Wednesday's Frosty Mug
by Kyle Lobner on Dec 23, 2009 9:19 AM CST
in Milwaukee Brewers News
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PrintSome things to read while cleaning up the mess this will make.
Tom Haudricourt noted this morning that $4 million of Randy Wolf's 2010 salary has been deferred, meaning his impact on next season's payroll is only $5.25 million. He cites that as evidence that the Brewers are closing in on the top of their budget, but it's also possible that savings could be used on another move.
Meanwhile, a couple of minor signings slipped through the cracks over the last week or so: Baseball America's Minor League Transactions notes the Brewers signed pitcher Chris Waters and shortstop Anderson Machado to minor league deals. Waters has started 12 games for the Orioles over the last two seasons, posting an ERA over 5. He's also made 53 appearances (42 starts) in the minors over that time, mainly in AAA.
Machado is likely little more than minor league depth: 2010 will be his 12th minor league season, and the Brewers will be his seventh organization. With that said, he's a shortstop, and the Brewers don't have much depth at the position in the upper levels of the minors.
Baseball Musings is working their way from A to Z this offseason, producing a quick bio of each major league player. Yesterday, Dave Pinto had this post on Ryan Braun and some of his early accomplishments.
I know we love Prince Fielder around here, but I'm still not sure he's getting the attention he deserves nationally as one of the game's elite hitters. The B-Ref blog notes that there have only been 14 players over the last three seasons to average .8 or more total bases per out made. Fielder is one of just three players to do it twice in that span. (Chipper Jones and Albert Pujols are the others.)
Fielder is also the Brewer representative in The Walkoff Walk End Of Decade Personality Compendium Infocaps.
If you're feeling nostalgic as we approach the end of 2009, Adam McCalvy has a list of Brewer highlights from the past season. There certainly were plenty of memorable moments: McCalvy listed 21, but Jason Dondlinger and I picked up on two more he forgot.
You have until 4 pm today to vote for a #2 starter for our BCB All Decade Team. At the moment, CC Sabathia leads the field by a wide margin. You also have until 4 pm Saturday to select our final position player.
In the minors: Lorenzo Cain had a somewhat puzzling run with the Peoria Javelinas in the Arizona Fall League, and there's some positive and some negative to take away from it. At the very least, he saw a lot of pitches, as demonstrated by the fact that he was among the league leaders in both walk and strikeout percentage.
Around baseball:
Braves: Acquired Melky Cabrera, pitcher Mike Dunn and a minor leaguer from the Yankees for pitchers Boone Logan and Javier Vazquez.
Mariners: Will reportedly receive outfielder Johermyn Chavez as the prospect in the Brandon Morrow/Brandon League deal.
Mets: Are reportedly close to a minor league deal with R.A. Dickey.
Royals: Signed outfielder Brian Anderson to a one year deal.
We've spent more than enough time this offseason discussing draft pick compensation for players, the risks involved in offering arbitration and whatnot. With that said, Beyond the Box Score has a great conversation starter discussing the value of expected compensation picks and comparing it to the value of available prospects. (FanShot)
Ever wonder what it's like to be a beat reporter on the road with the team? El Lefty Malo has a great interview with Giants beat reporter Henry Shulman, covering topics like objectivity, burnout and the offseason.
Another former Brewer has landed on his feet: Rattler Radio noted that the Great Lakes Loons of the Midwest League will have 1987-1991 Brewer Chuck Crim as their pitching coach next season.
I'll warn you in advance: Don't click the link unless you've got half an hour to spare, but if you have the time Joe Posnanski's piece on Strat-o-Matic and the Negro Leagues is a must-read. Even as someone who doesn't know all that much about the Negro Leagues and has never played Strat-o-Matic, I got started reading the post and couldn't put it down until I'd finished it. This morning's Mug is significantly later as a result.
