Brewers Bench

[Warning Track Power]

Agreed Baldkin. How good would Fontenot look on that bench as well?

[JohnBriggs12]

Last year they had Mark Kotsay, Danny Almonte, Wil Nieves, Craig Counsell and Brandon Boggs on the opening day roster.

 

I like Aoki, Conrad and Kottaras off the bench a lot more than any of those guys.

 

You mean Erick Almonte and you are forgetting Jeremy Reed who I believe was on the opening day roster and not Brandon Boggs. Morgan was also there by opening day and so was Kottaras as they started with 3 catchers last year. Including Morgan and Kottaras in that group makes it look a lot stronger.

 

Point you are making is a good one. It's how the starting lineup performs that determines a team's fortunes. Almonte, Reed, and Nieves were quickly replaced after struggling, and If the current group goes south, they won't hesitate dumping guys.

[MNBrew]

Conrad sent down, Ishikawa makes the team. Per TH on Twitter about 4 minutes ago:

 

#Brewers decide to keep 1B Travis Ishikawa and send down INF Brooks Conrad as their final player move of spring.

[PrinceEatMeat]

Cesar Izturis is our only backup at 2B, SS, 3B. We need help, ASAP.

[JohnBriggs12]

Conrad sent down, Ishikawa makes the team. Per TH on Twitter about 4 minutes ago:

 

#Brewers decide to keep 1B Travis Ishikawa and send down INF Brooks Conrad as their final player move of spring.

 

My guess is they were trying to move Ishikawa but couldn't find any takers and didn't want to eat any money, so for now he'll be on the roster. I find it puzzling that after sending Conrad to Nashville that they haven't released Almonte. I don't see the need for 2 utility guys in their 30's at Nashville. I'm thinking we'll see Ishikawa late in games defensively at 1B.

[brewmann04]

Curious to say the least but have to believe melvin still searching still has two days before opening day.

[monty57]

Ishikawa is on the MLB roster because Roenicke likes him and sees him "this year's Kotsay." In other words, he is on the roster all year, and the rest of the team will just have to be worked around him.

 

That this move means Izturis will get 300 or so PAs, we only have one backup to cover 2B, SS & 3B, we have no legitimate RH bat on the bench, etc doesn't matter because Roenicke likes him. Be prepared for Ishikawa to quickly become the most hated man in a Brewers' uniform as Roenicke continues to find ways to find him playing time. My first guess is that Hart will "need" a few days a week off to rest his knee and Gamel will "need" a few days a week off because rookies can't be everyday players.

[GormanHarvey]

You really think Ishikawa is going to get starts in RF when we have Gomez, Aoki, and Morgan on the team?? I find that hard to believe

[monty57]

I would never have imagined that Kotsay would start in CF when we had Gomez and Morgan on the roster. Roenicke said he views Ishikawa as this year's Kotsay, so I think he'll do all kinds of things I would never believe.

[3and2Fastball]

The danger is that Ramirez and Gonzalez will be worn out by August/September because they won't have gotten enough days off over the course of the season

 

Are we actually going to see Izturis start about once a week? Craziness!

[TooLiveBrew]

Craziness!

 

Welcome to the Ron Roenicke school of 25-man roster management. Please, for your own sake, exit as soon as possible.

[GormanHarvey]

It's April 4th...I'm going to withhold judgement for now as I expect the landscape of the 25 man to change in the near future, just at it did last year

[TooLiveBrew]

Good point; RR even mentioned the Brewers would “go with this for a while and see how it plays out.”

 

Link

[MJLiverock]

The danger is that Ramirez and Gonzalez will be worn out by August/September because they won't have gotten enough days off over the course of the season

 

Are we actually going to see Izturis start about once a week? Craziness!

 

Gonzalez has played 157 and 149 games during the last two years. He should be expected to play 150 again. Ramirez is going to be counted on to play close to 150 as well out of sheer need for his bat. I agree Izturis is awful and should be replaced as soon as possible but I am not going to worry about getting rid of Conrad. I want no part of either of them getting regular ABs. I'd rather have Ishikawa to PH and seek out some other back up middle infielder to replace Izturis whose defense only is redundant behind a defense mostly SS.

 

If any of Weeks, Gonzalez, Ramiirez are hurt for a significant amount of time I won't lament not having Conrad around. They will be in trouble regardless of what wet noodle bat they plug in.

[MJLiverock]

deleted duplicate post

[monty57]

If any of Weeks, Gonzalez, Ramiirez are hurt for a significant amount of time I won't lament not having Conrad around. They will be in trouble regardless of what wet noodle bat they plug in.

 

If Weeks or Ramirez are hurt, I would expect Green would be called up to play regularly in their stead.

[JohnBriggs12]

Bill Hall is now officially available. He chose free agency when he didn't make the Yankee roster. Would seem to be a perfect fit. He'd only have to start vs. the Reds and on Mother's Day.

[craigharmann]

Bill Hall is now officially available. He chose free agency when he didn't make the Yankee roster. Would seem to be a perfect fit.

 

Just gonna mention that.....if you had to choose between Izturis and Bill Hall, who do ya pick? We know Bill Hall can pitch, so he's got that going for him.

[MJLiverock]

Good point Monty, so that just makes me even less concerned about not keeping Conrad around.

 

Hopefully they will keep an eye on Green and if he plays well in AAA they may view him as a viable bench guy as the season wears on and/or Ishikawa struggles or injuries surface.

[TooLiveBrew]

Good catch on Hall, Briggs & Craig. I never thought I'd be saying this, but... BRING BACK BILL HALL!

[Warning Track Power]

Agreed TLB.

 

Hall would bring about the same glove as Izturis and at least provide the potential of a threat with the bat.

[MNBrew]

That's either a gross overstatement on Hall's ability with the glove or an apt concern/condemnation of what Izturis' defensive skills may well have become.

 

(Izturis has been a Gold Glove SS and of that sort of renown for a while in his career, which means his skill level apex reached levels that make Hall's pale in comparison. In other words, Hall became a nicely serviceable glove but he would never have been mistaken for a Jeff Cirillo at 3B, Fernando Vina at 2B, or Cesar Izturis at SS.)

[craigharmann]

That's either a gross overstatement on Hall's ability with the glove or an apt concern/condemnation of what Izturis' defensive skills may well have become.

 

(Izturis has been a Gold Glove SS and of that sort of renown for a while in his career, which means his skill level apex reached levels that make Hall's pale in comparison. In other words, Hall became a nicely serviceable glove but he would never have been mistaken for a Jeff Cirillo at 3B, Fernando Vina at 2B, or Cesar Izturis at SS.)

 

I think it really comes down to what do you want as a bench/backup player? Serviceable in the field, competent at the plate. In a tie ballgame in the 8th inning with a runner on second, who would you want coming up to the plate? Izturis or Hall?

[brwrsfan]

Throw in the fact that Izturis is pretty much only a SS (and we already have a good defenseive SS, so no need to sub him out)...and the fact that Hall could at least MAYBE do something with the bat....plus he can play every position on the field...something to consider.

 

Even if we wanted him (which I'm sure we don't), I'm not sure he has any interest in returning here as it is.

[JohnBriggs12]

I'm not sure I'd replace Izturis with Hall, but his versatility (and RH Bat) would seem to make him more valuable off the bench than Ishikawa. He certainly has more of a track record than does Conrad.

 

As to brwsfan's comments, I don't think Hall would have any objection to returning especially since he's without a job nor do I think the Brewers would have a problem bringing him back in a bench role.