any Hot Stove thoughts ?

[neutral]

from mlbtraderumors.com (today) ...

"Agent Joe Sambito tells Cafardo that free agent third baseman Will Middlebrooks has gotten inquiries from 11 teams.  Cafardo speculates that the Brewers could bring Middlebrooks into their third base mix."

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Brewers sign Will Middlebrooks to minor-league deal - By Tom Haudricourt of the Journal Sentinel Dec. 15, 2015

There was a time not that long ago when Boston fans wondered what the Red Sox would do with third base prospect Garin Cecchini, who was roadblocked at the big-league level by Will Middlebrooks.

Now, the Brewers have both players.

"The baseball world can change pretty quickly," said Brewers general manager David Stearns.

Five days after acquiring Cecchini in a cash deal with Boston, the Brewers signed Middlebrooks to a minor-league deal Tuesday with an invitation to big-league spring training. Middlebrooks, 27, became a free agent when San Diego non-tendered him Dec. 2 rather than enter the arbitration process after a poor season.

Once considered a top prospect, Middlebrooks made a strong debut with Boston in 2012, batting .288 with 15 home runs and 54 runs batted in over 75 games. The next year, he compiled 17 homers and 49 RBI in 94 games, but his batting average slipped to .227 and his OPS from .835 to .522.

Plagued by injuries, Middlebrooks continued to slide in 2014, batting .191 with a .522 OPS in 63 games. After the season, the Red Sox signed free-agent third baseman Pablo Sandoval and shipped Middlebrooks to San Diego.

He continued to struggle with the Padres, batting .212 with a .602 OPS in 270 plate appearances before being optioned to Class AAA El Paso in July.

Cecchini, 24, who was designated for assignment after a poor year at Class AAA Pawtucket, bats left-handed and Middlebrooks right-handed, presenting the possibility they could share time at third base with either also seeing action at first base.

"We look at both of them as guys who can play both corners," said Stearns, who has other internal options at third base in Jonathan Villar and non-roster player Hernan Perez. "We look at them primarily as third basemen but they have that additional versatility."

"The right/left complement is intentional. To be able to have that versatility gives us more options to fill out our roster."

Asked whether it's more likely that manager Craig Counsell would mix and match at third base, Stearns said, "It's too early to tell. In an ideal scenario, you'd like to see one guy emerge and take the bull by the horns and become an everyday, major-league player.

"But we also now have the depth and options for Craig to put the best matchups out there."

As for why Middlebrooks and Cecchini backtracked significantly offensively, "There are probably different reasons for each guy," Stearns said. "Middlebrooks did have success in the major leagues when he first came up, and since then has had success in spurts but hasn't maintained as well as you'd like.

"Cecchini is still a young player. He has been a prospect on the industry radar for a while. We still think that same talent is there and the ability is still there."

Stearns said he had no other personnel moves pending but added, "We remain active both in the center field and first base market."

[Ghetto]

Both these moves are limited liability, which is great. If they are signed to minor league deals, the money is minimal, and the Brewers are looking at these guys like they are maybes, rather than guys who we are counting on to make use winners long term.

[ougiqbxy]

Brewers trade Jason Rogers? I didn't know he had trade value. We now have no first baseman for the big leagues. Can someone say Pedro Alvarez? David Stearns is certainly restocking the farm system and hey...Keon Broxton might be the stopgap centerfielder until Brett Phillips gets to the big leagues. I have no clue what Stearns is going to do next and it's got me excited!

[neutral]

Brewers trade Jason Rogers? I didn't know he had trade value. We now have no first baseman for the big leagues. Can someone say Pedro Alvarez? David Stearns is certainly restocking the farm system and hey...Keon Broxton might be the stopgap centerfielder until Brett Phillips gets to the big leagues. I have no clue what Stearns is going to do next and it's got me excited!

I'm with you on that.  If I know what they're gonna do ... they're in big trouble. 
I've got near-term ideas - but not long-term, big-picture kinda stuff.

[Ghetto]

Stearns getting more than a dirty pair of socks for Jason Rogers might put him in contention for GM of the year.

It seems that they are not even thinking short term, unless it comes almost free (Middlebrooks). While that will make for some pretty lean years for the next five or so, hopefully it makes the Brewers stronger long term.

Dean Taylor never got any credit, but he built the club from the bottom up, and it worked. Then we brought in a new crew (granted with a different major league club) with Melvin, who kept buying short term fixes and selling the future. Maybe it was a cycle the Brewers were looking to do long term, but it certainly left the cupboard very barren. Maybe that is the plan again, in the future. Build for a few years, then buy stopgap pitching talent to try and win it all.

Getting any team to take Garza or Braun would free up so much cash. Those two hold the club back more than anything else.

[neutral]

There might be a market for Braun ... if they eat some of the contract.  He's still performing ... just not at that contract level.

