... and right there is why you listen as a small-market team.

Good job, Joe.

All this coming from a guy that believed Ed Donatell was the second coming of Vince Lombardi...

Can you tell us about your feelings towards McCarhy's coaching?

If they dont get an extension done this sometime in the next month or two, then yes.. I would start listening to these "offers" provided they ante up. Get NY/Bos/Det and some of the others into a bidding war.

I have to tell you Packer Joe, I think if the Brewers are looking like a team that is playing well or at the very least is on the come, and if the money is right Prince will sign with Milwaukee. If they try and low ball him, he's gone. Let me also say I have almost no faith in Doug Melvin. Like his counter part in Green Bay, he's done some nice things, but he just hasn't done enough to get this team to the next level.

Having said that, Doug is going to return, so if I were in his shoes I have to determine is Prince in my future. If I were him I'd want to build this team around Prince and Braun for the next ten years. He has to be legitimate up the middle. He's got his short stop and second baseman, but he's shakey in center and behind the plate, but he's got some people who might be able to fill those spots.

If he thinks he's got Prince and Braun then he's got to work free agency and the trade market and get some pitching in here. If he can't sign prince then I agree with Packer Joe and you trade him and you get whatever you can. If that happens, you're kissing any chance of a championship in Milwaukee for years to come. Then he better get those scouts out there and draft some damn pitching that can get to the majors. And he better get Gamel trained to play first base.

The bottom line is you gotta have a plan. Attanasio has decide whether he's going to poop or get off the pot. Is he going to spend the money to get and keep quality players or is he the next Bud and Wendy Selig. For two seasons in a row we've drawn over 3 million people. The fans have told Mark clearly that if you try to win, if you bring in good players we'll support this team. But trust me it won't take long for the fans to stop showing up if this team cant' be competitive.

The Milwaukee franchise is indeed a fragile one. If you can't win the fans won't come out. If you want to win you have to pay and keep your best players and you have to continue to draft well to fill in those spots when player to FA. This is a tough market, but I believe you can win in this market.

quote:

Originally posted by WarrenSpahn:
I have to tell you Packer Joe, I think if the Brewers are looking like a team that is playing well or at the very least is on the come, and if the money is right Prince will sign with Milwaukee.

ERA wise, the Brewers had the worst rotation and the second worse pitching staff in the National League last season. There appears to be little immediate help from the minor league system and the free agent market for pitching is terrible. It is very possible that a rookie catcher will inherit the task of trying to handle a pitching staff that was brutal in 2009.

In terms of the lineup you can figure they have added Weeks (since he was hurt most of last year) and Carlos Gomez who is probably less of an offensive force than Kendall considering chances are 50/50 that he will even post a .300+ OBP. You've lost J.J. Hardy, Mike Cameron and Felipe Lopez's bats. I don't think it's a reach to say that adding Weeks, Escobar, Gomez and Lucroy's bats and subtracting the bats of Cameron, Lopez, Hardy and Kendall will likely mean a net loss in runs scored.

If you have reasons why you think the team is "on the come" I'd love to hear them because everything I look at suggests to attempt to re-tool and transition to the next wave of players out of the minors...Escobar, Gamel, Lucroy...which all happen to be bats...which means the thing to do is to go out and try to find some pitching to pair with these guys.

I also think you are way off base in thinking that Prince will sign with Milwaukee if the money is right.

I didn't mean to say the Brewers were a team on the come, what I meant to say is, If Prince thinks the Brewers are a team on the come................

And Packer Joe, you could be 100% right that Prince won't sign with Milwaukee. I just have this feeling that he'd like to stay here if they pay him. I don't have any evidence, it's just a feeling. The guy is so respected by his teammates, it's a nice community for his kids. I also think Lucroy or Salome along with possibly Rivera can be better than ok. I really like Escobar and I think he hasn't yet begun his rise. Weeks left me thinking he might have finally turned the corner. Center is really a big question mark. The pitching was awful as you pointed out. I just don't think Melvin is going to go out and buy or trade for pitching for the long term if he doesn't think he can sign Prince. If he can't sign Prince, you automatically go into a rebuilding mode from within and I can't imagine that would make Braun happy.

It will be interesting to see what happens. On one hand, this could be Prince's best chance to get the kind of deal he wants coming off a career year and a team that he knows wants him.. but on the other hand, if he gets too greedy, the Brewers are pushed into a corner where they'd have to trade him this season or next to get a return on their asset if he wont sign an extension. At this point, I think the Brewers are acting first. Prince doesn't necessarily hold the cards... but he can make the call, or just raise all-in and hope for a Free Agency splash.

