They Got What?

When Carlos Lee rejected the Brewers 4 year $48 million deal on thursday, it was inevitible. And I accept that and was totally fine with the fact that they had to move him. But Lee and Nelson Cruz for Lance Nix, Kevin Mench, Francisco Cordero and Julian Cordero?

I've got to believe that given Doug Melvin's track record there are either more deals to come or he sees something in one or some of those guys that I don't.

One thing is for certain, the Brewers were not going to resign Lee. Melvin was not willing give Lee a five year deal, and I can't blame him for that. Lee is thirty years old, and a bad glove in the field. He's probably two years away from being a DH, and a five year contract would lead to the same scenario the Brewers have right now with Jenkins. An older player with a huge deal that his production does not match.

Moving Lee was supposed to open the door for Nelson Cruz, but Cruz was also included in this deal. Fine. To be perfectly honest, I'm not sure Cruz was really this great prospect we kept hearing he was. He does have power and a lot of tools, but he can't hit a curve ball, strikes out way too much, and was still in AAA.

If Cruz was so great, why was Billy Beane so willing to part with him for just Keith Ginter? And why is he 25 and still in the minors? If Cruz was is as good as he is billed to be, why didn't he leap frog Gabe Gross and or Corey Hart in the spring or at some point this year?

Moving Lee was supposed to make room for the young guys to get more playing time, whether it had been Hart, Gross or Cruz. But by including Cruz in the deal, and acquiring two more outfielders that's clearly not the case. Again, unless there is another deal in the works, I'm left to assume that Kevin Mench is taking Lee's spot in the outfield. Not Corey Hart.

You already had a log jam in the outfield, so you add two more outfielders when you are still extremely thin in the infield? Someone please explain to me what I'm missing here.

While some in this city will claim that there is a "Silver Lining" in this deal or idiotically claim that this deal shows the Brewers didn't give up on the season, they are wrong. Statements like that show just how little they know about baseball and just how little they actually follow this team.

There is no silver lining in this deal. Having Kevin Mench and Francisco Cordero next year as opposed to two first round prospects is a silver lining? Maybe so, but thats assuming you're a contender anytime soon. The Brewers are still two years, or more, away from being a playoff contender. How does adding to two average major leaguers, a career AAA outfielder (Nix) and a fringe pitching prospect make them a better team next year?

To claim that this deal shows the Brewers are not giving up on the season is argueably the dumbest statement I've ever heard. This season was most likely over even with Lee in the lineup. Now take his production out of the lineup. They were't going to contend this year, so why add major league players to this club?

Doug Melvin told the Journal-Sentinel, “This was the best deal we could make, it gives us the chance to continue to run a good big-league lineup out there. If we had done any of the other deals, you’d think we were giving up on this season.” Who cares what "we" think Doug, that should not be your concern when building a team. You need to do what's best for the Brewers regardless of what the fans think.

To state that the Brewers are now "In a position where they can move prospects for major leaguers" could not be anymore inaccurate. Playoff teams with high payroll's are the only teams in that position. Not a club still trying to figure out how to win. The Brewer may never be in a position where they can move prospects for major leaguers, because their margin for error is not as high as other teams'.

I really hope that rumors of a Anahiem deal for Lee that would have included uber prospect Brandon Wood are completely false. If not it makes this deal look even worse. The ultimate goal in any trade is to better your team. I honestly do not see how that is the case with this trade. Kevin Mench is not a better player than Corey Hart. Lance Nix is not a better prospect than Tony Gwynn Jr and is not a better player than Gabe Gross. Francisco Cordero is almost a Derrick Turnbow clone, and to be perfectly honest I've never even heard of Julian Cordero.

This trade is eerily similar to the Jeromy Burnitz trade five years ago. In that deal the Brewers sent Jeromy Burnitz, Jeff D'Amico and Lou Collier to the Mets for Glendon Rusch, Alex Ochoa and Lenny Harris. We all know how that deal turned out. Granted the Brewers now are a much better team than they were then, but the fact remains, unless you are a sure shot playoff team major leaguer for major leaguer deals do not pan out. Baseball is all about prospects, and the Brewers just moved the most attractive and best position player on the market and got no prospects in exchange.

Confused. Apset. Angry. Those are all what I feel right now, and I believe a lot of Brewers fans share those feelings. I'm not angry he was traded, but was this really the best deal the Brewers coud get for him?