As you know by now if you are an avid reader of the blog (or a football fan), NFL rosters are always a work in progress. On Sunday, September 12, 2010 the Green Bay Packers open their 2010 season on the road against the Philadelphia Eagles. Although the Packers will only have 45 guys on their game day roster, they will have 53 players on their active roster.
I didn't change my training camp predictions at the final 53-man roster too much over the last few weeks (first and second attempts) but it is still worth a read. Here is my third training camp crack at how I think Ted Thompson will pick the final 53-man roster for the 2010 Green Bay Packers (although I think there will be at least one trade around cut down time...the most likely guys to move are Jason Spitz and Donald Lee):
Offense: 26 (PUP: 1, PS: 5, CUT: 7, and IR: 1)
Quarterback: 2 (PS:1)
Aaron Rodgers
Matt Flynn
PS: Graham Harrell
Running Back: 3 (PUP: 1 and IR: 1)
Ryan Grant
Brandon Jackson
Kregg Lumpkin
PUP: James Starks
IR: Quinn Porter
Fullback: 2 (CUT: 1)
Korey Hall
John Kuhn
CUT: Quinn Johnson
Tight End: 4 (PS: 1)
Jermichael Finley
Donald Lee
Spencer Havner
Andrew Quarless
PS: Tom Crabtree
Wide Receiver: 5 (PS: 1 and CUT: 4)
Donald Driver
Greg Jennings
Jordy Nelson
James Jones
Brett Swain
PS: Jason Chery
CUT: Chastin West, Patrick Williams, Charles Dillon, and Shawn Gore
Offensive Line: 10 (PS: 2 and CUT: 2)
Chad Clifton
Daryn Colledge
Scott Wells
Josh Sitton
Mark Tauscher
Bryan Bulaga
Jason Spitz
T.J. Lang
Evan Dietrich-Smith
Marshall Newhouse
PS: Chris Campbell and Nick McDonald
CUT: Allen Barbre and Breno Giacomini
Defense: 24 (PUP: 2, PS: 3, and CUT: 7)
Defensive Line: 6 (PS: 1 and CUT: 2)
Ryan Pickett
B.J. Raji
Cullen Jenkins
Mike Neal
Justin Harrell
Ronald Talley
PS: C.J. Wilson
CUT: Jarius Wynn and Anthony Toribio
Linebacker: 8 (PS: 1 and CUT: 3)
Clay Matthews
A.J. Hawk
Nick Barnett
Brandon Chillar
Brady Poppinga
Desmond Bishop
Brad Jones
Frank Zombo
PS: Robert Francois
CUT: Cyril Obiozor, Alex Joseph, and Maurice Simpkins
Defensive Back: 10 (PUP: 2, PS: 1, and CUT: 2)
Charles Woodson
Tramon Williams
Brandon Underwood
Pat Lee
Sam Shields
Nick Collins
Morgan Burnett
Derrick Martin
Jarrett Bush
Will Blackmon
PUP: Al Harris and Atari Bigby
PS: Anthony Levine
CUT: D.J. Clark and Charlie Peprah
Special Teams: 3 (CUT: 1)
Kicker: 1
Mason Crosby
Punter: 1 (CUT: 1)
Tim Masthay
CUT: Chris Bryan
Long Snapper: 1
Brett Goode
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Sunday, August 22, 2010
2010 Green Bay Packers 53-man Roster 2.0
An NFL roster is always a work in progress. On Sunday, September 12, 2010 the Green Bay Packers open their 2010 season on the road against the Philadelphia Eagles. Although the Packers will only have 45 guys on their game day roster, they will have 53 players on their active roster. I didn't change too many predictions from my last look at this a few weeks ago but it is still worth a read. Here is my second training camp crack at how I think Ted Thompson will pick the final 53-man roster for the 2010 Green Bay Packers:
Offense: 26 (PUP: 1, PS: 5, and CUT: 8)
Quarterback: 2 (PS:1)
Aaron Rodgers
Matt Flynn
PS: Graham Harrell
Running Back: 3 (PUP: 1 and PS: 1)
Ryan Grant
Brandon Jackson
Kregg Lumpkin
PUP: James Starks
PS: Quinn Porter
Fullback: 2 (CUT: 1)
Korey Hall
John Kuhn
CUT: Quinn Johnson
Tight End: 4 (PS: 1)
Jermichael Finley
Donald Lee
Spencer Havner
Andrew Quarless
PS: Tom Crabtree
Wide Receiver: 5 (PS: 1 and CUT: 4)
Donald Driver
Greg Jennings
Jordy Nelson
James Jones
Brett Swain
PS: Jason Chery
CUT: Chastin West, Patrick Williams, Charles Dillon, and Shawn Gore
Offensive Line: 10 (PS: 1 and CUT: 3)
Chad Clifton
Daryn Colledge
Scott Wells
Josh Sitton
Mark Tauscher
Bryan Bulaga
Jason Spitz
T.J. Lang
Breno Giacomini
Marshall Newhouse
PS: Chris Campbell
CUT: Allen Barbre, Evan Dietrich-Smith, and Nick McDonald
Defense: 24 (PUP: 2, PS: 3, and CUT: 7)
Defensive Line: 6 (PS: 1 and CUT: 2)
Ryan Pickett
B.J. Raji
Cullen Jenkins
Mike Neal
Justin Harrell
Anthony Toribio
PS: C.J. Wilson
CUT: Jarius Wynn and Ronald Talley
Linebacker: 8 (PS: 1 and CUT: 3)
Clay Matthews
A.J. Hawk
Nick Barnett
Brandon Chillar
Brady Poppinga
Desmond Bishop
Brad Jones
Frank Zombo
PS: Robert Francois
CUT: Cyril Obiozor, Alex Joseph, and Maurice Simpkins
Defensive Back: 10 (PUP: 2, PS: 1, and CUT: 2)
Charles Woodson
Tramon Williams
Brandon Underwood
Pat Lee
Sam Shields
Nick Collins
Morgan Burnett
Derrick Martin
Jarrett Bush
Will Blackmon
PUP: Al Harris and Atari Bigby
PS: Anthony Levine
CUT: D.J. Clark and Charlie Peprah
Special Teams: 3 (CUT: 1)
Kicker: 1
Mason Crosby
Punter: 1 (CUT: 1)
Chris Bryan
CUT: Tim Masthay
Long Snapper: 1
Brett Goode
Offense: 26 (PUP: 1, PS: 5, and CUT: 8)
Quarterback: 2 (PS:1)
Aaron Rodgers
Matt Flynn
PS: Graham Harrell
Running Back: 3 (PUP: 1 and PS: 1)
Ryan Grant
Brandon Jackson
Kregg Lumpkin
PUP: James Starks
PS: Quinn Porter
Fullback: 2 (CUT: 1)
Korey Hall
John Kuhn
CUT: Quinn Johnson
Tight End: 4 (PS: 1)
Jermichael Finley
Donald Lee
Spencer Havner
Andrew Quarless
PS: Tom Crabtree
Wide Receiver: 5 (PS: 1 and CUT: 4)
