Brewers Sign Jeff Suppan

The Brewers have added righty Jeff Suppan to their rotation at a cost of four years, $42MM.  There's a club option for 2011.  So much for waiting out Zito.  You can read the press release here.

This is may be the best rotation in the NL Central:

Ben Sheets
Chris Capuano
Dave Bush
Jeff Suppan
Claudio Vargas

Oddly, I am projecting Suppan to be the worst pitcher on the staff.  Overall I expect a 3.95 ERA from these five.

Comments

[melyrules]

Thats a nice rotation, and with some more offense, they can go places. There in the right devision to do it because........

1. There best compition is the cardinals, MAYBE

2. Best case scenario only ONE of the cubs pitchers get hurt, and because they have Jason Marqis as a third starter

3. Griffey got hurt because of a mysterios "Home axident"

4. pirates, pirates

[RotoAuthority]

Rich Hill is the Cubs' third starter, and he's pretty good.

[melyrules]

yes he is, but they still have Jason Marqis, which is a wrong in itself

[melyrules]

another reason i like the brewers, there first two starters anitals are BS and CC. Thats cool

[plh903]

Good for Supp, this makes the Brewers better next year. (until it completely hamstrings the team in 2009)

If those kids start to hit a little bit, they are looking good for next year. Although, I would expect 2008 to be the year for them to make a more serious run.

[melyrules]

who's that guy, gallado, he looks like a sick young pitcher.

[melyrules]

gallardo is his name

[achilles17]

I liked the Brewers' chances last year, but I think they have another shot this year, even without Carlos Lee. That pitching staff looks damn good, and their offense is only going to improve, as it is so young.

Also, melyrules, it is hard to take you seriously when you can't differentiate between "there", "their" and "they're". Just thought I'd point it out.

[bobo]

Easily the best rotation in the central. They could use a little more offense for sure, but it still could be middle of the pack. It will all depend on the kids on offense.

I like Vargas, but I like Villanueva even more. I'd like to see him get a shot at the 5th spot. I always thought Vargas and his fastball should get a shot at closing or at least setup duties. If things fall right, they could have one of the best pens in the league as well, setting them up for a midseason acquisition of a big bat (tons of CF will be available) to put them over the top.

Here's my off the wall prediction: Ryan Braun + a pitcher for Andruw Jones in mid-July, and the Brewers win the central.

[greenbaydude1232]

I agree thats the best rotation...but no way their averaged ERA is under 4.

[palehose35]

I'd agree that this just may be the best rotation in the division. But considering it's the NL Central, that's not saying much. I think 3.95 might be a little optimistic, but there's definately a lot of upside with guys like Sheets, Capuano, and Bush. However, the rotation also has it's share of question marks (durability, consistency, etc.)

[StLknows]

I agree GBdude, best in the central now. under 4 era is just not realistic. Capuano blew up last year in the second half. he couldn't get by anybody out. also, soup's era will go up with whomever he has in the infield. They won't be as good as eck/luna/belliard were + two gold glovers in rolen and pujols.

[Dev0]

I suspect personaly that this might be an add to a potential Rios deal. Add Suppan and maybe Capuano in a Rios deal, or at the very least this gives them alittle more flexability to be involved. If not they still have a decent rotation.

However 10.5 mil for Suppan a 5 era pitcher now ouch. Lilly and Meche were deals.

[melyrules]

achilles17, theres nothing wrong with a mistake. If you watched matsuzaka's press confrence, he dident evev know his left and right. And I KNOW that he's not from here, but he should know it anyway. So achilles,wright stuff about baseball and CHILL!!

[youalreadyknow]

I wonder if this opens the door for the Brewers to trade Gallardo for a CF.

Gallardo and Capellan/Turnbow for Baldelli?

[zubes007]

Gallardo is probably untouchable I would think.

[Dev0]

This is sort of what I predict I guess.

Ben Sheets
Dave Bush
Jeff Suppan
Claudio Vargas
Carlos Villanueva

Estrada/Miller
Fielder
Weeks
Hall
Koskie
Jenkins
hart
Baldelli or Rios

[eric]

I think that the Dodgers still are a little better

[CJ]

A big question mark for the Brewers' rotation is whether Sheets can stay healthy. He seems to have the injury bug...he only averaged about 130 innings over the past two seasons. Without him at the top, the Brewers' pitching can't stack up with Zambrano, Oswalt, and Carpenter, who are the other No. 1's in the NL Central. Suppan's ERA will probably suffer a bit from the change in infield defense. But he will still give the Brewers value as an innings eater. I don't think the Brewers helped themselves by trading Doug Davis for Vargas. When I checked out boards for the Astros, Cubs, and Cardinals, their fans were all very happy to see Davis leave the division. All in all, I think every team but the Pirates will be in contention in the NL Central.

