The Brewers have lined up with the Royals on a deal that will bring third baseman Mike Moustakas to Milwaukee, as MLB.com’s Jeffrey Flanagan first reported (via Twitter). Outfielder Brett Phillips and righty Jorge Lopez are going to Kansas City in return.
This appears to be a fascinating agreement for a variety of reasons, beginning with the fact that it’s the official farewell between Moustakas and the Royals, who surprisingly reunited last winter. It seems the Brewers will be rolling the dice on Travis Shaw’s ability to play second base, as the long-time third-bagger will apparently make way for his new teammate. For the Royals, meanwhile, the focus of this swap is on acquiring MLB options rather than far-off, higher-ceiling talent.
It’s a notable acquisition price for the Brewers to pay, but also a palatable one for a club that had other plans at these positions. After watching Manny Machado, Eduardo Escobar, and Asdrubal Cabrera head elsewhere, the club pivoted to the veteran Moustakas and got something done without giving up prized future pieces.
That said, the fit seems awfully curious; indeed, we expressed some skepticism of that match when it was first suggested. The Milwaukee organization clearly believes that Shaw is capable of playing second base, but he has never yet done so in a professional baseball contest. It certainly helps that the club can still call upon a variety of other infielders to slot in at second when the situation calls for it.
Of course, slotting Moustakas’s bat into a lineup promises to vastly increase the offensive output over the run of marginal bats that left the Brewers with one of the least-productive second base units in the game. He has seen his numbers dwindle over the course of the year, but still owns a .249/.309/.468 batting line that’s good for a 107 wRC+ and falls mostly in line with his typical output at the plate.
Otherwise, Moustakas is grading out as a solid defender and poor baserunner on the year, leaving him as a quality regular. But he’s most effective against right-handed pitching, albeit not by a huge margin, so perhaps skipper Craig Counsell can extract added some added value both by means of seeking platoon advantages and remaining mindful of situational priorities.
It appears that the Brewers will take over Moustakas’s contract, which promised him just $5.5MM this year with a $1MM buyout in a 2019 mutual option. There’s no particular reason to think that the option will be seen as anything more than a formality in this coming offseason, so the Milwaukee organization likely views this as a pure rental situation.
As they send Moustakas on his way, the Royals will receive an interesting return of two young players who already have some MLB experience. Neither is currently billed as highly as they have been in the past. And both will continue to occupy 40-man spots, meaning they’ll be part of the roster picture at the major-league level from the outset.
Phillips still rated as the Brewers’ sixth-best prospect on the latest Baseball America board, though MLB.com wasn’t quite as bullish in rating him tenth. The 24-year-old still has intriguing tools, though he has also struggled to a .240/.331/.411 slash in 299 plate appearances this year at Triple-A. He’ll join the recently acquired Brian Goodwin in giving the Royals organization a group of outfielders that suddenly seems much more interesting.
Lopez, meanwhile, has fallen even farther from grace. Once a consensus top-100 prospect, the 25-year-old has run into some problems of late. He pitched to a 4.25 ERA in 103 2/3 Double-A frames in 2017, but posted much more promising peripherals that supported a 3.21 FIP an 3.13 xFIP. Unfortunately, there’s not much cause for optimism in his 2018 output. Lopez has a 2.75 ERA in 19 2/3 MLB innings, but he also carries a 15:13 K/BB ratio. In 28 2/3 Triple-A frames, he’s working to a 5.65 ERA with 7.2 K/9 and 3.1 BB/9.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Y
mca.
He has a license to kill, I think you know what time it is, it’s time to get ill..
Ahh, what do we have here? An outlaw and his beer
Does that mean we don’t have to hear about the Braves having interest in him anymore?
I’m glad to hear that statement surprisingly. I was tired of Braves fans saying we didn’t need him. It’s not that we have a lack of need for him, I just think there are bigger holes to fill on the sinking ship…(they more than likely won’t get patched). -shrugs-
I’ll tell you just like I told someone last night right before the Braves acquired Venters. The Braves will make other moves before the deadline and you can bet your ass it won’t be for rental players which is the best route to go. You don’t give up good prospects for 3 month rentals unless you have unlimited money to spend to overpay for free agents during the off season to replace what you gave up. If you think otherwise you obviously don’t understand what put the Braves in the situation they were in following the Uggla and Upton acquisitions.
I’ll be more clear. I didn’t want Moustakas, I just got tired of hearing people saying we didn’t need him. The truth is, he would have helped, but until the lineup starts producing again and pitching doesn’t give up the games early, it’s not a route I wanted to go. I don’t want the fan base to think that the organization is too “good” for certain players. I can get behind the “no-rental” argument though.
Uggla is a freakin beast he is the second base god
that you, Dan?
Yeah it’s me just using my giant muscles and extreme baseball skill to fight crime
I think it’s the Florida/Georgia version of Mac!
Dan uggla was a generational talent
The Braves don’t need Moustakes. =}
Why would you spend prospect capital to get a third basemen who isn’t producing better than the third basemen you already have?
^ that’s exactly why I didn’t understand the need. No need to trade for a starter to be a bench player.
Offense isn’t a problem in Atlanta. Moustakas wasn’t a NEED. Pitching is a NEED in Atlanta.
Unless your the 2016 Cubs and want to win a World Series. If not now when?
This is true. He was a forearm god
The same reason you are giving for not going after him is exactly why most Braves fans were saying we didn’t need him. Maybe you should understand that most fans on this site get it. Instead you are acting as if none of them have your level of understanding. Maybe, they just don’t spell it out because they feel they shouldn’t have to for most to understand.
Slow-pitch maybe. Lived down the road from the guy. Tried recruiting him for my softball team. Didn’t work.
Retweet u da man
I was going to make a comparison between Dan Uggla and Tim Tebow regarding their rise and steep fall in their respective sports, but then I remembered Tebow is actually playing baseball. Regardless, I believe that Dan Uggla was a 38-year-old Tim Tebow that used a time machine because he just wanted to play ball.
I’ll offer some solace to Braves fans… They reminded me of the 2015 Cubs earlier this season. A number of young players seemed to click at the same time, and they vaulted to contention.
And now that they’re fading slightly just ahead of the trade deadline… they still remind me of the 2015 Cubs team that was sliding ahead of that deadline and remained mostly silent on the trade front (Timmy Hunter and Dan Haren)
But the slide and the silence didn’t matter much. The young players seemed rejuvenated down the stretch, sprinted to the finish line, and while they didn’t catch the Cardinals in the regular season — they took them out in the playoffs.
