Team Offseason Wishlist

[Ennder]

The NL as a whole has a 4.07 ERA as a RP with 7.4 K/9 and 3.6 BB/9. They had an .726 OPS against and a .298 BABIP against. They averaged an IBB every 19.1 IP.

The Brewers had a 4.23 ERA as a RP with 8.4 K/9 and 3.5 BB/9. They had an .708 OPS against and a .306 BABIP against. Yost called for an IBB every 29.9 IP.

 

The biggest flaw with our RP is that Yost is a bad manager. The difference in BABIP is probably caused by the defense and had a little bit to do with it but in general Yost uses the wrong RP in the wrong situation and doesn't understand how to use IBB's to create good matchups. Our K rate and BB rate were better than an average RP, our GB% was around average, our OPS against was above average but our ERA was below average.

 

This is largely because Yost doesn't understand how to create positive matchups and flatly refused to use the IBB as a tool in his managing. Doing things like using Aquino to face Pence with 1B open and 1 out with a runner on 2nd with the game on the line is the managers fault and when you do it every single night it adds up over the season.

 

I do think the bullpen needs to be reworked but I want to focus the blame where it belongs and that is on Yost and the defense, our Bullpen threw the ball better than an average NL bullpen did, Yost just set them up to fail. His usage of Turnbow was just brutal, a knowledgable fan could have called almost every Turnbow blow up in the 2nd half. You don't bring him in with runners on and you take a big risk using him back to back days, why Yost hasn't learned this after 3 years of having Turnbow in his bullpen is beyond me. Why we had so many important games end up in close losses with Cordero on the bench for the 5th day in a row is simply beyond me. Put the blame where it belongs the most.

[jhart05]

One thing I don't understand is why so many people think we can add one, possibly 2 players, keep everyone else, and be ok. The bullpen this year was absolutely pathetic, and we'd better have more than one new face.

The bullpen this past month has been absolutely pathetic. The beginning of the season the bullpen was a real strength. So overuse very likely played a role.

To piggy back on this, most of us think that, because the core of this team is still very young.

Defense and bullpen are the top fixes to this team next year. Defense can be fixed with practice, practice, practice, by the kids. If they add one or two to the bullpen, along with resigning Cordero, that may be all the pen needs. Plus they have 8 possible starters for next year, some of them will end up in the pen if not traded for bullpen help. I would hope they can hold on to all 8 of them.

Everyone knows defense helps out your pitching. Getting a couple more outs, turning a few more double plays, making good smart throws, not letting the runner take that extra base. Those things help out the pitching as they won't have to throw as many pitches, the starters should be able to work an extra inning or two, then the pen doesn't have to come in early in games.

(The eight starters being, Gallardo, Suppan, Sheets, Villanueva, Bush, Capuano, Parra, and Vargas.)

[TwinsBrewersWorldSeries]

My Offseason Moves:

 

1. Fire Ned Yost (replace with Joe Girardi)

2. Trade Billy Hall, Weeks & Jeffress for Joe Nathan and Johan Santana http://static.yuku.com//domainskins/bypass/img/smileys/pimp.gif

3. Move Corey Hart to CF

4. Sign Aaron Rowand (LF)

5. Sign Mark Loretta (2B)

6. Sign Kenny Lofton (RF)

7. Trade Capuano and Vargas for good bullpen arms

 

Hart/Loretta/Braun/Fielder/Rowand/Lofton/Estrada/Hardy

Santana/Sheets/Gallardo/Villy/Suppan

Bullpen: Bush/Parra/Turnbow/Nathan/(arms from trades)

[jhart05]

I hope you're not actually serious by trading a 25 year old Rickie Weeks, who has been one of the best players in baseball in September, and installing a 36 year old Loretta there.

 

Loretta is a fine backup, but that would be a major downgrade as a starting secondbaseman.

[TwinsBrewersWorldSeries]

Maybe.... but you can't turn down the opportunity to add a few ELITE players... but the point is moot... Twins would never trade Santana to us unless Fielder, Braun, or Yo were involved...

 

I know I had discussed Rowand/Lofton a few days back on the IGT Chat.... but i'm glad to see a few others think they might be good additions as well

[MNBrew]

Loretta is a fine backup, but that would be a major downgrade as a starting secondbaseman.