Garza is another story altogether.  Nobody wants him in their rotation.  They'd be lucky to get the league minimum discount they'd get if they cut him ... and somebody picked him up for that ... (assuming he'd take it instead of just sitting).

[neutral]

Dec. 23, 2015

The Milwaukee Brewers made a series of moves on Wednesday, filling up their 40-man roster in the process.

The team claimed three players off waivers: outfielder Kirk Nieuwenhuis from the New York Mets, catcher Josmil Pinto from the San Diego Padres and first baseman Andy Wilkins from the Texas Rangers.

Nieuwenhuis, 28, is a four-year veteran who's played a total of 273 major-league games. Much of that time has come in center field, so he gives the Brewers another option there to consider in spring training along with last week's trade acquisition, Keon Broxton.

Shane Peterson, Ramon Flores and Michael Reed also will join the fray in center in the spring.

A left-handed hitter, Nieuwenhuis has batted .232 with a .306 on-base percentage over the course of his career. He hit .195 with four home runs and 14 RBI last season in 74 games while splitting time between the Mets and the Angels.

Three of those four homers came in one game on July 12 at Citi Field.

Pinto, 26, has 78 games of major-league experience, all with the Minnesota Twins. He hit .219 with seven homers and 18 RBI in 57 games in 2014.

In 64 games at Class AAA Rochester in 2015, Pinto hit .228/7/31. He had been claimed off waivers from the Twins by the Padres on Nov. 20.

Neither Nieuwenhuis nor Pinto have any minor-league options remaining.

Wilkins, 27, played 17 games in the majors for the Chicago White Sox in 2014, hitting .140 with two RBI.

He joins his seventh organization in this calendar year and third this month alone. He was claimed off waivers by the Seattle Mariners on Dec. 2 and again by the Rangers on Dec. 14 after the Mariners cut him loose.

Wilkins hit .293 with 30 homers and 85 RBI at Class AAA Charlotte in 2014 while with the White Sox and .251/18/79 in 126 games split between Class AAA Oklahoma City and Buffalo in 2015.

It's likely Pinto and Wilkins are being eyed for depth at Class AAA Colorado Springs with the Brewers, as they have needs at both catcher and first base.

The Brewers also announced several minor-league moves, most notable the retirement of outfielder Michael Ratterree, a 10th-round pick in 2013.

Ratterree hit just .150 with two homers and 17 RBI in 75 games at Class A Brevard County last season.

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Eric Young Jr. signs minor-league deal with Brewers - By Tom Haudricourt of the Journal Sentinel Dec. 29, 2015

Infielder/outfielder Eric Young Jr., whose father played in Milwaukee during a previous rebuilding era, has signed a minor-league deal with the Brewers with an invitation to big-league camp, Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com reported Tuesday.

Crasnick reported that Young will receive a $1 million salary if he makes the Brewers' roster next season.

Young, 30, would be more of an extra piece providing speed and versatility. He can play second base — as his father did for the Brewers in 2002-'03 — as well as all three outfield positions.

In 557 major-league games with Colorado, Atlanta and the New York Mets, Young has batted .247 with a .314 on-base percentage and .642 OPS. He has stolen 144 bases, including 46 in 2013 while playing for both the Mets and Rockies.

Last season, Young played in 35 games for the Braves and 18 for the Mets, who purchased his contract Aug. 22. He struggled badly at the plate, batting .153 with a .217 OBP.

In 247 games with the Brewers, the elder Young batted .271 with a .340 OBP, 18 home runs, 59 RBI and 56 stolen bases.

The only father-son combos to play for the Brewers were Tito and Terry Francona, and Davey and Derrick May.

[Ghetto]

None of the guys in the last two posts will make the roster. Not sure what they are making these moves for. Shake up things? Send a message to our minor league guys?

[DrSnide]

None of the guys in the last two posts will make the roster. Not sure what they are making these moves for. Shake up things? Send a message to our minor league guys?

Obviously they are not planning on winning this year so why not sign a bunch of cheap options and see if you can catch lightning in a bottle.  Its going to be a long season for the major league club - which I am more than ok with - so sign cheap placeholders and don't burn service time on our future stars in the minors.  Its going to be fun seeing how a suddenly stocked farms system plays out the next few years - good time to start following minor league baseball. 

[Ghetto]

I understand the concept, but few of the guys they've signed have shown that they can do anything at the MLB level.

Maybe Young will mentor Gennett.

[easytopin]

If we trade LuCroy who is going to be the catcher.....it certainly isn't Maldonado who cant even hit his weight.

[Ghetto]

I doubt they'll trade Lucroy. His number isn't very high, and he's an above average player. The Brewers got over on his contract big time. Lucroy definitely gave the home town discount.

[easytopin]

We couldn't trade Davis for a clubhouse big screen tv?