For a brief time this week, the Brewers turned this maddeningly slow offseason on its head. Within a one-hour period on Thursday afternoon, Milwaukee agreed to acquire two star-caliber outfielders – free agent Lorenzo Cain and then-Marlin Christian Yelich – in moves that the club hopes will help end its five-year playoff drought in 2018. Those additions came on the heels of a year in which the Brewers were among baseball’s surprise success stories, as they entered as expected non-contenders and exited with a solid 86 wins – one fewer than Colorado, which earned the National League’s last playoff spot.
With Cain and Yelich in the fold, it would be understandable to have high expectations for the Brewers as presently constructed. Although, general manager David Stearns clearly still has work to do, particularly to improve a less-than-stellar pitching staff. Thanks in part to the Brewers’ unspectacular group of hurlers, FanGraphs is only projecting them to win 77 games at the moment. That, of course, factors in notable contributions from Cain and Yelich, who are forecast to combine for just under 7.0 fWAR.
While Stearns figures to make further moves to improve Milwaukee’s chances, including potentially dealing from the team’s outfield surplus to upgrade elsewhere, we can still offer initial judgments on the Cain and Yelich pickups. Those who follow the league know what Cain is by now – a gifted center fielder, hitter and baserunner who was likely Kansas City’s best player during his tenure there from 2012-17. Cain’s track record led the Brewers to hand him easily the offseason’s richest contract, a five-year, $80MM deal with decreasing no-trade rights as the pact progresses. Cain absolutely could live up to that payday, though red flags come in the form of his age (32 in April) and injury history (he went on the disabled list in 2012, ’13, ’14 and ’16). All things considered, did Milwaukee make the right move in signing him?
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Meanwhile, at 26, Yelich has a few prime years left, and he’s under contract for all of those seasons at eminently affordable rates. Milwaukee could control Yelich through 2022 for a combined $58.25MM, and there’s nothing to suggest he won’t be worth that money. Since he became a regular in 2014, Yelich has racked up 15.9 fWAR, with FanGraphs valuing that four-year performance at a whopping $125.6MM. He could have continued to be part of the solution in Miami, but with the Marlins in the early stages of a major teardown, they figured it would make more sense to cash in their top trade chip.
Of course, given all the pluses Yelich brings to the table, prying him out of Miami wasn’t easy. To secure Yelich, the Brewers waved goodbye to four prospects – outfielders Lewis Brinson and Monte Harrison, infielder Isan Diaz and right-hander Jordan Yamamoto. In Baseball America’s newest top 100 prospect list, which came out this past Monday, Brinson ranks 18th and Harrison 75th. There are also reasons for optimism that Diaz and Yamamoto will develop into productive major leaguers, as FanGraphs’ Eric Longenhagen wrote in the wake of the trade. So, it’s fair to say the Brewers took a sizable bite out of their farm system to make this deal. Was it worth it?
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I’d give the Brewers a B, because they still haven’t addressed the rotation
This. And I’d be a little leery of the pen too. That group had a good year in 2017 but it’s full of guys with very uneven histories and they may need Hader as a starter. They’re betting on 2018 being the same as 2017 and that’s pretty sketchy.
They want you to judge those two moves not what they haven’t done number one. Number two the Yelich deal is great it gives them a good starter for 5 years at half of what his market value probably is and by bringing in Yelich, Brinson was blocked anyways. This deal also gives them another asset to trade for starting pitching whether it’s Santana or Braun. The Cain deal to me also makes sense for right now. Once a small market team wins 80+ games in a given year you have to capitalize and go for it for your fans like the Royals did. Big market teams like Boston and NY will always have money but these small market teams will have good prospects and when those guys make it to the pros and are legit that’s when they need to spend money.
i agree with the Yelich trade opening others for trade for a starter, but Braun wont be that guy bringing you a starter.
Great points, just wonder if the Brewers are making the push a little to soon.. There have been countless examples of teams having break out years, and the reverting back to mediocrity the following season.
Eg. In 1988-1990 the Orioles won 54 88 and 68 games respectively. They also traded prospects Steve Finley,Curt Schilling and Pete Harnisch to the Astros for Glenn Davis., after the 89 season, theoretically making the big push. The Yelich trade reminds me of this
Great example but it’s dated and but one so how can we be sure it’s not an anomaly?
Davis was 4 years older than Yelich and coming off an injury that affected him all three of his Baltimore seasons.
It’s cool you remember that trade. Agree that Yelich is younger than Glenn Davis was, but I do see a parallel.
Braun isn’t that much of an asset right now I can’t see them getting a true decent starter for him and to trade him in general they would have to take in a ton of his contract and get him to waive his no trade clause
Braun has been pretty clear stating, the only trade he’ll accept is to the Dodgers. Could see him playing 1st base a bit.
