Interesting thoughts… no reason to attack, but I’ll still disagree. We need Alvarez’s bat…he’s almost a lock to make the majors and be a solid- to well-above average 3B and, he’s also important because having him come through would make guys like Hague and Farrell expendable trade pieces if they progress through the minors.

That and I think the fanbase needs some hope right now after watching this rotation, the Moskos over Weiters pick, the failed pitching prospects, and Ramirez trade, etc … Alvarez could embody that hope as a premier player.

The Smiziks of the world would kill our ownership/management if we actually did this, but it might work out better for us long term. I haven’t thoroughly researched this matter but it seems to me like the best way to build is through the draft. Unless you have a superstar position player or a good starting pitcher you aren’t going to get a lot back in trades. For example, I think the most we will get for Nady + Marte is two B+ prospects and maybe a throw in as well. I hope we can in fact make such a deal, but it isn’t going to turn things around all by itself. Ideally, we would sign all of our high upside guys. Probably more realistically we sign Alvarez (assuming he isn’t asking for 10 million), Scheppers (if healthy) and Grossman. If Scheppers isn’t healthy then use that money to sign Gagnon, Miller and Freeman. I must say I am rather disappointed that we didn’t sign Gagnon. He was quoted as saying that he would be open to signing with us.

On a somewhat related note:

I heard recently that Tampa Bay was one of the teams that exceeded the slot the most last year with their draft signing bonuses. Has Tampa Bay been exceeding the slot for a while now? Perhaps this is how they have acquired all of this talent, by actually spending some money to sign some guys. While we are on that topic, how much money did the Brewers spend on their drafts when they accumulated all of their current talent?

If the rumors are true, Boras is asking for a contract worth a total of $10 million or more with the signing bonus and the inclusion of the major league salaries for the duration of the deal.

Also, Dejan Kovacevic has made a point of saying that Boras will probably go as close as possible to the deadline of August 15 before agreeing to anything.

If so, I think this limits us from making a run at a bunch of the other later-round gambles that we selected. I`m not exactly sure of the number of the 1st round pick we would get in 2009 if we don`t sign Alvarez-#3 or #4?-but we could have a deep draft this year with the scenario I envision, and a helluva a lot of high picks next year without Alvarez and if we don`t trade Marte, too.

The Trade Now! faction of IPF, dito, and the gunner seem to think that the trade route will ensure some measurable improvement for the franchise, if not outright success, in the very near future.

I most certainly hope that we can make a good trade or two to help improve the team`s prospects(in every sense of the word). But there are no quick-fix solutions through the trade route that I can see.

I can`t help but think that we MUST lay the foundations for any run of sustained success in the next decade now with deep drafts this year, the next, and beyond-as well as signings and player development from elsewhere in the world. This is why I`m trying to generate a little speculation here about creative ways to go about it-rather than saying like some do that Huntington should pull some creative trades out his you-know-what.

if we don’t sign him, being he is our second rounder?

From wikipedia:

Teams can also earn compensation for unsigned picks from the previous year’s draft. If a team doesn’t sign a first or second round pick, they will get to pick at the same slot plus one the following year. For instance, if the team with the #5 pick does not sign that player, they would have the #6 pick the following year. The regular draft order would continue around those picks. For compensation for not signing a third round pick, teams would get a pick in a supplemental round between the third and fourth rounds. If a team fails to sign a player with one of these compensated picks, there is no compensation the following year.

Sign Alvarez while the Nuttings also allocate additional money to sign the rest of the good players the Pirates drafted.

The #3 overall next year is going to want Alvarez-type money to sign, too. And unless the Nuttings basically double the draft budget, that’s going to come from somewhere else (scaling back in Latin America, taking fewer tough signs in the late rounds, etc.). Since there’s a decent shot that we’ll end up with extra picks for Marte if he’s not traded, and we already have to get those guys signed, and you’re spending this year’s Alvarez money on lesser draftees instead of holding it… you’re effectively talking about something like a $8M increase in our draft budget. Which, while nice, ain’t gonna happen.

Also, if you like the aggressive negotiations this year, you’ll love ‘em next year on that #3 pick, since picks don’t roll over more than once. He’d know that we had to sign him or lose the pick altogether, and his price would bump up accordingly.

Most of all, though, I’d hate to see a talent like Alvarez slip through our fingers. The kid’s basically a lead-pipe cinch to be at least a useful ML player, and he’s got a very good chance at being a star.

You make some really good points.

If we get him signed-and from all reports we should soon because I can`t imagine that he wants to go back to Vanderbilt-I hope Pedro Alvarez turns out to be the good player so many expect him to be. We`d better hope he`s healthy and can stay that way. But Matt Morris-type money? That`s scary. Tim Beckham gets $6 million as the #1 overall pick and it sounds like we are going to commit more than $10 million to Alvarez.

because he is a college player (vs. a high schooler with a college commitment)? I mean, does Alvarez really go back to Vandy? I think this could be a factor vs. someone like Moustakas, who wouldn’t have thought twice about going to USC and then being put right back in the draft in 3 years.