New York Yankees Trade Watch: Ryan Braun
This is going to toe the line between “unlikely” and “utter fantasy” but I don’t plan on getting TOO crazy so stay with me on this. As we know the New York Yankees are still in the market for another bat. Even if they throw some slop together for the DH spot in 2012, there are still going to be some questions to answer on the offensive side of things in 2013. The New York Yankees will need to decide if they want to re-sign Nick Swisher and they’ll need to determine when they plan on moving Alex Rodriguez to DH full-time. The New York Yankees emptied any legit offensive talent in the upper levels of their farm system when they traded Jesus Montero so they will likely need to address this need from outside the organization via trade or free agency. Enter Ryan Braun.
Why Ryan Braun?
This is one of those questions worthy of that blank stare when your teacher/professor/manager/etc. asks you a painfully obvious question. Anyway, Braun is one of the truly elite hitters in the game and an improving player overall. A career .312/.371/.563 hitter with a .402 wOBA, Braun could step into the Yankees lineup and immediately surpass Robinson Cano as the best hitter on the team. Since his rookie year in 2007, Braun has not only posted three .400+ wOBA seasons, but he has increased his BB% and decreased his K% each season. In other words, we still may not have seen the best Braun has to offer. His glove work isn’t quite as impressive, but his UZR numbers suggest that he has improved as he has gained more experience in the outfield. I have no doubts that Braun could manage the real estate in front of the short porch at Yankee Stadium without a problem.
Thinking about Braun in Yankee pinstripes definitely gets your juices flowing, but let’s reign it in a bit and get back to the real world. Braun is signed through 2020. Not a typo – 2020. If the Yankees were serious about acquiring Braun they would pretty much have to empty out the top shelf of their system. Dellin Betances, Manny Banuelos, Mason Williams, Gary Sanchez…most, if not each, of those players – plus more perhaps – would have to head over to Milwaukee if Braun is to ever be Bronx bound. Guess what though? I’d be perfectly fine with this and after the initial shock, most Yankees fans would warm up to it as well. Braun and Cano would form one of the most electric duos in the middle of the order along with the customary supporting talent. You know what else? The Yankees would build their system back up. It would take time obviously and it would be more challenging under the new CBA, but there would be enough firepower in the lineup and in the rotation to carry the team to World Series contention for the next several years. In this hypothetical situation, Braun is clearly the type of elite bat that a team should empty the farm for.
Why MIGHT the Milwaukee Brewers Trade Ryan Braun
Certainly everything I wrote above makes it seem impossible for the Brew Crew would move Ryan Braun, but as the saying goes, “everyone has a price”. The only reason the Brewers would entertain dealing Braun though – at any price – is if they needed to embark on a complete rebuilding project. Let that sink in for a minute…….Where are the Brewers headed these days? With the departure of Prince Fielder and Braun’s 50 game suspension*, 2012 is likely a lost season. After this season 40% of the starting rotation (Zack Greinke and Shaun Marcum) are likely headed for free agency. They’ll just fill holes from within, right? Well, the Brewers cleaned out their system to bring Greinke and Marcum aboard in trades and are currently building it back up. Heading into 2011, Baseball America tagged the Brewer’s organization with a No. 30 ranking. Also known as dead last. It might have improved a bit since then, but it could still use plenty of help. Combine those two points with the fact that it would take a minor miracle for the Brewers to beat out the competition for a playoff berth, and it is safe to call their World Series window slammed shut.
The Brewers would probably say that they still have Rickie Weeks and Yovanni Gallardo adding to the foundation (maybe they’d even throw Corey Hart’s name into the mix) and that they don’t need to rebuild. I would call their bluff. They would be embarking on a long road of mediocrity before another serious opportunity presented itself. Perhaps they would prefer that road over a complete overhaul, but mediocrity is like quicksand. Once you get stuck it’s hard to get out and the harder you try the deeper you sink. Of course the fans and front office people in Milwaukee probably don’t (want to) agree with me, but everyone is entitled to his or her opinion.