[Bib4tuna]

I agree, Best line up in the NL Central.

But, here's the rest of the story ya'll, so listen up...

This club is lookin' to do one more thing before the start of the Season. That one thing will be this...

Move Mench and either Jenkins or Clark... maybe Nix. In exchange for an RP.

Now Clark, Jenkins & Mench would be a dream... But... That is not going to happen. Nobody wants Jenkins! So one more year for the club and him together.

So, in the end, two men will leave for one RP. Then Gwynn Jr will come back on. Thats the low down for anymore Brewers Offseason dealings, barring some unforseen incident.

[YooKyoo]

"Also, melyrules, it is hard to take you seriously when you can't differentiate between 'there', [sic] 'their' [sic] and 'they're'. [sic] Just thought I'd point it out."

When correcting someone else's grammar, one should be sure not to mess up oneself. The comma and period go inside the quotation marks. And one should put a comma before an "and" when creating a list of three or more. So it should be: "there," "their," and "they're."

The danger of trying to put others in their place is that it encourages third parties to put you in your place too.

But I'd prefer melyrules' response. Just chill, dude. This a baseball blog, not an English class (not that much grammar is taught in English classes anymore either, but that's another issue).

[Cubsfan7000]

The Brewers are still going to suck because they are the Brewers and also Milwaukee is a craphole of a city. Cubs will win this division. Go Cubs!

[Baseballfan79]

If I was a betting man I would easily take the brewers to finish above the cubs. I wouldnt be surprised if the priates beat the cubs next year.

[ZachAttack]

"The Brewers are still going to suck because they are the Brewers and also Milwaukee is a craphole of a city. Cubs will win this division. Go Cubs!"

LOL.

I actually like this signing by the Brew Crew. It definately gives them flexibility in trading pitchers. However, I don't think that Braun + pitcher would get it done for Andruw. Sure Braun is a great prospect, but last time I checked he played 3B, and the Braves have a player by the name of Chipper Jones there.

[firesticks]

I think the Brew will win the division next year. The Suppan signing really will help complete that staff.

Brewers, Cardinals, Cubs, Pirates, Astros, Reds.

The Pirates will surprise many with their good young pitching staff.

[greenbaydude1232]

"The Brewers are still going to suck because they are the Brewers and also Milwaukee is a craphole of a city. Cubs will win this division. Go Cubs!"

I am a cubs fan I can admit that these are the terrible comments that give cubs fans their bad rap. Its just an idiotic comment that can't be backed up by fact at all. However that being said comments like this arent much better:

"If I was a betting man I would easily take the brewers to finish above the cubs. I wouldnt be surprised if the priates beat the cubs next year."

Yeah, their pitching is probably the best in the central now but remember that is still a mediocre rotation, just good for the central. Even with the rotation however, their offense is nothing to call home about with literally no real slugger...yet. Fielder is going to be real good but he is nothing compared to a albert pujols or derek lee or adam dunn or jason bay and bill hall certainly is no stud. I just don't think their lineup is good enough to compete yet. I think they finish 4th in the division at best.

[ramaboy28]

This rotation is very underrated. If Sheets can somehow stay healthy and post #'s like in 2004, capuano repeats the first half performance he had last year, bush provides a second consecutive "magical" season, soup repeats his playoff performance, and Vargas provides some stability in the 5th spot, this rotation could rival the Tigers as one of the best rotations in the league. BUT all this stuff needs to happen which is a big question in itself.

[greenbaydude1232]

You could say that about almost any rotation in the major leagues.

If the cardinals can resign Weaver. And Carpenter plays like he did the past two years and Weaver plays like he did the last month of the season and Reyes has a huge breakout season and pitches like he did in the playoffs and wainwright pitches like he did from the closer position last year and Wells provides some stability from the 5th spot and dave duncan really turns his career around like he did with carp then...

This rotation could be better than any other rotation in the league. The fact is, its very doubtful everything will fall into place all at once. And the Brewers rotation has even more ? than the cards cause every spot is a ? rather than just the bottom 4.

