The Milwaukee Brewers will be without the services of Corey Hart for at least two weeks after he undergoes a laparoscopy.
The procedure, which removes the appendix, will not allow the Brewers' RF to have any activity for one full week. The timetable is at least 2-3 weeks, but it is more likely that he is out until September.
The Brewers have stated that they are going to recall Bill Hall and play him in right field for the time being.
Bill Hall has always hit left handed pitchers well and is most likely going to receive the bulk of the starts when the Brewers face one. If Hall is allowed to bat against right handed pitching however, the Brewers could suffer even more from this injury. Hall has struggled this season against righties hitting .180/.261/.305/.566 in 128 at bats. What seems even more frustrating than that terrible line to fans is how bad Bill has looked in some of those at bats. I can remember too many times Bill Hall coming up and striking out on three balls outside of the strike zone.
It will be interesting to see if the Brewers are going to give the other starts to Frank Catalanotto or Jody Gerut.
Brewers manager Ken Macha has a comfort level with Catalanotto and generally uses him as his first option off the bench. Jody Gerut has struggled mightily in his brief time with the Milwaukee Brewers, but has proven that he is a solid hitter over his career.
This news also puts a lot of pressure on both Mike Cameron and Casey McGehee. Hart was being used to protect Prince Fielder in the five spot the majority of the time over the last couple of weeks. It will be very important for those guys to step up if Prince is going to continue to see pitches.
With Corey going down, this is a big chance for Bill Hall to somehow regain his form for a couple of seasons ago and help the Brewers going forward. If he plays well over the next month, the Brewers may be able to find a taker for the final year of his contract. Hall is scheduled to make $8.4 million next year. The Brewers hold a 2011 option on Hall worth $9.25 million that is certainly not going to be picked up.
Even if Hall plays well, it is highly unlikely that a team with take on his entire salary. Even if the Brewers have to eat some of next year's contract, getting some money back would be huge for this team. Financial flexibility is key in a market like Milwaukee. The Brewers can just hope that Bill somehow puts it together and gives them that option to make this offseason.
Either way you look at it, Hart's injury is a devastating blow to the already slim playoff chances for the Brewers.
Sunday, August 2, 2009
What Should Melvin Have Done Differently?
The Brewers have been struggling terribly for over a month now. They have fallen to 51-53 and are in danger of being swept by the worst offense in baseball. They currently trail the St. Louis Cardinals by 5.5 games. They are tied for third with the Houston Astros and hold a two percent chance of making the playoffs (according to baseballprospectus). At the end of May, the Brewers were in first place at 30-20. Since then, the team is 21-33. So what went wrong?
It all started after the Brewers were eliminated from the playoffs. The Brewers made it known that they didn't want C.C. Sabathia to be just a rent-a-player. They made it known that their top priority was to sign the big left hander. With a contract offer that would have cost the Brewers $20 million/season, it was difficult to gear up for any other signings. Signing Sabathia would have set this franchise back immensely. There is no way the Brewers could have afforded to pay Sabathia the $100 million that they were offering. Eventually, Sabathia signed with the Yankees, leaving the Brewers scrambling to find a starting pitcher.
The Brewers ended up signing free agent pitcher Braden Looper to a one year deal, with a club option for 2010, worth $4.75 million. At the time, it didn't look to be a bad signing. Looper was coming off a solid season for the Cardinals and came with little risk by only signing a one year deal. Looking back, it is easy to say that this was a terrible signing by the Brewers. Looper has been horrible for the Brewers. His ERA currently stands at 5.03. The only reason he has nine wins this season is due to the insane amount of run support that the Brewers give him.
The other major signing the Brewers made was inking the all-time saves leader to a one year deal. Trevor Hoffman signed with the Brewers for $6 million. Hoffman has been spectacular for the Brewers this season. He has solidified a bullpen that is among the best in baseball. This would lead you to think that this was a successful signing. His $6 million contract came one season after the Brewers signed Eric Gagne to a $10 million deal. While on this topic, I still don't understand why this is considered one of the worst signings ever for the Brewers. Gagne was an experiment that surely failed, but truly didn't set this franchise back horribly. If you compare the Gagne signing to Jeffery Hammonds' 3yr/$21 million deal, Jeff Suppan's current 4yr/$42 million deal, or Bill Hall's 4yr/$24 million, it doesn't look nearly as bad.
