What do we do next season? Durham or Weeks?

[DonMoney4Mgr]

I don't want to see either of them. Durham's too old and Weeks just isn't good enough. Move Hardy over, Escobar at SS, Gamel at third.

[Invader3K]

Is Gamel going to be ready to start next season? He's not even in AAA yet, unless I missed something.

[jhart05]

Is Gamel going to be ready to start next season? He's not even in AAA yet, unless I missed something.

 

Gamel was just moved to AAA in the past week.

 

 

In my perfect picture for next year...

 

Gamel starts the 2009 season at AAA. He tears up the league and they have no choice but to bring him up in May.

 

Which brings the Crew their second ROY in three seasons. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

[bjkrautk]

Ben, you don't move great defensive SS's to 2B. The Crew won't, I cannot believe.

 

I'll admit that 3b is the more common move, but I don't think the Brewers will move Hardy to accommodate an unproven player. I think it's more likely that Escobar comes up and starts at 2b/3b in 2009, and retakes the ss position in 2010 (hopefully after Hardy agrees to a contract extension and a move to 3b). It's not unheard of for players to come up at least playing part time at their non-native positions (Furcal and Reyes, for instance, both logged a few hundred innings at 2b), only to shift back once the team adjusted the lineups. Of course, the most prominent case of a SS moving to 2b - even though he did move back later - was Michael Young when the Rangers picked up A-Rod. It is a short-term move, but in the long run one of them is going to end up at a different position or a different team.

 

I can't think of a single time where a recent All-Star at shortstop agreed to move to accommodate a rookie (without an injury replacement).

[jhart05]

I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to respectfully disagree with that.

 

Escobar is said to have the best glove in the minors by many scouts.

 

When he is ready to start full time in the show, Hardy will be moved to third or second. He won't be given the option, and if he doesn't like it, he will be traded.

 

As Hardy get's older, I see him slowing down some. And he's not fast or quick right now, so eventually he'll end up at 3B or 2B anyway. Plus I don't see him being very durable thru his career, so maybe trade him soon, while is value is still pretty good.

[endaround]

Hardy will replace Jeter in pinstripes in 3-4 more years. You don't move Hardy on the diamond, you move him to another team.

[joepepsi]

Hardy will replace Jeter in pinstripes in 3-4 more years. You don't move Hardy on the diamond, you move him to another team.

That seems the best way to maximize his value. Hardy's career at this stage is sorta running parallel to Tejada's. I don't think you move a player like from ss just so you can get some at bats for the next Alex Gonzalez. (Take your pick, either A.G., but I think that's really where Escobar's career path will lead.)

 

Personally I'd look to trade Escobar in the offseason for some pitching.

[mletto157]

My 2 cents.

 

At the same stage in his career Jose Reyes had practically identical scouting reports as Escobar has had the last two years. My guess is that when he's ready he'll move up and be the SS of the Brewers. Hardy will depend on Gamel. Either he'll hopefully move over to 3B, since in my opinion that would be his prime defensive position based on his range and arm; or he'll be traded. I don't understand the people that want him to move to 2B considering he has a plus arm and below average to average range for a SS. At 2B the arm means relatively nothing, so all that you look for is range. His offense will put him in the middle of the pack for 3B. He may lose value to the Brewers organization at 3B over SS, but most likely in this scenario he'll already have signed a contract with them... or else he'll have been traded. So since his salary won't change... why not maximize the team by sliding over (can you imagine that infield... no ground ball would get through). Plus, it's not like he'll forget how to play SS, so when his time with the crew is over he can go play SS for someone else if he thinks that's where his value is maxed out.

 

You don't trade Escobar and keep Hardy though when you're a small market team like the Brewers. There's only so many guys we can afford to give them the money they're actually worth, and when you have a replacement waiting in AAA... you're most likely going to be the odd man out. We're not the Cubs. We can't just keep all the players we want because they're good. We have to make value based decisions on if X is really 10Mil better than Y for the next however many years. The Cubs, Red Sox, or Yankees can just say X is better than Y so we'll pay him what he wants... we're not that lucky.

 

My guess is that next year we start the year sort of like it is now... Gamel comes up in May/June (if they really think he can stick at 3B). Escobar stays in AAA for a full year, and then the year after that JJ gets traded.

[jhart05]

I don't understand the people that want him (Hardy) to move to 2B

 

 

I think it's because they are already penciling in Gamel at 3B, and don't like Weeks at 2B.

 

His best position may be at 3B, IF he can keep his hitting stats up there, and stay healthy.

 

However, I'm not convinced he can do either of those things over his career.