FanPost

Makin' Moves

Hi all, this is my first time posting, but I have been reading on the site for a while and just wanted to share my thoughts on the Brewers moves.

1 - The Yelich Trade:

  • In Christian Yelich we are solving one of the biggest issues we faced last year, a 1 or 2 hitter that hits for average and has a high OBP. He fills one of the biggest needs we had offensively and his defense is good as well, being a former Gold Glove winner.
  • To me, I think the best case scenario for Brinson is for him to be a player similar to Yelich. I was also not entirely convinced that Brinson was going to be a star so I don't mind his inclusion to get a player like Yelich. However, I would have preferred if he was used to get a starting pitcher instead. I was initially hesitant at the inclusion of Monte Harrison. I always liked Harrison and his potential, I think he has star potential. After the Cain signing, Harrison's inclusion made sense. I was never really sold on Diaz. It seems that he may have regressed last year based on what I read. Hiura seems to be the better of the two. I don't know much about Yomomoto, assuming he may be a lottery ticket.
  • Overall, I liked the trade and think Stearns did a good job. I was hoping maybe Barraclough or Realmuto could have been included, but this appears fair to both sides. It will probably be a different story in 5 years.
2 - Lorenzo Cain Signing
  • I have always liked Lorenzo Cain. I thought it was a mistake to include him in the Greinke trade. I am glad he is back in Milwaukee. He is a great defensive OF, doesn't strike out a ton, and can fill that 1 or 2 hole in the lineup. The length of the contract is a tad too long for my liking (would have preferred 3 years, but I realize he wouldn't sign for that). That is a problem for future Stearns to worry about, I guess.
3 - Where do they go from here?
  • First and foremost, it is clear that the rebuild is over and they are trying to win now, so why not go for it? They have too many OFs and, im my opinion, today's moves have taken them out of the Darvish and Arrieta sweepstakes, which I am okay with. Their primary target should be Chris Archer. 4 years of Archer is undoubtedly better than anything that is currently on the market. I don't envision Burnes being ready this year, and even if he is, it will be another 3-4 years before he becomes a top of the rotation guy, provided he pans out. I would also like to see Hader start eventually, but I think one more year in the pen will be good for him. I think a trade involving Archer would be something like: Santana, Ortiz, Ray, Diplan or Ponce and maybe another low level lotto ticket or two.
  • If the Brewers are unable to make a trade for Archer I would like to see them go after Duffy. Again, I would prefer 4 years of Duffy to any FA available at the moment. I think they could get Duffy for something similar to above. Take out Ray and that may be enough.
  • There is also speculation that the Brewers may be interested in Salazar. I am not particularly fond of him. He always seems to be hurt (2014 TJ surgery, last year injured throughout) and I feel he is inconsistent (no stats to base this on other than I had him on a fantasy team last year and he either gave up 0 runs or 6 runs). He would be the least preferable option of the 3 for me.
  • Finally, I think we still need one more back of the bullpen arm. I really like Hunter Strickland from SF. I think Broxton (who I like - it's a hot take, I know) and a lotto ticket or two would be enough to land him.
  • If they are unable to trade Santana, I think this may be the year we see Braun transition to 1B. That is not a move I am necessarily an advocate for, but it may need to happen. I also think Braun could play the role of the 4th OF. Start him 2 out of 5 days, use as PH and defensive replacement for Domingo, rest on day games. However, I don't think he would want to do that which is why I think Santana has to be traded.
My lineup below - assuming Santana is traded (Phillips would be the fourth OF).
  1. Yelich RF
  2. Cain CF
  3. Braun LF
  4. Shaw 3B
  5. Thames/Aguilar 1B
  6. Pina/Vogt C
  7. Villar 2B
  8. Arcia SS
  9. P
There was a lot of smoke and now we finally have some fire. Let's continue to douse that fire with gasoline and add an ace to show that we are ready to win now. I apologize for the length, but if you're still reading, I would love to hear your thoughts!