Should the Brewers extend Weeks? [Latest: Won't negotiate once Spring Training starts]

[Invader3K]

Weeks is going to be very good and he will be worth more than 50 million

 

This is a pretty prescient statement. Or he could just as easily suffer another mysterious arm injury and not live up to his next contract.

[clancyphile]

Weeks needs to be kept, and I hope that an extension can be worked out before spring training. This should be one of the top priorities of the off-season. Despite the injuries, he's gotten better every year, and being that he's only 28 years old, I have a feeling that it wouldn't be fun watching him hit his prime somewhere else.

I agree. Six years, $54 million. I think he would be inclined to give a discount if he was convinced that the Brewers are serious about keeping Prince Fielder in the fold.

Weeks is a superb 2B. If he is in place, the Brewers can always move Lawrie to shortstop. Dunno about anyone else, but I am not exactly thrilled with the .614 OPS Escobar put up. JJ Hardy had a .714 OPS with Minnesota.

Plus, if it improves the Crew's chances to keep Fielder - and they can make the case that they went in for Fielder, then they can probably swing an extension there as well.

 

[Invader3K]

Everything I've heard indicates that Lawrie absolutely would not be a good defensive option at SS. Their options there are either having Escobar solidify himself or going outside the organization.

 

A lot of big figures suddenly getting thrown around here. Reminds me of all the talk about extending Sheets after the 2008 season.

[thebruce44]

Everything I've heard indicates that Lawrie absolutely would not be a good defensive option at SS. Their options there are either having Escobar solidify himself or going outside the organization.

 

A lot of big figures suddenly getting thrown around here. Reminds me of all the talk about extending Sheets after the 2008 season.

 

 

Lawrie isn't moving to SS. Correct me if I am wrong clancy, but this is the second or third time you have brought this up. Where are you getting this from? I really don't think it is an option at all.

[thebruce44]

He simply hasn't done enough yet to earn that contract.

 

I'm won't say the concern about Rickie's injury history isn't warranted, but whether he's done "enough" or not ultimately comes down to whether or not one team believes so.

 

 

I understand what you are saying and agree with it. However, a team that is in the practice of overvaluing players is not going anywhere unless they are a large market.

 

Paying players what they have earned in the past may lead to a 50/50 chance of getting more production than contract. Paying players more than what they have earned in the past may lead to something like a 30/70 chance of getting more production than contract. Just throwing those numbers out there to illustrate my point, but this isn't a practice the Brewers should participate in.

[RockCoCougars]

As far as I'm concerned, an extended Weeks makes Lawrie the Brewers most valuable trading chip. I don't think Lawrie is going to play 2nd anyway, my bet is that he will end up as an outfielder.

 

As far as Escobar goes, I'm willing to give him another year. In 2011, if he plays like he did last year, it's time to think about whether he is the long term solution. It will be salt in the wound if Hardy bounces back, especially considering that even though he was injured much of last season, he outplayed Escobar both offensively and defensively. This could be a perfect example of why you don't trade a proven guy to make room for the hotshot phenom- sometimes it makes sense to do just the opposite.

[endaround]

I think people are undervaluing what Weeks did even when not healthy. His WARs the last 4 seasons: 3.1, 2.1, 1.4, 6.1. A 3 win player is worth $10 a year easily and Weeks has a much greater ceiling than that.

[joepepsi]

As far as Escobar goes, I'm willing to give him another year. In 2011, if he plays like he did last year, it's time to think about whether he is the long term solution. It will be salt in the wound if Hardy bounces back, especially considering that even though he was injured much of last season, he outplayed Escobar both offensively and defensively. This could be a perfect example of why you don't trade a proven guy to make room for the hotshot phenom- sometimes it makes sense to do just the opposite.

Don't mean to stray too far off topic, but I never understood the hype about Escobar when he was in the minors. His stats didn't justify it. I figured it was the organization's plan to over-hype and then get him traded since they already had a young "star" in Hardy at ss.

 

Instead, Hardy tanked and got too expensive too fast, forcing the team to change gears and cross their fingers hoping it would turn out OK. Maybe it still will.