The Brewers were in for quite a surprise when they claimed Casey McGehee of waivers from the Chicago Cubs. He started the season of dissapointing before being inserted as a regular when Rickie Weeks went down for the season. He has responded to post a .320/.369/.545/.914 in 178 at bats with nine home runs and 34 driven in. Do I think that MeGehee could post that same line every season? No, but he surely has helped solidify a Brewers offense that could be in much worse shape.
The Brewers traded Cole Gillespie and Roque Mercedes for Felipe Lopez on July 19th to help fill the void that was created when Rickie Weeks went down for the year. Lopez came relatively cheap for what we gave up. Lopez is currently projected as a type B free agent, so the Brewers would receive a pick in between the first and second round if he signs elsewhere. It seems like a good trade for the Brewers as they probably will lose nothing in prospect potential.
The Brewers then traded for Claudio Vargas on the July 31st trade deadline. This seems to be a minor move that will really accomplish little this season.
So what could have been done differently?
The most obvious answer would be starting pitching, but what was out there. The Brewers were not interested in signing a huge free agent to a multiple year deal. So that essentially took the Brewers away from the A.J. Burnett/Derek Lowe/ect... type players. So you are left with players similar to a Braden Looper. The one pitcher that I can remember the Brewers being mentioned with last offseason was Jon Garland. Garland signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks for one year/$7.25 million with a mutual option for 2010. He has pitched poorly, as many expected, and the Diamondbacks will probably decline his option, costing them another $2.5 million in the buyout. So Garland essentially signed for around $10 million. Be glad the Brewers didn't take the other option.
The other way this team could have been improved was via trade at the deadline. The Cardinals made a splash in the trade market when they acquired LF Matt Holliday from the A's, and 3B Mark Derosa from the Indians. The Cubs made their major moves during free agency this offseason and are starting to play up to their potential. The Brewers decided to essentially stand pat and not give up any of their top prospects. They were mentioned in the Roy Halladay sweepstakes, but nothing ever came of it. It seems odd to fault Melvin to not pull the trigger on a blockbuster deal. The Brewers could have parted with Gamel and Escobar only to not make the playoffs. What is the sense in that?
This team is clearly struggling. It seems irresponsible to part with top prospects to finish respectively. No one could have foreseen the injuries the Brewers have had. The fact of the matter is that the Cardinals are currently on pace to win the division at 88-74. With the Brewers at 51-53, do you see them going 37-21 the rest of the way? There is no way of saying that a Roy Halladay could have taken the Brewers to the playoffs. So what is the sense in part with young cheap talent? It will only make the Brewers worse over the next decade.
It all started after the Brewers were eliminated from the playoffs. The Brewers made it known that they didn't want C.C. Sabathia to be just a rent-a-player. They made it known that their top priority was to sign the big left hander. With a contract offer that would have cost the Brewers $20 million/season, it was difficult to gear up for any other signings. Signing Sabathia would have set this franchise back immensely. There is no way the Brewers could have afforded to pay Sabathia the $100 million that they were offering. Eventually, Sabathia signed with the Yankees, leaving the Brewers scrambling to find a starting pitcher.
The Brewers ended up signing free agent pitcher Braden Looper to a one year deal, with a club option for 2010, worth $4.75 million. At the time, it didn't look to be a bad signing. Looper was coming off a solid season for the Cardinals and came with little risk by only signing a one year deal. Looking back, it is easy to say that this was a terrible signing by the Brewers. Looper has been horrible for the Brewers. His ERA currently stands at 5.03. The only reason he has nine wins this season is due to the insane amount of run support that the Brewers give him.
The other major signing the Brewers made was inking the all-time saves leader to a one year deal. Trevor Hoffman signed with the Brewers for $6 million. Hoffman has been spectacular for the Brewers this season. He has solidified a bullpen that is among the best in baseball. This would lead you to think that this was a successful signing. His $6 million contract came one season after the Brewers signed Eric Gagne to a $10 million deal. While on this topic, I still don't understand why this is considered one of the worst signings ever for the Brewers. Gagne was an experiment that surely failed, but truly didn't set this franchise back horribly. If you compare the Gagne signing to Jeffery Hammonds' 3yr/$21 million deal, Jeff Suppan's current 4yr/$42 million deal, or Bill Hall's 4yr/$24 million, it doesn't look nearly as bad.
