Quote from fenn68 on November 23, 2022, 2:34 am

29 vultures are circling MILW looking for some easy pickings.

Renfroe was high salary / short control so it looks like a pure salary dump. MILW has a number of other players in the same situation. Wonder how low they want (need) to drop the payroll?

Preller has to be lurking … especially if the return for Renfroe is indicative of what he would need to maybe snare someone if he takes on a larger salary.

Might look at LHH Wong … a 2-3 WAR 2B (Cronenworth to 1B) … 1 year / $10MM. Or if they go really big shoot for Yelich LHH for LF … $24MM AAV / 6 years control through age 36 … age 31 … 2-3 WAR type with plus OBP … a bit over paid for his WAR and that 6 year control is a drag on his value so MILW COULD move him for a modest return or get a better return by eating some money or, if only 2023 is the buying team’s issue take on a short term bad contract … Pomeranz?

Must have been a tough call in the MILW front office debating their 2023 playoff chances ( they were in the hunt to the end last season) and adding to win vs knowing the faded badly … have money issues … and the key parts of the team are a short control and getting expensive. I guess they chose to trade asset.

Quote from Henry Silvestre on November 23, 2022, 4:54 am

Quote from fenn68 on November 23, 2022, 2:34 am

29 vultures are circling MILW looking for some easy pickings.

Renfroe was high salary / short control so it looks like a pure salary dump. MILW has a number of other players in the same situation. Wonder how low they want (need) to drop the payroll?

Preller has to be lurking … especially if the return for Renfroe is indicative of what he would need to maybe snare someone if he takes on a larger salary.

Might look at LHH Wong … a 2-3 WAR 2B (Cronenworth to 1B) … 1 year / $10MM. Or if they go really big shoot for Yelich LHH for LF … $24MM AAV / 6 years control through age 36 … age 31 … 2-3 WAR type with plus OBP … a bit over paid for his WAR and that 6 year control is a drag on his value so MILW COULD move him for a modest return or get a better return by eating some money or, if only 2023 is the buying team’s issue take on a short term bad contract … Pomeranz?

Must have been a tough call in the MILW front office debating their 2023 playoff chances ( they were in the hunt to the end last season) and adding to win vs knowing the faded badly … have money issues … and the key parts of the team are a short control and getting expensive. I guess they chose to trade asset.

I thought about Yellich.. for 1 they would have to eat $10mil + a yr and for 2 send us specs to take on that contract..only specs I would send them are like #30+ guys

P Barnes

P Woodruff

P Lauer

1B Tellez

Would be my targets... all arb players .. Yellich is kind of a Myers situation now..where he handcuffs the Brewers or the acquiring team.. I think he would be a decent fit in SD.. but not with us taking on all of his $$..  if Brewers took on 2023 and 24 $$ and we were on the hook for $0 til 2025 and beyond that might work best long term for us..we still save them close to $100 mil

Quote from fenn68 on November 23, 2022, 5:33 am

MILW is just taking a curious route given they have a very good team with a plus plus pitching staff and just missed the playoffs last season. Traded Hader and now Renfroe both seemingly for payroll relief (so that looks to be the primary motivator).

Other than just payroll, it could reflect their view that in 2023 they could not afford to add enough to keep them in the playoff hunt … then recognized that after 2023 they have a ton of FA to be (most of which they would be unlikely to resign). So, start moving assets now … get to the rebuild early while saving money.

If that is truly the thinking … would think all the short term control / expensive options are on the table. That could make Woodruff and Burnes (both about $11MM) in play … both are very good at an under market price … and many teams want SP … either one should get a legit prospect or two while clearing the money.

MILW may be the interesting follow over the winter with some very good talent that could be moved … and if it SP that could alter the competition for the FA SP and temper the FA contract levels.

Preller calling?

Quote from MrPadre19 on November 23, 2022, 6:08 am

Also odd because in that Division they were clearly the 2nd best team…and still are.

It’s not like adding a small amount wouldn’t have given them an opportunity to catch the Cards.

 

Quote from Randy Manese on November 23, 2022, 6:15 am

Stay away from Yelich!  Played through his chronic back problems and got into 154 games this year, but on field track record after 2019 is very bad.  Still hits the ball hard but has turned into a Hosmer-esque batter by having a ground ball hit percentage of over 55% the past two years.  Days of a 7.0 WAR are long gone and OF play is barely adequate given his age and many injuries, although he still is relatively young.  After unburdening ourselves from the Myers and Hosmer contracts, don't need another albatross one that will hurt the roster-building flexibility in the future.  Much better options out there, short or long term.

Wouldn't mind a Luis Urias reunion but his salary range is what they are looking to keep even though he really doesn't fit the profile for the left side of the INF, which is where they have played him almost exclusively.

Quote from fenn68 on November 23, 2022, 6:51 am

Quote from MrPadre19 on November 23, 2022, 6:08 am

Also odd because in that Division they were clearly the 2nd best team…and still are.

