Brewers sign Trot Nixon and Chris Duffy to minor league deals with invites to spring training

[Tbadder]

This is a good short term signing. Nothing ventured nothing gained. I hope this isn't the only back-up outfielder signing though. I still think they have to prepare for a mid-season trade of Cameron. Now, sign Baldelli gosh darn it.

[Fatter than Joey]

Duffy is kind of a Gwynn clone..

 

Didn't Duffy have some sort of emotional meltdown?

[PaulRigdon]

When did trot nixon play for the Rangers? I though melvin only signed washed up former rangers? I am so confused!!

[Brian the Automator]

Meh, seems as good as any NRI's we've seen over the years. As long as they're not signed to be starters, I'm cool with it. I'm actually pleasantly surprised Nixon signed as a NRI for the Brewers with LF and RF seemingly set.

[joepepsi]

This should round out the DL roster for 2009.

[RU Rah Rah]

Duffy is kind of a Gwynn clone..

 

Didn't Duffy have some sort of emotional meltdown?

In 2006, he got demoted to AAA but apparently refused to report for awhile. Someone in the Post-Gazette wrote: "At 26, if his head is right, he still has time to salvage his career."

 

From BR Bullpen: "Duffy was assigned to Indianapolis on May 14 beginning a weird series of events. He refused to report to the AAA team. Reasons given in the press initially focused on anger at management's tinkering with his swing (based on quotes given by Duffy), though Chris later denied this and said he had lost his joy in playing baseball and contemplated not returning. It was clear that the demotion was not the major issue, though. He did not speak directly to the press during this episode, nor to team officials. The Pirates placed him on the restricted list, denying him income. Almost a month later, Duffy decided to report to Indianapolis."

 

And this: "Duffy joined the Mazatlan Deer for the winter of 2008 but left after 3 games without notifying his team; he bought a plane ticket and returned home. He said that he was having trouble with the food."

 

 

(added link --1992)

[Brian the Automator]

"He said that he was having trouble with the food."

It goes in your mouth, I think.

[JoeHova]

Underwhelming. The Kapler signing did work out but that isn't going to always happen every time they sign some old scrub. Nixon has looked washed up for a few years now and his defense is atrocious. It's still early but it's looking more and more like Zduriencik was the brains of the Brewers' operation. Lose Sheets, Sabathia, Torres, etc., and replace them with Jorge Julio and Trot Nixon. It's still early, it's still early, it's still early (I'll just have to keep repeating that to myself in the hope that it makes me less pessimistic).

[PeaveyFury]

It's still early but it's looking more and more like Zduriencik was the brains of the Brewers' operation.

 

I guess I fail to see how Jack had anything to do with the offseason moves of the past 5 seasons.

 

I'm happy with anyone on a minor league deal. From the reactions in this thread, you'd think they were signed to huge contracts to be the starting outfielders or something, which is puzzling.

[JoeHova]

It's not that Zduriencik was behind all the moves, it's that the only assets the Brewers have are in place because of Z, not Melvin. Doug hasn't made one trade that brought in a long-term piece or anything. CV, I guess, but he was likely picked by Z anyway, but still, if we give Melvin credit for him, that puts the ledger at Fielder, Weeks, Hardy, Braun, Hart, and Gallardo vs. Villanueva. Cameron is the only other guy on the team that even has value and Melvin is rumored to want to trade him for a terrible player (or two).

[TheCrew07]

I don't know, maybe all of the venom is because there are people who actually believe the Brewers can afford to be significant players in the FA market because of how the payroll has grown. There's the long term health of the franchise to consider as well, and sometimes it's the moves the team doesn't make that end up being the best moves. The farm system has not produced enough pitching and that's pretty much the end of the story. The Brewers can afford to sign pitchers like Suppan to market deals in the 12ish million range, but does that make them a significantly better team in 09, 10, 11? I would/will argue that simply isn't the case.

 

There was a very large portion of the membership here at bf.net that supposedly just wanted a playoff appearance and then let the chips fall where they may. Well now the chips are falling and the same people are bitter? It's like people around here have aspirations of cheering for a large market team when in reality we're the smallest market in the game. Instead of being pleased with a mid market payroll people bemoan Melvin's inaction as "penny pinching". You people got your way, the Brewers acquired Sabathia, what's left to acquire another long term solution for the rotation? Can the team realistically deal 2 or 3 more top prospects away? What pitcher out there would be such a significant replacement over who we currently have that it would justify the extra 8-9 Million per year to have him? Where does the money come from for a closer, a starter, an impact bat?

