Brewers Monitoring Chad Cordero

This guy just screams 1 yr + 1 yr option for a contending team. I can't believe a team needing a strong/veteran 8th inning guy like NY Yankees, Twins, Dodgers aren't all over this guy to be a dominant setup guy in just that role for what? 2-3 million for 2009 tops + incentives and a option for 2010? Did the Yankees spend all that 400M plus on 3 guys and leave the bullpen to a bunch of young guys and 2 really proven vets with over 1 year of service (Rivera and Marte) and even Marte struggling in the AL in his 2 months?

It just seems to make sense for Some contender like those teams that have a strong need to take a small gamble on this guy with terrific stuff to be a lights out 8th inning guy and Dodgers need one now also since letting Saito go as well.

Cordero in the 8th for the brewers would be another plus for an already solid bullpen.

"Cordero in the 8th for the brewers would be another plus for an already solid bullpen."

An already solid bullpen? You've got a guy who had an ERA over 5 last year (Riske), a guy with 15 career appearances (DiFelice), a guy who has blown 25% of his career save opps (Julio), a guy was a career ERA over 5.5 (McClung), a guy with a worse WHIP last year than even Eric Gagne (Coffey), and an over-the-hill closer who, as Brewers fans from 2007 can certainly remember, has blown some big saves lately. The only solid pitchers in the Brewer's pen are Villanueva (who you have to figure will be the first one called into the rotation when one of the 5 starters goes down), and Mitch Stetter. The Brewers are a LONG way from having a solid pen.

plus you have
defelice who could throw in there as well who had a 2.84 in 15 appearances last year, i was very impressed with him.

I guess you're right. I backed up my claims with stats and factual evidence. But you were able to completely overcome those "facts" by dropping bombs like "very good reliever" and "has the ability to have a good year".

If Hoffman was the pitcher now that he was in San Diego, don't you think that he would have signed with a contender? The guy has never won a World Series. If he had anything left in the tank, don't you think that he would go somewhere where he had a chance to go out on top? The Yankees don't have a very strong bullpen. If Hoffman was any better than the kids they'll be running out there every day, don't you think that they would have scooped him up to set up for Rivera? He's 42 years old. Enough said.

And DiFelice? He's a 31 year old career minor-leaguer!! He threw mop-up duty last year. In his 15 appearances, 12 of them were blowouts decided by 4 runs or more.

Oh, and cangratulations on re-signing Gagne.

Well, you answered your own question on the Hoffman thing. His ERA last year was a full run higher than his career era. So obviously he's losing it.

ANd how do you not call the times when DeFelice pitched mop up? 6 of his 15 appearances (40%), he came into the game with the Brewers either up or down by more than 4 runs. 9 of his appearances (60%) were when his team was up or down by at least 4 runs. He didn't pitch in a single tie game, and only came into one game when the score was within a run once. That's a mop up pitcher if I ever heard of one.

You're right. ERA's jumping a run higher are signs that a 42 year old pitcher has 7-10 good years left. And 31 year old career minor leaguers are exactly what managers and pirching coaches look for. And Eric Gagne will find a way to get back to the same level of performance that he was at when he was juicing. And a rotation where Dave Bush, Jeff Suppan, and Braden Looper are competing for the #2 spot is right up there with the best in baseball. Have fun this season. It will be magical.