Baseball for the Thinking Fan

Login | Register | Feedback

btf_logo
You are here > Home > Baseball Newsstand > Baseball Primer Newsblog > Discussion
Baseball Primer Newsblog
— The Best News Links from the Baseball Newsstand

Saturday, November 28, 2009

Dobrow: Save this Franchise: Brewers will require a little magic to repair

Money-Coutts and BS Walks…or something like that.

3. Make a plan for Prince. The Brewers can forestall the inevitable if they want, but the bottom line is this: They won’t be able to afford the guy once he’s up for a new contract. By the time Scott Boras has finished inserting double-reverse out clauses and NLDS MVP bonuses into Fielder’s next deal, it’ll amount to at least 20 percent of the Brewers’ payroll. You can’t tie up that much cash in a corner man.

Hence it’s time to start laying the groundwork for a Fielder deal, whether you plan to complete it tomorrow or on July 31. There was chatter last offseason that the Giants were willing to deal Matt Cain straight up for him, which may have changed (if the Giants see Pablo Sandoval as their first baseman of the future) or may not (if the Giants decide they can’t bear the eventual price of keeping the Lincecum/Cain duo intact). Either way, it doesn’t hurt to ask.

The Brewers also oughta put in a call to Boston, which has the young, cheap arms (Clay Buchholz et al) that the Brewers would need to make a Fielder deal feasible. If they can make a trade along those lines, they can take the current-year savings and get in on the John Lackey bidding. Filling first base won’t be tough in this saturated market, either. Carlos Delgado, Adam LaRoche, etc.

Unrelated to the to-deal-or-not-to-deal discussion: Raise your hand if you think Prince Fielder will age well. Yeah. Me neither.

Repoz Posted: November 28, 2009 at 09:56 AM | 13 comment(s) | Bookmark
  Related News: GeneralBusinessMilwaukee

Reader Comments and Retorts

Go to end of page

Statements posted here are those of our readers and do not represent the BaseballThinkFactory. Names are provided by the poster and are not verified. We ask that posters follow our submission policy. Please report any inappropriate comments.

Page 1 of 1 pages
   1. Evil Twin Posted: November 28, 2009 at 02:56 PM (#3398008)
I'd say the trade for Gomez pretty much says that the Brewers are going to keep Fielder as long as possible. The offense is built around Fielder and Braun.

There's no big secret for what the Brewers are doing this year. See if they can get some regression towards average from Parra and Bush, another fine season from Gallardo, and try to find some upgrades for the rest of the rotation. The starting pitching was so awful that even something vaguely in the range of average will be a significant improvement and could vault them into 85+ win territory.

And if they don't make those improvements, maybe they'll do something at the deadline. Then again, they didn't do anything last year when they could have sold off Cameron, Counsell, Hoffman, and possibly Kendall.
   2. ugen64 Posted: November 29, 2009 at 02:05 AM (#3398348)
Giants send random prospect to Red Sox for Mike Lowell + half his salary
Sign Johnny Damon for 1 year / $10 million

C - Posey
1B - Sandoval
2B - Sanchez
SS - Renteria
3B - Lowell
RF - Fred Lewis?
CF - Rowand
LF - Damon

SP - Lincecum
SP - Cain
SP - Sanchez
SP - Zito
SP - Bumgarner/whatever

IANA Giants fan.

The Giants were 7 games back. If Jonathan Sanchez improves (i.e. his ERA goes down to his FIP), the 5th starter throws 160 innings of 4.50 ERA ball, Posey plays well, either Freddy Sanchez or Renteria bounces back, and Lewis plays like he did in 2007-08 given playing time (all of which are plausible - even probable), that's easily a 3-4 win improvement right there. In addition to that, if you trade Cain for Fielder, realistically you're only going to gain around 4 wins (Fielder's 5 wins + Cain's replacement being about 1 win worse than him - that's optimistic if anything), while using up all of your payroll room. I think Lowell + Damon are worth 4 wins, more if Lowell's range returns. They're a bit cheaper, and you keep Cain, who is one of the faces of the franchise.
   3. Barnaby Jones Posted: November 29, 2009 at 03:00 AM (#3398378)
By the time Scott Boras has finished inserting double-reverse out clauses and NLDS MVP bonuses into Fielder’s next deal, it’ll amount to at least 20 percent of the Brewers’ payroll.


