Who is Milwaukee's starting CF in 2012?

[paul253]

Carlos Gomez, Nyjer Morgan, Logan Schafer or Eric Komatsu? Gomez is a plus defender with great speed but terrible on base percentage. Morgan is solid but he's getting up there in age and has had problems staying healthy this year. Also plus defender with good speed. Schafer does nothing but hit and I believe is also a good defender....when he's healthy, which has been a problem the past two years. Komatsu is just tearing the cover off the ball this season in AA to the tune of a .347 BA and an OBP over .430. Hardly ever strikes out but not sure he can handle CF defensively though and obviously in only in AA right now. I can see him having a Lorenzo Cain type season this year as he should be promoted soon. If Morgan comes back healthy though Milwaukee won't need him like they needed Cain last season.

 

I personally am tired of the Carlos Gomez experiment. I wouldn't mind keep him around because his speed and defense would be good off the bench, but his OBP is just too low to keep him as an every day player. I can't imagine we'd get much for him in a trade either. I could be ok with Morgan starting with Gomez backing him up. A Nashville outfield something like Gindl in left, Schafer in center and Komatsu in right would be ideal too. At some point I'd like to see Corey Hart traded to make room for some of the prospects and to save money which will hopefully be put into resigning Zack Greinke and Marcum. Of course this would involve Hart actually hitting again and making other teams want him.

[DHonks]

Gomez is basically a 5th OF...a defensive replacement or pinch runner. He could be a starter on a very good offensive team. He's basically a very poor-man's version of Mike Cameron (he has the SLG, not the OBP...as the A's say in Moneyball, OBP is 3-4 times more important than SLG).

 

I don't know enough about how Shafer and Komatsu profile, but basically I see the team being in position to have 1 in CF and one as the 4th OF playing probably 3-4 times a week between CF and RF. Theoretically if we were to put Gamel at 1b and deal Hart, Shafer and Komatsu could account for our 1 and 2 hitters, along with two lefties.

[BrewCrewForever]

I think it depends how the rest of this season goes for both Gomez and Morgan. If Schafer gets healthy and comes back and plays off the charts he might have a shot, but I think 2013 might be more his year. I have a feeling unless Gomez completely falls off the map he will be back in CF in 2012.

[TooLiveBrew]

I'll hope for Schafer, but it will probably be Gomez.

[paul253]

I can't believe Carlos Gomez would or should be anywhere near the starting lineup in 2012. I only see him as the starting CF right now because there are no better options right now and once Morgan gets back we will have a better option. I think once Schafer comes back from his injury, he should be the every day CF in Huntsville. Once that happens, Komatsu should be promoted to Nashville and be the every day CF there.

[logan82]

Probably some combination of Gomez and Morgan until Schafer is ready.

[And That]

I love Komatsu, but I don't know if he'll be ready to open next year. A Morgan/Gomez platoon should be pretty good anyway.

[derflotr]

I feel like I'm the only one that's noticing positive trends in Gomez's recent ABs. Perhaps it's just the low standard he's set for himself...I wouldn't bank on Schafer or Komatsu progressing so quickly that a promotion is necessary by next summer. I really don't have a problem with a Gomez/Morgan timeshare next season with Morgan making most starts. I think that may prove to be quite the luxury for RR once Morgan heals again.

[PrinceEatMeat]

Yeah, I think we'll see a Gomez/Morgan platoon next year. We will likely see it the rest of this year after Morgan comes back also. I don't see Schafer becoming an option over those 2 next year. Maybe in 2013 though.

[logan82]

derflotr[/b]]I feel like I'm the only one that's noticing positive trends in Gomez's recent ABs. Perhaps it's just the low standard he's set for himself...

We saw positive trends in his AB 3 weeks ago then he sucked again. Gomez shows flashes of being good without actually improving and has for a while now.

 

 

Morgan is solid but he's getting up there in age and has had problems staying healthy this year.

Technically correct but his injuries are not the "older player" type of injuries. He got a bruise in a collision and broke a finger.

[HiAndTight]

We saw positive trends in his AB 3 weeks ago then he sucked again.

Gomez shows flashes of being good without actually improving and has for

a while now.

 

I don't know what stretch you're talking about from 3 weeks ago, but in the last 3 weeks he's put up a line of; .290/.357/.484 for an .841 OPS.

 

He's also been worth 1.3 Wins for us this year. I think we're ignoring what's he's been doing this year and just sticking with the line that he's a terrible player.

 

Gomez HAS been showing obvious signs of improvement, and while I don't argue that it's been a very short period of time, just dismissing it saying, "well, he's done this a few weeks ago," is disingenuous. He's been improved and he's been a very positive player for us thus far this year.

 

For comparisons sake, he's been worth more this year than Weeks has.

[Ennder]

None of those guys should be full time starters but Morgan vs RHP when healthy and Gomez filling in the rest of the time wouldn't be bad.

 

I'm guessing we go with Kotsay.

[Fear The Chorizo]

If Milwaukee can improve the SS, backup catcher, and utility infielder positions next season I'd be fine with Gomez getting the majority of starts in center, especially if Morgan's still on the roster as the 4th OF who can spell Gomez as needed. Gomez's defensive value alone warrants him getting consistent playing time on a team currently full of defensive liabilities. Any marginal improvement in Gomez's offense improves his value to the team significantly, as long as he's hitting toward the bottom of the lineup.

