Reactions to the Doug Melvin interview

[colbyjack]

Why would LA give up Ethier? He's cheap and effective, and still improving.

 

The Dodgers have some interesting spare parts of sorts, and someone is going to be the odd man out. If Andy LaRoche gets his opportunity at third base, who plays first? Nomar or James Loney?

 

If Loney loses out, does he move to left, and if so, what happens to not only Ethier, but what about Delwyn Young, who has move than shown that he can hit AAA and has success in limited/minimal MLB opportunities?

 

One of those players could very well be available this offseason depending on how things shake out.

 

I agree on Fukudome, Colby, I left him out because I really don't think the Brewers will be the highest bidder. He'd be an awesome addition, he's got the hitting skills, and he also has an outstanding arm.

 

I know, homer and I always seem to bring up Fukudome almost playfully, somewhat recognizing the improbability. But two things give me hope: 1. The Yankees, Mets, Red Sox, Dodgers and Mariners (the usual suspects with such players) may not get involved given the players they already have, and 2. Melvin surprised me and changed my offseason expectations of possible acquisitions when he went out and got Carlos Lee a few years ago, when I think most people were preparing themselves for some kind of corner OF platoon involving Brady Clark (or worse).

[dadofandrew]

I went over some of the more plausible options and ran the numbers over at Ramblings. Church came out much better than I thought he would, as he has played his entire career at RFK. He and Kearns finished #1/2, so it seems that the Nationals indeed would be a fine target.

 

http://albethke.blogspot.com/2007/10/heres-list-of-often-mentioned-targets.html

[splitterpfj]

I think Church and Cordero make a lot of sense for the Brewers. I know the Nats need starting pitchers, but I'm not familiar with their farm system, what positions might they want to strengthen?

 

Whether some like it or not, I could envision Manny Parra as the centerpiece of a deal with the Nationals this winter.

[And That]

I'd have a hard time giving up Parra to the Nationals. If Parra gets traded, I hope it is to an AL team because I have a sneaking suspicion he'd come to haunt us later in the NL. The problem in trading with the Nationals is that, even with a new ownership/management group, they'd probably shy away from Vargas being involved. I want Vargas gone yesterday, but it won't be there, I'm afraid. If you trade away Vargas for something, and then still target the Nationals here, you're leaving yourself a little thin in rotational depth.

 

That all said, Church or Kearns and/or Cordero make a lot of sense.

[colbyjack]

The Nationals have had two very good drafts back-to-back, but they're lacking in the upper levels. Their bullpen was pretty good this past year, and the presence of set-up man Jon Rauch could make Chad Cordero somewhat of a luxury for a bad team.

 

That said they need starters and big bats. I think Mat Gamel could be a powerful trading chip in any deal with the Nats, as would any established starting pitcher. While Manny Parra makes a ton of sense for them, so does Chris Capuano.

 

My gut says Parra and Gamel for Cordero, and another piece for Kearns or Church, depending on which OF you want (more for Kearns, less for Church). Bowden is known to love toolsy OFs, but you would think he has a ton of those already. The Nats are rumored to be in on a few of the CFs this offseason, and also has Justin Maxwell playing in the AFL with a cup of coffee already under his belt that could play a factor at the big-league level to open the '07 season. He already picked up a player he coveted with the Reds in Wily Mo Pena, which could make both Kearns and Church available depending on what they do this offseason (they may be bigger players than people think).

[And That]

My gut says Parra and Gamel for Cordero, and another piece for Kearns or Church, depending on which OF you want (more for Kearns, less for Church).

As you said, Bowden is into toolsy guys. Why not dangle a Lorenzo Cain instead of Gamel? I wouldn't give up Gamel for Cordero alone. Mat Gamel is going to be a special hitter. I package closer to Capuano, Cain and Hammond makes more sense to me.

 

[colbyjack]

If that does it Toby, I would prefer that deal to what I proposed, but Bowden may be looking for more of an impact bat such as Gamel, as he could be their 1B of the future and only impact bat above the low-A level (Marrero, Burgess). Since no one is moving Zimmerman off of third and they don't have anyone other than the aging/injury prone Dmitri Young and Nick Johnson at first, Gamel may make sense (especially as a left-handed hitter), although I noticed a few Nationals fans still had hope for Larry Broadway.

 

Getting Cordero alone is going to take some players none of us would want to part with, and Gamel may be somewhat of an extra in Milwaukee since he clearly isn't playing third (Braun), first (Fielder) or even LF (LaPorta).

[TooLiveBrew]

Why go after Cordero? Why not target Rauch? Cordero's BB/K has been erratic over the last few years, while Rauch's has been (seemingly) more predictable. Plus, given that he'd likely come at a lower cost - why not? Cordero is a solid reliever, but so is Rauch, and when the cost to acquire one of the two is much higher than the other, why make the decision harder than it needs to be?

 

Vargas + Gamel for Kearns + Rauch? I worry that our side in that is a tad light, so please do augment as necessary. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

 

EDIT: cj, relative to Gamel's position (or lack thereof) what about when Fielder (sort of) inevitably leaves town? Would that be too far to realistically hang on to Gamel? Iirc, Gamel will open 2008 in AA? What if he spends two more full years (one AA, one AAA) in the minors, and perhaps starts 2010 in AAA. Any plausibility of him sliding up to MLB when Fielder is gone?

