JJ Hardy optioned to AAA- Latest: Per McCalvy, JJ will be left at AAA and add another year before free agency

[trwi7]

Well X then why wouldn't Macha play Counsell over JJ?

And why does Kendall play almost everyday?

[sveumrules]

andrew mccuctchen only had an MLE of 258/303/404 yet he has somehow managed to put up a MLB line of 293/359/488. are the steroids that much better in the bigs or could it maybe be that MLE's are even less reliable than preseason predictions? i still can't believe that the marlins ran hanley ramirez out there to win rookie of the year in 06 after only putting up a 271/335/385 line in his previous minor league season.

 

also, how much damage did it to do cliff lee's trade value getting sent down to the minors?

[Mr QL]

Counsell playing every day at SS while Escobar sits on the bench? Seriously? Melvin and Macha have lost their minds.

 

If you're going to bring up a Gamel or an Escobar, they sure as heck better be playing nearly every day.

[brewizard]

And they send down Hardy for not hitting after a four game hit streak? Way to send a message, Doug.

 

I don't think Hardy has been the biggest problem. I think the biggest problem is Doug Melvin.

[homer]

And they send down Hardy for not hitting after a four game hit streak? Way to send a message, Doug.

That doesn't make up for four months of craptitude. Not to mention, it's not like those four hits were line shots.

[JJHardy7]

I'm probably in the minority big time, but after seeing Escobar play quite a bit this year I think he's ready. I didn't have that opinion at the beginning of the year since I only saw Escobar a few times in Huntsville. I know sometimes thoughts without stats to back it up are not always welcomed, but I have to think Escobar's speed somewhat makes up for what he's lacking with power (somewhat...he obviously has a little way to go in that regard). I do think Escobar will be a pretty good player, but I'm shocked that they demoted JJ. I guess it makes you really wonder what type of 'plan' this team has. This is the kind of move that indicates there may not be a 'plan'.

 

Escobar should also play everyday. Don't bring up top prospects and treat them like they can't play baseball or need to be babied. Escobar again is a prospect that isn't a finished product and I am (and will always be) of the opinion that prospects get better by playing rather than sitting.

[brewizard]

This is the kind of move that indicates there may not be a 'plan'.

 

That's what I've been saying for months. It was clear after the disastrous offseason that Melvin didn't really have a plan - other than to 'be patient.' His patience finally ran out last night, apparently. But this is not a plan. This is a move made to show that he CAN make a move. Wow, Doug. Way to go.

[lodiness]

Why is everyone already down on Escobar? I've always thought that JJ was good, but I thought that it was more for his glove, rather than his bat. He's so streaky that I don't think that he deserves to stay in the lineup. In my opinion, he had one good half of a season in which he made the all star game, and then dumped out the second half of the season. Escobar's OPS is 100 points higher than JJ's right now, and with how bad JJ is playing right now, how could it get any worse. I would like to pose a question, and not to come accross smug, but how many of you have seen Escobar play beyond his handful of at bats that he's had in his previous call up? To me it seems like many fans in Milwaukee have Hungry Eyes Syndrom, where just because it is not the name you are used to in the lineup, it is automatically a bad idea. The big question of Escobar seems to be his bat. It's been the question for him all the way through the minor's, and at each level he's done nothing but prove people wrong.

[yogallardo43]

Why is everyone already down on Escobar? I've always thought that JJ was good, but I thought that it was more for his glove, rather than his bat. He's so streaky that I don't think that he deserves to stay in the lineup. In my opinion, he had one good half of a season in which he made the all star game, and then dumped out the second half of the season. Escobar's OPS is 100 points higher than JJ's right now, and with how bad JJ is playing right now, how could it get any worse. I would like to pose a question, and not to come accross smug, but how many of you have seen Escobar play beyond his handful of at bats that he's had in his previous call up? To me it seems like many fans in Milwaukee have Hungry Eyes Syndrom, where just because it is not the name you are used to in the lineup, it is automatically a bad idea. The big question of Escobar seems to be his bat. It's been the question for him all the way through the minor's, and at each level he's done nothing but prove people wrong.

 

Well, Kendall's name is always in the lineup and I hate him. All kidding aside, I think everyone knows Escobar will be a good defender. Hitter? That's the debate.

[BrewCrewForever]

I like the move. Maybe Hardy can figure things out come back up and get hot at the end of the season to up his trade value. And in the meantime we get a sneak peak at our 2010 starting SS Alcides Escobar.

[The Truth]

Tom H said "it sounds like Escobar will start 5 out of every 7 games" and that Melvin has instructed Macha to "run more"

 

http://www.jsonline.com/sports/brewers/52471947.html

[NievesNoNO]

Tom H said "it sounds like Escobar will start 5 out of every 7 games" and that Melvin has instructed Macha to "run more"

 

http://www.jsonline.com/sports/brewers/52471947.html

It's not a good thing when your GM is instructing the manager how to manage.

[brewizard]

It's not a good thing when your GM is instructing the manager how to manage.

 

The whole thing stinks of top-down meddling. Worse, the top-down meddlers are clearly flailing. I think, after Ned Yost lost his job last year, we should expect this kind of irrational upper managament - making moves just to make them. Hmm... I still don't see the point of making the offense WORSE when it is and has been the pitching all along that needed retooling.

[endaround]

Again Ned Yost had Brain Shouse intentionally walk Ryan Howard with the season on the line so he could have him face Pat Burrell. If anyone in any other business did something similar they wouldn't be there at the end of that day.

