Jenkins' future

[jaybird2001wi]

This was mentioned in the trade rumor thread and I just thought I would get everyone's thoughts on this.

Jenkins is 33 years old and saying that he hasn't reached his full potential when he was once a rookie is like getting into a time machine and going back to 2000. But I just have this feeling that Jenkins will not be part of the team's plans next season.

Why has Jenkins never had the kind of season scouts once projected him to have when he was in the minors? This all my be old news, but Jenkins' age tells us that he could be headed to another team or relegated to pinch hit duty within the next couple years.

[strawbossisevil]

He did have a couple of good seasons. I think he put up an OPS over 900 a couple of times. Most MLB players don't do that, so he's been decent. That said, he seems to be falling off here quite a bit.

 

I think his future will be elsewhere as well. I think they'll let him go and use the money to offer either Cordero or Sheets an extension.

[rluzinski]

Jenkins has had a solid but unspectacular career. That's more than many prospects can say. I think his days of starting every day are over, however. He's not the kind of batter I'd expect to age gracefully.

[brettac1]

Jenkins has had three .900 OPS seasons and one of .888. He's had an OPS+ of over 100 for every year since '99. He's been one of the best players in Brewers history. It's tough to say that he never reached his potential.

 

Even though it was only a .500 season, the guy carried the team on his broken pelvis for the second half of 2005 to that .500 record while the guy everyone loved, Carlos Lee, tanked.

 

I don't think he'll be back next year, but he's been far from disappointing or a letdown.

[MoneyballMan]

All good posts on this topic (and more rational than many in the past). I've been a huge fan of Jenkins and did recognize the OPS he has carried in years past (especially when some wanted to trade him). I really believed he may turn it around this year with the lineup we have, but it doesn't appear he's going to. It could very well be caused by not playing every day (which I'm sure he may believe). It could very well be a self-fulfilling thing with him - he needs to play every day to be the kind of player you need out of a corner outfielder, but he can't prove it enough to get regular playing time. And some guys are just never good part-time players.

 

However, regardless of the reason, it's clear he's NOT going to be an everyday OF for us this year (except in the case of real injury problems) or in the future. So, it's going to best for the team and Jenks to head elsewhere (this week or after the season). While I have my reservations now about whether he'll rebound completely, it wouldn't surprise me either if he went somewhere and had a few more good years as a starting OF.

 

And as someone pointed out, we can use the $$ from his option to extend Sheets or buy out some arby/fa years from a couple of young players.

[hart attack 2006]

Jenkins is not an everyday player in Milwaukee.. but maybe other teams may not see him as one either. Could we decline his option and then re-sign him? Or would that fall under the rule where the player can't re-sign with the same team until sometime in May?

[GAME05]

you'd have to really stretch to knock Jenkins about the numbers he has put up in his career. and apart from a little stubbornness this past offseason (reasonably understandable), he's been nothing short of a team player. his loyalty to stick with the Brewers through some atrocious teams is commendable.

 

that said, I'd only see Jenks staying in Milwaukee next year if we declined his option then he took a deep pay cut, which won't happen. if he goes to an AL team next year, i hope he wins the Championship.

 

i'll certainly stand and applaud him when he shows up at MP in an opposing jersey.

[MoneyballMan]

Game05 - another good post. I'm very impressed with this thread tonight! Usually a Jenkins thread devolves pretty quickly!!

[chiltonno1brewfan]

Face it, Jenks is just a fan favorite, no matter what happens to him, or where he goes, the Brewer fans will support him much the way we supported Gorman Thomas back in the 80's when he got traded to Cleveland. My hope is that Jenks stays in Milwaukee for a while,maybe till he retires. Hopfully he accepts whatever assignment Ned hands to him. He is a team player, and if he wants to stay in Milwaukee,he should take a salery cut to help the team. But he still has a few good years in the outfield in him, so let's not talk about trading him,,,,let's keep him.

[DHonks]

Jenkins will move on next year. He's a solid platoon player, and someone will give him 2 or 3 years at $7-9 million per season. Jenkins is mediocre in the field. He's a solid LF, but a poor RF. He's a solid #7 hitter, but doesn't walk much, makes too little contact, and doesn't hit enough homers.

 

Jenkins has had a very solid career. He's also one of the best Brewers hitters in the last decade. However, it's more a result of poor offensive players than anything. Like I said, he's solid, but unspectacular. I just hope his numbers are good enough to land us a draft pick or two.

[logan82]

Quote:

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Face it, Jenks is just a fan favorite

---

I doubt that very much. He is well liked by some people, but I doubt that he would get much more than polite applause if he comes back to Miller Park with another team. Jenkins has been ripped by one person or another since he signed his last contract. He has played below expectations. Those expectations may have been way to high to begin with, but doesn't mean he hasn't been dissapointing.

[shelmark]

7- 9 million per year? Really? That would shock me, but this is MLB. I certainly believe he needs a rest right now, as the swing is getting long and slow. He has had a couple big hits in the past week, but they are getting a bit too few and far between. Call me crazy, but I still think Gross is our best option in LF. Hope Jenks can turn it around though. It would be nice for him to have success with a good team for once.

[bklynbrewcrew]

I hate to say it but I think Jenkins is washed up. He really seems to have lost a lot of bat speed the last few years. As far as draft picks are concerned I am pretty sure that once we dont exercise the option in his contract we lose any compensation rights.