Donald Driver
Greg Jennings
Jordy Nelson
James Jones
Brett Swain
PS: Jason Chery
CUT: Chastin West, Patrick Williams, Charles Dillon, and Shawn Gore
Offensive Line: 10 (PS: 1 and CUT: 3)
Chad Clifton
Daryn Colledge
Scott Wells
Josh Sitton
Mark Tauscher
Bryan Bulaga
Jason Spitz
T.J. Lang
Breno Giacomini
Marshall Newhouse
PS: Chris Campbell
CUT: Allen Barbre, Evan Dietrich-Smith, and Nick McDonald
Defense: 24 (PUP: 2, PS: 3, and CUT: 7)
Defensive Line: 6 (PS: 1 and CUT: 2)
Ryan Pickett
B.J. Raji
Cullen Jenkins
Mike Neal
Justin Harrell
Anthony Toribio
PS: C.J. Wilson
CUT: Jarius Wynn and Ronald Talley
Linebacker: 8 (PS: 1 and CUT: 3)
Clay Matthews
A.J. Hawk
Nick Barnett
Brandon Chillar
Brady Poppinga
Desmond Bishop
Brad Jones
Frank Zombo
PS: Robert Francois
CUT: Cyril Obiozor, Alex Joseph, and Maurice Simpkins
Defensive Back: 10 (PUP: 2, PS: 1, and CUT: 2)
Charles Woodson
Tramon Williams
Brandon Underwood
Pat Lee
Sam Shields
Nick Collins
Morgan Burnett
Derrick Martin
Jarrett Bush
Will Blackmon
PUP: Al Harris and Atari Bigby
PS: Anthony Levine
CUT: D.J. Clark and Charlie Peprah
Special Teams: 3 (CUT: 1)
Kicker: 1
Mason Crosby
Punter: 1 (CUT: 1)
Chris Bryan
CUT: Tim Masthay
Long Snapper: 1
Brett Goode
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
2011 Madden Green Bay Packer Player Ratings
Tuesday, August 10, 2010 was the official release date of Madden 2011 by EA Sports. By the way, why is it called Madden 2011 instead of Madden 2010? Anyhow, the annual release of Madden is a special day for football and video game afficaiandos (like myself) around the world.
The annual Madden release leads to trash talking amongst NFL players. NFL players get so worked up about their ratings that they have gone so far as to petition EA Sports to improve their ratings. Here are some highlights from the 2011 Madden Green Bay Packer player ratings:
The 10 highest rated Green Bay Packers in Madden 2011 are:
- Charles Woodson: 97
- Aaron Rodgers: 94
- Nick Collins: 93
- Greg Jennings: 90
- Donald Driver: 89
- Ryan Grant: 88
- Nick Barnett: 87
- Cullen Jenkins: 87
- Clay Matthews: 86
- Jermichael Finley: 86
Ratings Jennings 90 and Nick Barnett 87 feels a little low, especially with Matthews and Finley getting a rating of 86. If you buy into all of the preseason hype, Rodgers should be a 99. Obviously I don't think Rodgers should be a 99 but with all the hype he is getting, 94 almost feels low.
The 10 lowest rated Green Bay Packers in Madden 2011 are:
- Marshall Newhouse: 64
- Will Blackmon: 63
- Jarrett Bush: 63
- Anthony Toribio: 63
- Spencer Havner: 62
- Justin Harrell: 62
- Jarius Wynn: 60
- Allen Barbre: 60
- Matt Flynn: 57
- Tim Masthay: 49
It is only fair that the lowest rated Packer is a punter, their punting game has been horrible since cutting Jon Ryan right before the start of the 2008 regular season. Besides that, even though Harrell has been hurt since entering the NFL there is no way he should be ranked behind Newhouse, Blackmon, Bush, and Toribio. I know I am splitting hairs over a 64 rating v. a 62 rating but this might be my last chance to give Harrell a backhanded compliment.
The 5 fastest Green Bay Packers in Madden 2011 are:
- Greg Jennings: 93
- Will Blackmon: 92
- Tramon Williams: 90
- Charles Woodson: 89
- Nick Collins: 89
Madden did not include Sam Shields on the Packers roster otherwise the Packers would have had at least one player with a 99 speed rating. Only having 3 players with a speed rating of 90 or higher is a little disconcerting though.
The 5 slowest Green Bay Packers in Madden 2011 are:
- Scott Wells: 58
- Evan Dietrich-Smith: 56
- Chad Clifton: 55
- Mark Tauscher: 52
- Jason Spitz: 52
No big surprises here, offensive lineman are almost always the slowest players on the team.
Only 6 Green Bay Packers had an awareness rating of 90 or higher in Madden 2011:
- Charles Woodson: 98
- Al Harris: 97
- Chad Clifton: 93
- Mark Tauscher: 91
- Greg Jennings: 90
- Donald Driver: 90
If I were in charge of the Madden franchise (I hope you are reading this EA Sports), Aaron Rodgers would have a 99 awareness rating solely for how well he handled the whole Brett Favre saga. Rodgers took a prominent leadership role in short order after taking over for a living legend in Green Bay. Add in that Rodgers is the closest thing to the perfect team player you will ever find in professional sports and Madden missed the boat on this one. There is no way that Rodgers should have an 84 awareness rating.
The Green Bay Packers with an awareness rating of lower than 50 in Madden 2011 are:
- Allen Barbre: 48
- Jarius Wynn: 46
- Anthony Toribio: 45
- Tim Masthay: 45
- Evan Dietrich-Smith: 45
- Andrew Quarless: 40
- James Starks: 37
- Marshall Newhouse: 37
- Morgan Burnett: 29
Brandon Underwood barely missed this list by getting a 52 awareness rating. I am guessing if EA Sports could factor in Blackmon's recent transgressions he would overtake Burnett for the lowest awareness rating. Speaking of Burnett, it is never a good thing when one of your projected starters (with Bigby out injured) has the lowest awareness rating on your entire roster.
