We've already heard that the Brewers are leaning toward keeping Prince Fielder this offseason. Here are the rest of the day's Brewers rumors:
- Rickie Weeks is open to discussing an extension with the Brewers, according to MLB.com's Adam McCalvy. Jon Heyman of SI.com reported yesterday that the Brewers were set to start talking about a potential deal with the second baseman.
- The Brewers will not pursue free agent starters aggressively, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter). Instead, they'll look to add pitching through trades. Acquiring top starters without dealing Fielder will be a major challenge for GM Doug Melvin.
Not it they move a guy named Ryan Braun.
What?
no way they do that…
I’m actually kind of guessing they’d love to get out from under the potential Hindenburg that IS Prince Fielder. The fact that they haven’t been able to move him yet is telling.
How would moving Ryan Braun be at all a logical move?
Brew crew, the Phils will give you Joe Blanton! Cheap!
Sorry Melvin, you can’t have your cake and eat it too. Especially with Fielder still on the team ;)
If they don’t want to move Prince and extend Weeks I think Lawrie could be their best trade chip. I would imagine they could get an MLB ready pitching prospect from a team needing a good hitting prospect.
If not Lawrie the only legitimate piece is either Gamel or McGehee. I would have to think McGehee is more enticing to other teams than Gamel at this point.
Well, at least the Cubs got a really good return for McG… they did what? Aww, !@#$.
As long as the Brew-Crew are back in contending form when Braun is a free agent he should sign and stay with the Crew for life. We need to see that in baseball more often.
Gavin Floyd would make for a good match for the Brewers. I am still convinced however that Cashman and the Yankee’s, ship AJ Burnett and Joba Chamberlan over to the Brewers. For what? I have no idea, but Joba could be just the throw in piece to have the Brewers take on the whole contract. Pavano is inline for $35mm over 3 years, or atleast that’s what’s being speculated. Benoit, a reliever just secured about $18mm + with all the incentives for 3 years. AJ at $49mm is a lot, but it’s not like say, moving Vernon Wells, Ordonez last year. It’s far from Zambrano bad. I could be wrong, but it’s a gut feeling this gets mentioned soon. That is if the Yanks sign Cliff Lee. The Yanks are being very VERY aggressive with young pitching right now. In fact, this Depaula thing intrigues me. A front three of CC, LEE, and now a much more mature Hughes, is very good. #5 in the rotation can be filled in house. I absolutely say that the fifth rotation spot should go to the rookies next year. I’m all for it and I see no problem with this since the front three will provide a lot of consistency. Shoot I’d rather tender Mosley a contract for a year again. This also opens the door a bit more to see what Pettitte wants to do. I honestly believe that both Burnett and Joba, would do much better in Milwaukee. I could see AJ more so, really doing some damage in the strike out column in the NL.
Fielder for Burnett/Joba. That would be a pretty terrible trade for the Brewers.
I didn’t say that and yes, that would be absurd for the Brewers. I wouldn’t expect much in return for AJ and Joba. Frankly, I have no idea what a trade like this could yield for the Yanks in return. I am only looking at it from a financial aspect on the Yanks end. If they sign Lee, they’ll have some something serious going on in that rotation and I believe AJ’s last season is not what he is really about. When he is on, dang, he is on. It seems the general consensus is it is all mental for him and that makes a lot of sense. The savings for the Yanks would be sizable, $16.5 million of which would go to Lee for the first three years of his contract. Again, I don’t feel like these are prohibitive numbers for the Brewers considering the options available and as it says above, they are not going after free agents to bolster a week rotation. Floyd, Burnett, Garza, (any tampa pitcher not named Price or Hellickson) I mean outside of those three, it really makes you think who else the Brewers can match with. Maybe Carmona? Plus Floyd and Garza will require more pieces than say with the Yanks and removing him from the rotation. I think it’s a perfect match, that is unless the Yanks don’t sign Lee.
I didn’t say that and yes, that would be absurd for the Brewers. I wouldn’t expect much in return for AJ and Joba. Frankly, I have no idea what a trade like this could yield for the Yanks in return. I am only looking at it from a financial aspect on the Yanks end. If they sign Lee, they’ll have some something serious going on in that rotation and I believe AJ’s last season is not what he is really about. When he is on, dang, he is on. It seems the general consensus is it is all mental for him and that makes a lot of sense. The savings for the Yanks would be sizable, $16.5 million of which would go to Lee for the first three years of his contract. Again, I don’t feel like these are prohibitive numbers for the Brewers considering the options available and as it says above, they are not going after free agents to bolster a week rotation. Floyd, Burnett, Garza, (any tampa pitcher not named Price or Hellickson) I mean outside of those three, it really makes you think who else the Brewers can match with. Maybe Carmona? Plus Floyd and Garza will require more pieces than say with the Yanks and removing him from the rotation. I think it’s a perfect match, that is unless the Yanks don’t sign Lee.
Fielder for Burnett/Joba. That would be a pretty terrible trade for the Brewers.
no one, i literally mean NO ONE is gonna take on all of burnett’s salary. your stuck with him, sorry. When you sign all the big free agents, eventually some are gonna blow up in your face. Burnett has negative value.
