Maybe a bit early: Is it time for a fire sale?

Lucroy isn't a light-hitting catcher.  In 2014 there were 31 catchers that had at least 300 plate appearances and Lucroy had the 3rd highest OPS out of those 31 catchers.  In 2013 Lucroy had the 10th highest OPS out of 32 catchers with at least 300 plate appearances.  In 2012 Lucroy had the 3rd highest OPS out of 28 catchers that had at least 300 plate appearences.  Combining those three years and only Buster Posey has a higher OPS than Lucroy.  One could go as far as calling Lucroy an elite offensive player for his position.

 

I'd put Lucroy, Peralta and Nelson into the unwilling to trade category and put everyone else on the market.  Out of all the other players only Segura would difficult to pry away (would have to receive an offer way over perceived value).

 

No problems with trading Fiers.  No question the guy can get on a roll and look great, but he's streaky as hell and every good run a team gets out of him will probably be followed by an equally bad run.  To me he's like Dave Bush...a more than OK guy to fill out the fifth spot in the rotation but the teams in trouble if he's in the #3 spot.  Dave Bush had the 4th best WHIP in the NL in 2006 and the 5th best WHIP in the NL in 2008, so when the guy got on a roll he showed he could pitch.  The problem was the Brewers would bank on those seasons, counted on him to be better than he really was and then when he reverted back to pitching like a #5 starter the team didn't have the needed depth in the rotation.  That's what Fiers looks like to me.  He's fine if the Brewers view him as a back-end starter and nothing more...and they should be willing to trade a back-end starter if the price is right.

 

Khris Davis should also be on the block.  He's pretty much limited to left field and while he provides enough long balls for the spot his low OBP will keep him from being a plus-contributor for a left fielder.  I can live with a .310 OBP out of a superb fielding catcher, shortstop or centerfielder, but not so much with a leftfielder.

 

Obviously the guy who would be wonderful to move would be *.  Incredible that the 105 million dollar extension hasn't even begun yet.  

Should have never signed Krod (thank goodness the trade for Pap never materialized).  Should have let Aram walk, but I kinda get that was a "baseball" move.  

 

Broxton, well that was a **** up.  

 

Luc is the kind of guy that should be an MVP candidate.  Hits like a champ for a catcher and is the gold standard behind the plate.  You might take a Molina over him, but you would be wrong.  All that value goes away when people talk about moving him to first, simply do not get that talking point.  

 

I don't think Mark A will allow for the right moves to be made because it is more important for him to win 82 games than to admit to a rebuild.  

Doug Melvin was on WTMJ this morning and was very candid about the fact that they may need to make a decision relatively soon on whether to go to a rebuild.

Crew is 13-38 in their last 51 games (dating back to last season).... 71-55 before the losing started.  Brutal

 

 

Melvin should be on the phone as we speak with the Tigers .... Get something for Frankie or Broxton now !

It befuddles me why the Brewers cannot seem to find some young rising stars:  The Rockies get Nolan Aranado at 3rd.  Tulo; Nationals find stars; STL always gets guys, etc.

They need to find a way to dump Broxton or K Rod or both. 

Broxtob in particular has been a disaster

Melvin hasn't drafted well. That's what it boils down to.

Melvin hasn't drafted at all.  

 

but I get your point

Who's the "trigger" man then?

Here is the link to the Crew's front office staff:

http://milwaukee.brewers.mlb.c..._office.jsp?c_id=mil

 

I actually think they are in good position to dump a bunch of guys. It appears (at least from what I have read) that most of these guys are signed to 'market value' contracts. I'm sure they will have eat some salary here and there but unless these guys are completely in the tank they should be able to move Lohse, Garza, KRod, Brox, ARam and Parra.

 

I also think they should shop Segura as I have read they have good depth in the minors at that position. If Mark A really wants to go ground zero on the bit, Luc and GoGo are signed modestly as well and could command a bounty.

 

Braun is really the only guy they appear to be stuck with and he deserves a few years in purgatory.

 

Putting on my owners cap I would clean house in early June unless they completely turn it around. Wish Doug well and thank him pulling this club from the dregs and getting them back in the playoffs. RR can go as well since that is what we do. Spend the rest of the season researching candidates and get that dude on board ASAP after the season.

 

I'm usually the glass half full guy but I am ready for a house cleaning and rebuild. I commend the club for attempting to keep a playoff contending team on the field but those days appear to be over for the time being.

If the depth at SS pans out, I have no problem playing Segura at 2nd

Scooter/Seggy platoon would be awesome!

ICYMI, the word "rebuild" is becoming less taboo at Miller Park: http://t.co/M8fvVTb77Q

— Adam McCalvy (@AdamMcCalvy) April 24, 2015

If they go rebuild, Gomez will be interesting. He could bring back a nice return.

I was listening to Sports Central last night before the game began and the Brewers have so many roster issues ahead.  No prospects for 3rd baseman, OF utility, pitching old and underachieving, etc.

 

I keep thinking the Brewers could have picked Mike Trout back in 2009.  Instead they get Eric Arnett who was released last year.