They’re not done. They have plenty of trade options to upgrade the rotation or the pen now
The grade is for these *two moves*
Honestly, two good moves for them. And I’m a Pirates fan. Brewers showing they have a good young core and they’re going for it. Cain and Yelich are good pieces. I’d love either of those guys on my team. Pirates need to take note that a small market team can still make big moves.
Then wait for the MLBTR poll “Grade Milwaukee’s rotation moves this offseason” and give it a F!
This is why our country is falling apart – too much whatabouting!!! Just answer the question that is being asked!
J-T overdrive: The signing of Jhoulys Chacin is a much better signing than the Brewers are being given credit for He could easily throw 180 innings of less than 4.00 ERA ball and for a true bargain price. Arrieta and Darvish are not value. Both are too expensive with lots of question marks.
Agree with your assessments of Arrieta and Darvish and I liked the Chacin signing also.. It’s still a shaky staff though. Hopefully one of the kids comes through big……Woodruff,Hader(if moved) Ortiz or Burnes if ready
I’d give them a b minus but there is no plus or minus
I gave the Brewers an A because instead of sitting back and waiting, they made a splash in the free agent pool and traded for valuable assets that play everyday. Quality pitchers, are on the way. Losing Brinson and Harrison hurt, but then again, they are nothing more than PROSPECTS and not proven commodity. Great moves by David Sterns.
I give them a C. Not an F because these moves will probably fill some seats, but not an A because they should have committed to the rebuild. I don’t think they are a contender even after expending all these resources and shipping off the entire careers of their young studs.
Unfortunately I think you are right. Until the pitching staff is ironed out and probably second base, the Brewers aren’t quite legit contenders. Yelich and Cain are both fine players, but to an extent the Brewers added to an area which wasn’t the primary need.. The Brewers could have gone into the season with an outfield of Braun, Phillips/Broxton Santana and Hernan Perez., and that’s not even counting Brinson. Would have been much happier acquiring a Darvish,Cobb,Archer etc and resigning Neil Walker and keeping the assets.
How are the Brewers getting these pitchers?
Yelich trade A: gave up some good pieces but not to the point that they will regret it, especially if yelich reaches his max potential (no reason to think he won’t)
Cain C: I loved the move at first until I saw the amount of years he got. Should have been no more than 3 imo
Well think of it this way. Him and Dexter Fowler have similar contracts. Cain’s avg and games played are higher. He’s going to be 32. But 16 aav isnt crippling. We’lol see how it plays out
IMO opinion they should have stopped after Yelich. Played Santana in the OF and saved the $80 mil and put it towards Cobb. That would have made the team better now and in the future.
I 100% agree with this. Not to mention they are going to lose a draft pick, in addition to the money Cain costs.
I have to think Stearns is very unimpressed with the FA market for starters this year. This is all building up to another trade IMO.
Yes I agree with Jack. I would be a lot more worried about paying Cobb 5/80M vs. Cain.
Sure, but couldn’t you make an argument that it’s going to be a buyers market next year with more bidders than this year. Those that lose out on Kershaw and Keuchel will need pitching and lower tier arms like Cobb (if taking a 1 year deal with a mutual option) and Corbin could benefit. I don’t think Cobb gets the 80M in either year, but he has a better chance next year even with being a year older, unless 2018 is a bust.
Cobb would cost a draft pick too.
True, but the problem is, the Brewers really need that starting pitcher much more than they did Cain, particularly after acquiring Yelich. Also now there is a logjam in the outfield. Cain is 32, and historically speed outfielders value decreases exponentially faster than most other positions.
I really felt 4 years was the MAX Cain would get from any team. He’s a solid solid signing in the now for MIL, but I graded it C due to the likelihood that the last 2 years of the contract will very likely be albatross years. If they win a WS within the next 2-3 years the grade turns into B.
If they win a WS the grade should be an A lol
If the Brewers win the WS, were all in. 7th. Heaven!
Every single move is an A if they ever win a WS.
So by that logic, Cubs should stop being given hell, for that Heyward contract. A!!
Well..108 year curve.. A+!!
leave them alone everyone ^^
i was expecting 4 years. 3 i think he can do good on, and the 4th being a downer. 5 is scary. i see bj upton, carl crawford, etc
“Star outfielders” that’s a reach.
No it isn’t. Both players are star players, albeit one on the wrong side of 30.
Both players combined have literally been an all “star” once. These are two solid outfielders. Far from “stars”.
The fans vote for all stars. The fans are idiots.
You can not be serious. You seriously think the criteria to be a “star” player is how many ASG appearances they have? You do realize the ASG is a fan driven event and the fans vote for the players?
I’d have to agree. Cain and Yelich are very good players. But they are far from stars
No but it helps my argument. Yeah fans vote but usually the elite get in. These guys are not star players. Stanton is a star, Trout is a star, Kershaw is star. These two are solid outfielders and nothing more.
Do you consider yourself a fan? Hmmm….
