Rumorville: John Lackey
by roguejim on Nov 12, 2009 3:35 PM CST
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PrintI have to admit, it's hard to get excited about John Lackey rumors. Given that (a) he's the top starting pitcher on the market, (b) the big name teams like the Yankees are expected to (but haven't yet) bid on his services, and (c) the salary amounts being floated around ($80-100 million/5 years) seem out of place for a guy with good-but-not-great numbers, it's easy to see Lackey as an unwise investment, even if the Brewers freed up enough cash to land him.
That said, the Brewers, in addition to the Mariners and Rangers, are reportedly asking about Lackey. Jon Heyman reports that teams like the Rangers and Dodgers might not have the money to pull it off. The Brewers might not have the money either, especially if their goal is acquiring TWO good starting pitchers, but clearing off nearly $25 million in the departures of Cameron, Hardy, Weathers, and Kendall is a start.
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This is just the beginning
as you’ve seen at the GM meetings, the Brewers will be linked to every FA pitcher out there this off season. My prediction, Mulder and Davis will be signed.
"That's not a weird stat. Rickie is a run-scorer," Yost said. "It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter," Yost told reporters. "See, you guys have no concept. He's a run-scorer. So there's nothing weird about it. That's what he does."
Not Looper?
They’ll be mentioned with every one and rightly so. DM is already talking to every one.
It seems like Looper would be one of most likely FA pitchers to sign with the Brewers. Maybe Davis and Looper. Nothing to get excited about, but the FA market is slim.
It's gotten bad out there
The Rally Rabbit is holding out for a 2-year deal.
"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!"
That's because he can leap about...
What begins in fear usually ends in folly.
by Ted Simmons Speed Camp on Nov 12, 2009 6:16 PM CST up reply actions
... look at the bones...
What begins in fear usually ends in folly.
by Ted Simmons Speed Camp on Nov 12, 2009 10:03 PM CST up reply actions
I'm with Hyatt on that
to my infinite sadness.
I don’t have a category for "washed-up guys who may or may not be dominant big-league closers sometime soon."
~Jeff Sackmann
by Charlie Marlow on Nov 13, 2009 8:56 AM CST up reply actions
I can see the Brewers getting Lackey
Despite the maxim that the Yankees are the favorites for every top free agent ever, I doubt even the Yankees add another huge contract to their already huge contract-filled pitching staff. Buster Olney’s logic makes sense that the Brewers are in clear need of an impact pitcher more so than maybe any other team in the league and will thus probably overspend their means to get him.
That said, I’m of mixed opinion of whether it would be a good idea or not. And I certainly hope it doesn’t interfere with their chances of extending Fielder.
Ryan Braun: He loves it. *Secretly, I am Carlos Gomez*
^^^ The last two sentances ^^^
I’m not in favor of signing Lackey (at least not for Burnett money) because it would pretty much rule out even attempting to sign Fielder. This graph linked in the Mug a couple days ago is also rather telling.
"A D+ Grade? That must have been a Wittardo grade"- @73_MC
by BrewHaHeather on Nov 12, 2009 9:24 PM CST up reply actions
I was thinking the same thing, though in recent interviews it seems lime Melvin implied the team is both going aggressively after Lackey and trying to resign Fielder. I guess that might be possible (having Gomez for four years frees up some money) but the payroll would certainly be tight.
Those graphs looks rather questionable to me though. They’re using deceptive scaling to make what is otherwise within the range of random fluctuations seem like a systematic decline. His FIP actually went down from ‘08 to ’09 and all of the stats they focus on are within the range of his career totals (or even more to the point, his career totals for the years he’s been a $20 million pitcher)
That said, as $20 million is his career best in value and his best days are possibly likely behind him, if Lackey’s contract reaches anywhere near $20 million/year it will be a bad move signing him.
Ryan Braun: He loves it. *Secretly, I am Carlos Gomez*
I never take anything Melvin says seriously.
I don’t have a category for "washed-up guys who may or may not be dominant big-league closers sometime soon."
