Brewers Make Some Changes

by Eli Greenspan on Aug 12, 2009 6:05 PM EDT

Tom Haudricourt at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel is reporting that Brewers GM Doug Melvin told him that the club is not giving up on the season, even though today saw Melvin send former All-Star shortstop J.J. Hardy to the minors, DFAing third baseman Bill Hall and firing pitching coach, Bill Castro, who had been with the organization for 18 years.

"All of these moves are performance based. I look at myself and maybe I waited too long on some of these. I'm maybe more patient than most people. I try to ride these things out. When you don't see progress, you've got to make moves.

Melvin said he felt terrible about letting Castro go and that the move for Hardy was temporary, merely (and hopefully) to help him get his groove back. Hall has $10.5 million left on his contract that the Brewers will have to eat but now they might be able to trade him and get something in return.

the Brewers are only two games under .500 but 6.5 games behind the St. Louis Cardinals.

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Chinese Fire Drill

Last year the Brewers fire the manager with 12 days to go, obviously not a choice made by Doug Melvin. This year, after an embarrassing loss to the Padres, they dfa one player, send a 3 year starter to AAA and fire the pitching coach. I think DM is starting to worry about his job security, and making drastic moves to try and save his job. Matk Attanasio wants to be the next George Steinbrenner. And I would only be half surprised if the announcement came “the 2010 Brewer GM is Mark Attanasio”.

Publicly they cant say they are giving up on the season, but dumping one mistake of a contract, getting the top prospect up to replace the 3 year starting, solid SS, and firing a guy whos been with the organization close to 2 decades is nothing but giving up on the season.

DM is hopefully updating his resume. Mistakes made by him not trading Hall after the 35 hr year, not trading Geoff Jenkins before his walk year, same for Ben Sheets the following year, and not trading JJ Hardy last offseason. If all of those forward looking trades had been made (all trades that I told guys at work would have been good ideas for the Brewers at the time) the Brewer farm system wouldnt be short on impact players, and they wouldnt be hurting for starting pitching, and ultimately would be in the thick of the division race not just this year but for years to come.

by backtocali on Aug 12, 2009 7:43 PM EDT reply actions

Gee...

… I thought you thought they should have dealt Hall in 2005, which was before his 35HR year? And I thought you said they should have called up Escobar a long time ago? It’s funny to me that you rip Melvin here for moves you advocate elsewhere. Maybe, just maybe, you don’t have a damn clue what you’re talking about.

If only the guys at work would have listened, since given your background as an “associate scout”, the “guys at work” must have been working in baseball.

Unless you just lied about your work history.

by Ted Simmons Speed Camp on Aug 16, 2009 9:01 AM EDT up reply actions