The braves amongst any other teams looking to add a good infielder should probably look to add carpenter from the cards and I think it would be smart for the cards to shop him now to help fill their future needs
Brett Phillips… what? overpay….
Why? Phillips has no path to the bigs.
Just because he doesn’t have a path to playing time doesn’t take away from the type of player he is and or could be… I personally wouldn’t have traded him for a slumping rental especially when you have to slide an above average third basemen to 2nd so you can fit him in. Doesn’t make sense to me.
I agree, Shaw plays phenomenal defense at the hot corner I’d rather have seen the Brewers get Gausman and Schoop than Moustakas
Too much swing and miss in his game and he’s completely blocked. I’ll hate to see him go on and have a good career in KC, but wouldn’t call it an overpay.
Barely move to the right at 3b and half the game playing 2b. Also of note? Shaw wasn’t exactly a good defensive 1b in the minors.. limited range. which way is the range of a 1b? Yep.. U guessed it.. Ur right, so maybe Danny Uggla at BEST defense with 1 and a half steps to his right and fair range on his left?
Uggla is amazing dot drag his name through the mud
From future HOF to “limited range”
Being that they were talking about them with Baltimore, it appears that the Orioles wanted way, wayy too much for them. Betting they asked for Hiura for sure.
I agree but the O’s are known for being hard to deal with ,some teams don’t have patience for them,Thankfully I’m not a O’s fan
I’m happy to be an Os fan. They now are primed to have 5 top 100 prospects and are in the running for the top international player in Victor Victor Mesa. Not to mention a top draft pick in next year’s draft, the health of Hunter Harvey and Brandon Kline, and a reasonable payroll.
The Orioles are going to sign an International free agent prospect? I will believe it when I see it.
Overpay? Both guys are spare parts having awful years in AAA. Maybe one of them could turn around some day and help the big league team. Seems about right.
Meh.. agree to disagree. Phillips is an MLB ready player with high upside. Although yes he’s currently slumping. I think he could’ve been a chip in a potential trade for a starter
I know it might be hard to fathom but major league execs know how valuable their prospects are more than you do
That doesn’t mean teams don’t overpay. It happens all the time…
Every trade is an overpay. The GM that completes the trade has to offer more than any other GM thinks the player is worth.
That doesn’t mean the other offers were already “fair” market value and that one team has to go even higher every time. That’s obviously not the case. Usually the team that cracks and makes the best offer is the one that raises their offer to fair value, while the others are still trying to underpay.
Aren’t we here to discuss and give opinions on trades? My opinion is that this wasn’t a great trade for the brewers. I’m not stating I know more about an organization and its prospects then the people running it. I’m simply stating what I think. People hate too much on this site.
Phillips has lost a lot of luster as a prospect since the Astros trade.
*Phillips has lost a lot of luster as a prospect since being stuck too far down on the Brewers depth chart and not receiving everyday playing time to where he could find his groove and reach his ceiling.
Fixed.
You mean like the everyday playing time that he was getting at AAA where he was only hitting .240? In a VERY hitter friendly league. I’m a fan of Phillips, but it does not bother me to see him go in this deal.
You mean the 4x or so he was shuffled back and forth between AAA and MLB this year only to rot on the bench and pinch hit over the course of 5-7 days? You mean the excellent AAA season he had last year after the Brewers broke his contact swing down to rebuild it to a power swing instead? You mean the 280/350/800 line he was posting as a “starter” at the MLB level, including this year? He sucks as a pinch hitter but has been great when starting. But hey, lets play the “what have you done for me the past 2 months” game as if that’s who he’s going to be his entire career even though he’s a talented 24yr old who’s succeeded at every level thus far.. KC got a good package. Lopez has the ability to be a solid pen arm as well if he can control his fastball better.
would’ve rather corey ray be the centerpiece
As would every royals fan, but no way Moose could have brought back a prospect of his level. This is as good as you could expect for Moose
Honestly it’s even better than I expected. 2 (former) top 100 prospects for Moose – who nobody seemed to want 5-6 months ago.
KC fans definitely would have preferred Ray, but ray is on track to take over in the of when Braun’s contract is up.
So Shaw is playing 2nd?
As dumb and desperate as this move is, yes Shaw will play 2nd
not yet
World Series time
Is this what the Brewers really need? I don’t like this for them. Shaw has been good enough this year. Far more pressing needs.
UNLESS…Travis Shaw could be part of a deal for Schoop and Gausman. I could see him being wanted by the Orioles as part of a package.
Brewers wouldn’t trade Shaw for those guys I don’t think. Moose is a rental too
Why would the Brewers trade one of their better hitters and why would the rebuilding Orioles want a player with dwindling club control?
Shaw still has 4 years of control and is a PROVEN major league bat. That’s why the Orioles might want him.
Shaw plays a position where the Brewers just acquired arguably a better player. Therefore, he is an extra guy from a position of strength. You deal from strength to improve weakness.
Which of these 3 scenarios would be better?
1) Shaw goes to the bench where one of your better hitters languishes
2) Shaw goes to second base where he probably will not be a good defender.
3) Shaw gets traded for a real second baseman and starter meaning you wouldn’t have to give up your best prospects.
I know what I would go with, but that’s just me.
Probably are 25 teams that would be fall over themselves to trade for Shaw
He’s not replacing Shaw, he’s moving to 2B
Sure it’s exactly what they need, another one dimensional corner infielder. In related news, the Brewers are also trading for Pujols to play 1B, Aguilar is moving to SS. No wonder their fans are pissed off, I would be too. They desperately need a legit C/SS/2B and least one SP… at least and they dump legit prospects on a another 3B.
Darn. I wanted him. Would have been perfect for Yankee Stadium. Oh well
Anyone who can pop it up is perfect for Yankee stadium.
Like Chris Carter? He could pop it. Led NL HR’s!
Look up Carter’s stats. Moose is better than Carter, so not anyone can hit HR, is perfect NYY Stadium.
Ok anyone who is a LH
If every pop up is a home run in yankee stadium than luis severino must be the greatest pitcher of all time.
Lol
Shaw can’t be worse defensively than saladino at 2nd
Are you sure?
Well he can’t be much worse at least.
Even if he is at least he can hit. Saladino is garbage
Smdh
Nice job Jeff doing the graveyard shift..
Travis Shaw? Jesus Aguilar? Nah let’s load up on power hitting corner infielders-Brewers, probably
The Orioles did it first
Big overpay for BP. Good for the Royals.
