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

[Patrick425]

I get the feeling that these negotiations (if there even are any) are going about as well as the NFL/Player's Union talks.

[pretendastronaut]

The Brewers have stuck with Rickie through the injuries and low production. It would really suck to lose him now as he is about to hit his peak years.

 

 

 

Yes it would. That's what bothers me about this. Why would they want to take that chance of losing Weeks at this point, after putting that effort/time into waiting for Weeks to realize his potential, which may finally be peaking, and now possibly let him walk away because the money is a risk?

 

Which isn't to say, give Weeks whatever money he wants, but from how it appears to me, the Brewers didn't make an aggressive offer either.

[logan82]

You always hear talk about exploiting market inefficiencies. $10-12m for elite talent seems like a market inefficiency to me.

[sveumrules]

If the Rangers are fine letting Hamilton (who plays an up the middle position like Weeks and has an extensive injury history like Weeks but has also has far more upside than Weeks) hit FA I see no reason why the Brewers should throw Uggla/Utley money at Rickie on the back of one healthy productive season.

It sucks that things worked out this way but there's really no reason for Weeks to sign a fair extension when he is a year away from FA and there's no reason for the Brewers to may open market rates right now with Rickie's injury history. I believe it is referred to popularly as a Catch 22.

[brains and braun]

I would much rather see the Brewers give Weeks 10-13 AAV than another contract to a guy like Suppan, or even Wolf. Isn't this the organization that gave Bill Hall like 36 million? You always pay a premium in FA, unless a guy is coming off a terrible year(s) or is a huge injury risk. Say we do pay Rickie as a premium 2B...that is still a relatively small amount when compared to premiums at other positions. This deal should have been worked out prior to LAST season, imo.

[sveumrules]

And how did the Hall contract work out?

 

I guess my point is if Rickie is already looking for Uggla/Utley money how much can his price really go up regardless of what he does or doesn't do this year? If you're not going to get any real discount why not wait so you at least have another year of data before throwing four or five years at ten to twelve million at a guy.

[logan82]

The only real issue with Weeks is injury. He has been productive his whole career. Even his not so good years hitting are pretty good. The other knock on him used to be his defense but it appears he has improved to at least average there.

[Invader3K]

Haudricourt with a somewhat interesting kinda sorta update.

 

I checked in with Brewers assistant general manager Gord Ash this afternoon to see what's going on with contract negotiations with second baseman Rickie Weeks. Ash has been the front man for talks with Weeks' agent, Greg Genske.

 

Ash told me he'd have no further comments on the negotiations other than to say "we are still talking."

 

My take on this is that negotiations are at a sensitive stage and therefore talking about them can be counter productive. Either that or the Brewers don't want to be the only side talking. Genske doesn't return calls about the talks so you get nothing out of him.

[TooLiveBrew]

You always hear talk about exploiting market inefficiencies. $10-12m for elite talent seems like a market inefficiency to me.

Yeah, this hits the nail on the head for me. Good to hear the more positive talk recently from Melvin & Ash... trying not to get my hopes up too high, though.

[Warning Track Power]

I know that Ash said there would be no more comments on this but we are getting closer and closer to Thursday with no news. Getting a little anxious for some sort of resolution...

[Patrick425]

Yeah, I'm a bit surprised that there is not more chatter about this from the local beat writers. I know that there was something last week that came out (that basically said nothing), but nothing more to update? At least post something in the JSonline blog that says "still nothing new to report - everyone is being tight lipped" or something.

[And That]

Everyone is heading down to Arizona at this moment. Once all the front office/beat guys get settled down there, I'm guessing we'll see a story tonight or tomorrow.

[JohnBriggs12]

Kelly Johnson, probably Weeks' most close comparable, just agreed to $5.85 million for this year from the D-Backs. That's slightly closer to the Brewers arby figure of $4.85 than it is to Weeks' $7.2 number.

[Mays Hayes]

Ken Rosenthal on twitter:

 

#Brewers asst GM Gord Ash on Weeks multi-year talks: "We're making progress. We're not done yet. We're inching our way." #MLB

 

*Fixed linking issues.

[Patrick425]

All those links just bring me back to brewerfan

[TooLiveBrew]

I can't find that tweet on Rosenthal's page. Searched back to late January.

 

EDIT: I see the same quote cited by USA Today... ahhh, here's the direct link to said tweet.

[Warning Track Power]

Ken Rosenthal on twitter:

 

#Brewers asst GM Gord Ash on Weeks multi-year talks: "We're making progress. We're not done yet. We're inching our way." #MLB

 

*Fixed linking issues.

Reading between the lines: For Ash to comment on Saturday that there would be no further comment on this and then to give Rosenthal a quote like this makes me believe an extension is inevitable.

 

 

[Invader3K]

I agree with WTP. I think something will happen very soon.

[SoCal Brew Crew Fan]

Sounds like they are close...good news. So what's the over/under on years and $$$?

 

I'll try and set the line here...

 

Time - 5 years (one arby + 4 FA)

Dough - $55mm? Somewhere between the 50-60mm levels we've seen on the board.

 

My guess is 5 years + an option year. The dough is $54mm ($6 for the arby year and $13/yr over the remainder) and a shot at $60mm with incentives. $15mm mutual option.

 

Not sure if that's over or under? I'll say over due to the incentives.

[Warning Track Power]

Kelly Johnson, probably Weeks' most close comparable, just agreed to $5.85 million for this year from the D-Backs. That's slightly closer to the Brewers arby figure of $4.85 than it is to Weeks' $7.2 number.

Good call John. Weeks and Johnson's offensive stat lines really are quite similar when you look at them side by side. Haudricourt also feels they're moving in a "positive" direction.

 

 

[Warning Track Power]

Sounds like they are close...good news. So what's the over/under on years and $$$?

 

I'll try and set the line here...

 

Time - 5 years (one arby + 4 FA)

Dough - $55mm? Somewhere between the 50-60mm levels we've seen on the board.

 

My guess is 5 years + an option year. The dough is $54mm ($6 for the arby year and $13/yr over the remainder) and a shot at $60mm with incentives. $15mm mutual option.

 

Not sure if that's over or under? I'll say over due to the incentives.

Years: Spot On. 4 years + 1 Arbitration year.

Dollars: Under

 

2011: $6MM

2012: $9MM

2013: $10MM

2014: $11MM

2015: $12MM

 

Total Contract: 5 years/$48MM. AAV($9.6MM)

[Invader3K]

Latest from Ken Rosenthal.

 

Source: Weeks deal with #Brewers would be between 3 and 5 yrs, buying out at least 2 FA years. Sides trying to avoid arb hearing Thur.

Still seems kind of vague, but you have to believe they are getting closer if some rough parameters are in place.

[Funketown]

Just out of curiosity, when Weeks says he won't negotiate once ST starts, he means once he reports, correct? Does anybody know when he plans on reporting?

[Invader3K]

Just out of curiosity, when Weeks says he won't negotiate once ST starts, he means once he reports, correct? Does anybody know when he plans on reporting?

Next week sometime. Not sure on the exact day.

[pretendastronaut]

I would believe the spring training deadline means little. Thursday's arbitration hearing seems to be the true deadline.