Melvin has stated that he is busy enough with the pro personnel side of things that he turns the draft over to the head of amateur scouting.  They did great when Jack Zduriencik had that job, didn't do very well when Bruce Seid (RIP) had that job and now Ray Montgomery is in that position.  There has been no official word that things will be handled the same with Montgomery, but it's a pretty good bet that he will run the draft.

The only three players that have been playing at a decent level this year are Nelson, Segura, and Lind.  That's it.  Peralta has had his moments.

Just about everyone else I would look to deal with maybe the exception of Lucroy unless you could get a huge bounty for him.

Blow the team up and tank so they can get decent draft picks but Melvin needs to be gone before he has an opportunity to **** that up.

Melvin gave Yo away for a bag or pork is and a case of Schlitz.

He never addressed third base. He pissed away a first rounder of lohse. Got little for greinke when he sold the future in 3 solid starters for him. He has never addresses the draft since Jack Z split. The minors are dried up in tge higher level.

Garza was a suppanesque move.

I have zero confidence in him making a haul in a trade like Taylor getting sexson for Wickman.

If they rebuild, and they absolutely should, then really, no one should be off limits.  I'd want a clear overpay for Luc given how good he is and the team friendly contract, and I'd have to be blown away for Nelson and Peralta.  Anyone and everyone else should be moved if at all possible.  Most important is to get rid of ARam, Garza, Lohse and Broxton - even if simply for salary relief.  

 

They need to go full Astros, suck horribly for 3 years, stock the farm system and draft in the top 3 and sign the best players they can draft, regardless of Boros/etc.

 

They need to go the Cubs route and plan to compete in 2018.

 

Band Aids  will not work.  

They kind of did started to rebuild when they traded Gallardo.  And then Attanasio followed that move by giving Rodriguez 13 million dollars.

 

This is why some organizations are like the St. Louis Cardinals, and other organizations are like the Milwaukee Brewers.

The Brewers have a number of pretty decent pitching prospects in A ball with Williams and Williams and Wagner and Maderios.  It's A ball but all four of them have MLB stuff and with the proper development could become good players. 

A few good OF prospects in the system as well but other than the SS Arcia they don't have much with iF positions

Start making deals to add talent to compete in 2-3 years and you might have something.  Barring injury guys like Peralta and Nelson and Lucroy and Segura should still be around.

Lara and Rivera might make pretty good infielders.  Gatewood is high upside.  They are just so young.  

 

Like Cap said, build for another wave like when Hart, Weeks, Braun and Prince came up at the same time.   

This post is a gem.

 

Where do I even begin.  Ok from the beginning.

 

For Yovanni, we got Luis Sardinas, Corey Knebel, and Marcos Diplan.  Sardinas has a very good shot at being an every day SS in the MLB (currently blocked by Segura), Knebel is going to give us nice bullpen depth for several years, and Diplan is a high upside 18 year old prospect.  Yo is a talented #3 starter, but he is also making 16M and is coming up on FA.  Fortunately, we have a GM that knows what he is doing and didnt invest 17-20M per year over 5 on a sentimental option to be our #3 starter.  Too many risks, the money, and maybe character issues made it easier for DM to part with Yo.  That was an excellent haul for him IMO.

 

3rd base:  They traded for Nick Delmonico 2 years ago.. it didnt work out.  They brought back  Aramis for a season and will likely deal with it next year in FA or via inevitable trade when we start clearing the decks.  This isn't a big issue to me.  Organizationally, it might be smart to move Lara to 3b.

 

They got Segura for Grienke as well as Hellweg and someone else that escapes my mind.  Sometimes prospects like Hellweg don't work out, but Segura has been fine.  He had a sophomore slump, and had a child die.. he had a year to write off, but he is showing he can hit again this season.  We got a lot for 3 months of Grienke.

 

The minors are dried up in the higher levels, you are right.  That is a product of years of trading prospects to put a better product on the field in the MLB.  They are currently addressing that.  They drafted Meideros, Gatewood, and Harrison last season and all 3 have big time potential.  Coulter will be a player in the MLB and Roache has an outside shot at becoming something as well.  They did "miss" on Jungman and Bradley... those picks stalled our system (Bradley pick being compensatory for Dylan Bundy - who the Brewers drafted and found out post draft he was diabetic (mlb is trying to add physicals to the pre-draft process)).  

Bundy as a prospect out of HS was tremendously exciting.. wish that didnt happen to him.

 

Garza they signed because they were going for the division.  They needed another solid starter in the rotation - he was younger than suppan and is better.  Yes, not sexy and overpriced like most FA pitchers are... but it was necessary to go for a division crown, can't really fault them.  I wasn't a fan of the Lohse signing, but he has done pretty well in his time here, and if he turns things around will net us a little something in July.

 

Taylor wasn't a bum, but he is no Stache.  You want that back over the Stache? - this is almost like saying Lindy Infante was an offensive genius I really wish we had him and not that Holmgren Bum.  I need to collect myself from laughing so hard.  Melvin has made so many quality moves, you're citing Wickman for Sexson?  How about Hardy for Gomez?  Equally as impressive IMO.  Or hell bringing CC Sabathia here.. or Zach Grienke.. or not tossing 200M at Prince Fielder because he grew up in the org.

