Brewers Sign Jeff Weaver to minor-league deal

[Tbadder]

And if it doesn't work out maybe we can trade him for Wes Helms if his club pays for his buyout.

[JimH5]

I'm all for trying to catch lightning in a bottle. . .but with Weaver, it's more like "1.5V watch battery in a bottle".

 

I hope the big club never has to find out what he's got left.

[homer]

Weaver better than Bush? That's not even close to the truth based on career stats.

 

 

At least, that's what I think without looking at career stats. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

[Pioneers3]

I don't get it, the Brewers signed a pitcher that has mixed results in the bigs to a minor league contract and everybody is worried that he will be with the big club in two months! He will be with the big club if he 1. Can Get people out! and only if it's #1

[JoeHova]

I can't say I approve of this move at all. I'd rather have Hideo Nomo or Chan Ho Park or even Rick Helling or Elmer Dessens if the team insists on having a washed up guy who doesn't belong in the majors.

 

The reason I don't like this move is because he might get called up at some point, no matter how unlikely that seems. Any chance of him getting called up is too large. He can't get guys out except in Dodger Stadium.

 

If he was guaranteed to stay in AAA, fine. However, that doesn't seem to be the case.

[BrewCrewForever]

Maybe it's not Jeff Weaver but Jered Weaver.

[dlk9s]

A) We're just slowly rebuilding the Cardinals WS pitching staff.

What's Sid Ponson doing these days? I hear the Cubs are trying to move Jason Marquis, too. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif

 

Speaking of which, here are the top two similar pitchers to Weaver through age 30, according to BR.com:

Jeff Suppan (957)

Sidney Ponson (947)

[Bring Back the Stein]

A) We're just slowly rebuilding the Cardinals WS pitching staff.

What's Sid Ponson doing these days? I hear the Cubs are trying to move Jason Marquis, too. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif

 

Speaking of which, here are the top two similar pitchers to Weaver through age 30, according to BR.com:

Jeff Suppan (957)

Sidney Ponson (947)

 

 

That way lies madness: Don't link to Jeff Suppan to see his striking overall similarity to Jaime Navarro.

[Big Reed]

I would have rather the brewers signed bartolo Colon. he seems to be looking like a steal for the red Sox turning in several decent performances so far.

 

So when are we going to sign lofton and Piazza?

 

I'm still kind of shocked vargus hasn't signed anywhere. he's not a bad pitcher - just a mediocre one. Surely somebody needs a mediocre pitcher.

[TooLiveBrew]

Vargas signed with the Mets.

[And That]

I'm still kind of shocked vargus hasn't signed anywhere.

Vargas signed with the Mets five days ago. At least that's who I assume you mean by "vargus".

 

[Invader3K]

There's nothing to complain about here. It's an extremely low risk move by the Brewers. I don't get why people are getting bent out of shape over this.

[Schlitz001]

There's nothing to complain about here. It's an extremely low risk move by the Brewers. I don't get why people are getting bent out of shape over this.

This is similar to what people ended up saying in the original Gabe Kapler thread, so I'll hope for the best with Weaver. He did have some decent years before he started his descent, mabye he can rekindle some magic in Nashville. Low risk for sure.

[SoCalBrewfan]

I am baffled by some of the reactions here...and on BBTF for that matter, where the assumption seems to be that Weaver will be taking a major role on the big league team as soon as the drugs are out of his system.

 

If it should come to pass that Weaver is pitching for the big league Brewers, either he will have turned things around, or converted to an effective reliever...or our season will already be in the toilet because we've lost three or four key pitchers. Or maybe all of those. While it's a time-honored tradition to wring one's virtual hands over minor league signings (has Branyan ruined our season yet?), it's also much ado about nothing much.

[Hate those Rodents]

I like the signing I guess. I'm don't like Ash's comments though to paraphrase "we're signing him because we need depth in lieu of Cappy's injury and because we released Vargas".

 

Why release Vargas? To save three million? Then why did we give him two million or so just to come to spring training?

 

It's not that I don't like the move. It's that Vargas should be in McClung's spot right now anyway and/or Vargas should not have been given the money he was given to come to spring training (and pitch pretty well I might add).

