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

[logan82]

All they do is alienate a possible suitor if that's their plan.

 

How do they alienate anybody except the Brewers. All they say to the next team is they were trying to get more money and thought the Brewers might give them close to what they want.

[monty57]

I just don't see why Prince/Boras would be interested in negotiating in bad faith for 2 years.

 

I've never really heard Boras say anything about negotiating for two years. Melvin and Mark A. publicly stated that they were going to talk with Prince and Boras and that they had no timeline on it. Melvin and Mark A. acknowledged that they had met and that they were not going to "give a running commentary" on the dealings. Then Boras came out and said Prince is a rare talent who has done things few players have ever done and therefore a Texiera (?-sp) type deal was the starting point and he felt Fielder should command a $200MM deal.

 

Sounds to me like Melvin and Mark A. felt they had a chance of wooing Fielder over time to sign a contract and Boras is trying to squash that feeling unless the Brewers want to put Fielder into A-Rod territory.

[jazzytrav]

Almost everyone is in agreement that the longer we wait, the more the price goes up. Isn't it obvious that we shouldn't wait that long?

Obvious to everyone, including Rickie. And I'm sure he's also aware that he won't get close to his value until he puts together a full season. It doesn't really matter how obvious anyone thinks it is that he should be extended if Rickie wants to wait it out.

[TooLiveBrew]

I haven't seen this linked here yet. Doesn't exactly clear anything up, but it's interesting nonetheless:

 

Yovani Gallardo's contract extension is in the books, and Prince Fielder's is still in the works. Which home-grown player might be next?

 

It could make some sense for the Brewers to at least explore the issue with second baseman Rickie Weeks. He avoided arbitration over the winter with a $2.75 million contract for 2010 and is under team control for one more season in '11 before reaching free agency. Weeks' injury history would surely figure into such talks, but he showed a tantalizing glimpse last season of being an All-Star-caliber player before suffering a season-ending wrist injury in May.

 

Weeks wouldn't say whether the Brewers have had any discussions with his agent, Lon Babby, and Babby did not immediately return a telephone call.

 

"If it happens, it happens. If it doesn't, it doesn't," Weeks said. "You don't want to leave too much on the table, but then there's security."

 

Weeks was thrilled for Gallardo, who is guaranteed $30.1 million over the next five seasons. "A young guy getting some security, and now he can take care of his family for a long time," Weeks said. "You love to see that."

Link

[endaround]

Keep in mind Weeks has earned a decent amount of money for a guy who missed so much time with injury just entering his 2nd arby year. He's at 8.307m before this year's 2.75m salary.

[TooLiveBrew]

That's a good point, end. Weeks is a guy that can probably afford (literally & figuratively) to gamble in this type of situation.

[BrewCrewForever]

I know the injury risk is still there and kind of scary. But man, they really should get Rickie and extension soon.

[zzzmanwitz]

I think that Rickie is really the guy we need to pursue, not Prince. I think we are going to get a lot more bang for our buck going after a future with Weeks rather than Fielder.

[craigharmann]

I think that Rickie is really the guy we need to pursue, not Prince.

Agreed. A first baseman is a pretty replaceable position. But a 2nd baseman that hits and fields pretty well, and is improving, now that's something that you treasure!!

[bobskube]

I think that Rickie is really the guy we need to pursue, not Prince. I think we are going to get a lot more bang for our buck going after a future with Weeks rather than Fielder.

I am getting on this bandwagon too. I love Prince and I know he will break out, but a 20 million a year plus deal could really cripple team for a long time.

[bucksbeat]

I'll leave my Prince opinions for his topic. However, if the Brewers aren't very confident in their ability to sign Prince, then they better work on extending Weeks. Rickie has proven he is fully recovered from his wrist injury so the Brewers shouldn't wait for him to play a whole season and put up monster numbers. Get him cheap on the basis now that he hasn't stayed healthy.

[The Ignitor]

I vote extend Weeks. There is certainly a risk with the injury history, but the price at this point should also be a relative bargain given that history. Plus, I like Weeks' attitude, leadership, and work ethic... I don't think the money will change any of that. How about a 3-4 year deal for about 15-20 million? Is that too high, or too low?

[paul253]

To me, Weeks is really starting to turn the corner as a hitter, and as a fielder for the matter, and he is definitely capable of being an all-star second basemen. I think if the Brewers made him a very reasonable four year offer this season, he'd be willing to take it. If you let him play out his arby years as he's hitting .300 with 25 home runs, he's going to increase his value a ton. You've signed Braun. You've signed Gallardo. Now forget Prince because it's not going to happen and sign Rickie.

[zzzmanwitz]

If you let him play out his arby years as he's hitting .300 with 25 home runs, he's going to increase his value a ton.

 

Rickie only has one more Arbitration year in 2011.

