The time is right; the demand is optimum.
With the apparent need for pitching in the Brew City already amassing to an extraordinary level this offseason, GM Doug Melvin needs to pull the trigger on a premier pitcher worthy of complementing an already explosive offense.
Although Yovani Gallardo is and will be the face of this Brewers pitching staff for many years to come, the need for a second “ace” is absolutely necessary. Fans (like myself) are sick and tired of the same expectations on a year-to-year basis for this pitching staff.
Signing Doug Davis only amounted to a pathetic injury that ended up costing the Brewers so many valuable dollars the Brewers could have used elsewhere.
On the other hand, stud RHP Felix Hernandez‘s status with the Mariners this offseason has already begun to stir questions and uncertainty within the organization.
Now is the perfect time for Melvin to step up and get this deal done.
Trading Prince Fielder for Hernandez just makes sense in every fashion. Fielder isn’t a free agent yet, and Melvin has vowed not to look into the free-agent market for possible starting pitching.
Hernandez also isn’t a free agent. With a 2010 salary of $7.2 million, Hernandez is the perfect fit for a trade involving Fielder.
Think about it: Seattle has no talent at the 1B position, and the Mariners are more than capable of picking up Fielder’s $11 million salary.
This is the crucial time when Melvin needs to step up and make a deal. Otherwise, Brewers fans will eventually be fed up with the nonsense (I’m almost at this point).
King Felix’s stuff is a once in a lifetime talent, and the possibility of that talent being brought to Milwaukee is a superb upgrade that would rejuvenate the outlook on the Brewers.
What’s not to love about receiving a Cy Young-type pitcher, along with lowering the payout to the current players? Nothing.
If traded, Fielder would put an immediate “face” to the franchise, allowing Mariners fans to have something to actually cheer for.
We all know that a pitching staff consisting of aging vets such as Dave Bush, Randy Wolf and Chris Capuano isn’t what wins championships. Winning was never about sitting back and observing. How do you think the Yankees amounted to the league’s most storied franchise? I’ll tell you why: because they took chances.
Felix is clearly the front runner for the AL Cy Young Award (13-12, 2.27 ERA, 232 SO, 1.06 WHIP) for his overall performance on a team that doesn’t know how to hit the ball. Seattle scored 513 runs this past season, embarrassing enough to be called the worst team at producing runs.
Last season, Milwaukee was second in the NL in HR (182), third in slugging percentage (.424), second in hits (1,471) and fourth in runs scored (750).
Milwaukee is clearly capable of putting runs on the board for Hernandez, who received the worst run support in MLB.
Nonetheless, the city of Milwaukee needs a World Series title. Trading for Hernandez is the best possible move out there for the Brewers this offseason.
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