Hey, if you really believe that. “When you sign all the big free agents” I think that lessens the credibility of your comment. Yeah, sure, but if you look past that AJ again could be one of the better ARMS available. Plus as I said, that’s why the Yanks include Joba, which is not a gimme although nothing as meaningful as two years ago. I mean the Brewers can go after Pavano and sign some lesser reliever to a 3 year $18mm contract and that would exceed $50mm. Not saying I’m right, but if you think about it, who would you rather have…I know, I know..neither right?
how is AJ one of the better arms? he is a 4era pitcher who is getting paid 16million/yr. you realize if he was on the brewers, he would be their highest paid player?
I’m having trouble following…why would the brewers would be signing a lesser reliever to an $18mm contract? For fun?
Dangit. Wrong button. Anyway, I was implying a lesser reliever than Joba. Or at least what I perceive as options outside Joba. Its a good thing both of you entirely missed my point about what is available to the Brewers, which isn’t much.
If they’re both going to suck anyways, I’d rather watch the brewer’s inexpensive pitching as opposed to your 16 million dollar man.
Good attitude and I didn’t say anything about either pitcher sucking.
And I would love to hear what you would say if (hypothetically) AJ is traded to say the Brewers, pitching in the NL and he goes 17-9, with a sub 4.00 ERA and 180 SO’s next season. Something that is entirely possible. Would that be worth a $16mm salary? I’d say yes.
There is absolutely no guarantee that he will go 17-9 with a sub 4 ERA and if he doesn’t he isn’t worth the money. In fact, his last sub 4 ERA was in 07! He is much more likely to stay at 4 or above. Also, how can you say with a straight face that someone is not credible for saying the truth: that the Yankees sign a majority of the big free agents. They will probably get Lee, the ONLY good FA pitcher this year when they already have a great rotation that just won the World Series last year. 2010 they only signed Pettite because the top guy Lackey was fool’s gold. 2009 they signed the best position player (Tex) and the two best pitchers available (CC and Burnett). 2008 A-Rod. 2007 Pettite. 2006 Damon. 2005 Randy Johnson and Carl Pavano. 2004 A-Rod, Sheffield, Vazquez, Brown and on and on. Now some of those guys ended up busts but they were the best FA’s at the time. If the Yankees have a hole, they go out and buy it and no one else has a chance at outbidding them. That’s a fact. They would certainly have to eat some of that money or get absolutely nothing of value in return and even then I don’t know that the Brewers go for it especially when they pay 16.5 Mil for his 34, 35, and 36 yo seasons when he has already shown a decline over the past 3 years. The Brewers want young, cheap, controllable, promising pitching, not aging, declining, and expensive pitching.
Hey, if you really believe that. “When you sign all the big free agents” I think that lessens the credibility of your comment. Yeah, sure, but if you look past that AJ again could be one of the better ARMS available. Plus as I said, that’s why the Yanks include Joba, which is not a gimme although nothing as meaningful as two years ago. I mean the Brewers can go after Pavano and sign some lesser reliever to a 3 year $18mm contract and that would exceed $50mm. Not saying I’m right, but if you think about it, who would you rather have…I know, I know..neither right?
Reliever isn’t an overwhelming position of need for the Brewers. The bullpen next season might be young, which could be a problem, but the top five (Axford, Jeffress, Rogers, Braddock, Parra) all are better now than Joba.
If the Yankees were to pay about $7.5M of Burnett’s year salary (knocking the Brewers liability down to $9M), include Joba AND a young pitching prospect at the low A level for Prince, MAYBE.
Gavin Floyd would make for a good match for the Brewers. I am still convinced however that Cashman and the Yankee’s, ship AJ Burnett and Joba Chamberlan over to the Brewers. For what? I have no idea, but Joba could be just the throw in piece to have the Brewers take on the whole contract. Pavano is inline for $35mm over 3 years, or atleast that’s what’s being speculated. Benoit, a reliever just secured about $18mm + with all the incentives for 3 years. AJ at $49mm is a lot, but it’s not like say, moving Vernon Wells, Ordonez last year. It’s far from Zambrano bad. I could be wrong, but it’s a gut feeling this gets mentioned soon. That is if the Yanks sign Cliff Lee. The Yanks are being very VERY aggressive with young pitching right now. In fact, this Depaula thing intrigues me. A front three of CC, LEE, and now a much more mature Hughes, is very good. #5 in the rotation can be filled in house. I absolutely say that the fifth rotation spot should go to the rookies next year. I’m all for it and I see no problem with this since the front three will provide a lot of consistency. Shoot I’d rather tender Mosley a contract for a year again. This also opens the door a bit more to see what Pettitte wants to do. I honestly believe that both Burnett and Joba, would do much better in Milwaukee. I could see AJ more so, really doing some damage in the strike out column in the NL.
Typical Melvin. He fails to improve the pitching through FA by going after the wrong FA, then blames the fact that they went after FA to begin with and didn’t deal for pitching instead.
So now he shuts the door on FA starters, some of whom could help considerably in favor of trades where undoubtedly he’ll deal something of value for what will turn out to be more mediocrity.
Which FA pitcher should he sign? Lee – no, JDLR – no, and…
Brandon Webb.
When healthy, he was perennial Cy Young contender. Sure it might be he’s never the same but if they are going to fail with FA, I’d rather they aim higher than the likes of Doug Davis.
Brad Penny is another that’s intriguing and a buy low candidate.
I’m still trying to figure out why we aren’t taking a flyer on Deuscherer (Sorry for the spelling) or making a move on Zach Duke, both know the NL Central, and are better than whatever hobo’s we are going to march to the mound any given day. After Gallardo and Wolf, the rotation is a whos who of best batting practice pitchers.