2B Eric Farris called up from Nashville -- Big League debut for 25-year-old 2007 4th round pick

[Ando Calrissian]

I don't get these people calling into WSSP. Eric Farris is the right defensive move. Ummm, do they not realize Counsell can play good defense while not hitting.

 

Sorry just super frustrated with Melvin at this point. Good luck to Taylor Green in New York. Like I said, if this team doesn't win the World Series Melvin needs to move on for mortgaging our entire future.

At this point though, one's got to think that some of Melvin's aggressiveness is encouraged by Attanasio and his desire to win. Since Doug is the one making the moves he deserves the majority of the credit/blame; I just happen to think that Mark A. encourages it. To what degree is anyone's guess, but he encourages it none-the-less.

Right, but when you've got a .500-something OPS, bad defense 3B at the MLB level, and a .950-ish OPS, better defense 3B/2B in AAA, you don't trade the AAA guy. They made a list of five players for the Mets to choose from, why couldn't it have been a list of four players not including Taylor Green? Plus, if the Mets haven't jumped on Green by now, the other players on the list must be as good as Green, so it certainly isn't the list of mid-tier, probably never make the majors prospects Melvin made it out to be.

 

I hope Farris does something good in the majors, but he certainly isn't the one who earned the promotion. At this point, he's probably best served as a defensive replacement / pinch runner. We really need Weeks to heal quickly and hope one of our three terrible backup IF can get hot for two weeks.

Wasn't really trying to stick up for Doug - I agree with your sentiment - just broadening the context. I hope Ferris succeeds and that we're all wrong about Green being on the list. Haven't wanted to be proven wrong this badly in a while.

[Ando Calrissian]

Alternate theory: Maybe they are trying to avoid starting the MLB service time clock on Green? If he is only going to be up in the majors for 2-3 days before a trade is made, why not get an extra year of arby by waiting to call him up in 2012.

If you call him up at this point though, you him for 6+ years of control rather than just a straight up 6 (if he made the roster out of spring training) and there's also little risk of him becoming a super 2.

[StearnsFTW]

I think Farris is just a temporary move until they complete a deal for Carroll (hopefully) or Barmes to play 2B. Unfortunately it probably means they'll stick Counsell out there again. Ugh! Farris is better offensively than Counsell by a long shot, but Roenicke has blinders on.

 

Farris is already on the 40 man and Green is not. That may be a factor too.

This is also a huge assumption. I see nothing in Farris' history that indicates to me that he's a major league player. I hope to God this is just a stopgap, as others have said, until a trade can be made.

[DuWayne Steurer]

Thanks a lot Brewerfan. I just got sick to my stomach reading this. There's a 24 yo guy mashing at AAA, and Eric Farris, who likely will hit about like McGehee at the big league level, and that's the one we call up. Which means that we almost certainly had to have moved one of our few remaining position prospects for 2+ months of a one inning reliever. Why?

[And That]

Service time/burning options is not a factor with Green or Farris. If he had been called up today and never sent down, Green would be Brewers' property through 2017. If he were optioned back tomorrow, he would still have options through at least the 2013 season. Same applies to Farris. Not an issue.

[jpat]

Eric Farris, who likely will hit about like McGehee at the big league level, and that's the one we call up

It's okay. Farris can bunt.

[LouisEly]

"Hes the player to be named later for K Rod so he cant be called up."

 

 

Correction: He's on the PTBNL list, along with a few other guys. The Mets are taking their time deciding which one they want to pick so he can't be called up.

 

I have a feeling that Kintzler is on the list as well - fits the profile of "guy who has been in the majors and has had some success". Would fill a bullpen role that the Mets need too. But they are waiting for a medical diagnosis, thus the delay in selecting the players.

 

I did not know Green was not on the 40-man. You would have to think though that with Weeks down and McGehee struggling that if Green wasn't on the list he would be on his way to Milwaukee.

[Eye Black]

Is it possible that Green isn't part of the Mets deal, but may not be a Brewer by the end of the weekend?

[owbc]

Service time/burning options is not a factor with Green or Farris. If he had been called up today and never sent down, Green would be Brewers' property through 2017. If he were optioned back tomorrow, he would still have options through at least the 2013 season. Same applies to Farris. Not an issue.

Thanks for the clarification. Perhaps Green is on the PBTNL list then and Melvin does not consider him a "top" prospect.