The Brewers were in for quite a surprise when they claimed Casey McGehee of waivers from the Chicago Cubs. He started the season of dissapointing before being inserted as a regular when Rickie Weeks went down for the season. He has responded to post a .320/.369/.545/.914 in 178 at bats with nine home runs and 34 driven in. Do I think that MeGehee could post that same line every season? No, but he surely has helped solidify a Brewers offense that could be in much worse shape.
The Brewers traded Cole Gillespie and Roque Mercedes for Felipe Lopez on July 19th to help fill the void that was created when Rickie Weeks went down for the year. Lopez came relatively cheap for what we gave up. Lopez is currently projected as a type B free agent, so the Brewers would receive a pick in between the first and second round if he signs elsewhere. It seems like a good trade for the Brewers as they probably will lose nothing in prospect potential.
The Brewers then traded for Claudio Vargas on the July 31st trade deadline. This seems to be a minor move that will really accomplish little this season.
So what could have been done differently?
The most obvious answer would be starting pitching, but what was out there. The Brewers were not interested in signing a huge free agent to a multiple year deal. So that essentially took the Brewers away from the A.J. Burnett/Derek Lowe/ect... type players. So you are left with players similar to a Braden Looper. The one pitcher that I can remember the Brewers being mentioned with last offseason was Jon Garland. Garland signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks for one year/$7.25 million with a mutual option for 2010. He has pitched poorly, as many expected, and the Diamondbacks will probably decline his option, costing them another $2.5 million in the buyout. So Garland essentially signed for around $10 million. Be glad the Brewers didn't take the other option.
The other way this team could have been improved was via trade at the deadline. The Cardinals made a splash in the trade market when they acquired LF Matt Holliday from the A's, and 3B Mark Derosa from the Indians. The Cubs made their major moves during free agency this offseason and are starting to play up to their potential. The Brewers decided to essentially stand pat and not give up any of their top prospects. They were mentioned in the Roy Halladay sweepstakes, but nothing ever came of it. It seems odd to fault Melvin to not pull the trigger on a blockbuster deal. The Brewers could have parted with Gamel and Escobar only to not make the playoffs. What is the sense in that?
This team is clearly struggling. It seems irresponsible to part with top prospects to finish respectively. No one could have foreseen the injuries the Brewers have had. The fact of the matter is that the Cardinals are currently on pace to win the division at 88-74. With the Brewers at 51-53, do you see them going 37-21 the rest of the way? There is no way of saying that a Roy Halladay could have taken the Brewers to the playoffs. So what is the sense in part with young cheap talent? It will only make the Brewers worse over the next decade.
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Brew Moves 8/1
The Brewers made two roster moves today prior to the second game against the San Diego Padres.
In order to make room for newly acquired pitcher Claudio Vargas, the Brewers optioned Tim Dillard to AAA Nashville.
In his brief time with the Brewers, Dillard was terrible. Brewers television analyst Bill Schroeder mentioned several times that he "lacked a third pitch." Personally, Dillard was unable to show a second pitch to complement his high 80's sinker. If major league hitters are able to center on one average pitch, things are probably not going to go very well. Dillard also lacked command of that pitch. He walked five batters and only struck out one. If Dillard comes back to the major leagues any time soon, it will signal a tough time for the Brewers.
It was just reported that the Brewers have signed CF Corey Patterson. The terms of the deal are undisclosed at the moment, but it is almost certain it is a minor league contract.
Patterson is a outfielder that does have some power, but has no patience at the plate. He strikes out a ton and plays decent defense with the speed that he has. Some of you might remember Patterson when he played for the Cubs from 2000-2005.
Patterson is along the same lines as Dillard. If he is in the major leagues this season, something has gone terribly wrong.
