Corey Hart -- 3yrs ~$25 million

[Benny B]

Wife and I were discussing last night... when's the last time a long-term contract or contract extension worked out for the Brewers (as far as the player living up to expectations)?

Jeff Suppan, no.
Bill Hall, no.
Jeffrey Hammonds, no.
Derrick Turnbow, no.
Ben Sheets, no.
Geoff Jenkins, no.

Wolf, Yovani, Braun all in progress... won't know for another few years.

[GGGG]

That's a fairly reasonable deal though.  It's not too long nor is it all that expensive.

[APieperFan3]

I remember being at Jeffrey Hammonds bobble-head night quite a few years back...only problem was that he had already been traded!! (to SF, I think) haha!

[MUfan12]

That's a fairly reasonable deal though.  It's not too long nor is it all that expensive.

Agreed. He'd have gotten somewhere in the 7-8 mil range in arbitration for next year. And in free agency, silly money gets tossed around.

If he can find consistency beyond this season, this move will be a steal for the Brewers.

[g0lden3agle]

I remember being at Jeffrey Hammonds bobble-head night quite a few years back...only problem was that he had already been traded!! (to SF, I think) haha!

At the end of the month there's a CC Sabathia bobble head night...  Celebrating his 3 months with the team 2 years ago I guess

[MUBurrow]

as someone who has never liked Corey Hart and has been tremendously excited to be rid of him either at this years deadline or sometime before next year's, this is a sad day.  if he ends up finding some of that aforementioned consistency or learns to hit anything resembling a curveball, i will eat my hat.  but the images of him impotently flailing around during the playoff run are forever burned into my brain.    i think we see slumping corey hart much more than all star corey hart for the next three years and we pay him while his trade value steadily decreases.

one thought i did have was that maybe this deal is in some way tied to making mke more enticing to prince?  not only for game production and team consistency, but im pretty sure prince and corey are tight.

[chapman]

This is low risk.  It's not a payroll killer at $8 million per, and it's only three years.  Good deal for once.  If he falls flat it doesn't screw everything up, if he produces like he's been this year it's a steal.

[GGGG]

In thinking about this more...

If this deal was announced this morning, it clearly was basically done last week.  This makes it all the more infuriating that they didn't trade Prince for some pitching.

[MUfan12]

If this deal was announced this morning, it clearly was basically done last week.  This makes it all the more infuriating that they didn't trade Prince for some pitching.

I'm totally fine with them holding out for more with Prince. I think they'll get more back in the offseason.

[GGGG]

I'm totally fine with them holding out for more with Prince. I think they'll get more back in the offseason.

We'll see.  My line of thinking is that if you could get him to a contender this year, he helps you with two pennant runs...that makes him more valuable.

[GOMU1104]

Im thinking Doug M. screwed the pooch one this one. Corey Hart's value was through the roof before he injured his wrist.  He has never been better, and he is likely never to be this good going forward.

The Brewers need arms...other teams needed Hart's bat. Im disappointed a trade didnt get done.


As for Prince...Move him in the offseason when more teams can bid on him.

[Ari Gold]

Im thinking Doug M. screwed the pooch one this one. Corey Hart's value was through the roof before he injured his wrist.  He has never been better, and he is likely never to be this good going forward.

The Brewers need arms...other teams needed Hart's bat. Im disappointed a trade didnt get done.


As for Prince...Move him in the offseason when more teams can bid on him.

Brewers do need arms but I'm not sure what value Corey Hart's bat would bring. How many teams in contention honestly need a Right Fielder to put them over the top? And then what team that needs a right fielder is willing to give up a top pitching prospect or young pitcher?

This doesn't seem like a year where a team are willing to mortgage their prospects or young players to get to the playoffs. In the off season more teams could want him because some teams will have more money, others will have injured players returning and some will be more willing to bring AAA players up. Prince will have a much higher value then.

[Sawsi]

I remember being at Jeffrey Hammonds bobble-head night quite a few years back...only problem was that he had already been traded!! (to SF, I think) haha!

Hah, I was there too.  I remember they changed the name to Brewers bobble head night, even though the bobble heads still had Hammonds written on the bottom.

[deep vacuum]

Im thinking Doug M. screwed the pooch one this one. Corey Hart's value was through the roof before he injured his wrist.  He has never been better, and he is likely never to be this good going forward.

The Brewers need arms...other teams needed Hart's bat. Im disappointed a trade didnt get done.


As for Prince...Move him in the offseason when more teams can bid on him.

This could be a great deal for the Brewers.  To many GM's around the league remember Hart's 2nd half performance after making the All Star team a few years ago.   If Hart can come back from his injury and be productive the rest of the year his value will be higher during this coming off season than before this years trade deadline.  A productive 2 time All Star who is locked up for a few years at a reasonable salary is a more attractive player to trade for IMO.  They need to lock up Prince for the same reason.  Better trade value.