[chadomac]

I don't want to believe they traded Green for K-Rod. That would be such an awful decision and we need Green now more than ever. Ugh, also sick to my stomach after seeing this news this morning.

[Fear The Chorizo]

Is it possible that Green isn't part of the Mets deal, but may not be a Brewer by the end of the weekend?

My thoughts exactly - Melvin may be keeping him down in the minors (and off the 40-man) to use as a primary trade chip for more of an impact player, if the right deal comes along. That's not saying he's actively looking to deal Green. I was thinking that once the deadline comes and goes, if Green isn't part of a trade he'll be called up to Milwaukee. For all the people on this board assuming that Green's a Met, if he was on the PTBNL list in the KRod deal wouldn't he already have been selected? I mean, wouldn't the Mets be foolish to even wait to select him when he'd clearly be the best player on that list? Also, if he's going to primarily play 3rd, don't they have David Wright locked into big dollars over there already?

 

 

[djoctagone]

Farris is already on the 40 man and Green is not. That may be a factor too.

the roster is currently at 39. and mitch stetter and brandon kintzler could both be transferred to the 60-day disabled list after that 40th spot gets filled, opening up two spots.

[trwi7]

Farris is better offensively than Counsell by a long shot, but Roenicke has blinders on.

He may be better, though I'm not even convinced of that but he's definitely not better by a long shot. .256/.308/..358/.665 as a 25 year old in AAA. I know a lot of people don't like MLE's but Farris' is .227/.268/.305/.573. That's horrid.

 

For comparison, Green's MLE is .283/.351/.458/.809.

 

[monty57]

Nashville Sounds stats

 

Eric Farris in 98 games is hitting .256/.308/.358/.666. He has stolen 14 bases with 6 CS (I mention this because in 2009 at Brevard he had 70 SB, caught 6 times, and that's probably part of why the Brewers are enamoured with him). Last season in 60 games at Nashville he posted a .659 OPS after being bumped up from Brevard County. Earlier this season, he was tried out at SS, but I believe he doesn't have the arm for the left side of the IF. He was a low-to-mid-.700 OPS guy in the low minors. Does anyone know why they jumped him from High-A to AAA? He seems to have some talent, but hasn't hit yet at AAA.

 

Meanwhile, Taylor Green was a top prospect who got hurt and is finally playing healthy again. He plays 2B/3B and is hitting .325/.405/.552/.957 in AAA this season. On the surface, it doesn't seem like much of a decision. The questions arise when the obvious choice isn't the one who was chosen.

 

Also, wasn't Farris benched for a week or so earlier this season in AAA after Wheeler returned from the DL so that Wheeler could play 3B with Green at 2B. Wheeler was then moved to AA so all three could play. I may be off on this, as I don't follow stories in the minors, I just watch Gameday and noticed that Farris was out of the lineup a lot when Wheeler returned, so I figured he was the odd man out. If the Brewers indeed favored Green over Farris at 2B in AAA, why do they favor Farris over Green for 2B at the MLB level?

[jeffy]

it could just be that Green only has 28 games at 2nd base and Farris is their full time 2nd baseman.

 

 

Yes, it seems odd to me that folks would assume that they were going to call up a guy who has mostly played 3rd base to replace Weeks. I assume the guy plays 3rd because his defense is not that great, our infield defense is bad enough with McGehee, Betancourt, and Fielder. Also Farris has played some SS, while Green has not, so he gives them more infield flexibility.

 

I think the Taylor Green angst is just the usual BF.net bias toward whatever minor league player is doing well right now. A few years ago it was the end of the world when they gave up LaPorta, but he seems to have not amounted to much.

 

Also from Haudricourt blog:

"Melvin said the Brewers wouldn't know the severity of Weeks' injury until MRI results come back today"

 

They don't really know if this is going to be 15 days or the rest of the season at this point. So right now, it could be just a short term move. Folks here assumed that whoever they called up would be the starting second baseman, but I think it is more likely that the Brewers looked at it as who they could call up to fill in on the bench and possibly that only for a short time.

[whizkid]

I think it's the 40 man thing, not the PTBNL. With only 4 days to the deadline why add to the 40 when you may be acquiring multiple guys. Yeah, maybe you could 60 day DL a couple guys to make room, but it's only 4 days until you have certainty about acquiring anyone, who and how many. There's no telling what deals could pop up at the last minute.