Final Thoughts
The New York Yankees are no stranger to big names and bold moves. If there is a chance to add a perennial All-Star to the mix, they have no problem parting with top prospects to do so. There are growing concerns regarding the potency of the Yankees lineup over the next few seasons and Ryan Braun would go a long way to alleviating those concerns. By now you might be thinking to yourself “this guy needs to come back to reality” and perhaps you’re correct. I wouldn’t put this type of mega-move past the Yankees though. The organization has been..”tamer”..since George Steinbrenner relinquished full control, but their commitment to championships has not wavered.
*I am not concerned with Ryan Braun being a “tainted” player nor am I suggesting that the Milwaukee Brewers should be more willing to trade him due to this recent “steroid” issue.
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I would absolutely die if Braun went to the Yankees. As a huge Brewers fan and as someone who has unbridled disdain for the Yankees, I can’t imagine a scenario I would hate more.
Hahahahaha.
I’m glad you stuck mostly in reality here. You’re right that Braun would provide a ridiculous boost to the Yankees lineup, and you’re right that you’d have to give up basically your entire AAA and AA rosters, but it definitely would still be worth it for NYY. As a Brewers/Milwaukee fan, I’m still maintaining that Braun is innocent of all the crap he’s been accused of, and after being a phenomenal player, he’d become a great role model on that team for kids who want to look up to him and people who want to cheer for him.
But it would never happen. There’s a reason the Brewers signed him through 2020 – he’s the face of the franchise, and by the time that contract is over will go down as the best player in franchise history by miles.
Unfortunately, I think you’re right. Unless things got really bad for the Brewers it is hard to imagine them moving Braun. Although, it would not be the first time the face of a franchise was moved in a massive deal. I’m with you on the steroids stuff too – innocent until definitively proven guilty.
everyone is missing the big picture here. that suspension will most likely be overturned. the only reason it hasn’t happened yet is because the cause of the positive test would big upon public embarrassment. The popluar rumor is Braun was medicating for Genital Herpes.
he obviously doesn’t want that info to go viral, excuse the pun! if the ruling is overturned, expect a public announcement from him highlighting the medical findings.
if this is true, i do truly feel for him… either way he goes, his name has earned a scarlet letter. Which one would you chose?
Interesting. I did come across that rumor on a blog or two, but trusting fans on comment boards isn’t something we should make a habit of – particularly in a case like this. I actually couldn’t care less if was treating himself for Herpes. The only thing that I would care about is him raking for the Yankees.
Trades of upper level prospects for one player are always a bad idea. (think Herschel Walker, Wayne Gretzky) And in any case, the NYY’s main organizational goal is to keep payroll below $189 mil for 2014. Acquiring a long term, expensive contract is not going to happen dumping Burnett is part of the mix.
You could be right about that. Even though I think Braun is the type of player worth that type of haul, you’re always assuming considerable risk when you’re on the receiving end of the one player. I’m not sure trading for Braun – despite his contract – will be that big of an obstacle to the $189 million goal in 2014. Several players will be off of the books by then and there will be room for the Yankees to be creative if they really are 100% committed to that $189 million figure.
Braun suspension should NOT be lifted. It is his responsibility as an MLB Player to make sure that anything he puts into his body is safe and will not compromise and MLB Drug test. It is a bad precedence for MLB to set if they allow him to play because now any player can say that it was another medication.
It is like with Tiger Woods, every cheating husband is claiming sex addiction and while it might be partially true they also enjoyed the benefits of having all those women.
The elevated testosterone could have caused a side effect that helped his baseball improve….who knows?
You are probably right about that. If you get popped on a drug test, you have to do your time. And, like you said, you have to know what’s going in your body. It’s inexcusable not to – especially since they probably have 24 hour access to people with the right information. However, there has to be a fair appeal process. I’m not saying that Braun should be off the hook in this case, but I imagine that there are ways to fail a drug test (someone with more knowledge of the exact testing method could comment better than I am on it) without actually taking an illegal drug or supplement. That may only make up 0.5% of the cases, but I still think there should be one.