[LAMUfan]

Sounds like Prince is gone

[augoman]

although somewhat irrelevant, I was at the sponsers' barbeque in Arizona this spring.  Many of the players were there.  Corey Hart was fantastic; I watched him interact with a shy youngster who's father was trying to get a picture.  Hart put his arm around him, mussed up his hair, and told him he wasn't leaving until he smiled for his dad.  This after signing autographs for lines of people, and posing for photos in the sun.  His dad must have taken ten pictures.  Hart smiled and had time for everyone there.  Prince, on the other hand, scowled and grunted his way through a few autographs, then sat with a few other players to eat.  The only guy nicer that Hart, was Hoffman who sat next to my wife for lunch.  She was in heaven until I reminded her that she couldn't take him home.  I know social skills don't count on the field, but it's hard not to be happy for someone you know to be a 'good guy' when they are successful.

[4everwarriors]

How much longer before Braun wants more bread. Getting passed over on the foodchain. Hart may or may not be gone depending how the Gamel outfield/first base experiment goes. Fielder on the other hand is history. First his agent, Boras, won't allow him to resign here and then some dumbass owner will overpay for an average firstbase man who is overweight and only strikes out or hits a homerun.

[GOMU1104]

How much longer before Braun wants more bread. Getting passed over on the foodchain. Hart may or may not be gone depending how the Gamel outfield/first base experiment goes. Fielder on the other hand is history. First his agent, Boras, won't allow him to resign here and then some dumbass owner will overpay for an average firstbase man who is overweight and only strikes out or hits a homerun.

Braun already signed his extension...8 years, 45 mil in 2008, keeping him under Brewers' control until 2015.  Its his own damn fault for signing that deal, not the Brewers' problem.

[MUBurrow]

if your biggest star and the guy you are attaching the entire franchise to is unhappy, it is your problem.  (the fact that he is underpaid on that deal be damned)

[LON]

if your biggest star and the guy you are attaching the entire franchise to is unhappy, it is your problem.  (the fact that he is underpaid on that deal be damned)

IIRC, he got more than Tulowitzki and it was so early on in his career that  all that money was too hard to pass up.

[4everwarriors]

Braun already signed his extension...8 years, 45 mil in 2008, keeping him under Brewers' control until 2015.  Its his own damn fault for signing that deal, not the Brewers' problem.

Yeah, I know all that. Playing this season for about 4 mil. If the dude's unhappy, it's still the team's problem, right or wrong.

[Benny B]

Yeah, I know all that. Playing this season for about 4 mil. If the dude's unhappy, it's still the team's problem, right or wrong.

I chalked up your first comment to sarcasm, but really... do you honestly believe that Braun is upset with the contract he signed?  He bought out his renewal and arbitration years and basically secured his financial future after just his rookie season.

Most super-2 and 3 year players would kill for that kind of opportunity.  These guys are one injury or catastrophic event away from retiring from the MLB with a salary of $409,000.


EDIT: If Prince Fielder does a Corie Koskie tomorrow, he will have left $100+ million on the table.  That becomes lost money that would have been guaranteed.  You think that isn't going through Prince's mind every time he walks out onto the field, every time he charges a bunting batter, every time he sees a 95 mph fastball headed towards his body?  You think that doesn't take its toll on these guys?

Not to mention, Braun still has an opportunity for another pay day in five years.  He'll only be 32 and will at least get a 3-5 year deal if he stays healthy (and his production doesn't pull a Jenkins).  He stands a good chance to retire from baseball having made well over a hundred million dollars on the field.

Also, the guy is one of the most marketable players in baseball?!?  From Milwaukee.  Marketable.  Three straight A/S starts.  Honestly, how good does this kid have it?

If he's unhappy about his contract, he'd be the only one.

[MUBurrow]

I chalked up your first comment to sarcasm, but really... do you honestly believe that Braun is upset with the contract he signed?  He bought out his renewal and arbitration years and basically secured his financial future after just his rookie season.

Most super-2 and 3 year players would kill for that kind of opportunity.  These guys are one injury or catastrophic event away from retiring from the MLB with a salary of $409,000.

You don't think Braun is looking ahead to putting up MVP type numbers in 2012,2013 and realizing he would be doing it for $5 mil?  Unless the deal is backloaded (which would undermine a lot of what I'm saying)  the guy would be putting up sick numbers for middle reliever money.

[Benny B]

You don't think Braun is looking ahead to putting up MVP type numbers in 2012,2013 and realizing he would be doing it for $5 mil?  Unless the deal is backloaded (which would undermine a lot of what I'm saying)  the guy would be putting up sick numbers for middle reliever money.

2012 - 6M
2013 - 8.5M
2014 - 10M
2015 - 12M

Hardly middle reliever money if you ask me.  Suppan notwithstanding.

Plus, don't discount the fact that he could have been making a few bucks over the league minimum the past couple years.

[Ari Gold]

Also based on the interview Braun gave when he first signed the deal, it seemed as though braun's first priority when playing the game. He seemed the type that would take a lesser deal to stay in Milwaukee if that opportunity is there. But who knows if I was Braun, I wouldn't like playing ball on a team 10 games under .500 for the long run. No idea what would happen if a playoff contender offered him A-rod $ and the brewers were still playing like crap