The Brewers can continue to make things work internall I hope…

Now what about a trade, if the internal options don’t seem to be working and it would take too long and too expensive to get these older free agents in uniform, what about a trade for a player at 2B with an expiring contract, and another rent a player?

Mark Derosa I was thinking of is on contract fro 5.5 million for 09. Might be a type A Free agent when the brewers don’t resign him, and pay him his $2million this year… and shores up depth in the OF which is very weak right now, as well as SS, 3B and could give Prince a day off too… package a prospect or two if near the deadline the Brewers are still playing well.

I know the Brewers need the farm system for the future, but considering how cheap the Indians got Derosa for, maybe it wouldn’t require a top prospect.

Cot’s has these players listed as other 2B with expiring contracts, anyone else appeal to people here?

Marlon Anderson NYM
Ron Belliard WAS
Jamey Carroll CLE
David Eckstein SD
Orlando Hudson LAD
Akinori Iwamura * TB
Omar Infante ATL
Felipe Lopez ARZ
Placido Polanco DET
Freddy Sanchez * PIT

It would be nice to have a strick platoon with CC and Casey M at second.

We have tons of possible replacements internally, might as well try them before spending more money. Also, how about Adam Heether? He’s been hitting pretty well for a couple of years now, and is off to a great start this season.

Re: Grudzielanek/Durham

Time: The fact that they will have to take extended spring training only makes it more of an imperative to sign one of them as soon as possible. It’s not convenient, but a month with a Counsell-barren platoon is better than the remainder of the season with a Counsell-barren platoon.

Age: Yes, they are both old, but the have both put up numbers consistently better than any reasonable expectation of internal options and there’s no reason to expect a dramatic drop off. Grudzielanek has hit above .290 for the past six seasons, and considering how Durham played last season, his weak 2007 campaign seems like the aberration.

And, for the record, Craig Counsell is older than Durham and younger than Grudzielanek by just a couple months.

Money: Nobody is suggesting we offer them $3+ million, and I don’t think either of them expect that either. Durham turned down the deal with the Nationals because he was mulling retirement and probably wasn’t too enthused about a minor league contract with a chance to win a starting job for a definite non-contender, especially considering the decent season he had just had. If anything will bring him out of retirement at a reasonable price, it’s a starting job on a contending team which he is already familiar with.

I don’t know how much Grudzielanek is asking, but if he wants to play this season at all, I’m sure he recognizes what he is reasonably worth.

It would be nice to have payroll flexibility later, but if you ask me, losing one of the team’s key players is the sort of emergency in which you spend what you can afford. A couple million is better spent now, when it’s needed, than on hopes of skating by with Counsell-barren and a desire for the luxury of flexibility in the future.

Boo!

How about Marcus Giles? Released by the Phillies 6 weeks ago, right before the season started, so I’d assume we could get him for the league minimum and he’s mostly in game shape. Of course, he’s probably not any good, but then again, neither are our other options. :)

There’s also Damion Easley, though my stomach is only so strong to write this post.

• Grudzielanek: 10.8
• Durham: -6.5
• DeRosa: -8.1

Grudz would be a quality pickup. We have enough 3B now, so McGehee’s ability to play there is pretty moot. Grudz would be a significant upgrade over him.

Dave Cameron at FanGraphs tackles the same question and pats the Brewers on the back for their depth.

I would do a strict Hall/Gamel platoon at 3B.
I would also do a strict Iribarren/McGehee platoon at 2B.

Counsell can still get two or three starts a week at 2B/SS/3B. He’ll still pinch hit and stay in as a defensive replacement.

I’d probably go ahead and have Hart lead off and have the 3B bat 6th and the 2b bat 7th.

Try it for a month and see how it works. A lot of teams get by with a light hitting second baseman. We will too.

But with early season talks in trading with the Yankees, any chance of robinson cano and some combination of players for Mike Cameron and some combination of players…

Wouldn’t seem like the Brewers would want to trade Cameron as he is playing well, and Cano and Melky I believe are both playing well right now, so may not make sense, but perhaps Melvin will discuss the idea if the right combination of players are thrown together.

Only problem is the Brewers have no outfield depth so would have to get some OFs in return

for a reasonably good replacement for Weeks.

If a deal were made in the next 20 minutes, I’d throw in the Graty™ for free - but you know I can’t keep doing this all day.

Just sign him.

Some interesting stuff here.

- Melvin did call Durham, but it’ll take him too long to be ready.
- Not interested in Grudz due to back issues
- Not going to trade for anyone because Rickie will be back next year
- The big one: Escobar is going to be playing at second two days for every day he now plays at short. That’s not “some” second base, that’s almost a position change. Have to believe he gets a shot there at some point here soon.

Why no love for Grudzielanek?!