I wouldn’t say this is an overpay by the Brewers, but I think the Royals got a good return here (I just criticized Dayton Moore in a different thread on here but he did well here)
Moose on the loose!!
wish i could post a screen shot of the comments section of the article “orioles and brewers having serious discussions” props to matt galvin for saying shaw could play 2nd. immediately after youve got kenneth cole saying shaw would have zero range and then andrew gauldin said “shaw will never see time at second base” well that didnt take long to possibly get proven wrong. should deserve a 1 month chat ban
Guess I deserve a ban as well, because I didn’t think Shaw stood even a remote chance of seeing any time at 2B…
I simply thought it was just “trade deadline fodder” that the Brewers were throwing out there, so other teams wouldn’t think they HAD TO target a second baseman…
Guess I was pretty clearly wrong..VERY BOLD move by the Brewers, but Shaw must have been practicing at 2B recently, and apparently he showed them enough to pull the trigger on this deal…
Either way, adding Moose to their line-up definitely helps fill a glaring hole!!
It’s a questionable move at best. Pitching and defense matters BIGTIME in the postseason, this seems like an ill timed, unnecessary and desperate experiment by the Brewers. There are plenty of legit, proven 2B options they could have acquired especially with the package they gave KC for Moose.
So what if the Brewers were to flip Aguilar or Thames for something else like Maybe Bird and Gray or Sheffield then Shaw goes to first
He’s been the best slugger by far, why move him? This shouldn’t have been that complicated. Go after Dozier or Schoop, or Castro, or any of the other available proven 2B. I thought a Cabrera/Wheeler package from the Mets would have been scary perfect for the Brewers.
Cain is moving to 3rd, the Moose will roam center, and Shaw will play the keystone.
That’s only because MIL coldn’t pry Dee Gordon loose from the Mariners and move him to catcher.
Good for you buddy. Exposed me. But My opinion will not change on this, Shaw should not be playing second base, and I don’t think he will post good defensive metrics. imo, bad management because they failed to acquire Asdrubal or Eduardo, so they settle with moustakas forcing Shaw to play second. Not a good move, but they were desperate. As for Shaw at second, hope he does well, but I don’t have high hopes for it.
If everyone who said something wrong got banned, there’d be no one left to comment here
oh how beautiful and sweet would that be
Comment of the year right here. Having seen Shaw play at both Portland and Pawtucket, as well as in Boston, I would never think anyone wants to move him to 2nd. Unsurprising that people didn’t think the Brewers would trade for another 3B to move someone who doesn’t look like they could play middle infield there. No need to be over zealous and dumb sounding. Hope second base works out for him, but as others have said, have my doubts.
Been a decent amount of trade before the deadline. I like it. Can’t wait to see what else happens before and on the day of the deadline. Hope my Dodgers make a life for a starter and or reliever. Good pick up for the Brewers here.
Very surprised to see Phillips in this deal. I hear the other commenters on his subpar season and lack of clear path to MLB, but he still seems far too high of a ceiling guy to let loose for a slumping rental that confuses your infield arrangement. As always, time will tell.
I don’t think Brewers are done…I see them targeting Schoop for 2B.
Then what do they do with Shaw? Fairly certain this closes the door on 2B and they can now focus on a SP.
So trade for schoop and thus block Hiura the Brewers top prospect for a few years.
School only has 1 more year, not sure they’re confident enough in Huira’s D to name him the opening day 2B by next season quite yet. Hasn’t even been over AA yet.
Stupid autocorrect keeps changing Schoop to school
I think this is a good deal for both teams. Phillips didn’t really fit in with the Brewers roster, and now he will get plenty of chances in KC. Brewers get a power hitting, clutch 3rd baseman that has post-season experience, but of course I am very bias, because he’s a fellow Chatsworth alumni! Brew Crew still don’t have what it takes to go deep in the post season though. Repeat trip to the WS for the Doyers. Book it!
But we already have a power hitting clutch 3B. Nothing wrong with moose, nothing really wrong with the return for the royals, but it just doesn’t make any sense.
If they’re really convinced that Shaw can play 2B it makes sense, but I’m sceptical. Would have been a higher price for Schoop or a chance Dozier has another turn around second half. Hopefully this works out, but based on the return for Escobar I think they should have outbid the DBacks instead.
Does he not have a no trade clause? Feel sorry for him. He’ll leave this winter again. For a contender.
Derp
What?
Hes dismissing the Brewers.
Which earned him a derp.
Brewers are not as good as their record.
All hype by talking heads.
Aren’t you a Cubs fan? Lol. Arm yourself with facts, not hot takes. Nobody knows the future. Cubs are great team, with young nucleus tho.
You cant tell by my nickname on here. I’m probably the biggest Cubs fan you’d ever meet. One of the most knowledgeable person about baseball.
Do you know anyone that can name off the top of the head can name the last 27 world series champions? Including half the opponents. At least 25% I can say how many games it took to crown a winner.
This could be and probably is an exact quote from the mouth of every Cubs fan.
Oh yeah?
Well, I can name the last 28…
Also, I can divide by 0!
To be fair, you have to have an extremely high IQ to be a cubs fan.
Bryzzoed- you’ve officially posted the most pompous, self-indulgent and joyously ludicrous comment I’ve yet read on this site! Keep it up, pal!
haha a Cubs fan the most knowledgeable baseball fan around….get real knob
Just brought that up on Google, so let’s get started sport.
1989 Athletics sweep giants.
Reds 1990
Twins 1991(jack Morris game 7)
Blue Jays 1992 vs braves)1993 Joe Carter walk off 3 run homer off mitch Williams
1994 no one.
1995 Braves
1996 Yankees
1997 Marlins (Edgar Reneria(Craig Counsell scores winning run. If I’m not mistaking the hit was off Charles Nagy
1998(Yankees sweep Padres)
1999 Yankees
2000 Yankees (Clemens throws broken bat at Piazza)His lips read “I thought it was the ball”
2001 D’Backs (one of the best 7 games series in all of sports) 3 blown saves Byung young Kim(got his name wrong) Luis Gonzalez with the infield in. Game winning hit. Once again Craig Counsell scores the winning run.
2002 Angels 3 run double by Garrett Anderson early in the game was the deciding factor.
Joe buck would not get off bonds nutsack. (It was also the Darren Baker incident JT Snow picked him up as he scored
2003 Marlins beat the Yankees
That was also the chokefest by the Cubs and the Bartman game.
