Well, my baseball season is over.. sadly. It was devastating not just losing to the Cardinals but losing the way the Brewers did. Limited clutch at-bats, curious pitching moves, and horrible fielding. The warts reared their ugly head at the wrong time and in the wrong series. I'd hate losing to St. Louis regardless.. but having lived an hour north of the city and being surrounded by all those classy fans.. it's made me hate them even more.
I'm not going to go on and on about the whole Shaun Marcum thing.. the cat's been solid most of the year but he was clearly hurt/dead arm the last month of the season so it's a good thing our manager kept trotting him out there.. especially in game 6 when you have your homegrown ace available on 3 days rest. You play for the win and worry about the rest later.. it is an ELIMINATION game after all.
So, the season is done. The Cardinals play on and the Brewers? Well.. they get ready for 2012. At least this amateur, armchair GM with no experience with baseball salaries/trades does.
Earlier today I sent an email to a few friends about what the Brewers should look at doing. I've already thought more about it and tweaked it. Below I will have a "If Prince resigns" and "If Prince just wants $" situation. In general, however, below is what I'd look at doing.
1. Don't pick up Yuni's option.
2. Let Counsell walk
3. Offer Fielder 5 years, $110 million which he'll probably decline.
4. Get Gomez on a 2 year deal, buy out the 2 arby years, cheaply.
5. Offer Jerry Hairston 2 years, $4ish million for the Counsell role
6. Offer Hawkins 2 years, but at around $5-6 million
7. Buhbye Kotsay
8. Buhbye Loe
9. Georgie arby.
10. Offer Marcum 2-3 year deal, reminding him how much he sucked down the stretch. 3 years, $18-21 mil should do it. (or take arby)
11. Casey McGehee. 3 arby years left. See what it's at.. make decision. I'd say trade him.
12. Nyjer has arby years yet? Nice. Take 'em.
13. Sign Takashi (1 year) or take Hawkins money to sign him. He's more valuable, IMO.
14. Bye Josh Wilson
Prince resigns? I'm trading Corey Hart for whatever, maybe a young SS/BP arm and signing a right handed bat. Cuddyer to play some limited RF and PH.
You then sign a defensive minded SS with some + range. I'm not sure who will be non-tendered or available by trade. There isn't much affordable for the Brewers now, it'd be possible Yuni could be back in this scenario. I'm really trying to send Hart for a SS or offering Clint Barmes and having a similar Yuni offensive player but a much better defender.
C: Lucroy
1B: Fielder
2B: Weeks
3B: Green/McGehee
SS: Barmes/Trade
LF: Braun
CF: Gomez/Morgan
RF: Morgan/Cuddyer
BENCH: Casey McGehee (if he's dealt) Logan Schaefer
BENCH: George Kottaras C
BENCH: Jerry Hariston UTIL
BENCH: Mat Gamel?!
BENCH: Cuddyer COF/1B
1. Morgan (RF)
2. Lucroy (C)
3. Braun (LF)
4. Fielder (1B)
5. Weeks (2B)
6. Barmes (SS)
7. Green (3B)
8. GoGo (CF)
9. Pitcher
SP: Yo
SP: Greinke
SP: Wolf
SP: Marcum
SP: Narv
RP: Kintzler
RP: Estrada
RP: Braddock
RP: Saito
RP: Hawkins
RP: McClendon
RP: Axford
I doubt Saito/Hawkins are both back next year. Try to find internal guys first.
If Prince leaves, as expected. Uh oh. I'm not excited about that possibility offensively, I think they'd take a turn defensively though. You have to put effort into getting production from Corey Hart.. Do you want to try him at 1B given his lapses and molasses 2nd half speed in RF? Do you try Gamel and a RHB at 1B? The RF/1B bats are kind of the same. Assuming Hart stays, especially if Prince signs elsewhere (I'd still hope to trade him, unless they want him at 1B and not give Gamel a try.) Oh, hi Michael Cuddyer, it's you again! Actually.. I like Cody Ross as a RHB and David DeJesus (a lot)
C: Lucroy
1B: Hart
2B: Weeks
3B: Green
SS: Barmes
LF: Braun
CF: Gomez/Morgan
RF: Morgan/DeJesus
BENCH: Casey McGehee (if he's traded) Logan Schafer OF
BENCH: George Kottaras C
BENCH: Jerry Hariston UTIL
BENCH: Mat Gamel. 1B/OF
BENCH: DeJesus. 1B-OF
The bad thing? NO right handed bats off the bench. And by no, I mean no legit power bat. The staff would be pretty much the same, if we had a bit of cash left over I'd make a chase at: Kuroda (pipedream), Vazquez as a #4/#5 starter, and/or Mike Gonzalez and Octavio Dotel in the bullpen.
I know, it's early and I'm ranting.. but it makes me feel a bit better. There are a ton of trade possibilities, will be guys non-tendered, waived and whatever else happens. I can't wait until the offseason... and GO RANGERS.
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