The annual Madden release leads to trash talking amongst NFL players. NFL players get so worked up about their ratings that they have gone so far as to petition EA Sports to improve their ratings. Here are some highlights from the 2011 Madden Green Bay Packer player ratings:
The 10 highest rated Green Bay Packers in Madden 2011 are:
- Charles Woodson: 97
- Aaron Rodgers: 94
- Nick Collins: 93
- Greg Jennings: 90
- Donald Driver: 89
- Ryan Grant: 88
- Nick Barnett: 87
- Cullen Jenkins: 87
- Clay Matthews: 86
- Jermichael Finley: 86
Ratings Jennings 90 and Nick Barnett 87 feels a little low, especially with Matthews and Finley getting a rating of 86. If you buy into all of the preseason hype, Rodgers should be a 99. Obviously I don't think Rodgers should be a 99 but with all the hype he is getting, 94 almost feels low.
The 10 lowest rated Green Bay Packers in Madden 2011 are:
- Marshall Newhouse: 64
- Will Blackmon: 63
- Jarrett Bush: 63
- Anthony Toribio: 63
- Spencer Havner: 62
- Justin Harrell: 62
- Jarius Wynn: 60
- Allen Barbre: 60
- Matt Flynn: 57
- Tim Masthay: 49
It is only fair that the lowest rated Packer is a punter, their punting game has been horrible since cutting Jon Ryan right before the start of the 2008 regular season. Besides that, even though Harrell has been hurt since entering the NFL there is no way he should be ranked behind Newhouse, Blackmon, Bush, and Toribio. I know I am splitting hairs over a 64 rating v. a 62 rating but this might be my last chance to give Harrell a backhanded compliment.
The 5 fastest Green Bay Packers in Madden 2011 are:
- Greg Jennings: 93
- Will Blackmon: 92
- Tramon Williams: 90
- Charles Woodson: 89
- Nick Collins: 89
Madden did not include Sam Shields on the Packers roster otherwise the Packers would have had at least one player with a 99 speed rating. Only having 3 players with a speed rating of 90 or higher is a little disconcerting though.
The 5 slowest Green Bay Packers in Madden 2011 are:
- Scott Wells: 58
- Evan Dietrich-Smith: 56
- Chad Clifton: 55
- Mark Tauscher: 52
- Jason Spitz: 52
No big surprises here, offensive lineman are almost always the slowest players on the team.
Only 6 Green Bay Packers had an awareness rating of 90 or higher in Madden 2011:
- Charles Woodson: 98
- Al Harris: 97
- Chad Clifton: 93
- Mark Tauscher: 91
- Greg Jennings: 90
- Donald Driver: 90
If I were in charge of the Madden franchise (I hope you are reading this EA Sports), Aaron Rodgers would have a 99 awareness rating solely for how well he handled the whole Brett Favre saga. Rodgers took a prominent leadership role in short order after taking over for a living legend in Green Bay. Add in that Rodgers is the closest thing to the perfect team player you will ever find in professional sports and Madden missed the boat on this one. There is no way that Rodgers should have an 84 awareness rating.
The Green Bay Packers with an awareness rating of lower than 50 in Madden 2011 are:
- Allen Barbre: 48
- Jarius Wynn: 46
- Anthony Toribio: 45
- Tim Masthay: 45
- Evan Dietrich-Smith: 45
- Andrew Quarless: 40
- James Starks: 37
- Marshall Newhouse: 37
- Morgan Burnett: 29
Brandon Underwood barely missed this list by getting a 52 awareness rating. I am guessing if EA Sports could factor in Blackmon's recent transgressions he would overtake Burnett for the lowest awareness rating. Speaking of Burnett, it is never a good thing when one of your projected starters (with Bigby out injured) has the lowest awareness rating on your entire roster.
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Sunday Funday - Another Guess at the 2010 Green Bay Packers 53-man Roster
An NFL roster is always a work in progress. On Sunday, September 12, 2010 the Green Bay Packers open their 2010 season on the road against the Philadelphia Eagles. Although the Packers will only have 45 guys on their game day roster, they will have 53 players on their active roster.
Starting in April before the 2010 NFL Draft, I took a look at how the Packers roster heading into the draft. After the 2010 NFL Draft, I gave my first shot at how I thought the 53-man roster would shake out.
Over the next month I will take a number of stabs at how I think the final 53-man roster for the 2010 Green Bay Packers will look when they face the Eagles. Keep in mind this is not how I would select the team, this is how I think Packers general manager Ted Thompson will select the team.
Before we go any further, let me define a few terms:
- IR stands for injured reserve. A player placed on IR is unable to play for the Packers for the entire 2010 NFL season. If the Packers reach an injury settlement with a player on IR, that player can sign with another NFL team for the 2010 season.
- PUP stands for physically unable to perform. A player placed on PUP is ineligible for the 53-man roster until after week 6 of the regular season.
- PS stands for practice squad. The Packers are allowed to carry 8 players on their practice squad (9 if the Packers carry an international player). There are certain rules that determine whether a player is eligible for the practice squad. In order to be placed on the practice squad a player cannot have played in nine regular season games, been on an active NFL roster for an entire year, or have spent more than two seasons on the same team's practice squad.
- CUT is pretty self explanatory.
Here is my first training camp crack at how I think Ted Thompson will pick the final 53-man roster for the 2010 Green Bay Packers:
Offense: 26 (PUP: 1, PS: 5, and CUT: 8)
Quarterback: 2 (PS:1)
Aaron Rodgers
Matt Flynn
PS: Graham Harrell
Running Back: 3 (PUP: 1 and PS: 1)
Ryan Grant
Brandon Jackson
Kregg Lumpkin
PUP: James Starks
PS: Quinn Porter
Fullback: 2 (PS: 1)
Korey Hall
John Kuhn
PS: Quinn Johnson
Tight End: 4 (PS: 1)
Jermichael Finley
Donald Lee
Spencer Havner
Andrew Quarless
PS: Tom Crabtree
Wide Receiver: 5 (CUT: 5)
Donald Driver
Greg Jennings
Jordy Nelson
James Jones
Brett Swain
CUT: Chastin West, Patrick Williams, Charles Dillon, Shawn Gore, and Jason Chery
Offensive Line: 10 (PS: 1 and CUT: 3)
Chad Clifton
Daryn Colledge
Scott Wells
Josh Sitton
Mark Tauscher
Bryan Bulaga
Jason Spitz
T.J. Lang
Breno Giacomini
Marshall Newhouse
PS: Chris Campbell
CUT: Allen Barbre, Evan Dietrich-Smith, and Nick McDonald
Defense: 24 (PUP: 2, PS: 3, and CUT: 7)
Defensive Line: 6 (PS: 1 and CUT: 2)
Ryan Pickett
B.J. Raji
Cullen Jenkins
Mike Neal
Justin Harrell
Jarius Wynn
PS: C.J. Wilson
CUT: Anthony Toribio and Ronald Talley
Linebacker: 8 (PS: 1 and CUT: 3)
Clay Matthews
A.J. Hawk
Nick Barnett
Brandon Chillar
Brady Poppinga
Desmond Bishop
Brad Jones
Cyril Obiozor
PS: Frank Zombo
CUT: Robert Francois, Alex Joseph, and Maurice Simpkins
Defensive Back: 10 (PUP: 2, PS: 1, and CUT: 2)
Charles Woodson
Tramon Williams
Brandon Underwood
Pat Lee
Sam Shields
Nick Collins
Morgan Burnett
Derrick Martin
Charlie Peprah
Will Blackmon
PUP: Al Harris and Atari Bigby
PS: Anthony Levine
CUT: D.J. Clark and Jarrett Bush
Special Teams: 3 (CUT: 1)
Kicker: 1
Mason Crosby
Punter: 1 (CUT: 1)
Chris Bryan
CUT: Tim Masthay
Long Snapper: 1
Brett Goode
Starting in April before the 2010 NFL Draft, I took a look at how the Packers roster heading into the draft. After the 2010 NFL Draft, I gave my first shot at how I thought the 53-man roster would shake out.
