Monday's Frosty Mug

by roguejim on Nov 24, 2008 9:53 AM CST Comment 10 comments

Welcome to Monday's edition of your Frosty Mug, where you always get cheese on your cheeseburgers.

Your CC Sweepstakes Update

* Friday's Frosty Mug mentioned that the Dodgers, Giants, and Pale Hosers may be preparing offers for the services of CC Sabathia. Foxsports (via the NY Post) reports that the Angels might be getting in the mix if talks with Scott Boras over Mark Teixeira break down.

* If the Giants sign CC, they would presumably owe about $250 million to two pitchers over the next 5 years.

* Desperate for a silver lining if we don't sign CC? Check out this picture of the pitching phenom. Does it remind you of anyone?

Miscellaneous Brewers Links

* The Sporting News has an interview with new Brewers manager Ken Macha. My favorite part: when asked about the chances of re-signing CC or Sheets, Macha only discusses Sabathia. Heh. Hat tip to Juan Lozano from ESPN Milwaukee.

* Rambling Al finds a post at Fangraphs.com warning of Dave Bush regression. That's not so good.

* Remember how the Angels might make CC an offer? The same Foxsports page also suggests that the Brewers might make an offer to K-Rod or Fuentes, given our recent willingness to throw gobs of money at closers. Not-so-fun fact: last season, the Brewers had blown 11 saves after the 8th inning, second-worst in the NL. (The World Champion Phillies? No blown saves after 8.)

Hot Stove

* Rafael Furcal maybe be close to signing with either the Mets (who would use him as a second baseman) or As.

* Chase Utley will miss 4-6 months for hip surgery.

* AJ Burnett wants a five-year deal. Good luck with that.

* Ty "Chief" Wiggington and Jose Valverde are on the trading block. The case for the Brewers signing Wiggington can be made here. Valverde's 3.38 and 44 saves last season follow up a 2.66 ERA and 47 saves the season before; you'd think any team looking for a closer (ahem) would be interested. You'll likely be as pleased as I am to know that part of the reason why these two must go is because our old friend Carlos Lee's salary jumps in 2009 from $12 million to $18.5 million.

Speaking of Texas, a Beaumont, Texas, undercover police officer was suspended during a prostitution sting for, ahem, going too far to nail the perp. In a hearing this past August, officer Keith Breiner defended himself by saying "It was a job, sir. I didn't have pleasure doing it...[I]t was something I did for the city." Officer Breiner, we salute your dedication.

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Sabathia & closers

Sometimes I think he’s lost weight and joined the NBA.

I don’t know that the team will spend a lot of money (or trade) for one of those top-flight closers next year just because they spent a lot of money on a closer this year. I think they’ll try a cheaper repeat of the Gagne signing: hope a guy who has had success closing but struggled recently can do well again. Maybe a guy like Chad Cordero (injured), Keith Foulke, Jorge Julio, or Brandon Lyon.

That or they’ll go out and sign Doug Brocail, Matt Herges, Bob Howry, and Rudy Seanez to give the bullpen an aged, expensive feel and see which guy best handles the closers role.

Obscure baseball records and more at my blog, Recondite Baseball.

by TheJay on Nov 24, 2008 10:47 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

When we signed Gagne

Didn’t we already have insurance (Riske, maybe others)? I don’t think we had Torres then, who would eventually become our sav-ior, but I think the signing made sense at the time because we had other reasonable options.

FWIW, post-All Star Break, Gagne’s numbers were pretty good: 3.52 ERA, 1.00 WHIP. Not coincidentally, he only gave up six walks in the second half of the season.

"I will agree that the attitude [at BCB] is ridiculous and they have done so much to instigate animosity and then block us from responding. Real mature!"

by roguejim on Nov 24, 2008 11:40 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Bush

I sometimes think Dave Bush exists simply to confuse people.

His peripherals have moved in a not-so-good direction, but let’s be clear: On a season-by-season basis, he has been much more consistent than his ERAs have indicated, and most of the to-do has been with people who don’t understand how volatile ERA can be. (Especially for a pitcher who seems streaky to begin with.)

The 5.12: higher than it should have been due to bad luck and worse defense. My projection for him in 2008 was in the 4.30s (IIRC). So…he has an awful first half, I (and plenty of others, including MGL) say it’s still more bad luck, and he’ll come back to norm … and that’s what he does. Only he’s too good! Now his season-total results are well BELOW most projections, so now we get articles telling us not to get too excited.

Sheesh. Bush is a good pitcher. He will give you plenty of awful outings mixed in. He’ll probably have an ERA in the 4.40s or 4.50s (though MINER projects him to 4.24, fwiw) and once again be a solid #3-type starter that half of Brewers fans want to send to Korea just for punishment. It’s not that complicated.

Also, cheese.

by Jeff Sackmann on Nov 24, 2008 12:54 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

I expect Bush to lower his ERA by at least half a run

just from having a half-way competent manager less concerned about his relievers getting ‘clean’ innings and more concerned about his starter not getting shelled.

by Getting Yosted on Nov 24, 2008 2:46 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

#3 - that's depressing

Seems as if he was a beneficiary of defense as well.

by ol Pete on Nov 24, 2008 5:21 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

So assuming the CC sweepstakes is between the...

Yankees(26,31), Dodgers(17), Giants(6), and White Sox(24) with 1st round picks in (). I guess we need to root for the Dodgers to sign him in order to get the highest compensatory pick.

Congrats 08 Crew on a fine Wild Card achievement! What do you say we keep the next postseason drought to something a little shorter than a quarter of a Century.

by MadJimiBrewha on Nov 24, 2008 8:24 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

not the g-men?

how about the angels?

"I will agree that the attitude [at BCB] is ridiculous and they have done so much to instigate animosity and then block us from responding. Real mature!"

by roguejim on Nov 24, 2008 8:42 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

The Giants

Would not lose their first round pick, since it’s in the top 15. The Brewers would get their second pick instead (I think).

I don't specifically articulate my motives, because that wouldn't travel as well as a boo does.

by KLSnow on Nov 24, 2008 8:44 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

You are correct.

Also, cheese.

by Jeff Sackmann on Nov 24, 2008 8:58 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Angels should have #30

they had the best record in baseball last year. The one benefit of CC signing there is that there’s zero chance the Angels will have to give up a pick for Teixiera, which means we’re guaranteed the first-rounder. (Then again, no team but the Yanks is likely to sign both, so that’s not a big concern.)

Also, cheese.

by Jeff Sackmann on Nov 24, 2008 8:57 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

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