[brewerfan82]

...Vargas should not have been given the money he was given to come to spring training (and pitch pretty well I might add).

Vargas was integral to our spring training success. Money well spent!

 

[Ayt]

I like the signing I guess. I'm don't like Ash's comments though to paraphrase "we're signing him because we need depth in lieu of Cappy's injury and because we released Vargas".

 

Why release Vargas? To save three million? Then why did we give him two million or so just to come to spring training?

 

It's not that I don't like the move. It's that Vargas should be in McClung's spot right now anyway and/or Vargas should not have been given the money he was given to come to spring training (and pitch pretty well I might add).

It was more like 800,000 and we paid him that money so we could try to trade him. We never had any intention of keeping him at his full salary or he'd be here given how well he pitched and the Cappy injury. It was a calculated gamble that didn't work out but didn't really cost us much.

 

[brewcrew00]

It's not that I don't like the move. It's that Vargas should be in McClung's spot right now anyway

I was under the impression that Claudio wouldn't accept a job in the pen, as he and his agent felt he should be a starter in the league somewhere. In a perfect world, yes, this is what would happen, unfortunately it's not that easy.

[DHonks]

I wanted a Jenkins-for-Weaver swap 4 or 5 years ago, but that never happened. I liked his durability and "stuff". But his personal demons seem to be holding him back to this day

[rluzinski]

You have to love Wikipedia:

 

"On April 15, 2008, Weaver signed a 1-year deal with the Milwaukee Brewers for an estimated $4-5 million.[1]"

 

Yes, I fixed it. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

 

But his personal demons seem to be holding him back to this day

 

What issues are those? Smoking pot?

[TooLiveBrew]

Why release Vargas? To save three million? Then why did we give him two million or so just to come to spring training?

 

As brewcrew00 noted, he didn't want to pitch from the 'pen, and he didn't accept Milwaukee's offer to send him to AAA, iirc. Vargas basically said, 'If I'm not in your MLB starting rotation, let me go so I can have a shot at someone else's.'

 

...

 

And then signed a deal with the Mets to begin the year in AAA.

[Bernman23]

The most controversial transactions at Brewerfan are always the monster "Jeff Weaver signs a minor league contract" type. Hey, I'm guilty of being part of the phenomenon myself. If they signed Keith Ginter in any capacity I'd shatter my monitor.

 

If they were going to acquire a borderline/washed up starter to convert to a long man, one would think he'd have more success early in ball games. Aren't there anymore soft tossing Dave Burba types floating around the majors currently, who simply get annihilated after they're figured out in the fifth inning? He was more than serviceable for the Crew in his stint here. Doug is getting lazy unearthing nuggets now that his owner finally allocates him a reasonable amount of money to play with.

[monty57]

As brewcrew00 noted, he didn't want to pitch from the 'pen, and he didn't accept Milwaukee's offer to send him to AAA, iirc. Vargas basically said, 'If I'm not in your MLB starting rotation, let me go so I can have a shot at someone else's.'

 

I hadn't heard this, but if it's true, it irks me. If he "forced" the issue by refusing to pitch from the pen, then he shouldn't have received his $885,000 buyout.

 

As far as the Weaver signing, I think it's a good move for AAA insurance. First, I don't see him in Milwaukee unless (a) at least two starters get hurt and (b) he's outpitching the rest of the AAA guys. Second, if his problems truly were drug-related (as some here are insinuating), then maybe if he's cleaned himself up he can live up to some of the promise he showed when he was young, a la Josh Hamilton.

[mothershipconnection]

Yuck, I know it's a minor league deal, but I simply hate Weaver and would prefer to see Zach Jackson, Narveson, or someone who we don't know is worthless get the shot if necessary. With Jackson, maybe you can hope for an explosion into a 4.90 ERA pitcher, I can't hope for that with Weaver. I just pray "track record" won't be mistaken for "able to pitch in the bigs".

 

Hopefully, it's all moot, but I think the emotional reaction from some is simply thinking "if we need Weaver for any real stretch of time, it probably means our postseason hopes are officially done".

[endaround]

Vargas was never sent to AAA and he had no choice in the matter. The Brewers just didn't want to pay him.