[bsox21]

Thank god the Brewers stepped in and kept Suppan from the Mets.

$10.5 mil per....this is a fucking laugher.

1.45 WHIP - Dave Duncan - Good Defense + 10.5 mil per + 4 years = DISASTER

I was the first one on this board to pick the Brew Crew to win the central.

This signing doesn't change anything, except that now I have to wait longer to see Gallardo.

1-2 years from now, this contract will be a joke.

Horrible signing.

[spieldogg]

I could see the Brew Crew making a run of it in the central. They need to stay healthy, which has been a problem for them. Get production from the bullpen, which is a problem area for most teams anyway. Then they would need either a breakout seaon from Fielder or a comeback player of the year season from Jenkins. If all those chips fall they could be a force.

After all the Astros and Cardinals starting pitching is getting scary looking. Past Capenter, Oswalt, and maybe Jennings. I don't see a 12-15 game winner in the bunch. I don't think the Reds know what they are doing yet. The Cubs look good on paper, but whenever GM's try to play fantasy league style gm'ing it usually blows up in thier face. And the Pirates.... well they have a nice ballpark. The Brewers have a real talented core with Sheets/Fielder/Hall/Weeks and others. I thought they'd break out last year, maybe this is thier year.

[baseballfan06]

The Brewers rotation does look awfully good (if sheets can stay healthy), but anyone who puts the cardinals as the second best rotation see something that i dont. Who does this team have right now except Carpenter?? Kip Wells is your second best starter?? If they go into the season with a rotation of Carpenter, Wells, Wainwright, Reyes, and Looper, then that might be the WORST rotation in the NL Central. The Cubs clearly have a better rotation then that and you could argue that the Reds and Astros have more quality arms then the Cardinals. The Pirates...ehhh...well the Cards probably can out pitch them, but there is NO WAY that their rotation is even close to second best in the NL Central. Compare the Cubs and Cards:

Zambrano-Carpenter (equals)

Lilly-Wells (Lilly=better)

Hill-Reyes (Hill proved he can dominate hitters)

Marquis-Wainwright (Probably a wash, but Wainwright hasnt proved a thing)

Miller/Prior-Looper (If one of those Cubs stays healthy, come on, who would you rather have starting?)

The Cardinals have lost way too much pitching to be considered the 2nd best. Please stop giving them so much credit.

[JoeyJr09]

If you think the Cubs are equal with the Cubs then there is something seriously wrong with you.

"Zambrano-Carpenter (equals)"

No arguement there.

"Lilly-Wells (Lilly=better)"

Wells is no more then the 5th starter on this team. It's still mid offseason and I can guarantee you the Cards get one more pitcher before its all said and done. Chances are it will be Jeff Weaver. This spot will probably end up being a wash as well.

"Hill-Reyes (Hill proved he can dominate hitters)"

Wainwright will be the number 3 starter on the Cards and he definately get the advantage over Hill. Wainwright has better pure stuff and Hill outside of 2 and a half good months last season has never been able to do anything at the MLB level. Wainwright put up a 3.12 ERA as a rookie.

"Marquis-Wainwright (Probably a wash, but Wainwright hasnt proved a thing)"

Reyes is most likely the 4th starter on the Cards and he is much better then Marquis. Marquis might be the worst player on both pitching staffs. Reyes put up a better ERA last season as a rookie then Marquis did as a seasoned vet. Reyes is going to improve while Marquis will get worse going to a hitters park with a much worse defense and a slightly worse offense. Plus if the Cards staff is so bad and Marquis is equal to anything they have then why did they just let him walk without even trying to resign him or offering arbitration? Because they know Marquis is awful.

"Miller/Prior-Looper (If one of those Cubs stays healthy, come on, who would you rather have starting?)"

Looper hasn't started day in his life so I don't know why you are even including him int he discussion. This will be Wells spot and this is pretty much a wash. Saying that Miller or Prior will be healthy next season is almost as stupid as saying that the 2nd coming of Christ will happen tomorrow. Same goes for Wells. Neither team has a good 5th starter.

"The Cardinals have lost way too much pitching to be considered the 2nd best. Please stop giving them so much credit."

Some people may be giving them too much credit but saying the Cubs are better when your 3rd and 4th starters are Rich Hill and Jason Marquis is rediculous and shows that you are giving the Cubs way too much credit.