[logan82]

An up the middle guy who will probably get half of what Fielder has been asking. Sign him. $12m a year for even a half year of Weeks is a good deal. I think I said it around Spring training this year but we can sign Weeks and Hart for what Fielder is asking.

[thebruce44]

An up the middle guy who will probably get half of what Fielder has been asking. Sign him. $12m a year for even a half year of Weeks is a good deal. I think I said it around Spring training this year but we can sign Weeks and Hart for what Fielder is asking.

 

 

So what you are essentially saying is that a full year of Weeks is worth more than $24 mil per?

[endaround]

He was last year.

[Invader3K]

Yeah, so obviously we can pay him that, right? Why is everyone talking like we have the Yankees payroll now? Seriously, some of these comments seem insane to me. $12 million a year for a half year of a pretty good second baseman isn't a "good deal" any way you slice it.

[And That]

FWIW, SI's Jon Heyman says that Melvin will talk with Weeks today about an extension.

[PrinceFielderx1]

It's about time they talk to weeks about an extension. I was getting worried there for a moment.

[TooLiveBrew]

FWIW, SI's Jon Heyman says that Melvin will talk with Weeks today about an extension.

*fingers crossed*

 

Come on guys, get this worked out

[PrinceEatMeat]

http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/sports/108740909.html

 

TH also reporting this, citing Heyman as a source. I sure hope they get this done ASAP.

[thebruce44]

He was last year.

Are you arguing that we should then pay him based on a career year of Fangraphs's estimated value? If thats the case, why not sign Ben Zobrist to a 5 year, 188 mil contract instead.

[BrewCrewForever]

I would like to see Weeks extended. However if they can't work out a deal, I would be okay with dealing him if they can get back a good pitcher in return. I am starting to wonder at this point if Weeks might have slightly more value than Fielder, mostly based on position.

[Oldcity]

Nobody's saying they should give him 24 mil a year. The point is that if they give him, say, 4 years/40 mil, he should be expected to earn the contract.

[endaround]

People are saying he'd never be worth $12m per year. His value over the past 4 seasons: $12.7, $9.4, $6.3, $24.3 which averages out to $13.75m even though his missed most of 2009.

[Invader3K]

People are saying he'd never be worth $12m per year. His value over the past 4 seasons: $12.7, $9.4, $6.3, $24.3 which averages out to $13.75m even though his missed most of 2009.

You can say that's his "value," but would a single team pay him over $13 million a year? The Yankees already have Cano, but I don't think they would even do a contract like that for Weeks right now (assuming it's a multi-year deal of at least four years).

Let me be clear...I'm not against doing a multi-year deal with Weeks. I just think it should be reasonable to expect it to be around $8 million a season, given his previous injury issues, versus the $12 million plus figure some of you are throwing around.

Edit: 10,000 posts! Woohoo!

Proving I have way too much time on my hands.

[dlk9s]

People are saying he'd never be worth $12m per year. His value over the past 4 seasons: $12.7, $9.4, $6.3, $24.3 which averages out to $13.75m even though his missed most of 2009.

Player dollar values need to be taken with a grain of salt. Fangraphs dollar values for Pujols the last few years are $30.8, $34.2, $41.7, $39.0, $35.8, $29.3. He may be the GOAT 1B of all time, but does anyone really think he should get paid that much?

[Invader3K]

Don't forget JJ Hardy was "worth" like $22 million a year at one point too. I guess according to that, we should have been paying our middle infield a combined $40 million+ per season (if we had re-signed Hardy, obviously).

[endaround]

If anything those values undersell Pujols because its a linear projection and doesn't take into account how rare a talent he is.

[Invader3K]

If anything those values undersell Pujols because its a linear projection and doesn't take into account how rare a talent he is.

Endaround...you have to at least admit those "values" have no real world correlation to actual contracts, though. Maybe if teams paid guys in Monopoly money they might mean one thing, but since they have to pay actual dollars, no team is going to sign Pujols to a $40 million/yr contract.