4.5 WAR 3 of the last 4? Yelich is a star.
Hes an elite outfielder. Only reason he doesnt get the fame is because he doesnt mash 30 homeruns a year.
Hes posted an OBP of .360 or higher last 4 years. Last year he was 10th in the league in obp.
Yelich is a star
He can’t be that good. He only hit 18 home runs last year. Plus I’ve never heard of him until this trade.
(wipes sarcasm off my keyboard, which is the least nastiest thing I’ve ever had to wipe off my keyboard)
Exactly, I do like Yelich but Brinson and maybe Harrison have higher ceilings.
What?
Yelich at this point in his career has shown himself to be a very solid player. Harrison & particularly Brinson however have the tools to possibly be high tier stars. Will that materialize; you can’t be sure, that’s the chance of the trade.. As a small market team., for the Brewers this is a very risky trade.
If you remember the Brewers actually traded Cain,Alcides Escobar and 1 other for Zack Grienke. The Royals won a WS and pennant in large part due to that trade and a judicious farm system. The Brewers needed IMO to stick to this model, not trading high end prospects.
Brinson is toolsy but looked awful against major league pitching, Harrison is a carbon copy of Brinson but with a mediocre minor league record. Diaz hit a snappy .222 in the Carolina League. I don’t see much here for the Marlins.
More idiots, than people who vote players into HOF?
Honest question^ Mr. Monty^
I resonate with this statement; Fans shouldn’t be the ones to vote for all stars, in all sports, my opinion)
That’s why, they are prospects. Just hope that 3 yrs from now Brinson isn’t the next Andrew McCutchen and Harrison isn’t shall we say a younger Lorenzo Cain..
The combined deals, which will cost the Brewers close to $30M per year in salary, are a fail. Individually, the deal for Yelich seems a good one but only if Brinson flops. Coughing up $80M for Cain was a big mistake and typical of the desperation moves GMs make these days. If the Brewers don’t do something about their woeful pitching these deals are a disaster.
Our window to compete is now. Brinson may come to be a great player in a few years but that doesn’t help us now. We aren’t a big market team that can just throw money out there every year like Boston. When we have a good team it’s time to go for it. As far as the Yelich deal is concerned- I hope both teams win in the deal. We don’t need a top of the order Ace pitcher, we need a 170-200 inning under 4era guy that keeps the bullpen from getting overworked
Say, so I’m a Giants fan. What about a brewers low tier SP prospect and Phillips for Samardzija and 20 million?
It’s tempting, I surely like the 20 million! Samardzija for me has always been one of those players who has great analytics, but it doesn’t quite translate to the field.
Speaking of your Giants, I’m not quite sure what they’re doing signing McCutchen and Jackson, particularly based on last yrs poor finish. It’s seems like they are trying to squeeze a couple of more yrs out of an old expensive declining roster. The Tigers tried that scenario for a couple of yrs, with little success, before they finally pulled the plug this year. Your division is also pretty stacked making it even trickier.
Yeah. I think they’re gonna try to get one more year out of this team that won 3 WS. This is gonna be the test year for them I think, if the team fails this year I think they blow it up at the deadline or in the offseason. They’ll have a high draft pick to restock the farm and if they do well and make a postseason run, well then mission accomplished. Speaking of postseason, I’m excited for your brewers! Hope you guys have a great year and please unseat the cubbies and their annoying fans. Lol
How it only a good deal if Brunson flops? They’re both controlled for 5 years.
Trust the Boston guys. They know all about flop deals.
Control for 5 years only matters if they don’t suck somewhere north of 3 years or so. Cain for 5 was a terrible move….definitely not worth it….hugh overpay in time and salary.
I seriously doubt brinson is ever better than yelich. He looked totally over matched last year, while Phillips was solid in the majors. Lewis then returned to AAA and the it up again, then returned and struggled again. He’s toolsy for sure but could very well be a AAAA player.
Totally agree about Cain, we could have gotten Cobb for the same money. However, last year was the first year in a long time the crew didn’t draw 3 million fans, in a tiny market, so he had to increase payroll from $60M.
They actually aren’t paying both Cain and Yelich 30M combined until the 2021 season when Yelich is at 14M and Cain at 16M. 2018 they make a combined 20M which for those two is dirt cheap.
What was the major issue for MILW offensively last year? Contact and strikeouts. Stearns went out and added two guys who will hit .290 and don’t strikeout. Not to mention added a much needed leadoff hitter in Cain. Something the brewers haven’t had in years.
The brewers can recoup value on the yelich deal by trading santana and phillips for pitching.
What you suggest is of course true, but other teams now know that to extent both Santana and Phillips are spare parts, which will weaken their trade values in negotiations
Agree, It seems the Brewers got a bit ahead of timeline, particularly considering the rotation questions. Would like to thank every Red Sox supporter for Travis Shaw however.
That hurts
Hey, Red Sox fan, how’d that Travis Shaw deal work out for you?
