MIL signs Eric Gagne (1y/10M, +1M in incentives)

[billyhallfan]

thanks for posting that tc, i had never heard that story about his baby and turnbow's wife...

[ccbrew]

As an aside, how can someone think "mean guy" after seeing Turnbow? Sure, he's a closer and throws hard and all..but when I think "mean" I think of guy like Mike Tyson or Ray Lewis - intimidating just to look at, you know? In Turnbow I see more Napoleon Dynamite than anything.

[brewizard]

Somebody pointed out how good and trim Gagne looked in the press conference, but just WOW. I've been watching Gagne for years and I've never seen him look as trim as he looked yesterday...

 

 

http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

[southpaw121505]

Somebody pointed out how good and trim Gagne looked in the press conference, but just WOW. I've been watching Gagne for years and I've never seen him look as trim as he looked yesterday...

 

 

http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

 

 

one good year in Milwaukee = one huge contract next off-season

 

I like the thoughts of a motivated Gagne.

[trwi7]

southpaw121505 wrote:

one good year in Milwaukee = one huge contract next off-season

 

I like the thoughts of a motivated Gagne.

 

And two huge draft picks for the Brewers. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

[SeriesFinale]

So given today's news, does it change your opinion of the signing?

 

I'm still OK with the signing itself, but $10M for a questionable property is ridiculous

[sweepscc]

So given today's news, does it change your opinion of the signing?

 

I'm still OK with the signing itself, but $10M for a questionable property is ridiculous

No. Just point him to the HGH aisle.

 

[Oldcity]

Not really. I think there was at least some speculation and I can't imagine this is shocking news to the Brewers. It doesn't sound like there will be any suspension.

[Tbadder]

I think 10 million is cheap to pay for a first rounder and a sandwich pick. If I could do that every year I'd take my chances for sure.

 

I know there's no guarantee that'd be those two picks, but you get the point.

[PKBadger]

From the interview with BA:

 

Gagne: "I can get big pretty easily..."

 

A little too easily, I'd say.

[SeriesFinale]

I know there's no guarantee that'd be those two picks, but you get the point.

 

Well, the fact that there was no guarantee to begin with, and now is even more questionable, kind of is the point.

[Patrick425]

Wait....he has a kid named Bluu?!? Did I read that right? Is that a boy or girl?

[Fatter than Joey]

I think 10 million is cheap to pay for a first rounder and a sandwich pick.

 

We had 2 type A's this year and got 0 first rounders.

 

I am not sure that we would want to offer Gagne arbitration either if he has a mediocre 2008, as we would end up paying him more than what we offered Cordero.

[Boy Jeenius]

If he's mediocre, then isn't he probably a "B" again? Then we get a sandwich pick with no Arby needed. There's probably a benefit in some manner coming from this signing unless he totally blows out his arm, or crashes and burns in performance.

[RyDogg66]

IF Gagne is an "A" free agent next year, then offering arby is a no-brainer because it means he had a good year and will not be accepting arby. If he is a B next year, you probably dont offer him arby because that means he was hurt, or just pretty average.

[Fatter than Joey]

IF Gagne is an "A" free agent next year, then offering arby is a no-brainer because it means he had a good year and will not be accepting arby. If he is a B next year, you probably dont offer him arby because that means he was hurt, or just pretty average.

 

Right, exactly -- although -- Gagne if he is "A" -- will probably get paid about what he is getting paid now, but with more years tacked on, and maybe the Brewers will want to hold on to him. If he is a "B" -- Rydogg is probably right we would not offer him Arby's because he would probably get paid $11M to be mediocre. It's not like a Linebrink where if we would have offered him Arbys (theoretically) he would get paid $3-4M where Gagne would almost certainly be north of $10M.

 

I just don't think it is probable (although certainly possible) that we will get a #1 for Gagne.

[AJAY]

I apologize if this article was posted already, but there are some interesting thoughts from Ken Rosenthal regarding the signing of Eric Gagne. Some of the quotes from other GM's were interesting too.

 

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/7550460

[molitor fan]

I would love to know which GM called Doug Melvin "bleepin' stupid." My top three guesses would be Ed Wade, Ned Coletti, and Billy Beane.

[Ennder]

It is hard for any 1 year deal to be stupid, I think even some GM's fail to realize just how different a 1 year and 4 year deal are in baseball. 1 year at $10M is a much safer contract than something like $4 years at $25M even though it is more per year. If Gagne thrives he goes type A and we get 2 picks which is a win for us, if he stinks we are only out $10M instead of more. If he is middle of the road we probably don't want him back for the 2nd, 3rd and 4th year anyway.

[derflotr]

I would love to know which GM called Doug Melvin "bleepin' stupid." My top three guesses would be Ed Wade, Ned Coletti, and Billy Beane.

Definitely Ed.

 

[Point Beer Is Best]

Here's the part of the article that upsets me:

 

Another GM asked, "What is Doug supposed to do? He knows he'll only have (Prince) Fielder and those guys for a few more years."

The Brewers' defections are likely to start with staff ace Ben Sheets, who is a free agent after next season. J.J. Hardy is under control for three more years; Fielder, Rickie Weeks and Corey Hart for four; Ryan Braun for six.

The team's window is relatively small.

I fully understand that we will likely not have the payroll capacity to keep all of our core together after they are eligible for free agency. But why does this article come across as saying we likely won't be able to keep any? If anything, signing a high-risk guy like Gagne indicates that we do have the financial capacity to sign players if attendance remains up. And I'm not so sure about the window being small. If DM is able to make shrewd trades similar to what Florida has done by trading impending free agents who we have decided not to or can't sign for high-ceiling MLB ready prospects, the window may get larger.

[Zycho32]

It's a typical assumption; Players as good as our core guys are are likely to seek out greener pastures, since money is a very strong, if not the strongest motivator in sports. Everybody knows we're still on the lower end, and nobody expects or even hopes we'll miraculously raise our salary budget to keep everybody.

 

Basically, the desire for more money is the only consistant factor anybody can use to make predictions on. Loyalty is fickle and so are prospects.

[Ennder]

We aren't on the lower end, we are right in the middle. We are something like #17 out of 30 teams.

[Point Beer Is Best]

It's a typical assumption; Players as good as our core guys are are likely to seek out greener pastures, since money is a very strong, if not the strongest motivator in sports. Everybody knows we're still on the lower end, and nobody expects or even hopes we'll miraculously raise our salary budget to keep everybody.

 

Basically, the desire for more money is the only consistant factor anybody can use to make predictions on. Loyalty is fickle and so are prospects.

I understand that, but all of them? At least that's how I interpreted the article. It would be different if he had prefaced his statement with something like "money will be tight in a few years when the team faces the tough decision of who to attempt to re-sign and who to part ways with" and not make it appear as if we're just going to let everyone go and not get anything in return and completely collapse 5 years from now.

 

[TooLiveBrew]

Guys - it's obvious. The Seligs just aren't going to open up the coffers. All joking aside, there are more than just a handful of folks that think the Brewers are still in the dark ages. I just hope we get to play as many of them as possible in 2008.