Loretta is hardly a backup. Just because the guy is/will be 36 years old doesn't mean he's no longer capable of staring. Look closer. Loretta is still a quality major league starting infielder, including at SS. The only legit knock on him defensively is range, and the only legit knock on him offensively is that he's not a power hitter, which he never has been and doesn't need to be. He's a solid hitter, a solid defender, and a great team player.

In short, I'd love to have him back on this team.

Lofton in the OF would make a lot of sense, especially if neither Jenkins nor Mench are back next year. Five OF spots would be Hall (LF), Lofton (CF), and Hart (RF) with Gross & Gwynn in reserve.

Then the IF would be Braun-Hardy-Weeks-Fielder with Loretta and supersub Dillon on the bench. Definite upgrade over anyone + Craig Counsell. You could even justify keeping Counsell with both Loretta and Dillon also present. Or you could trade Counsell and have Rottino as the 3rd IF reserve & 3rd catcher behind Estrada and whomever.

 

These manueverings would also suggest that trades of Counsell & Mench, along with Turnbow & Vargas, would get us at least some decent talent upgrades for the bullpen. I'm also thinking that leaves a pitching staff that looks like this:

 

Sheets

Suppan

Gallardo

Villanueva

Capuano

 

Cordero

Linebrink

Shouse

Bush

Parra

+2 other improved arms

 

You'd have to pay for Linebrink, but he's proven far more consistent than Turnbow in his career, which would create some sense of improved reliability/stability. Those are just off-the-cuff thoughts on the bullpen. I'm still thinking that through...

[JoeH33]

-Sign Yost to an extension - The players like him and he's a calming influence in the locker room. Honestly I don't believe you can ask much more of a manager. They pretty much just gotta fill out the lineup card and the players have to play.

 

-Get rid of Mench and Jenkins, and use some of that money to get a guy like Chad Cordero to close games.

 

-Find a decent LF'er whether it be a older vet like Abreu, or a promising young player who hasn't been given a fair shake (Matt Murton).

[EdgarDiazRocks]

It's a buyers market on Carlos Quentin.

[jhart05]

I wouldn't mind Loretta back on the team as a backup.

 

Not as a replacement for Weeks at second thou.

[Weirdos19]

1) Fire Ned
2) Let Jenks and Mench walk. Braun is the new left fielder.
3) Trade Hall and Capuano/Bush for a better pitcher. I would target Cain or Lowry from San Francisco. Lowry is probably more available. San Fran needs to make acquisitions to make their team younger. Bush and Hall for Lowry and a reliever.
4) Find a taker for Estrada. If you can pawn him off for more relief help, do so.
5) Sign a catcher. B.Molina or Ramon Castro would be OK.
6) Re- Sign Coco. We don't need an experiment as a closer when we should be contending.
7) Sign Loretta. Great #2 hitter.

Braun, Hart, Gross, FA (not Nix), Gwynn
Loretta, Hardy, Weeks, Fielder, Counsell, Dillon
Molina/Castro, Rivera

Sheets, Lowry, Gallardo, Villanueva, Suppan
Coco, Shouse, Parra, Correia?, Turnbow, Capuano

[bball123h2]

It's a buyers market on Carlos Quentin.

If Arizona is looking to move him, I would love to see Quentin as a Brewer. He's been injured this year, but the talent is certainly there. Plus, he'd be under Brewer control for several years (5 before free agency iirc).

 

[Ennder]

Lowry is probably a downgrade from Bush. The guy had as many BB's as K's this year and hasn't been the same since that injury to start 2006.

[igor67]

I agree that of the attainable goals more OBP in the line-up and a bullpen arm are desireable. I reserve judgement on the manager issue pending knowledge of someone clearly better than Yost. Turnbow is just fine if you have a pitching coach who can make up for Ned's difficulty watching pitchers and tell him to pull him out of hte game right away when he doesn't have it.

[brewmann04]

Melvin Has to upgrade the Pen and we have to improve the Defense.

I also would not mind Joe Dillion Back

[TooLiveBrew]

It's a buyers market on Carlos Quentin.

