What the roster "bubble" looks like

[Mass Haas]

Manny Parra with a setback (and a sore back) -- should open up a spot for McClendon or Kintzler early on.

[The Truth]

from the small amount I've seen of Cruz in the outfield, he looks like a natural out there. The question remains his Bat. Defensively I have no doubt he could better than Braun & Hart. Offensively he could be worse than Escobar & Gomez were last season. Alot worse

[The Truth]

Actually, I amend me previous comment about Cruz' bat. Didn't realize he hit .281 with a .723 OPS in almost 500 at bats last year in AAA ball. Considering what a good fielder he is, I think he definitely deserves a spot on the MLB roster

[dlk9s]

The way these injuries are going, they'll need Mike McCarthy to manage this team.

[logan82]

Actually, I amend me previous comment about Cruz' bat. Didn't realize he hit .281 with a .723 OPS in almost 500 at bats last year in AAA ball. Considering what a good fielder he is, I think he definitely deserves a spot on the MLB roster

Easily his best season. It was an empty .281 though as he only had a .309 OBP.

 

 

[monty57]

On the shortstop point, I would add that Cruz is easily replaceable. If Betancourt stinks and somebody rips up the picture in Counsell's attic -- either or both of which could easily happen -- that would definitely be bad. I just don't see how having Cruz around would make the situation any better. He's who you call when you just need a warm body to fill the position, and there are a bunch of guys like him hanging around AAA at any given time.

But they'll be on someone else's AAA roster, meaning we'd have to trade for him, and the team we'd be dealing with would have us over a barrel, since we're theoretically trying for the playoffs and can't get there without a SS. From what I garner, Cruz plays above average defense, which would really help this team, and his bat isn't bad enough to derail our fairly potent offense.

 

I've accepted the fact that (barring injury) Yuni is our regular SS. If he were to get injured or just plain stinks, I don't think Counsell's body will hold up to everyday play at SS. Even if it does, Counsell has had a sub-.675 OPS in 4 out of the past 5 seasons and sub-.700 OPS in 7 out of the past 9 including a .640 OPS last season. The more I think about it, the more I'd like the Brewers to simply drop Counsell and keep Cruz on the roster. I don't know the ins-and-outs of Counsell's contract, but if we could get away with only paying a portion of it, we'd save money, upgrade our defense, and gain another RH bat on the bench.

 

[PrinceEatMeat]

It's looking to me like it's gonna be Kottaras as backup catcher, Counsell and Cruz as backup infielders, and Kotsay and Dickerson as backup outfielders. Seems like they are preparing Cruz to be versatile, likely to makeup for Kotsay not being a solid fielder. That could easily be solved by just keeping Boggs over Kotsay, but oh well. Although, Hart will likely be on the DL to start the season, so Boggs will likely be on the roster.

[JohnBriggs12]

I don't see a need for two backup middle infielders. Weeks plays every day. He's never double switched out of the lineup. Farris gives them adequate 2B protection at AAA and he's on the 40 man. Cruz would likely clear waivers, but even if he didn't, Maysonet is just as accomplished as Cruz.

 

I have Cruz out. Reed is the wild card. He's having a great spring While I don't see him making the team unless Hart goes on the DL, he may be good enough that they'd let Dickerson go and keep both Boggs and Almonte, knowing that Boggs can play some CF, and that Reed is CF insurance.

 

It's hard to ignore the spring Kottaras is having. He's pulled ahead of Nieves who has a weak bat. Even if they drop Nieves, they'll have experience at Nashville with Rivera.

[endaround]

Dickerson is better than Boggs, Reed, Kotsay and Almonte. Can we stop pretending Spring Training numbers mean anything? Willy Bloomquist is hitting .396.

[PrinceEatMeat]

Dickerson is better than Boggs, Reed, Kotsay and Almonte. Can we stop pretending Spring Training numbers mean anything? Willy Bloomquist is hitting .396.

Totally agree with you. The Brewers realize that too. There's no way he won't be on the team. That's really why I don't see us keeping another outfielder since Kotsay is on the roster. We will probably hold onto Boggs until Hart comes back. It seems more like Cruz will be kept, because he can play the outfield also. I don't really see Kotsay getting any significant time in the outfield. He'll likely just be our Inglett of this year.

[CheezWizHed]

If this gets annoying with me reposting updates of this, just holler...

