Outfield Possibilities

[colbyjack]

There have been quite a few names tossed out there as possible acquisitions for the outfield. I wanted to assemble those names all in one place and welcome people to add more to the list.

 

I searched for a couple of different OFs, ones that would assume a corner OF spot full time and those that would replace Kevin Mench in forming a possible platoon with Gabe Gross (trying to find RH hitting corner OFs that have good numbers vs. LHPs).

 

Here's what I got:

 

Free Agents

I'm not listing all of the free agents, just the ones that stood out to me

 

Bobby Abreu

Jose Guillen

Kosuke Fukudome

Reggie Sanders

 

I noted in another post elsewhere that Sanders is ancient, but could form an interesting platoon while providing that ever so hard to find intangible quality of veteran leadership (turn your sarcasm meter on if you haven't already). Guillen reportedly was in negotiations with the Mariners on a three-year extension, Fukudome could get somewhat lost in the FA shuffle (not likely) given the presence of a strong CF class in Aaron Roward, Andruw Jones, Mike Cameron, Torii Hunter and Corey Patterson, while Abreu has the type of approach the Brewers lineup could sorely need, but is probably the most unlikely.

 

A wild-card would be Cuban defector Alexei Ramirez, who could play the infield or the outfield, but may need some seasoning in the minor leagues despite being one of the most polished all-around position players to come out of Cuba in recent years.

 

Team-by-Team possible trade acquisitions

 

D-Backs

Carlos Quentin

Carlos Gonzalez

 

Why? Eric Byrnes, Chris Young and Justin Upton represent the D-Backs OF of the present and the future. There is no reason for the D-Backs to move Gonzalez now, who is coming off of a good season at AA and could definitely use more seasoning at AAA. The D-Backs likely are looking for pitching and overall depth, which would be the same things the Brewers are probably looking for, so this may not be the greatest of fits.

 

Tigers

Marcus Thames

 

Why? Thames is more of a platoon option who hits LHPs better than RHPs, as the Tigers OF is set now that Cameron Maybin appears to be part of the present and future for the Tigers, joining Curtis Granderson and Magglio Ordonez. Thames probably wouldn't be incredibly difficult to acquire.

 

Red Sox

Coco Crisp

Brandon Moss

 

Why? The Red Sox have Manny Ramirez, Jacoby Ellsbury and J.D. Drew from left to right. Moss could probably be a solid backup on the corners given the frail Drew and unpredictable Ramirez, but Crisp definitely seems to be without a job now that Ellsbury has been called up, seemingly for good. Unfortunately Crisp really isn't that good, but hey, he's an option.

 

White Sox

Ryan Sweeney

Brian Anderson

 

Why? I'm not really sure what to think of the White Sox OF situation. If Joe Crede is brought back, Josh Fields may be moved to left field. Jermaine Dye would seem to be in RF for a couple of more years (extension thru '09 with '10 option), and I'm not sure what they think of Jerry Owens, Darin Erstad and Scott Podsednik. If Ryan Sweeney were available in any way, shape or form, I would try to find a way to land him.

 

Rockies

Jeff Baker

 

Why? Baker is definitely the odd man out in Colorado, who are stocked nearly two deep at every corner infield and corner outfield spot. Baker has hit LHP very well, and could be had relatively easy.

 

Royals

Emil Brown

 

Why? Not my most favorite candidates, but alas, he is a candidate. He hits LHPs better than RHP, is fairly athletic and can swipe a few bags for you. The Royals may choose not to pursue the arby-eligible Brown, who was a candidate to be non-tendered a year ago.

 

Angels

Juan Rivera

 

Why? Vlad, Garrett Anderson, Reggie Willits and Gary Matthews Jr. have command of the Angels OF, and their IF is equally stocked. Rivera is a good overall hitter that could be an everyday starting option.

 

Dodgers

Delwyn Young

Andrew Eithier

 

Why? Are the Dodgers bringing back Luis Gonzalez? Juan Pierre and Matt Kemp seem to be fixtures in CF and RF respectively, and Young has nowhere on the IF to play with an equally stacked crowd. James Loney could also be a wild-card in this discussion as a potential corner OF with Nomar Garciaparra and Andy LaRoche factoring into the corner IF situation.

