The Brewers came up short last night, and now one of the many concerns for GM Doug Melvin will be the status of his nine arbitration eligible players.
- First time: Casey McGehee, Nyjer Morgan, George Kottaras, Mitch Stetter
- Second time: Kameron Loe, Manny Parra, Josh Wilson
- Third time: Shaun Marcum, Carlos Gomez
Kottaras, Stetter, Wilson, and Parra appear to be non-tender candidates. Parra missed all of 2011, eventually needing elbow surgery, and he'd be owed a minimum of $960K if tendered a contract. The other three are in the $700-800K range, so a case could be made for keeping them. Kottaras was viewed as expendable by the Brewers when they outrighted him in April, though he ended up being useful in limited duty. Stetter missed most of the season with a hip injury, while Wilson didn't do anything noteworthy.
We can't rule out the possibility of a McGehee non-tender, but a trade seems more likely. The 29-year-old third baseman had a lost 2011 season, but he hit .291/.346/.477 over 1,064 plate appearances the previous two years. At a projected $3.1MM, some team will want to give him a shot.
Marcum is the team's most expensive arbitration eligible player at a projected $6.8MM. Peers such as Matt Garza, Jeremy Guthrie, John Danks, and Joe Saunders project in the $8-9MM range, so we'll have to see if they lift Marcum up a bit. Loe ($2.8MM), Morgan ($1.9MM), and Gomez ($1.8MM) should also be tendered contracts. Gomez had a rough year, missing time with a broken clavicle, but at $1.8MM his defense should make him worth retaining.
Including buyouts for Yuniesky Betancourt and Francisco Rodriguez, the Brewers have about $58.58MM in contractual commitments for 2012. If they retain McGehee, Morgan, Loe, Marcum, and Gomez, that'd add $16.4MM for a total of about $75MM. Assuming a steady payroll, that'd leave less than $9MM in 2012 flexibility before accounting for minimum salary players. McGehee's salary could be shedded, but without a payroll increase the Brewers do not have much room to spend this winter.
What did Prince make last year?
15.5 Million.
prince made 15M
Prince next year will make 20-30 guaranteed hes getting a Gonzalez contract
There really isn’t any internal options to replace McGehee and looking around the majors, third base was a wasteland with a few exceptions. It would seem to behoove the Brewers to hope that they can fix McGehee and that he can bounce back to 2010 levels.
actually, Green was called up and on the playoff roster after hitting great at AAA all year. many were hoping he’d take over before the season even ended, but the manager preferred a veteran for the playoffs in Hairston
You would have to believe Mat Gamel might get a longer look next year, and maybe McGehee is your last option if you don’t sign a proven first baseman. Next year will be very interesting for Milwaukee.
Gamel no longer plays 3rd, he switched to 1st last year. The only internal replacement would be Taylor Green.
Taylor Greene, give him playing time. He is your future.
Get rid of McGehee and maybe give Taylor Green a shot.
The Brewers should move Corey Hart to First base next year and Taylor Green should be given an opportunity at third. McGehee should be traded or non tendered. Marcum could be gone too.
The phillies could use a youngish 3rd baseman given our injury history and age at the hot corner. What do you think it would take?
I didn’t realize McGehee was potentially available. He definitely sounds like a guy who could be had by the Phils at reasonable price either through FA or trades. I still like Ian Stewart, but McG has at least had some very solid seasons that maybe a change of scenery, or a more hitter-friendly park, can help him recreate or even improve upon.
EDIT: I wasn’t aware of this, because TV commentators only ever talk about what a bandbox CBP is, but Miller Park is apparently much more favorable to hitters, based on both statistics and dimensions. So, maybe moving to Philly would not be best for McG.
At about $7m, it would make no sense to non-tender Marcum. If the Brewers think they aren’t going to be competitive at all next year, I could see a case for trading him but as long as you put more stock in what you saw over five months than in what you saw over the last month, he’s worth that easily.
Why would Marcum be gone? The Brewers are still a good team without Prince, I can’t see them giving up any of their pitching.