On this day in 2000, the Brewers signed Jeffrey Hammonds to a three year, $22.2 million deal. If we held a poll today, Jeff Suppan's contract would almost certainly be voted the worst deal in franchise history, but Hammonds merits consideration: he missed most of the 2001 season, posted a 93 OPS+ the 2002, and was released after getting off to a .158/.220/.289 start in 2003.
We're awash in Brewer birthdays today:
- Brad Nelson, who unfortunately will likely be most remembered for his 0-for-21 start to the 2009 season, turns 27 today.
- Jesus Colome, who pitched in five games for the 2009 Brewers, turns 32.
- 1985-1986 Brewer Tim Leary turns 51.
- Dave May, 1970-1974 Brewer and 1973 All Star, turns 66.
Oh, and if you still need a Christmas gift, might I humbly suggest a TMNT Snuggie?
Drink up.
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Posnanski...
I agree with you 100% on that Posnanski piece. It was way better than you’d think, even knowing going in that it’s Pos.
I’ve always been an admirer of Strat from afar, but never had a real chance to play it. Now I want to buy copies of it for each of my brothers so we can all play it… (it ain’t cheap, though)
==
Check out Wezen-Ball.com
I think every child
that grew up to be a smartass wants Raphael.
"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."
Weezer has a Snuggie too.
"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!"
I didn't believe it, and then I saw it
truly amazing
"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."
I hope this one works better...
"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."
I've seen a couple of weird ones now
Nightmare Before Christmas has one out too, but I don’t think anything can beat the baby snuggie.
#CounsellWSMVP10 - realize the dream
OH SWEET LORD NO
that is wrong on a lot of levels.
"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."
Good lord
It’s like being back in the womb, for both mom and baby. Hyatt, you’ve got to make sure that doesn’t get on any of your registries.
You've got a couple screws missin' up in your toolbox, if you think that you'll stop this man from hittin' moonshots.
Another great link
An article from 07 in Baseball Digest written by Joe Posnanski on the ridiculousness that was the baseball career of Bo Jackson. enjoy.
"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."
bases/out
Pujols also appears on the list twice, with a .8 ratio or better in each of the last two seasons.
Thanks
Fixed
That's all I've got for you today, unless you're interested in some Chris Capuano/Tom Haudricourt Fan Fiction.
by Kyle Lobner on Dec 23, 2009 10:35 AM CST up reply actions
Jeez
I wonder if Doug was like “ehh….look, Randy: I know we said you’d get $9.25 in ’10, but…umm…could you….ahhh…you know…and stuff….hmmm…maybedeferthatuntilwehavemoremoneyin2011? Please?”
In other news, with my estimates, payroll now squeaks in just under $80M at $79.85M…or right on target with the last 2 years.
"If we want to sign a Type A free agent, we would lose a second-round pick, but we don't have a way to get picks back. Our whole Draft process needs to be redone."
~Doug Melvin
by Charlie Marlow on Dec 23, 2009 10:44 AM CST reply actions
i've got 80.6
Cards Announcers On Gamel's First Career HR, "That’s all they need is another home run hitter".
So I'd say we have room for another pitcher.
Cards Announcers On Gamel's First Career HR, "That’s all they need is another home run hitter".
Suppan v Hammonds...
Are you sure the Hammonds deal isn’t worse than Suppan’s? Hammonds always gets my vote…
I'm going to go with Hammonds
that could change if Soup has a negative value again this year.
"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."
Wait a minute now
With Hammonds’ injury, wouldn’t yourkenk say that he was a good player, he was just injured the entire contract, so, retrospectively it was bad, but at the time it was good? Or something like that?
"If we want to sign a Type A free agent, we would lose a second-round pick, but we don't have a way to get picks back. Our whole Draft process needs to be redone."
~Doug Melvin
by Charlie Marlow on Dec 23, 2009 11:17 AM CST up reply actions
Thanks
"If we want to sign a Type A free agent, we would lose a second-round pick, but we don't have a way to get picks back. Our whole Draft process needs to be redone."
