Brewers sign LHP Scott Schoeneweis to minor league deal + spring training invite

[crewcrazy]

It can't hurt, but I don't think he'll end up making the club. There's always the chance he pulls a Brian Shouse, though.

 

As far as the age of this offseason's signings go, I agree that it's not on the same level the Giants were at a couple years ago. The last four JB12 mentioned (all pitchers, by the way) are really the only ones I'm expecting to do much of anything this year, and that's more an indication of the team's struggles in developing pitching than it is a problem with signing old guys to take playing time away from youngsters.

[RockCoCougars]

Schoenweiss is brutal. We can only hope that he doesn't become one of Macha's pets during spring training. He has no chance of making the team otherwise.

[monty57]

My biggest concern is what this could mean for Narveson. Are we willing to give up five years of a decent pitcher in Narveson if Schoeneweis has a good spring? I'd have to believe someone would claim Narveson off of waivers. If we had a bunch of guys with options, I could see the stockpiling of good arms in AAA, but many of these guys either make the MLB team or are gone. If two guys are relatively equal, I'd hate to lose the one we have under control for a number of years so that we can have an older player for one year.

 

Like I said when Edmonds was signed, on the surface I like seeing Melvin add talent to the roster, but I worry that Macha has a lot of say on who makes the team. My worry is that he will choose the older guy for one year over the younger guy for multiple years. Now, if some of these guys that are being signed will accept a role in AAA as insurance, it makes more sense. If they are singned simply to add more congestion in the competition for the final bullpen spot, it doesn't make much sense.

[DHonks]

Schoeneweis has never been any good, so unless he's planning on being a BP pitcher, I don't see him with the Brewers in 2010, and I see him as having several lefties ahead of him in AAA, including Capuano, Mulder (if signed), Braddock, and any other lefty that makes the AAA team

[Invader3K]

They said that he and Peterson have a relationship. I wouldn't be surprise if the new pitching coach is just doing this as a favor to Schoeneweis after his tragedy last season.

[monty57]

Peterson seems to be a coach that players either love or hate. If Shoineweis really is a "Peterson guy," then maybe he will accept a AAA assignment. If so, then I like this pick-up for mid-season bullpen help.

[clancyphile]

Scott Schoenwies, 36; Gregg Zaun, 39 on 4/14: Craig Counsell, 39: Joe Inglett, 31: John Halama, 38 on 2/22; Jim Edmonds, 39: Matt Treanor, 34 on 3/3, Doug Davis, 34; Randy Wolf, 33, Latroy Hawkins, 37; Trevor Hoffman, 42. None of these guys were under contract at the end of 09. All are now part of the 40 man or were signed to minor league deals with spring training invites.

Huh?

 

With the exception of Gamel/McGehee, who exactly are these guys taking playing time away from? Lucroy needs another 3-4 months minimum in the minors. Schoenweiss, Halama, Inglett, and Treanor are extreme longshots to make the 25-man roster. If Parra's in the rotation, the only guy you could really argue is losing time because of Wolf and Davis is Narveson. While I think the Brewers overpaid for Hoffman and Hawkins, who are they really blocking? Axford? I'd rather see them delay the service time of Braddock and Wooten than bring them up now.

 

The core of this team is still Fielder, Braun, and Gallardo. You're not going to see Josh Halama starting opening day. These are extremely low cost signings (what do you think they even have to give these minor league ST invite guys anyways?), and I don't see the harm.

 

Back to Schoenweiss, I guess I don't see the point. Stetter already tears lefties apart, and is much better against righties.

Besides, look at the level of performance for lot of these folks: Edmonds' overall OPS in `08 was over .800 - and .937 with the Cubs (meaning he did VERY well when he wasn't playing half his games at Petco Field). Hoffman's still one of the top closers in the majors. Davis and Wolf both pitched well in `09. In fact, had the Brewers NOT made the infamous Estrada trade, I think the discussion here might be more along the lines of be viewing Davis as a solid piece of the starting rotation as opposed to a somewhat risky free agent pickup.

 

Other deals are minor-league deals, so they'd only come up if someone ended up on the DL.

 

So, the only guy who I see taking a lot of PT from current everyday players might be Edmonds - and if he hits like he did with the Cubs in `08, then it's far more foolish to leave a .937 OPS bat on the bench than it is to play him, especilaly if Hart or Gomez don't hit.

[monty57]

I don't want to speak for JohnBriggs, but what I believe he meant was that there are only so many innings to play in Spring Training. Instead of seeing if someone like Zach Braddock is ready to play, his appearances may be limited because Schoeneweis gets the call. Maybe we lose Iribarren and his 5-6 years of service because a veteran player who we'll have for one year outplayed him in the spring.

 

Maybe this is good, maybe not. It really depends on your view of players like Iribarren. Would you rather have Iribarren on the bench this year and being a part of the system for the remainder of his "controlled" years, or continually sign veterans to one-year deals?

