Doug Melvin WSSP Audio Interview

[Mass Haas]

LINK

 

Obviously a variety if topics discussed in the 22 minutes Tuesday, hear between the lines as you wish.

 

My biggest take is that Rickie may be a tough long-term get.

 

Interesting, Corey Hart has a no-trade clause for teams that train in Florida.

 

Likes Peralta, Rivas -- may push pitching prospects more quickly than in the past.

[PrinceEatMeat]

Don't like the sound of the Weeks situation. I don't think that necessarily means he'll be shopped, but it probably means that Lawrie won't be.

[Invader3K]

I don't know if I'd read too much into the Weeks comments yet. Sounds like negotiations could heat up in the next week or two. We'll see.

[PrinceEatMeat]

I hope so. I would love to see him locked up to a long-term deal.

[Beast Light]

I don't really want to see Weeks resigned. I would prefer to see him traded so that we can clear room for Lawrie. I may be in the minority here but we've already locked guys like Hart, Braun and Gallardo up. If lower payroll teams want to be successful and sustain success, they need to keep the turnover of talent going. You need to have a cycle of identifying talent, getting 4-5 productive years out of it at the Major League level and then trading it for what you can get. Its OK to find a few cornerstones and lock them up like what they did with the aforementioned guys but you have to draw the line somewhere.

 

Dropping a lot of money on a guy that has really only had one truly successful, injury free season just doesn't seem like a good idea to me.

[TooLiveBrew]

I don't really want to see Weeks resigned. I would prefer to see him traded so that we can clear room for Lawrie.

 

I don't believe that Lawrie will stick at 2B. Imo he's a corner guy, hopefully 3B. I still think extending Weeks should a top priority for Melvin this offseason.

[trwi7]

I don't really want to see Weeks resigned. I would prefer to see him traded so that we can clear room for Lawrie. I may be in the minority here but we've already locked guys like Hart, Braun and Gallardo up.

Here's the problem for me. Weeks is far more valuable than Hart, so if anyone should be locked up to a deal, it should be Weeks over Hart. I would trade Hart this offseason as I'm not sure he can repeat his 2010.

[logan82]

I wouldn't have given Hart that contract in the first place and he is one of my favorite players. He is pretty easily replaceable.

[PrinceFielderx1]

If Doug Melvin is smart he would trade Hart to one of the 15 teams not on his limited no trade clause that doesn't have ST in Florida. Many teams are looking for big OF bats and Hart fits what teams are looking for. He would cost less than Crawford, Werth and Upton. He could be an attractive trade chip.

[MNBrew]

Liked that interview a lot. Thanks for posting it. In my Brewers-deprived market, interviews like this are great.

 

Other than hearing the names of a few strong young prospect pitchers come out of Melvin's mouth, there's not one thing surprising or revealing in what Melvin said. But it was all still great to get to hear. That's my first time hearing anything from Ken Sanders. That was cool. I only ever know of him directly through my Topps team sets from his era.

[Beast Light]

I don't really want to see Weeks resigned. I would prefer to see him traded so that we can clear room for Lawrie. I may be in the minority here but we've already locked guys like Hart, Braun and Gallardo up.

Here's the problem for me. Weeks is far more valuable than Hart, so if anyone should be locked up to a deal, it should be Weeks over Hart. I would trade Hart this offseason as I'm not sure he can repeat his 2010.

I agree with you 100%. I didn't want Hart to be extended and would have preferred that the money had gone to a guy like Weeks. If Hart can be moved, then I would be a lot more open to Weeks being resigned.

[RockCoCougars]

Weeks should have been re signed with his old agent. It sounds like this new agent is going to be a lot tougher to negotiate with. Typical Brewers luck, but I really hope the nonsense pulled last year on his buddy Hardy didn't sour him on the franchise.

 

At any rate, I think Rickie should be kept if at all possible. I see Lawrie as a corner guy as well- but in the outfield.

[logan82]

Weeks should have been re signed with his old agent.

His old agent took a job as the Suns GM.

[HiAndTight]

I don't really want to see Weeks resigned. I would prefer to see him traded so that we can clear room for Lawrie.

 

I don't believe that Lawrie will stick at 2B. Imo he's a corner guy, hopefully 3B. I still think extending Weeks should a top priority for Melvin this offseason.

Agree completely.

 

I think Lawrie could handle 2nd, but he doesn't have the quickness you'd like out of a 2nd basemen in a perfect world. He does however have plenty of quickness to play 3rd, and while I didn't get to watch him last year, I watched him play a lot the year before, and while he was obviously flawed, he's got very soft hands and a very strong arm. I've thought since watching him play for Wisconsin that he'd be a near perfect 3rd basemen for us moving forward.

 

As for Weeks, yeah, he's only had one big year, but it's not like he's Gary Matthews Jr or anything and that year came out of nowhere. He was on his way to having such a year the year before, and even when he wasn't putting up huge numbers, he was still an above average offensive 2nd basemen. I think Weeks struggles are behind him, but you're also getting a nice big discount because of those struggles hopefully.

 

Weeks at 2nd, Lawrie at 3rd, Gamel and Braun could give you a very impressive core offensively.

[HiAndTight]

I wouldn't have given Hart that contract in the first place and he is one of my favorite players. He is pretty easily replaceable.

I think the contract was a good one for his production. I too would like to see him traded, but I think his contract makes him MORE likely to be traded and has increased his value.

 

Once Jason Werth is signed, I think the teams that missed out on him, may see Hart as a poor mans Werth and go after him. I think Brewers fans are nervous about him regressing, but still, his contract is still a very good one....IMO.