Over the next month I will take a number of stabs at how I think the final 53-man roster for the 2010 Green Bay Packers will look when they face the Eagles. Keep in mind this is not how I would select the team, this is how I think Packers general manager Ted Thompson will select the team.
Before we go any further, let me define a few terms:
- IR stands for injured reserve. A player placed on IR is unable to play for the Packers for the entire 2010 NFL season. If the Packers reach an injury settlement with a player on IR, that player can sign with another NFL team for the 2010 season.
- PUP stands for physically unable to perform. A player placed on PUP is ineligible for the 53-man roster until after week 6 of the regular season.
- PS stands for practice squad. The Packers are allowed to carry 8 players on their practice squad (9 if the Packers carry an international player). There are certain rules that determine whether a player is eligible for the practice squad. In order to be placed on the practice squad a player cannot have played in nine regular season games, been on an active NFL roster for an entire year, or have spent more than two seasons on the same team's practice squad.
- CUT is pretty self explanatory.
Here is my first training camp crack at how I think Ted Thompson will pick the final 53-man roster for the 2010 Green Bay Packers:
Offense: 26 (PUP: 1, PS: 5, and CUT: 8)
Quarterback: 2 (PS:1)
Aaron Rodgers
Matt Flynn
PS: Graham Harrell
Running Back: 3 (PUP: 1 and PS: 1)
Ryan Grant
Brandon Jackson
Kregg Lumpkin
PUP: James Starks
PS: Quinn Porter
Fullback: 2 (PS: 1)
Korey Hall
John Kuhn
PS: Quinn Johnson
Tight End: 4 (PS: 1)
Jermichael Finley
Donald Lee
Spencer Havner
Andrew Quarless
PS: Tom Crabtree
Wide Receiver: 5 (CUT: 5)
Donald Driver
Greg Jennings
Jordy Nelson
James Jones
Brett Swain
CUT: Chastin West, Patrick Williams, Charles Dillon, Shawn Gore, and Jason Chery
Offensive Line: 10 (PS: 1 and CUT: 3)
Chad Clifton
Daryn Colledge
Scott Wells
Josh Sitton
Mark Tauscher
Bryan Bulaga
Jason Spitz
T.J. Lang
Breno Giacomini
Marshall Newhouse
PS: Chris Campbell
CUT: Allen Barbre, Evan Dietrich-Smith, and Nick McDonald
Defense: 24 (PUP: 2, PS: 3, and CUT: 7)
Defensive Line: 6 (PS: 1 and CUT: 2)
Ryan Pickett
B.J. Raji
Cullen Jenkins
Mike Neal
Justin Harrell
Jarius Wynn
PS: C.J. Wilson
CUT: Anthony Toribio and Ronald Talley
Linebacker: 8 (PS: 1 and CUT: 3)
Clay Matthews
A.J. Hawk
Nick Barnett
Brandon Chillar
Brady Poppinga
Desmond Bishop
Brad Jones
Cyril Obiozor
PS: Frank Zombo
CUT: Robert Francois, Alex Joseph, and Maurice Simpkins
Defensive Back: 10 (PUP: 2, PS: 1, and CUT: 2)
Charles Woodson
Tramon Williams
Brandon Underwood
Pat Lee
Sam Shields
Nick Collins
Morgan Burnett
Derrick Martin
Charlie Peprah
Will Blackmon
PUP: Al Harris and Atari Bigby
PS: Anthony Levine
CUT: D.J. Clark and Jarrett Bush
Special Teams: 3 (CUT: 1)
Kicker: 1
Mason Crosby
Punter: 1 (CUT: 1)
Chris Bryan
CUT: Tim Masthay
Long Snapper: 1
Brett Goode
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Review of Contracts for 2010 Packer Draft Picks & Corey Hart's Extension
Some of you might be wondering why I named this edition of Wednesday What Happened "Cheesehead Contracts". Originally the post was going to be an in-depth post that focused solely on the contracts given out by Green Bay Packers general manager Ted Thompson to the players Thompson drafted in the 2010 NFL Draft but then Milwaukee Brewers general manager Doug Melvin signed Corey Hart to an extension. As a result, this "Recent Cheesehead Contracts" post encompasses all the new deals given out by Ted Thompson and Doug Melvin.
2010 Green Bay Packer Rookie Contracts:
The Packers' rookie pool for 2010 is $3.863 million so despite the fact that the NFL is operating without a salary cap on the entire roster this year, there is still a salary cap on rookies salaries for the 2010 NFL Season. That means that Ted Thompson can pay the seven players he drafted $3.863 million for 2010.
Every 2010 Green Bay Packer draft pick besides first round pick Bryan Bulaga (Iowa, OT) signed a four-year contract with base salaries of $320,000 in 2010, $405,000 in 2011, $490,000 in 2012, and $575,000 in 2013. The only difference is the signing bonus that each player received:
- 2nd round pick Mike Neal (Purdue, DE) received a $1.16 million signing bonus.
- 3rd round pick Morgan Burnett (Georgia Tech, S) received a $895,100 signing bonus.
- 5th round pick Andrew Quarless (Penn State, TE) received a $182,425 signing bonus
- 5th round pick Marshall Newhouse (TCU, OL) received a $149,850 signing bonus.
