Report, Gallardo on verge to be traded

Scott Boras recently made some crazy-ass statement like Max Scherzer is the Peyton Manning of MLB.  That means Scherzer isn't going to be in a Brewer's uniform in 2015 unless Attanasio falls off his rocker.

He's on the verge to sign with the Nats, which might set them up to be the team to beat in the NL. Got to go with the winners on paper.

Link

 

The Rangers have acquired right-hander Yovani Gallardo from the Brewers. Going in return are a group of young players: infielder Luis Sardinas and righties Corey Knebel and Marcos Diplan. Milwaukee will pick up $4MM of Gallardo’s salary, which will rise from $13MM to $14MM by operation of a clause in his contract.

 

I'd suspect you can pencil in Knebel to the pen, Diplan (he's just a baby) and Sardinas to the minors.  Sardinas needs to learn how to hit, and has been nicked up more than you would like a kid to be.  Diplan is small, but intriguing.  Not bad for a year of Yo.  

Agreed, not a bad haul considering.   Just seems wrong that Milwaukee helps cover a contract for Texas.  

 

 

No third or first basemen, which would have been nice.  

 

I'm torn on the Shields rumors.  The fan in me thinks that would be a sweet way to spend Mark A's money.  The other fan in me hates signing pitchers to free agent contracts.  

 

I guess Melvin knows better than anyone how Braun's thumb feels, cause that will be a big part of how next year goes.  

If you think the Brewers are a real contender in 2015 you probably hate this move.  They've compromised what was probably the team's greatest strength (rotation depth) and in return they received a middle infielder who has a questionable bat, a reliever and a small starter who is a marginal prospect and is years away from the majors.  Not only that but they are paying 4 million dollars to a big market team.  They could have had a solid #3 starter for this season, tendered him in the off-season and paid him a bit more than they will be paying him this season (and they should have the money to do so), and if another team signed him they'd get a supplemental pick back which is probably as valuable if not more valuable then any of the three prospects they received in this trade.

 

If you don't think the Brewers are contenders in 2015 then you probably love this move.  The last two times the Brewers entered a season with 2 free agent starters (Sabbathia/Sheets, Greinke/Marcum) things did not go well the following seasons.  Better to unload a starter now and be able to get a better evaluation of both Fiers and Nelson this season.  In the swap the Brewers pick up a good fielding middle infielder with speed that provides them with quality insurance if Segura or Gennett gets off to a poor start.  The relievers helps them now and has setup man potential down the road.  And they got a young pitcher with a loose arm that already has two good pitches and is showing signs of having a third.  The Brewers really need some numbers when it comes to young players because the minors is pretty well cleared out, so picking up three pieces (2 likely MLBer's) now is a good move.

 

Both opinions would seem pretty legitimate.  To me it looks like a fairly reasonable trade for both sides because Texas was definitely dealing from a strength (they have a good bunch of middle infielders).  Personally I think there are enough question marks with the 2015 Brewers that I would tend to fall in the second category.  If Gallardo got off to a poor start then what would his value been come early July? 

I don't know about that Shields thing.  He hadn't been getting offers to his liking but I think some of the teams were waiting to see what happened with Scherzer (Detroit in particular).  Now that Scherzer is gone a couple of the bigger boys will likely start bidding on Shields.  The next best starter available after Shields just might be Carlos Villanueva, so the dropoff is pretty dramatic.  Hard for me to see Shields getting anything under 75 million dollars, and 80+ million is still pretty likely.  I think the Brewers should only be interested if he maxes out in the 4 year, 60 million territory...but my gut feeling is his final number will be well over that. 

fangraphs thoughts

 

I don't think this is a playoff team, but I think the mandate is to be competitive (i.e and 82 win team.)

 

I'm all for trading Loshe next, but I'm guessing that move happens in July.  

The fangraphs article is pretty much the way I see it.  I don't know about the whole pitch-framing argument, but the more analysis that is put into this the more it seems like neither team really made an impactful move here. 

 

The best part of the fangraphs page might have been the comment by TZ comparing Gallardo's career batting stats to those of Ranger first basemen in 2014.  Maybe the Brewers should have thought of that?    The Brewers did live with Prince Fielder's first base defense all those years.

Lots of cool stuff on pitch framing and more

 

It's part of the reason I think it is absurd to consider moving Luc to first base.  

I for one don't want them to break the bank with Shields.  Yes, he is legitimate #1 starter.  But the way he pitched in the post season was not impressive.  Biggest  starts of his career and he crapped down his leg every time.  Not a guy I throw a ton of money at.  Unless of course you are N.Y., Boston, LA, etc.

 

Fiers pitched very well whereas Nelson took his lumps and you have to think the Brewers think both guys will hold down their spots in the rotation otherwise why make the trade?

I liked Gallardo but for a team like Milwaukee if you can get something for the guy before he hits FA I don't think it's a bad idea.

more on the trade

 

Shields is what the Brewers should stop doing, which is spending big money on guys over 30 for multiple years.  

Rumors of a trade with Washington for Zimmerman. Now that would be a major move. Zimmerman better than Shields. 

Yes, but it still feels like a band aide approach.  Luc, Gomez and potentially Braun are a great core.  Zim, Loshe and Garza could be enough pitching... 

 

But still leave gaping holes at 1st, short and second.  I am confident that we have seen the best from Aram and that this year will be the big decline (injuries and production, that train has already started).  Not to mention the boatload it will take to get Zim which will just put the organization behind the ball yet again.  

 

 

I've seen nearly all of Zimmermann's starts with the Nats. Terrific pitcher and a true gamer. Really the heart and soul of the rotation here despite being the least heralded member until recently. 

 

Worst kept secret in town has been that he wants to return to the Midwest, of course the Brewers being at the top of his list. Make it happen. Barring injury he will be the best on the staff.

Completely agree.  This team is competitive as is.  Not great by any means, but they aren't Houston bad.  I don't think Shields does a thing to turn them into a playoff team, so why waste the resources on him.

Not a peep about spending the extra dollars.
IMO, MA pockets the money, pockets even more at the trading deadline, battens down the finance hatches and saves to play another day.
He is a Player in the high stakes game of finance/business .... He knows there is rough waters ahead for this economy.
Jmo.

Was this a salary dump?  If they don't go out and get another starter I think a pretty sizable percentage of Brewer fans will see it that way.  I personally think they just decided they didn't want to get in a bidding war for Gallardo next off-season so they just decided to trade him now and take what they could get.  But if it was a salary dump, Attanasio should have words with Melvin about how the Brewers have a 9 million dollar reliever on the roster.  If Broxton's salary pushed Gallardo off the roster, then the Broxton trade was a first-rate **** up, no two ways about it.