I am having a hard time understanding the anger from the fans at the lack of moves that Melvin made at the deadline. It is very easy to force a trade and give up the farm for a rental player. The fans who criticize the front office would be the same fans that would criticize them for trading these players two years from now. If Gamel/Escobar was traded and turned into a superstar for someone else, people would be calling for Melvin's head. I guess that is the difficult part for a general manager. It seems like a lose-lose situation. I can't wait to hear the reaction when Matt LaPorta starts playing full time for the Indians. He is an excellent hitter that was traded for a rental player. Sure the Brewers won the wildcard last season with Sabathia, but was it worth giving up our top prospect?
Mike Burns takes the ball in five minutes for the Brewers. I am excited to see what he can do. I think he is a better pitcher than what we have seen thus far.
In order to make room for newly acquired pitcher Claudio Vargas, the Brewers optioned Tim Dillard to AAA Nashville.
In his brief time with the Brewers, Dillard was terrible. Brewers television analyst Bill Schroeder mentioned several times that he "lacked a third pitch." Personally, Dillard was unable to show a second pitch to complement his high 80's sinker. If major league hitters are able to center on one average pitch, things are probably not going to go very well. Dillard also lacked command of that pitch. He walked five batters and only struck out one. If Dillard comes back to the major leagues any time soon, it will signal a tough time for the Brewers.
It was just reported that the Brewers have signed CF Corey Patterson. The terms of the deal are undisclosed at the moment, but it is almost certain it is a minor league contract.
Patterson is a outfielder that does have some power, but has no patience at the plate. He strikes out a ton and plays decent defense with the speed that he has. Some of you might remember Patterson when he played for the Cubs from 2000-2005.
Patterson is along the same lines as Dillard. If he is in the major leagues this season, something has gone terribly wrong.
I am having a hard time understanding the anger from the fans at the lack of moves that Melvin made at the deadline. It is very easy to force a trade and give up the farm for a rental player. The fans who criticize the front office would be the same fans that would criticize them for trading these players two years from now. If Gamel/Escobar was traded and turned into a superstar for someone else, people would be calling for Melvin's head. I guess that is the difficult part for a general manager. It seems like a lose-lose situation. I can't wait to hear the reaction when Matt LaPorta starts playing full time for the Indians. He is an excellent hitter that was traded for a rental player. Sure the Brewers won the wildcard last season with Sabathia, but was it worth giving up our top prospect?
Mike Burns takes the ball in five minutes for the Brewers. I am excited to see what he can do. I think he is a better pitcher than what we have seen thus far.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Brewers Concession Sales Skyrocket! Claudio's Back
The Brewers have acquired Claudio Vargas from the Los Angeles Dodgers in return for utility player Vinny Rottino.
Vargas, 30, will be making his second stint with the Brewers. He has pitched in just eight games out of the Dodger bullpen this season, posting a 1.64 ERA in 11 innings. The Dodgers were his fourth different team in four seasons.
Vargas is about as deliberate a pitcher as you will find. Even when Claudio is on his game, he is so difficult to watch considering every one of his starts takes near four hours. He strikes out a fair amount of batters, but will also issue some walks. He is certainly an upgrade over Jeff Suppan for the time being.
The Brewers gave up absolutely nothing in order to get him. Vinny Rottino was a fan favorite, but could not hit, and had no future with this team. In AA Huntsville this season, he posted a .239/.339./.332/.661 line in full time play.
Solid move by the Brewers considering they got a serviceable starter, only owe Vargas $150,000 for the remainder of the season, and gave up nothing in return.
Vargas, 30, will be making his second stint with the Brewers. He has pitched in just eight games out of the Dodger bullpen this season, posting a 1.64 ERA in 11 innings. The Dodgers were his fourth different team in four seasons.
Vargas is about as deliberate a pitcher as you will find. Even when Claudio is on his game, he is so difficult to watch considering every one of his starts takes near four hours. He strikes out a fair amount of batters, but will also issue some walks. He is certainly an upgrade over Jeff Suppan for the time being.
The Brewers gave up absolutely nothing in order to get him. Vinny Rottino was a fan favorite, but could not hit, and had no future with this team. In AA Huntsville this season, he posted a .239/.339./.332/.661 line in full time play.
Solid move by the Brewers considering they got a serviceable starter, only owe Vargas $150,000 for the remainder of the season, and gave up nothing in return.
