With the trade for Ben Gamel and the acquisition of Corey Spangenberg, David Stearns and the Milwaukee Brewers took steps towards improving the team in minor ways. They also continued to ignore the rhetoric that has surrounded them for two offseasons.
They need starters. They need a quality arm at the front end of their rotation. A Legitimate ace who can anchor the staff. So on and so forth go the writers with their preconception of the way things ought to be. But do the Brewers really need to add an arm? To answer that, let’s begin by looking at the options. One, the Brewers could go for an ace. Corey Kluber is available via trade, as is Zack Grienke. No true ace is available on the free agent market. Would either of these guys improve the staff? Without a doubt (especially Kluber). Do the Brewers have the resources to get one of them? Possibly; with Kestion Hiura, Mauricio Dubon, Tristen Lutz and Corey Ray in the minors (not to mention the likes of Burnes, Woodruff and Peralta already on the big league roster), the Brewers have pieces they could move to go after a front line starter if they chose. But is giving up top notch minor league talent worth a starting pitcher? No, and I’ll explain why. But first I want to discuss option number two: they could acquire a mid-range starter, like Gio Gonzalez or Lance Lynn, via free agency or trade. Is this doable? Absolutely, The budget in Milwaukee is likely pretty tight, but there’s almost certainly room to dish out a contract with an AAV of 7-10 million or so for the right guy. And acquiring a middle range pitcher wouldn’t suck the farm system dry. The problem with this option though, is that it doesn’t seem to make the Brewers significantly better. Giving up prospects or spending millions of dollars is not worth testing to see if a Lance Lynn quality pitcher would have a greater impact than a Zach Davies would. Now, I can explain why the Brewers shouldn’t give up any talent, or any money, to add a pitcher, whether it be an ace or a number 2-5 guy. The Brewers already have an abundance of options. And some of them have pretty darn high ceilings of potential. Going into Spring Training, the Brewers will have the following pitchers, all competing for a starting rotation spot: Jhoulys Chacin Chase Anderson Zach Davies Jimmy Nelson Junior Guerra Brandon Woodruff Corbin Burnes Freddy Peralta (Brent Suter) That’s eight healthy pitchers, and one injured Brent Suter, who have all pitched meaningful, effective innings for the Brewers in the last year. It’s all but certain that Chacin and Nelson will be back in the rotation. That leaves three spots for six guys. Three of whom (Davies, Nelson and Guerra) were regular starters for Milwaukee in the past. And the other three (Woodruff, Burnes and Peralta), are youngsters with good stuff, plenty of upside, and pennant chase/ playoff experience already under their belts. If the Brewers were to add a bona fide ace, okay, that’s at least understandable, though likely still not worth the cost. But adding anything less wouldn’t improve the team in a significant way. It would also further gum up with works in sorting out all the pitching options, while making it more difficult for the young guys to find a spot. With an overflow of starting pitchers already, and the possibility that one or more of them could blossom into true aces, the Milwaukee Brewers stand only little to gain, and much to lose, from seeking added pitching depth. Predicted rotation on Opening Day: Jhoulys Chacin Jimmy Nelson Brandon Woodruff Chase Anderson Corbin Burnes
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Am I perfect? Absolutely not. Do I act like I am? Absolutely. Too often, I go about as though I’m infallible, unimpeachable, always right. Everyone’s got an opinion, and I listen to it just long enough to correct them.
Is this a good thing? No way. It creates unnecessary arguments, increases tension in the workplace or at home, and makes me a generally less enjoyable person for others to be around. But the greatest problem that comes with being a person who thinks so highly of his own opinion is that I limit myself. Because my opinion is the only one I listen to, I’m not able to hear when someone else has a good idea. I can’t listen to advice, take advantage of other people’s wisdom, or learn from anyone else’s mistakes. Because I’ve already got it figured out. Now I wouldn’t be saying any of this if I wasn’t working on it. Fortunately, I am able to see that this is a weakness, and I’m able to counteract it with a very important piece of advice: be wrong. All the time. Work on being wrong. If I want to be more knowledgeable, have more skill and earn the respect of others, then I have to working on being wrong. Admitting fault is one of the signs of a team player. We’ve all had that person on the team who can’t admit they’re wrong. It affects the team badly, not only because that person is working within self-imposed limits, but also because the whole team knows it, and can’t rely on them. People who can recognize their mistakes are able to adapt, improve and contribute. Taking responsibility for errors is a sign of integrity and trustworthiness. We are inclined to hide our mistakes because we think that if people find them out, they’ll get angry, impatient, etc. But while this may initially be true, the long-term outcome is much more positive. It creates a relationship of responsibility, and makes learning from mistakes a much easier process. The biggest reason why I try to be wrong more often is to learn. As I mentioned at the beginning, if I’m always right, there’s nobody who can teach me anything. I’m a statue, going nowhere. However, if I can develop the habit of constant re evaluation and modification, then I can constantly learn and grow. I’m not saying that I need a complete shift in worldview every week. I am saying that admitting my fallibility and being on the lookout for when my view is incomplete or downright wrong is the only way I can shift it when it is. There are people who have been around a lot longer than me. There are people who know more. There are people who are better at their jobs than me. I make mistakes. I don’t always have the right answer. So I’m trying to be more self aware. Learning from others, building up my strengths, adapting when necessary, changing if I have to. |
Nick MartinMy name is Nick Martin. I write sometimes. These are my thoughts. Archives
July 2021
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