I'll get this thread started again:

Joe (Green Bay) [via mobile]

Jerry, what's closer to reality, the Brewers that started 0-4, or the Brewers that are 5-1 in their last six?


Jerry Crasnick
(1:26 PM)

Joe, Hey, if the Brewers pitch the way they're capable of, they're going to contend in that division. I just had too many questions about the defense and the supporting cast for Prince and Braun to pick them ahead of Cincinnati. Worst case, they probably win 85 games or so. Best case, they win 93-95 and make the playoffs.

Aaron (South Dakota)

Tulo or Fielder. Who is more valuable right now?
Jayson Stark (1:03 PM)

How can I not pick Tulo? He's the best player in the universe right now. He hit more home runs in one series at Citi Field than the Twins -- all of them -- have hit all year. But it's not the bat that separates him from Prince. This guy plays a more important defensive position and he's a defensive difference-maker. You sure can't say that about Prince. And I think that whole Rockies team plays with incredible energy because of Tulowitzki. He's the man right now.

Super Suppan wrote:Aaron (South Dakota)

Tulo or Fielder. Who is more valuable right now?
Jayson Stark (1:03 PM)

How can I not pick Tulo? He's the best player in the universe right now. He hit more home runs in one series at Citi Field than the Twins -- all of them -- have hit all year. But it's not the bat that separates him from Prince. This guy plays a more important defensive position and he's a defensive difference-maker. You sure can't say that about Prince. And I think that whole Rockies team plays with incredible energy because of Tulowitzki. He's the man right now.

Really? Yeah Prince is having a great start (of course, contract year), but Tulo is considered a defensive star at a premium position. Prince is very bad defensively at the least valuable position. Then throw in Tulo has a very good bat as well, and I really don't see how it's a debate.

Tulo is the best player in the game going forward. There are players who are close, but Prince isn't one of them.

Not a bad ROY 1-2 back then, eh?

shirt wrote:Tulo is the best player in the game going forward. There are players who are close, but Prince isn't one of them.

So if you're building a team right now, prospects included, Tulo is your #1 pick?


I'd say moving forward Miggy Cabrera might be the top guy I'd take. Tulo's might rate as a more valuable player because he's a good defender at an important position, but I think he's on the same level as Pujols offensively.

It'd be hard really decide though. WAR would tell you it's Tulo I'm sure, but Cabrera's a potentially all-time-great hitter.

Who else? Mauer would be up there, but questions about his ability to stay behind the dish hurts him. Bryce Harper would be interesting, but...he's an OF'er, though he could be a once in a lifetime type combination of tools. Hamilton with bigger power.

Fan174 wrote:So if you're building a team right now, prospects included, Tulo is your #1 pick?


I'd say moving forward Miggy Cabrera might be the top guy I'd take. Tulo's might rate as a more valuable player because he's a good defender at an important position, but I think he's on the same level as Pujols offensively.

It'd be hard really decide though. WAR would tell you it's Tulo I'm sure, but Cabrera's a potentially all-time-great hitter.

Who else? Mauer would be up there, but questions about his ability to stay behind the dish hurts him. Bryce Harper would be interesting, but...he's an OF'er, though he could be a once in a lifetime type combination of tools. Hamilton with bigger power.

Yes, if there was some type of redraft for every team and I had the first pick overall it would be Tulo. Then say you get to keep their existing contracts and its even more of a no brainer.

That would actually be an interesting thing for the board. See if we can get 30 posters, one for each team, randomly set up a draft and then pick a 25 man roster using current players and prospects.

I'll set that up if anybody's interested.

Fan174 wrote:So if you're building a team right now, prospects included, Tulo is your #1 pick?

Hmmmm maybe a young pitcher,... But he is a freak.. position player, without a doubt,

trwi7 wrote:That would actually be an interesting thing for the board. See if we can get 30 posters, one for each team, randomly set up a draft and then pick a 25 man roster using current players and prospects.

I'll set that up if anybody's interested.

Do it,,,, We can sticky it for a few weeks.h

BrainDed wrote:

Fan174 wrote:So if you're building a team right now, prospects included, Tulo is your #1 pick?

Hmmmm maybe a young pitcher,... But he is a freak.. position player, without a doubt,

It would be very hard to go with a pitcher.

shirt wrote:

BrainDed wrote:

Fan174 wrote:So if you're building a team right now, prospects included, Tulo is your #1 pick?