~Doug Melvin
by Charlie Marlow on Dec 23, 2009 11:26 AM CST up reply actions
hold on
it was a bad signing from the get go and here’s why:
- Hammonds had just had 500 PAs in a season for the first time in his career and had never played in more than 125 games.
- He was going on 30.
- He was coming off a career year in Coors field when itwas still a ridiculous place to hit
- His best season, he was a 2 win player.
In today’s market, with inflation, he would not have received that contract. his top comp is Michael Cuddyer, and I don’t see any gm rolling out a 3 year deal for him when he hits the market. It was a terrible signing.
"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."
I wasn't disagreeing with it being a poor signing
I was just pointing out that some folks poo-poo the career year prior to signing thing if there is an immediate injury.
"If we want to sign a Type A free agent, we would lose a second-round pick, but we don't have a way to get picks back. Our whole Draft process needs to be redone."
~Doug Melvin
by Charlie Marlow on Dec 23, 2009 11:32 AM CST up reply actions
perhaps
but injury history should’ve been taken into account considering it was the biggest contract signed by a Brewer until then.
Anyway, it helped get rid of Bando, so that was positive
"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."
Yep
But can’t we just give it to Doug Melvin?
"If we want to sign a Type A free agent, we would lose a second-round pick, but we don't have a way to get picks back. Our whole Draft process needs to be redone."
~Doug Melvin
by Charlie Marlow on Dec 23, 2009 12:13 PM CST up reply actions
hmm...
thought that was bando. Still, he’s gone
"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."
Huh
I’ve fixed it twice now, but it doesn’t seem to take. Here’s the link:
http://joeposnanski.com/JoeBlog/2009/12/23/5000-words-on-strat-o-matic/
That's all I've got for you today, unless you're interested in some Chris Capuano/Tom Haudricourt Fan Fiction.
Just for the sake of argument
Remember last year when everyone said I was a dummy for wanting to trade Mike Cameron for Melky Cabrera and Kei Igawa? Well, it looks like the 2009 Brewers could have used some pitching depth, and I don’t know whether Igawa would have out-pitched Mike Burns or not, but he couldn’t have been much worse.
Also, consider this:
If the Brewers had Cabrera under team control, they would have had no need to trade J.J. Hardy for Carlos Gomez. That could potentially led to a different kind of deal. Or, alternately, they could have dealt for Gomez, and then possibly packaged Cabrera for…say…Javier Vazquez.
I know hindsight is always 20/20, just sayin’.
"If we want to sign a Type A free agent, we would lose a second-round pick, but we don't have a way to get picks back. Our whole Draft process needs to be redone."
~Doug Melvin
by Charlie Marlow on Dec 23, 2009 11:15 AM CST reply actions
The Yankees also threw in a pretty darn good pitching prospect, as well.
I don’t know if the Brewers have any pitching prospects to throw in that would match that.
Yeah, best in their system
apparently.
How about 2 good prospects, rather than the best? Then deal Hardy for pitching prospects to replenish.
"If we want to sign a Type A free agent, we would lose a second-round pick, but we don't have a way to get picks back. Our whole Draft process needs to be redone."
~Doug Melvin
by Charlie Marlow on Dec 23, 2009 12:15 PM CST up reply actions
Right, but the whole point was if MIL traded Hardy for Gomez despite having Cabrera.
So if the Brewers had traded for Cabrera last year and been able to trade him and prospects for Vazquez, while still having traded Hardy for Gomez then the Brewers wouldn’t be able to trade Hardy for pitching prospects. And if the Brewers traded Hardy for prospects instead of Gomez, then who would be playing CF in ’10, especially considering how much Vazquez costs, which would probably still force the Brewers to let Cameron go elsewhere.
I don't agree with that
there are other options for CF.
"If we want to sign a Type A free agent, we would lose a second-round pick, but we don't have a way to get picks back. Our whole Draft process needs to be redone."
~Doug Melvin
by Charlie Marlow on Dec 23, 2009 12:52 PM CST up reply actions
Oh I see
You don’t really know, so you’re asking. OK, then:
- Jody Gerut in CF.
