2008 Offseason Plans, You are Doug Melvin...go

[Madtown Bomber]

I don't think the current roster of Milwaukee Brewers will improve much on the 2007 season unless several areas are improved upon. (Duh!) Just sitting pat will not do anything to improve this team at all. If I was Doug Melvin here are the areas I look to improve on and what I would do to address them.

 

I feel that although Johnny Estrada wasn't the total answer we were looking for I feel that there isn't much else out there so he is your 2008 catcher. Everybody wants a good hitting defensive catcher. Thing is there is maybe 3-4 total out there, Brian McCann, Victor Martinez, Joe Mauer, and Jorge Posada and we would have to give up half our team for any of them.

 

I think you are set with Prince Fielder...haha I think you are set at backup to with Joe Dillon.

 

I expect a breakout year for Rickie Weeks next season as long as his wrist keeps improving.

 

I am not as sold on JJ Hardy yet and would like to see what teams would offer me for him. I am just not sold that he can remain healthy, I think he might have peaked offensively, and I think he has limited range for the kind of reputation he has as a defensive superstar. I think I would trade Hardy over Hall.

 

Third Base is set with Ryan Braun although you have to look at the possiblility of moving him to the outfield if his defense continues to struggle. Offensively he is set.

 

Outfield is where the holes remain. You are set with Corey Hart and I would leave him in RF. I think you entertain trades and FA to sure up LF and CF. I am pretty confident that Bill Hall will rebound. I have by good authority that Bill Hall is going to be highly sought after by a good number of teams this offseason.

 

The Starting Pitching seems set however I seem to believe as many as 3 starters could be moved to improve this team. Sheets, Gallardo, Villenueva, Suppan, Bush seem to be your 5 to start the year if no moves are made but I would trade 1-2.

 

Relief Pitchers are a huge hole. Parra, Turnbow, McClung, Shouse, Setter?????????

 

I think the Brewers have to go out and deal for another OF and relief pitching.

 

If I was Doug Melvin I would look to get trade, release, non-tender, let go the following:

SP Chris Capuano

SP Ben Sheets

OF Kevin Mench

OF Tony Gwynn Jr.

OF Geoff Jenkins

OF Tony Graffineno

RP Fransisco Cordero

RP Derrick Turnbow

RP Matt Wise

RP Brian Shouse

SS JJ Hardy

 

As Doug Melvin I know that Matt LaPorta is on the fast track. So I got to keep that in mind when going out in the FA market. As said before the FA list is poor but there are a couple on there that could improve the squad. You have to go out and address the bullpen in trades or via your farm system.

 

So here is my 2008 lineup with how to obtain that.

 

My lone FA pickups are Trot Nixon to play left field. 2 years 6 million with a player option. And then Mark Loretta to back up the infield with Counsell. 1 year 2.5 million with a club option.

 

The New York writer that was on WTMJ last week that said that the Brewers were offered Melky Caberra and Joba Chamberlin for Chris Capuano, Geoff Jenkins, and a prospect (I'd assume a top offensive prospect) before the season to have Melvin turn it down makes me sick! What was he thinking? So I offer Cashman Ben Sheets, Derrick Turnbow, and Kevin Mench for Melky Caberra and Joba Chamberlin. Chamberlin becomes your immediate closer and Caberra becomes your starting CF.

 

I then trade JJ Hardy, Tony Gwynn Jr. and Chris Capuano to the Chicago White Sox for pitchers John Denks, Lance Broadway, and Ryan Bukvich. The White Sox are desperate for young producing players. JJ Hardy goes down there and fills a major whole for them. JJ being a all star nets a top players. I also believe Gwynn is attractive to them because it allows the White Sox to get rid of the now injury prone Scott Posednik. Capuano gives the White Sox another solid starter to make up for the loss of Denks.

 

My 2008 Lineup then looks like this:

1. Rickie Weeks 2B

2. Melky Caberra CF

3. Ryan Braun 3B

4. Prince Fielder 1B

5. Corey Hart RF

6. Trot Nixon LF

7. Johnny Estrada C

8. Bill Hall SS

 

Bench:

Damian Miller

Mark Loretta

Craig Counsell

Joe Dillon

Gabe Gross

 

Rotation:

Yovani Gallardo

Carlos Villenueva

Jeff Suppan

Manny Parra

John Denks

 

Bullpen:

Closer: Joba Chamberlin

Setup: Ryan Bukvich

Left Specialist: Mitch Setter

Long Man: Claudio Vargas

Anywhere guys: Seth McClung, Lance Broadway, Dave Bush

 

I would love for Steve Bray to get a shot, but I just don't know who I would replace him with.

 

That's my team. Shoot me down...haha World Series Champs with this lineup! hahahaha

[DougJones43]

12 Easy Steps

 

1. Move Ryan Braun to a corner OF spot

2. Move Bill Hall to 3B

3. Move Corey Hart to CF

4. Offer Cordero a 3yr/25M deal

5. Decline Geoff Jenkins' 2008 option

6. Trade Claudio Vargas to the highest bidder

7. Attempt to acquire a young catcher with good defensive abilities

8. Attempt to find a good corner OF through trade, otherwise use a Gross/Dillon platoon

9. Re-sign Linebrink if reasonably possible, attempt to upgrade middle relief

10. Explore trade opportunities for Ben Sheets - if nothing knocks your socks off, keep him

11. Find a high OBP utility guy

12. Build a time machine, go back to October of 2006, and fire Ned Yost

[rwa12]

The New York writer that was on WTMJ last week that said that the Brewers were offered Melky Caberra and Joba Chamberlin for Chris Capuano, Geoff Jenkins, and a prospect (I'd assume a top offensive prospect) before the season to have Melvin turn it down makes me sick!

Joba was a 2006 Draft Pick, I think he has to play at least a year of professional baseball before he can be traded.

[mothershipconnection]

Yup, he could not have been traded at that time, so the rumor is obviously nothing but a talking head looking like an idiot while pretending to be an insider. I'm sure if it really happened, it was Cabrera and "a pitching prospect", but who knows who they wanted. It's possible they wanted one of our pitching prospects in addition to Cappy and Jenkins for Cabrera and a similar/marginally better prospect.

[adambr2]

First of all, I'd really take anything that writer says with a grain of salt.

 

Secondly, your plan is calling for a major overhaul of our team. Only 1 starter from the 2007 rotation in the 2008 rotation. I think that bullpen would be among the worst in baseball, Joba or no Joba. I do agree that we need to do something about the pen, though.

 

I don't see Nixon helps us at all. May as well hang on to Jenkins if the alternative is to bring in Nixon.

 

Not a fan of moving Hall back to the infield, especially after getting the year of experience in CF under his belt. If he's going to be starting, he stays in CF. Also, Hardy isn't a superstar on the Prince/Braun level, but unless we're bringing in A-Rod to replace him, we don't want to get rid of a .275 25 HR shortstop who plays pretty good defense, when infield defense is already our achilles heel. We'd have to really get blown away on an offer to trade Hardy, although his value is probably quite high now.

 

I'm not as high on Melky as many seem to be. He may prove me wrong and have a breakout '08, though.

 

Back to the original point, this team doesn't need a major overhaul. Over half of your 25 man roster are guys who were not on the 25 man roster to open 2007. That seems awfully dangerous to all the work that has been done to build this team.

[Team Canada]

There's a good thread or two in the Trade forum about this.