 

Mets

Lastings Milledge

 

Why? Milledge has seemed to be an extra for a couple of years now, and his attitude isn't winning him any points in New York. The Mets seem intent on bringing Moises Alou back, Beltran is a fixture in CF, and they also have a young OF by the name of Carlos Gomez that they may want to keep instead of Milledge.

 

Pirates

Jason Bay

Xavier Nady

 

Why? Rebuilding. I'm not sold that the Pirates will deal Bay, whose value is at a low coming off of his worst season. Xavier Nady may be a more likely candidate, who was born for a platoon role as he crushes LHPs. Steve Pearce is a similar player to Nady that the Pirates may want to open a corner OF spot for. Nady is arby eligible, and could even be a candidate to be non-tendered.

 

Mariners

Adam Jones

 

Why? Not the most likely candidate, as Jones would have to be part of something big, but he may be somewhat of a man without a position, especially if the team re-signs Jose Guillen. The Ms have always been at their best with a deep bench given the fact that they travel longer and farther than any other team in baseball, but still, he's a name that's out there that could possibly be had.

 

Allow me to add that I'm not sure any of the platoon candidates I identified above would be better than Mench, but I do think the team would be better off finding a similar platoon candidate that has a more discerning eye at the plate.

 

One wild-card that I have liked the past several years: J.R. House. House has tore up the upper levels of the minors the past two years since returning to baseball, and was called up to take a place on the Orioles roster late this past year. If the O's are smart they will find super-utility role for House, as he is a better fit in the AL switching between 1B, C and DH (kind of like Matt LeCroy). He hit LHPs very well this past year at AAA, and if the Orioles end up releasing House I would jump all over the opportunity to add this guy and give him a chance based on his bat.

[Dogger192003]

Very thoughtful post colby!!

I am strictly in the camp of acquiring and everyday outfielder instead of creating another platoon situation. Especially when both platoon partners don't want to be platooned like Menchkins this year.

One name I would love to acquire is Randy Winn. The Giants do have a hole to fill already with the loss of Bonds, but they are not close to competing in the west and will very likely rebuild around the young pitching staff.

Not sure exactly what it would take to get him but he would fit nicely with this club because he makes decent contact, good obp, good speed, adequate defense, and veteran presense.

[splitterpfj]

I have no problem with a platoon in one OF spot, but I hope we don't see it in two. Platoons are a great idea when you've got the right mix, but if you get too many going on, an injury suddenly leaves you with an every day player who can't hack it.

 

Gross and? will work for me in one spot, with Hart out there too, if Hall is kept, I would assume he's the other starter, but I also think Bill is one our most attractive trading options. Somebody will want Hall as an infielder, and this team needs bullpen help, unless you want to see Gwynn playing every day, you'd better hope Melvin finds an OF somewhere.

[colbyjack]

I'm a big fan of Winn, but not with his contract. He is owed $16.25M the next two years, and has a no-trade clause blocking him to be sent to 10 different teams. No idea what those teams are, but as his price, unless the Giants were to pick up more than half of it, I really have no interest.

 

I too would prefer an everyday option in one of the corner spots, as I have stated that Fukudome is my personal favorite several different times in several different threads, but I'm not so sure the team would be able to afford such a player, unless they decline to pursue both Cordero and Linebrink and find a cheaper alternative to address the bullpen.

[And That]

I would add these names to the FA list:

 

Milton Bradley

Jeff DaVanon

Rob Mackowiak (if SD doesn't pick up his option)

 

You know the baggage you're going to get by picking up Bradley. You also know that you're going to get a very talented baseball player who switch hits and can play all three OF spots. Obviously with his knee injury he might not be back until sometime into next season, but to me that just means you're going to get him undervalued and have less of a time for him to be any sort of cancer in the clubhouse. DaVanon is kind of like Bradley-lite. He's coming off a bad season, but again, that means more that he's an undervalued switch-hitter who can play all three OF spots. Mackowiak is a nice little utility player whom the Brewers might not need unless they trade some offense for pitching, but he's worth keeping on the radar.