This whole sentence is super dumb.

a) Playoff MVP bonuses are hardly confined to Borasian contracts. They are fairly standard at this point.
b) If Fielder is willing to sign for 20 percent of their 80 million dollar payroll ($16 million), they should jump on that opportunity and thank their lucky stars.
   4. Tripon Posted: November 29, 2009 at 03:02 AM (#3398381)
There is no NLDS MVP.
   5. snapper (history's 42nd greatest monster) Posted: November 29, 2009 at 03:06 AM (#3398385)
There is no NLDS MVP.

So, NLDS MVP bonuses are the new market inefficiency?
   6. Teufel's Graveyard Posted: November 29, 2009 at 03:07 AM (#3398386)
There is no NLDS MVP.


No reason for that to stop an agent. If it gets added later on, the player is set. Forward thinking, and all.
   7. JoeHova Posted: November 29, 2009 at 03:56 AM (#3398407)
This guy appears to be a total moron. It's not really worth saying more than that.
   8. Everybody Loves Tyrus Raymond Posted: November 29, 2009 at 07:45 AM (#3398463)
This guy appears to be a total moron. It's not really worth saying more than that.


I don't think he said anything dumb in actual substance - the NLDS MVP quip was just a throwaway line. It is certainly true that Prince will command mega-millions on the open market.
   9. RMc's grumbling has gone far enough Posted: November 29, 2009 at 01:05 PM (#3398493)
Make a plan for Prince.

Have him put out an album a year again, like in the old days. And make a proper sequel to Purple Rain (we're pretending Graffiti Bridge didn't happen, thank you very much).
   10. TVerik, AKA Snoopy Snoopy Poop Dog Posted: November 29, 2009 at 01:08 PM (#3398494)
Is the NLDS line snark? Does this guy know that there's no NLDS MVP? It stuck out at me.
   11. Sweatpants Posted: November 29, 2009 at 01:14 PM (#3398498)
I remember reading somewhere that someone once had an NLDS MVP clause negotiated into his contract - he got a bonus if he won the award (which, as many have pointed out, doesn't exist). I took the line to be a joking reference to that incident.
   12. shattnering his Dominicano G Strings on that Mound Posted: November 29, 2009 at 07:37 PM (#3398701)
Wait, what about his trade proposals for Gamel?
Gamel, whose calamitous throws from third to first make me wonder if he has webbed fingers, could stick as a DH in Oakland (with a B-grade reliever coming back to Milwaukee) or Baltimore (for a prospect like Jake Arrieta?).


Arrieta = 'B-Reliever', right?
   13. whoisalhedges Posted: November 30, 2009 at 03:56 PM (#3399095)
You know, I don't think Prince will age well, but he really could surprise us.

Although he looks slow due to his being short and round (and he's not exactly a burner, anyway), he's not as slow as a lot of power-hitting, weak-glove 1Bs. He does have a couple of inside-the-park HRs in his career, one of which was legit (and the other was when the RF couldn't get the ball out from under the padding of the wall). He also hits more doubles than one would expect from the truly slow power hitter. Additionally, his career high in GIDP was 18 in his first full season -- yes, he hits the ball in the air more than on the ground, but he can beat one out on occasion.

He has James' famous "old-player skills" (walks, power, not much in the way of speed or defense), but again, this comparison is imperfect. Bill's prototypical "old-player" in the '80s was Tom Brunansky. Prince hit .299 last year, .284 so far for his career. Not exactly Brunanskyan territory. His glove was a bit better last year (owing possibly to his trimmed-down physique), he played in all 162 games (157, 158, 159, 162 in his four full years in the majors).