- 6th round pick James Starks (Buffalo, RB) received a $100,300 signing bonus.
- 7th round pick C.J. Wilson (East Carolina, DE) received a $50,354 signing bonus.
Packers' first round draft pick, 23rd overall, Bryan Bulaga (Iowa, OT) received a five-year contract worth $14.75 million with $8.76 guaranteed. That is a pretty good deal for Bulaga, especially considering the player selected one pick after Bulaga by the Dallas Cowboys, wide receiver Dez Bryant, signed a five-year contract worth $11.8 million with $8.4 million guaranteed. Furthermore, the player selected 23rd overall in the 2009 NFL Draft, Baltimore Ravens offensive tackle Michael Oher (the main character in The Blind Side), received a five-year contract worth $13.8 million with $7.8 million guaranteed.
Bulaga, Neal, and Burnett (assuming they are healthy) will make the 53-man roster based on their draft status and guaranteed money received. With all of the young, quality depth on the Packers roster Quarless, Newhouse, Starks, and Wilson are going to have to prove they belong in the NFL because they are by no means guaranteed to make the 53-man roster. Of the quartet mentioned above, the players with the best chance to make the roster are Quarless (based on talent) and Starks (based on lack of quality depth at running back).
A quick note on NFL rookie contracts before moving on to the Corey Hart deal. With the pending NFL lockout in 2011, many critics point to rookie salaries as one of the biggest problems facing the NFL. Those critics are partially correct. The problem is actually the top 15 picks, not all rookie contracts. The top 15 players selected in the NFL Draft each season are paid just as much as the rest of the players drafted. There were 255 players drafted in 2010, which means that the contracts of the guys selected 1-15 will equal the value of the contracts of the players selected 16-255.
Most experts agree that second and third round picks are the most valuable because you get very talented players for four years at a very cheap price. Even late first round picks can be very valuable. Take Bulaga for example, he is scheduled to make $3 million a year for the next 5 years. The guy playing in front of Bulaga, Chad Clifton, is set to earn an average of $6.5 million for the next three years even though he is on the downside of his career. There is chance that Bulaga will be a bust, but if he supplants Clifton at left tackle in 2010 or 2011 the Packers will end up paying way below market value for one of the most expensive and important positions in football.
Corey Hart Contract:
As mentioned above, Corey Hart went from the trade block to moving into a bigger house on Lake Shore Drive in Whitefish Bay in less than a week. Leading up to the trade deadline, Hart looked like the most likely candidate to move. Hart's 2010 salary is only $4.8 million, which is reasonable for a very productive corner outfielder. Furthermore, Hart was not scheduled to become a free agent till 2011 because he still had one more year of salary arbitration available.
As it has been widely reported by now, Hart wasn't even on the Brewers all-star ballot at the start of 2010. Instead of hanging his head, Hart put together a great first half of 2010. Hart parlayed his offensive explosion to start this season into a three-year, $26.5 million extension. Hart received a $1 million signing bonus along with salaries of $6.5 million in 2011, $9 million in 2012, and $10 million in 2013. The contract contains the usual bonuses for all-star appearances and other performance based bonuses. The contract also contains a limited no-trade clause, which means Hart can block trades to 15 clubs.
Unforutnaely, two former Brewer contracts came to mind when Hart signed the extension. The first contract that came to mind was my buddy Uncle Patty's favorite Brewers of all-time...Geoff Jenkins' three-year, $22.5 million deal that ran from 2005 to 2007. The other contract that came to mind was Bill Hall's 4-year, $24 million contract that runs from 2007 to 2011 (club option for 2011 that would not get exercised in a million years). It is not a good sign that Hart's contract immediately reminded me of the horrible deals given to Jenkins and Hall.
I have to question Melvin's thinking here, he clearly bought high since Hart is having the best season of his entire career. Why not let Hart go to arbitration next year? Hart actually earned a raise this year, let him get it. Plus, if Hart performs well to start 2011 then offer the extension. Reward producing at a high level for a number of seasons in a row not just the first half of one season. Plus if Hart got too expensive, trade him or let him sign with another team and take the draft pick compensation.
If you look at the Brewer salary obligations through from now through 2014, the Brewers don't have much money committed past 2011 but it is the 2nd and 3rd years of the Hart deal that are going to feel expensive. Hart makes $6.5 million in 2011 but jumps to $9 million in 2012 and $10 million in 2013...please don't be the Jeff Suppan of right fielders because the Brewers cannot afford those mistakes.
Hart's extension all but guarantees that Prince will not be in a Brewers uniform in 2012. That means Doug Melvin should think about moving Hart to first base after Prince leaves, especially if Cain, Gamel, or Lawrie look like viable corner outfielders for 2012. I hope I am wrong, but I have a bad feeling about the Hart extensions. Hart signed for way too much money and you never want to extend a guy while he is in the midst of a career year.
Final Thoughts:
To end on a positive note, how about Uecker's performance during the 7th inning stretch last night at Wrigley Field? Always a classy guy, glad that Uecker is recovering and back on the job after heart surgery.
Check out Uecker's version of "Take me out to the ball game" during the 7th inning stretch at Wrigley Field on August 3, 2010: "Alright everybody, here were go. Two, four, six...take me out to the ball game, take me out with the crowd. Buy me some peanuts and cracker jacks, I don't care if I ever get back. So I'll root, root, root for the Brewers. You do the same for the Cubs. Then it's one, two, three strikes your out at the old, ball, game. Thank you very much, I love you all. Thank you, thank you, thank you." Uecker's golden pipes are the most soothing in the world...stay healthy Bob.
2010 Green Bay Packer Rookie Contracts:
The Packers' rookie pool for 2010 is $3.863 million so despite the fact that the NFL is operating without a salary cap on the entire roster this year, there is still a salary cap on rookies salaries for the 2010 NFL Season. That means that Ted Thompson can pay the seven players he drafted $3.863 million for 2010.
Every 2010 Green Bay Packer draft pick besides first round pick Bryan Bulaga (Iowa, OT) signed a four-year contract with base salaries of $320,000 in 2010, $405,000 in 2011, $490,000 in 2012, and $575,000 in 2013. The only difference is the signing bonus that each player received:
- 2nd round pick Mike Neal (Purdue, DE) received a $1.16 million signing bonus.
- 3rd round pick Morgan Burnett (Georgia Tech, S) received a $895,100 signing bonus.
- 5th round pick Andrew Quarless (Penn State, TE) received a $182,425 signing bonus
- 5th round pick Marshall Newhouse (TCU, OL) received a $149,850 signing bonus.
