Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez

[tony2sweet]

What would you think of adding Pudge Rodriguez as our backup catcher to Lucroy next year. Pudge could also start and tutor Lucroy. He would be a great guy to learn from. I would much rather have Rodriguez a future hall of famer than Kendall imo. I think Rodriguez is a type B so it would cost a pick. I'm not sure if its worth it, but it's another option for the crew.

[monkeyman343434]

Type B Free Agents don't cost draft picks to sign, the Rangers would receive one, but it wouldn't cost the Brewers one

[joepepsi]

I don't think a market like the Brewers can afford to spend the money it will take to sign Pudge. Even if it's Kendall type money, that's too much in my opinion. He hasn't been a very good hitter for 2 or 3 years, and like Kendall is getting progressively worse.

 

I can't see spending money on catchers. Unless of course you're a big market 95+ win team who only needs that last piece of the puzzle to guarantee the playoffs. Or if you have a young special player like Mauer.

[trwi7]

Kottaras is better and costs less.

[davego]

I'd think Pudge, just on his name, will sign for more then the 'Crew wants to spend. I'd suspect the catchers for 2010 are already in the stable, whomever they shake out to be.

[Invader3K]

I agree. The only other catching move I can see for the Brewers at this point is deciding to re-sign Kendall for much less money. I hope Melvin doesn't go that way and sees if some combination of Lucroy/Rivera/Kottaras can stick.

[HiAndTight]

Kottaras is better and costs less.

Certainly he will cost less. That he is better is something that at the very least is up for discussion.

 

 

In any event, unless Pudge would come in for 1.5 or somewhere in that range, something that's incredibly unlikely, I'd just as soon sign Kendall to play the role of mentor to LuCroy or Salome(whichever ends up being the one next year, though LuCroy certainly would get my vote at this time).

 

Bring back Kendall, as the one thing that he's still very good at is understanding the game, something that the Brewers tried to help LuCroy improve at by mandating he track every single hitter and every pitch on nights he wasn't catching in the Fall League.

 

 

At the end of the day though, that's about the only reason you bring Kendall back. He'd be a very cheap mentor to your young guys. If they're talking abuot bringing him back to start 100 games again........