I went A on Yelich and C on Cain. Without a move to declutter the outfield or make a rotation addition. Those 2 piece don’t move the needle as much as they should
I’m with you. I actually like both moves independent of one another. But I think they should have stopped at Yelich. They had an abundance of OF’s, before the moves. After the moves they are still in the same quandary. Personally, I would have liked to see them use the money they spent on Cain for a SP. But then again I’m not a GM.
I disagree. Do you pay Cobb 5yr/80M and hope he stays healthy? A 5 year deal for Cain has a much better chance of working compared to a 5 year deal for Cobb/Lynn in my opinion. Pitchers have shown they break down far quicker than contact/defensive players do. Now Stearns will flip the OF surplus for a younger, cheaper, controllable starter as opposed to a 30-32 year old starter looking for 15-20M per
Pitchers are always riskier, that’s the nature of the beast, and that’s exactly the reason the Brewers needed to invest in that direction.. Cain may be a nice player, but really wasn’t in the need area, and he’s 32, on the downside of his career.
I think they’ll be able to easily turn that OF surplus into a SP like Danny Salazar or Danny Duffy easily which won’t require the massive overpay required to land a free agent. Such a move would be excellent on 2 levels: Brewers will get much better value on the trade market, and such a move may cause Scott Boras to jump off the nearest bridge.
Dare to get a Danny!
Ever heard the phrase “quality over quantity”? That’s what Milw’s OF situation was. Those 2 players are massive upgrades over the in-house options and there’s no denying it. However, haters like yourself seem to think having worse players is somehow better for the team, which is a bigtime NOPE.
There wasn’t then, there isn’t now and there will never be in the future any measurable justification for giving Cain a 5 year contract. Ellsbury level panic move.
Wow a Red Sox fan using the name Ellsbury to describe a desperate move. Panda,Hanley,Price, and not to mention the newest JDM (about to happen) kinda smell like way more desperation.
A Red Sox fan talking about panic moves? LOL. How’s that 7yr/217M for Price looking man?
Don’t forget RUSNEY…..the CUBAN PHENOM making millions to play in the minors….
It’s gonna be comedy gold when they bend to Boras and give Martinez the biggest contract this winter. Then turn around and trade Bradley for peanuts to open up an outfield spot…
Not to mention giving the Brewers Travis Shaw!
Every single EXPERT (not you) said Cain deserved 4 or 5 years. Why you arguing with experts? Sure, 4 is the safe bet but it’s less money over 5.
I think this team has a ton of flexiblity going forward and they can make a beavy of moves to bolister rotation. With the pitching free agent market not developing maybe they get a tor pitcher on a one year deal? They could also trade from young outfield depth or minors and make a trade for a pitcher like archer too, will be nice to see the nl cental compete this year.
Yeah, they shouldn’t have gallardo in the rotation and Brockton as their 5th OFer
Yeah, they don’t have Gallardo in the rotation and there’s nobody named Brockton on the team.
If you don’t like Broxton, he certainly showed potential, the consider Phillips the 4th guy.
Counsel has done a he’ll of a job with almost nothing the last few years, wait to see what he can do with some depth.
Honestly, I want to see how the Brewers use their outfield surplus in trades before giving final judgment, since they are basically linked no matter how you look at it. If they are able to swing a good deal for starting pitching, then obviously these deals work out well for them, while if they can’t manage to get a good trade, then quite frankly they look a bit foolish, especially with the Cain contract. I’m especially wary of the Cain signing, mainly the number of years due to his age and injury history, as others have stated.
Pretty sure no one is asking to grade trades based off other trades. You are supposed to only judge a trade on its own.
Not completely, Trade A for example can cause trade B to materialize;; same thing with FA signings. They need to be evaluated in their overall relationship to team performance.
I agree with most here, they still need to add a starter. But an outfield of Cain, Yelich, Santana with Braun at 1st makes every pitcher on the team better. Love the moves for the Brewers; A.
Nailed it. Would like to see them try and nab Gio Gonzalez and really go for the kill. They have the prospect firepower to get him, as well as any one of Carrasco, Corbin, Happ, Pomeranz and Tomlin – all FA’s after this year.
Where do Phillips Broxton and even Perez play? To an extent the Brewers have created a log jam in the outfield with still obvious questions in the starting rotation and second base .
Crofton isn’t any more than a 4th outfielder. Perez is pretty meh, not something you worry about when adding a 4 Win player to your roster. Phillips has some potential but there is plenty of time for him to prove himself. These things sort themselves out. 2B isn’t near as big of a need when you have the depth in the line up the Brewers now have. Giving Bill at a chance to return to form makes a lot of sense, to me.
The Brewers organization from top to bottom is much better than it was a week ago. They did that without maxing out payroll, there’s still room to add. I have no idea what is not to like about what the Brewers did.
