I have zero faith in Talbot in the rotation outside a spot start.

I would like to think we could get a major league player in return. Do you think it would make sense to hold onto Kaz for another year and then trade him for Joey Votto?

Votto could replace Pena who I doubt we’ll be able to resign and the Reds should also have Yonder Alonzo ready to slide in at 1st by then. Also, Harang is signed through 2010 with a club option for 2011 so they may be looking to add pitching depending on the price of that option.

seems like a pretty big concession to make. While his numbers may be up in the early going, can we count on Sonny, or Niemann (or Talbot/Davis) in the August – October run more so than Kaz?

He’s gone from being our ace, to a #2, maybe even #3 on our team, but he’s still a damn solid #3. I’d rather trot out those three (Shields, Garza and Kaz) as opposed to any other three.

Our minor leagues might need a bit of a boost or a guy we can call up should we need a bat, but I’d to give up a guy like Kaz.

unless they can deal Suppan to the Rays in the same deal. Yes, Kazmir would be a definite upgrade on Soup. Unfortunately there are about 10 million reasons that Suppan won’t be taken out of the rotation if he’s still a Brewer and even though the cost is already sunk I doubt he’ll be released or sent down.

Put it this way, all throughout spring training Brewers fans were discussing this exact thing, except with substituting Mark DiFelice and Seth McClung for Jeff Suppan. Both, with the information we had at the time, would have been upgrades. It didn’t happen.

But my intention wasn’t for this to be solely about the Brewers. I would like to discuss the other teams that would make sense as well.

2 years ago kaz was seen as one of the top 2-3 lefties in the game, now at 25 he’s only worth a teams 2nd or 3rd best hitting prospect? no thanks, he will get his ace game back, that’s a guarantee.

Right now, I would feel a lot better about it if Price was dominating AAA and talking about how pissed he was to not make the ML roster out of spring training. Right now, I’m a little nervous about all of our starters outside the first two. I’m not sure I want to trade away any potential pitching – be it in the minors or sunning itself on “Remember when” beach.

They need starting pitching bad and I think the fans would love the idea to get Kazmir back. The only problem would be I don’t think they really have much that we would want.

Any team on the bubble including the Rangers, Cardinals, Reds, Brewers, Cubs, hell even the Blue Jays could be targets.

The Cards have Brett Wallace, who is blocked at 1st and mediocre at 3rd. As a Cards fan I do not want Kazmir’s bone chips or whatever on my team, but I’d love to get this discussion going in another direction.

Fielder does not come off the books after 2010. The Brewers locked down his salary for 2 years (2009, 2010), and he still has a year of arbitration left in 2011. The chances of him still being on the Brewers in 2011 seem pretty slim, though, as he will most likely be traded.

Phillies
Brewers
Cardinals
Reds(?)
Rangers
Mariners
Royals(?)

Of, those here are the ones who I feel have enough firepower to make a deal:

Brewers(Gamel, Escobar, than a lot of nothing)
Cardinals(SO MANY TOOLSY PROSPECTS)
Reds
Rangers(Just throw at a dartboard and you get something good)
Mariners
Royals

Only logical step. Then trade Joyce for Kazmir’s glove, as that’s all Joyce is worth.

Ha.

Cordero would be paid with Kaz’s money. The Reds would be better served paying that money to a top of rotation starter and they get a better version of Willy Taveras.

The point that tends to get missed in reactions to stories like this is that nobody’s wants to give away or get rid of Scott Kazmir. He’s a good player with a good contract. He will return quality assets. The point is that what you’ll get in return for Kazmir will be more helpful to the team now and/or in the long run. Potential assets include: win-now players to fill holes, good cheap players under multiple years of team control, salary relief to spend elsewhere, an opening to plug in players currently without a chance to play.

Continue…

We could use a pretty boy like him

oh wait…

I know he was in the package for Peavy…

an offensive catcher that is close to major league ready and a 1B that’s a year or so out…

Given that, I’d try to get Max Ramirez and/or Justin Smoak from the Rangers. I don’t know if Kaz would net both, but given the Rangers excess of power bats and lack of major league ready pitching I think there may be a fit.

The time is NOW, front office!

I was called crazy when I advocated this during the offseason and reiterated the fact that I had heard absolutely nothing on his medical status during the offseason. It became abundantly clear to everyone down the stretch last year his arm angle had changed to compensate for some injury.

I think his trade value has already dropped. The book is out on him and you would get at best mid-level prospects for him from some NL west team.

Secondly …. My suggestion is …. Cleveland will be looking to deal Cliff Lee. Kaz and Neimann and Wheeler (Tribe get some bullpen value plus a servicable 4th or 5th starter in Kaz and a wild card in Neimann) to the Tribe for Cliff Lee and Bring up Price and Davis. One of the two call ups goes to the rotation the other to the pen.

This would be my ideal scenario and if you can’t re-sign Lee he will be a Type A free agent that I don’t believe you have given up much value for in getting a rental. Then you also get the two picks in return.

Or you could see if he would want to stay with the Rays and play here and what it would take to get that done.

Catcher would be ideal, but not many fit the profile. We are going to need a 1B & 2B in the next year or two with the DH as a flex position.