiny, with Prince a distant second, ok...probably not. But if they DO end up catching fire, as no one is really expecting much more than league average or there about, it would probably catapult us right to where Braun's Show of Fire got us...within spitting distance of a postseason berth, nevermind where we were PRIOR... I'm just saying, the former Hurricane's sense of vanity hasn't exactly been MVP-worthy in the same sense of Prince's run. But back to the well-paid pair (does anyone remember the story about Hall owing Jenks dinner after he got the big contract?), Hall and Jenks will be the catalysts for my offense.

Miller C - He calls a good game. As does Ueck. Perhaps Damian will take Schroeder's job.

YoGa P/DH - Looking at what is transpiring with Rick Ankiel, I'm a little paranoid about El Chupacabra. Please kid, tell me you prefer to get HiGH and not HGH. He just looks so cool out there, so collected. Very rarely do you see him go the Zambrano-route. He's going to be Zambrano without the baggage, and a few less ticks, but a bit more bite on the breaker.

[paul253]

Weeks 2B
Prince 1B
Braun 3B
Hart CF/RF
Gross RF/Mench LF
Hardy SS
Jenks LF/Hall CF
Miller C
YoGa P/DH

 

There is a reason people like Fielder hit 4th....to drive in runs...Yeah he may get more at bats during the season, but I would guess it wouldn't any more than 10 or 20. This lineup has the potential to be really solid next season, but putting Fielder 2nd is not the way to do it. Hardy should bat 2nd, Braun 3rd, Fielder 4th, and I still argue Hall 5th and Hart 6th.

[brettac1]

I think the difference in lineup position results in like 20 PA each spot you move up. Hardy just doesn't work as a number two hitter because he doesn't get on base. That's a major part of the inconsistency of the offense. I want Weeks leading off next year and Gross hitting second whenever he plays. I wanted that this year, and it only took until late August to happen, so maybe Ned will start with that lineup next year.

[sbrylski]

paul253 wrote:

There is a reason people like Fielder hit 4th....to drive in runs...Yeah he may get more at bats during the season, but I would guess it wouldn't any more than 10 or 20. This lineup has the potential to be really solid next season, but putting Fielder 2nd is not the way to do it. Hardy should bat 2nd, Braun 3rd, Fielder 4th, and I still argue Hall 5th and Hart 6th.

Yeah, but you're also taking advantage of Fielder's high OBP by putting him 2nd. Statistically your #2 hitter is supposed to be your best hitter, so I would like Braun 2nd and Fielder 4th. Hardy in the 2-hole isn't appealing to me.

[Katuluu]

I actually like the idea of Hart batting second. He's a solid contact hitter, has great speed, and he's solid at taking his share of walks.

[Hart Of Milwaukee]

My idea for next year:

Trades

Dave Bush and Escobar to Houston for Luke Scott

G Gross, Z Jackson, and Cole Gillespie to Oakland for Houston Street

M Parra to Washington for J Rauch

Internal

Let Cordero walk if in fact we can get Street, if not offer him 4yr/48million

Let Jenkins walk

Trade Turnbow for a mid range prospect

Trade Wise if no takers release him

Re-sign Linebrink 3yrs 15 million

Fire Dale Sveum

Line-up

1. Weeks 2B

2. Scott LF

3. Braun 3B

4. Fielder 1B

5. Hart RF

6. Hardy SS

7. Estrada C

8. Hall CF

9. Pitcher

Bench:

1.J Dillion

2. C Counsell

3. V Rottino

4. T Gwynn JR

5. Rivera/ Nix (depending if Rottino is a good enough back up C)

Rotation

1.Sheets

2.Gallardo

3.Suppan

4.Villaneuva

5. Capuano ( I really think he'll bounce back)

Bull-pen

1. Street closer

2. Linebrink set up

3. Rauch 7th inning

4. Vargas

5. McClung

6. Shouse

7. King

I really think these moves will tighten up our bullpen without hurting our line-up.

[kgbaseball]

McClung belongs nowhere near a Major League bullpen anytime soon. Steve Bray is a far better internal option.

 

Signing Cordero to a 4 year, $48 million contract would be a huge mistake.

 

Resigning Linebrink sounds like a great idea to me.

[sheetswannabe]

Anyone up for Torii Hunter? maybe a 4 year 50 million does it?

[bklynbrewcrew]

We have far bigger needs than a CF and Hunter will more than likely get far more than 4/50. We need to get a new manager and drastically improve the bullpen as well as pick up a new starting catcher. Really most of the pieces are in place and thats why this season has been so frustrating to watch.