- Cabrera+one or two (who cares?) prospects for Vazquez.
- Net of +$9M if Cabrera gets $2.5M in arb.
- Do not sign a middle reliever to a deal paying them $3.5M in 2009.
- Trade Hardy for…meh…whatever? Who cares? Prospects? W/e, you have your #1 starter.
- Savings from Wolf not signing, and Hawkins not signing in 2009: $9M. Net deal cost = 0.
"If we want to sign a Type A free agent, we would lose a second-round pick, but we don't have a way to get picks back. Our whole Draft process needs to be redone."
~Doug Melvin
by Charlie Marlow on Dec 23, 2009 12:58 PM CST up reply actions
I was on your side for that argument
Cards Announcers On Gamel's First Career HR, "That’s all they need is another home run hitter".
Anything is possible
It’s entirely possible that Igawa’s AAA stat line is comparable or worse than Burns’ MLB line because he was facing stiffer competition in the International League(or wherever) and would have performed better with the step down in competition. Or he could have put up close to the 1.87 HR/9, 5.94 FIP, 1.68 WHIP and 324/381/535 that Minor League Splits has as his MLE. It’s tough to tell, since even though the Yankees desperately needed arms in their pen last year Igawa hasn’t pitched in the bigs since June 27th 2008 while being paid $4mil/yr every year thru 2011(which IIRC the Yankees magnanimously refused to contribute towards and instead wanted DM to send cash to cover Cam’s contract).
Picking up 3 years of Igawa would have been the equivalent, both performance and financially, of exercising Suppan’s 2012 option. And if that happened every store in Wisconsin would sell out their stocks of pitchforks, torches, tar and feathers.
When there is a scuffle in Ireland, there’s no need to specifically mention in the news story that alcohol was involved
by Getting Yosted on Dec 23, 2009 12:55 PM CST up reply actions
You're still defending it, then, huh?
That’s a lot of typing to try to re-justify a deal that never happened, hm?
Still doesn’t change the fact that the big piece in that Vazquez trade was a guy the Brewers could have acquired last season.
"If we want to sign a Type A free agent, we would lose a second-round pick, but we don't have a way to get picks back. Our whole Draft process needs to be redone."
~Doug Melvin
by Charlie Marlow on Dec 23, 2009 1:01 PM CST up reply actions
One needs to defend not paying Kei Igawa $12 mil?
It took a lot of typing just to clarify how bad Kei Igawa is as a pitcher. Most people wouldn’t believe the assertion that Jeff Suppan’s 2009 was better than Kei Igawa’s best year, so one needs to quantify it.
When there is a scuffle in Ireland, there’s no need to specifically mention in the news story that alcohol was involved
by Getting Yosted on Dec 23, 2009 1:17 PM CST up reply actions
For a net of +$2M?
Who gives a rip?
"If we want to sign a Type A free agent, we would lose a second-round pick, but we don't have a way to get picks back. Our whole Draft process needs to be redone."
~Doug Melvin
by Charlie Marlow on Dec 23, 2009 2:40 PM CST up reply actions
Actually less after incentives to Cameron this year
But, obviously, it wasn’t done because there wasn’t neutral money.
I’ll bet you were dead set against adding someone like Michael Bowden and all for Carlos Gomez, too, hm?
"If we want to sign a Type A free agent, we would lose a second-round pick, but we don't have a way to get picks back. Our whole Draft process needs to be redone."
~Doug Melvin
by Charlie Marlow on Dec 23, 2009 2:44 PM CST up reply actions
Neutral money wasn't the goal
The only reason why trading Cameron was discussed this year was to dump his $10M salary. It wasn’t so they could pull off a trade to increase salary to help Nashville. Once the Yankees started insisting on including Kei and not sending money back the trade was dead. If DM was able to pull the Braves into the original talks and send Cam+prospects for Vazquez with the Yankees and Braves exchanging parts that would have been a great trade. But I’m not sure that trade existed.
