Riske close to being a Brewer? (Possible announcement midweek)

[Oldcity]

this would be a MAJOR step backwards imo...

From Cordero, sure it's a step back. It can't possibly a step back from the bullpen the Brewers currently have.

 

[JohnBriggs12]

Riske would be my closer if it came down to him or Turnbow.

 

A lot of defenders point to the number of times Turnbow came in and didn't give up anything. But the fact is 7 times Turnbow gave up a total of 3 or more runs always in crucial situations. Riske only had one outing out of 65 where he allowed more than 2 runs. When you use a closer its almost always with a lead. Giving up one run in those situations doesn't necessarily mean you lose but if you let it get totally away from you, the team is dead. Oh you might not get a save if you give up one run, but your team still has a chance and this offense should win their share if a game is kept close. At worst a vet like Riske should be able to contribute enough to keep them in it until the deadline and they can go out and get more help.

[TooLiveBrew]

Exactly by your rationale, JB, I'd prefer TBow to close & Riske to pitch in higher-leverage situations.

[Raw Biz]

I don't think signing Riske would make the team worse at all. He's more reliable and arguably better than anyone we have in our bullpen now. Sure 5-6 mil a year might be too much but compared to the market and what he brings, it seems right on par. I would much rather sign him (or someone like him) and get the picks from Cordero than sign Cordero to double his contract or trade someone valuable (like Hall, though I don't particularly like him) for an established closer. The Brewers have always been able to find good closers out of nowhere (at least for a year or two before they blow up). Past examples include Leskanic, DeJean, Kolb, and Turnbow. Granted they didn't last more than a season or two but they were pretty solid. Then we noticed them start to decline we traded them away or let them walk and moved someone else into the role. I have faith that the Brewers will have a solid closer next year (as long as it's not Turnbow). Whether it's Riske, someone else we sign (or trade for, though I don't want to give up a starter), or someone in-house, I think we will be fine. After all, the Brewers will win every game by more than three runs so there won't be any saves recorded anyway.

[madtowndrunkard]

While I do think Turnbow is not a good option at closer - I do think that his 3 run outings is more on Yost being a moron then anything. Riske had a manager that knew how to handle RP's. Everyone but Yost knew once Turnbow walked a batter he was done.

[madtowndrunkard]

I don't think signing Riske would make the team worse at all. He's more reliable and arguably better than anyone we have in our bullpen now. Sure 5-6 mil a year might be too much but compared to the market and what he brings, it seems right on par. I would much rather sign him (or someone like him) and get the picks from Cordero than sign Cordero to double his contract or trade someone valuable (like Hall, though I don't particularly like him) for an established closer. The Brewers have always been able to find good closers out of nowhere (at least for a year or two before they blow up). Past examples include Leskanic, DeJean, Kolb, and Turnbow. Granted they didn't last more than a season or two but they were pretty solid. Then we noticed them start to decline we traded them away or let them walk and moved someone else into the role. I have faith that the Brewers will have a solid closer next year (as long as it's not Turnbow). Whether it's Riske, someone else we sign (or trade for, though I don't want to give up a starter), or someone in-house, I think we will be fine. After all, the Brewers will win every game by more than three runs so there won't be any saves recorded anyway.

Signing Riske does not make us worse. Losing Cordero and Linebrink makes us worse. If Villanueva moves to the starting rotation then our bullpen is MUCH MUCH worse then last year....even if we sign Riske. So we darn well better sign someone. Riske is a great move IMO, as long as he's not our closer.

 

[trwi7]

If Villanueva moves to the starting rotation then our bullpen is MUCH MUCH worse then last year....

 

On the flip side if Villanueva moves to the rotation it gets much much better.

[Weirdos19]

The offseason isn't done yet!! Plenty of time yet, not even at the Winter Meetings.

 

Riske is a step up from Linebrink. He has never been hurt and stranded a ton of runners last year.

 

If we were to get Bronxton in a deal, which is rumored, would Bronxton and Riske be better? Yes. No doubt.

[And That]

If Villanueva moves to the starting rotation then our bullpen is MUCH MUCH worse then last year

 

Would you rather have 70-90 innings of CV, or 180-200 innings of CV?