The Brews have the best rotation in the Divsion followed by the Astros, Reds (yes,the Reds, there's a reason why this division was so bad last season.), Cards, Cubs and Pirates. The pitching in this divsion sucks and outside of Brew and Astros the talent level of the Starts drops off significantly.

And watch out for the Pirates. They only thing they are missing form being the best rotation in the division is the fact they have no ace. They have more talent with their young guys like Maholm, Gorzelanny, Snell, and Duke then any other team in the division. If Duke really tunrs it on and the rest of the guys show just moderate improvement then they will outpitch everyone in the division.

[JoeyJr09]

"Hill proved he can dominate hitters"

"Wainwright hasnt proved a thing"

I was rereading and I had to point this out to show the rediculousness of your post. please explain to me how Hill proved he an dominate hitters and that Wainwright hasn't proven anything? Hill was awesome the last two months of the season. I'll give you that. Still doesn't mean he can dominate MLB hitters. He had a 4.25 ERA as a starter last season. Wainwright on the other hand put up a 3.12 ERA as a rookie (only knock is that it was out of the bullpen.) Wainwright is also more battle tested. He was lights out in arguably the highest pressure situation in the game. He was the closer during the playoffs and WS and he was a absolute stud during that time. Hill put up his good number in a no pressure situation when the Cubs weren't going anywhere and it was clear they were winning no more then 70 games. If anything Wainwright has proven he can dominate hitters and Hill hasn't proven a damn thing.

[bsox21]

Just thought I'd point out that the A's signed Erubiel Durazo.

Since I mentioned him so many times.

Great move by Beane.

[youalreadyknow]

Wainwright has done nothing as a starter.. Hill has clearly proven more as a starting pitcher.

Wainwright couldn't even get his ERA under 4 as a starter in the PCL while Rich Hill kept his ERA under 2 for the most part.

Rich Hill took a few starts to get comfortable in the majors and then proceeded to dominate for the last few starts just as he did in AAA.

Wainwright's ERA over 3 in the pen would equate to around a 4-4.5 ERA if given the normal relief to starter conversion. Take into account that he'd never dominated in the high minors and I don't think he'll keep his ERA under 4.5 next season as a starter.

Really the comparison should be between Rich Hill and Anthony Reyes, who is a better starting pitcher than Wainwright.

If the Cards were smart, they would leave Wainwright in the pen for another year and trade him away while other teams still thought he was a frontline starter (see Aaron Heilman, whose apparent trade value far exceeds his real value as a starting pitcher).

[Darin]

I'm not sure how this got back to being a Cubs thread...but they always do. So if you don't mind, I'd like to go back to the topic at hand, the Brewers. I know this hurts Cub fans, as the world actually revolves around the happless franchise and not the sun.

Regarding the Brewers, their rotation could be the best on paper, today. But their outfield could be the worst, JJ Hardy is not much of a threat hitting, who's playing 3rd, and their bullpen is a huge question mark in itself. I have a hard time believing they can finish higher than 4th in the Central (behind Astros, Cardinals and Cubs - not necessarily in that order). Also Ben Sheets would have to stay healthy all season, Bush and Capuano will have to have career years and Suppan will have to prove he can pitch without Dave Duncan for this team to have an ERA under 4. I can't see all of this falling into place.

[bobo]

It's not difficult to envision the following ERAs:

Sheets: ~3
Capuano: ~3.6
Bush: ~3.9
Suppan: ~4.2
Vargas/Villanueva: ~4.6

That's a 3.86, and it's not much more than a bit optimistic.

Of course, where Sheets goes, the Brewers go. Can he stay healthy? If yes, he's the best starter in the NL (bash away), and I think the Brewers win the central.

[pinetarhand]

Joey,

You contradict yourself as much as baseballfan. You say that Hill still had a 4.25 ERA last year as a starter like it's a bad thing, then point out how Reyes will get better even though he had a 5.06 ERA.

If you really think a matchup between Jeff Weaver & Lilly is a wash, then I don't know what numbers you've been looking at. Weaver was flat out terrible last year even though he pitched in pitchers parks & against much worse divisions than the AL East (Lilly's division). A move to the NL Central will make Lilly look a whole lot better, & even still, he was much better than Weaver. Lilly's 4.31 ERA puts him at 24th in the NL last year. If you take off .5 ERA for a move to the NL Central (which many people wouldn't argue against), he would have been 13th. I'm not saying that he'll definitely have that kind of ERA, but he's still a #2 on about half the NL staffs last year, despite how critical everyone has been of the signing.