Braun’s impact on the field though is undeniable – with or without roids (I highly doubt he’s been roiding since his rookie year). I think it is silly when I hear Yankees fans saying that they would want nothing to do with him.
There is no way the Milwaukee Brewers trade Ryan Braun, especially after losing Prince Fielder. I still believe Braun’s suspension will upheld so I am not terribly worried about that. I also believe the Brewers will be a lot better team in 2012 then you give them credit for. They still have arguably the best starting pitching in the NL Central (close call between them and St. Louis), they have the best setup man/closer tandem in all of baseball and the only major offense they lose was Fielder. Now I understand that is quite a bit of numbers to make up for but you forget that Aramis Ramirez put up very similar numbers last season. Not to mention his numbers could increase at Miller Park.
Spelling mistakes sorry: *Uphold and *lost not upheld and lost. Thanks.
Well, if the suspension gets reversed then we’re definitely looking at a completely different story. If not though, I think the Brewers will be buried – not in the cellar or anything, just in the middle of the pack. As far as Aramis Ramirez is concerned, I like him, but I’m not sure he’s enough to lead them to the postseason.
The bigger issue might be in 2013 when Zack Greinke and Shaun Marcum could very possibly opt for free agency. There are a lot of things that still need to be answered, but from a pure baseball perspective, I don’t think it would be a bad idea for them to consider moving Braun if those shoes drop.
if the yanks can get braun, make sure burnett is part of the deal, otherwise whatever it takes to get him !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I doubt that Burnett would be included in a deal for Braun, but Burnett’s days are numbered. This could very realistically be his final year in pinstripes.
NO,no,no,Please no more with the trade the farm for the Super Star thinking.Them days is over!!! Yes I know that Braun is a great player,but first off the Brewers will want Cano,or Granderson,or Nova not just the farm. So we trade the future and the present for the big name,please stop. With the extra pieces and some of the B-prospects we have in the farm,we can get two or three very good players instead of one super star.And with the killer B’s added to strong rotation we already have,the hitting can be found,the pitching is not so easy.You guys said it yourselves,the Brewers have Great pitching that’s about to walk away via free agency.On the other hand the Yankees young (plus CC)will be under team control for years.So pleas no more of the “trad the farm”nonsense,build the core of the team from within and trade for the missing pieces that we need to complete the job,like we did in the 90′s.
There is nothing wrong with what you’re saying. Thankfully the Yankees build from within more than they did back in the mid-2000′s, but it still isn’t something that they consistently emphasize – not when compared with the majority of the league at least. With that said, the Brewers have Rickie Weeks at 2B and Aramis Ramirez at 3B so Robinson Cano would not fit very well into their plans. I’m not sure they would go very hard after Granderson either considering he’s older than Braun. Nova is absolutely a possibility though. It is far too early to try to project the Yankees’ 2013 depth and their valuable trade assets with any accuracy, but it is not a stretch to suggest that the Yanks could develop even more starting pitching depth over the coming season. If that is the case, putting together a mega package for Braun might not even be as painful as some of us think it would be.
I stopped reading immediately when you stated that Braun would surpass Cano as the teams best hitter. Are you nuts?
Step 1: Re-read that line.
Step 2: Check the stats.
NO NO NO. HISTORY HAS NOT TAUGHT YOU GUYS ANYTHING! LISTEN TO THIS JACK CLARK, DANNY TARTABUL,JASON GIAMBI,A-ROD,RANDY JOHNSON,KEVIN BROWN,HIDEKI IRABU, ETC,ETC,ETC. PLAYING IN YANKEE STADIUM IS TOTALLY DIFFERENT FROM PLAYING ANYWHERE ELSE. TO SAY THAT BRAUN WILL DO THE SAME AT THE STADIUM IS CRAZY. THE SHORT FENCES CHANGE EVERYONE’S SWING AND TO GIVE UP THE ENTIRE AAA AND SOME AA IS RETARDED. NO ONE EXPECTS EVERY MINOR LEAGUER TO BE JETER BUT FOR EVERY FIVE STUDS THERE HAS TO BE ONE JETER. I SAY STICK WITH WHAT WE HAVE ADD A MINOR LEAGUER OR TWO AND ROLL WITH IT.