[FVBrewerFan]

Kotsay

[carniesandrubes]

Gomez

[Roderick]

Would the Brewers keep Gomez as "just" a bench player at what he will make after arby next year? If he puts another year of starting in this year, he will get?.... $2.5M?...

[MJLiverock]

I don't see anyway Schafer is the opening day starter next year in Milwaukee. He barely played last year, hasn't played this year and hasn't really played above low A ball. I would guess Nyjer Morgan.

[dlk9s]

Morgan is solid but he's getting up there in age and has had problems staying healthy this year.

The thing about his injuries is that they're not age related or chronic-type things. They were the result of plowing into a catcher and getting hit on the finger by a pitch. I'm not concerned about him from an injury standpoint, though if one wants to argue that now that he's over 30 he'll be more susceptible to injury, I wouldn't condemn him for being a buffoon.

[PrinceEatMeat]

I don't see anyway Schafer is the opening day starter next year in Milwaukee. He barely played last year, hasn't played this year and hasn't really played above low A ball. I would guess Nyjer Morgan.

Totally agree on Schafer. I have no idea where he'll be sent when he comes back from injury. Komatsu is raking in AA, and the outfield is pretty full in AAA. I have a hard time believing he'll come right back and be productive in AAA. He'll probably have to work his way up again. I could see Schafer and Komatsu both in the Nashville OF in 2012. I doubt either makes an impact in Milwaukee before sometime in 2013.

[rotoherb]

Believe it or not, Gomez actually has the third highest WAR on the Brewers right now, just behind Fielder and Braun. It's almost all from his defense, but his offense for a centerfielder isn't much below average. It's hard for me to believe that he'll keep it up for a full season, though, but I'm at a point where I don't think "who plays CF next year" is as big of a concern as "who plays SS next year".

 

Gindl has been playing CF everyday at Triple-A and is hitting .273/.377/.455 and won't turn 23 until September. I'm guessing he's playing CF out of need and not because he's good at it. Does anyone know firsthand how he's doing? Is it brutal or passable?

 

It seems to me that the Brewers front office really, REALLY wants Logan Schafer to be the next starting fielder. We've already heard them say that his defense is major league ready and he just needs some more experience at the plate. The fact that he was going to open the year at Triple-A says to me that they will give him a realistic opportunity next season.

[And That]

Gindl should not play much/any CF at the big league level. You could get by with him there for a few games, but that's about it.

[logan82]

We saw positive trends in his AB 3 weeks ago then he sucked again.

Gomez shows flashes of being good without actually improving and has for

a while now.

 

I don't know what stretch you're talking about from 3 weeks ago, but in the last 3 weeks he's put up a line of; .290/.357/.484 for an .841 OPS.

 

He's also been worth 1.3 Wins for us this year. I think we're ignoring what's he's been doing this year and just sticking with the line that he's a terrible player.

 

Gomez HAS been showing obvious signs of improvement, and while I don't argue that it's been a very short period of time, just dismissing it saying, "well, he's done this a few weeks ago," is disingenuous. He's been improved and he's been a very positive player for us thus far this year.

 

For comparisons sake, he's been worth more this year than Weeks has.

The point is that Gomez is good for stretches but he still is not a good hitter. He mixes in a few good games to make us think he is improving but he is still a guy who just can't get on base with any regularity. His 1.3 WAR this year so far is mostly with his glove. He isn't a terrible player, just a terrible hitter.

 

Believe it or not, Gomez actually has the third highest WAR on the

Brewers right now, just behind Fielder and Braun. It's almost all from

his defense, but his offense for a centerfielder isn't much below

average. It's hard for me to believe that he'll keep it up for a full

season, though, but I'm at a point where I don't think "who plays CF

next year" is as big of a concern as "who plays SS next year"

Morgan and Gomez would make a really good CF platoon. Morgan is a little worse on defense but hits RHP pretty well. Gomez doesn't really hit any pitching well(he is about the same against LHP as Morgan, I don't really expect that to be the case going forward) but he can play really good defense. I completely agree that our question next offseason, right now, is "who will play SS?"

[yoshii8]

How is Erik Komatsu's defense in CF? He has been an OBP machine last year at Brevard County(.413 OBP), and so far this year at Hunstville(.438 OBP).

 

 

If he keeps hitting, and is a good defensive CF, I could see him in Nashville for the second half of the season, and becoming our CF and top of the order hitter next season.

[bjkrautk]

Gindl should not play much/any CF at the big league level. You could get by with him there for a few games, but that's about it.

 

So...he's like Kotsay then?

(My apologies to anyone not reading the Kotsay in CF / RR thread. I just couldn't resist.)

[Funketown]

I'm guessing we go with Kotsay.

The optimist in me turned that statement blue.

 

Morgan vs. RHB: .310/.363/.392/.754

Gomez vs. LHB: .240/.289/.360/.650

 

I don't see why a Morgan/Gomez platoon won't work. Not an offensive dynamo (although Morgan's numbers vs. RHB always surprise me), but given their defensive prowess, I can't help but think that combo would be league average in center if used properly, perhaps even slightly better than average.