- 6th round pick James Starks (Buffalo, RB) received a $100,300 signing bonus.
- 7th round pick C.J. Wilson (East Carolina, DE) received a $50,354 signing bonus.
Packers' first round draft pick, 23rd overall, Bryan Bulaga (Iowa, OT) received a five-year contract worth $14.75 million with $8.76 guaranteed. That is a pretty good deal for Bulaga, especially considering the player selected one pick after Bulaga by the Dallas Cowboys, wide receiver Dez Bryant, signed a five-year contract worth $11.8 million with $8.4 million guaranteed. Furthermore, the player selected 23rd overall in the 2009 NFL Draft, Baltimore Ravens offensive tackle Michael Oher (the main character in The Blind Side), received a five-year contract worth $13.8 million with $7.8 million guaranteed.
Bulaga, Neal, and Burnett (assuming they are healthy) will make the 53-man roster based on their draft status and guaranteed money received. With all of the young, quality depth on the Packers roster Quarless, Newhouse, Starks, and Wilson are going to have to prove they belong in the NFL because they are by no means guaranteed to make the 53-man roster. Of the quartet mentioned above, the players with the best chance to make the roster are Quarless (based on talent) and Starks (based on lack of quality depth at running back).
A quick note on NFL rookie contracts before moving on to the Corey Hart deal. With the pending NFL lockout in 2011, many critics point to rookie salaries as one of the biggest problems facing the NFL. Those critics are partially correct. The problem is actually the top 15 picks, not all rookie contracts. The top 15 players selected in the NFL Draft each season are paid just as much as the rest of the players drafted. There were 255 players drafted in 2010, which means that the contracts of the guys selected 1-15 will equal the value of the contracts of the players selected 16-255.
Most experts agree that second and third round picks are the most valuable because you get very talented players for four years at a very cheap price. Even late first round picks can be very valuable. Take Bulaga for example, he is scheduled to make $3 million a year for the next 5 years. The guy playing in front of Bulaga, Chad Clifton, is set to earn an average of $6.5 million for the next three years even though he is on the downside of his career. There is chance that Bulaga will be a bust, but if he supplants Clifton at left tackle in 2010 or 2011 the Packers will end up paying way below market value for one of the most expensive and important positions in football.
Corey Hart Contract:
As mentioned above, Corey Hart went from the trade block to moving into a bigger house on Lake Shore Drive in Whitefish Bay in less than a week. Leading up to the trade deadline, Hart looked like the most likely candidate to move. Hart's 2010 salary is only $4.8 million, which is reasonable for a very productive corner outfielder. Furthermore, Hart was not scheduled to become a free agent till 2011 because he still had one more year of salary arbitration available.
As it has been widely reported by now, Hart wasn't even on the Brewers all-star ballot at the start of 2010. Instead of hanging his head, Hart put together a great first half of 2010. Hart parlayed his offensive explosion to start this season into a three-year, $26.5 million extension. Hart received a $1 million signing bonus along with salaries of $6.5 million in 2011, $9 million in 2012, and $10 million in 2013. The contract contains the usual bonuses for all-star appearances and other performance based bonuses. The contract also contains a limited no-trade clause, which means Hart can block trades to 15 clubs.
Unforutnaely, two former Brewer contracts came to mind when Hart signed the extension. The first contract that came to mind was my buddy Uncle Patty's favorite Brewers of all-time...Geoff Jenkins' three-year, $22.5 million deal that ran from 2005 to 2007. The other contract that came to mind was Bill Hall's 4-year, $24 million contract that runs from 2007 to 2011 (club option for 2011 that would not get exercised in a million years). It is not a good sign that Hart's contract immediately reminded me of the horrible deals given to Jenkins and Hall.
I have to question Melvin's thinking here, he clearly bought high since Hart is having the best season of his entire career. Why not let Hart go to arbitration next year? Hart actually earned a raise this year, let him get it. Plus, if Hart performs well to start 2011 then offer the extension. Reward producing at a high level for a number of seasons in a row not just the first half of one season. Plus if Hart got too expensive, trade him or let him sign with another team and take the draft pick compensation.
If you look at the Brewer salary obligations through from now through 2014, the Brewers don't have much money committed past 2011 but it is the 2nd and 3rd years of the Hart deal that are going to feel expensive. Hart makes $6.5 million in 2011 but jumps to $9 million in 2012 and $10 million in 2013...please don't be the Jeff Suppan of right fielders because the Brewers cannot afford those mistakes.
Hart's extension all but guarantees that Prince will not be in a Brewers uniform in 2012. That means Doug Melvin should think about moving Hart to first base after Prince leaves, especially if Cain, Gamel, or Lawrie look like viable corner outfielders for 2012. I hope I am wrong, but I have a bad feeling about the Hart extensions. Hart signed for way too much money and you never want to extend a guy while he is in the midst of a career year.
Final Thoughts:
To end on a positive note, how about Uecker's performance during the 7th inning stretch last night at Wrigley Field? Always a classy guy, glad that Uecker is recovering and back on the job after heart surgery.
Check out Uecker's version of "Take me out to the ball game" during the 7th inning stretch at Wrigley Field on August 3, 2010: "Alright everybody, here were go. Two, four, six...take me out to the ball game, take me out with the crowd. Buy me some peanuts and cracker jacks, I don't care if I ever get back. So I'll root, root, root for the Brewers. You do the same for the Cubs. Then it's one, two, three strikes your out at the old, ball, game. Thank you very much, I love you all. Thank you, thank you, thank you." Uecker's golden pipes are the most soothing in the world...stay healthy Bob.
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Sunday Funday - The C.C. Sabathia Trade
The 2010 MLB trade deadline passed without any action by Milwaukee Brewers general manager Doug Melvin. With the Brewers falling out of the playoff race, many pundits thought that the Brewers would be sellers at the trade deadline. The two most likely candidates to move were Prince Fielder and Corey Hart. Doug Melvin never received a big offer for either player so both players are still on the Brewers roster. If you look back at my most recent Wednesday What Happened - The Carlos Lee Trade Post, it is probably better that Melvin kept Fielder and Hart in the fold.
Since most Brewers fans are bummed about their recent losing streak, let's take a look back to more positive times in Brewer history. The best in-season trade in Milwaukee Brewers history, the acquisition of CC Sabathia, on July 7, 2008. The Brewers traded Matt LaPorta (1B/OF), Michael Brantley (OF), Zach Jackson (LHP), and Rob Bryson (RHP) to the Cleveland Indians for CC Sabathia (LHP).