YEAH FORGOT NO MORE DRUGGIES ON THE YANKEES HAD ENOUGH WITH ROGER, PETITE, GIAMBI AND A-ROD! DON’T NEED ANYMORE.
Let’s get over hating on players for steroids. Especially Braun since we don’t know what the true story is yet.
Are you typing in all caps to make this an emphatic statement?
Jason Giambi needs to be scratched off of that list. He had some very big years and key contributions during his time with the Yankees. I don’t know how you can put A-Rod on that list. His current contract is absurd, but he has been a monster for the majority of his time in the Bronx. I get what you’re saying: a lot of big names have reached New York only to disappoint. That is definitely a risk that the Yanks would be taking with Braun, but there is nothing about him that suggests to me that he wouldn’t thrive in the Yankees’ environment.
The Brewers have Gallardo, Hart, & Weeks along with Braun all signed for the next few years. They just signed Aramis Ramirez for 3 years. Greinke has indicated he is open to resigning with the Brewers and the club is pursuing that right now. Just because they wouldn’t break the bank and give 8 years to an overweight 1st baseman who will break down long before that does not mean they are on the verge of rebuilding.
Trade Braun for Burnett?? Wow…Yankee (and Red Sox) fans always seem to think the less monied clubs will give up stars for garbage.
You are dreaming…Braun is going nowhere in the foreseeable future!
Gallardo, Hart and Weeks is a solid group and Ramirez is a nice addition as well. That is not enough to weather the storm this season if Braun’s suspension is upheld though – not with the National League East as loaded as it is. I know Greinke has indicated an openness to sign an extension, but how often do you hear that? All the time. I’ll believe it when I see it and then I’ll reevaluate how I feel about the Brewers’ chances in the near future.
You’re right about Burnett. Not a chance that he gets moved in a Braun trade.
i didn’t say break the bank for braun just make sure burnett is part of the deal. also if you come right down to it, the crew would not be that adverse to trading ryan, eventually they know they will lose him. one money, two length of contract, the yanks are one of the few teams that could make his dreams come true, whatever they may be. now for the line-up. bear in mind i’m basing this on two groups of one through four hitters with the dh being the wild card. please try not to laugh to hard. 1st gardner 2nd granderson, 3rd cano, 4th braun, 5th jeter, 6th ? catcher 7th tex, 8th a-rod, ninth chavez. what about swisher, as much as i hate to say this part of the braun deal. rotation; c.c. then nova, pineda,kuroda and hughes. well thats my yankee dream team for 2012. i can see 5 to ten runs per game from the offense and 2 twenty game winners with three 15+ winners on the staff. unfortunetly rivera will only get about twenty saves if things go as i forsee!!!!!!!!!!! like i said don’t laugh to hard. i’ve been a yankee fan for fifty six years now and i believe i’m allowed to dream. so when you read this think of the merits to my reasoning. thankyou, just a loyal fans wish. if only swisher could catch 140+ games i’d be happier then a pig in slop.
Well, it will definitely be nice to get Burnett off of the payroll one way or another. I just think the Brewers would be strictly concerned with cheap, talented pieces to build around for the long-term. Hopefully Burnett will be gone sooner than later though – or maybe he’ll pitch better. Who knows?
As far as the lineup goes, why don’t we put Derek Jeter in the 9-hole? We are dreaming right? I wouldn’t even mind Jeter batting 2nd and Granderson batting 6th in this dream scenario.
craig, the idea was to optimize offence by taking pressure off the vets so they can relax a little while the young guys go to town. thus, urging the vets back to what they were. would you or for that matter want to face that batting order, i think not !!!!!!!!!!! it brings new meaning to murders row. the potential of six hitters hitting 30 homers or more is mind boggling. where is the rest for an oppossing pitcher?