The biggest concern is the Brewers biggest need of starting pitching depth is still an issue.. Broxton for all his whiffs, was a 20/20 Man., and Phillips has a terrific upside. Both are now effectively and needlessly blocked.. Also the Brewers overpaid for Yelich, particularly comparing what your Cards paid for Ozuna and the hated Yankees for Stanton. Cain, I simply don’t understand.
Note: Prediction….Your Cardinals end up with Manny Machado.
They got 5 years of Yelich, the Cards get 2 of Ozuna. Contract status matters.
Would live Machado, but I can’t see it happening at the current price.
Length of contract is a major issue surely for the Brewers even more than Cards
Thanks for being objective instead of just automatically ripping the trade because you’re a fan of a rival team, That trio you mentioned above with Braun at 1B and Philips as the 4th OFer strengthens the team and far exceeds what the lineup was going to look like before these trades.
The Cain deal: B.
It’s rare for a free agent to live up to the final year or two of his contract, and sometimes even the first few as well. Still, the deal leans a bit more on the prudent side, with expanding opportunities for trading him in the later stages of the contract.
Yelich trade: A.
The Brewers were one of the few teams that could afford to give up that kind of talent for Yelich, because Brinson and Harrison were blocked anyway as part of a big talent logjam in the Outfield. They traded potential talent for (more or less) guarenteed, star performance.
Finally, let’s not forget that the Brewers have each of these players for five years. This is not some desperate, All-In strategy . . . GM David Stearns has created a healthy window for competition, and it doesn’t even have to begin this year.
Couldn’t have said it better. Great comment. I voted A for Yelich and B for Cain as well.
Also, I’m interested in what they do with Phillips. My thought was Oakland for a young controllable pitcher in return, but I’m not that familiar with As rotation or prospect depth or how Phillips will be valued.
A’s have some young high upside guys, but nothing that would be a big splash. I think Broxton ends up being the odd man out and lands in SF.
Worst case, he goes back to AAA as depth . . . He still has two option years remaining, including this year, while Broxton has none.
Honestly, I don’t think David Stearns is worried too much about the Outfield sI tuition right now. If one of their starters get injured, they have immediate, quality options.
And the Brewers need a strong fourth outfielder. With Braun needing extra days off, the fourth outfielder could easily top 60 starts.
The Giants now have Andrew McCutchen and Austin Jackson and no longer have obvious need in OF
Brinson will be at least an average player.. Harrison will be an All-Star, a better all around player than Yelich (and far cheaper). Diaz will be the Marlin everyday 2b next season. Yamamoto quietly put up great numbers at High A last season, better than all but Corbin Burnes. He’ll be part of next year’s bullpen.
That’s a diehard Marlin fan’s take.
Brinson looked totally over matched in the majors last year, Harrison has had one good season, Stearns chose the Hawaiian kid over Diaz. Yama wasn’t really on my radar.
That’s a brewers fan biased take 😉 I’m sure we’re both wrong.
I’m a little baffled how you are already saying Harrison will be a better all around player than Yelich. Harrison took 3 years to even master A ball. Not saying he can’t be solid but 20-20 in A and A+ at 22 isn’t exactly mine blowing. There’s no way you can peg him as an All Star who’s better all around than Yelich who has proven he can produce in the bigs not 3 levels lower.
It’s really annoying having newer baseball fans come in here and act like all prospects will 100% pan out and hit their ceilings. Guess I’m jealous they haven’t had their hearts broken 1000 times in this way yet.
Other than Brinson, the others were secondary prospects. Shows a lot about the talent of the Marlins farm system that these guys immediately become their top prospects.
Exactly, I still hate the trade from the Marlins view, they needed Ortiz, not that throw-in SP, to make it even.
Exactly. Or saying Diaz will be the Marlins 2B next year? Guy hit .222 in A+ ball. Yes Monte, Brinson and Diaz all have potential to be solid MLB contributors but they all have a long way to go.
Harrison was the Brewers #3 prospect. Diaz #6. They are hardly “secondary.”
Secondary to the Brewers. None were the primary prospect at their positions. Diaz wasn’t the top middle infielder prospect. Harrison was behind Ray in the team’s eyes. Yamamoto wasn’t even the top Brewer pitching prospect from the state of Hawaii.
They traded Brinson and guys that are good prospects, but prospects at spots where the Brewers have better.
From a Marlin perspective, I’d think you’d be ecstatic about the trade particularly after getting hosed on Stanton and Ozuna.
Christian is great, but that was a big haul, but hes worth it.
Cain was an overpay, but thats just the price of business nowadays.
Solid deals
Great timely moves by the Brewers. This put them more in position to deal for a pitcher and/or sign a big name one from free agency.
No they haven’t addressed the pitching yet, but they are definitely set up to do so. I’ll think it will come before the season starts.
They are not adding a starter via free agency, at least not one of the big 4. They have come out and said that payroll is at the top of where they are comfortable spending.
Where did you see them say that? Mark has spent up to 110M before and the payroll sits at about 85ish M now.