Wakefield gives up walk off home run to current Yankees manager Aaron Boone
2004 Red Sox comes back down 3-0 in the ALCS Blowout the Yankees game 7
That’s also the series Kevin Millar brags about. The clutch walk .followed by a huge steal of 2md by current Dodgers Manager Dave Roberts
2005 white Sox sweep Astros
2006 Cardinals
2007 Red Sox sweep Rockies (Keith Foulk gets the last out as he toss the ball to 1st.
2008 Philllies win in 5 games vs Ray’s
2009 Yankees beat the Phillies
Giants beat the Rangers
2011. Another classic 7 game series. Ron Washimgton basically singlehandledly lost that series
Walking Pujols to pitch to Lance Berman and David Freese( who were both hitting about .450 for the series. Also Nelson Cruz in right field
2012 giants find another judy hitter in cody ross to be a world series hero.
2013 Red Sox beat the Cardinals
2014 Giants again. Another classic. Madison Bumgarner went 2-0 with a 5 inning save in game 7
2015 Royals beat the Mets
2016 Cubs in another classic. (Gave every Cubs fan cardiac arrest after the blown save by Chapman.
2017 once again classic 7 game series Astros over the Dodgers.
I know I’ll get a ton of downvotes for this. I dont care ig.you do.or not. You’re just trolling by doing so.
Is attempting to remember the 28th most recent World Series champion just pushing your brain past capacity. You can’t be the most knowledgeable “person” about baseball if you can’t remember the last 28 WS winners.
Half the opponents is impressive. Most people forget about the team who loses. 2016 was a magical year and all Cub fans shared that one equally . I have a picture of my son in bleachers of Wrigley 2014 freezing night game in April. Marmol actually got a save. Let’s win another one
10000% agree!! By far the best comment ever.
I just listed them. And just for the hell of it. Added facts about them all. There was no world series in 1994. You’d know that if you weren’t 13.
I’ve been to one of those freezing game. I was there with my uncle. It was the one and only time I raw aramis Ramirez actually hustled. The cards fan offered myself and my uncle a hot dog and a beer. We declined.
Do you not understand English ?
I understand that some Cubs fans think that they’re better humans than others simply because of the baseball team they root for lolol I feel sorry for you man!
Man, your egomaniacal paragraph of vomit above is completely littered with errors of basic English. You’re not doing so great here.
Theres wasnt a single spelling error.
Not at all I’m just a smart baseball fan. I dont thilnk any less of anyone else
You missed a comma and mistyped on word think, thou who is most knowledgeable.
I’m a Cub fan and think Brewers are doing a great job and with their low payroll tip my hat every time to them. Going to be a fun fight for division. Most Cubs and Brewers or all teams fans are cool. The overtop ones just stick out so much. These sights are fun and most ribbing is all in jest.
It’s really tough to be a true fan of a team and see these bandwagon-over-the-top-posers on this site. It never use to be like this…
Half the “fans” at Cubs games are tourists visiting Chicago who just bought their shirt outside the stadium. All kidding aside, being from MIL I know some good Cubs fans.
“Theres wasn’t a single spelling error.” LMAOOO
Buddy, there are so many errors that it makes my high school students look like Tolstoy. You need to take your ego down a peg and remind yourself that you’re attempting to prove your nonexistent worth to a bunch of invisible people on a baseball message board.
“One of the most knowledgeable person about baseball.” That’s a “sentence” you wrote. Kids, who knows the definition of irony? Extra credit for why that’s not even a grammatical sentence. Even more bonus points for what the error is called. Let the games begin.
You’re really going to judge on my spelling online. Are you 13. Who cares. No error out all of that its not as bad as your homerism for your bandwagon fan.
Actually, the answer we were looking for was “sentence fragment.” “I’m wrong” would have also sufficed. Join us next time on everyone’s favorite show “Why does Bryzzoe keep going?”
And, if I may, the quote that started this grammatical show of hoots and hollers, “Do you not understand English?” It’s the best show on the air, folks!
You’re the biggest troll here.
Why is that sentence bad English. There’s nothing wrong with it.
I only troll those who deserve to be trolled. You, my friend, the grammatically stumbling, painfully transparent pseudo intellectual with an unhealthy superiority complex and odd desire to prove nothing to no one, are deserving.
I trust Stearns but this is a straight up dumb trade
Busy day today. I guess Milwaukee wants to try and slug their way to a division title.
Why not that’s what the Yankees do.
Yanks also have a killer bullpen.
Yankees have a killer bullpen? That’s true because the Brewers isn’t one of the best in baseball now….
Carr responded in the third person: “That ain’t Chuckie’s game. Chuckie hacks on 2-0.”
New Lineup:
Cain – CF
Yelich – RF
Aguilar – 1B
Moustakas – 3B
Braun/Thames – RF
Shaw – 2B
Pina / Hopeful Trade – C
Arica – SS
Pretty good top 6 offensively, just don’t get shaw at 2B…
I’m with you on that, but he’s been practicing there so they must have confidence in him. And it’s not like the current 2B options are anywhere near gold glove caliber.
Nobody outside the Brewers have seen him play second. Maybe Shaw has the ability. Only time will tell
If only Hernan could catch
Thank you. Why aren’t the Brewers even listed on the rumors on catchers? They’re an even bigger offensive hole than the 2B at this point. Ramos would be great, but the injury and the cost may be prohibitive.
Pina is a great defensive catcher and, I believe, a big reason that their pitching has outperformed expectations the last 2 years.
Brewers have the best D in baseball this year so far. It will be put to the test now with Shaw playing 2b.
Best D in baseball by what measure? They have the 5th most errors and are 25th in fielding percentage. DRS is a little better, but nowhere near the best.
DRS from Baseball Info Solutions has the Brewers D as 2nd best (I was mistaken, thought they were first).
May be a bad source.
That’s where o got the info though.
Going to be kinda hard for 2 people to play RF at the same time and not have a LF according to your lineup.
Innovative OF shift?
Three formal Royals in there, plus Jeffress in the pen.
And forgot you just got Soria…that’s 20% of your active roster! #yourewelcome
Cain and Jeffress were Brewers first. And the Royals had a few former Brewers on their roster as they made their way through the post season.. They seem to do a few moves together, those two clubs.
Lol the hot stove league comments
Sad to lose Smalls but hopefully this works. This trade seems like high risk high reward, and that doesn’t come from the high risk of loss of good prospects. It comes from the high risk of the question of whether Shaw can play 2B, cuz if not, this trade doesn’t really improve the team.