The Yanks would absolutely put out a ridiculous lineup. No doubt about that. I just think Jeter is better utilized at No. 2 as a table setter and that some of the big bats – even the old ones – should stay in the heart of the order. I don’t think A-Rod is done yet. He needs to stay healthy obviously, but there is still some thunder in his bat.
Totally insane. The Brewers will not trade Braun anytime soon. They are not rebuilding. As a matter of fact they have increased their payroll. Nice dream.
I’m obviously not in the head of the Brewers’ GM so I can’t speak from fact, but I have to think that things could look kind of bleak for them. Braun being out 50 games to start the year is a season-ender. Period. If Greinke and Marcum leave after this season then they are going to be in another hole. The farm system does not appear to be strong enough to plug those holes. Most of you guys are right that they probably won’t move Braun, but one of the main points in the piece was that the Yankees should go to long lengths to change their mind.
Your a moron!!!
Ironic.
If Ryan Braun went to the Yankees I would not only stop rooting for the Brewers, I would lose all faith in sports. This guy is the face of the franchise and will go down as the greatest Brewer of all time. I really can’t picture a single scenario in which the Brewers ship him out of town. As far as the Brewers hopes for the 2012 season, I really do think that you are giving this team absolutely no credit. Braun being suspended the first 50 games is by no means a “season ender”. They have the pitching to stay at least 5 or 6 games back of the division lead for the first 50 games. That would leave them 112 games to make up that ground, hardly a season ender. Prince being gone also is not as large of a blow as most people see it. People are forgeting how large of an offensive upgrade the Brewers got in the offseason at 3rd base. Casey McGehee’s stats last year: .223ba / 13hr / 67rbi / .280obp, absolutely horendous. Aramis Ramirez’ stats: .306ba / 26hr / 93rbi / .361obp, massive upgrade and his numbers could improve going from Wrigley to Miller park. I may be a bit baised being a fan and all, but I really do think they will be just as competetive this year as they were last.
Perhaps if the two of us moved a little closer to the middle, we would be presenting a better picture of what the Brew Crew will achieve this year. I agree with what you’re saying about the third base upgrade. That helps a ton. However, isn’t that negated substantially by the downgrade at 1B? At BEST, you could stretch and say that the Brewers broke even, but I don’t know anyone who would say that Aramis Ramirez is a better option than Prince Fielder. I was being aggressive when I used the term “season-ender” in regard to Braun’s 50 game suspension, but even if I was to tone that down a bit, I’m not willing to back off too far. Both the Reds and Cardinals will trot out a front 2 or 3 in their rotations that can match the Brewers, and for at least the first 50 games, each will probably have a better offense. We also have to remember that 50 games is just the suspension. How long after that will it be before he’s ready to face big league pitching* and then how long is it going to be before he’s ready to hit big league pitching? It’s one thing to be out there and quite another to be at the top of your game. We could easily be talking about the Brewers not “having” Braun for an additional 10-12 games.
The other issue is what happens after 2012. Forgive me for thinking so far ahead, but if Greinke and Marcum both leave after free agency the team is losing a tremendous strength (it’s also remains an ‘if’ at this point). A lot can happen between now and then, but at this point – based on the information that I have – I can’t help but to predict a stretch of mediocrity in Milwaukee.
*I can’t remember what the exact policy is on playing in minor league games during the suspension. If he’s able to start playing minor league games before the suspension is up, that will be an ideal scenario, but still one I don’t see them overcoming.
not sure if someone already covered this, but according to brewers beat writer Adam McCalvey….”Players suspended from 26 to 50 games may join a Minor League affiliate for the final 10 days of their suspension. If a suspension is 25 games or fewer, that Minors tuneup is limited to five days.”
http://milwaukee.brewers.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20120217&content_id=26730976&vkey=news_mil&c_id=mil
also, as a life long brewers fan, i want to thank you for raising what i think are legitimate concerns going forward for the brewers and even if they turn out to not be, most hardcore brewers fans would welcome your kind of thinking.
and lastly, you handled some of the personal attacks here with class.