The payroll issues that come from signing one of the FA starters isn’t this season, it’s in three seasons.
Would have been much happier if the Brewers. had that mythical starting pitcher under control. Right now it’s. Chase,Zach hopefully Jimmy gets healthy and questions.
I wouldn’t call their trades blockbuster. Maybe 3 years of yelich but like the Nats did with Eaton 4 for 1 deals aren’t always good.
Wrong, any time a #1 prospect is traded for a star its a blockbuster.
Cain was a top 5 FA, any signing of those is a blockbuster.
It’s wild how you and other fans simply can’t get their head around Milwaukee being good. Time to face facts: they are about to be a beast.
You’re right, My 2 closest friends are big Yankee fans and I live in New York State, so I get the Yankee superiority all the time. Nothing better than going into Yankee stadium and beating them 2 out of 3! The Brewers had the 3rd one except Knebel gave up homer to Clint Frazier in bottom of 9th.
There’s no guarantees prospects pan out. I wouldn’t call the brewers a beast. On paper maybe but they have to have chemistry on the field too.
Aren’t you the guy who said the brewers adding altuve kershaw and posey still wouldn’t win them the division? Lol
Wrong guy! Id take my chances with just Kershaw.
I was talking to bryzzoed lol. Or maybe it was someone else. Someone actually said that lol. Same guy also said that Russell, Baez, and schwarber are MVP candidates Ha haha
Brewers should have acquired Ozuna instead of Yelich and Cain. Ozuna hit .312 with 124 RBI and 37 hr. Combined, Yelich and Cain hit .289 with with 130 RBI and 33 HR.
Two seasons of Gold Glove Ozuna would have been a perfect bridge to Monte Harrison.
Your moves: no contention in 2018. Broxton sucks, Braun & Santana are bad defensively. Yelich and Cain are MASSIVE upgrades over their OF, which is more quantity than quality, as Milwaukee correctly identified.
Monte Harrison is absolutely no sure thing and probably will be traded again, as they are openly trying to contend. They can also sign Ozuna when he’s a FA in 2 years and have a Yelich-Cain-Ozuna OF when they are still title-contenders, which they will be until 2022.
You literally said “2 seasons of GG Ozuna > 5 seasons of gold glove Yelich and gold glove Cain”. No.
at huge savings that would allow investment in pitching. Seems like the Brewers were far more fond of Yelich than we Marlin fans.
Yelich doesn’t cost any money though and is all-star/elite level player. Milwaukee can still sign a SP and probably will. Could easily see Arrieta going there.
Another thing: Chase Anderson & Jimmy Nelson still aren’t getting any respect for being elite/ace-level SPs. Sigh. You will see…
Be serious for a second. Yelich hit third for the Marlins all season.. A .282 average, no power, and 81 RBI is a long, long way from all-star or elite performance. Keep it real.
Yelich reminds me of a young Jacoby Ellsbury.
Always liked Ozuna in CF over Yelich – far superior arm.
Which is why they got Cain, who is superior to Ozuna defensively. Yelich is Milwukee’s LF.
Yelich will be primary right fielder.
Never. He has a less-than-average arm.
Actually more likely in LF with Santana in RF.
Braun in left, Cain in center, Yelich in right. Braun will start 100-120 games in left, if healthy. He’s not suddenly going to become the starting first baseman.
Brewers will be lucky if they get 120 games from Braun, assuming they even want to.. Santana I think will be in right with Cain in center and Yelich in left the majority of the time, with Phillips being the 4th Of
100-120 games of .270 average with full-season equivalent 30 HR/85 RBI? Yeah, I think they would want that.
Harrison needs more than a 2 year bridge. He’s toolsy and could end up being a great player, but he’s still really raw and lacks some baseball instinct.
To extent it does seem we’re still behind the Cardinals., even though the Brewers finished ahead of them. At some point would not be surprised to see Cardinals acquire Manny Machado from the Orioles.
Add more cheaters on their team. You’re right.
Whoever gave the Yelich trade an F: ban yourself from this site, please.
The Yelich trade gets an A+. Even in giving up Brinson, it didn’t cost the Brewers the meat of their farm system.
Diaz wasn’t the Brewers top middle infielder prospect, Harrison was behind Ray as far as top OF prospect in lower minors, Yamamoto wasn’t even the Brewers top pitching prospect from the state of Hawaii.
The Cain signing gets either a C or an A, depending on who is acquired with the remaining outfield surplus.
Exactly, the cheap age 26-30 seasons of a guy who’s already put up 15.9 fWAR in 581 games (4.4 fWAR over 162), who will only get better as the deal goes on.
It appears some fans on this site are not ready for Milwaukee to be true contenders. Too bad, (injuries permitting) they absolutely are winning 90+ in 2018, and probably every year until 2022.
