Series Thread: Orioles @ Brewers

[jute2003]

Weird year... They just keep winning and the rest of the division just keeps sucking.

[Kerb Hohl]

I deleted my idea of Verlander. I think we could take on some salary and I'd prefer that over selling off prospects, but Verlander's FIP/xFIP is up enough this year that I'm not as willing to overpay as I had thought.

[El Duderino]

I deleted my idea of Verlander. I think we could take on some salary and I'd prefer that over selling off prospects, but Verlander's FIP/xFIP is up enough this year that I'm not as willing to overpay as I had thought.

I don't want to trade for Verlander, but given how well the payroll situation is, i could potentially see Stearns take on some salary if it meant lesser prospects going back in a trade.

Baseball can be like football in that from year to year you just never know if some teams exceed or under-perform expectations, along with how say teams in your division do. Look for example how things have fallen apart for the Mets and the Cubs have struggled, but the Brewers, Rockies, and Diamondbacks have been better than expected.

Stearns just has to be smart. If a trade can be made which helps the team this year, but doesn't cost prime prospects, i'd be ok with that. Like with any trade in any sport, it has to be evaluated by the details. A lot of our prospects i'd consider untouchable, but not all of them.

[Kerb Hohl]

I deleted my idea of Verlander. I think we could take on some salary and I'd prefer that over selling off prospects, but Verlander's FIP/xFIP is up enough this year that I'm not as willing to overpay as I had thought.

I don't want to trade for Verlander, but given how well the payroll situation is, i could potentially see Stearns take on some salary if it meant lesser prospects going back in a trade.

Baseball can be like football in that from year to year you just never know if some teams exceed or under-perform expectations, along with how say teams in your division do. Look for example how things have fallen apart for the Mets and the Cubs have struggled, but the Brewers, Rockies, and Diamondbacks have been better than expected.

Stearns just has to be smart. If a trade can be made which helps the team this year, but doesn't cost prime prospects, i'd be ok with that. Like with any trade in any sport, it has to be evaluated by the details. A lot of our prospects i'd consider untouchable, but not all of them.

Yeah, the idea of it is that we could take on some salary if it meant giving up minimal prospects. I agree...not sure who else is out there but I'd be for that type of move.

[Prickle]

Funny, I was talking with my dad last night and he's kind of in the same camp with the other dads. I understand the point of view - they're in first place, exciting to watch, maybe they really do have a chance at the playoffs this year. My counter argument to him was I'd rather see them miss the playoffs for another year or two and then field a team that has a legitimate chance at winning the world series. He was pretty insistent on trying to make a move for this season though too.

That probably describes a lot of the "casual, watches just about every game" fan out there. I'm torn, part of me wants to see them keep winning because it's fun, but I'm scared by what they might feel forced to do around the trade deadline if they're still in/close to first. I'm definitely in the camp of looking at things long term. That's why a pickup like Vogt was so great. If we can pick up a few pieces now and only trade lower end prospects, I can't complain about that.

Maybe all these dads know something that their sons don't. Perhaps all the additional years of watching Brewers baseball has given them a little more insight. Perhaps they've learned that when an opportunity presents itself, it's best to strike while the iron's hot, for you never know what tomorrow will bring.

I'm simply playing devil's advocate here, I'm not sure what the correct answer is. But I do know that there's no guarantees in baseball - it's probably the most difficult sport to predict. Just because the future looks bright, and the Brewers have a nice rebuilding plan in place, doesn't guarantee that it will ever come to fruition. Three years from now, we could be looking back at this season as "the year we coulda done something." You never know. The Cubs seemed destined for a 5-year window of greatness, and while that may very well still happen, the defending champs sure don't look good so far this season. Who would've predicted that? No one. Again, you never know.

