Final: Brewers 4, Pirates 1

About time. Still stuck with Ishikawa though. What does Neil see in him??

Ishikawa is pretty good defensive 1st baseman. I think there may be a DFA in the future for S-Rod - Ishy gives them a quality late inning replacement for Pedro.

Yea, but they've had Ishikawa in LF. An OF he is not.

There is no way Sean Rodriguez is getting DFA'd.

I don't mind Ishikawa. I think he could be useful going forward this year. Hey the Giants won with him on the World Series roster last year. I'd rather look to fill other needs instead of specifically focusing on replacing Ishikawa

Wingding - I am afraid u r right - Lambo and Pedro,r regularly trashed on this site - but S-Rod gets a pass -he has not contributed offensively over the last 10 weeks his first half OPS is below .600 after an .810 in April, That is the definition of sucking IMHO

It's be fantastic to have Cueto, but Shark has been so dominant - tough to mess with that. Maybe he'd have to be part of the deal in return. I like the guy a lot though - this would be tough.

it would take bell glasnow meadows and probably someone from the mlb team at minimum. i'd be floored if it'd happen.

Not necessarily ziggy. They are both free agents. Price would still be costly, but not everything. I just don't NH is interested in rentals.

I don't understand all the trepidation dealing prospects. More guys turn into Andrew Lambo then Andrew McCutchen. Go back and look at the Pirates top prospects from 2010 and 2011.

@bpn: I agree with you totally about all of this trepidation if trading prospects when it could actually upgrade your team. Chapman actually has one year of control remaining and is arbitration eligible for 2016. He is eligible for FA for 2017.

Chapman has one more year of carb - would not be cheap - but he could be lock down closer next year too.

I think that's why the Reds would want to send them as a package deal...a slightly better return than if they trade both separately.

I guess I'm like DK, this constant "trade dreaming" bores me. This type of trade is so far away from the Pirates approach that it is really astonishing to spend time analyzing it. The Reds owner is needing to be talked into trading because he thinks the Reds are close to being competitive and he has spent a ton of $ on Votto and Bailey. If he is talked into dealing Chapman, it will be because Jocketty is getting overpaid in return. Maybe there's a team that will do this... Dodgers? Yankees? But it won't be teams like the cardinals, pirates, etc.

Hang on to them prospects, cmat. They're all gonna be stars.

Never give up much of value for any relief pitcher.

I don't care where they both go as long as it's far, far away from the NL Central.

Bpn. My post said nothing advocating the Pirates hoard prospects you may need to read again.

Put it in all caps next time.

Agree with cmat here. Regardless of whether you think the Pirates should deal prospects for stars, their history shows that they don't make that deal. The lone exception is the Wandy deal, and that was low cost because the Astros were having a fire sale. Heck, according to the column a few months ago, NH is lamenting losing a guy who's batted just over .200 to get Byrd. He loves his prospects.

DD, we talk alot about the Cardinals who are in our division. But the Dodgers got a hell of a team out West. They add something like Cueto or Hamels to what they already got in Greinke and Kershaw, just not sure how the Pirates get past that.

I think the Pirates are a playoff team as currently constructed. But beyond that, I don't know. Someday I hope they do pick up a big piece and make a run at the whole thing.

Bpn, I'd love to see them give up a legitimate prospect or two for a good upgrade. They seem to have enough in the system to do that without ruining the future. I just don't see NH doing so.

No, your right. I doubt it too. Billy Beane got ripped for making those moves last year. But I think he got tired of just making the playoffs and wanted to go in with a couple of aces, and go deeper. It didn't work. But who knows? Pirates keep getting beat in the WC/NLDS maybe NH will try something different.

Brewers Lineup:

1. Gerardo Parra (L) LF

2. Jonathan Lucroy (R) C

3. Ryan Braun (R) RF

4. Adam Lind (L) 1B

5. Carlos Gomez (R) CF

6. Aramis Ramirez (R) 3B

7. Jean Segura (R) SS

8. Scooter Gennett (L) 2B

9. Mike Fiers (R) P

Speaking of fun. Best to all who can make it to the bash tomorrow.
Alas, I am anchored to RI, this weekend.

I second that, Tom.

Detroit has to get of to a good start - they r legitimate wild card possibles if they do - otherwise sellers. Davis is interesting - but is he really much of an upgrade?

Cepedes is the upgrade. But again, are they sellers? Probably not.

No interest in Rajai Davis.....they could do better.

Wasn't he the guy Littlefield traded for Morris?

Yup. Full circle, Biz.

A pitcher throws 5 innings, allowing 6 runs. His team scores 7 runs in the first inning, and the bullpen throws 4 scoreless innings of relief. The pitcher gets the win.

A pitcher throws 9 innings, allowing one unearned run. His team doesn't score. He takes a loss.

These are extreme examples, but that's why wins aren't a terribly useful stat when evaluating how well someone has pitched.

My response to this: Wins are a team stat, not individual. I get just as frustrated over goalie wins in hockey.

I think the wins are a 'little' overrated. But I don't like it when people start hammering on them as a completely worthless stat. Normally, the guy who ends up with the most wins in the league pitched very well that year.

A pitcher can sure as hell earn a Loss, right?

The Blue Jays pick up Tabata and he hits 67 homers without looking any differnet than he did in Pittsburgh.