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2010 Options: Milwaukee Brewers
Braden Looper has the Brewers' lone 2010 option. It's a $6MM mutual option, plus performance bonuses. There's a $750K buyout if the club declines. Looper has done about as expected this year, with a 4.47 ERA in 50.3 innings. I can see the Brewers going either way on this one, but I lean toward a decline.
Notable free agents after 2009: Mike Cameron, Trevor Hoffman, and Jason Kendall. The team also has important arbitration cases in J.J. Hardy, Dave Bush, Corey Hart, Rickie Weeks, Jody Gerut, Seth McClung, Todd Coffey, and Carlos Villanueva. Deft payroll management on Doug Melvin's part will be required, and it wouldn't be surprising to see a few offseason trades.
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A lot of the payroll issues could partially taken care of this year in terms of making a trade or two. Get rid of Hardy, Hall, and Villanueva. Send them off for bullpen help. Then you could afford to lose Coffey, McClung, and Looper.
Posted by: Gilbert | May 25, 2009 at 12:20 PM
they should trade Hardy to the Sox for Delcarmen and a prospect. the Brew Crew need bullpin help and the Sox need a good shortstop
Posted by: petty15 | May 25, 2009 at 12:22 PM
Hardy for Delcarmen and a prospect? Not happening with how Hardy is playing and how good Delcarmen has pitched. Maybe straight up but that's pretty much it.
If Hardy really, really picks it up maybe some teams get in on him then.
And is Gerut going to arbitration or is he a free agent? Rotoworld (which I don't trust, lol) says he's a free agent after this season....
Posted by: Hermie13 | May 25, 2009 at 12:40 PM
"they should trade Hardy to the Sox for Delcarmen and a prospect."
Another team looking to steal MDC huh? Jed Lowrie is expected to be back in 3 weeks and he will be ok hopefully after his wrist surgery at SS.
Posted by: johns | May 25, 2009 at 12:42 PM
Why would the Brewers trade JJ Hardy, especially for a relief pitcher? He has established himself as an 800 OPS hitter the last two years, and he does it from shortstop, where (according to UZR) he is one of the best defensive shortstops in the league.
I wouldn't call it trying to steal MDC when the other team is supposedly giving up a top 6 or 7 shortstop in baseball, on both sides of the ball, when the RedSox have a slew of terrible players running out there at shortstop everyday. Even Lowrie is no sure thing, he hit a little bit last year, and was actually good at shortstop, but that is in a small sample size, and all we heard about Lowrie is that he didn't have the range to play shortstop at the big league level. If all it costs you is Delcarmen and a minor prospect to get Hardy, you would be insane not to be all over that.
Posted by: nrmax88 | May 25, 2009 at 01:14 PM
Gotta agree with nrmax88. Delcarmen is a solid middle reliever having a career year, but he's 'just' as middle reliever. Don't get me wrong, he'd be a great asset for a number of teams (though I'm convinced he'd go into the crapper the minute he put on another uni- just a hunch), but Hardy is considerably more valuable, regardless of his current struggles. A solid defensive shortstop with 20+ HR power...? That's far more valuable than ANY MR (IMHO).
Posted by: milehigh78 | May 25, 2009 at 01:24 PM
Having said all of that, I gotta ask: what are the Brewers looking for? As an O's fan, I think Hardy would be a nice upgrade from Izturis, with better long-term ability. After Izturis, we've got NO SS prospects down on the farm and unless Grant Green is available at No. 5 next month, that isn't likely to change any time too soon.
Should I assume Milwaukee needs relievers? I know their infield is hurting. How 'bout Izturis, Wigginton, and Baez for Hardy and a low-level prospect? I know neither Izturis, nor Wigginton are hitting much at the moment, but as we said...neither is Hardy. Baez has been excellent out of the 'pen in the AL BEast, Izturis could be used with top prospect Alcides Escobar to replace Hardy, and Wigginton can play just about anywhere in the infield while providing above average power. Just a thought.
Posted by: milehigh78 | May 25, 2009 at 01:32 PM
If the O's took Hall and his contract maybe. Would allow Gamel to play 3B full-time (bit of a scary thought defensively). Then Escobar (who isn't hitting in AAA) at SS.
Problem is with Weeks out they wouldn't really have a 2B.
Posted by: Hermie13 | May 25, 2009 at 02:01 PM
maybe you could take jamie walker off our hands too..