Shaw does play second on the shift. so I guess I get it
If Shaw can play average defense at second this is a good trade for the Brewers. Losing Phillips sucks but he was blocked by Cain and Yellich at the big league level and was behind Corey ray in the minors. Until I see otherwise I’m going to assume Shaw has shown Counsell and sterns enough defensively to believe he can be a decent second baseman. It’s risky but there certainly is a possible reward. The other thing the trade does is bring in another proven winner. Having players who know what it takes could be big as we make a run
Not only blocked by Cain and moving behind Ray soon, but the Crew still seems set on Broxton over him too.
Also Moose and Cain reunited.
For those who wanted cabrera instead….and think Shaw will stuggle at 2b….just remember
Cabrera has -17 defensive runs saved this year….so yes you might like his offense better than moose BUT moose is an upgrade defensively at 3rd and Shaw will have a hard time being as bad at defense as Cabrera was this year.
Anyone who wants Brett Phillips to be playing baseball games for us hasn’t watched him play LOL. His only good quality is a strong arm. He can’t hit. Lopez is not good either. Amazing trade.
Ehh I’m not big on Phillips being more than a 4th OF, but he also hasn’t gotten regular PT yet to prove us rignt or wrong
Brewers are loaded.
Brewers also have Ray in AA hitting the cover off the ball lately. Phillips is out 6th or 7th best outfielder. Cain, yellich, Braun, Ray, Perez, Santana, Ray, stokes, Taylor. I would even like rymer liriano(blast from the past) to get called up before Phillips
This move will not help the Brewers, it will hurt their 2018 run.. Shaw is a 3Bman, not a 2Bman. Apparently this new defense of Shaw going to 2nd, nor the pitching (most important) does not matter, just the trade deadline moves that say to the franchise ‘we made a move, go us’. Yeah, not a great move. Phillips was blocked in MIL, hopefully he does well in KC, ditto with Lopez
If you told me in the preseason Mark Canha would be Oakland’s CF when they are a contender AND he’s actually pretty decent out there, I would have thrown my laptop at you. Moving from 1B to CF is wayyyy crazier than moving from 3B to 2B.
Time will tell, man. I hope Moose does well for MIL, ditto with Shaw moving to 2nd.
It’s 3rd base MAN.. NOT 3rd base LADY..AND THAT IS A SCIENTIFIC FACT.
Whoa dudeness88, don’t crap your pants over scientific facts.
They underpaid. It should have started with Brett Phillips. And 2 other top 30 prospects. Who ever their next best was. He instantly makes them better at 3rd. Shaw is benched or traded. He’s been replaced.
Remember when you guaranteed the PTBNL wasn’t going to be a major league player and it was gonna be a low minors guy.
You’re “knowledgeable” huh
I am. Finally got those pesky A-B-D’s memorized yesterday.
Hahaha…panic move
I wonder if KC should’ve just kept these players and just traded for Counsel lol
Now flip Shaw and prospect(s) for B. Dozier.
But don’t, bc as a Cubs fan, Is rather see yu try and play him at a new positioning a pennant race.
Read up on Phillips, and I couldn’t believe they got him, Santana, and Hader for C. Gomez and Fiers!! Wow
Shaw has 3 more years of control and is quite a bit more valuable than Dozier on his own. Seems they’ll try him at 2B for now.
Wtf are you talking about?
He said 3 years of Shaw is more valuable than 2 1/2 months of Dozier. Also the Brewers are playing Shaw at 2B. I think what he said was pretty straight forward?
A Cubs fan criticizing players playing out of position? LOL Madden has played Bryant at first, short and all three OF spots… Contreras at third, first and OF,.. Baez at second, short third and OF…. and of course Zobrist and Happ pretty much anywhere. So, Shaw playing some at second during a pennant race shouldn’t be criticized by a Cubs fan.
Ya, but Maddon is a genius, and Cubs players are the only “versatile” ones in the league. I’m surprised you didn’t know that.
Hmmm, all the Cubs fans REALLY want the Brewers to trade Shaw for a rental. That’s odd that a div rival would want their enemy to get rid of all their good players. Shook much?
There’s a plethora of 2b available. Why take the risk in moving Shaw?
Here’s some 2b who are all available.
Schoop
Dozier
Gennett
Castro
Cabrera before he was traded
I’m sure I’m missing some Kinsler probably too.
Now Moose is playoff tested and his power should play better in Milwaukee just not a move I would have went for it I’m the brewers
Neil Walker is hitting .333 BA (13-for-39) last 14 games. Are you interested? The Brewer connection.
Castro’s contract is prohibitive, Scooter wants to stay in Cin and they seem to want to extend him, Schoop is going to be expensive, Asdrubal is bad defensively…. Kinsler I would have liked, but if they’re confident in Shaw I don’t mind it.
Gennett not available
I wouldn’t consider 4 second baseman a “large or excessive amount” available. I don’t know when the word plethora became so prevalent in sports writing but it has been beaten to death. Half the time it is not even used correctly. Besides, isn’t “a lot” or “several” quicker and easier to type?
LOL
Now the Brewers are going to trade Corey Ray for Zack Wheeler.
I agree they’re going to go after Wheeler, but I see Erceg plus better lottery tickets being the Mets target over Ray.
I believe the Mets are going to get either Corey Ray straight up or Erceg & Jacob Nottingham. Either way, it would be a good deal for both clubs. The brewers might as well go all in. The have acquired 2 quality arms in the last week & half(Wahl & Kilome). The Mets need positional prospects bow.
One of the more bizarre transactions I’ve seen in a while.
Trade for a guy who plays a position you are strong at, then move the old guy to a position he’s never played, all while ignoring your glaring pitching needs.
Still 4 days to go. You really think Stearns is done?
As a Cubs fan, I’m loving this move.
That cake quickly
That came quickly
Thats what she said
Mmmm, cake.
Seriously why arent teams even calling the Marlins to discuss a Starlin Castro trade? Absolutely baffling
Maybe they don’t want that contract?
I mean, his contract isnt that bad. Castro is set to make about 10M a year for this year and the next (and i think a team option after that?) while Cabrera is set to make 8M and is purely a rental. Im just surprised that im hearing nothing about teams even checking in with the Marlins, who made it clear that they are rebuilding and shedding payroll since the purchase. I would rather have Castro than Cabrera and Moose, especially after Escobar came off the market.
Maybe they did and the Marlins wanted way too much for him?
Possibly, you would think that we would at least heard of teams checking in, you know?
The Brewers are going to have to let someone go to make room. I’m guessing the Brad Miller experiment is over. Also noticed Eric Sogard was just signed to a minor league contract by the Brewers. I’m sure CC can feel his writing hand starting to twitch…it wants so badly to start writing him into a lineup again..