When I first heard his name bandied-about around here, I chalked it up to 'hopeful projections' both in what he may produce and in likelihood of acquiring him. The more I think about it, the more I see how wrong I was - on both counts. Interestingly enough, he's a RH hitter who fares notably better against RHP. He's no slouch against LHP, and in fact was better against them in 2005 in the PCL, but last year in both the PCL & MLB, his SLG was just plain better against RHP.

 

With Dillon around, that might be an ideal platoon, but I don't want to ignore Gross as a possible in-house replacement, especially since we already know he's a high-OBP type. I don't know how Quentin is defensively, and we know Gross is solid. I don't know if it's worth giving up whatever we would need to in order to bring in Quentin, and I also wonder about his serious injury this year - the torn left labrum (for dummies like me, a muscle in the shoulder). At least his throwing arm is his right, but I wonder how much that kind of injury recurs in a sport in which it's vital to a player.

[NeedMoreFans]

Here are some things I would like to see from this team in the off season...

 

Gut the bullpen and bring in some major league caliber relievers. Guys like Spurling, Aquino, King, Wise, etc...don't belong on this team anymore. If you keep Shouse, he should be a true LOOGY, he should never face a right handed batter. Linebrink did nothing to prove to me that he should be kept. Turnbow should move into the role of only pitching when we are in a blowout situation. I wouldn't mind re-signing CoCo.

 

Solidify the outfield. I'm sure Hart has now won a permanent position in the outfield, hopefully in right. I think Hall will be fine, but the big question is left field. I have no doubt Jenkins is not coming back, and Mench shouldn't return either. This team needs an everyday left fielder. Could Gross fill that role? I don't know.

 

Entertain the idea of trading Sheets. They don't have to trade him, but don't make him an "untouchable". If a team calls about him, listen to what they offer. You never know, another team could pony up an all-star caliber outfielder or a really good reliever or something for him.

 

Bring in a veteran utility infielder who's name is not Craig Counsell. I'm sorry, he did nothing for me this year. I still sort of wish they would have hung on to Cirillo. I've heard Mark Loretta's name thrown around the board recently, and he would be perfect.

 

Somehow get a new catcher. I don't know who they could get to play catcher, but I grew tired of the lack of hustle Estrada displayed. It would be nice to have a guy who could actually throw a guy out too.

 

Start long-term contract negotiations with Fielder. Shore him up so he will be a Brewer for a long, long, time.

[Blazer25]

Defense can be fixed with practice, practice, practice, by the kids.

That really is an oversimplification. Most cases with these guys, what you see is what you get. You're not going to make yourself magically into a good defender if you're a 23 YO Ryan Braun. His ceiling is probably at a below average MLB 3B defensivly. He's not far from that now and no amout of practice is going to make him an above average 3b.

 

Some guys have physical limitations, not everyone can be Omar Vizquel.

[Fatter than Joey]

That really is an oversimplification.

 

Agreed 100%

 

I think it would be like saying "All TGJ needs to do is to hit the batting cages every single day and he will improve his SLG".

 

It's not as if it will just finally occur to someone this off-season that Braun should start practicing. He has been at it for awhile, he is 23.

 

I am sure that TGJ could improve his SLG by learning how to drive the ball to gaps more often, and I am sure that Braun can improve his D incrementally -- but I agree Braun is going to be a bad 3bman, and all the Pollyananing in the world is not going to change that.

[sweepscc]

1) Resign Nedly

 

2) Trade Bill Hall, Claudio Vargas, and Chris Capuano to Royals for: Jimmy Gobble, Joakim Soria and Gil Meche

 

3)Resign Coco

 

4)Sign Torii Hunter

 

5) Trade Dave Bush and Matt Gamel to Mariners for Kenji Johjima

 

Rotation:

Sheets

Gallardo

Meche

Villanueva

Suppan

 

 

 

Bullpen:

Coco

Gobble

Soria

Parra

Turnbow

Shouse

 

Lineup:

Weeks

Hunter

Braun

Fielder

Hart

Johjima

Hardy

Gross/Mench

[MJLiverock]

I am done with Matt Wise and hope to never see him pitch for the Brewers again. His career ERA after the All Star break is 4.79 with a 1.40 WHIP. I don't expect that to improve above the career average. I can' t stand watching him pitch, he has lost what little confidence he had and can't go two days in a row.