Lmaoooo currently projected for 77 wins including yelich and cain. Good luck with your completely unbiased prediction. fangraphs.com/depthcharts.aspx?position=Standings
Lmaoooooo at the idiots who use fangraphs to predict the success of a team. The same fangraphs who predicted the Jays, Mets, and Giants would all make the postseason. Lmaooooooooo.
Fangraphs projected the Giants for 69 wins in 2014. They won’t the World Series.
Most of what you said is spot on, but I would totally disagree that Ray is ahead of Harrison. Ray has struggled greatly and Monte has moved well ahead of him in most prospect rankings. Ray isn’t even in the system top 10 anymore in a pot of them.
I don’t think the team saw Harrison over Ray, which is the only ranking that matters. Regardless, Ray still has far greater talent than Harrison does. Given the choice, I would take Ray over Harrison every day of the week.
I still think I’d take Harrison all day over Ray. Monte is a year younger and still further along. Plus Harrison is a freak athlete. Part of the big appeal of Ray when he was drafted is that he was supposed to be an advanced hitter and have a quick track due to being a college bat and yet so far he hasn’t even shown he can hit in high A ball. Defensively I may give an edge to Ray, but otherwise I’ve been very unimpressed.
Cute moves by the Brewers but let’s call a spade a spade here.. they have little to no chance to repeat last year’s run. That guy with the beard really slowed down in the second half and there is very little offensively outside of yelich and Cain. The pitching stinks to be blunt. I predict Cincinnati as a better team then Milwaukee.
If the Brewers’ pitching stinks, then two-thirds of the teams in the National League have putrid.
Cincinnati better than Milwaukee? You been doing a bit of boozing, have ya? Sucking back on grandpa’s old cough medicine?
Lets call a spade a spade for real: you are absolutely clueless about baseball.
Wow,
With all the comments in this thread, you’re a baseball genius in your own mind.
Shouldn’t criticize others just because they differ with your thoughts..
Thinking Cincinnati is a better team is more than just “differing thoughts.”
Because your a Brewers fan? Cincinnati has some good players coming up they may surprise you. You want to side bet the win total hot shot? Send me a private message and make sure cash up front I don’t operate on credit. Let’s see how much nerve you have.
Win total for Cincinnati in 2018 +/- 68. Right about where they were last year.
Thames did slow down which is why Braun might move to 1st. The Rotation, while incomplete, has a great top 3 when Nelson gets back and woodruff has potential. They get a 2B and a starter with the surplus OF and they’ll be fighting the Cubs for the division pretty hard. Arcia showed he could eventually be a top 10 shortstop at minimum, Shaw deserved an all-star nod (look at the stat comparison with him and 3Bs who made it), and our Catcher situation is better than any team not the Royals, dodgers, cubs, and marlins. The Crew is not a sure thing NLDS team, but they definitely will beat the Reds.
I’m really hoping the Reds comment was just to fire people up lol. I would like to believe someone isn’t that oblivious when it comes to baseball.
Actually the Reds offense is quite formidable but their pitching top to bottom is simply atrocious
Thames sitting against lefties and not playing in the outfield will go a long way to helping him stay healthy, which was one the big problems last year.
Actually your point even though sarcastic is well founded. Historically many breakout teams regress the following yr.. For the Brewers to continue to improve, the 4th 5th spots on rotation have to be stabilized with the farm system continuing to produce.
But it’s also not hard to say the Brewers have improved, even the pitching. Nobody might be impressed with the Chacin signing, but he’s an improvement over all those “bullpen days” they had to run out there last year.
Chacin is terrible.
Hopefully Woodruff becomes a regular starter and even Suter was effective in limited appearances.
Chacin had a decent yr for a miserable SD club, but you’re right, he’s certainly no stopper.. That’s why I’d have preferred the Brewers would have spent the 80 mill towards a pitcher, risky as it is, rather than a 32 yr old Cain.
180 plus innings with an ERA under 4.00 for $7.5 million a season is a great signing. They aren’t looking for him to be the ace, they’re looking for him to be a solid fourth starter for two years. And he’ll fill that roll perfectly.
Unless Yelich is pitching too, then not an A. Could be a F if the change in scenery and pressure to pay off turns him into a bust.
Pressure turns Yelich into a bust? Man I swear some of these comments today.
Yelich should actually make a jump in offensive productivity. He moves from the 3rd most pitcher friendly park in the league to one of the most hitter friendly. And all the other parks in the NL Central are pretty hitter friendly too.
Cain was the right player to target but that contract is pushing it. 5 years AND a no-trade clause is going to end uncomfortably for Milwaukee.
That move gets a C.
Yelich gets an A and really there’s no explanation necessary.
Signing 30+ players to long expensive contracts is inevitably a bad idea
Getting Yelich is nothing but a win unless Brinson becomes a perennial All-Star
the brewers signed more than 30 players to long expensive contracts! that’s crazy they only have 25 spaces on the roster who are these players!?
Cool comment, dude.