[jlau20]

As much as I enjoy having Jenkins on the team, I think it's becoming pretty evident that he won't be around next year, regardless of the outcome of the season.

 

The money that would otherwise have to be spent paying him will be best spent helping the team in other areas.

[Fatter than Joey]

He's not the kind of batter I'd expect to age gracefully.

 

Exactly -- I don't think that Jenks has the skill set to become a "veteran professional hitter" like Cliff Floyd, Rusty Staub, Julio Franco, etc...

 

I could certainly see some teams using him to bolster their OF, but I am not excited about the Brewers keeping him.

[KCBrewerfan34]

Now that we're actually playing games in August that matter I think it's time to put your personal likes and "crushes" towards players aside, we need to win games. Jenkins numbers for the last 2 months have been just dreadful, right now Mench is better (that's sad.

 

I have been a very outspoken critic of Jenkins, his streakiness kills you, especially the extremely long SLUMPS.

 

It would be a total shock if they re-up w/ Jenkins, good riddance thanx for all of the long slumps and injuries

 

 

GO BREW, let's get one tonight!!!!

[lithium75]

Lets face it, the bottom line is this. About a month and a half ago, I posted a suggestion that Jenkins has earned the right to have us pick him up for 2008.

 

Two years ago, I posted frequently that I wanted him gone. He responded by exploding for an extremely impressive second half while this year, he has been terrible since my post.

 

It is clear that he gets hot after I post negative things about him, and becomes frigid when i post good things about him.

 

So there is only one thing left for me to do.

 

Jenkins is the worst player in the history of baseball. There is no chance what so ever that we will pick him up for '08. I wish that there were some desperate sucker willing to take his salary off our hands for a bag of BP baseballs, a doughnut, and a case of Rolling Rock. The man is washed up, and should be working on his sales pitch because all he is good for is selling Encyclopedias door to door.

[hauser42]

Jenks is going to be out the door at the end of the season, I wish I was there to see him walk out the door so I could cheer as he will finally be out of a Brewer uniform.

 

In 2005 while Jenks tanked the first half of the season Carlos Lee carried the team on his back. August 2005 when there was no meaningful games Jenks got hot and carried the team back up the standing.

 

Jenks gets a lot of love because he is a supposed 2nd half player, I have yet to see that. IMO he is a great player when his team is out of the pennat chase and there is no pressure.

 

Jenks will never be on my list of all time great Brewers. He has been over rated and over loved way too long.

 

 

Vern= http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/devil.gif

[igor67]

Outside of his two peak years Jenkins biggest weapon really has been his defense. Depending on your preference for defensive numbers you can come to a variety of conclusions, but all of them are of the same general idea: he was a significantly above average LF for 10 years. It's not a "defensive position", but he took runs off the board and still hit well enough to be a regular LF. Unfortunately I think we've reached the point in his career where his defense is not at that level and his offense is falling towards that mediocre line. Even if he gets hot again the erosion of defense makes me skeptical he'd got a lot left in the tank. That said I think the Gorman Thomas comparisons have some serious validity. He's not an elite player, but surrounded by more talent Jenkins career in Milwaukee would look pretty significant in team history. I harbor him no ill will and I hardly think his contract is so far out of line that it is hurting the team, so I see no reason for animosity given that he fairly quickly fell back in line about the playing everyday issue.

[joepepsi]

The difference between his excellent seasons and his mediocre is whether he hit lefties. Despite his prolonged slump this year he is still posting a .833 OPS against right handed pitching. Projecting this season's plate appearances against righties into a full season of appearances he'd have 30 homers.

 

The platoon has given them a solid LF. Jenkins has a future giving some team 450 plate appearances for the next couple years. It won't be in Milwaukee and it won't be worth $7-9 million. A team like Kansas City or Tampa Bay may play him every day, but I wonder if he won't return home to play with the Mariners.

 

Frankly, I'm amazed no one is starting topics about JJ Hardy. He looks terrible. He doesn't appear any closer to getting out of his funk either.

[Invader3K]

It seems like most arguments for keeping Jenkins on the team after this season, hinge on the fact that he has been a Brewer his whole career. The fact is though, while he's been a solid player, that he's starting to regress a bit, and he's getting older. With all the youth on this team, the Brewers can't afford to be "nice" and save a spot for a player that could probably be replaced with a cheaper option who is just as good, if not better.

[brewmann04]

So far this year should be Jenks last,hopefully the Brewers don"t keep him because of Loyality.

[DrWood]

Can anyone suggest an alternative for Jenkins that will perform as well, and not cost $9mill next year? There might be a FA available, but probably no one who has been as consistently good as Jenkins. You'd also have to convince the FA to come to MKE. Certainly there is no one in the minors. Gwynn can't produce like him. I'm a Gross supporter, but I think he is a downgrade. Unless he goes in the toilet the rest of the season, picking up Jenkins' option is a viable solution.

[FVBrewerFan]

Frankly, when you say the future I'm thinking next week. Why wait until next season? This is a pennant race and Jenkins has offered almost nothing at the plate for months now. When Hall comes back, I would try a platoon of Gwench in LF. Ideally, Melvin trades for a LF bat sometime real soon.

[GenoSeligPrieb]

"Usually a Jenkins thread devolves pretty quickly!! "

 

Not from lack of effort, MoneyBall! http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif

 

What took you so long, Brett? THREE replies until the Carlos Lee bashing kicked in? Must be getting slow in your old age!

 

Because this IS a Carlos Lee thread after all. Oh, wait....