 

EDIT2: I see that Fielder's last year of arbitration is 2011. Is it out of the question to have Gamel up with the ML club as a 2010 mid/late season call-up, and then get him his PT as it's available from 2011-onward? This is - honestly - not me pining for one specific player, just being optimistic/curious about the team's best interests in the future.

[paul253]

I don't think its inevitable that the Brewers lose Fielder, at least not right away. Of all the homegrown talent, he and Braun are the most likely to be resigned because even though they are the most expensive, they are also the hardest to replace. I can see them letting Weeks and Hardy and even Hart go much sooner than Fielder or Braun.

[colbyjack]

cj, relative to Gamel's position (or lack thereof) what about when Fielder (sort of) inevitably leaves town?

 

Toby and I both have commented on the minor league forum that we feel LaPorta will be Fielder's eventual successor at first base. Playing left field will be a temporary assignment until he moves back to his natural position when it becomes open to him. Regardless, your idea is plausible, although I think Gamel would be better at an OF corner given his arm strength, I just brought up first since the Nats have a much more obvious need for that kind of hitter and overall player.

[TooLiveBrew]

I can see them letting Weeks and Hardy and even Hart go much sooner than Fielder or Braun.

Paul, it's not that Fielder isn't great - he is. It's that his price tag will be way out of our league once he truly hits FA. I think DM & Co. will orchestrate some sort of one or two-FA-year buyout deal with both Braun & Prince, but once those are gone, *poof!* so are the players. Fortunately, finding offense at 1B is about as easy as it gets (not that you'd find anyone quite as good as Prince), and 3B, while not easy, is certainly easier than SS & 2B.

 

That's why I feel directly opposite from you - imho the team will work to keep Weeks & Hardy around longer as opposed to Braun & Fielder. Not only will the middle infielders come cheaper, their offense is much harder to find at the positions they play - relative to 3B & 1B. However, if Rickie explodes next year like I think he's going to, his price tag may well end up beyond our means, too, sooner rather than later. Hart will likely be cheaper than Braun or Fielder, too.

 

 

EDIT: Regardless, your idea is plausible, although I think Gamel would be better at an OF corner given his arm strength, I just brought up first since the Nats have a much more obvious need for that kind of hitter and overall player.

Yea, cj, I was keeping in mind that LaPorta would likely be the one to man 1B; I should've said that.

[strawbossisevil]

I think who the team chooses to extend will depend largely on the farm system. If Brent Brewer or Escobar are ready to go, I see no reason why we would keep Hardy. Same goes with the rest of the positions. It's hard right now to predict who will be knocking on the door as prospects when time comes to make those types of decisions. Hopefully, the prospects we have will make such decisions easy, so that we can simply reload and keep going. I think the first major wave of prospects has just about ended. Now it's time to start drafting studs that can come in and take over when these guys reach Free Agency. These next few years of drafting may mean the difference between a short term run at the playoffs and a decade long dynasty.

[strawbossisevil]

While he may not be a very good defender, another option that could fill the OBP void our team has is Barry Bonds. Now I know, many of you would like to see him drawn and quartered, but as far as offering what our team needs most, he would be the ultimate solution. Imagine having him batting before Braun and Fielder. How many of our solo shots would instantly turn into two run shots because Barry was on base, not to mention he could provide some power himself.

 

Some positives of bringing him in would be the following:

1) Short term contract. This would allow us to have the door open for LaPorta the following season.

2) Undervalued. He is probably not going to get the contract that is equivalent to his production. He'll bring a lot of OBP at a very reasonable price.

3) Very productive. Like some have pointed out, he led the league last season in OPS+. Having another big time run producer in the lineup would be huge.

 

Some negatives include:

1) Barry's Attitude/Steroid issues (although, does anyone see this as being a place for him to escape the media a bit, since we are more of a small market?)

2) Defense (Although he can't be any worse then Mench/C.Lee)

3) Only able to play about 2/3 of a season at this point

 

On a one year rental, could this guy be all that bad to bring in? If he helped bring us to the playoffs, would that be worth having to have a guy on our roster that we wouldn't like? Should our team be a team of "good guys" or a team of "guys who have the talent to get us to the top"?

[rpmeehan]

Why would LA give up Ethier? He's cheap and effective, and still improving.

 

Ryan, tell us, how many walks were just because the pitchers were terrible?

Well, the 4-walk game was pretty ridiculous. They never took out their starter, and I think he threw upwards of 150 pitches in 5 innings before the game was called for time. So, the first walk or two were earned, but by the end, I was looking to swing at anything my bat could reach... Sadly, the pitcher did not comply.

 

The talent level was kind of all over the place...from a bad high school team to college players to semi-pro guys. There were a few teams with guys throwing well into the 80's, but nobody touched 90. The best pitcher was a lefty that threw about 86-87 with a big sweeping slider and a passable change. And then there a few big, heavy righties throwing 84-85 with a slider. Challenging at times, but certainly not unhittable.