Thanks Steve, I appreciate it. Thanks for the article too.
I’m glad there are some more Brewers fans out there like you that don’t want to toss me in a lake, haha.
This is the dumbest article I have ever seen on the internet.
You apparently have not spent much time on the internet.
haha, you make a very good point on that one. Still the thought of brewers trading braun one year after signing a meda-deal and winning the mvp would be the dumbest thing the brewers could ever do in my opinion.
Yea, I can see where you and other Brewers fans are coming from and I don’t see it as a likely scenario either. I’m just saying that, if any shred of an opportunity presented itself, the Yankees need to make the type of offer that the Brewers couldn’t refuse.
Definition of a pipe dream, as you essentially stated.
What you’re overlooking is how savvy the Brewers front office has been and needs to be…given the financial disparity they have against teams like the Yankees. The division is up for grabs whether Braun is out 50 games or not. Trading the face of the franchise, a guy with HUGE presence locally [restaurant, supports the Bucks, BFFs with Aaron Rodgers] and is entering his prime with already sick numbers would be among the stupidest moves in sports history. Even when Selig and his daughter were running the team (into the ground), they would never have made a move that dumb. Milwaukee consistently draws 3M in attendance and that’s no longer due to Cubs fans coming up and stinking up the joint.
The Brewers front office knows that there’s still a window of opportunity here and they are doing all they can to utilize it; as the payroll increase indicates. What they lose without Fielder will be softened by Ramirez, perhaps by the Japanese OF Aoki and the expected improvement of Weeks, Hart and Lucroy [big fantasy sleeper at C]. I think they’ll do all they can to resign Marcum and Greinke. Plus, the rotation will hopefully be strengthened with the emergence of Wily Peralta. I’ll take our bullpen over that sh*tshow in STL and CIN just lost their closer.
If you want to overlook the Brewers, by all means…you have that right. I just think it’s a little premature, at this point.
Hahahahaha, keep dreaming Yankee fan! This is the most ridiculous story since Braun taking steroids. Not everyone wants to wear pinstripes.
See: Cliff Lee
I don’t know exactly what his trade protection entails, but Braun might not even have a choice in the matter.
Hey Craig, it’s Steve (from BIS). You’ve gone viral! Just wanted to mention something about the Brewers’ hopes this season if Braun is suspended. They certainly won’t be a favorite if Braun is suspended, but they can definitely stay alive for a few reasons:
-The extra wildcard spot this year. 87 wins could very well get a team into the playoffs this year or any year going forward.
-They signed Norichika Aoki, one of the best hitters in Japan the last few years, who will hold down left field while Braun is out. Hard to say how good he’ll be in MLB, but it’s better than some replacement level player.
-Also, as far as the Brewers’ farm system, they have a pretty highly ranked prospect named Wily Peralta who will be ready to fill one of the rotation spots in 2013. They took two college pitchers in the first round last year. The farm system is already ranked quite a bit better than before the 2011 season, and pitching won’t be that tough to come by next off-season (think Edwin Jackson on another 1-year deal, etc).
There’s no reason the Brewers should fall below third in the Central over the next two seasons, which is enough to try the “reload instead of rebuild” strategy.
I appreciate your clarifying statement that this is little more than a pipe dream, though.
What’s up Steve? Good to hear from you. You make some good points and I want to chime in on them:
- The extra playoff spot definitely helps all the teams in the game, but at this point I’m thinking the NL East is going to get three teams into the postseason which will force the other two entries to win their division.
- I don’t know much about Aoki, but if he was one of the best hitters in Japan he could have some early success similar to what Fukudome had. The jury is still out, but his presence probably won’t hurt.
- I’ll have to read up on Peralta a bit more. I’ve seen a couple of things about him, but haven’t checked him out recently. As a Yankees fan, I can tell you that it definitely pays to have more than one prospect, because even the ones that make it to AA or AAA don’t work out much of the time. That could be where the college draftees come in, but they’re still a ways away.
Hm.
