Casey McGehee's struggles: how much leash does he get?

[TwinsBrewersWorldSeries]

Hardy was an all-star SS, who also played gold glove defense. McGehee has done neither. Nor was Hardy putting up those numbers in the midst of a crew pennant run. FInally, Hardy was not batting 5th in the lineup in that slump year (2009)

 

You can make an argument McGehee should be benched

You can make an argument that we should try and let him play through it.

There is zero justification for him batting 5th

[brewmann04]

I really think Casey will stay until the Break and let the FO rethink their plans what to do with Casey. It should be an interesting to see what plan they come up during the break.

[FVBrewerFan]

I think platooning McGehee is a horrible idea. Sitting him down has failed. Moving him down in the line-up should have been done weeks ago, but it's too late now. The one thing that can save his season is sending him down to Nashville- period. He needs ABs against AAA pitching to turn things around. He needs to look at his mechanics and swing compared to the past two seasons. Most of all he needs to clear his head and treat the 2nd half as a new start. This needs to happen in Nashville, and it needs to happen now.

 

I walked through the four possible outcomes of sending him to Nashville in a previous post. Bottom line, this doesn't have to be seen as some type of punishment. Quite the opposite. It's for his own good, and gives him the best chance to turn his season around- maybe even his career. Either he figures it out in Nashville or he doesn't, but in a year where the Brewers are legit contenders and with better alternatives available, it's time to make this move- now.

[ecjimg]

I I walked through the four possible outcomes of sending him to Nashville in a previous post. Bottom line, this doesn't have to be seen as some type of punishment. Quite the opposite. It's for his own good, and gives him the best chance to turn his season around- maybe even his career. Either he figures it out in Nashville or he doesn't, but in a year where the Brewers are legit contenders and with better alternatives available, it's time to make this move- now.

I agree, but would also bet that no one on the coaching staff or in the front office has an opinion anything close to this. They are blind to (or ignoring) the shortcommings of Betancourt which have been staring them in the face all season. The easier and more likely move to replace one of the two in the line-up is to finally cut bait with Yunni B. (Even though there is an obvious replacement for McGehee)

 

 

[PrinceEatMeat]

Take it FWIW, but I heard this from a family friend who knows people in the organization well. She said she heard that McGehee is having marriage problems and that may have something to do with his struggles. He does seem to be rather unfocused out there at times, and not the same as he used to be. Seems like it could be a logical situation. Couples who have children with a disability like cerebral palsy, like McGehee does, often have marriage problems, but again take it FWIW. Not saying that's the reason, or that's why he's having marriage problems, just passing along what I heard.

[danzig6767]

McGehee's last 38 games:

 

155 PA, .175/.219/.217/.436, 3 2B, 1 HR, 7 R, 13 RBI, 8/20 BB/SO

 

Teams' record = 25-13

Over that same span Fielder's OBP = .488, 52 points higher than McGehee's OPS.

Wow

[PKBadger]

Take it FWIW, but I heard this from a family friend who knows people in the organization well. She said she heard that McGehee is having marriage problems and that may have something to do with his struggles. He does seem to be rather unfocused out there at times, and not the same as he used to be. Seems like it could be a logical situation. Couples who have children with a disability like cerebral palsy, like McGehee does, often have marriage problems, but again take it FWIW. Not saying that's the reason, or that's why he's having marriage problems, just passing along what I heard.

Even if that were the case, we wouldn't be justified in correlating this with Casey's performance until Fangraphs introduces a "Marital Strength" metric.

[LouisEly]

Even if that were the case, we wouldn't be justified in correlating this with Casey's performance until Fangraphs introduces a "Marital Strength" metric.

Priceless

[Warning Track Power]

I understand the love for Taylor Green but I think that it is more likely that Melvin would look around for a trade before bringing an inexperienced rookie to play 3B on a 1st place team. With Yuni B already being a black hole, it would seem a very risky proposition to roll the dice with someone who has zero MLB at bats, while keeping in mind Green isn't a Posey or Heyward type. Ian Stewart or someone of that ilk being acquired in a trade has more of a chance to be the Brewers 3B for the rest of the season than Taylor Green in my opinion. Maybe if this were 2010 and we were semi out of it already, but not when we're in 1st.

 

Having said all that, what's the feel for Green's defense? I see his offensive statistics but am curious about his abilities as a defender. Is he average, serviceable, gold glove? Little help...

[Roderick]

It should be an interesting to see what plan they come up during the break.

The fact that he is still batting 5th (especially when Hart isn't in the 2 hole), gives me no confidence that they will make any change.

[brwrsfan]

This is the same management that allowed Wil Nieves to remain on the roster until his averaged dropped to .150. I dont' see them doing anything at all, which is pathetic. This is supposed to be our "go for it" year, and we're not doing that by allowing McGehee to continue to be a liability on offense AND defense.

 

As far as Green concerned, I would tend to think he would get a shot at it before we make a trade. We have very few trading chips and I think we would try an in house option first before moving someone. We have other things I think I would rather upgrade via the trade. Contending teams do have rookie impact players....it wouldnt be the first time a rookie came up in a pennant race and was asked to produce. Pretty sure Hanley Ramirez was a rookie when the Marlins won the WS. Granted, I think he's way better than Green, but it happens all over the place.

[saget]

Haudricourt via twitter: #Brewers manager Ron Roenicke drops 3B Casey McGehee from 5th to 7th in lineup. Corey Hart is 5th; Mat Gamel sixth.