[patrickgpe]

If Villanueva moves to the starting rotation then our bullpen is MUCH MUCH worse then last year

i think part of the problem with CV last year was he was used too much. I think a more consistant work load than having to be counted on to pitch every other day would be better for him. Who's to say putting bush in the pen and CV in the rotation, wouldn't make both staff's better.

[madtowndrunkard]

If Villanueva moves to the starting rotation then our bullpen is MUCH MUCH worse then last year....

On the flip side if Villanueva moves to the rotation it gets much much better.

It does? Maybe a little better, but to expect CV to be anything more then a #4 or 5 pitcher is asking a bit much.

 

[TooLiveBrew]

Riske is a step up from Linebrink. He has never been hurt and stranded a ton of runners last year.

This isn't true. Riske (has) had serious back problems. Watch out on a strand rate as high as 90%, too - there's a lot of luck involved, though Riske does look to have skill at stranding runners, too.

[patrickgpe]

i do love how we are running all over this when this has been in 1 blog. I looked in the normal places and didn't find anything elsewhere. I hope its true, just giving some caution.

[trwi7]

It does? Maybe a little better, but to expect CV to be anything more then a #4 or 5 pitcher is asking a bit much.

 

What rotation looks better?

 

Sheets

Gallardo

Villanueva

Suppan

Capuano/Bush/Vargas/Parra

 

or

 

Sheets

Gallardo

Suppan

Capuano/Bush/Vargas/Parra

 

Villanueva was overworked as a reliever last year and his career ERA in the bullpen is 4.48 in 96.1 innings compare that to him as a starter and he has a 3.01 ERA in 71.2 innings. Villanueva pitching 200 innings is much more valuable than him being stuck in the bullpen for 80 innings.

[Scooter1027]

If Villanueva moves to the starting rotation then our bullpen is MUCH MUCH worse then last year....

On the flip side if Villanueva moves to the rotation it gets much much better.

It does? Maybe a little better, but to expect CV to be anything more then a #4 or 5 pitcher is asking a bit much.

 

 

Really? You have pretty low expectations for CV, or you're overestimating the performance of the average #4/#5 starter. The average NL #4 starter last year posted a 5.17 ERA (http://reconditebaseball.blogspot.com/2007/10/nl-rotations-by-era-for-2007.html). The average 5th starter was 6.77. In 168 career innings, Villanueva has posted a 3.86/1.23 line, an ERA that lands him somewhere between your league average #1 (3.46) and #2 (4.04), closer to the #2 obviously. He's really been pretty good, and I think he'll only be better with some experience.

[madtowndrunkard]

It's actually being reported by others. Melvin acknowledged he has an offer out to a RP. Riske makes sense. So I think that is why most believe it to be true. I read that Melvin gave Riske a deadline to accept. So maybe if Riske doesn't pan out Melvin ups his offer to Percival? Dotel's agent has also talked with Melvin - so obviously he's shopping hard for a RP.

[patrickgpe]

well i did see Rosenthal repored that the brewers are talking to Riske about a contract similar to the one linebrink got. This deadline stuff concerns me only cause he openly admitted that may be a reason he lost out on coco. That being said i know he would like to know if the problem is taken care of before he going to nashville next week.

[TheCouga23]

this would be a MAJOR step backwards imo...

 

from Cordero to Riske at the closer position blows...

 

Not that we should have paid Cordero as much as he got, but this does not excite me for next season.

 

So far, we have not gotten better at any position.

Anything is going to be a step backwards as far as closer goes. Any team would have been lucky to have Cordero for so cheap last year. It's highly unlikely that we will be that lucky again. For closers like that, you have to pay through the roof nowadays. Most teams don't have closers that are that good, and if they do, they are paying them much more for much longer.

The fact is, closers don't play much anyways. Sure they preserve the lead when you are winning, but you can only get to the closer if you have the lead. At some point, you're better off spending money on other areas rather than spending over $10MM per year on a guy who comes in and pitches less than 5% of your innings.