[Hart Of Milwaukee]

I agree that Hunter is not a good option, but I feel McClung is worth a spot, because he has closer stuff , but he just needs time to figure it out in the big leagues. Now, I'm not saying give him a big leash, but give him an opportunity to show he deserves to be here. For the Cordero scenario re-signing Fransico is my option C. My first option would be getting Tony Pena from the D-backs who looks like an absolute stud, but it may cost way too much too get him. Anybody have any guesses what kind of package it would take? My favorite option is Huston Street, because he's unhappy with Oakland, and could be had for cheap because Gabe Gross is one the OBP players that Billy Beane absolutly loves. Now, with that being said if we can't acquire a closer via a trade we have to spend money to resign CoCo. My rational is that a closer should have the same value as a #3 starter. The market value for #3 starter is about 4yrs 48 million, and eventually this team is going to have to spend big dollars if they want to win. Now, for those of you who feel this will prevent us from resigning someone from our young core, that is actually not true, because by the time this contract expires most of them will just be entering their "big money" years!

How do you guys like Luke Scott? I really like him because hes the perfect 2 hole guys who gets on a lot plus he has a cannon. There is also the factor that Houston has a crowded outfield of Anderson, Pence, Lee, and possibly Berkman.

[Samurai Bucky]

Unfortunately, Cappy has been inefficient for the past year and a half. Sorry, but I don't understand why everybody wants to keep him around.

[MNBrew]

As much as anything, because Capuano hasn't done well overall since the '06 All-Star Game, this isn't the optimal time to move him. Don't want to "sell low" if you can avoid it.

 

Hunter turned down 3 years at $15M per year from the Twins recently. That's 3/45. 4/50 isn't going to happen. The Twins wouldn't have to offer him a higher annual salary to keep him. Everyone in MN paying attention to baseball knows that Hunter's going to get a 5th year from someone. If the Twins would pony up, he'd stay and they know it. But he's 32 now and the 5-yr. deal thing seems to be a place they don't want to go right now.

 

I wish Melvin would quit thinking that Counsell's a good bench player. His bat stinks. Get Cirillo again to go with Dillon, or even Loretta. Everyone throughout Brewerland seems to have this idea he has no ability to play SS anymore. But has anyone noticed this? He's played SS in 71 of his 132 games so far, and he has 57 starts there, as opposed to 18 at 1B, 18 at 2B, and 17 at 3B, with 7 total errors (6 at SS) for a .987 fielding percentage. Counsell's .993 fielding pct. would equate to 4 errors to Loretta's 7 in the same number of total chances. . . . Anyway, Loretta's only hitting about 60 points better than Counsell, too.

 

Well, now the focus will begin shifting fully to '08 since '07 is all but over.

[kalle8]

mlb trade rumors site says jason bay could be dealt in the offseason.

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/

i love bay, i'd love to see him with a brewers uniform.

 

pirates are asking for two young players.

parra can be one of them.

the other?

is gwyn enough?

i don't think so.

any suggestion?

[EbbaStClaire]

I like Jason Bay also but I wouldn't include Parra in a trade if I were DM. Parra is the only player on the Power 50 who has a chance to help the Brewers next year. Trading Parra results in a weaker pitching staff. I am not adverse to trading pitching but only if pitching comes back. I know I would never have made the Linebrink trade even though not that he is a Brewer I would resign him if I could.

[pogokat]

Jason Bay has peaked...i think he'll be more like the post pittsburgh brian giles if he is traded...that said, this team needs an obp guy more than anything elsee...if they could slide a bay or giles into the 2 hole and move hardy down to 6, this team would score more runs..

[paul253]

I would trade any 2 prospects we have for Jason Bay, assuming only one of them is a pitcher. Jason Bay is exactly what we need, and I think he'd excel in our lineup. He can bat 5th behind Fielder and in front of Hart. Can you imagine a lineup of Weeks, Hardy, Braun, Fielder, Bay, Hart, Hall, and Estrada? Parra OR Jeffress plus an outfielder like Cain or Gillespie.....count me in. Then we can let Jenkins and Cordero walk and use all that free money to fix our pathetic bullpen. Depth should be ok next year...Gwynn and Gross in the outfield...Counsell, maybe another veteran FA for the infield who can also play first, either Miller or Rivera at Catcher. Draft picks for Cordero could help replenish the system.

[TooLiveBrew]

One guy I really continue to ponder is Orioles' C Ramon Hernandez. He's due to make $7.5 mil in '08 ('09 - $8 mil., '10 - $8.5 mil team option ($1 mil. buyout)). He's really got some buy-low potential, but has averaged an .804 OPS from 2004-'06. I have no idea regarding his defensive skill set, but he could not possibly be worse than Estrada there. Given that his .700-ish OPS this year is basically a career low, and that the Orioles are going nowhere anytime soon, I wonder if he'd be worth a C swap, with perhaps someone like Zach Jackson as a guy to 'seal the deal,' and hopefully netting us a bullpen-type arm, too. Any thoughts? (especially regarding his defensive value or lack thereof)

[dadofandrew]

Hunter is many years older than Hall, and i doubt he's as good. That's a pretty easy guy to turn down.

 

According to ZR, Bay is almost as bad a LF as Dunn. PIT is looking to rebuild the right way now, so the Crew would have to overpay. I think there will be other options that cost much less, in players and cash.