Elias Rankings (as of 7-29)

[SoCalBrewfan]

FWIW, Haudricourt today said he expects the team to offer arbitration to Lopez, possibly to Kendall as well, less likely for Cameron. Not sure whether he's more plugged in to the team's thinking than the posters here, but it's grist for the mill at any rate.

 

I would only offer Kendall arby if he would promise to sign elsewhere...Cam I'd love to have back for another year and there's a suggestion today that it wouldn't take eight figures. Lopez is a tougher call, but I'd probably offer and be prepared to deal with the situation if it doesn't go as expected. Lopez on a one-year deal is very likely a tradeable commodity if you don't have a place for him.

[trwi7]

I don't see why we would offer Kendall arby. He's making what, $4M this year? He's definitely going to accept that and make at least that much next year. I wouldn't offer him arby. It at least makes sense to offer Cameron arby since he's actually good.

[SoCalBrewfan]

Oh, I agree...I'd only offer arby to kendall for the pick. If there was the slightest chance he'd accept I'd run away screaming.

[Roderick]

FWIW, Haudricourt today said he expects the team to offer arbitration to Lopez, possibly to Kendall as well,

If the Brewers offer Kendall arbitration and he accepts (without the Brewers having some sucker lined up for a trade), you can put me down in the "fire Melvin" category. They better make sure that there is an understanding that he isn't going take arbitration, and why would Kendall committ to anything before he has to?

[endaround]

It hard to see Kendall being assured of a job in MLB next year much less one that pays him 50% of what he makes this year.

[trwi7]

According to the newest rankings, Lopez isn't type A or B. He was A in the last ranking so this one can't be right, can it?

[dadofandrew]

Kendall is a defensive whiz and gets on about 35% of the time...I can't see him not starting somewhere next year.

[trwi7]

Defensive whiz is completely subjective and I completely disagree that Kendall is. Yeah, yeah, he handles the pitching staff well. If that were true, then how come their results are so awful? The things we can measure like CS%, he ranks horribly in. His CS% of 20.6 ranks second to last among qualified catchers behind only Jason Varitek.

 

As far as getting on base about 35% of the time. Yeah, I could buy it if it was 33% of the time, which is where he's at. His wOBA of .287 is ahead of only Kaz Matsui, Emilio Bonifacio and Willy Taveras and his .293 wOBA last year wasn't much better.

 

He's a terrible player at this point in his career and there's really no way other way to say it.

[RobertR]

Kendall is going to finish the year somewhere around a win above replacement. Nothing to get excited about, but enough to keep a starting job as catcher in the major leagues. Couple that with durability, a good work ethic, and not being a complete anchor on the basepaths and he'll have a job next year. Probably as a starter. Certainly, he's better than the majority of backups. Around 100 guys will have donned the tools of ignorance this year at the major league level, Kendall probably still figures in the top 30, albeit towards the bottom of that and with no upside.

 

If the Brewers want to pay Kendall 2 or 3 million and gamble that he has one more year left in him, I wouldn't complain too loudly. Likewise, I wouldn't complain if they cut ties and went with someone younger.

 

Robert

[SoCalBrewfan]

According to the newest rankings, Lopez isn't type A or B. He was A in the last ranking so this one can't be right, can it?

 

Something is amiss with that link...in the link I found from mlbtraderumors, Lopez is the last type A on the list of NL infielders.

 

http://www.scribd.com/doc/19505409/Rankings-090709

 

As for Kendall, his OBP the last three years are .301, .327, .331, so it's optimistic to say he gets on base 35% of the time...his slg over those years are dismal. Nobody in their right mind would project a .350 obp for him next year, unless he's playing in Colorado Springs or something. He's a very good player over the course of his career, and a lot of guys like that remain useful into their late 30s...but he's also caught a lot of games, and he's not good enough any more that he can afford to lose much more value due to injury or aging. If he's one win now, discount him a bit for continued aging, and that's, what, a .75 win player? That would justify $3M, with a decent change that he remains at one win and is worth more like $4M. But there's essentially no chance of much better, and (I would guess) a very good chance of much worse.