The reality is this

As good as Fielder played this year the Brewers were basically a .500 team. They cannot and will not compete without improving their starting rotation, and that can be done one of two ways: 1) free agency, 2) trades

In terms of free agency they have guys like Davis or Washburn that could help, but it's going to cost them money and it's not like the Brewers are the Saux or Yankees. Plus, they haven't exactly been very successful at signing free agent players to long term deals which is what most of them will want.

As for a trade, you have to give something to get something and Fielder will never be worth more than what he's worth now. He's the one guy that could get you a very good starter in return, plus he'd probably be able to net you another quality player and/or prospect. The way I see it- they could probably get a starting pitcher, a starting position player, AND a decent prospect for him and that might be too good to pass up.

This isn't about people not liking or appreciating Prince Fielder. IMO, it's about dealing with reality. If the Brewers could not or would not resign CC Sabathia there is no way they can expect the same results with Prince. Their intentions may be very good but they don't have unlimited resources and it's not like Boras is going to let them off the hook simply because he plays for the Brewers.

The worst case scenario is that we do nothing (with a Prince trade) and get suckered into this thought that they will resign him only to see him walk and get nothing back in return. Oh, and watch another mediocre season because guys like Suppan are getting lit up.

Shoppach is due $2.5 million or so in arbitration, and the Indians could turn to Marson behind the plate. I wouldn't be surprised at all to see Shoppach serving as Milwaukee's catcher on Opening Day.--NBC.com

I would love to see a Shoppach/LuCroy combo behind the playe this season. Lotsa positive pub on Jonathon lately.

I know some are fans of Rivera but I'm not one of them. I definitely don't want him number one if (and hopefully when) Kendall is gone.

can you put a link with that chicken

got it from another blog without a link.

Here's the campers legwork:

http://albethke.blogspot.com/2...oppach-is-due-2.html

http://bases.nbcsports.com/200...ew-catchers.html.php

Looper's big day is here?????????

Looper's stats are pretty similar (minus total strikeouts) to Nolasco's from 2009. Nolasco has really only had one above average season. I gotta say if Melvin deals Nolasco for Gamel straight up, it will be a head scratcher. He could get more for Gamel IYAM.

Looper is not coming back. Saw a note on rotonews. $1 million dollar buyout.

That's good news. Means Melvin has his eyes on some bigger fish...

quote:

Originally posted by trump:
Here's the campers legwork:

appreciate that trump

quote:

Originally posted by Orlando Wolf:
Looper's stats are pretty similar (minus total strikeouts) to Nolasco's from 2009.

look past ERA

Trump, can you provide a link for the Loop buyout?

http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/sports/69985072.html

Instead, the Brewers will pay a buyout of $1 million to Looper. The option was a mutual option, meaning both sides had to exercise it for Looper to return. Had the Brewers exercised their half of the option, Looper would have had three days to do likewise or become a free agent.

Looper, 35, signed a free agent deal just before the start of spring training. He led the Brewers with 14 victories (14-7) and 194 2/3 innings pitched but also had a 5.22 ERA and allowed 39 home runs, most in the majors. Looper also allowed 123 runs, most in the NL.

GM Doug Melvin has said he is trying to marshall his financial resources to acquire some much-need starting pitching for 2010. Obviously, he is trying to upgrade his staff to the point of not including Looper

Some Crew stuff on MLBTradeRumors.com today::

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/

Dialogue has continued between the Brewers and Mark Mulder's agent Gregg Clifton, according to MLB.com's Adam McCalvy.

ESPN's Jerry Crasnick spoke to Ben Sheets' agent Casey Close, who said his client is doing well rehabbing his February flexor tendon surgery and plans to be ready for Spring Training.

One new name to pop up today is Detroit's Edwin Jackson; Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel says that Brewers GM Doug Melvin has spoken to the Tigers about him. Atlanta could also match up with the Brewers, as MLB.com's Mark Bowman sees a possible match with Javier Vazquez and, to a lesser extent, Derek Lowe.

1:24pm: MLB.com's Mark Bowman talked to a team source who said the Dodgers and Braves are not currently having trade discussions. Bowman believes the Brewers do have interest in Vazquez.

how about this guy?

Good for 1/2 season for sure.

quote:

Originally posted by El-Ka-Bong:

quote:

Originally posted by Orlando Wolf:
Looper's stats are pretty similar (minus total strikeouts) to Nolasco's from 2009.

look past ERA

Out of the 19 pitchers on that list, Nolasco was the only one with an ERA over 3.77. Not one of those guys was even in the 4's. Not saying don't get Nolasco but Gamel is too good of a talent IYAM.

quote:

Originally posted by chickenboy:
Dialogue has continued between the Brewers and Mark Mulder's agent Gregg Clifton, according to MLB.com's Adam McCalvy.

Mulder re-signed with Atlanta.

quote:

Originally posted by Orlando Wolf:

Mulder re-signed with Atlanta.

I think you are referring to Hudson:

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/articl...b&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb

I always get those two confused as well.