[madbad2000]

I love the idea of trading with the Nats. I just fear that it's one of those..."we match up too well to make it happen" kind of deals.

 

I love the idea of bringing Barry in. At first I was against it. But quite honestly, he'll bring us exactly what we're looking for in left in terms of obp from that spot. Plus he'll be short term for any young personnel that may be ready to get a shot. Plus Barry would be a nice way to "baby" a young prospect into the bigs by allowing them 1/3 of the playing time while platooning with Barry. And Barry could be intrigued by us because we should be contenders (and play the Giants). He's left handed. Bonds, Braun, Fielder...yikes any way you play them. Nice idea for debating straw.

[TooLiveBrew]

If we're willing to spend $12+ mil/yr. and go at least two years, sure, we could land Bonds. More likely that it'd be $15/yr., though, and with the risk of PED investigation, along with absolutely zero defense (or ability to score from first on a double - for the most part), I don't think the net result will be worth the investment.

[Invader3K]

Couldn't the Brewers put something in an offer to Barry Bonds about how they don't have to pay him if he can't play due to being indicted or something? I'm pretty sure there was something like that in his last contract with the Giants.

 

I'm not necessarily really in favor of going after Bonds...just saying.

[dadofandrew]

Bonds may be an option or not, but only Mark and Doug would know that. I do not know, but if he is possible, he would certainly fit the professional hitter mold and short-term LF. Heck, Gross would be a nice guy to have to cover Bonds' injury time and days off.

[TheBrewer]

I think what may be a bigger issue with Bonds is this.. Ok we cement him in signing him to a 1yr 10-15 Million dollar deal great. He's our LF. We need him to help us get to the play-offs. If we have in the contract where if he goes and gets indicted etc we can cancel the contract or we get money back etc great. But the bigger thing that if Bonds has even crossed Melvins mind is, if we lose him mid-season, who's going to be our LF. Yea you can throw names like Gross out there and maybe if LaPorta is ready.. but any names you throw out there.. those are all question marks. Even if we re-coup the money of him being indicted mid-season whatever, we may not have another great option out there, and depending upon the impact he had/has on our team, it may be too much to overcome then down the stretch.

[DHonks]

Al, why is short-term important for LF? Remember, a player is an asset, and not all players are acquired for the long-term. We happily took on Overbay from the Dbacks even though we knew Fielder wasn't far off. I'd compare adding a solid LF to trading for Overbay when we did

[ILuvDaBush]

The thing about Bonds that would scare me isn't the fear of indictment or injury, it is the fear of a cancer infecting out clubhouse. Would Bonds listen to Yost? Would Yost play favorites with Bonds? I would hope Bonds would take it upon himself to bring a banner to the city of Hank Aaron, which is what I would envision transpiring. As referenced earlier, that would be an insane lineup. But let me take it a step further.

LF Bonds
3B Braun
1B Fielder
RF Hart
SS Hardy
CF Hall
C Estrada (THIS is where I want to see an upgrade! Can the Canadian Connection steal Russell Martin??? Kemp and Martin for Braun!)
P YO!!!
2B Weeks

The basic premise is that the leadoff hitter bats leadoff....twice if you're lucky. And our big three boppers should get the most PA's. But nevertheless, we could literally have the highest team OPS+ in the majors....not just the NL!!!

But discounting a Barry acquisition, and if Pat the Bat would indeed DEMAND a contract extention, I would liek to see us get Mike Cameron. He K's a lot, but he has speed, defense, and power. And if I had my vote on which OF from the Gnats I'd want, I prefer Austin Kearns. My roommate from college who is from Cincy still rues the day that they traded Keanrs for a grab bag of RPs, even though Austin has yet to reach his potential, and probably never will. Another option could be trading for Coco Crisp and reinstalling him in left. He has wilted under the Boston spotlight but he put up a near .900 OPS in Cleveland while manning left, and Milwaukee has had decent luck with former LF's from Cleveland. Or, perhaps going with that logic, we could trade for another former LF from Cleveland who is always rumored to be on the block. Given how we all flocked to the Park in massive numbers, we could probably afford him as well. Manny being Manny in Mill-town.... But no matter what transpires this Hot Stove season, at least I can rest assured that Doug won't be breaking up that infield, unless the Dodgy Fellows do indeed agree to trade us Matty K and the Canadian 3B Convert.

[dadofandrew]

DH, usually a short=term guy is cheaper than a young player or long-term solution.

[Fatter than Joey]

Kemp and Martin for Braun!

 

I doubt they'd do Martin for Braun -- let alone Kemp+Martin

[ILuvDaBush]

I know, but it never hurts to hypothesize. Actually, Baseball America, in their mailbag a week ago, imagined that a package from the Dodgy Fellows for Johan Santana would center around Kemp, though they have long shied away from any deals for their prized prospect. And Russell Martin is to the Dodgy Ones as Mauer is to the Twinkies.

[DHonks]

Al, I just think a guy like Conor Jackson would be solid for the short term. I'd much rather land Chad Tracy, Carlos Quentin, or my favorite guy, Chris Carter, than Jackson, but all would be fine in left