It is hard to imagine that a person might object to taking on Igawa’s contract with the hope that DM would/could find another desperate team that he could buy off with pitching prospects plus the starting CF plus cash to take Igawa’s stinker of a contract so he might get a borderline #1 starter for one year in return.
When there is a scuffle in Ireland, there’s no need to specifically mention in the news story that alcohol was involved
by Getting Yosted on Dec 23, 2009 4:23 PM CST up reply actions
It’s not like the Braves were doing cartwheels to get their hands on Melky Cabrera in particular. If the Brewers had been willing to give up prospects as good as Vizcaino/Dunn, they could have just packaged them with Hart.
Ryan Braun: He loves it.
Really?
Even after the Braves said they didn’t want him? Clearly Gomez wouldn’t have been enough?
"If we want to sign a Type A free agent, we would lose a second-round pick, but we don't have a way to get picks back. Our whole Draft process needs to be redone."
~Doug Melvin
by Charlie Marlow on Dec 23, 2009 2:41 PM CST up reply actions
Igawa may or may not be a quad-A type pitcher but there have been a significant number of pitchers the Yankees have given up on that have been more successful out of NYC than in. A lot of times if the pitcher can’t find immediate success once being called up they end up in Scranton for years or getting traded. Igawa may have success with another team, particularly in the NL. The problem is that his contract is a giant albatross and nobody will pick him up unless the Yankees bother to pay for his contract.
I wonder
How are we going to decide among all of our minor-league-free-agent-pitchers-with-a-spring-training-invitation? Will it all be from the small sample size of spring training innings?
"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!"
"Track record"
Guys that have sucked in the big leagues before – in.
Guys that have never had a chance to prove they don’t suck – out.
That's all I've got for you today, unless you're interested in some Chris Capuano/Tom Haudricourt Fan Fiction.
Wow
You’re in a dark dark place, man. Appleton can do that to a man.
"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!"
To be fair...
that’s been the MO of quite a few teams for quite a while, so I believe it.
See: Jose Lima.
Applying Simpsons and Star Wars quotes to Brewers discussions since 2009.
That opens an interesting question
Pro athletes have hot wives. It stands to reason guys who have already made the bigs have hotter wives (if they were smart and waited for to afford higher class strip clubs), so maybe DM is making decisions not on proven/unproven suckitude but on relative hotness/size of wife’s breasts. It does explain Jose Lima’s career.
When there is a scuffle in Ireland, there’s no need to specifically mention in the news story that alcohol was involved
by Getting Yosted on Dec 23, 2009 2:23 PM CST up reply actions
Yeah, that came off worse than I intended it to sound
But if Ken Macha 2010 is anything like Macha 2009, he’ll be asked about guys in spring and will tell reporters he gives the edge to guys with “track record.”
And if Doug Melvin 2010 is anything like Melvin 2009, he’ll cite “organizational depth” and make a case for keeping guys who are out of options and sending guys with options back down. (Then he’ll whine about the system.)
That's all I've got for you today, unless you're interested in some Chris Capuano/Tom Haudricourt Fan Fiction.
see my Yankees rant above
although, really, the former applied to Chris Narveson and he had some success last year (ok, more like “pitched better than we cynics at BCB expected”)
Thanks for the Poz link
From time to time I think back to my Strat-O days growing up…but leave it to Poz to pull out the emotion. Great read, great game.
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NL Central Standings
| W | L | PCT | GB | STRK | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Chicago
|
0 | 0 | .000 | 0 | Lost 0 |
|
Cincinnati
|
0 | 0 | .000 | 0 | Lost 0 |
|
Houston
|
0 | 0 | .000 | 0 | Lost 0 |
|
Milwaukee
|
0 | 0 | .000 | 0 | Lost 0 |
|
Pittsburgh
|
0 | 0 | .000 | 0 | Lost 0 |
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St. Louis
|
0 | 0 | .000 | 0 | Lost 0 |
(updated 2.13.2012 at 7:02 PM CST)
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