And there was much rejoicing.

[DatHoser]

Meanwhile, in a little corner of hell, an icicle has formed.

 

It's about time! He really needs some pressure taken off. Special needs kids do take their toll. Now that I think of it, I'm disappointed that RRR hasn't done this sooner as he's supposed to be a players manager.

[PrinceEatMeat]

Don't worry guys, he'll be back in the 5 hole tomorrow against the lefty.

[TheCrew07]

So Taylor Green would hurt the team simply because he's a rookie? Where does this notion that the team won't be successful with younger players come from? Escobar was actually better in 2009 than he was in 2010...Braun, Hart, and Fielder were good from the start. Weeks is maybe the one position people could make argument against as a rookie, but that's because his defense was so awful that his bat couldn't make up for it. Look at the rosters of many of the WS teams over the last 4 years, almost all of them got serious contributions from a rookie or two.

 

I have a hard time accepting the notion that rookie players will hurt the team, plenty of unheralded rookies help teams win every year. Quite a few of us on the minor league forum were really high on Green until the Brewers botched his wrist injury. This is the first season since that injury in which he's hitting like he did earlier in his career.

 

Just looking at the stats I'd say Taylor a similar fielder/thrower to McGehee, but with better range. And That's scouting report was that he was better than McGehee all the way around defensively, so he'll be an upgrade in the field regardless.

 

If Casey is having issues with his marriage I feel for him, but that's not justification for keeping him in the 5 hole until tonight or reason against a platoon with Green.

[trwi7]

Even if Green is "bad", a .650 OPS with average defense would be an upgrade over McGehee.

[FVBrewerFan]

Exactly, we're not expecting Green to be Mike Schmidt. If this was September I could see being hesitant about bringing a rookie up for his first MLB experience in the heat of the pennant race. We don't have that here. It's June, and this couldn't be a better example of "nothing to lose."

[danzig6767]

Even if Green is "bad", a .650 OPS with average defense would be an upgrade over McGehee.

That's the thing i just don't get in Melvin's thinking here?

 

McGehee hasn't just gone through some 15-25 game very rough stretch which isn't all that uncommon, this is about a 55 game stretch of utter ineptitude, that's over 1/3 of a season. In 29 games in May, Casey posted a Yuni like .593 OPS and in 24 June games so far, it's been a shockingly bad .437 OPS. Mix in the also dreadful defense and near Molina brothers sloth like speed on the bases when he actually manages to get on base, he's been the definition of a liability in all phases of the game.

 

All the while this is happening, Green is raking in AAA and we inexplicably have three

shortstops on the roster, none of whom can hit a lick either. Waive one of

Wilson or Betancourt, and then call up Green to platoon at third with

McGehee. What am i missing about why this hasn't happened? Afraid of hurting McGehee's feelings?

 

We are in first place in a division that very likely could be decided by 1-3 games. Each game is so important. Green is in house so a trade wouldn't be needed. What exactly could be the harm to the team in it? That Green might possibly hit for a sub-.400 OPS and be worse in the field than McGehee who has to be playing the worst or right near the worst thirdbase in all of baseball?

[TooLiveBrew]

Hang in there, Casey. We want you to start playing well again almost as much as you want to.

 

I still think that calling up Green & giving him the starts against RHP is the correct call right now. Green is just that good.

[fondybrewfan]

In all these interviews with Melvin, Roenicke and in articles written by TH & McCalvy Green is never mentioned as a viable candidate for the 3B. It seems like he is not even on the radar.

 

McGehee will be on an extremely long leash and I wouldn't be suprised if Green isn't the next option. Nothing that I have heard indicates to me that the team thinks very highly of Green.

[Funketown]

If McGehee doesn't turn things around quickly, we've got to assume he'll be a very strong non-tender candidate. His power has been sapped and his LD% is down to ~16% this season, and he just isn't a good enough defender or base runner to justify keeping him in the batting order much longer, much less tendering him an arbitration-1 offer.

 

It's unfortunate to see this happen to anybody, especially a guy like McGehee who seems like a quality fellow.

[Glennron]

How often does a team face a lefty though, maybe twice a week? I don't think McGehee would break out of his prolonged slump if he's only getting like 4-8 AB's a week. It's not like he's known to mash lefties either. I'd rather they just swap him and Green for a while so they can both get consistent at bats.

[DonMoney4Mgr]

In 09 JJ Hardy had similar struggles but not to the extent of McGehee. I believe Hardy was sent down about a month past the all star break. He didn't get a ton of playing time when he returned and ended the year with 414 AB's, 11 HR's, 47 RBI's, and .229/.302/.357 for an OPS of .659. McGehee so far has been even worse; 303 AB's, 4/33, and .224/.276/.310 = OPS of .576.

I don't know if sending Casey down with help him get straightened out, but Taylor Green seems like a good gamble. He almost certainly couldn't do worse than McGehee offensively and defensively. It might help Casey get back on track going down to the minors. If Green shows he can't handle it, the Brewers can explore other options before the trade deadline.

My point is this is not uncharted territory for the Melvin and the Brewers. But this time address the problem before a post all star break swoon.

[TooLiveBrew]

Casey definitely made a couple great plays today at third. I'm still in favor of bringing up Green, but I was glad to see Casey contribute today.

[Funketown]

Not to mention, Hardy was a very good defensive SS at the time of his demotion; Casey is currently a mediocre-bad defender at 3B. McGehee is now 6th in the majors in -WAR. I really think the team will do something about this by the end of the all-star break.