[kgbaseball]

I don't think any of those guys are a fit. Bradley is probably a Type A FA, so if the Brewers sign him, there goes a good draft pick. Plus, ACL injuries take a long time to heal, so what's the point. Add in his ego and attitude, and you've got one unnecessary signing. The Brewers already have DaVanon and Mackowiak in the system already; their names are Vinny Rottino and Joe Dillon. I don't see a reason to spend the money if you can fill a void internally.

[Dogger192003]

I'm a big fan of Winn, but not with his contract. He is owed $16.25M the next two years, and has a no-trade clause blocking him to be sent to 10 different teams. No idea what those teams are, but as his price, unless the Giants were to pick up more than half of it, I really have no interest.

 

I too would prefer an everyday option in one of the corner spots, as I have stated that Fukudome is my personal favorite several different times in several different threads, but I'm not so sure the team would be able to afford such a player, unless they decline to pursue both Cordero and Linebrink and find a cheaper alternative to address the bullpen.

 

I am in favor of finding cheaper options at the backend of the bullpen and spending $ on the everyday line-up (Fuentes, Julio, Weathers just to name a couple may be a fit). That's why Winn is just one guy I think fits with this club. His contract is big but it is compareable to Jenkins', who he would replace. I'll take your word for it on Fukudome and would be very much in favor of him as well. Many Japanese position players have translated well in the bigs, the burn-outs have been mostly pitchers.

[colbyjack]

I like both Bradley and Mackowiak, and Bradley is a guy I would like to see the team invest in if they're willing to take on the apparent character issues. I didn't include him because of his recent knee injury. Not as big of a problem for MLB players as opposed to NFL players, but still that only adds to the risk of investing in a troublesome character.

 

Mackowiak is a left-handed batter, as I was only looking at platoon players that could spell Gross vs. LHPs.

 

DaVanon is a decent player to improve the bench, if you believe he is an improvement over someone we already have (Gwynn) as a 4th/5th OF, but IMO he is not an option at all to form a formalized and deliberate platoon.

[Cracked Bat Collector]

Jose Guillen would be a great bat to add to the lineup, although you'd take his personality with it. Trading for Ethier would be awesome, I'm a big fan of his.

[And That]

Another part of the equation as to who will play OF next season for the Brewers is how they deal with Mench, and if they trade any of them for bullpen help. It's a safe assumption that Jenkins won't be brought back, but it may well play out that our OF next year will consist of guys we already have here. I'd be fairly comfortable with an OF consisting of starters Grench/Hall/Hart and Gwynn as the 5th guy, but I'd also like to see them trade Gwynn while he still has major league prospect value and I'm no big fan of Mench and his Estrada-esque approach at the plate.

[homer]

"Fukudome is my personal favorite"

 

Mine too. He's exactly the kind of player the Brewers need - high OBP, some pop in his bat....I'd love to have him man left field for the next four years.

[Katuluu]

You'd have to think Milwaukee would be a market that Japanese players would have to at least think twice about. Nomo resurrected his career here and was a big fan favorite, and Prince's father played a few years in Japan so their is already some notoriety for him. We're no Seattle but we aren't Kansas City either.

[sbrylski]

What kind of contract is Fukudome expected to get? I can't see the Brewers going more than 4 / $36 max on a bit of a risk like that.

[Madtown Bomber]

I posted a few weeks ago on the major league forum about an interview with Mark A. and he said they would not be in the market for any Japanese player that would have a payment to his parent team in Japan. Now I don't know if Fukudome fits that category but if you would have to pay just to talk to him you can mark him off the list right away.

[And That]

Fukedome isn't being "posted" by his Japanese team. He's just coming over as a standard free agent, as the way I understood the situation. So, we wouldn't have to pay to talk to him, unlike Dice-K, Igawa and Iwamura last offseason.

