Brewers sign Jim Edmonds to minor league deal, big league invite

[TheCrew07]

I have no problem with letting the manager make the decisions for a team over the course of the year, at least from an organizational standpoint. I think the GM has to step in on stuff that will effect a team long term though. Things like Gamel sitting the bench and acquiring service time.

I agree with this 100%, Macha has proven he doesn't know to handle young players very well at all, I would hope that they don't burn up service time with a top prospect riding the bench ever again. I don't care who is in front of the young man, if he's up, get him regular playing time or else leave him in the minors.

[danzig6767]

Going into last season, how many would've said Gamel would be called up to sit the bench so that Counsell could play more?

 

I don't doubt that Melvin traded for Gomez to be the starter, and I don't doubt that they signed Edmonds to be a backup. I do doubt that Macha will be able to let Edmonds sit on the bench while a 24-year-old struggles. I hope it doesn't happen, but I believe in actions over words. The actions I saw last year are that Macha is going to manage the team the way he wants. He seemed to favor older players to younger ones, and "the future" (aka player development) doesn't matter. He wasn't censured for this, he was brought back... why would he change?

 

It's likely that Gomez will struggle at the plate, and his ability to steal bases doesn't appear to be something Macha holds in high regard. When he struggles, if Edmonds is showing any signs of life at the plate, I worry that Macha will play Edmonds at the expense of Gomez. Since Macha doesn't understand that 5 games isn't a large enough sample size to make statistics-based decisions, I highly doubt he uses "advanced defensive matrics." As long as Edmonds cathces most of the balls hit his way and makes a couple of diving catches, Macha will think he's fine in the field.

 

Of course, I also feel that Gerut is probably our second best OF (all around), and he's the guy who is almost assured of no playing time, so maybe I'm letting that skew things. As I said, I like the pick-up of Edmonds, but I worry that Macha will turn it into a bad move, especially if Edmonds is able to hit a couple out of the park in the first week or so.

I have some fear of this happening also because Edmonds in CF via experience would still be able to catch anything in his general direction, thus Macha could determine this to mean he's doing fine out there. I could live with Edmonds getting say a start a week in CF so long as he's hitting well, but that's it. A Braun/Edmonds/Hart trifecta in the outfield for extended stretches of games would be some terrible news for our pitching staff.

[HiAndTight]

Edmonds is done and Melvin is really reaching. It's the Trot Nixon signing all over again. All he's going to do is take away spring AB's from guys that will actually matter later on.

Couldn't we use the flip side and say "it's the Gabe Kapler signing all over again". Two years ago, this type of move worked. Last year (Nixon) it didn't. This year, it might work and might not. But based on his 2008 season, he was not done being a productive MLB player.

 

I know I'm behind the proverbial 8 ball on this one, but reading through this thread, this was my exact thought.

 

It's too easy to say Edmonds sucks. If it didn't appear to all the world he was washed up, well then he wouldn't be available on a minor league deal with absolutely no guarantees.

 

I'll absolutely never get mad at the Brewers taking a shot with a formerly good/great player hoping to squeeze one more year out of them as a pinch hitter. I saw it too often as a kid with the Willie Randolph, Dave Parkers of the world. If it works, it works. Nobody liked Gabe Kapler until everyone loved Gabe Kapler.

 

Now personally I've always thought of Mr. Edmonds as bit of a clown, but I'll order some size 25 shoes and put on a red nose if he can put up a .900 OPS vs Righies and play a little D in RF this year!

 

 

[HiAndTight]

Hart shouldn't pack his bags yet. I think it comes down to how Gomez and Hart do. If Gomez stinks while Hart does well, then Hart plays center, as he did for a bit in 2005, and Edmonds plays right. If Hart stinks, and Gomez does well, Gomez is in center, Edmonds is in right.

I think theres about a 0.5% chance Hart plays center unless it is a huge emergency. He can't even play RF well.

I think there is a very good chance Hart finds himself playing CF at times this year. He's lost 22 pounds and hopefully has regained a bit of the athleticism that contributed to him becoming an above average player early in his career.

 

If he can do that, he can give us a serviceable CF'er. Not Carlos Gomez, but not a complete butcher out there either.

 

[HiAndTight]

Gord Ash: Edmonds is likely to be a pinch hitter and get some time at first base as well.

 

Oh really Gord? Are you aware that Edmonds is not an experienced pinch hitter He has 79 PH AB's in 16 seasons. That's an average of 5 per season. That's less than Gerut and way less than Counsell. Given his long swing and infamiliarity with that role, he likely wouldn't get enough ABs to stay sharp. If they are thinking of him as a Matt Stairs type, they need to think again. As for 1st base, are you serious? Innings played at first base by anyone not named Fielder in 2009: Zero. I wouldn't be tempted ever to take Fielder out in favor of Edmond s myself.

 

Personally, I don't think Edmonds will hit enough to earn playing time if he makes the team. So if he makes the team that's taking a spot away from a younger player. But if he were to prove me wrong and hit like the Edmonds of old, then he has to be platooned with Hart in RF. That makes his LH bat valuable as a 2nd one in the lineup. They have LH bats off the bench. He's not needed there.

 

There are a whole lot of innings to be played at 1st base if Prince is the DH for interleague play, a very wise decision to give the big guy a little bit of rest IMO. Not only that, but we're assuming he stays healthy.

 

AS for his lack of PH'ing experiance, you don't expect all stars to rack up the pinch hitting appearances, do you? Is it much of a surprise he hasn't accumulated a great deal of PH AB's in his career? That he hasn't doesn't mean he can't.

 

In any event, I'm sure these facts haven't elluded the Brewers and they have taken them into consideration.

[TooLiveBrew]

I think there is a very good chance Hart finds himself playing CF at times this year. He's lost 22 pounds and hopefully has regained a bit of the athleticism that contributed to him becoming an above average player early in his career.

 

If he can do that, he can give us a serviceable CF'er. Not Carlos Gomez, but not a complete butcher out there either.

 

Weight & athleticism have little or nothing to do with why Hart isn't a good defender, esp. in CF. He doesn't read the ball well, & takes subpar routes.

[stalton]

Not to rehash everything that has been said, but I think for the most part this is a win-win situation. If Edmonds can't cut it, or he feels like he doesnt want to play anymore, he can walk away and we anre not committed to him. If he does well, he gets his money and will be paid accordingly. The worst case scenario is that he kills in ST and the first month and then peters out during the rest of the season. Even then, he'll probably just ride the pine/PH instead of getting too much playing time on the field.

 

Overall, good buy IMO...low risk, high reward. I wish more deals were made so that contracts double/triple based on performance instead of an extra 5-10%