Monday, November 3, 2008

Brewers News

Lots of Brewers news today.

Mike Maddux leaves to become the Texas Rangers pitching coach.

No word on whether Texas (5.37 team ERA in 2008, last in MLB) has employed a pitching coach in the past. I'm sorry to see Maddux go, because he seemed like a good coach and a good guy, but perhaps a new voice would be good for some of the starters (Parra, Suppan?). This isn't great news, but it's not terrible news either, in my opinion. Good luck, Mike. It appears that you're going to need it.

The Brewers excercise their team option on Mike Cameron for 2009.

I've said before that this was a no-brainer, and I'm glad they made this move. Cameron was a plus defender and was a team leader from Day 1 last year. Combine that with the lack of viable centerfielders in the system or on the free agent market, and this is a good move.

The Brewers reportedly offer CC a 5-year, $100 million contract.

This is significantly less than the crazy 4-year, $110 million offer that some news outlets (namely WTMJ AM 620) were reporting over the weekend. That offer (at over $27 M per year) might have caused CC to pause before rejecting it. This offer will lead to no such hesitation. K Bye, CC. Thanks for 2008.
Posted by Matt at 2:55 PM
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15 comments:

DannyNoonan said...

Word on the street is it's 4 years at $100 Million. Mark my word.

November 3, 2008 at 3:42 PM
Charlie Marlow said...

OK. Its 4-5 years for between $20M-$25M. That better?

And, I'm still very anti-Mike Cameron. The options out there aren't attractive, however. And there's always the intriguing Cameron trade to the Yankees rumors to consider.

November 3, 2008 at 3:45 PM
woziszeus said...

CC is gone.

I'm glad Cameron is back. Nice little show of faith by management that they are committed to staying competitive.

Why again are people against this?
-4th or 5th best option at the plate (Behind the big 3 and maybe Hart).
-Best defensive player on the team.
-Tangibles that can't be measured.

In my mind...a good guy to have on the team as we make another push next year.

November 3, 2008 at 4:04 PM
Charlie Marlow said...

FPCT isn't everything, woz, and he should probably have been fairly charged with 5 errors last season anyway. But, typically, he makes up for it in the field.

The issue I have is we've got enough all or nothings on this team. Its just that this one's getting $10, whereas Bill Hall is only going to make $6.8, and Rickie Weeks probably $3 or so. I think its possible Mike Cameron is a bigger guess hitter than Bill Hall.

Remember last off-season? Doug Melvin talking up and down about how the team needed an AVG/OBP guy in the OF? Funny how he got the total opposite...and a guy who fits well into Jim Skaalen's poor HR hitting approach.

I mean, I'd take a guy with a line like .300/.370/.005. If he can get on base for the RBI guys...who, in turn, need to remember how to hit w/RISP...great. There's no one on the team capable of it. And who are we going to add to the existing group now? We're just going to hope Dale can magic up some hitting skeelz for his boys? Ugh, another season of Camgoo swinging and missing, and looking shocked when he does...

November 3, 2008 at 4:10 PM
Anonymous said...

I mean, I'd take a guy with a line like .300/.370/.005.

Yeah .300 hitters just grow on trees. I bet we can go to the local Wal Mart and pick one up.

Maybe we should get Ken Griffey Junior.

Come on Charlie, how many guys in baseball hit .300 a year, 30. So that means 1 per team hits .300.

November 3, 2008 at 4:41 PM
Matt said...

Cameron had some miscues, but he was light years better than any recent Brewers CF on defense, and carried the team on offense in August when Braun got hurt and Prince was still struggling. Without him, they don't have that scorching August and don't make the playoffs.

Yes, he Ks too much. But he does a lot of other things really well.

November 3, 2008 at 4:43 PM
Anonymous said...

Anyone wanna call where Sheets ends up
my top 3
1. Houston
2. Baltimore
3. The Disabled List

November 3, 2008 at 4:53 PM
Charlie Marlow said...

Yeah .300 hitters just grow on trees. I bet we can go to the local Wal Mart and pick one up.

Well, I'm sure its more expensive to buy them at Wal Mart since they're paying for a middle man who employs children to pick them. So, if you can lead me to the .300 hitter tree, I'll pick one for the Brewers.

Maybe we should get Ken Griffey Junior.

That seems stupid, since he is clearly in decline and wasn't anywhere near .300 last season! Jeepers, anonymous!

Come on Charlie, how many guys in baseball hit .300 a year, 30.

Actually, 41, with a minimum of 400 PA.

So that means 1 per team hits .300.

Even though your math is really flawed, due to the fact that you fabricated a stat, I'll humor you. In any case, let's play fill in the blank: The Brewers' .300 hitter was ___________________.

Cameron had some miscues, but he was light years better than any recent Brewers CF on defense, and carried the team on offense in August when Braun got hurt and Prince was still struggling. Without him, they don't have that scorching August and don't make the playoffs.

Yes, he Ks too much. But he does a lot of other things really well.

I agree with all of it. I just hate Mike Cameron...for all of the reasons I've listed above. He becomes an approximately average defender with 106 OPS+. Hopefully Dale's magic skeelz will help him not K so much.

November 3, 2008 at 5:17 PM
Anonymous said...

look on the bright side. At least now there's no need to hold onto Cam. Look for a trade staight up Cam for Melky Cabrera from the yanks. That will take care of another left(switch) bat and clear up some money, while also gaining youth.

November 3, 2008 at 5:39 PM
Charlie Marlow said...

Interesting, but we're losing on both offense and defense then. And do we really have room for two "but he's got GREAT upside" players?

Maybe, but I don't know.

November 3, 2008 at 5:54 PM
Matt said...

Look, I understand why some might not want Cameron back. But I have never heard anyone come up with a reasonable alternative to him. And no, "move Corey Hart to center and put Gamel in right" and "what about Tony Gwynn Jr.?" don't count as reasonable alternatives.

MLB.com tells me that the top free agent centerfielders are Jim Edmonds, who might be retiring, and Mark Kotsay. Pass.

November 3, 2008 at 9:47 PM
Anonymous said...

Doug Melvin has a boner with Dick Weeks...how about him at center? Can't be worse than he is at 2b. Wait, nevermind.

November 3, 2008 at 10:11 PM
Anonymous said...

The Cameron signing only makes sense if it tips the scales to bring Sabathia back with the club, which I still doubt will ever happen. So we are left with aging defender Mike "Strikeout" Cameron for 10 million dollars that should be going to bring in better starting pitching. A rotation of Gallardo, Bush, Parra, Suppan, fill in the blank isn't a contending rotation. When Sabathia signs elsewhere I can only hope Melvin ditches Cameron.

November 4, 2008 at 10:16 AM
Charlie Marlow said...

Don't forget about Chris Capuano. Two Tommy John's later, and he's a new man!

And no, there's not a better option at CF on the FA market. Unfortunately, that means a trade would be the only possibility to NOT see Strike Camgoo in CF next season.

November 4, 2008 at 12:16 PM
Anonymous said...

The way I look at the CC thing is like this: YoGa will give us better numbers than Sheets did, so we just need to get another starter that is within a few games of a 1/2 Bush 1/2 Sabathia season, so roughly 14-12 or so.

November 4, 2008 at 9:15 PM

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