When the Brewers acquired Sabathia they were in 3rd place in the N.L. Central, but were only a half-game out of the N.L. Wild Card. The Brewers had not made the playoffs since 1982, so Doug Melvin went for broke in "renting" Sabathia for the rest of the 2008 season.
The Brewers needed to beat the Cubs on the last day of the 2008 regular season (Sunday, September 28, 2008) to clinch their first playoff berth in 26 years. Sabathia took the hill on three days rest to pitch a complete game, allowing only one unearned run. Couple Sabathia's effort with Ryan Braun's two-run home run off Bobby Howry with two out in the bottom of the 8th innings and the Brewers beat the N.L. Central division winning Cubs 3 to 1 to clinch their first playoff berth in 26 years.
Sabathia took the hill on short rest again in Game 2 of the Division Series in Philadelphia but the magic ran out in the playoffs. The Brewers were eliminated from the 2008 playoffs in four games by the Philadelphia Phillies.
Despite his impending free agency, Sabathia made numerous starts on short rest and still went 11-2 (7 complete games, 3 shutouts) with a 1.65 ERA. Sabathia's performance was so impressive that he finished 6th in the N.L. MVP vote and 5th in the N.L. Cy Young voting despite starting only 17 games for the Brewers.
After the 2008 season the Brewers offered Sabathia a five-year, $100 million contract. Sabathia justifiably spurned that offer in favor of the Yankee's gargantuan seven-year, $161 million offer. Sabathia was a "Class A" free agent (ranked in the top 20% of players at his position) so losing Sabathia should have netted the Brewers the top pick of the Yankees and a compensatory pick between the first and second round in the 2009 MLB amateur draft.
Unfortunately for the Brewers, the New York Yankees splashed a ton of money in the 2009 off-season signing three "Class A" free agents: Mark Teixeira, CC Sabathia, and AJ Burnett. Based on some odd MLB formula Teixeira ranked first, Sabathia ranked second, and Burnett ranked third. As a result, the Brewers got the Yankee's second round selections (73rd overall) instead of their first round selection (25th overall). It could be worse, the Toronto Blue Jays received the Yankees third round selection (104th overall) instead of 25th overall.
With the supplement pick, 39th overall, the Brewers selected center fielder Kentrail Davis (5'9" and 195 pounds) out of the University of Tennessee. Davis is doing okay in the minor leagues.
With the Yankee's second round pick, 73rd overall, the Brewers selected right fielder Maxwell Walla (5'11" and 195 pounds) out of Albuquerque Academy in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Walla is struggling in rookie ball.
If the Brewers would have gotten the Yankee's first round pick (25th), they would have had two picks in a row: 25th (Yankee's pick) and 26th (own pick) in the 2009 MLB amateur draft. With the 25th pick the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (as compensation for losing Teixeira) selected center fielder Mike Trout (6'1" and 217 pounds) out of Millville Senior High School in Millville, New Jersey. According to ESPN's Keith Law, Trout is his third-best prospect in baseball. With the 26th pick the Brewers selected right handed pitcher Eric Arnett (6'5" and 230 pounds) out of Indiana University. While Trout is tearing up the minor leagues, Arnett is struggling mightily...oh dang.
The players that the Indians acquired for Sabathia are going through their own struggles. In 440 major league plate appearances Matt LaPorta is batting .251 (100 hits, 23 doubles, and 1 triples) with 12 homeruns, 89 strikeouts, 35 walks, 56 runs, and 44 runs batted in (but as I stated above, RBI is a flawed stat). LaPorta was the main player targeted in the trade, but he has yet to fulfill the lofty expectations that come with being "the guy the Indians got for Sabathia". That said, when (not if) Prince Fielder moves on, LaPorta was projected to take over for Prince at first base. Since the Brewers minor league system is so thin at first base they recently decided to move Mat Gamel (at least part time) to first base. Let's check back in a few years to see whether LaPorta or Gamel has a better pro career.
In 235 major league plate appearances Michael Brantley is batting .238 (51 hits, 6 doubles, and 0 triples) with 1 homerun, 32 strikeouts, 18 walks, 22 runs, and 18 runs batted in (although RBI is a flawed stat). Brantley is still young and with how bad the Indians are right now his playing time should only increase. Similar to LaPorta taking over for Prince, Brantley would fit nicely in place of Corey Hart in 2011 or 2012.
Zach Jackson appeared sparingly for the Cleveland Indians in 2008 and 2009 (63.1 innings over 12 games) and was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays (the team that drafted him 32nd overall in the 2004 MLB Draft) on January 9, 2010 for a player to be named.
Rob Bryson has not pitched in the major leagues yet, but Bryson was the lowest rated prospect included in the deal so exceptions are not that high for Bryson.
Using a weird trade transitive property the Cleveland Indians got Matt LaPorta, Michael Brantley, and Rob Bryson for Kentrail Davis and Maxwell Walla. If you look at the trade in those terms, the Indians got the better end of the deal but you can't dismiss what Sabathia did for the Brewers organization.
The Brewers never would have made the playoffs without Sabathia. Besides that, Sabathia helped boost attendance numbers in a big way for not only 2008 but the spill over effect for 2009. In order for fans to get a guaranteed playoff ticket for 2008, they had to buy at least partial season tickets for 2009. Miller Park opened in 2001 and a quick look at the attendance numbers alone justify the price of acquiring Sabathia:
2001: 2,811,041 (34,704 per game), 7th of 16 in the N.L.
2002: 1,969,153 (24,311 per game), 11th of 16 in the N.L.
2003: 1,700,354 (20,992 per game), 13th of 16 in the N.L.
2004: 2,062,382 (25,462 per game), 13th of 16 in the N.L.
2005: 2,211,023 (27,297 per game), 11th of 16 in the N.L.
2006: 2,335,643 (28,835 per game), 10th of 16 in the N.L.
2007: 2,869,144 (35,422 per game), 8th of 16 in the N.L.
2008: 3,068,458 (37,882 per game), 6th of 16 in the N.L.
2009: 3,037,451 (37,499 per game), 6th of 16 in the N.L.
Projected 2010: 2,816,289 (34,769 per game), 6th of 16 in the N.L.
The Brewers drew 3 million people for the first time in franchise history in 2008 thanks in large part to Sabathia. As stated above, the spill over effect helped the Brewers eclipse 3 million in 2009 as well. The Sabathia Trade gave Brewers fans hope they desperately needed.
Since most Brewers fans are bummed about their recent losing streak, let's take a look back to more positive times in Brewer history. The best in-season trade in Milwaukee Brewers history, the acquisition of CC Sabathia, on July 7, 2008. The Brewers traded Matt LaPorta (1B/OF), Michael Brantley (OF), Zach Jackson (LHP), and Rob Bryson (RHP) to the Cleveland Indians for CC Sabathia (LHP).
