12.08.2009

Rumor City: Tuesday in Indy

Another day down at the Winter Meetings, and another pile of crap rumors to filter through. So let's wade right into this river of sh..... speculation.

Corey Hart to the Mets for Starter John Maine

This deal would make sense only in the broad sense of the Crew needing pitchers. It may sound like a decent deal at face value but in the end it would not be a fair trade for Milwaukee. The most obvious problem with this trade is that the team lacks a clear cut replacement for Hart in right field. If he were dealt, the nearest corner outfielder worth anything has yet to play above Single-A.

My next problem is fair value. Corey's value is low right now, he was injured and struggled last season. If he struggles through the first half of 2010 his value isn't likely to change much. But, if he does do well, his value skyrockets because he is under club control through the 2011 season. Maine, on the other hand, will be a free agent after 2010.

And what would you really be getting with John Maine? He's had one good year in his career and has seen his ERA go up in each of the last two season. Through those two seasons he's also been riddled with injuries and struggled with his command as well. It's likely that you could get a pitcher of his quality in July just as easy as in December.

That's also ignoring the fact that the Mets are also hard-up for pitching depth next season.

A little more Mark Mulder

If Mulder decides to give it one more tryout and see if he can be a Major League pitcher again, it'll probably be with the Brewers and new Pitching Coach Rick Peterson. Even if he does sign it probably doesn't mean much for the Crew. You may not remember the last time Mulder pitched but it was ugly, no command, no velocity, he might as well have been throwing softballs in a batting practice session.

Still, if he has truly recovered and regained some of his form it would be a big boost. It's a no risk proposition for the team and a signing that will almost certainly happen. A good Mark Mulder can go a long way towards fixing the rotation's problems. As long as the front office doesn't go into spring training counting on Mulder to win a rotation spot this makes sense.

Mike Gonzalez and Kevin Gregg

One Brewers beat writer has connected the Brewers with these two relievers. Let's first shoot down Mike Gonzalez, the team will not give up a second round draft pick to sign a relief pitcher with an injury history. Yes, Gonzalez is clearly the better pitcher and he's a lefty but he will also fetch a much higher price than the former Cubs setup man/closer.

As for Gregg, this wouldn't be a bad pickup with the injury to Mark DiFelice. Gregg has excelled in a setup role, sporting an ERA under four in non-save situations. He struggled in the ninth inning with the Cubs a year ago, but Milwaukee has Trevor Hoffman to shutdown games so I say go for it, he'd be a better signing than David Riske at the very least.

Randy Wolf will sign?

I've got to tell you, this guy is starting to get on my nerves. Due diligence is fine, but the consensus around baseball is that no team besides the Brewers has shown a willingness to add a third year for Wolf. It's clear he doesn't want to pitch in Milwaukee (or not on a coast for that matter), but C.C. didn't want to pitch in New York either. Money talks, and either Wolf will sign with Brewers or he will have a team pull a three-year offer for the second straight year*.

Randy Wolf needs to realize he's a 33-year old lefty coming off a couple of good years preceded by four injury-ridden years. It's his payday that he'll blow if he doesn't sign.

*Last year Houston offered Wolf a three year deal worth $28.5 million, Wolf declined, expecting the market to improve. He ended up signing a one-year deal with the Dodgers for a paltry $5 million. Net gain? Negative $23.5 million.

Gregg Zaun the Starter

Ken Macha told Tom Haudricourt over at JS that he hopes to get over 100 games out of newly signed old man Gregg Zaun. hyntnykgt. <---- That's what happens when you slam your face into a keyboard.

He also said that he expects there will be a competition for the backup spot between Angel Salome, Jonathan Lucroy, George Kottaras and, if retained, Mike Rivera. So... great... he's already looked forward to destroying the development of another one of the Brew Crew's top prospects.

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