I have a little beef with your statement that you'd "rather see them miss the playoffs for another year or two and then field a team that has a legitimate chance at winning the world series." That sounds like a great plan on paper, but......you know how the saying goes. The fact is, every team in the playoffs has a legitimate chance at winning the World Series - this is what separates the MLB from other sports. This isn't the NBA, where the Bucks had about a .001% chance at winning the title last year, despite being a playoff team.

Now, I don't think the Brewers should make a move that mortgages the future, by any means. But I also don't think they should just "unplug the phones", so to speak. I trust Stearns will do what's best for the team's present and future. I highly doubt he'll make a big "splash" acquisition this year, but that doesn't mean there aren't moves that can be made to improve the team's chances THIS YEAR. Just because the Brewers weren't supposed to contend this year, doesn't mean they shouldn't TRY to contend this year. We've all been waiting for the hammer to drop, but it just hasn't. They've been the best team in the division for over half the season now, their destiny is in their own hands. As unbelievable as it seems, they have a legitimate shot this year, and it shouldn't be wasted just because the success is ahead of schedule. You never know when you'll get the chance again. By now, this franchise should know that better than anyone.

[WeekapaugGroove]

Funny, I was talking with my dad last night and he's kind of in the same camp with the other dads. I understand the point of view - they're in first place, exciting to watch, maybe they really do have a chance at the playoffs this year. My counter argument to him was I'd rather see them miss the playoffs for another year or two and then field a team that has a legitimate chance at winning the world series. He was pretty insistent on trying to make a move for this season though too.

That probably describes a lot of the "casual, watches just about every game" fan out there. I'm torn, part of me wants to see them keep winning because it's fun, but I'm scared by what they might feel forced to do around the trade deadline if they're still in/close to first. I'm definitely in the camp of looking at things long term. That's why a pickup like Vogt was so great. If we can pick up a few pieces now and only trade lower end prospects, I can't complain about that.

Maybe all these dads know something that their sons don't. Perhaps all the additional years of watching Brewers baseball has given them a little more insight. Perhaps they've learned that when an opportunity presents itself, it's best to strike while the iron's hot, for you never know what tomorrow will bring.

I'm simply playing devil's advocate here, I'm not sure what the correct answer is. But I do know that there's no guarantees in baseball - it's probably the most difficult sport to predict. Just because the future looks bright, and the Brewers have a nice rebuilding plan in place, doesn't guarantee that it will ever come to fruition. Three years from now, we could be looking back at this season as "the year we coulda done something." You never know. The Cubs seemed destined for a 5-year window of greatness, and while that may very well still happen, the defending champs sure don't look good so far this season. Who would've predicted that? No one. Again, you never know.

I have a little beef with your statement that you'd "rather see them miss the playoffs for another year or two and then field a team that has a legitimate chance at winning the world series." That sounds like a great plan on paper, but......you know how the saying goes. The fact is, every team in the playoffs has a legitimate chance at winning the World Series - this is what separates the MLB from other sports. This isn't the NBA, where the Bucks had about a .001% chance at winning the title last year, despite being a playoff team.

Now, I don't think the Brewers should make a move that mortgages the future, by any means. But I also don't think they should just "unplug the phones", so to speak. I trust Stearns will do what's best for the team's present and future. I highly doubt he'll make a big "splash" acquisition this year, but that doesn't mean there aren't moves that can be made to improve the team's chances THIS YEAR. Just because the Brewers weren't supposed to contend this year, doesn't mean they shouldn't TRY to contend this year. We've all been waiting for the hammer to drop, but it just hasn't. They've been the best team in the division for over half the season now, their destiny is in their own hands. As unbelievable as it seems, they have a legitimate shot this year, and it shouldn't be wasted just because the success is ahead of schedule. You never know when you'll get the chance again. By now, this franchise should know that better than anyone.

Good post. I'm with you that they shouldn't go crazy but should be opportunistic. The cubs might be struggling this year but they are young and have a **** ton of money to spend so they are a dangerous opponent longterm. Kick them when they are down.

Sent from my SM-G930V using RealGM mobile app