 

Doug Melvin has been such a positive player in this organization, He has built this team (with the 21st highest payroll) into a World Series threat (during the Prince/Braun years) and he will be given a chance to rebuild it too... as he very well should be given.

 

 

 

One would think TD would put forth a little more effort with his rare and highly anticipated posts.

Braun with 2 HRs and 5 RBIs today. Maybe they can get someone to trade for him if they eat some money on his contract or buy him out?

 

It's amazing that he will be here for the next 5 years and collect 97 million dollars. Days like today are going to get rarer and rarer.

Braun starts the season with like 1 XBH in the first 13 games, and it's only after hitting 3 HRs in 2 games after said slow start, you've decided that this kind of production will get rarer and rarer?

 

That's... interesting.  

 

 

He had a great day partially against the Reds #6 starting pitcher who was called up to fill in for Homer Bailey.

 

Do you really think he's going to get back to be a 40 HR/120 RBI guy? Especially during the last 3 years of his contract that ends when he's 37 years old? His contract is going to be an albatross on the franchise for years. I hope I'm wrong and this is the start of seeing the old Ryan Braun. Of course, how much of that was PED-aided is also up for debate.

Best case scenario is that he is a consistent 25 HR/85 RBI type for the next 2-3 years. A guy approaching his mid 30s like that on a rebuilding team is not a good match when he's making 20 million a year.

I hear ya.  I think people discount that he had a severe injury that is critical to hitting, and while he very well may never be .900+ OPS guy again, I'd like to see him healthy for a period before discounting that he's shaking rust off and relearning his swing with that thumb...

 

Personally, I think he's gonna end up being an .850+ OPS guy for the foreseeable future.  Not necessarily exactly what he was, but a solid, productive player.

 

Also - keep in mind that MLB talent in 2017 will be making considerably more and 15-20 million will not seem like all that much.

 

 

The thread title asks if a fire sale is in order.....if it is he goes.  If it is not, he stays.  The thing to do is trade him while he is hot.  Buy low, sell high.....Works every time.

 

No.  Not because he was busted for steriods, but because he was only a 40 home run guy once in his career and never plated 120 runs once.  I'm not sure that is a fair standard for him to "go back to..."  Should we assume Luc will go back to hitting 30 home runs after he comes back from his injury?

 

Swing a bat once.  Then swing that bat after you smash your thumb with a hammer.  Feel the same?  Braun needs a lot of at bats with his new numb thumb before I think he can have his swing back (roids didn't give him a sweet swing).   

 

 

Just read an article on Yahoo about the Brewers selling off players.  One comment from a GM "they have good players".  Hmmm....

 

And to think last year at this time the Brewers were heading into history.  First half with such a great record...and the second half with such a terrible record.

 

I'd can RR and Melvin.  Keep most of the players.  They did it last year.  They can do it again and maybe keep it going until the end of the season.

From MLBTR

• Rival executives are anxiously anticipating a Brewers fire sale following the club’s awful 5-17 start to the season, Heyman hears. One exec listed Carlos Gomez, Khris Davis, Jean Segura, Gerardo Parra, Kyle Lohse and Francisco Rodriguez as players who will draw interest, noting that Jonathan Lucroy is probably untouchable, while Matt Garza and Ryan Braun are somewhat overpriced.

Surprise Lind isn't listed.  Same with Broxton.  

 

 

Great to hear.  I stand by my statement - anyone on the MLB roster that can be moved should be.  Luc/Nelson/Peralta need to be blown away...

No.  The Brewers need some untouchables.  Lucroy, Braun, Peralta, Segura, Gennett.  Only because, I have little faith in Doug Melvin to garner enough talent in return.

 

Tonight on the Rockies broadcast the announcers were discussing the Brewers and the talk of their impending "fire" sale.  It did not have a complimentary tone either.

Parra is an obvious one to deal but I would also strongly consider moving Gomez if the offer was good.  By good I mean a couple of upper level minor league prospects that can really play in the next year or two.

Good young (cheap) starting pitchers are so valuable that's why I would be hesitant to trade either Nelson or Peralta.  Lucroy is that same boat. 

Just about everyone else on the roster is fair game including Braun but I doubt anyone wants to take on that salary

Asked whether he's open to a rebuild if it comes to that, Attanasio said, "I am ready to make the hard decision to do what's best."

— Adam McCalvy (@AdamMcCalvy) May 6, 2015

 

 

 

riiiiiiiiight.  And I'm Cindy Lawper

He bop?

Untouchable - no. Need to be BLOWN AWAY for him - yes.

 

If you can get appropriate value, you trade him. Otherwise no.

 

Similar to Lucroy here.

 

Segura I guess I'd be OK keeping, but he's not close to untouchable. I get 1 top 30 type pitcher and he's gone. Gennett? OMG. Gennett? You have to be kidding me. Untouchable? Go home, you're drunk. A weak hitting average 2B is untouchable? Nucking futs.