That and the fact Corey Hart has a kind of tough time with hustling in the outfield.
So assume that Yuni’s a non-tender and McGehee’s gone by non-tender or trade, by the numbers given here, that would leave them about $12m to fill holes at 3B, SS, and 1B. Do the Brewers have solid prospects at AA/AAA at those positions?
No.
Yes they do. Taylor Green is arguably the top prospect and plays 3B and was called up in late july this year.
In other words, they cant afford Prince Fielder.
James Loney and cash to the Brewers for McGehee. Who hangs up first?
Why trade for him when the dodgers will prob. non tender him anyway?
Loney had a very strong end to the year, doubt he’ll be non-tendered.
Non-tender Morgan solely for providing bulletin board material for the Cards. Mr. Plush is exciting to watch, but his production doesn’t quite live up to the antics.
a .300 hitter for $2M? you may not like his antics, but they dont make as far as they did without him.
It would certainly humble him, but if his “Tony Plush” antics continue and the Brewers struggle next year, it will not end will for both Morgan and Plush. Also, the Brewers and their fans will come to learn that Morgan cannot play everyday against all types of pitchers. He is a decent ball player (without the nonsense), not an everyday one.
The Brewers won’t have to learn that Morgans not an everyday player because they will still have Gomez to platoon with him.
Without Morgan’s timely hit in extra innings of game 5 in the NLDS, they probably wouldn’t have made the NLCS.
To me the thing that would make the most sense would be to keep McGhee due to the famine of decent 3Bs (his BABIP was also a miserable .249 in 2011, so he seems like a prime rebound candidate) and hope that either he or Taylor Green could provide at least average production at 3B.
I would also re-sign Hairston to play SS and at 1B play Gamel or perhaps sign a relatively cheap veteran (Carlos Pena or someone similar).
Also, the Royals sent Yuni’s buyout as part of the Greinke trade, so the Brewers aren’t on the hook for that.
Hairston is past playing SS everyday, he’d more likely take over Counsell’s everywhere-backup role. They’ll need to decide if they want to spend more on a known quantity at 1B or at SS, that’s biggest decision i see…
Agree on Hairston. I would love to see him fill the role that Counsell did. After his postseason performance, he definitely deserves some consideration to stay on with the Brewers.
You forgot that Yuni’s buyout is being paid by the Royals there Tim.
I imagine they will see what Green and McGehee do during spring training. Gamel will start at 1B.
The only real need for the Brewers now is a couple of bullpen arms, a SS, and a bench IF (which I would love to see hairston back in that role).
Their payroll will probably be around 90M, especially after their deep playoff run. I bet they have ~20M to work with in free agency this winter.
Mat Gamel’s time in a brewers uni is done, they are tired of him. Melvin will get more than their face value for him. I think they sign Carlos Pena for 2/$12-15MM. Yuni will have his optioned picked up. McGehee will not be tendered a contract. Nor will one of TPlush or Gomez. CF or 3B will come from a Gamel deal. Leaving Melvin to fetch a CF (Beltran if for 2…maybe 3 years? someone will, unfortunately for that team, offer him 4 though) or a 3B.
Thats foolish to not tender BOTH gomez and morgan contracts. Their platoon combined them to be a 5+ WAR all star caliber center fielder. The other one always serves as a 4of or defensive replacement.
There is a greater chance that the Brewers keep McGehee around rather than Yuni. Though I also think there is a good chance Green gets the 3B job if he performs well in spring and McGehee is traded.
I am thinking they hold around an 82 million payroll with some flexibility to add during the year to maybe 90.
Until the WS is over and we know who is non-tendered, it is hard to predict. I think that they would be best served with Greene and Gamel at the corners. Then non-tender Parra & McGehee, Kottaras and Stetter.
Reyes is out of the question. It would mean that they could not afford one of Greinke or Marcum on a long term extension. Trading Wolf would clear an extra 9 million, yet you would only do that if you think you have an adequate #4 to replace him.