3 million seemed to be a major bargain for how he's performed the last 2 years.
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From Brewers.com
“'Box' did a great job for us," Brewers GM Matt Arnold said. "He was exposed to waivers and did not get claimed, which gave us information that the market did not value him at the level of the option value. I have spoken to both Box and his agent and they've always been great to deal with. There is always the opportunity to bring him back, and we can absolutely remain in touch with him as he explores free agency.”
If some teams offer him $2 million and the Brewers go to $2.3 or $2.4 million he will be back in Milwaukee. Just good economics by the Brewers.
They are buying him out at 750k, then possibly would bring him back at 2.3M or so? He was going to cost 3M this year, so they would be banking on getting him considerably cheaper than 2.3M, or they would’ve just kept him for 3M, no?
That does make sense, but it also depends on who else they could sign and at what cost to fill his role.
Boxberger has been one of the better middle relief/set up guys in MLB the last couple of seasons. Seems to me the Brewers are banking on saving (potentially) a few hundred thousand dollars instead of just picking up his option at 3M.
More of the same I guess. Do you want to win and actually compete or run a thrift store operation?
@Tschmack posted:Boxberger has been one of the better middle relief/set up guys in MLB the last couple of seasons. Seems to me the Brewers are banking on saving (potentially) a few hundred thousand dollars instead of just picking up his option at 3M.
More of the same I guess. Do you want to win and actually compete or run a thrift store operation?
I agree on this one. He's pitched in 70 and 71 games this year and was one of the most consistent guys on the staff both years.
Given as said above in this thread that they are buying him out for 750K, he's a real bargain at 2.25 million more.
I know we are spending the owner's money, but the minimum salary next year is 700K. So, 1.5 million more is too much to get a reliable guy who is this durable?
I bet he'll get more on the open market.
How long before Miller Park is deemed too old and Cheapanasio asks for a new stadium, or contemplates moving? I wish a young version of Herb Kohl would come along and buy the team just to keep them in MKE.
When iy comes to money I'd rather they spend the $3 milliuon on Burnes and Woodruff than Boxberger. Who is going to win you more games, those 2 or Boxberger?
You are assuming they are going to pay market value to keep Burnes or Woodruff.
There’s a long history under Mark As watch of not spending the money. If they do, it’s for rentals or short term situations. Post Doug Melvin, it’s gotten worse.
I understand not everyone can spend like the Mets or Dodgers. But the Padres and Phillies and Braves and even Astros are good examples of teams that stepped up when needed to add or keep key players.
Mark A seems content to be OK to decent but I think it’s fair to question if he’s really committed to winning. Stearns was always skilled at dancing around the subject, but there are only so many diamonds in the rough or flyers you can take on trying to build a championship level team.
Up until they dealt Hader, this team had one of the best pitching staffs in all of baseball. And with modest spending the next couple of years (ie keeping Hader) and adding a bat or two this is a legit contending level team. I’m not talking about going out and signing Aaron Judge. There are veterans out there (think Moose from a few years ago) that wouldn’t cost a fortune to deal for or sign. Yet it seems it’s the same BS. The Boxberger thing is just stupid. 3M for a well above average bullpen guy that’s liked in the clubhouse (sound familiar)?
Much like the Packers with Rodgers, the Brewers need to shit or get off the pot. Either you try to win now or plan for the future but stop with trying to do both because that rarely works. The Brewers have 2 of arguably the best 10 starting pitchers in baseball. And unlike guys like Mad Max or Verlander, these guys aren’t pushing 40.
If Milwaukee wants to win then push the chips to the middle of the table and spend 30-40M to add a couple of bats. But I doubt they will do that, because why deal Hader and let Box walk for basically 15M combined? Oh, and not making an effort to extend Stearns speaks volumes as well.
So then they have to trade Burnes or Woodruff or both. Quit fucking around and playing the half ass game and commit to a real path forward.
@ammo posted:When iy comes to money I'd rather they spend the $3 milliuon on Burnes and Woodruff than Boxberger. Who is going to win you more games, those 2 or Boxberger?
