Eric Gagne: Latest - 1yr/10M?

[radman12484]

You have a bunch of relief pitchers on this team with 2nd chance almost to close. Gagne ends up sucking, you have Turnbow, Riske, Torres, etc to give a chance to. One of the 30 starting pitchers we have could end up in the closers role also. I mean, it worked for the Phillies to a point.

[Roscoe Chill]

But you have to do a lot more than just trade Vargas to weed out the roster to make room for Matt Wise (as of now).

 

1. Sheets

2. Gallardo

3. Suppan

4. Villanueva

5. Parra

6. Bush

7. Capuano

8. Vargas

9. Gagne

10. Riske

11. Turnbow

12. Torres

13. Mota

14. Shouse

 

The four relievers acquired are in over Wise just due to salaries. I do think there will be a deal or two involving some starters, but even if you deal say Vargas and Capuano, you've still got options in the bullpen better than Wise. Wise breaks down in the second half of the season as someone pointed out in another thread. All these moves being made adding guys does not make keeping Wise even close to a lock.

 

Although, I don't think this has been mentioned yet, but could the news of Gagne joining the Crew so soon after the trade for Torres mean that Torres is indeed retiring? Or there is reason to believe that he'll just retire? You never know.

[trwi7]

as a cubs fan, i'm not thrilled by the prospect of having gagne close for the brewers. i thought we caught a break when cordero left for the reds, but if gagne bounces back from his rough months in boston it could be even worse than facing cordero.

This is excellent news for the Brewers, not so excellent news for the rest of the NL Central.

As a Cubs fan too, this is getting scary. The Brewers have really revamped their bullpen. If the Gagne signing becomes true, then they will have a very formidable bullpen next year.

 

And the Cubs big 3 are all right handers, Geez.

Link

[theavrock]

There were talks of the Brewers being interested in Gagne before we traded for Torres. I doubt the two are connected. I really hope Torres sees this a chance to come to a contender and be a part of a winner, because the back end of that bullpen would be solid with Gagne, Riske, Torres and Turnbow (if used properly please, Ned please).

[SeriesFinale]

He was also very good in '06. Besides 18 innings with Boston the only thing that has ever been wrong with Gagne is health.

18 innings might be a small sample, but two innings is even smaller, which is what Gagne pitched in '06. He's pitched less than 70 innings total since 2004. The health thing isn't a small concern.

I think he can and hope he will pitch very well for the Crew next year, but I also think it's far from a given he gives the team a full "lights out" year.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Milltownhooker]

I think if Gagne is signed both Vargas & Cappy can be traded. Move McClung to a starting pitcher role. He can compete with Parra & Bush for the 5th spot in Spring Training.

[trwi7]

Move McClung to a starting pitcher role.

 

Over/under on how long he can surpass Sharpie's nine walk game is 3 starts. I'm taking the under.

[Oldcity]

So let me get this straight... You're saying it WAS foolish for people to be panicking because DM said Turnbow would be the closer when it was early December? Whoda thunk it?

[theavrock]

He was also very good in '06. Besides 18 innings with Boston the only thing that has ever been wrong with Gagne is health.

18 innings might be a small sample, but two innings is even smaller, which is what Gagne pitched in '06. He's pitched less than 70 innings total since 2004. The health thing isn't a small concern.

I think he can and hope he will pitch very well for the Crew next year, but I also think it's far from a given he gives the team a full "lights out" year.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My bad I meant '04.

[Roscoe Chill]

So let me get this straight... You're saying it WAS foolish for people to be panicking because DM said Turnbow would be the closer when it was early December? Whoda thunk it?

 

No offense Stevo, but picking up FOUR new relievers is a bit surprising. After the Torres deal, it wasn't at all unreasonable to think that Melvin was done adding new pieces to the bullpen, and that Turnbow as the closer was indeed the plan. As many people asked, what were the other options?

 

Hell, read this board, you still have people talking about Randy Freaking Choate, like he's going to be on the roster or something. But when you're on the hook for $3 or $4 million, you can bet a guy will be on the roster. They've got a lot of pitchers right now. Too many.

[PeaveyFury]

After the Torres deal, it wasn't at all unreasonable to think that Melvin was done adding new pieces to the bullpen, and that Turnbow as the closer was indeed the plan.

 

Problem is, some people here thought that after the Mota deal over a month ago.

[Oldcity]

After the Torres deal, it wasn't at all unreasonable to think that Melvin was done adding new pieces to the bullpen, and that Turnbow as the closer was indeed the plan.

The Torres deal just went down yesterday. If you go back and look, you'll see people complaining about the possibility of Turnbow at closer at least a week ago, crying about the sky falling when it was inevitable that relievers would be added.

 

Edit: Peavey beat me to it

 

[TerraceReserved]

trwi,

Thanks for posting those cubs fans comments. They made me happy.

 

But otherwise, if this does go through that would be tremendous. And I'll be doubly impressed if Doug managed to get a 1 yr deal. In Doug we Trust.

[hauser42]

If this is true we are just adding a strong option to a bullpen full of options. Only concern with Gagne is that arm. Dodgers rushed him back and since than teams after to wonder if he will make it through each season.