T-Minus: Two Hours
With two hours remaining, things seem a little too quite for the Milwaukee Brewers.
Earlier today, the Tigers acquired Jarrod Washburn, a name that has been ties to Milwaukee for several days now. In return for Washburn, the Mariners were able to score two good young starting pitchers in Luke French and Mauricio Robles.
French, 23, pitched in seven games for the Tigers this season, starting five of them. French, standing 6'4", is a lanky lefty with good stuff according to Baseball America. He put together quite a season at AAA Toledo this season before his promotion to the major leagues.
Robles, 20, was signed out of Venezuela and was pitching in high A ball for the Tigers. In his brief career, he has posted a high strikeout rate while not walking many.
It seems like the Brewers dodged a bullet on this one. You would have to assume, after looking at what the Tigers had to give up, that trade talks would have started with Manny Parra and would not have ended there. Washburn is having a fluke season, in which the Brewers would have had to give up too much to get him.
There still is time to better this team. We'll see what happens going forward.
Earlier today, the Tigers acquired Jarrod Washburn, a name that has been ties to Milwaukee for several days now. In return for Washburn, the Mariners were able to score two good young starting pitchers in Luke French and Mauricio Robles.
French, 23, pitched in seven games for the Tigers this season, starting five of them. French, standing 6'4", is a lanky lefty with good stuff according to Baseball America. He put together quite a season at AAA Toledo this season before his promotion to the major leagues.
Robles, 20, was signed out of Venezuela and was pitching in high A ball for the Tigers. In his brief career, he has posted a high strikeout rate while not walking many.
It seems like the Brewers dodged a bullet on this one. You would have to assume, after looking at what the Tigers had to give up, that trade talks would have started with Manny Parra and would not have ended there. Washburn is having a fluke season, in which the Brewers would have had to give up too much to get him.
There still is time to better this team. We'll see what happens going forward.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Brewers to Stand Pat?
According to Brewers General Manager, Doug Melvin, the Brewers are not close on any deals.
According to Tom Haudricourt, who interviewed Melvin, the Brewers may be keeping the team that they already have.
Melvin confirmed that he had asked about Seattle's Jarrod Washburn, and Arizona's Jon Garland and Doug Davis, but nothing appears to be imminent. He said he had "put calls out this morning but there doesn’t appear to be anything active," and that he was "not waiting for a call or anything like that."
He did leave the door open for future deals to transpire stating that he still had one day left and that he was keeping his mind open.
This is a strategy that seems confusing. The Padres can't be asking much for Kevin Correia, and the Brewers seem like they want to win, but think that they can get it done with what they have. Dave Bush will probably return in mid-August, but the Brewers have so many unanswered questions this season. Will Manny Parra be effective? Will Jeff Suppan come back healthy, and contribute anything to this team? Will Dave Bush be the pitcher that he can be?
This is the same team that was ten games over .500 at the end of May, but can they regain that form?
It seems like an acquisition like Correia could help solidify a weak pitching staff at a minimal cost. If the Brewers were in a mindset that they couldn't win, then why make a trade for Felipe Lopez? My guess is as good as yours, but I still think that a starting pitcher will join the Brewers in San Diego by tomorrow at 2PM.
I'll be updating the blog all day tonight and tomorrow with any new news. Stay tuned.
According to Tom Haudricourt, who interviewed Melvin, the Brewers may be keeping the team that they already have.
Melvin confirmed that he had asked about Seattle's Jarrod Washburn, and Arizona's Jon Garland and Doug Davis, but nothing appears to be imminent. He said he had "put calls out this morning but there doesn’t appear to be anything active," and that he was "not waiting for a call or anything like that."
He did leave the door open for future deals to transpire stating that he still had one day left and that he was keeping his mind open.
This is a strategy that seems confusing. The Padres can't be asking much for Kevin Correia, and the Brewers seem like they want to win, but think that they can get it done with what they have. Dave Bush will probably return in mid-August, but the Brewers have so many unanswered questions this season. Will Manny Parra be effective? Will Jeff Suppan come back healthy, and contribute anything to this team? Will Dave Bush be the pitcher that he can be?
This is the same team that was ten games over .500 at the end of May, but can they regain that form?