Who’s trying to squad up on fortnite
I want to make a separate account to downvote you twice
Marlins would have traded Castro and his contract for a six pack and a bag of peanuts.
all these people saying Brett Phillips is basically a stud prospect have lost their minds. there is a reason he’s already been traded once and is still on a rookie deal when he was drafted 6 years ago!!!! Moustakas has struggled a bit the last month and a bit but I’m that park vs Kaufman, I expect the bat to pick up.
This trade really is Stearns betting that Shaw will produce a similar value at 2nd that he provides at 3rd. I don’t think that is a reasonable ask of someone with Shaw’s experience, skill and athleticism. Earlier their were better fits out there, but this tells me Stearns didn’t want to pay those prospect prices. The Crew is playing for a wild card spot, in isolation does this move improve their chances of securing a spot?
Stearns doesn’t want to pay? No kidding, and it will come back to haunt this team.
If he traded Hiura, Ray & Ortiz for Schoop you would be singing a very different tune.
Brewers overpaid
They didn’t pay enough. Royals deserve more than.only two players.
Conflicting opinions from Cubs fans. I thought your fan base was the most knowledgeable? Since you’re on both sides of the spectrum then it evens out as a fair trade. Pack it up guys, we’re done here.
He speaks for no one. Probably some high school kid who is entitled.
lol no they didn’t, stop trolling
This trade makes no sense. Like what if Shaw does really miserable at 2nd? Yeah this trade will come back and mike them in the back.
Bite*
Honestly, I understand what you’re saying, but if it doesn’t work, they just sit Moustakas on the bench and are in the same spot they were. I just hope it doesn’t cost them any games to find out it doesn’t work.
They have up basically nothing.
Hey it’s 2018. The Brewer staff is full of flyout/strikeout pitchers. The middle infielders typically get just 3 or 4 grounders a game. Shaw is capable enough and has moved all over the infield on shifts. Counsell will get defense in the game up the middle to preserve leads late. Anyone who watches the Brewers on a regular basis knows they had issues with their lineup beyond the 5th spot in the order.
Why would Shaw be horrible at 2B when he’s plus at 3B? He’s an athlete, he’s a ballplayer, he probably could hold it down at minimum. If Mark Canha can turn from a strict 1B into an decent CF, anything is possible.
Talk about panic buy.
They were actually linked to him over a month ago. I also remember reading about Shaw taking grounders at second before each game a month ago. Bleacher report
Sure but they missed out on most of their targets and “had” to do something. So they did it and at a premium.
They did it at a premium? By dealing from their surplus of OFers and a guy who’s falling fast in Lopez? They got a 35 HR hitter for a guy who could develop into a 4th OFer if his bat ever figures it out. Not to mention Phillips was never going to play in Milwaukee.
Shaw to Rangers for Odor.
Shaw is a million times better and way cheaper than Odor – you aren’t getting out from that mistake extension anytime soon.
My take.
Brewers rentals are considered a failure unless they (at least) win the LDS.
You -probably- should view things in terms of larger sample scales, such as “these rentals will be a failure unless the Brewers make the postseason” – what happens in 5 game playoffs are a total crapshoot.
Not many will say “I’m happy we dealt those 4 cost-controlled guys so that we lost in the Wild Card game.”
Maybe I’m wrong.
To get to a 5 game playoff they need to win the wild card game, they’re not winning a wild card game with any of those 5 pitchers starting the game.
I love how you’re already locking up the division when it’s 1.5 games and there’s talks Bryant will miss an extended period of time. The 4.6 ERA Hamels lock it up for you? Not to mention Stearns said he is thinking he will get another trade or two done. Cubs fans arrogance because they’ve had a good 4 year run after 100 years of irrelevance is funny to me.
Yet they’re 60-46 or whatever. Amazing they can do that with their crap pitchers
I’ll again reference the Brewers staff has been better as a whole than the Cubs. Not to mention their lineup is better now with Bryant missing an extended period of time.
Seriously Crew08? Are you new to baseball? When have the Cubs ever been irrelevant? One of the most storied franchises in the game. Been to playoffs/won more playoff series just in the last 3 years more than the Brewers have EVER won. Not to mention the early 2000s, the late 90s, the late 80s, the mid 80s…. and that’s just in my lifetime. What have the Brewers EVER done? In ANYONE’S lifetime. The Brewers have EXACTLY ZERO rings.
I get that you’re defensive, I get you’re anxious… I probably would be too if I was a Brewer fan ESPECIALLY after what happened last year in the second half, but that’s no need to make yourself look silly. You know what being an irrelevant ML team is? It’s getting bounced out of one league and sent packing to another. Can you imagine the push back if baseball even tried to do that to the Cubs. It would never happen. This little “rivalry” is cute, but I guess it’s no different than the rivalry that bugs have with a windshield, sure they keep running into each other, but it always ends bad for the bugs. (Guess who the bugs are in this analogy… lol) Yes, we take over your home park whenever we want, but that’s just because we can. The Cardinals are our real rival, have been for decades and is actually one of the best rivalries in all of sport.
So educate yourself before you run your mouth like a clown, you’re not doing your fellow Brewer fans any favors. BTW, have you noticed that many BREWER fans have been critical of the moves your front office has made. Pitching matters IF you make it to the playoffs, defense matters IF you make it to the playoffs. Shaw at 2B is an unnecessary and ill timed experiment, especially for a team desperately trying to make a RARE postseason appearance. Especially for a team that still doesn’t have an ace SP, a ML caliber SS or C… or 2B. It’s an oddly constructed team. Sterns could have done better with his trade assets. Don’t kill the messenger.
So I said the cubs have been good the last 4 years but before that haven’t been relevant. Your argument to that is saying the brewers haven’t won anything in the past 3 years like the cubs. That proves my exact point smart one. My whole argument is cubs fans think they are the end all be all after having 4 years of success. When were the cubs good before 2013-2014? I’ll wait. Stearns has lost exactly 0 trades since coming to Milwaukee. Phillips/Hader/Santana for Gomez/Fiers, Lucroy for Brinson/Ortiz, Shaw straight up for Thornburg. Not to mention the Yelich deal already looks like a win. All these cubs fans acting like they know more than Stearns who has clearly seen Shaw play 2B for a few months now and felt confident about making a move. The brewers have a better lineup and better bullpen than the cubs now. I’m sure you’ll argue the lineups but with Bryant out for an extended period the brewers 1-6 is better. For all this talk of SP the cubs don’t have many good ones themselves. Darvish was a great signing, Lester is already starting to come back to earth, Q and Hendricks have been terrible and chatwood throws less strikes than my 5 year old brother. The cubs try to fix that by adding a HR prone Hamels who’s sitting on a 4.5 era for the year and has been on a steep decline the last few years. The brewers and cubs were close all first half. The brewers add Soria and moose and the cubs add Hamels but lose Bryant. Who’s winning there?