[jjfanec]

It's not a good thing when your GM is instructing the manager how to manage.

The whole thing stinks of top-down meddling. Worse, the top-down meddlers are clearly flailing. I think, after Ned Yost lost his job last year, we should expect this kind of irrational upper managament - making moves just to make them. Hmm... I still don't see the point of making the offense WORSE when it is and has been the pitching all along that needed retooling.

Ned Yost was simply lucky to keep his job as long as he did. None of these moves were moves just to make moves. Hall was DFA'ed because he is terrible, but with his contract out of the way Melvin said teams have contacted him about a trade. JJ was struggling and I am a huge JJ fan. Something needed to be done. Hopefully he finds his swing in AAA and can come back up and salvage the end of his season. He is most likely going to be moved this off-season so seeing what we have in Escobar is a plus. Castro was the only move that could be considered irrational since injuries to an already below average staff cannot be blamed on him.

[NievesNoNO]

brewizard wrote:

---

 

The whole thing stinks of top-down meddling. Worse, the top-down meddlers are clearly flailing.

I guess it just seems that no clear cut decision on the direction was made over the last month or so. To me there were 3 options. 1) Make the moves to go for a play-off push again. 2) Sell our remaining commodities, bring up our young guys and try to get better for next year. 3) Hold. Basically say here's what we have good, bad or otherwise we're finishing out the season, let the chips fall where they may and we'll go back to work in the off-season re-tooling.

 

They seemed to have chosen all of the above to some extent. We made some non difference making moves that cost us young players. Not bad moves so to speak just somewhat pointless, without addressing starting pitching as well. While we haven't sold any players, we've now demoted JJ Hardy and for what. To prove a point? Fine, then prove the point to everyone who's sucking it up. We've experimented with Gamel and now Escobar without committing to them.

 

It also seems Macha has lost the team. To get blasted on the 1st game of a home stand the way they did is unacceptable. It's not just that game, but they've been flat against teams they should be better than.

[Never Outhustled]

The fact that Melvin has repeatedly picked the wrong managers and pitching coaches for the team, along with the fact that he has repeatedly choosen wrong on which players to give contract extensions to, speaks volumes of his inability as head decision maker.

[PeaveyFury]

repeatedly picked the wrong managers and pitching coaches for the team

 

I can agree on manager (though the other names available out there this offseason weren't inspiring), he's only hired two pitching coaches and one of them was very good.

[Ennder]

I think Yost was the right choice for manager the first time around, he just stuck with him too long. He was the right choice for a rebuilding young team, the wrong one for a borderline playoff team where every bad in game decision becomes more costly.

[JJHardy7]

The fact that Melvin has repeatedly picked the wrong managers and pitching coaches for the team, along with the fact that he has repeatedly choosen wrong on which players to give contract extensions to, speaks volumes of his inability as head decision maker.

I agree somewhat...I think you're kind of picking your own 'wins' though and ignoring others. I think Melvin maybe gets too attached to the person and not the job (ie Yost). PF also brings up a good point. What about signing Pods and moving him for Lee? That should count for something. And what players were wrong on extensions? Hall....and then who else that actually mattered from a dollars viewpoint? Most guys on the current Brewers roster have not been 'extended' for any significant amount of money and been bad...except Hall.

He signed Cameron, Hoffman as true free agents vs. Gagne, Riske...not a huge difference. The Suppan thing wasn't DM IMO, but who knows...

His biggest weakness IMO is not moving guys at the right time to maximize value. To me, that's the key of being a GM of a small market team.

[PeaveyFury]

His biggest weakness IMO is not moving guys at the right time to maximize value. To me, that's the key of being a GM of a small market team.

 

While I tend to agree, it's also true that when you get a younger player that you have under your control for a while at a reasonably cheap cost, you're going to be reluctant to deal them because they're like gold to a small market team.

[JJHardy7]

While I tend to agree, it's also true that when you get a younger player that you have under your control for a while at a reasonably cheap cost, you're going to be reluctant to deal them because they're like gold to a small market team.

Oh no doubt that makes sense. I just think that if you have enough talented scouts you'd know when a guy is playing better than his talent level. I'm not saying trade Braun when he's cheap. Hall, Hardy, and Weeks are two huge examples IMO. Hall is bad, JJ is up and down, and Weeks I guess is up and down...their value has been much, much higher in the past. They haven't been 100% bad in this area though...I think moving LaPorta when they did maximized his value, but that's just an opinion. I guess we'll see what happens with Gamel and Escobar. The hype is fun and all, but if they both struggle DM would've missed an opportunity to maximize value...I hope what I'm saying makes sense.

[Never Outhustled]

You guys are missing Melvins biggest move of absolute buffoonery. Giving Hardy the opening day SS job, coming off shoulder surgery, on a team competing for nothing, after SS Bill Hall had a monster ST and was clearly poised for a breakout year. Had he let Hardy play in AAA to open that season, which should have been a no-brainer considering he had only played 26 games their, We'd have him through 2011. That would have given us huge trade possibilities, with either Hardy or Escobar.

[ELCABALLO45]

Spring Training numbers really don't mean anything however.

 

I still don't know what to think about this move. I don't belive Hardy should of been sent down, but part of me is excited to watch Escobar. Escobar better play every day or im gonna be upset. I also belive Hardy does have value. This does seem like a strange time to do this, but who knows.

[Hate those Rodents]

We can still control him through 2011 based on keeping him down there and we are playing for nothing today basically anyway.