~Jeff Sackmann
by Charlie Marlow on Nov 13, 2009 8:59 AM CST up reply actions
I think signing John Lackey and/or Prince Fielder are both pipe dreams.
John Lackey: 2010 Yankee
Prince Fielder: 2012 Yankee
I don’t have a category for "washed-up guys who may or may not be dominant big-league closers sometime soon."
~Jeff Sackmann
by Charlie Marlow on Nov 13, 2009 8:59 AM CST up reply actions
Don't kill my spirit!
"A D+ Grade? That must have been a Wittardo grade"- @73_MC
by BrewHaHeather on Nov 13, 2009 9:23 AM CST up reply actions
I know, I'm sorry
I’m really, really pessimistic this year. I think it comes from years of down teams, then the beginnings of hope, then success, then crushed dreams. I HATE being right about Doug Melvin (because that means the team does poorly, and/or his decisions don’t pan out), but lately I have been.
I’m becoming more and more jaded about the front office, beginning (mostly, there were times before) with the lip service about CC Sabathia last off-season. Its like Brett Favre, for me—just come out and say you want to stick it to Ted Thompson and the Packers organization, and I’ll respect you more. Don’t tell me you’re going to make a serious offer to CC, and come in at 5/100, when you KNOW the Yankees will come in at 6/whateverittakes. That’s what’s going to happen with John Lackey. The playoffs and World Series highlighted the fact that they need a 3rd or 4th starter. John Lackey could possibly even slot in ahead of Burnett, and that would give them Sabathia, Lackey, Burnett, Pettite, Anyone for a rotation. For…what? 5 years?
If Cashman is really serious about re-signing Matsui, watch it be for only 2 years. Just the length of time it will take for Fielder to become a free agent and slot in as a DH.
I don’t want to be a habitual Cheeriohs pee-er here, but how can this team afford Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder’s contracts going out into 2015ish and, say, sign Yovani Gallardo long-term? The kind of money it would take to lock up Fielder (what? $20M/year? I guess it depends on his 2011 arb), and the end years of Braun’s contract will be a huge amount of payroll. In fact, if Fielder’s goes 5/100 (20 per), in 2013, ’14, ’15, the Braun+Fielder contracts will make up for (if $80M is the goal payroll opening day) 35.6%, 37.5%, and 40% of payroll. In a small market, that makes being competitive as a team cost-prohibitive.
OK, that started to ramble. Sorry.
I don’t have a category for "washed-up guys who may or may not be dominant big-league closers sometime soon."
~Jeff Sackmann
by Charlie Marlow on Nov 13, 2009 9:38 AM CST up reply actions
Thus Matsui to a 2 year deal
They need a DH.
I don’t have a category for "washed-up guys who may or may not be dominant big-league closers sometime soon."
~Jeff Sackmann
by Charlie Marlow on Nov 13, 2009 6:56 PM CST up reply actions
Damon, Posada (,Jeter?)
will probably by DHing by the time Fielder is a free agent.
"A D+ Grade? That must have been a Wittardo grade"- @73_MC
by BrewHaHeather on Nov 13, 2009 7:05 PM CST up reply actions
No way
Fielder will DH for the Yankees.
Write it in your planner.
I don’t have a category for "washed-up guys who may or may not be dominant big-league closers sometime soon."
~Jeff Sackmann
by Charlie Marlow on Nov 13, 2009 7:44 PM CST up reply actions
Listening to the Hot Stove on the MLB Network
They think Detroit could be selling this offseason, including Edwin Jackson. I wonder what it would take to land him. I’m not positive but it sounds like he will be a free agent in 2 years and is due a raise through arbitration over his $2.2 million salary for 09. With his rough second half and spotty history before early 2009, I would think he might come relatively cheap. I wonder if a guy like Salome and decent prospect pitcher might get it done. If for the right amount I wouldn’t mind bringing in a high-upside guy like this and let Peterson work some magic.
BCB, the preferred above replacement level sarcasm supplier.