Like youalreadyknow pointed out, Hill has the minor league stats to back up his hot ending to last season whereas Wainwright does not. Hill threw in 10 games in '05 while Wainwright threw in 2 so you can call Wainwright a rookie all you want, but Hill was pretty much a rookie as well. While Wainwright had a much better ERA, their WHIPs were pretty close (1.15 to 1.23) & Hill had a slight edge in BAA & that's all including that terrible start he had. Plus, you can't compare a reliever's stats to a starter's & say that they relate.

You are right about the matchups though as far as who matches up against who.

Big Z vs Carpenter (wash)
Lilly vs ? (Lilly)
Hill vs Reyes (Hill)
Marquis vs Wainwright (Wainwright)
3 headed monster vs Wells (Wells)

So it's even if you match them up pitcher to pitcher. IMO

[pinetarhand]

How does Capuano have a 3.6? It seemed to me like he got figured out the second half last year.

How does Bush have a 3.9?

Sheets at 3? He's only posted that good in 1 season & his myriad of troubles staying healthy since aren't too encouraging. He has a lot to prove to be the best starter in the NL.

I'd say your predictions are very hard to envision & are very optimistic.

[pinetarhand]

I don't get what makes people think the Brewers will be so much better than the Cubs. Is there a single hitter on that club you would take over A-Ram, Derek Lee or Soriano? Can anyone tell me what's so great about their bullpen? Yes, if Ben Sheets stays healthy & everyone has career years like bob predicted, their SP's are better than the Cubs, but that's the extent of it & their not so much better than the Cubs' SP's that they can overcome their bullpen & lack of a good lineup.

[StLknows]

pinetar head. you should look into some of the games where Reyes performed. he CG one hit the white sox and pitched a gem in game 1 of the world series. Cubs fans are the only ones I have heard beating their collective chests about Hill.

[rawr]

Wow, the Cubs fans who post here (outside of Greenbaydude, who actually seems to grasp the concept of baseball) are such morons. It's no surprise such a losing franchise breeds such loser fans.

[Heckler03]

Its going to be a toss up for the best rotation in the central. There isn't a team that really stands out. The only thing i would bet is the pirates being the worst......but the question i wanted to throw out there is, WHAT NL CENTRAL TEAM HAS BEST BULLPEN?

[dacubsone]

I'm going to have to agree with everyone who is saying that the brewers are the favorite in the central. I am a cubs fan and I'm not sure about Lilly or Marquis. I know Lilly is a decent pitcher,but Marquis was probably a bad move. I think Prior will be ready for the start of the year,but I might be to optimistic...who knows. I dont understand why people are so high on St.Louis. They have Carpenter and Pujols...thats basically it. Rolen is good,but gets hurt quite a bit. The pitching is a ? Kip Wells also injury prone, Wainwright and Reyes are both young and struggle a bit. I think the division will go like this: Brewers,Astros,Cubs,Cards,Reds,Pirates.

[rawr]

Another Cubs fan who knows little about baseball.

[samael88]

no its gonna be like this.

cardinals
astros
cubbies
brewers
reds or pirates
""

[pinetarhand]

Wow, so you're saying that because a pitcher 1 hit the White Sox & pitched good in the World Series that we should overlook his over 5 ERA? & WE'RE the ones that don't know anything about baseball? I'm sorry that I looked at his ERA & noticed that it was a bad ERA & then looked at Hill's ERA to see it was good & compared the 2. That really makes me stupid doesn't it. BTW, he wasn't able to finish that 1 hitter. He threw only 1 CG while Hill threw 2 & 1 Shutout. Hill had a better ERA, WHIP, K's, K/BB, BAA, & even though he played on the Cubs he had a better W/L than Reyes.

Maybe you'd like to point out where I'm mistaken rawr instead of just make jolting comments without any proof that your more intelligent than a fly.

So back to Hill & how only us Cubs fans think he's any good. For 2007
Zips projections 3.65 ERA, 190 K's, 56 BB's, 1.17 WHIP.
Bill James predicts him to have the most K's in the NL & the 5th best ERA (little too optomistic though)
So, obviously it's not just us Cubs fans that think he's any good. Don't worry StLouisknows, you'll see plenty of him next year. He's been highly touted for years & put it all together this last year.