 

The only move I want to see is a trade for a quality, young, SP, that's it. There's offensive help on the way and it doesn't make any sense to sign players to long contracts for 1 or 2 years when there are more talented players that will end up being blocked behind them. Melvin doesn't have the luxury of just looking at 2009, he also has to look down the road and make the pieces fit together there as well. Again, last year's team was 2-3 players away, next year's team looks to be about 3-4, and there's not 45 mil lying around to plug all those holes. We just need to patient enough to let the second wave of hitters arrive and see how the young pitchers develop. While TH made some lame comments about Mike Jones, there was truth to what Melvin said... how different would this team look if any of the other promising young pitchers had remained healthy or been effective? The list of promising arms that never produced for the big club is astounding. While I thought Jack Z was very good at what he did, all of the current issues with the team go back to the farm system, and there's no instant fix available to plug all of the holes.

 

This is an issue of expectations vs. what's actually feasible... Melvin is doing exactly what he should be, acquiring low risk/high reward pieces to fill in the "role player" positions on the team. These guys aren't going to be expected to carry the load, and if they do, then key pieces got injured and it wasn't going to work out anyway.

[jwill535]

"He said that he was having trouble with the food."

It goes in your mouth, I think.

Going in may not have been his problem

[Invader3K]

Why do people get worked up about moves like this? These guys, if they work out, will probably be backup options off the bench. Nothing more...low risk, low cost moves.

[Brian the Automator]

Why do people get worked up about moves like this? These guys, if they work out, will probably be backup options off the bench. Nothing more...low risk, low cost moves.

Honestly, I think people are just getting edgy because no significant moves have been made yet.

[DougJones43]

Why do people get worked up about moves like this? These guys, if they work out, will probably be backup options off the bench. Nothing more...low risk, low cost moves.

I don't think people are worked up about the moves themselves. People are concerned that these moves might be Melvin's primary way of improving the club, which to be honest, is a legitimately scary thought in my opinion. These kind of moves should be afterthoughts, to be taken care of after the real talent is no longer available. Melvin is messing around with this junk (and Melky Cabrera, etc.) and seemingly not devoting any resources to making an impact while there's still time and available players.

 

Disclaimer: I know it's only December. Please don't point it out. I am a proud owner of a calendar. An impact move could still be made. However, as more time passes signing Trot Nixon to a minor league deal, more and more of the talented players will get gobbled up by other teams.

[Brian the Automator]

I don't think people are worked up about the moves themselves. People are concerned that these moves might be Melvin's primary way of improving the club, which to be honest, is a legitimately scary thought in my opinion. These kind of moves should be afterthoughts, to be taken care of after the real talent is no longer available. Melvin is messing around with this junk (and Melky Cabrera, etc.) and seemingly not devoting any resources to making an impact while there's still time and available players.

Let's be realistic, though... With raises in arbitration, how much more salary can the team add on? I'm assuming the club has enough funds available for one decent-but-not-great SP or CL addition, and then everything will have to come via the trade route (in which the dwindling pool of FA's has no bearing on).

[DougJones43]

Let's be realistic, though... With raises in arbitration, how much more salary can the team add on? I'm assuming the club has enough funds available for one decent-but-not-great SP or CL addition, and then everything will have to come via the trade route (in which the dwindling pool of FA's has no bearing on).

The move wouldn't necessarily have to be something that added a ton of salary. As you said, trades are always a route to change and improve a team as well. I mean, I think that some people (myself included) think that the makeup of the team as it currently stands isn't going to produce really good results. A move to improve the OBP of the team (even if it means moving something of value -- and maybe giving up some slugging) would be nice. Or something to bolster the bullpen wouldn't necessarily be terribly expensive. The starting pitching is potentially still a little shaky as well.

 

I don't know all (or any) of the possible trades that are at Melvin's disposal, but I know I wouldn't really like going into 2009 with the same significantly flawed club as last year, minus our 3 best pitchers (Sheets, Sabathia, and Torres). I think a significant change should be made to the overall makeup of the team, particularly the position players. This might mean giving up something of value (Hart, Cameron, Weeks, Hall), but it needs to be done IMO.

[Brian the Automator]

This might mean giving up something of value (Hart, Cameron, Weeks, Hall), but it needs to be done IMO.

It doesn't seem like Cameron, Weeks, or Hall have enough value to get pitching. Hart, maybe.

[TheCrew07]

Hart, Weeks, and Hall don't exactly have much trade value. Outside of Cameron, most of the players that actually have value and could be used to acquire a missing piece are players that people around here don't want to move.

