2012 Brewers Lineup

[BrewCrewForever]

What do you think about this for an opening day lineup in 2012? Would you change the order? Do you have different players in mind? With the way things are going I would like to think that Weeks will be extended moving Lawrie to the OF and Fielder traded for some pitching so McGehee moves to 1B and Gamel sticks at 3B.

 

1. Lorenzo Cain - CF

2. Rickie Weeks - 2B

3. Ryan Braun - LF

4. Mat Gamel - 3B

5. Casey McGehee - 1B

6. Brett Lawrie -RF

7. Jonathan Lucroy - C

8. Alcides Escobar - SS

9. Yovani Gallardo - P

[crossface21]

Offensively, looks pretty good. Defensively, we may be throwing things at our TV's.

[BrewCrewForever]

Offensively, looks pretty good. Defensively, we may be throwing things at our TV's.

True, my hope is Gamel improves his throws since he clearly has the range. McGehee shouldn't be any worse then Fielder is at 1B. Lawrie seems to be a good enough athlete to quickly learn the OF.

[PrinceEatMeat]

Idk about Lawrie in RF, but they will have to do something with him because I don't see Weeks going anywhere. I think Hart will still be here in 2012 unless they see it fit to trade him for pitching, although Lawrie could be used in the same capacity I suppose.

[jjkoestler]

I think Go Go is going to stick in CF so it should be interesting to see what will happen with Lo Cain.

[Funketown]

I'm pretty confident that given the time, Lawrie can be a better defensive 2B than Weeks. I would not be surprised at all if the Brewers simply let Weeks walk at this point and took the draft picks.

 

That would be a ridiculously cheap lineup though (estimates below):

 

Cain: .4

Weeks: 7.5

Braun: 6

Gamel: .4

McGehee: 3.5

Lawrie: .4

Lucroy: .4

Escobar: .4

 

Totaling $19MM.

 

A couple of concerns though.

 

1) Defense. If Escobar can develop into an elite shortstop and Gamel can get his throws more accurate, that should be a decent defensive team, but those are pretty big 'ifs'.

2) Casey McGehee. I just don't know if his bat is big enough to stick at 1B.

3) Lorenzo Cain. I'm not comfortable penciling him into the lead-off spot yet.

[Baldkin]

2) Casey McGehee. I just don't know if his bat is big enough to stick at 1B.

It may not be, but odds are hugely in favor of him being one of the best 8 bats on the team, and the team not having a better option at 1B.

[jwill535]

I would rather leave him at 3rd and move Gamel to First. He is left handed, which for some reason people think is better for first.

 

**Having played 1st for over 25 years in baseball and softball, I can think of any advantage other then holding runners, which the only thing that makes it bad is that you have to stand behind the runner straddling the base instead of being in front of it.**

[yfinn6]

I would rather leave him at 3rd and move Gamel to First. He is left handed, which for some reason people think is better for first.

 

**Having played 1st for over 25 years in baseball and softball, I can think of any advantage other then holding runners, which the only thing that makes it bad is that you have to stand behind the runner straddling the base instead of being in front of it.**

Who is left handed?

[homer]

I would rather leave him at 3rd and move Gamel to First. He is left handed, which for some reason people think is better for first.

 

**Having played 1st for over 25 years in baseball and softball, I can think of any advantage other then holding runners, which the only thing that makes it bad is that you have to stand behind the runner straddling the base instead of being in front of it.**

You can get a tag down faster on a pick off.

 

But Gamel throws righty so he has no advantage playing first.

[logan82]

Gamel only hits left. He fields right.

[Hofbraunhaus]

Aside from Lawrie, that could possibly be the lineup next year.

[Funketown]

2) Casey McGehee. I just don't know if his bat is big enough to stick at 1B.

It may not be, but odds are hugely in favor of him being one of the best 8 bats on the team, and the team not having a better option at 1B.

If McGehee is just a .270/.340/.460/.800 guy, I think we can find that type of production in a first baseman for pretty cheap. Perhaps McGehee could be dealt to a team needing a 3B and then the Brewers could just sign a free agent on the cheap.

[GAME05]

why move Gamel to 3b when McGehee is already there? isn't that like replaceing McGehee with McGehee? why not let Gamel play 1st and then you've only got one guy learning a new position instead of two? (maybe that's slightly off-topic, though, when this is more about personnel and not positions.)