[ArodSucksAtLife]

That entire division is a crapshoot, that could go any number of ways for many different reasons. Carpenter, Zambrano, Oswalt, Sheets, and Harang all go down with significant arm troubles, and the pirates take the division with 77 wins. BLAH

[JayTheRed]

Here is my view of the NL Central so far this Winter.

Cardnals have lost most of their rotation and overall who they have left seem unproven in the big leagues or are not that great of pitchers in the first place. The bullpen is only average at best. Not sure on the closing situation there, but overall I think the Cards have taken a step back this year. Sure they will have good offense but pitching has decreased in my view substantially.

Astros have also lost a good chunk of pitching too. Jennings will help offset that a little bit but losing Petitte and possibly Clemens too is a huge loss for this team. Lildge might not be ever the pitcher he once was, so there is a question mark on the closer. Again offense will probably be better with Lee signing but not that much of an impact that will put them over the hump to be a true contender. If they keep Clemens then they are better off and have a pretty good chance to win the division.

Face Pirates are last again this year. They just don't have the team to compete and after what Cincy did last season I don't see them getting to much worse than last year. There are a couple decent players on Pits land but overall I don't see this team ready for 2 to 3 more years.

I agree about the Brew Crew they probably have the best overall pitching assuming everyone stays healthy but health is a story with any team. Overall with Suppan they just have everything pitching wise that I think they need especially if Turnbow can turn it around assuming he does not get traded. The Brewers problem in my mind is that they need a power hitter to take them over the hump. Yes the young kids will be better this year cause they are coming in Healthy for one but they are just going to start producing more in general too.

Then we come up to the Cubs. Well they have a very nice offensive tema in my mind but again most of the pitching is overpriced guys with over 4.50 ERA's. Ryan Dempster your closer ouch... Now maybe Prior and Wood finally after years and years of injuries have a healthy season but I won't count on that one for sure. They still have pitching holes in my mind.

Lastly we have the Reds. Now obviously I am a Reds fan hence my name on here. but I dont' think they will be quite as good this year cause they have lost a good amount of power they had that got them off to their good start last season. Defensively the Reds are improved with Gonzo at SS now and Phillips at 2nd but Cincy has really no 1 man closer at least until Guardado comes back and he might not come back. He was very good with Cincy last season before he got injured and I dont' really love the Stanton / Weathers closing tandom. They sure are not the Nasty Boys. Todd Coffee has the power arm to be closer but seems to wimp out and just does not have the closer image or views. Cincy's starters are not terrible but they are not Milwaukee good either. Loshe can be good but like Milton he seems to be good and bad and you never know which guy you are going to get. Milton I think will again be near a .500 pitcher with a 4.50 plus ERA. Homer Baily might made the Reds interesting but they should not put too much pressure on the kid to save the teams pitching. Harrang and Arroyo are very good starters and they will probably post simular numbers or slightly better this season, that assuming that the Reds can score runs still without Lopez and Kearns

Overall I feel the division will look something like thsi at the end of the 2007

Astros
Cubs
Brewers
Cardnals / Reds
Cardnals / Reds
Pirates

This division is so close with the exception of the Pirates cause every team has weaknesses and strengths that are different from each other.
What do you all think?

[Cardskid14]

theres no way that the cards will finish 3rd or 4th. they still have the best offense and defense. soriano cabt play any position woth anything and lee can play a little defense but will be screwed learning the dimensions of that horriably designed park. it will end like this.

Cards
Cubs
Reds
Astros
Brewers
Pirates

[pinetarhand]

"Alfonso Soriano finished 6th in the Fielding Bible Awards. As Dewan says, 'This guy can field! He led the league in baserunner kills. Now he's a defensive asset in LF as opposed to the liability he was at second base.'"

Soriano can play a position & he plays it very well. Since the Cubs don't plan on playing him at 2B, I'd say they got themselves a fine fielder & that's not just coming from me, it's coming from the Fielding Bible as well!!!

[Aduncaroo]

Amen. Name another player to switch positions and be rated like that. He should have been in the OF from the beginning. He is a true athlete and will be good in the field. I have a hunch that they are going to play him in right though...he has a better arm and better range than Murton. What do you guys think, will they move Murton to another position so that Sori can play left
? I somehow doubt it.