 

They have about 10 million the way I see it, and if they make a move that takes on significant salary that will be it, there won't be money left for a significant upgrade anywhere else. The can upgrade 1 of the rotation, bullpen, impact bat, or bench, but only 1 with the money they have. It's obvious they aren't spending any more money on the bench with Hall already there, so really we're talking about 1 player for the rotation, bullpen, or position player. I don't see the value in in paying 8 million for 1 inning at a time for top back of the pen guy, they can get more bang for the buck out of a starter or position player. So then it comes down to what starter would be worth it for 10-12 million per year, what 3rd tier guy should we add to make our rotation better? I'm curious because I honestly don't see it, unless Sheets doesn't find anything and we can get him back for that sort of deal, which seems highly unlikely, what 3rd tier guy is a significant upgrade over what we have? Then it comes down to a guy like Dunn who's probably undervalued around the league, but the team would have to make a trade to find a spot for him, and once he's signed that lessens the trade value of player that would have to be moved. A similar situation to Fielder/Overbay... everyone knows Overbay was going to get moved to make room, which hurt his value on the trade market. I would trade the player first and then sign Dunn or Burrell, but I don't see that happening, that's my little pipe dream.

 

I guess my point is what move should Melvin have made that he hasn't, people keep saying he's not doing anything... but what should he be doing? Give me a name for 2009 and beyond that's gotten away and makes sense for the team? I don't think the Brewers will be in the position where 1 or 2 marginal wins will make a difference in 2009, so what exactly would Melvin be spending on money that he wouldn't be able to address next off season if the need persists?

[JoeHova]

Hart, Weeks, and Hall don't exactly have much trade value. Outside of Cameron, most of the players that actually have value and could be used to acquire a missing piece are players that people around here don't want to move.

 

It's not so much that people don't want anybody to be moved, it's that the last two trades Melvin has made, he gave up far too much value for what the Brewers got in return (Linebrink, Sabathia). With that in mind, trading for someone only opens up a hole (or several) somewhere else. There is no player in the minors who is a good bet to replace the production of Hart, Fielder, Hardy, Braun, or Gallardo next year so trading any of those 5 would probably hurt the team or be a wash at best (unless Doug got an unexpectedly great player in return). Meanwhile, trading unestablished minor leaguers would mean Doug would (probably) have to give up a good amount of them in order to get anything good in return, which would leave the minor league system even thinner in terms of impact players and the farm system has to be the life-blood of any small market team.

 

Knowing those things, and also knowing that Doug blew the one big-ticket free agent signing he has made in Milwaukee (and that the Brewers don't have the money to sign many deals like Suppan's), the small signings are key to the Brewers' possible success next year. It is in that context that the signing of Nixon (and Julio) is so underwhelming. How was Russ Branyan not a better option, even considering that he was paid (slightly) more? He is a far surer bet than Nixon to be valuable next year. How was Bobby Howry not a better option than Jorge Julio even for 3 times the (still cheap) price? Howry had at least been good for much of his career, while Julio's distinction is in being one of the worst closers ever.

[mothershipconnection]

Where's the blueprint for the offseason people are demanding? It seems only the Yankees, Mets, Indians, and A's have made any moves we should really be envious of. We've signed inoffensive AAAA filler and didn't lose anyone but Torres that we didn't expect to lose. The rumors of Peavy just saying "screw it" and waving his no-trade could be true and we trade for him tomorrow and suddenly this is a great offseason. It's not like teams in similar situations have made all these fantastic moves while we sat here and missed out on everything.

[giffted1]

I just find it difficult to see the downside of these low risk signings. It's not like were building a starting lineup from the scrap heap. We've got a solid core of players, with our only real pressing need being starting pitching, IMO. No one has made a big splash in the starting pitching market other than the Yankees, so I don't see why so many are getting antsy. Building a bullpen and bench from the scrap heap is the way to go. Look at last year's bullpen and bench. Our two big FA signings in the bullpen both fell short of expectations, but we still managed to have an average pen with mainly guys from the scrap heap (Torres, Shouse, Mota, McClung, etc.). Kapler and Branyan were both 6th or 7th tier guys, and they were excellent off the bench.

[logan82]

Put me firmly in the "meh" camp as well. These signings won't hurt us, but I doubt they will help much either. I think this is what we can kind of expect until our next wave of cheap talent comes up and we rid ourselves of the Hall and Suppan contracts.

[TheCrew07]

Yes you'd give up production in 2009, but you get it back with the second wave prospects who will all be at AAA and AA next year. I'm not one to get hung up on 2009, and I don't see it as creating a hole, I see it as the best way to manage the team's assets long term. We have hitting but not pitching, so it makes sense to move hitting for pitching, MLB players have the greatest value... Fielder negates most of his offensive value with his horrid defense, Hardy has a capable replacement, and we have to give value to get value.

[MNBrew]

This deal may turn out to be nothing, in which case, so what? It didn't cost us any real jing or a roster spot.

 

Nixon could make the team, have some success, and turn into the '09 lefty version of Gabe Kapler from '08 (although I wish they'd re-sign Kapler, too!). Or Nixon might not make it and would play at Nashville. No harm, no foul.

 

The way I see it, Nixon stands to be >>>>>>>>>Counsell as a lefty bat coming off the bench if he makes the team.