Please stop. You're clearly not familiar with the prospects you're talking about at all. Odorizzi was ranked the 23rd best prospect in baseball by Baseball America in July. Alonso was left off the list. Greinke is better then Lotos, yes. But the Reds get Alonso for twice as long and and he costs less. You keep saying Escobar sucks, but the fangraph WAR projections you keep citing project Escobar to have a higher WAR then Ramirez. :troll:
Yeah, Wolf, and K-rod will be gone. But you're not even considering the raises that Braun, Weeks, Hart, Ramirez, Greinke, and Marcum will all be getting from their 2012 salaries. Not to mention that at this point all the cheap talent currently filling the roster will be arbitration eligible. That's a BIG payroll.
Both fourth outfielders. Corey Hart blows, and I'm fine with a platoon there for a year if they trade him, but his long term replacement isn't on the team right now, or down on the farm.
It is still concerning. Starting MLB firstbaseman shouldn't suck that hard playing down there. I hope Gamel can regain the hitting prowess that made him a top prospect, but there really isn't much to be optimistic about.
I've never disputed Greinke's God status, but what happens when the offense sucks ass because Braun is out 50 games? The fans will stop showing up that's a fact. Braun and Fielder were the main draws, and without them fans will lose interest if the Brewers fall in a hole to start the season. It's pessimistic but true, one of the problems of playing in the smallest market in baseball. The payroll is stretched to the limits as it is, and that's coming off a NLCS run. Attanasio wants to win but he isn't stupid either, if the Brewers have a let down season (likely) that payroll is getting slashed.
Trade for Jed Lowrie. Sign Carlos Pena to a one year deal. Low risk-high reward moves, don't sign old injury prone players prone to regress.