Nope I heard the Tigers didn't have any pitchers available
E: George 4 (5, throw, throw, throw, throw).
Any pitchers that make sense in a Hardy trade?
Ryan Braun: He loves it. *Secretly, I am Carlos Gomez*
He's a huge upgrade for the Brewers, true
But do you really want to throw in the prospects that it would take to get Jackson when he’s almost surely to be overpriced by Detroit?
Ryan Braun: He loves it. *Secretly, I am Carlos Gomez*
Probably not, but don't you think it would've been worth a call to find out?
E: George 4 (5, throw, throw, throw, throw).
Perhaps
But I also don’t think Melvin was just too lazy to bother giving them a phonecall even though they possibly had matching pitching. I suppose it could be an argument that he made the trade too soon though.
Ryan Braun: He loves it. *Secretly, I am Carlos Gomez*
Really?
In Doug you trust?
I don’t have a category for "washed-up guys who may or may not be dominant big-league closers sometime soon."
~Jeff Sackmann
by Charlie Marlow on Nov 13, 2009 9:00 AM CST up reply actions
Well then what was he if not lazy?
It was known they wanted a shortstop. In my book it’s either lazy or stupid to not call.
E: George 4 (5, throw, throw, throw, throw).
by Jordan M on Nov 14, 2009 12:59 AM CST up reply actions 1 recs
I'm just going to go ahead and let this dog lie
as Ron Burgundy would say “when in Rome”.
I don’t have a category for "washed-up guys who may or may not be dominant big-league closers sometime soon."
~Jeff Sackmann
by Charlie Marlow on Nov 14, 2009 5:17 PM CST up reply actions
I like
When multiple sources contradict each other. It sounds like the GM said he’s not looking to trade, but would listen to offers, everyone seems to think they have some financial issues. MLB Network speculated that Granderson, Inge and Jackson would be the most tradeable commodities. Make a guy like McGehee a part of the trade and Inge suddenly becomes much easier to trade as well.
BCB, the preferred above replacement level sarcasm supplier.
by MadJimiBrewha on Nov 12, 2009 7:26 PM CST up reply actions
To top it off
Offer to take Willis if they cover 60 to 70% of the contract. Wouldn’t mind having him around as depth and to see if a change of scenery and coaching can help straighten him out.
BCB, the preferred above replacement level sarcasm supplier.
by MadJimiBrewha on Nov 12, 2009 7:31 PM CST up reply actions
change of scenery certainly didn't help him when he went to Detroit.
Cards Announcers On Gamel's First Career HR, "That’s all they need is another home run hitter".
Well, to be fair
it IS Detroit. Very rarely is something improved by adding Detroit to the mix. (Except for hockey, of course.)
"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!"
Brewers interested in Lowe/Vazquez?
Might just be that every starting pitcher available is being linked to them in speculation though.
Ryan Braun: He loves it. *Secretly, I am Carlos Gomez*
From that article:
As for the Brewers, there has been some indication that they would be more interested in acquiring Vazquez.
Good.
If Corey Hart would be a big part of that deal, I’d be worried about the Brewers OF’s offense, but maybe they could get a guy like Jordan Schafer in the process. Not sure what the Braves have in store for him, as he broke camp as the starting CF, logged 200 PAs, and then was sent down eventually. With Gorkys Hernandez about a year away in CF, and Jason Heyward (less than?) a year away in RF, Schafer could move to LF, I suppose. Looking at that group of amazing OF prospects, I can see why they just want a decent guy like Hart to hold down the fort for a year or so.
But, If we were to give up something like Hart, Salome, Villanueva, Gamel, I wonder if we might get Vazquez and Schafer. Despite his eventual struggles in the Majors in 2009, and a perpetually high K%, Schafer has always had a good BB% and ISO, and his defense might be above average in RF (was slightly negative in 430 innings last year according to UZR). 2010 will be his age 23 season.
Is all this unreasonable?
"I've had the time of my afterlife." --Patrick Swayze
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