Odds And Ends: Brewers, White Sox, Astros, Harden

I've said it before, and ill say it again. The brewers should, need, and will add starting pitching. The only thing nobody realizes is that Doug Melvin isn't shipping off one of our top prospects (Laporta, Gamel, Escobar) for a rental player (like CC). I dont know if Laporta is avaliable at all, becuase of his unbelievable talent. Gamel could be shopped if the brewers traded for a pitcher they could sign long-term (gamel in a package to Seattle for bedard?)

I also would like the brewers to trade for pitching sooner than later, the price is only going to go up as the deadline approaches.

"1. Brewers trade Cole Gillespie, Angel Salome, Lorenzo Cain, and Caleb Gindl (all in top 10 of brewers prospects by BA) to Cleveland for CC.

-cleveland probably wouldnt take this deal because all they want is our top prospects"

Cleveland would never EVER do this deal. The Indians would essentially demand one of Gamel or LaPorta, and if the Brewers said no then Shapiro would laugh and deal CC to the Cubs. I would say it'd probably take something like Gamel, Gillespie and a prospect. Sabathia isn't going to be moved unless the Indians get back near MLB-ready top prospects. If you're gonna offer them decent prospects or guys that are far away, then they'll just take the draft picks.

"(the brewers could trade Tony Gwynn Jr. straight up for maddux.)"

I'm not quite sure this deal makes any sense for the Padres. The Padres need young players that they can try and build around, guys to join Headley, Gonzalez and Antonelli. Tony Gwynn Jr. isn't that kind of guy.

Maddux continues to pitch great (3.52 ERA, 1.21 WHIP in 102 innings) and at this point has to be worth at least one good legitimate prospect.

If the Brewers REALLY wanted Maddux, I'm sure the Padres would go hard for Alcides Escobar. Greene doesn't seem to be long for San Diego, and the Padres have nothing in terms of long term SS. A deal of Escobar for Maddux and a reliever/prospect could make a lot of sense for both sides.

I agree with you scribbletone that milwaukee wouldnt be able to get the CC deal done without one of their better prospects (go ahead, throw in gamel), but san diego has been drooling over Tony Gwynn Jr since he got drafted. Everyone in san diego loves gwynn jr, his dad had a hall of fame career there. I can definately see a greg maddux deal going down in the next couple weeks. The brewers would never give up escobar because escobar is going to replace JJ hardy at short in milwaukee, plus this is probably maddux's last year in the majors. I think he will coach after he retires though.

And yeah, 2 or 3 years ago the crew was only attracting 20-22 thousand a game, but now theyre averaging 34 thousand a game, they could still do better, but thats certainly not bad.

thanks. yeah i could definitely see gwynn jr in SD, but something gotta happen soon, because gwynn jr is getting up there in age (26 or 27?). As for miller park and the crowd, its still definately a work in progress but we sellout the weekend games usually (or at least come close), so crowd attendance is up, and as the team gets better and better in the next few years, theyll win more games, and sell more tickets, but were definitely heading in the right direction.

"Maddux continues to pitch great (3.52 ERA, 1.21 WHIP in 102 innings) and at this point has to be worth at least one good legitimate prospect."

Maddux pitches great in Petco. On the road (4.75 ERA), he's been the same guy that the Cubs traded two years ago (4.69 ERA). I suspect the scouts and front office types around baseball will sniff this one out.

In 2006, the Cubs tried to hold out for a prospect from the Dodgers, but they wouldn't budge. The Cubs were left with Cesar Izturis instead. Ouch.

Hard to imagine the market for Maddux being better two years later.