[SoCal Brew Crew Fan]

If the info from the doctors says the sheaths are likely to be less of a problem going forward than they were in the past, I'd try and cut a 3-4 year deal now. I admit to being a biased Rickie Weeks fan and apologist, but this does seem to be a window when they can get him at a reasonable value. They also do seem to be getting priced out of the Prince derby.

 

While I'm all for the Braun and Yovani deals and would like to see a similar one with Rickie, fans do need to realize at some point one of these will come back to bite the Brewers. 20-25% of the payroll tied up in Soup, Riske and Hall could easily be a couple young guys signed long term a few years from now. There's no free lunch, yet I do think these are the type of risks the Brewers need to take.

[Warning Track Power]

I vote extend Weeks. There is certainly a risk with the injury history, but the price at this point should also be a relative bargain given that history. Plus, I like Weeks' attitude, leadership, and work ethic... I don't think the money will change any of that. How about a 3-4 year deal for about 15-20 million? Is that too high, or too low?

Weeks is going to cost you a Bill Hall contract at least. We are going to be looking at a 4year/$24MM at a minimum for him. I'd be content with that. Realistically, I think he will get a contract at least worth on average $6MM a year and could possibly get up to $8-$9MM per if he truly breaks out this season.

 

Sign him now!

 

 

[craigharmann]

Weeks is going to cost you a Bill Hall contract at least.

As long as that Bill Hall contract doesn't equal Bill Hall performance after the contract, then we're good. I agree that's probably around what's being looked at, but if he stays healthy and keeps up what he did at the start of last season before getting hurt and this season so far, it's a bargain in my eyes.

[joepepsi]

When Rickie is healthy he will always be a useful player, as opposed to Hall who had almost no value the previous two years.

[paul253]

Soup, Riske and Hall could easily be a couple young guys signed long

term a few years from now.

 

Yeah but Braun, Weeks, and Gallardo are not Soup, Riske, and Hall. Braun is one of the best hitters in all of baseball, whereas Hall had one good year. Soup is an "innings eater" whereas Gallardo has ace potential and at worst is a #3 pitcher. He's also a lot younger and throws a lot harder. Riske was signed, I feel, almost in desperation to help the bullpen. Weeks would sign because of ability, not because we desperately need a second basemen.

[logan82]

Even with how disappointing many though Weeks was as a player, he carried a decent career OBP(.351) and was at least average as a 2B(as a hitter anyway, defense is another issue but he seems to be improving).

[monty57]

Plus, the Riske signing wouldn't look bad if he hadn't been injured for the entire contract. A good middle/late innings reliever for $4.5MM/year isn't terrible. Injuries are indeed the biggest risk of signing star players to long-term contracts. I hope Melvin has learned not to offer long-term extensions to mid-tier players like Hall in the future, limiting our "regression risk" on the deals, and putting most of the risk on the injury side, which can be insured against.

[rluzinski]

I don't think average middle relievers are ever worth that kind of money. Many starting pitcher rejects can put up a 4.0 ERA in relief.

 

And not signing mid tier players to long term deals in no way protects from the risk of a player underperforming.

[monty57]

I don't think average middle relievers are ever worth that kind of money. Many starting pitcher rejects can put up a 4.0 ERA in relief.

 

Many starting pitcher rejects are making $8-12MM. What's your point? If Riske had put up the mid-3's ERA with 2:1 K:BB that he had his entire career, we probably wouldn't hear too many people saying it was a terrible signing. Maybe an overpay, but not a team-killer.

 

And not signing mid tier players to long term deals in no way protects from the risk of a player underperforming.

 

There's probably slightly less chance that Braun posts a .600 OPS than Bill Hall. Sure it could happen, but the risk is significantly lowered. I guess it depends on how you define "underperform." I'd rather pay Braun $8MM to "underperform" with an .850 OPS than pay Hall $7MM to "underperform" with a .600 OPS.

[strawbossisevil]

I agree the Brewers should make Weeks their priority. Sign him to a 4 year contract and lock him down for his prime years. 4 years, 24 million sounds like a good deal for both sides.

 

As for Fielder, his defense is always going to negate some of his offensive value. If we aren't in the playoff picture at the trade deadline, I think we should move him and get some major prospects back.

 

While his offense will be hard to replace, his overall value will be less hard. In fact, if the Brewers move Fielder, I'd be a big fan in the Brewers signing Derrick Lee as his replacement.

 

Lee is a top level defensive player which would improve our entire infield defense. On offense he provides solid pop and good OBP skills. Plus, he should be available on a cheaper/shorter more reasonable deal than Fielder as next season is his age 35 season. He likely could be had on a 2-3 year deal.

[BrewCrewForever]

I wonder if the Brewers brass are discussing this topic as much as we are? I hope so.