You’ll “wait”? Oh, you don’t have to wait. It’s pretty simple, your question was “When were the Cubs good before 2013/14?” Well, just in my lifetime, they won the division before this current group in 2007, 2008, 2003, 1989, 1984 with a WC berth in 1998… in addition to this current team which has gone to the NLCS 3 straight years, winning it all in 2016.
The Brewers have NEVER won a WS.
The Cubs in just the LAST THREE YEARS have been to the playoffs as many times as the Brewers have been IN THEIR ENTIRE PITIFUL EXISTENCE. Let that sink in while you’re talking sh** … it’s ok “I’ll wait”. 2 divisional titles, 1 wild card berth in their entire history, ZERO rings.
Oh, and I’m glad you’re willing to wait, because the Cubs aren’t some veteran laden time with a small window to win, much of their young core has yet to even peak. Bryant will be back, so will Yu… so will Morrow and I’m confident the Cubs aren’t done adding yet. Hamels has an ERA under 3 away from Texas, over the next couple of months, I would bet Hamels would be the ace on that Brewers staff.
Also, not only is their core locked up for years to come, they have PLENTY of money to spend to fill in any blanks. Does that answer your question?
No it doesn’t. So you’re argument continues to tie back into the past 3 seasons lol. Before that you said it yourself the cubs made the playoffs 6 times from 1984-2008. My entire argument was the cubs were not relevant before this last stretch of 4 seasons. Is 6 playoff berths in 24 years relevant to you? Once every 4 years they made the playoffs. The cubs have their young bats all coming through arbitration. You think Baez, Schwarber, Happ, Contreras, Russell are going to be cheap? Not to mention you have terrible contracts you still owe to Heyward, Darvish, Chatwood and Lester. Those 4 alone are making close to 85M next year. Add in the 15M for Bryant and you have 100M locked up in just 5 players (two of which suck). Add the substantial raises the arbitration guys will and you’re not as well off as you think financially.
The brewers are just as well off for the future as the cubs are. A MUCH better farm, Jesus, Cain, Yelich, Shaw, plus everyone in the pen outside Soria are locked up.
On paper at the break the only substantial place the cubs were better than the brewers this year was offensively. We added a 35HR hitter in Miller park which is a dream for lefties.
I’m sick of cubs fans assuming that since they were Betts last year it’s their division without question. No realistic cubs fan thinks they are going to win this division by a large margin and the brewers continue to close the gap talent wise.
Better*
Sorry, once again Melvin made the trade Gomez trade.
Hahaha, is 2 in the last 24 years relevant to you? Because that’s how many times the Brewers made the playoffs. And we all get that you’re a blind homer desperately grasping to any select reasoning you can find. Bryant, Rizzo, Baez, Russell, Contreras, Schwarber, Happ, Almora, Edwards, Hendricks, Caratini, Bote ALL YOUNG, COST CONTROLLED, PROVEN ML CHAMPIONS, locked up for years to come. What’s the young core that’s so impressive for the Brewers? Sure, I’ll wait…
“Prospects” are just that… “prospects” until they can prove it like many of the Cubs prospects have. In what world do you think the Brewers future is brighter, please take off the homer glasses for a while. For every “prospect” that turn into Bryant or Baez, there are hundreds, if not thousands, that turn into Arcia or worse. Again, the Cubs window is wide open. The Brewers can’t just wait it out and hope to be relevant, for the first time ever, anytime soon.
Bottom line, no matter how you look at it, the Cubs were better in the past, better in the present and poised to be better moving forward. You can’t fake it for 162, the creme always rises which is why the Brewers end up looking up at the Cubs.
Do you comprehend what cost controlled means? Lol. Those guys you mentioned aren’t locked up on long term deals so they aren’t “cost controlled”. Baez is in his first year of arbitration and could easily be making what Donaldson was when he ends arbitration which was around 20M. Bryant is due to make 15M next year and 20M the year after is that considered cost controlled? If Contreras continues this way he will be one of the higher paid catchers in the league one he’s trough with arbitration.
The guys you mentioned in (Baez, Bryant, Contreras, Russell, Schwarber, Happ, Almora) are all controlled for years but not locked up long term. What happens in two years when the first three are pushing 20M per season and the last 4 are pushing 10M per? Cubs going to push the payroll to 300M to pay for those bats plus rizzo, Heyward and a rotation?
Also, when did I ever say the brewers had been relevant. You cubs fans are always the ones that run your mouths because you one a title for the first time in a 100 years and I was proving the point that you were not relevant whatsoever before 2014.
I’m pretty sure I also mentioned that Jesus, Yelich, Cain, Shaw, Hader, Knebel, Jeffress are all locked up for the brewers. The lead in the central is 1 game and cubs fans act like it’s done. If Bryant misses a month plus good luck keeping that division lead.
I’ll never understand why teams trade prospects who may actually have some value in the future for trash like Moustakas.
Moustakas has a 2.2 bWAR (extrapolated to 3.6 over 162 games) this year, so no, he’s far from “trash”. Yes, he’s not a star, but calm down and add some nuance to how you rate baseball players.
Also the 2 guys Milwaukee sent over are barely prospects right now, they’re blocked MLB-level players who can go right onto the 25 man.
How does being “blocked” diminish their trade value? Haha, are they blocked wherever they are traded too? Perhaps YOU should add some “nuance” in assessing the proper value of prospects.
It’s sort of a misnomer to say Shaw has never played 2B. He’s lined up there many times when the Brewers shift.
Lol, that’s not playing 2B, on a shift there is no holes, good luck turning two as well. He’s not getting to balls deep in the hole to his left. Their bad defense just got worse
They have really GOOD defense whenever Salidino isn’t in the line up.
As did their K-loaded lineup and mediocre base running…all the while without adding to the rotation. Their bullpen will be taxed even more now.
Man, you are all kinds of dumb. Literally everything you wrote is wrong.
I hope we hit whit marifield in the eye today
Loved the Soria trade, don’t really understand this move which in baseball means, it’s totally going to work.
Royals did well in getting 2 guys who should be regulars for them for a guy no one wanted and KC basically took on based on his past history there.