I'm glad the Brewers didn't resign Cordero. If pitching is half of your team, and you want to pay a guy who pitches 5% of your innings, that's 2.5% of your total playing time that a closer plays in. There is no sense in making this guy the highest paid man on your roster. The Brewers would be far better off if they spent that same Cordero money on a left fielder. You can basically put anyone in at closer, as long as they can pitch one inning. Closers come in most of the time with nobody on base, and as long as they can handle the pressure and the negative attention from the fans and the press if you blow a game, the difference between a scrap-heap guy turned closer and someone leeching over $10MM a year of your limited, small-market salary is almost negligible.

I would be totally fine entering in the season with Riske as our closer. He would cost half as much as Cordero, and probably would do just as good of a job. Riske is better able to handle the pressure than Turnbow. If you want to spend a ton of money, spend it on someone who actually plays a lot.

 

[Thurston Fluff]

Everyone but Yost knew once Turnbow walked a batter he was done.

 

If anyone could have told Yost when those meltdowns were going to occur he could have been expected to have a pitcher ready to go. Since no one had their crystal ball in hand before those meltdowns it can hardly be blamed on the manager. Considering those meltdowns happened less frequently than for any other pitcher on the staff he probably wanted to reserve the times he had two pitchers up for the times he had a less reliable reliever in the game. It's what I would do anyway.

 

 

But the fact is 7 times Turnbow gave up a total of 3 or more runs always in crucial situations. Riske only had one outing out of 65 where he allowed more than 2 runs. When you use a closer its almost always with a lead. Giving up one run in those situations doesn't necessarily mean you lose but if you let it get totally away from you, the team is dead. Oh you might not get a save if you give up one run, but your team still has a chance and this offense should win their share if a game is kept close.

 

I'd rather have the one who has the highest amount of shutout games for my closer and have the one who was less prone to totally imploding as a setup guy. But that's just me. Not that I think you are wrong as much as I think it's 6 of one 1/2 dozen the other. There are merits to both ways so ultimatley I think it personal preference on who gets used were.

For my part I'd rather take it on the chin on fewer occasions than take a chance on winning a majority of the exrta inning games required because my closer can't hold one run leads. If Turnbow shuts out 85% of his games and the team never wins a game where he gives up a run we win 85% of the games we lead in the 9th and don't have to trot out 3 more relievers to absorb the extra innings. Those extra innings are all high leverage situations that require good relievers I'd rather use before the 9th not after. I don't really know how important closers are if the pen as a whole are good anyway. Cleveland won one of the toughest divisions in baseball with Borowski and his +5 era.

[Fatter than Joey]

How does he end up with one of his best season ever and move down from an A to a B this year?

 

His best season was probably 2005, and 2005-06 was better than 2006-07. His rating stayed almost identical, other players shifted ahead of him. -- It's not as if these lists are statics -- other pitchers are improving and declining as well.

[recte44]

Ouch. I didn't realize Riske was a Type A. That actually makes this pretty unappealing IMO.

Yeah, I didn't realize that either. I'd rather stick with Wise in this case.

 

 

[trwi7]

Ouch. I didn't realize Riske was a Type A. That actually makes this pretty unappealing IMO.

Yeah, I didn't realize that either. I'd rather stick with Wise in this case.

 

It was said earlier that Riske is type B.

[And That]

For all to see:

 

DAVID RISKE IS A TYPE B FREE AGENT.

DAVID RISKE IS A TYPE B FREE AGENT.

DAVID RISKE IS A TYPE B FREE AGENT.

DAVID RISKE IS A TYPE B FREE AGENT.

DAVID RISKE IS A TYPE B FREE AGENT.

[brewerfan82]

How does he end up with one of his best season ever and move down from an A to a B this year?

 

His best season was probably 2005, and 2005-06 was better than 2006-07. His rating stayed almost identical, other players shifted ahead of him. -- It's not as if these lists are statics -- other pitchers are improving and declining as well.

Weren't the cutoffs for these rankings also changed this year. I think the type A cutoff dropped from like the top 20% to the top 15% at each position or something. That's probably a bigger factor than anything else.

 

[Cadillac4274]

this would be a MAJOR step backwards imo...

 

from Cordero to Riske at the closer position blows...

 

Not that we should have paid Cordero as much as he got, but this does not excite me for next season.

 

So far, we have not gotten better at any position.

 

I guess you could say that but, the team should get better just from the progression of the young players!