 

(Y/N) is for if the player has an option remaining (Yes/No)

 

Pitching:

1) SP - Gallardo

2) SP - Marcum

3) SP - Wolf

4) SP - Narveson

5) SP - Peralta (Y) / Estrada (MiLB) / Dillard (MiLB) / ??? - Could we pickup a roster cut to handle this spot? I'm thinking probably "Yes" at this point.

 

6) RP - Axford

7) RP - Saito

8) RP - Hawkins

9) RP - Loe

10) RP - Stetter (Y) - Limited innings, but pitching well so far. With Parra on DL (probably) and Braddock's velocity down, I think he is in.

11) RP - Green (N) - Pitching well + No options = Made team.

12) RP - Kintzler (Y) / Braddock(Y) - Braddock very close to "Probably Out"

 

Position Players:

13) 1B - Fielder

14) 2B - Weeks

15) SS - Betancourt

16) 3B - McGehee

17) LF - Braun

18) CF - Gomez

19) RF - Kotsay (N) / Dickerson (Y) - They seem to be the ones playing most of RF with Hart out...

20) C - Lucroy

 

21) BU IF: Counsell

22) BU C: Kottaras (N) - I think its all but locked up.

23) BU OF: Dickerson (Y) / Kotsay (N) - Whether starting, backup, or sharing the position, I think they are both in...

24) BU IF: Cruz (N) / Almonte (MiLB) - My gut tells me that Cruz is a late bloomer and we don't want to get rid of him, but my gut has crap for brains, so what does it know???

25) BU OF: Boggs (N) / Reed (MiLB contract) - Whoever is here is probably cut when Hart comes back. So Reed to AAA makes sense, rather than add him to the 40-man, then cut him.

 

DL:

SP - Greinke

RP - Parra

RF - Hart

 

Probably Out:

RP - McClendon (Y) - Not pitching bad, but not quite good enough...

RP - DiFelice (MiLB) - Also pitching OK, but still behind others. Also, hand injury came at a bad time.

RP - Egan (Rule 5)

RP - James (Y)

IF - Gamel (Y)

IF - Farris (Y)

C - Maldonado (Y)

C - Rivera (MiLB) - Not getting many at-bats.

C - Nieves (N) - Not hitting well. Is that a surprise?

 

Optioned to the MiLB:

SP - Scarpetta

SP - Merklinger

SP - Rodgers

SP - Rivas

[endaround]

I'm still not sure Hawkins will be ready on opening day.

[GormanHarvey]

I'm still not sure Hawkins will be ready on opening day.

I agree. Also a note on Braddock FWIW, Andrew Gruman of the Peanuts and Cracker Jack JS blog said he talked to Braddock the other day and he said that his velocity never gets up to speed until very late in camp

 

 

[CheezWizHed]

As I was filling that out, the Hawkins question did cross my mind. But unlike some, at least he is on track for opening day. I'll note that in my next update...

 

As for Braddock, its pretty late in camp already. He doesn't have enough of an MLB track-record to assure that a poor ST won't send him down.

[PrinceEatMeat]

Actually, Hunt said in his blog today that Hawkins won't be ready for opening day.

[Mass Haas]

USA Today story -- text is new, the associated video was posted at the beginning of spring training

[JohnBriggs12]

Here's my opening day roster as of now:

 

Pitchers: Gallardo, Wolf, Marcum, Narveson, Loe, Braddock, Saito, Axford, Green, Kintzler, McClendon, Stetter.

 

Position players: Lucroy, Kottaras, Fielder, Almonte, Weeks, Counsell, Betancourt, McGehee, Kotsay, Reed, Gomez, Dickerson, Braun.

 

DL: Greinke, Parra, Hawkins, Hart

 

Whoever takes the start on April 7, will replace Kintzler or McClendon on roster.

 

Reed takes Boggs' 40 man spot. Almonte takes Cruz' 40 man spot.

 

Nieves' spot will be used later.

 

Hart will replace Dickerson who has an option.

[endaround]

I have no clue how you can have both Almonte and Kotsay on the roster. Neither can play anywhere besides 1B, the one position whose starter likely will play 155+ games there.

[RobDeer 45]

I know that I shouldn't put too much in to Spring numbers but man, I feel like we'd be better off with no Kotsay. Maybe he'll come through and it will be nice to have a veteran bat on the bench, but right now I feel like there are better options on the team.