I give the Brewers a lot of credit. I love when front offices go on the offensive and make aggressive moves and creative to make their team better. The Indians have traded 4 of their top prospects for relievers the past 2 seasons and to me that’s not “going for it” but rather patching a hole on a sinking ship. I’d love to have a front office like the Brewers.
I give them zero credit myself, they should have gotten an actual SS or 2B. Q: What’s the difference between Cleveland and Milwaukee? A: One has been to a World Series in the last two years and one hasn’t. Cleveland is a sinking ship? You are crazy mon. I’d hate to have a front office that thinks like Milwaukee, no balls to make the moves they should
Stearns is the one who righted the ship down in Houston. Now he’s at the helm in Milwaukee and he’s done a great job thus far. The Crew is ahead of schedule because of his actions. You know this doesnt happen over night, so quit it with the pissing contest.
I didn’t have to look yo know who posted this.
No balls? This move is the definition Of balls.
No, it’s stupidity
They are turning into a joke of a franchise
Can we get this idiot banned already?
Keep telling yourself that.
Are you a bit scared? I would be if I were a Cubs fan. Rant on…
Anyone remember the last time the Royals traded a rental player for a OF that Brewers fans claimed had a ceiling as a fourth OF? The guy had amazing defensive skills that no one was sure would hit? The Royals ripped off the Brewers again. Hopefully the Brewers go deep this year to make it worth it. My new favorite NL team with both Moose and LoCain.
Only thing is Greinke wasn’t a rental. I get what you’re saying though. Maybe the Shaw at 2B experiment works and the brewers resign moose. It’s not like he had a ton of takers last offseason so maybe they can get him for 10M per season
Brewers are going to sign Brett Lawrie to play second base !!!!
What about Nate Orf, which by the way is German for “you’re out”.
The Brewers sure are gutsie. I expected them to acquire Starlin Castro, Jonathan Schoop or Brian Dozier. Is there another move to come?
Sure, “gutsie”, that’s one way to describe it.
Foolish. More Ks to a K-loaded lineup and going with a horrid defender in Shaw up the middle is ridiculous. Worst of all, none of them pitch. That staff does not line up for post season run baseball. Whiff.
So not only have you seen Shaw play 2nd enough to call him a horrid defender, but you somehow know the Brewers aren’t making any more moves to address the rotation? You’re a superscout AND an industry insider! Why bother posting on these silly message boards?
Moose has like a 13% career k-rate
Good. Now the braves won’t go after moose
It’s as good a time as any for the Brewers to go all-in. The NL is looking pretty wide open this year and there are up-and-coming teams like the Braves and Phillies to worry about in future years. Plus, with the free agent bonanza this offseason, that could drastically alter the landscape for the next several years. Might as well take their best shot now.
If they’re going all in they’re doing it wrong. This is the opposite
They could make the best trade in the world and you would still find something wrong with it.
Going all out! Thanks for the freebee!
Can Shaw handle 2nd? Schoop is still available, he’s hit a homerun in 5 straight games and 6 of last 7. Raised his average like 25 points in July. He’s scorching hot right now.
Unless they’re flipping Moose or Shaw, this will go down as one of the worst trades of 2018.
I didn’t know you’ve seen Shaw play 2B at all? I didn’t know you had more baseball insight than Stearns who quite honestly hasn’t lost many trades in his run with Milwaukee. You’re a butt hurt cubs fan who sees a competitive Milwaukee team for the first time in a while. The brewers have a better lineup than the cubs now even with Bryant missing extended time. Not to mention the brewers clearly have a better pen and it’s not close. While the rotation is still a question mark Stearns has said he thinks he can pull off another trade or two. When it’s all said and done a top 6 in the order of Cain, Yelich, Aguilar, Moose, Braun and Shaw plus a pen like the Brewers they will absolutely challenge the cubs this year for the division.
Don’t tell a Cubs fan that they could have a challenger for the division title. It’s like speaking another language to them. Crazy when you think that they themselves were a bad team for like 90% of the last century.
Exactly. Acting like they are the Yankees who are perennial contenders. The division lead is 1 game in July and they are acting like they will run away and hide. Both teams are much different compared to last year.
That is an overpay. Terrible trade.
I think they may have Shaw involved in a trade with the Mets who could use a 3rd baseman.
How are ppl saying this is the worst trade ever? We get a bonafide pro for possibly 2 years (option) for an outfielder (Phillips) who seams like a good dude, good fielder and a sub par hitter and a relief pitcher who has not been able to truly crack the brewers lineup. I also believe they are both 25 plus so their stock is going to be dropping with that. What’s the worst thing that could happen? Shaw is a below average 2nd baseman that comes off the bench / platoons or is a pinch hitter? Our pitching isn’t as bad as a lot of people say it is. I think it was a good move, Machado would have been better but we would have had to give up too much
I agree we would have had to given up way to much for Machado, since the Orioles were clearly looking for a big return and letting it go long enough for teams to just keep one upping each other. I also agree that what we gave up wasn’t of any concern as neither were looking to factor in for the brewers near future roster and were aging. However, we’ll have him for 2 months, maybe a year and 2 months, but not 2 years. Shaw not working out at 2B is an issue because we want his bat in the lineup. Meaning if he can’t handle it defensively, it would be the same problem they had before if they put him on the bench. Also, the problem with our pitch in is that they’re getting hurt and breaking down, with no fix in the near future. We also need a starting pitcher addition that can help us in the playoffs, because If Nelson isn’t back until September, he’s going to be good likely for 5-6 inning starts most likely to avoid risk coming off injury while he builds up stamina. So this isn’t a “bad” trade. It’s just one that doesn’t make a lot of sense. Because pitching really is our bigger need, with an actual middle infielder being the second one.
You are correct, we have bigger needs than a 3rd baseman, starting pitching, and one year 2 months not 2 years is correct. My guess is they are beefing up their bullpen. Hader, Jeffress, Soria, Burnes, and knebel (who scares me every time he pitches) plus middle relief inning eaters, They are going to try to outscore everyone. Starting pitching right now is too expensive (prospects) nobody else’s is really left unless it’s degrom and it would fit the top end of our prospects list.
Who was clamoring for Moustakas? Crickets chirping. Overhyped Boras client who wasn’t colluded against by the league despite the scatter shot insinuation by Tony Clark. Any way, I have to question the MIL FO on this one simply because they’re off handedly assuming Shaw can seamlessly transition to 2B. Yeah, we’ll bear with that, but what about the rotation? I know, I know – don’t cloud the issue with facts.