I’m not sure if I should be more worried about you calling me a “stupid yankee prick” and a “complete moron” or you calling me “sexy”.
take sexy as a compliment you stupid yankee prick.
Craig, Craig, Craig… The Brewers will not be in the middle of the pack this year, they will be competing for the top spot in the NL Central… Like other people have stated on here, we still have one of the top rotations in the game, the best back end of the bullpen in the league, and even if Braun is suspended the improvements the Brewers made on defense wont harm them TOO much. Aram is better defensively and offensively then McGehee. The signging of Alex Gonzalez offensively is a wash with Beteancourt with WAY better defense. Also, I dont know if you’ve been reading anything about the Brewers, but Greienke is open to a long term deal with Milwaukee, he likes it here. I appreciate your enthusiasm about making your team better, i mean we all have dreams, but lets get real my friend, Braun is here to stay!
You bring up a good point that I have overlooked – perhaps the defensive improvements will be enough to keep the Brewers closer to the top than I am anticipating. I’m not tuned in to all of the Milwaukee news, but I did catch that Greinke was open to an extension. Don’t a ton of athletes say that though? Either way, Greinke leaving MIlwaukee is still almost a year away – if it happens at all – so it is speculation on my part. If/when Greinke signs an extension with the Brew Crew, I’ll have to move my cross-hairs to someone else.
Brewers would have to get massive addition of talent at Aa and Aaa level even to consider a braun deal. Really don’t know if yanks have that much.
It would definitely take a Herschel Walker-level deal, but I think the Yankees have enough depth and talent to interest the Brewers. Of course I’m biased with that perception, but they still have a top-10 farm system according to several “experts”.
GFY! The New York Yankees are everything that’s wrong with professional baseball today. Our Milwaukee Brewers organization is going through some tough times right now and leave it up to a bully to kick us while we’re down. You have nothing else to write about other than the fairy tale of stealing our franchise player with your bottomless pockets?!
No, I’ve got plenty of stuff to write about. At that particular moment though, i wanted to write about the Yankees putting a mega-package together to trade for Ryan Braun.
For the past few years national baseball media types like Olney, Kurkjin and Rosenthal have perpetuated or invented rumors of Braun to Yankees, Red Sox, Dodgers…name your big market team. I even remember an article one of them wrote that seemed like an attempt to convince Brewers owner Mark Attanasio that it would be in the best interest of his franchise to make such a trade. Questionable journalism at work there as well as in the stories that were published concerning his drug test. I am convinced that the reason these reporters have crucified Braun in the media with the news of the leaked report of the positive drug test is because they are jealous that they can’t cover him as a member of one of teams that they have ordained as the Meccas of MLB. They are upset that a player of Braun’s stature would actually WANT to spend his entire career with the Brewers. To them and to you I would say GET OVER IT. Ryan Braun is a Brewer and always will be a Brewer. Those who are convinced that he is guilty of cheating, like the rest of us, don’t know the full facts of the case. Since there has yet to be an announcement by MLB that the suspension has been upheld, he stand a good chance of having it overturned. Obviously, there are facts that came out in the appeal that have called into serious question the validity of the test results. If he is found innocent, everyone who has declared him guilty owes him a huge public apology.
Well, let’s set the steroid issue aside for a minute. We’re close enough to the same page on that. Even if he is found 100% guilty of steroid use, my opinion of him is not going to change. He’s been a great player since he stepped onto a big league field and I highly doubt it is a product of roids.
Now, as far as your other comments, I’m not sure I’m with you there. In my own post I mentioned some reasons why the Brewers MIGHT eventually be willing to entertain the idea, but it was more about the Yankees putting together the necessary package to get a player like Braun. However, it sounds as if you might be the one that needs to “get over” something. To be fair, as a Yanks fan I don’t know what it’s like to have a star player that three or four “bully” teams covet and pursue, but it seems like you’re just getting a bit defensive. Olney, Kurkjian and all those others are just doing their jobs. Some have a little bit more bias than others, but I don’t sense it as much as you do.