 

Many of the 30-something brigade Melvin has recently signed will play significant roles in 2010 (Hoffman, Zaun, Davis, Wolf, Hawkins, Counsell). I'm not against these signings, and without re-hashing a "what could have been" thread, we did need to address pitching and catcher this off-season. It is interesting that Melvin is choosing to bring in a lot of older players, when it appears to me that Macha prefers older players to younger ones. As it sits right now (10 days before pitchers and catchers even report), my guess is that not only will Edmonds make the team, he will take significant PT away from Hart and Gomez, and Gerut will be almost completely forgotten... and that's regardless of how Edmonds is playing. I believe that Iribarren (and possibly Heether) is as good as gone from the Brewers, which is too bad, as he seemed to show that he could at least be a MLB bench player. I hope that what Narveson did at the end of last season will make Macha forget that Schoeneweis is "more experienced," and Narveson will beat him out for the final pitching spot, and we don't lose 5-6 years of a somewhat promising pitcher for one season of a mediocre middle reliever.

 

Competition is generally good, and I may be over-reacting, but Macha left a bad taste in my mouth last season, and I worry that we're converting from a team that relies on our prospects to play a major role with the Brewers (which I think is necessary for a small- mid-market team) to one that favors one-year veteran FA signings.

[Tbadder]

I concur on Narveson. This scares me. It says the Crew are not willing to put him in the pen and they'll lose him. Narveson is the one who has a future in this league possibly (he might be a dud too) but the gray-haired crowd they're going after is a one year solution at best, and at worse the end of the line.

 

 

It smells like Macha, which is to say it smells like old man skid marks.

 

 

And denying guys like Heether a shot is just bad business as well as bad baseball for a small market team.

[TooLiveBrew]

Like Invader pointed out, this is a Peterson-influenced signing, not Macha. How is Heether being declined a shot? Melvin has already announced that he's scheduling 'B games' to make sure everybody gets reps.

[monty57]

How is Heether being declined a shot?

 

1) Gallardo

2) Parra

3) Bush

4) Wolf

5) Davis

6) Suppan

7) Hoffman

8) Hawkins

9) Coffey

10) Stetter

11) Vargas

12) One of Villy/Schoeneweis/Lofgren/Narveson

 

13) Fielder

14) Weeks

15) Escobar

16) McGehee

17) Braun

18) Gomez

19) Hart

20) Gerut

21) Zaun

22) Lucroy/Kotteras/Treanor/Salome

23) Counsell

24) Edmonds

25) One of Inglett/Cruz/Gamel/Heether/Iribarren

 

Note that I did this quickly, so I hope I didn't forget someone.

 

Since they'll likely want 5 OFs and Edmonds is the only true OF of the bunch, and the fact that he's a veteran with a good history, I think he makes the team. This leaves one spot for the final five to get the backup utility IF bench spot. Gamel is almost assuredly going to AAA, so there is a battle between Inglett, Cruz, Heether and Iribarren for the 25th spot on the roster. I'm not certain of this, but I believe Heether and Iribarren would both be lost if they don't make the 25 man roster.

 

We could keep Heether as a backup IF/OF, but I don't see them dropping Edmonds unless he is completely lost at the plate and in the field during ST. Therefore, the signing of Edmonds probably means the end of Heether. Iribarren plays 2b/CF, so if they keep Edmonds, Inglett and Cruz are both more verstile as backup IFs. I expect Edmonds gets the 5th OF spot and either Inglett or Cruz gets the 25th man spot.

 

Therefore, signing Edmonds and Schoeneweis could mean that we lose 15-18 combined years of service out of Narveson, Heether and Iribarren in return for possibly making the team slightly better this season (Schoeneweis could be a better option out of the pen this year than Narveson, as Narveson is a starter, and Edmonds is probably a better backup OF this season than Heether, who is really an IF).

 

Again I ask, is it better to continually sign veterans for one-year deals in bench roles, or is it better to keep our "controlled" prospects for that role? We will probably be better this year if we let Iribarren and Heether go, but I don't think it will make us better for the future, and it definitely hurts our ability to control costs. Spring Training hasn't even begun, so a lot can happen over the next month and a half, but it's looking like we're beginning to trend towards jettisoning "average-ish" prospects in favor of similarly skilled veterans.

[endaround]

Heether has all three options remaining. If Edmunds is able to go he'll make the team but if he isn't he won't. Schoenweiss only has a shot if someone gets injured.

[battlekow]

Since they'll likely want 5 OFs and Edmonds is the only true OF of the bunch, and the fact that he's a veteran with a good history, I think he makes the team. This leaves one spot for the final five to get the backup utility IF bench spot. Gamel is almost assuredly going to AAA, so there is a battle between Inglett, Cruz, Heether and Iribarren for the 25th spot on the roster. I'm not certain of this, but I believe Heether and Iribarren would both be lost if they don't make the 25 man roster.

Actually, I think this augurs very well for Heether's chances. Gerut, Counsell, and Edmonds are all left-handed, as are Inglett, Gamel, and Iribarren. If one of those latter three was chosen for the last roster spot in your scenario, the only right-handed pinch hitter the Brewers would have is the backup catcher, unless that's Kottaras, in which case they'd have no righty bench bats. Since I'm sure the Brewers would like to be able to pinch hit against a lefty without burning their backup backstop, that leaves Cruz and Heether as the only options. Counsell's general infield wizardry makes Cruz's gloveliness redundant, so I think Heether would make the team as the 2010 version of Casey McGehee if it plays out as you predict.

[monty57]

Heether has all three options remaining. If Edmunds is able to go he'll make the team but if he isn't he won't. Schoenweiss only has a shot if someone gets injured.

That's reassuring on Heether. For some reason, I thought Heether was gone if he didn't make the Brewers. I hope you're right on Edmonds and Schoeneweis. I'm probably over-worried of the "Macha influence" in picking the opening day roster.