[PrinceEatMeat]

Sorry, but Reed isn't gonna be kept over Dickerson. His bat isn't as good and neither is his glove. Plus, he's on a minor-league deal. He'll be kept as insurance at AAA. And there's no way we keep two backup 1B. Almonte is having a good ST, but that doesn't matter without versatility. I think Cruz and Boggs start out on the roster, because Cruz has versatility and Boggs has no options left. We will probably have a better chance slipping Boggs through waivers once Hart comes back then we will before the season starts. Reed certainly has a chance to make the team with Hart starting on the DL, but it's not a slam dunk and it's not gonna be at the expense of Dickerson.

[TooLiveBrew]

I know that I shouldn't put too much in to Spring numbers but man, I feel like we'd be better off with no Kotsay. Maybe he'll come through and it will be nice to have a veteran bat on the bench, but right now I feel like there are better options on the team.

From the USA Today article MassHaas linked to in post #40...

 

"If you don't make right decision," Melvin says, "it can really cost

you. And in our division, where we think it can be won or lost by one to

three games, that's an important thing."

 

Pretty sad to say, I think Melvin actually believes that Mark Kotsay is a good addition. Why else do you give an un-sought-after older player a guaranteed contract? It's just so frustrating. I hope somehow my assumption is proven wrong, but at this point I'm just assuming Kotsay is going to be 'in ur dugout, killing ur team'

[PrinceEatMeat]

I know that I shouldn't put too much in to Spring numbers but man, I feel like we'd be better off with no Kotsay. Maybe he'll come through and it will be nice to have a veteran bat on the bench, but right now I feel like there are better options on the team.

From the USA Today article MassHaas linked to in post #40...

 

"If you don't make right decision," Melvin says, "it can really cost

you. And in our division, where we think it can be won or lost by one to

three games, that's an important thing."

 

Pretty sad to say, I think Melvin actually believes that Mark Kotsay is a good addition. Why else do you give an un-sought-after older player a guaranteed contract? It's just so frustrating. I hope somehow my assumption is proven wrong, but at this point I'm just assuming Kotsay is going to be 'in ur dugout, killing ur team'

Yeah, it's really unfortunate. Kotsay is really of no use to this club. He can't play the field well, and we really don't need him to just sit there as a pinch-hitter. We have plenty of other people to do that, and we have Counsell for veteran leadership. Plus, Counsell can actually contribute and play the field well. It was a dumb signing to begin with, and to keep him over someone like Boggs or Reed just seems stupid to me. Boggs and Reed can both play every position in the outfield, and hit just as well. Plus, Boggs adds versatility by being a switch-hitter. Melvin can do great things like trading for Greinke and Marcum, but then he can go and do stupid things like giving Kotsay a guaranteed contract. I just don't get it sometimes, and probably never will.

[The Truth]

Signing over-the-hill players seems to be Doug Melvin's biggest weakness. Maybe these are guys that he lusts after when in their prime and then he just inconveniently overlooks that they aren't what they used to be. Every year it is somebody and this year it appears to be Mark Kotsay.

 

Melvin did seriously upgrade the pitching and he signed Braun, Gallardo, Hart & Weeks longterm. He's done alot of things right, but whoa Lord does he seem to love the gritty vets with little left in the tank

[logan82]

TooLiveBrew wrote:

From the USA Today article MassHaas linked to in post #40...

 

"If you don't make right decision," Melvin says, "it can really cost

you. And in our division, where we think it can be won or lost by one to

three games, that's an important thing."

and we still have Betancourt at SS. All this money spent on a redundant useless part like Kotsay when what we really needed was a better SS who would probably make a decent positive impact.

[liveforoctober]

Signing over-the-hill players seems to be Doug Melvin's biggest weakness. Maybe these are guys that he lusts after when in their prime and then he just inconveniently overlooks that they aren't what they used to be. Every year it is somebody and this year it appears to be Mark Kotsay.

 

Melvin did seriously upgrade the pitching and he signed Braun, Gallardo, Hart & Weeks longterm. He's done alot of things right, but whoa Lord does he seem to love the gritty vets with little left in the tank

Kotsay doesn't thrill me either ... but Kapler and Edmonds, at least in my opinion, are making me give him a chance because Melvin has done good things with vets in the past.