It’s not like adding a small amount wouldn’t have given them an opportunity to catch the Cards.

 

My guess they could not afford to add a difference maker ... believed they could not overtake STL ... then it was getting one of the three Wild Card slots but looking at two of ATL-NYM-PHIL as difficult to overtake then SD with a full seasons of Soto/Tatis plus guessing the Cubs-SF-AZ on the rise ... just saw the writing on the wall. Probably did not help that they really faded down the stretch in 2022.

If the past is any indicator ... the finances of MILW are usually stressed and in the past few years probably have pushed beyond their capacity with some big contracts to win ... did not ... and made the hard call that spending more will not do the trick (to the disappointment of the fans) ... so regroup.

Quote from fenn68 on November 23, 2022, 7:09 am

Quote from Randy Manese on November 23, 2022, 6:15 am

Stay away from Yelich!  Played through his chronic back problems and got into 154 games this year, but on field track record after 2019 is very bad.  Still hits the ball hard but has turned into a Hosmer-esque batter by having a ground ball hit percentage of over 55% the past two years.  Days of a 7.0 WAR are long gone and OF play is barely adequate given his age and many injuries, although he still is relatively young.  After unburdening ourselves from the Myers and Hosmer contracts, don't need another albatross one that will hurt the roster-building flexibility in the future.  Much better options out there, short or long term.

Wouldn't mind a Luis Urias reunion but his salary range is what they are looking to keep even though he really doesn't fit the profile for the left side of the INF, which is where they have played him almost exclusively.

Agree on Yelich. If a hitter I still think Wong as a 2-3 WAR player, LHH, plus defense at 2B could be had "reasonably" since only 1 year but at a pricy $10MM (although that is fair value). Wong to 2B - Cronenworth to 1B might become a better alternative than most FA in that price point.

Probably more of an opportunity to target their SP: Woodruff and Burnes will be about $11MM with two years control; Lauer 2 years control at about $5.5MM; and Peralta at about $3.7MM with two years control plus two low cost club options ($8MM). Their 5th SP Ashby is a top prospect at league minimum. No weakness in that starting five.

If money is an issue ... basically have the top three SP FA after 2024 when most of the team is (or were) FA ... never will be able to sign all three (or even one) ... should be motivated to move Woodruff or Burnes as the big money guys who should yield the best return.

 

Quote from BoosterSD on November 23, 2022, 7:20 am

Quote from Randy Manese on November 23, 2022, 6:15 am

Stay away from Yelich!  Played through his chronic back problems and got into 154 games this year, but on field track record after 2019 is very bad.

Wouldn't mind a Luis Urias reunion but his salary range is what they are looking to keep even though he really doesn't fit the profile for the left side of the INF, which is where they have played him almost exclusively.

Ugg, no way I am interested in Urias coming back. I dont think he moves the needle for SD at all. He is RHH and plays position that we have plenty of coverage for already.

Yelich is a conundrum. He has not been the same guy since the knee injury late in the 2019 season. With the Rona in 2020 and a weird off season, probably wasnt able to rehab like he normally would, and probably came back before he should have. That in turn has probably caused/contributed to his back issues.

Two things to like about Yelich since the knee injury, his numbers are trending up again, each year the BA is coming back up. And even though his BA was only .205 in 2020, he still had an .356 OBP. So his batting eye is still there and he is LHH which is good. Second thing to like about the current version of Yelich, along with his OBP, his wheels are still there, as evidenced by his 19 steals and 25 doubles, and 4 triples.

So in his current form, he is still close to the value of Benintendi, both LFers, both OBP guys, and Yelich had more than double the steals of Benintendi. Benintendi I think is predicted to get about $15M per season for 4 years, so Yelich with out the power is over paid.

In order for this to work for SD and MIL, as Henry mentioned, there would need to be salary relief coming back to SD. You could say that SD would need about $10M per season for Yelich to be worth his market value. MIL could counter back that IF he gains his MVP form (will turn 31 in Dec) he is worth his contract. They could meet somewhere in the middle, with roughly about $7.5M per season coming back to SD, and then would need to work out the prospects that go with a pure baseball deal.

Money wise, Yelich is owed $162.5M, that includes the $6.5M buyout for the 2029 season. So if SD and MIL were to agree to send Yelich and $45M to SD for players, then MIL saves $117.5M, and SD takes about a $4.5M per year gamble that Yelich can get his power back, and be a better player than Benintendi, or if the power doesnt return, then SD is overpaying Yelich by about $4.5M over Benintendi. Which is not the end of the world IMO.

So it maybe a good bet on Yelich, based on the players that MIL would want back.

Quote from Randy Manese on November 23, 2022, 7:20 am

Concur.  Brewer staff gave us a lot of trouble in the past, especially Woodruff and Burnes.  Preller has a lot of history with Milwaukee so maybe a deal can be struck if we don't have to give up Merrill, Lesko, Zavala or Lizarraga.  Minors are so thin that I still prefer signing Senga as our #4 if we can do that.