I give them a B. I like the Yelich trade for them and it’s not that Cain is a bad signing, I just don’t like it with that contract. 5 years when he will soon be 32 and when he has a not so clean injury history is a mistake in my opinion. I could easily see them regretting that deal in the final 2 years of it or even the final 3. 3 years would have been better for a team to sign him to. I’m just not very high on Lorenzo Cain’s future.
I’d rather overpay in years for Cain than for any of the FA starting pitchers.
Braun just stated Stearns has talked to him about playing second…
A lineup of Cain(CF), Yelich(LF), Braun(2B), Shaw(3B), Santana(RF), Thames(1B), Pina(C), Arcia(SS) is pretty tantalizing
Braun. at 2b is a reach at best, More likely Villar has a better yr with Sogard in reserve.. Also add Aguilar at 1st. Vogt catching and probably Phillips in Of. It will all come down to pitching though
That would be awesome to have Braun at 2B but I doubt he can handle it 🙁
I dont know how fangraphs has the brewers at 77 wins. And the Milwaukee gm in a way has addressed the pitching staff by signing and trading for an elite outfielder in cain and an above average one in yelich. Remember the royals went ti two world series with an average starting lineup at best. The brewers would be better off signing some failed starters and try to build a lights out bullpen.
Incomplete grade is what they get till you see what pitching they can add with the surplus outfielders.
Congratulations to all of the Brewer Fans!!! Unlike the Cardinals, you are very fortunate to have a president of baseball operations that has an immediate 2018 vision. Not a vision for the future that never materialized as the Cardinals personnel have done for the past 4-5 years. You are fortunate to have owners who put their money into top tiered players for your ball team. Instead of putting their profit money into top tiered ballplayers, the Cardinals are putting $260 in their Ballpark Village. Ate least the Brewers organization has their priorities in order! Good luck on your season, you will be fun to watch!!!!!!
I can’t believe as a Cardinal fan you are complaining. The Cards have a rich tradition, and a level of success through your rich history, 2nd to none. Consistently competitive and always in the mix. You just stole Ozuna from the Marlins, will probably in the next yr have a Manny Machado. Are you sure, you’re not referring to the Phoenix Cardinals. Then I’d u derstand!
The Cardinals owner worships Satan and sacrifices players in his name. Kyle, Hancock, Tavares. Who’s next in DeWitt’s bloody reign?
Gave the Cain signing a ‘B’, good player but 5 years was too many. The Yelich deal gets a ‘B’ also since, although Milwaukee will benefit from it, I think they gave away too many prospects.
Happy for brewer fans. You guys seem real excited about baseball again. But only time will tell if these moves are good. Too many times teams look good on paper and then underachieve.
The Yelich trade was really good but the Cain signing was stupid. Why give a guy in his 30s 5 years $16 million per? I think Keon is gonna be just as good in 2 years. Although Cain has other intangibles.
Here’s something I don’t understand. People are always saying the Brewers pitching isn’t any good. I disagree. Chase Anderson was 12-4 with a 2.74 era last year and if he didn’t get that freak injury at bat last year he would have been even better. Zach Davies admittedly was awful in the first half last year. But as bad as he was in the first half, he was just as good in the second half. Jhoulys Chacin isn’t a world beater but he’s always been a solid pitcher. Yes his numbers were boosted by pitching in petco last year but he has put up good numbers over his career with the majority of that played with coors field as his home park. Brandon Woodruff is a top 100 prospect who showed really good results in the big leagues last year. So while it’s not a staff that’s going to strike fear into the heart of opponents, it’s solid. Yes you’d like to have another top level starter but let’s not say our staff is garbage like some pundits have said
5th in the NL in ERA, 10th in all of baseball. Somehow that’s just horrible and can’t get the Brewers to the playoffs.
It wasn’t the pitching last year, it was getting on base and situational hitting.
Good points, Am just concerned with starters particularly with Nelson’s status up in the air.
imo it’s hard to grade a quiz when it’s only half complete. once they move some of the surplus they’ve now created is when you’ll truly be able to grade their set of roster transactions
People keep talking rotation. We had the best in baseball the second half. Josh hader could be the best pitcher in baseball if we unleash him. We have multiple aces in aa that could skip aaa if we want because Colorado Springs ruins pitchers. Nelson also is ahead of schedule. Clearly we are either also going to trade
one or more outfielders for a starting pitcher now or mid season.
The reason why Yelich and Cain are valuable to the Brewers are that they are both versatile, good ballplayers that consistently put the ball in play. Last year they had a lot of power but low BA, OBP, and more SO than manageable. Yelich and Cain will help infuse a contact-first aspect into the lineup.
Absolutely great point. The Brewers offense minus HRs really wasn’t that dynamic last. yr. Hopefully as you suggest Yelich and Cain take care of that issue. Also a return to form of Villar would help. People forget that 2 yrs ago the Brewers led the majors in SB. The Brewers with the addition of Cain & Yelich et al, should also be able to produce using “Small Ball”.