[twobrewers]

You'd have to think Milwaukee would be a market that Japanese players would have to at least think twice about. Nomo resurrected his career here and was a big fan favorite, and Prince's father played a few years in Japan so their is already some notoriety for him.

Not to mention Yi!

[pogokat]

i have a dragons fukudome jersey...i would love for him to be a brewer...or at least play in the us...im sick of people thinking his last name is a joke

[Hart Of Milwaukee]

I'd really like Luke Scott with Anderson, Pence, and Lee he could be had for an affordable price. He has a similar offensive style to Gabe Gross but is better defensivly with a cannon arm!

[endaround]

Thing is Luke Scott if traded would only be traded for young pitching. The Brewers traded their young pitching for Linebrink

[colbyjack]

Another part of the equation as to who will play OF next season for the Brewers is how they deal with Mench, and if they trade any of them for bullpen help. It's a safe assumption that Jenkins won't be brought back, but it may well play out that our OF next year will consist of guys we already have here. I'd be fairly comfortable with an OF consisting of starters Grench/Hall/Hart and Gwynn as the 5th guy, but I'd also like to see them trade Gwynn while he still has major league prospect value and I'm no big fan of Mench and his Estrada-esque approach at the plate.

 

Your comments here Toby were pretty much the impetus for this thread. I like that Mench crushes lefties, but I don't like that he doesn't do much to get on base on a consistent basis. His salary was in the $3.4M range this past year, and as I have noted, I would gladly trade a little thump for a player's ability to get on-base. Some of the players above can do this, some can in theory, and others would be more of a wash. If the Brewers are considering a platoon for next year, I really hope Mench isn't part of it.

 

And this spot is really the only realistic area that we can see improvement (realistic meaning not radical or drastic). I would prefer a full-time option in LF, assuming Hart is in RF, and I haven't even ruled out the team addressing CF and moving Hall to LF, but I am prepared for some kind of platoon if it does come to that.

 

As for Fukudome, Toby is correct, he is a free agent and there will be no posting fees. There are actually a couple of interesting Japanese free agents, including a trio of relievers that is certain to get a lot of attention given the recent success procuring effective pitchers from there.

 

I'm guessing Fukudome will sign a deal in the 4-year $48 million range. This is roughly the value of Hideki Matsui's current deal and the one previous to Ichiro's recent extension. That is also the value of the deal they offered Carlos Lee...

 

As for Luke Scott, I'm not sure if I'm going to go out of my way to acquire Gabe Gross with a superior arm.

[giffted1]

I hope the Dodgers bring back Gonzalez because I'd love to get Andre Ethier. He's had an above .800 ops each of his two years up with a solid obp. He's young so they'll probably ask quite a bit for him, but it looks like he could be expendable. I'm not sure what kind of pitching they have in the minors, but with Schmidt and Wolf coming off injuries, they might be interested in one of our starters.

[mothershipconnection]

My top choice if were going for a temporary fix without breaking the bank is Kenny Lofton.

 

Bradley would be a nice addition. The big question there is whether we'd need to give up compensation/the Pads offer arby. He's a hard guy to gauge because his performance is great but he's an attitude case coming off a serious injury, so you can't really judge what the interest level will be very easily.

[ILuvDaBush]

I know this has been posted ad nauseum, but what about making a run at the "Untradeable One", Pat the Bat? He has a no-trade clause, and he has a big contract that many posters have previously balked at. But his second half numbers were amazing, and his OBP would be a welcome addition. Now it would probably take a good package, as opposed to a Brady Clark+cash package that could have been laughed at before, but he and Braun can complain about their alma's football team together, and it completely solidifies our lineup, outside of the C position. And given the mercurial nature of Philly, he could be persona non grata by the end of this week. On the other hand, he could be Santa Claus delivering the gift of a pennant to the Philly fans in the near future....and they would still boo him.

[TooLiveBrew]

The Santa that was infamously booed by Philly fans was booed for being drunk. Let's debunk that myth please.

[Postseason2006]

Just curious but Bradley is out for awhile due to the umpiring move. So not sure that would be wise.