So we have an iron man (so far), who isn't fast but isn't super slow either, who hits for a good average, who isn't good with the glove but not owing to a lack of athleticism... I'm not so sure he's finished by 32.

Of course, not being sure isn't the same as thinking the Brewers can or should sign him long-term. The odds are against Prince Fielder being a valuable major leaguer at 35; but he's got a better shot at it than some of his comps.
Page 1 of 1 pages

You must be Registered and Logged In to post comments.

 

 

<< Back to main

Support BBTF

donate

Thanks to
Darren
for his generous support.

Bookmarks

You must be logged in to view your Bookmarks.

Hot Topics

NewsblogSources: Cubs’ Starlin Castro Accused Of Sexual Assault
(5044 - 9:57pm, Feb 03)
Last: ray james

NewsblogOT: NBA Monthly Thread, February 2012
(52 - 9:53pm, Feb 03)
Last: Matt H.

NewsblogTerence Moore: Designated hitter skews home-run totals
(69 - 9:51pm, Feb 03)
Last: GotowarMissAgnes

NewsblogFeds Won't Charge Lance Armstrong
(2 - 9:33pm, Feb 03)
Last: Bob Tufts

Transaction Oracle2012 ZiPS Projections - Arizona Diamondbacks
(23 - 9:30pm, Feb 03)
Last: shoewizard

NewsblogGarrison: Repeat DUI Arrestee Dan McLaughlin Keeps Job as Cardinals Broadcaster
(18 - 9:27pm, Feb 03)
Last: Drew (Primakov, Gungho Iguanas)

NewsblogFraley: Rangers' Josh Hamilton has relapse with alcohol at area bar
(186 - 9:26pm, Feb 03)
Last: Arbitol Dijaler

NewsblogCBSNewYork/AP: Woman Charged With Stalking Yankees GM Brian Cashman
(24 - 9:19pm, Feb 03)
Last: JE (Jason Epstein)

NewsblogTom Brady a Montreal Expo: What might have been
(63 - 9:11pm, Feb 03)
Last: Ebessan

NewsblogThe Economist: Draft dodgers no more
(38 - 9:07pm, Feb 03)
Last: Joe Kehoskie

NewsblogMadden - Gary Carter attends Palm Beach Atlantic University baseball game
(4 - 8:45pm, Feb 03)
Last: JE (Jason Epstein)

NewsblogAdam Rubin: SNY bailing out Mets
(17 - 8:37pm, Feb 03)
Last: JE (Jason Epstein)

NewsblogBrewers To Accommodate Fans With Peanut Allergies
(278 - 8:30pm, Feb 03)
Last: The Ghost of Sox Fans Past

NewsblogHHS: Lou Brock is no Hall of Famer
(30 - 8:26pm, Feb 03)
Last: Jolly Old St. Neck Wound, Moral Idiot

NewsblogRex Hudler Favored For Royals TV Broadcast
(18 - 7:34pm, Feb 03)
Last: bads85

Buy MLB playoff tickets, plus 2011 World Series, 2011 ALCS tickets and NLCS game tickets. We also have Texas Rangers playoff schedule, tickets to Red Sox games and Yankees game tickets. Plus, buy Phillies baseball tickets, Tigers playoff tickets and the biggies like ALDS baseball tickets and 2011 NLDS tickets.

Demarini, Easton and TPX Baseball Bats

 

 

 

AllianceTickets.com has cheap MLB Tickets. Get all your Colorado Rockies Tickets, Seattle Mariners Tickets, San Francisco Giants Tickets and all your favorite baseball tickets here. We also carry cheap Denver Broncos Tickets, Seattle Seahawks Tickets and Denver Nuggets Tickets.

Page rendered in 0.3568 seconds
40 querie(s) executed