Why is it either or? As I went through earlier in the thread, they are already paying 750K of a buyout and no matter who fills this position on the roster they have to pay them 700K. So it really comes down to about 1.5 million in "new" money they'd have to pay Boxberger.
I'd get it if he was looking or 10 million a year. He's not. He's the type of veteran on a budget-friendly salary that most small-market teams try hard to find every year.
I doubt this move will have any impact on Burnes/Woodruff. I think they are both gone in the next 2 years.
The only mainstream Wisconsin sports organization that has avoided half-measures lately is the Bucks. Budget Mark is not willing to flex payroll to make a serious run. The farm system needs to really produce to give this team any chance at being a contender. It’s nothing new, so I am not surprised. It’s not as if Bud Selig was any better. In fact, he was even stingier. Ah, but that 1982 team…
@tsr86free posted:The only mainstream Wisconsin sports organization that has avoided half-measures lately is the Bucks. Budget Mark is not willing to flex payroll to make a serious run. The farm system needs to really produce to give this team any chance at being a contender. It’s nothing new, so I am not surprised. It’s not as if Bud Selig was any better. In fact, he was even stingier. Ah, but that 1982 team…
That 1982 team would have been sold for cheaper prospects and more "bites at the apple" well before 1982.
Let's just do some back of the envelope calculations of the members of that team in terms of their salaries.
C. Simmons was already a 7-time all-star and 32 years of age. 20 million a year in 2022 dollars
1B. Cooper had won multiple gold gloves and been a multi-time all-star already. 20 million.
2B. Gantner would have been a bargain and wouldn't have been a free agent yet. He'd probably be at 3 million.
SS. Yount would been beyond arbitration and, even before his 1982 MVP season, he'd have still been at 15 million a year. The current Brewers would have traded him after 1982.
3B. Molitor. Was still pre-free agency, and hadn't had an elite year yet, but as a 5th year veteran, would have probably commanded 5 million. Of course, after 1982 his salary would have gone way up in arbitration and they'd have traded him almost immediately.
LF. Oglivie. Left-handed power hitter, all-star in 1980. 41 HRs that year. 800 or better OPS most years. Let's say 15 million.
CF. Gorman Thomas. In today's game, Thomas would be even more valuable. OPS over 850 3 times from 1978-81. If Schwarber gets 20 million a year in 2022, so does Gorman.
RF. The 2022 Brewers are full of Charlie Moore types. 3 million a year.
Bench. Don Money might get 8 million at that stage of his career. Roy Howell about 5 million.
Pitching.
Mike Caldwell was an absolute stud starting pitcher. 2nd in the CYA voting in 1978. 62 wins in the 4 years before 1982 Including the strike-shortened year). 25 million.
Vuckovich. 53 wins the previous 4 years (including the strike-shortened year) 15 million even before he wins the CYA in 1982.
Sutton. 25 million minimum and that's being very conservative.
Haas was right before free agency and had been up and down, but probably 5 million.
McClure. About a 3 million dollar-type guy.
Lerch. 3 million.
Slaton. 6 million.
Fingers. 25 million.
That's 18 players right there and already north of 215 million.
They were also still paying off Larry Hisle's big contract from 1978. Another 25 million on the books in today's dollars. So, 240 million.
Add the other 7 or so minimum salary guys for another 5 million.
There is no way the current Brewers could afford 250 million in payroll a year. Their entire payroll was 140 million and Mark A. was trading off Hader to try to make sure it didn't go higher than that.
Ouch.
I wouldn’t romanticize about Bud Selig and his view of economics of owning a team.
Next to the Minnesota Twins jettisoning David Ortiz for a savings of about a million bucks, the Brewers offer to pay Paul Molitor 1M in 1993 was an abomination.
The Jays offered him a 2 year market value deal at 4.5M per year and they go on to win the World Series. The Brewers? After winning 90+ games in 1992 with Molitor, they had one of the single worst follow up years in MLB history finishing almost 30 games under .500.
Bud Selig set the standard for being a cheap ass and the way they handled Molitor was beyond shameful.
The Brewers have a long history of being being tightwads and the recent trend is nothing new.