Posted by: THEBIGFISH99 | May 25, 2009 at 02:53 PM
Despite getting off to a slow start, Hardy is still a very young SS who plays solid defense and has shown the ability to hit w/ major power from a defensive minded position. Since when is a mid-relief guy more valauble than that?
Posted by: YanksFanSince78 | May 25, 2009 at 04:08 PM
Why would we get rid of Villanueva? He's young, good and cheap. There's no need to get rid of him.
These offers for Hardy are just terrible. We would be lucky to get Delcarmen straight up for Hardy? Hilarious. The Red Sox would have to add one of Buchholz, Bowden or Masterson to not have the Brewers laugh them off the phone.
Izturis sucks, we have no need for Wigginton and Baez is a very expensive middle reliever.
These offers are just laughable.
Posted by: brewersfan729 | May 25, 2009 at 05:49 PM
Also, contrary to popular belief, the Brewers bullpen is not bad. In fact, it's actually pretty good.
Posted by: brewersfan729 | May 25, 2009 at 05:50 PM
"These offers for Hardy are just terrible. We would be lucky to get Delcarmen straight up for Hardy? Hilarious. The Red Sox would have to add one of Buchholz, Bowden or Masterson"
Would never get Bucholz, Bowden, nor Masterson for Hardy. They refused to trade any of those before the season for a young catcher (Salty) something they thought they needed at the time and they sure will not for a position they will have covered in a few weeks, or one that can be fixed via trade. SS position has many more viable options around the league available than does catching.
"Even Lowrie is no sure thing, he hit a little bit last year, and was actually good at shortstop, but that is in a small sample size, and all we heard about Lowrie is that he didn't have the range to play shortstop at the big league level"
Jed Lowrie may not have the best of range at the SS position, but he has yet to make an error while playing it.
Posted by: johns | May 25, 2009 at 07:16 PM
"Would never get Bucholz, Bowden, nor Masterson for Hardy. They refused to trade any of those before the season for a young catcher (Salty)"
That's fine. I'm not saying the Red Sox would. I'm saying the Brewers wouldn't settle for anything less.
Posted by: brewersfan729 | May 25, 2009 at 07:27 PM
How about Brewers trade Hall and prospects to Florida for Uggla? Just a thought.
Posted by: Gilbert | May 25, 2009 at 08:11 PM
as a mariner fan, i see a lot of mariner brewer trades in the next few years especially with gm jack behind the reins. actually geoff baker from the seattle times talked about this in his video blog today. i really see the mariners blowing this team up this season, and making more than a few trades. i would love to see a trade like bedard, clement. and jose lopez for escobar, manny parra, taylor green and maybe another low level prospect or two. for the brewers this gives them a solid one or two in the front of there rotation. he has pitched real well for us this year, and knock on wood has stayed healthy other than a hamstring injury where he was held back from starting. lopez is someone who really just needs a change of scenery, and clement will catch somewhere but i think has just fallen out of favor in seattle. escobar moves right into short as soon as betancourt is traded, parra will take bedard or washburns (when he is traded) spot in the rotation.
Posted by: delonge | May 26, 2009 at 01:42 AM
The Brewers are not going to trade Parra, Escobar, Green and another prospect for Bedard and Clement. That's a better package than the Indians got for CC and Bedard isn't as good as him.
Posted by: brewersfan729 | May 26, 2009 at 01:45 AM
The Brewers aren't moving Hardy during the season -- they are playing well right now, and even with his poor start at the plate, Hardy is a big part of that. Whether they move him this offseason depends on how well Escobar handles the stick at AAA this year and what kind of return they can get for Hardy. If they don't get value that fits with their needs, they'll just hold him, get another year of quality SS production, and take the picks when he walks. The Brewers will be looking for young, team-controlled starting pitching -- who isn't? -- and there could be matches for Hardy during the offseason. The Twins make a lot of sense as a trade partner.
Posted by: robdeer | May 26, 2009 at 10:22 AM
When is Gallardo a FA?
Posted by: Martin Guerrero | May 26, 2009 at 05:30 PM
What we should do is trade Manny Parra to the Red Sox for Brad Penny. See what we can get for Hardy and Fielder in the offseason and then bring up Alcides Escobar. I just hope we don't start doing what the Marlins did and trade away all their good players for prospects and other players who never really panned out
Posted by: brewers24 | May 27, 2009 at 09:55 PM