So I've lived with the trade that, had Greinke gone to NY, would've shook baseball. As such, I'll be happy having 3 Opening Day starters in the rotation & still being a slight underdog.
Anyway, here's my thoughts in no particular order:
1. Trades of prospects, for obvious reasons, cannot be rated immediately. Case in point, the CC trade is still in the Crew's favor as LaPorta & Brantley have made minimal impacts on the Indians. In the Greinke case, the Brewers received the best player, hands down. Former Cy Young, 27 years old, 2 more years under contract. Best player.
2. Prospects are just that, prospects. Do they all have room to become above-average? Definitely. Would they help push the Crew to the 85-90 win range? Probably not.
3. Which brings us to this: What was Milwaukee's biggest weakness in '09-'10? Starting pitching. Consider that nuisance addressed.
4. I think this gives the Brewers 3 years to restock the system. Health-given, they should challenge in the Central the next two years, then a one year grace period.
5. If you consider LuCroy, the top 6 batters in the 4th ranked NL offense remained untouched.
All in all, my excitement level for Brewer baseball was ratched up from it's usual frenetic level. I say sit back & enjoy the ride
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Brewers Weigh 2011 Against Future
MIL gets Greinke, ESPN begrudgingly admits there is a team in WI.
I linked to the originator of the flurry of activity last night, Bernie's Crew's Jim Breen. Congrats, Jim on the scoop. It would do well that the powers realize that bloggers have merit.
So the rotation in '11 looks like this: Greinke, Gallardo, Marcum, Wolf, Narveson. The offense stays essentially in tact from 1-6. I really don't have much to add that hasn't been said in the blogoshpere: Doug mortgaged the future for a last run with Fielder, possibly Weeks. Being Christmas it's only right to remember you must give to receive.
Let's remember, Escobar, for all the highlight plays, regressed throughout the year offensively. Cain tailed off when teams realized he's closer to a pull hitter than a spray hitter. And don't forget, Cain may have endeared himself running into walls, but Gomez is the better defender. Odorizzi is a solid young pitcher, but one that was only in A ball last year: again, give to receive.
Greinke has been one of the top 5 SP's in baseball the last 3 years, and he's only 27. As is the case with Marcum, AL pitchers coming to the NL usually see greater success than vice versa, since they get that DH out of the lineup.
All in all, the Crew needed pitching, they went out & got it. Is it February yet?
I linked to the originator of the flurry of activity last night, Bernie's Crew's Jim Breen. Congrats, Jim on the scoop. It would do well that the powers realize that bloggers have merit.
So the rotation in '11 looks like this: Greinke, Gallardo, Marcum, Wolf, Narveson. The offense stays essentially in tact from 1-6. I really don't have much to add that hasn't been said in the blogoshpere: Doug mortgaged the future for a last run with Fielder, possibly Weeks. Being Christmas it's only right to remember you must give to receive.
Let's remember, Escobar, for all the highlight plays, regressed throughout the year offensively. Cain tailed off when teams realized he's closer to a pull hitter than a spray hitter. And don't forget, Cain may have endeared himself running into walls, but Gomez is the better defender. Odorizzi is a solid young pitcher, but one that was only in A ball last year: again, give to receive.
Greinke has been one of the top 5 SP's in baseball the last 3 years, and he's only 27. As is the case with Marcum, AL pitchers coming to the NL usually see greater success than vice versa, since they get that DH out of the lineup.
All in all, the Crew needed pitching, they went out & got it. Is it February yet?
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