We might want to talk about Brad Brach

[Edgy MD]

Mets are allegedly talking about Brad Brach with the Orioles, as a main piece in a trade involving one of their spare outfielders.

BraBra is a 30-year-old hard-working righthanded reliever who came up in 2011 (originally with the Padres, so Sandy knows him well) and has improved every year since.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/brachbr01.shtml

Comes from Freehold New Jersey, where Mister, when you're young they bring you up to do just like your daddy done. Two years of control come with him.

Wife is a heavily airbrushed country singer, so there could be an exciting rivalry with the future Mrs. Matz.



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[Centerfield]

All-Star last year. Good numbers. Could be a good piece.

But I dunno. His name sounds a lot like "Bad Back".

[Edgy MD]

For what it's worth that last name is pronounced "Brock."

[Centerfield]

Oh. I guess that's ok then.

Can you imagine if Brad Brach came down with Spinal Stenosis?

[ashie62]

Brad Brach, the pride of Monmouth College.

A 6'6 215 lb righty who has been very effective the last few years.

The Birds have a decent asset here to market.

[ashie62]

Centerfield wrote: Oh. I guess that's ok then. Can you imagine if Brad Brach came down with Spinal Stenosis?

???

[Benjamin Grimm]

Andy Martino did report that the Mets were talking to Baltimore about Jay Bruce.

Maybe it was Bruce-for-Brach?

[Edgy MD]

He has a Tennessee address—I assume for the betterment of his wife's career. But Google Maps suggests it's just a vacant lot.

He must be a badass.

OE: looks like a house sprouted and grew since the last time Google's Streeview car came by:

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

That youtube provides a weird shot that's supposed to be a closeup of her guitar but is really um, there's three things in it.

I couldn't listen after that.

[Centerfield]

I know like next to nothing about this guy. Does he throw hard? What is his off-speed pitch?

I see he's 30 years old, so not a young guy.

[Vic Sage]

the only thing i know about him is that he put up impressive numbers as a setup guy last year, so i picked him up off the waiver wire for my fantasy team. But he slumped after that, and i dumped him.

[Frayed Knot]

Brach's most three seasons' worth of stats: 179 appearances (all in relief); 22-8; 2.61 ERA; 221 IP / 162 Hits; 235 K / 88 BB
Rate stats: 6.6 H/9; 3.4 BB/9; 0.8 HR/9; 1.13 WHiP
Walks are a tad high but everything else in there is nice.
LHBs hit better against him but no severe L/R splits: 688 OPS-Against vs 622.

Looks like he 'found' whatever it is that makes him effective right as he left SD for Balt in 2014 as those seasons were a significant step up from his three partial years out west where being a 42nd round draft pick probably didn't earn him a lot of time or patience to straighten himself out.

As mentioned above, from Freehold NJ by way of Monmouth U., he'll turn 31 in April and comes with two seasons of team control.

[A Boy Named Seo]

MLBTR sez it'll take more than Bruce or Grandy to land the wonder that is Brach Brad.

The Orioles have been linked to Mets outfielders Jay Bruce and Curtis Granderson (they’re said to prefer the latter), but neither of those outfielders would be enough to get the O’s to part with Brach.

WTF kinda world are we living in

[Lefty Specialist]

Geez, I'd hope we could get more for Bruce than this.

[bmfc1]

When Brach was named to the All-Star team, he was the player Gary didn't recognize.

[Zvon]

Centerfield wrote: Can you imagine if Brad Brach came down with Spinal Stenosis?

lol. I guess everyone's thinking Brad Brock. Think Brad Brak.


OE:This guy could be perfect. I don't want to move Granderson of Conforto. That leaves Bruce and Lags (or TEBOW? what position does he play?).

[Edgy MD]

A Boy Named Seo wrote: MLBTR sez it'll take more than Bruce or Grandy to land the wonder that is Brach Brad. The Orioles have been linked to Mets outfielders Jay Bruce and Curtis Granderson (they’re said to prefer the latter), but neither of those outfielders would be enough to get the O’s to part with Brach. WTF kinda world are we living in

Stupid MLBTR.

[Zvon]

Edgy MD wrote: A Boy Named Seo wrote: MLBTR sez it'll take more than Bruce or Grandy to land the wonder that is Brach Brad. The Orioles have been linked to Mets outfielders Jay Bruce and Curtis Granderson (they’re said to prefer the latter), but neither of those outfielders would be enough to get the O’s to part with Brach. WTF kinda world are we living in Stupid MLBTR.

Bruce, Robles, Plawecki

[Edgy MD]

Is there any reason to doubt that Hansel Robles can do everything this guy can do?

No way I'm putting together a package like that for a setup reliever.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Yeah that's crazy talk. I think Bruce is more than enough hisself

[Centerfield]

Fuck man. The Nats are threatening to get Chris Sale and we can't get Brad fucking Brach.

[Zvon]

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: Yeah that's crazy talk. I think Bruce is more than enough hisself

Then go for it.

Right before I posted those names I read that Bruce or Grandy would not be enough. I would rather not give up any arms but I'll unload Robles as part of that. Take Plaw off the table. I agree that's overkill. I've pretty much given up on Robles in NY. Much rather have Reed take Familia's spot to open. And would love to have a Reed type of guy for the 8th (& then 7th when everyone's back). I'm not saying we cant find that bridge guy from within (I actually think we can), but no way is that man Robles, IMO.

[Edgy MD]

Giving up on Robles implies he's never been a success. But he has. He's had a goodish rookie year, and a better sophomore year.

Better, in both cases, than Brad Brach had.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

F'real. Brach's good. But Zvon must be thinking of some other Hansel Robles, because ours is goodish-plus.

That said, Bruce for Brach seems about right. More than that? Well, go Buck yourself, Os.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

If Hansel Robles was an Oriole, we might be interested in trading Bruce for him

[Benjamin Grimm]

I agree. I think Robles is part of the solution. There's no reason to trade a guy who meets the criteria of what you're looking for.

Jim Duquette (or maybe it was Andy Martino) said that yes, the Mets were talking to the Orioles, but they talk to just about every team, and this deal for Brick Block does not look like something that's actually going to happen.

[Edgy MD]

Only because Steven Matz and his wife-to-be won't LET IT HAPPEN!

[Centerfield]

Yeah, fuck that. Tell the O's we will just keep them and get 90 HRs from our OF.

[Edgy MD]

Robles is the King of Quick Pitch Drama.

I'd hate to give that up.

[Frayed Knot]

In RH set-up reliever news, the Boston Red Sox traded their starting 3B-man Travis Shaw plus two prospects to the Brewers for Tyler Thornburg

Thornburg, just turned 28 and with three seasons of team control remaining, is coming off a very good season of 2.15 ERA and a sub-1.00 WHiP [0.94] including 13 saves over 64 appearances -- but that also brings his grand total of good ML seasons to one as his combined seasons and partial seasons of 2012-15 were a respectable, though hardly outstanding, 3.18 ERA / 1.30 WHiP

Shaw, 27 in April, burst into the BoSox 3B job in mid-2015 when Pablo Sandoval crashed and burned although then crashed himself during the second half of 2016.
One of the prospects, 22 y/o SS Mauricio Dubon, is ranked 7th among Boston prospects by BA