 

that could be a pretty bad offensive lineup if you replaced Hart and Fielder with only in-house people. not that Lawrie and Gamel don't have a ton of talent, but in 2012 Gamel is only going to have maybe 500 total ABs and Lawrie will be a total rookie--hard to expect either of them to have the production and consistency you'd want from a 4 and 6 hitter. makes me think that'd be a good reason to pay Hart what he'll demand as a FA, plus then you can ease Cain in more as the 4th OF.

[endaround]

If you resign Hart Go Go is gone gone. If Schaefer was healthy he might have been anyway.

[pitchleague]

the only problem with that lineup that I have is that you're assuming that every one of those guys will produce in the majors. Just because they hit in the minors is no guarantee that they'll do anything in the majors.

 

My guess is a team with that lineup in 2012 will finish with <70 wins.

[Baldkin]

I would rather leave him at 3rd and move Gamel to First. He is left handed, which for some reason people think is better for first.

 

**Having played 1st for over 25 years in baseball and softball, I can think of any advantage other then holding runners, which the only thing that makes it bad is that you have to stand behind the runner straddling the base instead of being in front of it.**

The advantage isn't for the lefty playing first. It's for the righty playing all 3 other positions in the IF. A lefty must spin around 180 degrees to throw the ball to first base from any spot on the IF.

 

why

move Gamel to 3b when McGehee is already there?

Because

Gamel can be an above average defender at 3b and McGehee is a butcher

there.

[logan82]

why move Gamel to 3b when McGehee is already there? isn't that like replaceing McGehee with McGehee? why not let Gamel play 1st and then you've only got one guy learning a new position instead of two? (maybe that's slightly off-topic, though, when this is more about personnel and not positions.)

 

Gamel is at 3B and has been since we drafted him. Gamel hit almost as well in his sporadic playing time last year as McGehee has this year and I think will hit in the .850+ OPS range with at least a .340 OBP.

 

That lineup wouldn't be to bad. Gamel probably mostly replaces Hart's production. Cain, well, I don't see how he could possibly be a worse hitter than Gomez and no Edmonds doesn't bring up our CF offense much.(.283/.381/.664, that is OBP/SLG/OPS NOT BA/OBP/SLG) Lawrie seems to has an above average bat somewhat mitigating the loss of Fielder.

[jwill535]

Duh you are right about the throwing right handed. As for tagging, if you straddle the base, it is the same distance, at least the way I played it.

 

I would bet though that they will at least look for a major league ready 1st basemen in one of the trades they will be making in the coming months.

[Funketown]

I wonder what Braun would think about moving to 1st base...

[Invader3K]

Braun's athleticism would be wasted at first. I still think he will grow into a pretty good outfielder as he matures as a player. I think McGehee is the logical choice for an in-house solution, assuming he continues hitting.

[logan82]

Braun's athleticism would be wasted at first. I still think he will grow into a pretty good outfielder as he matures as a player. I think McGehee is the logical choice for an in-house solution, assuming he continues hitting.

I don't think Braun will ever be good as an outfielder.

 

McGehee has a sub .800 OPS now. Maybe he is just i the middle of a slump but I never thought he would hit well. I think we are better off looking outside for a 1B.

[bamberger]

He's not hitting for great average and has shown little power.

[joepepsi]

Here's my projected lineup:

 

Weeks-2B

Hart-RF

Braun-LF

Dunn-1B

McGehee-3B

Lucroy/Kottaras-C

Gomez-CF

Escobar-SS

 

Gamel will be forced to earn his way onto the team, either at 1B, 3B, or RF. Cain, Shaefer, and Lawrie are assigned to AAA to start the year.

[fleehaw]

He's not hitting for great average and has shown little power.

Granted it's only 25 games, but Gamel has cut his K rate by 10 per 100 AB's over last year in AAA while his walk-rate has remained steady. He certainly isn't tearing the cover off the ball, but it looks like he could be making progress in some of his weaker areas. We'll see how he does the rest of the season.

 

As far as the lineup goes, here's my fantasy take:

CF Cain

3B Gamel

LF Braun

RF Joyce*

2B Lawrie

1B Anderson*

C Lucroy

SS Escobar

 

Joyce & Wade Davis will be acquired From Tampa for Fielder plus. Anderson will be acquired from Boston for ?

That leaves Hart & McGehee to be dealt for pitching/prospects.

 

Warranted or not, I just get the sense that the power trio in the AL East are all going to make deals for their playoff run. Why not take advantage if it looks beneficial.