Hmmmm maybe a young pitcher,... But he is a freak.. position player, without a doubt,

It would be very hard to go with a pitcher.

It'd be impossible for me to go with a pitcher.


Remember last year BrainDed when you were saying we were crazy for not wanting to trade Braun to get Strausburg? Well, what happened was the exact reason why.

If healthy, Strausburg is such a freak of a pitcher that you'd probably rather have him, BUT the injury rate for pitchers is just so much higher and the flame out rate as a result is so much higher that you can't take a pitcher in this type of debate IMO.

Mark Prior, and Kerry Wood come to mind. At their best and early in their career, I don't think there are many pitchers in the game right now who'd have more value than they did.

Maybe Felix Hernandez...David Price, Tim Lincecum, Gallardo...not many though. And their careers turned out to be very disappointing obviously.

Brewer Fan (Milwaukee, WI)

Who are the REAL Milwaukee Brewers? The team that just beat Doc Halladay and the Phillies 9-0 or the team that got swept by the Nationals?


David Schoenfield
(1:13 PM)

Well ... somewhere in-between I suppose. I wrote a quick note that the other day that the Brewers need to improve their bench. They can't play guys like Erick Almonte and Mark Kotsay and hope to win a division title. Corey Hart is badly needed.Brewers take 1-0 lead off Cliff Lee in the first.

Mike (San Diego)

Condenders with problems: How about the Brewers at short? Anyone with Yuni Betancourt starting at short has a problem there.


David Schoenfield
(1:17 PM)

Can't disagree with that one.

Cheesehead Sports Nut (Chicago, IL)

If you put Braun's two contracts together (eight years for $45 million and five years for $105 million) then it works out to a 13-year, $150 million contract. The Brewers severely underpaid for Braun through 2015 but they prematurely overpaid for 2016 through 2020. You can't ask for a nicer face for a franchise than Braun but I fear that the Brewers invested too much money in Braun prematurely. Is there any question that Braun would have signed a similar extension in 2014?


Jayson Stark
(1:03 PM)

I think Ryan Braun is a great player. I've made that case many times. But 10 years is too long a deal -- for any player. And when a guy is five years away from free agency, there normally would be no urgency to make a deal. But there's an extenuating circumstance in this case. And we can describe it as: Prince. This officially anoints Braun as the face of the franchise. It's also a way to tell fans that if Prince Fielder leaves, it's his fault, not the Brewers' fault. Big factor. But I think this deal is still too long.

Ryan (Milwaukee)

Why all the hate towards the Braun deal? How do you expect a small market to keep it's marquee players without such deals? Or would you rather have only the Sox and Yankees afford the franchise players?


Jayson Stark
(1:18 PM)

I don't hate that deal. I understand it. I applaud the Brewers' willingness to make that kind of commitment, and you have to love Ryan Braun for wanting to be a Brewer. I just think it's too long. For any player. Or any team. Why is that small-market hating at work.

Brian (NJ)

Its so dumb when teams make moves based on fan perception (Milwaukee with Bruan extention re. Prince). Fans care 99% about one thing: winning. Stupid moves for PR reasons are just that...stupid.


Jayson Stark
(1:20 PM)

Well, I should say that this isn't just about fan perception. There are other forces at work. And one of them is that you don't want a player who's 30 or 31, as Braun will be at the end of his deal, to knock on your door then and look for a seven-year or eight-year or 10-year contract. But most of these recent extensions have taken players through their age 35 season, at most. This one carries Braun through his age 36 season, barely before his 37th birthday. So in that sense, it's even riskier than the Tulo contract.

Ryan (San Jose)

Do you think that once Greinke and Hart come back the Brewers will seriously contend with the Cards and the Reds for the division?


Jayson Stark
(1:42 PM)

At that point, you'd have to love their talent level at the big leagues. The problem is zero depth below the big leagues. They're more susceptible to injury than those other teams. But if they stay healthy, with their rotation, they should be in this to the finish.

Chris (Austin)

Are you worried about Yovani Gallardo at all? Just hasn't looked himself lately.


Jayson Stark
(1:46 PM)

Just saw the Brewers. The feeling I got is that he still hasn't made that commitment to greatness, despite all his talent. And he'll always be inconsistent until he does.

RyGuy wrote: hasn't made that commitment to greatness

How do you do that, Jason?