[fondybrewfan]

This injury makes me about 95% sure that Doug is going to pick up some infield help; it just a matter of who it is.

 

Melvin has never cared about defense before so it is peculiar that they would take the defensive guy over the offensive guy. I still find it hard to beleive that Melvin wouldn't consider Green a top prospect (In the context of the PTBNL discussions) Green is probably the best guy we have at 2nd or 3rd. That being said even the Power 50 guys only have him at #17 in a pretty weak farm system; perhaps he is just a AAAA guy (although you have to give him a shot to find out)

 

The Brewers have not been scoring a lot of runs lately; the pitching better continue to be stellar.

 

I don't know how you can make up the lineup now; either McGehee just bumps up to 5th or Hart moves back down (Which means someone like Counsell/Farris or maybe Lucroy has to hit 2nd

[monty57]

Folks here assumed that whoever they called up would be the starting second baseman, but I think it is more likely that the Brewers looked at it as who they could call up to fill in on the bench and possibly that only for a short time.

 

I would never assume that Roenicke would play a talented rookie over a less talented vet. Farris isn't that talented, so at least we won't have to be upset when Wilson and Counsell are starting over him.

 

Also Farris has played some SS, while Green has not, so he gives them more infield flexibility.

 

If Farris could play SS, he would have stuck there in AAA, as that was a glaring hole in the Brewers' organization. When Wheeler came off the DL, Green played 2B, maysonet played SS and Wheeler played 3B, with Farris on the bench. As I mentioned above, I don't believe he has the arm strength to play on the left side of the IF, so Green actually gives the Brewers more defensive flexibility.

 

I assume the guy plays 3rd because his defense is not that great

 

I have no doubt that Farris plays better 2B defense than Green, so he played there when both were on the roster. That doesn't mean Green is bad, just that Farris is better at 2B defensively. I just don't think the difference in defense is worth the .300 point OPS difference at the plate. Either the Brewers feel differently or there is another reason Green isn't being brought up (he's going to the Mets or the Melvin just really doesn't like him).

[Oldcity]

This is stupid either way. Either they traded him for a K-Rod rental, or they just aren't calling him up on their own accord. Both are bad decisions.

[patrickgpe]

from Haudricourt:

 

Melvin told me earlier this year if anything happened to Weeks, Farris would be his replacement. A fourth-round draft pick in 2007 out of of Loyola Marymount, he is considered a defensive whiz ready for the majors in that department.

 

doesn't look like much can be read into this move

 

http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/sports/126317133.html

[DuWayne Steurer]

from Haudricourt:

 

Melvin told me earlier this year if anything happened to Weeks, Farris would be his replacement. A fourth-round draft pick in 2007 out of of Loyola Marymount, he is considered a defensive whiz ready for the majors in that department.

 

doesn't look like much can be read into this move

 

http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/sports/126317133.html

That's if you can take Melvin at his word, which is pretty hard to do. His 'media speak' is always twisted and sometimes straight up false.

[Funketown]

Well, I hadn't realized he was considered to be a "defensive whiz". His bat should be painful, but if he is an elite defender it should be offset by his glove work. Having never seen him play before though I'm hesitant to comfort myself with that reasoning.

 

Can anybody attest to his defensive abilities?

[And That]

"Hes the player to be named later for K Rod so he cant be called up."

 

Correction: He's on the PTBNL list, along with a few other guys.

Correction: we have no idea if he's on that list or not.

[markedman5]

Melvin said the PTBNL in the KROD deal was not a "top prospect". I just find it hard to believe that in our system Green would not be considered a top prospect.

 

I mean our system is so thin that he must be one of our top 5-10 guys.

[monty57]

Was "earlier this year" prior to Green coming back to form and destroying the ball, and before Farris once again showed he's not ready to hit AAA pitching? This spring, I would've agreed with Farris coming up over Green. On July 28 not so much.

 

Farris is supposed to be great defensively and very fast. However, our offense could now contain two sub-.600 OPS guys (McGehee & Farris/Counsell/Wilson), one mid-.600 OPS guy (Yuni), a .700-OPS guy (Lucroy) and the pitcher. Melvin has continuously passed over good defense for good offense. I realize our defense is bad, but is now the right time to change that approach?