 

Guess all those posters wondering Melvin have to do some checking in on the sanity meter.

[endaround]

The four relievers acquired are in over Wise just due to salaries. I do think there will be a deal or two involving some starters, but even if you deal say Vargas and Capuano, you've still got options in the bullpen better than Wise. Wise breaks down in the second half of the season as someone pointed out in another thread. All these moves being made adding guys does not make keeping Wise even close to a lock.

Parra is going to be in Nashville. Vargas is going to be traded before the start of the season. Wise is better than Shouse since he can handcuff left handers while actually not collapsing against right handers. And Torres may not even show up.

[TauPentaRei]

that's probably 2 of the top 10 change-ups in baseball with Gagne and Wiser.

 

Once-a-Week Wise is gone

[strawbossisevil]

Wow, I just can't believe everyone wants to get rid of Wise. The dude is a solid middle reliever, and would probably get 2-3 million per year on the FA market.

 

I think he'll be with the team in Spring Training, and could potentially get traded if he can't win a spot. There are a lot of teams who would take a flier on Wise, I would guess.

 

Last year, before he hit the one player in the head, he was arguably our second best reliever. And despite his poor finish, his ERA was still in the low 4s.

[Weirdos19]

Could Cappy and Turnbow get us Rolen and Franklin?

 

Something has to happen.

[TheCouga23]

It's hard to understand people's animosity toward Wise. He seems very solid and above average to me.

[RU Rah Rah]

I like the idea of hedging bets. Between Turnbow, Riske, Torres, and now maybe Gagne, you're bound to get some good innings, even if a guy flames out or slumps. And if they all somehow manage to pitch decently, well, you're in tremendously good shape.

[homer]

I don't think Gagne is a savior but it's a move that had to be made. This team cannot go into next season with the current crop of potential closers.

[Brian the Automator]

Wow, I just can't believe everyone wants to get rid of Wise. The dude is a solid middle reliever, and would probably get 2-3 million per year on the FA market.

The problem with Wise is that he's just not durable. I like him a lot, and I think he'll bounce back from his mental glitch, but if they can flip him for something of more use to the club (as part of another deal for a LF or 3B or a good backup catcher), I'm for it.

 

[gregmag]

So let me get this straight... You're saying it WAS foolish for people to be panicking because DM said Turnbow would be the closer when it was early December? Whoda thunk it?

 

No offense Stevo, but picking up FOUR new relievers is a bit surprising. After the Torres deal, it wasn't at all unreasonable to think that Melvin was done adding new pieces to the bullpen, and that Turnbow as the closer was indeed the plan. As many people asked, what were the other options?

Sorry, but taking Melvin at his word about Turnbow as closer was just silly. It isn't only that DM had (and has, even if Gagne and/or Torres fall through) plenty of time to find alternatives; it's also that DM has to say what he said. He would be irresponsible if he didn't tell that lie in public. What's the alternative? "I have no confidence in Derrick Turnbow -- heck, I'd do anything to dump his contract -- and I'll pretty much trade my mother's vital organs for anybody who ever put up double figures in saves." It was obvious when those words came out of DM's mouth that he was posturing; I hope it's inescapably obvious now.

 

I love this signing, if it's true. Gagne's a risk, but he's a high-upside risk, and only his health makes him less attractive to me than Cordero; track-record-wise, it's hardly a downgrade. Yes, we'll have to deal with this problem again next year, but I'd rather be a serial monogamist with closers than pay for Frankie Cordero's decline out of our "buy the young infield out of arby" fund. We also have some guys sitting around now who could pile up some more needed evidence this year that they deserve shots to close.

 

I'm with the folks who don't want to dump Wise too quickly, although the pro-dump faction has some evidence on its side. The actual and rumored BP transactions leave the Brewers with a tough job -- evaluating relievers in their 30s, given sample sizes, aging patterns, and injury factors, is a real challenge. I can't say with confidence that Matt Wise will be one of the seven best pitchers out of the group we've assembled, but he's done more in his career that suggests he will than that he won't.

 

Greg.

[aracko]

There is so much more to happen in the next few weeks....Too many pitchers - for all we know we might be moving a combo of starters/relievers for another Bullpen guy as well as a LF. One thing is for sure - this core of BP guys with the possibility of Vargas and Bush joining them gets me REALLY excited.

 

Mclung

Gagne

Turnbow

Riske

Mota

Shouse

Torres

 

Thats some serious stuff right there.

 

Rotation of:

Sheets

Villanueva

Parra

Gallardo

Suppan

 

Thats 12 pitchers right there. I could see the possibility of carrying 13 but I find that unlikely.

 

That means that if one of the above are not getting traded(or retiring) we have on the outside looking in:

 

Capuano

Choate

Bush

Vargas

 

Each of those guys has trade value. Id like to see Choate kept in the minors if possible because if we have a series coming up and need to add another lefty reliever for a few weeks he can be a good guy with the funk on his delivery. The rest of those guys have big time trade value if you ask me.

 

Lots more to come.

[Two Fisted Slobber]

Gagne's #1 age 31 baseball-reference comp: CoCo!