[Aduncaroo]

Oh, and about the whole rotation thing...there isn't one good one in the Central. Brew Crew is ahead, but that is if Sheets stays healthy. Being that I have had to deal with the Prior and Wood thing...that is a BIG if. There is no way you can count on Sheets having a 3 ERA for a whole season, thats just unrealistic at this point. He is approaching Prior territory with one more injury plagued season. I actually think the Reds is as good as any, but Harang had what was probably a fluke season last year, its hard to say he will repeat that. So, if the Cubs, Brewers, Reds, and Cards rotation is a wash (which it probably will be more or less) then it turns to defense and offense. I think the cubs and reds have the best offense, and Cards have the best defense. So, I say it finishes like this..

1. Cubs/Cards
2. Cards/Cubs
3. Reds
4. Brewers
5. Pirates

Brewers have potential to jump all the way to the top if Sheets has a season he is capable of...but you could say the same thing with Prior. If they add a legitimate 3 or 4 hitter, and by legitimate I mean a Rolen or Ramirez type bat, they are THEN the favorite. As it stands, does anyone think they will average more than 3 or 4 runs a game???

[Aduncaroo]

Sorry, I forgot the astros in there. Slot them in with the reds, so it would end up like this.

1. Cubs\Cards
2. Cards\Cubs
3. Astros\Reds
4. Reds\Astros
5. Brewers
6. Pirates

I do think that the all five teams above the Pirates will be within 10 games, so there is no real way to tell. I think that injuries will tell the story again, whether it be Rolen, Sheets, Prior, Griffey, or whoever, and there is no good way to predict that.

[Aduncaroo]

And I just can't help myself from entering the whole Hill\Wainright\Reyes debate. I think that Hill and Wainright have the same stuff. However, Hill proved he could start in the big leagues and strike anyone out. Wainright proved he can come through in the clutch, and that pressure is not a factor. However, he didn't do it starting, so who knows. I have to give the edge to Hill because while Wainright has great stuff, there is NO ONE that has a curve like Hill. Have you seen it? It is absolutely devastating and then he has a 93 mph fastball that NO ONE can touch if they are looking for the curve. So, I think both have to answer some questions, but both could be great. Reyes is another story. Yes, he did well in a game in the post season, but a 5+ era for the year is something you cannot look past. I believe that Hill got minor league player of the year and maintained an ERA under 2 for the year. that is filthy, so I think he will have the best year of the three. THats a biased opinion though, I'm not denying that. I do have to give Wainright props though, that curve to Beltran was filthy as well.

[Cardskid14]

your crazy he looks just as bad as Duncan does. He is athletic but his no jim edmonds either, and if you ever watch him he hardly knows whats happening. He has an effect though, 40/40 is pretty impressive. the Cubs rotation is still shot, and by the trade deadline jocketty wil land a quality #2(Sheets maybe). Even with lee, ramirez and soriano, i would take pujols, rolen, edmonds 1st.

[pinetarhand]

Even though Pujols is hands down the best player of the bunch, A-Ram/Lee/Soriano will be very close to Pujols/Rolen/Edmonds next year in just about any hitting stat you can produce, but the Cards bunch are better defensively.

You need to come up with something better than "he looks as bad as Duncan" to say that Soriano is not a good outfielder. There is no comparison between the 2 & it seems like the experts agree with me.

[Aduncaroo]

He does NOT look as bad as Duncan. Did you see Duncan at all? Duncan was literally the worst outfielder I have ever seen, Soriano led the league in assists and had few errors. Come on, I am a Cubs fan and trying my best to be reasonably fair, you need to do the same. Saying that anyone "looks like Duncan" is like saying they are pretty much the worst outfielder ever. Soriano is FAR from the worst outfielder ever.

I would take Sori, Lee, and A-Ram over Pujols, Rolen, and Edmonds. I know Pujols is the best out of any of them, but I'll take the only 40\40\40 guy ever along with Lee and A ram any day. Edmonds wont hit above .275 and neither he nor Edmonds are going to hit more than 25 homers. All three for the Cubs will hit that number, probably hitting more than 30 each.

[Aduncaroo]

Cards are better defensively though.

Are you seriously saying that you think Jocketty might pull off a trade for Sheets??? There is NO WAY the brewers are letting him go to a team in their division, let alone the team that won last year. I do think that he has to do something though, because that rotation, as it stands, is probably even worse than the Cubs right now, and I'm not saying that like the Cubs is a good one.