When the Brewers acquired Sabathia they were in 3rd place in the N.L. Central, but were only a half-game out of the N.L. Wild Card. The Brewers had not made the playoffs since 1982, so Doug Melvin went for broke in "renting" Sabathia for the rest of the 2008 season.
The Brewers needed to beat the Cubs on the last day of the 2008 regular season (Sunday, September 28, 2008) to clinch their first playoff berth in 26 years. Sabathia took the hill on three days rest to pitch a complete game, allowing only one unearned run. Couple Sabathia's effort with Ryan Braun's two-run home run off Bobby Howry with two out in the bottom of the 8th innings and the Brewers beat the N.L. Central division winning Cubs 3 to 1 to clinch their first playoff berth in 26 years.
Sabathia took the hill on short rest again in Game 2 of the Division Series in Philadelphia but the magic ran out in the playoffs. The Brewers were eliminated from the 2008 playoffs in four games by the Philadelphia Phillies.
Despite his impending free agency, Sabathia made numerous starts on short rest and still went 11-2 (7 complete games, 3 shutouts) with a 1.65 ERA. Sabathia's performance was so impressive that he finished 6th in the N.L. MVP vote and 5th in the N.L. Cy Young voting despite starting only 17 games for the Brewers.
After the 2008 season the Brewers offered Sabathia a five-year, $100 million contract. Sabathia justifiably spurned that offer in favor of the Yankee's gargantuan seven-year, $161 million offer. Sabathia was a "Class A" free agent (ranked in the top 20% of players at his position) so losing Sabathia should have netted the Brewers the top pick of the Yankees and a compensatory pick between the first and second round in the 2009 MLB amateur draft.
Unfortunately for the Brewers, the New York Yankees splashed a ton of money in the 2009 off-season signing three "Class A" free agents: Mark Teixeira, CC Sabathia, and AJ Burnett. Based on some odd MLB formula Teixeira ranked first, Sabathia ranked second, and Burnett ranked third. As a result, the Brewers got the Yankee's second round selections (73rd overall) instead of their first round selection (25th overall). It could be worse, the Toronto Blue Jays received the Yankees third round selection (104th overall) instead of 25th overall.
With the supplement pick, 39th overall, the Brewers selected center fielder Kentrail Davis (5'9" and 195 pounds) out of the University of Tennessee. Davis is doing okay in the minor leagues.
With the Yankee's second round pick, 73rd overall, the Brewers selected right fielder Maxwell Walla (5'11" and 195 pounds) out of Albuquerque Academy in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Walla is struggling in rookie ball.
If the Brewers would have gotten the Yankee's first round pick (25th), they would have had two picks in a row: 25th (Yankee's pick) and 26th (own pick) in the 2009 MLB amateur draft. With the 25th pick the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (as compensation for losing Teixeira) selected center fielder Mike Trout (6'1" and 217 pounds) out of Millville Senior High School in Millville, New Jersey. According to ESPN's Keith Law, Trout is his third-best prospect in baseball. With the 26th pick the Brewers selected right handed pitcher Eric Arnett (6'5" and 230 pounds) out of Indiana University. While Trout is tearing up the minor leagues, Arnett is struggling mightily...oh dang.
The players that the Indians acquired for Sabathia are going through their own struggles. In 440 major league plate appearances Matt LaPorta is batting .251 (100 hits, 23 doubles, and 1 triples) with 12 homeruns, 89 strikeouts, 35 walks, 56 runs, and 44 runs batted in (but as I stated above, RBI is a flawed stat). LaPorta was the main player targeted in the trade, but he has yet to fulfill the lofty expectations that come with being "the guy the Indians got for Sabathia". That said, when (not if) Prince Fielder moves on, LaPorta was projected to take over for Prince at first base. Since the Brewers minor league system is so thin at first base they recently decided to move Mat Gamel (at least part time) to first base. Let's check back in a few years to see whether LaPorta or Gamel has a better pro career.
In 235 major league plate appearances Michael Brantley is batting .238 (51 hits, 6 doubles, and 0 triples) with 1 homerun, 32 strikeouts, 18 walks, 22 runs, and 18 runs batted in (although RBI is a flawed stat). Brantley is still young and with how bad the Indians are right now his playing time should only increase. Similar to LaPorta taking over for Prince, Brantley would fit nicely in place of Corey Hart in 2011 or 2012.
Zach Jackson appeared sparingly for the Cleveland Indians in 2008 and 2009 (63.1 innings over 12 games) and was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays (the team that drafted him 32nd overall in the 2004 MLB Draft) on January 9, 2010 for a player to be named.
Rob Bryson has not pitched in the major leagues yet, but Bryson was the lowest rated prospect included in the deal so exceptions are not that high for Bryson.
Using a weird trade transitive property the Cleveland Indians got Matt LaPorta, Michael Brantley, and Rob Bryson for Kentrail Davis and Maxwell Walla. If you look at the trade in those terms, the Indians got the better end of the deal but you can't dismiss what Sabathia did for the Brewers organization.
The Brewers never would have made the playoffs without Sabathia. Besides that, Sabathia helped boost attendance numbers in a big way for not only 2008 but the spill over effect for 2009. In order for fans to get a guaranteed playoff ticket for 2008, they had to buy at least partial season tickets for 2009. Miller Park opened in 2001 and a quick look at the attendance numbers alone justify the price of acquiring Sabathia:
2001: 2,811,041 (34,704 per game), 7th of 16 in the N.L.
2002: 1,969,153 (24,311 per game), 11th of 16 in the N.L.
2003: 1,700,354 (20,992 per game), 13th of 16 in the N.L.
2004: 2,062,382 (25,462 per game), 13th of 16 in the N.L.
2005: 2,211,023 (27,297 per game), 11th of 16 in the N.L.
2006: 2,335,643 (28,835 per game), 10th of 16 in the N.L.
2007: 2,869,144 (35,422 per game), 8th of 16 in the N.L.
2008: 3,068,458 (37,882 per game), 6th of 16 in the N.L.
2009: 3,037,451 (37,499 per game), 6th of 16 in the N.L.
Projected 2010: 2,816,289 (34,769 per game), 6th of 16 in the N.L.
The Brewers drew 3 million people for the first time in franchise history in 2008 thanks in large part to Sabathia. As stated above, the spill over effect helped the Brewers eclipse 3 million in 2009 as well. The Sabathia Trade gave Brewers fans hope they desperately needed.
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