It seems like an acquisition like Correia could help solidify a weak pitching staff at a minimal cost. If the Brewers were in a mindset that they couldn't win, then why make a trade for Felipe Lopez? My guess is as good as yours, but I still think that a starting pitcher will join the Brewers in San Diego by tomorrow at 2PM.
I'll be updating the blog all day tonight and tomorrow with any new news. Stay tuned.
Brewers Roster Moves; Cubs Make a Trade
After defeating the Washington Nationals 7-3, and splitting a four game series, the Brewers made two roster moves.
The first was sending Bill Hall to AAA Nashville to get some at bats and somehow regain his form of 2006. Hall had to agree to do this because he has more than five years of service time in the majors, and can come back whenever he feels necessary.
In 199 at bats this season, Hall was hitting .201/.263/.337/.600. This seems odd considering Bill Hall still considers himself the best third baseman in the league.
Hall can still be an asset to this team going forward. Throughout his career he has shown that he can hit lefties well, and plays solid defense.
Hall is going to be a Brewers for the next season and a half, no matter what. To bad Dave Littlefield is no longer employed by a major league club, or the Brewers could make a Matt Morris type trade. He still has next season's contract worth $8.4 million, and a $9.25 million team option that will not be exercised (costing them another half million in a buyout).
With the other move, the Brewers placed Jeff Suppan on the disabled list with a strained left oblique.
He injured himself swinging during Monday night's game against the Nationals.
Suppan's spot in the rotation is set to come up on Saturday. The obvious replacement is Mike Burns, who has struggled in his brief time with the Brewers. He is not currently on the roster and would need to be brought up.
On Sunday, the Brewers have named the starter Carlos Villanueva. If I were a betting man, I would think that the Brewers are going to trade for Kevin Correia and start him on that day, considering he is already scheduled to face the Brewers on Sunday.
In other NL Central news, the Cubs acquired left handed specialist John Grabow from the Pittsburgh Pirates, along with SP Tom Gorzelanny for pitchers Kevin Hart, Jose Ascanio, 3B Josh Harrison. It seems like a decent haul for the Pirates, although I am not quite sure why they decided to include Gorzelanny in the deal. Grabow is considered a type A free agent, but the Cubs will not receive this pick because no one is going to sign Grabow and give up a first round draft pick.
It should be an interesting 20 hours for the Brewers, and baseball, stay tuned.
The first was sending Bill Hall to AAA Nashville to get some at bats and somehow regain his form of 2006. Hall had to agree to do this because he has more than five years of service time in the majors, and can come back whenever he feels necessary.
In 199 at bats this season, Hall was hitting .201/.263/.337/.600. This seems odd considering Bill Hall still considers himself the best third baseman in the league.
Hall can still be an asset to this team going forward. Throughout his career he has shown that he can hit lefties well, and plays solid defense.
Hall is going to be a Brewers for the next season and a half, no matter what. To bad Dave Littlefield is no longer employed by a major league club, or the Brewers could make a Matt Morris type trade. He still has next season's contract worth $8.4 million, and a $9.25 million team option that will not be exercised (costing them another half million in a buyout).
With the other move, the Brewers placed Jeff Suppan on the disabled list with a strained left oblique.
He injured himself swinging during Monday night's game against the Nationals.
Suppan's spot in the rotation is set to come up on Saturday. The obvious replacement is Mike Burns, who has struggled in his brief time with the Brewers. He is not currently on the roster and would need to be brought up.
On Sunday, the Brewers have named the starter Carlos Villanueva. If I were a betting man, I would think that the Brewers are going to trade for Kevin Correia and start him on that day, considering he is already scheduled to face the Brewers on Sunday.
In other NL Central news, the Cubs acquired left handed specialist John Grabow from the Pittsburgh Pirates, along with SP Tom Gorzelanny for pitchers Kevin Hart, Jose Ascanio, 3B Josh Harrison. It seems like a decent haul for the Pirates, although I am not quite sure why they decided to include Gorzelanny in the deal. Grabow is considered a type A free agent, but the Cubs will not receive this pick because no one is going to sign Grabow and give up a first round draft pick.
It should be an interesting 20 hours for the Brewers, and baseball, stay tuned.
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