The Brewers' Pitching Trap

[Bob Sacamano]

24 minutes ago, TaylorStSox said:

It doesn't matter what the board says. Who cares? 

 

The part in bold is bat shit crazy. 

 

 

Nothing is guaranteed. I would bet on them adding 2 SP and easing/building Kopech back in the minors. It'll be about 18 months since he pitched in a game. He ain't opening the year in the majors. 

[TaylorStSox]

14 minutes ago, soxfan2014 said:

Nothing is guaranteed. I would bet on them adding 2 SP and easing/building Kopech back in the minors. It'll be about 18 months since he pitched in a game. He ain't opening the year in the majors. 

I'm sure they'll add somebody to eat some innings and buy some time, but they aren't adding a #2 and #3. No way in the world that's happening. 

[caulfield12]

3 hours ago, TaylorStSox said:

I'm sure they'll add somebody to eat some innings and buy some time, but they aren't adding a #2 and #3. No way in the world that's happening. 

I'll go back to what I said in the begin.  Someone who will (eventually) slot into the 2 and 4 slots.

That doesn't mean they will be lined up that way on Opening Day, 2020.

 

Kopech/Giolito

#2

Kopech/Giolito (allowing for variance in performance)

#4 Marco Gonzales (just an example, and obviously Reynaldo could be ahead of him if he can straighten himself out, he has great stuff when he's on, same with Cease)

#5 Dylan Cease/Lopez (simply because if you look at our 1998-2000 cycle of #1 pitching prospects, only Buehrle, Wells, Garland and Fogg made it....another 8 didn't...of course, there's nothing wrong with one of them being a dominant high leverage reliever, either)

 

#7/8 Dunning/Rodon (coming off surgery, Dunning still needs at least 2-3 months in the minors, if not a full season)

#9-12 Lambert, Stiever, Dahlquist, Thompson

 

Having two established veterans on the team would also take a lot of pressure of the youngsters to be "saviors of the rebuild."  Especially Cole, because then everyone could fall back a slot and he would absorb most of the focus and attention, instead of having Kopech's every pitch diagnosed and worried about beginning next spring.

[caulfield12]

https://www.spotrac.com/mlb/milwaukee-brewers/chase-anderson-12082/

Some were speculating Chase Anderson was a FA option this offseason...he’s likely still under Brewers’ control for two more years.

[Dominikk85]

On 7/28/2019 at 11:33 PM, caulfield12 said:

 

We've spent a lot of time on here arguing whether Ivan Nova is really worth $9 million for what he brings to the table, but the Brewers' fear of investing in Free Agent pitching is befuddling at best.

God help us if Rick Hahn tries to follow the same "risk-aversion" path the next two offseasons on the starting pitching front.

OR MAYBE WE NEED TO HIRE DAVID STEARNS, lol?

You have one of the better starting line-ups in the National League (especially with Huira now), and you STILL went out of the way to save $5 million on Wade Freakin' Miley (who shut down the Cardinals at Busch)...with a payroll of around $122.5 million, your five highest paid players are on the position side.

How much did we spend on Nova, Jay, Herrera, McCann and Alonso?   Something like $30 million?

Can anyone explain this...because Stearns isn't stupid?  Is it the KW philosophy of "adding at the break/retooling at midseason" because they're a mid or small market team?  Is it an organizational philosophy (based on their experiences with Jimmy Nelson, Knebel and Suter) not to invest tons of money into the rotation?

 

The Brewers have 8 starting pitchers on the books for less than $20 million...

Chacin $6 million (pretty bad this year, amazingly solid last year)

Chase Anderson $6 million

Zach Davies $2.6 million

Gio Gonzalez $2+ million (incentives-based deal, brought back after spending 2017 there)

B.Woodruff $561,400

F.Peralta (now in the bullpen with Knebel out) $564,400

Brent Suter (out since last July with TJ surgery) $568,000

Jimmy Nelson (career might be over, he's their equivalent of Carlos Rodon), $3.7 million

 

I'm not sure whether it's impressive that they've been able to compete, or it's dumb, or both...but they're the perfect example of a team that should be 100% all-in/go for it mode...and that, just like the 2003 White Sox not being willing to pay Kenny Rogers the princely sum of $5 million, the Brewers are going to come up just short because they weren't willing to give Wade Miley that same amount of money sixteen years later.

Also, how you can look at that rotation realistically and believe it can match up with the Dodgers, Braves, Nationals, Cubs, Cardinals, etc.?

I think I would be pretty irate as a Brewers' fan, with how well they support that team up there at the gate.  If the Royals can go $131.5 million, $143 million and $122 million, so can the Brewers.

 

After 2005, the White Sox had the most expensive rotation in baseball when they added Javy Vazquez.

Now, it seems that the White Sox are aiming to have one of the best (and eventually most expensive as the rebuild moves on) starting line-ups...with one of the cheapest starting rotations in baseball.

Do you agree with following the Brewers' path, because of all the pitching injuries that are like an epidemic in baseball with max effort deliveries and a focus on just getting through the line-up twice (3-5 innings pitched)? 

Is it possible to get lucky in the playoffs without a great rotation or true top of the rotation guy (see 2014-15 KC Royals)...?   It got the Brewers to the World Series, almost.

To use more openers and invest and invest and invest into the bullpen...like the Brewers and Royals have done, creating "superpens" and even going with QUALITY openers to start games like Houser, Barnes and Burnes?

 

 

 

I agree, that is terrible. They have the lineup and pen to challenge the dodgers and cubs but won't invest in SP. I don't think stearns is stupid, i think the owner just won't give him more money.