Brewers sign Brooks Conrad to minor league deal

[miggs721]

seems like a goood candidate for the utility role, aybe can hit some game winning shots, thats all i remember him doing with Atlanta!!!

[MVP2110]

I like the signing. It seems like good depth. If he does end up making our bench out of spring training he is definately the type of guy that I would pinch hit when the other team brought out a lefty specialist to face Gamel or Morgan or Aoki.

[MNBrew]

If Brooks Conrad makes our team, that's a very bad sign for Taylor Green unless another player is injured.

 

I like the move for depth purposes, but I sure want to see Taylor Green make the team over Conrad.

[dadofandrew]

.358 /.465 RH, far better than lefty, and has played 1B. He might well end up as Gamel's platoon partner, as they aren't going to keep Green in MIL to get 150 PA's backing up Weeks and Ramirez.

[brettac1]

He's certainly best known for the trainwreck of a defensive game he had in game 3 of the NLDS against the Giants in 2010. The Braves likely would have had a great chance to win that series if not for him.

[ryne100]

http://i51.tinypic.com/2crrjis.gif

[JohnBriggs12]

.358 /.465 RH, far better than lefty, and has played 1B. He might well end up as Gamel's platoon partner, as they aren't going to keep Green in MIL to get 150 PA's backing up Weeks and Ramirez.

 

That's his OBP/Slugging and its hardly special. His BA vs lefties is .268 and he's fanned 28 times in 71 AB's (very small sample). If they truly wanted to platoon Gamel, which I don't think they do, they'd get a veteran, not a career minor leaguer like Conrad.

[dadofandrew]

I've discussed those vets available many times on Ramblings, and unless a Derrek Lee wants to sign cheap and without a job guaranteed, it's about as good as anyone. Of the six on my last list, of which two guys have now signed, it is the 2nd highest of the 7 (those 6 +1) OPS versus LHP, and there's no way Keppinger is signing a minor league deal.

 

Not sure if they'll go with a hard or soft platoon on Gamel, but he and Green were horrible versus LHP last season, so they'll likely protect him versus tough LHP at the very least.

 

Conrad may not have been signed as Mat's 1B partner, but you can bet it was noticed he was a 1B/2B/3B who was a switch hitter who hits far better from the right side. MLBTR said he chose MIL over TB because of a greater chance for AB's, and those aren't coming in place of Weeks or Ramirez, barring injury of course, and Green would seem to be the top reserve at both spots anyway.

[trwi7]

brettac1 wrote:

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He's certainly best known for the trainwreck of a defensive game he had in game 3 of the NLDS against the Giants in 2010. The Braves likely would have had a great chance to win that series if not for him.

I remember him for the walk-off grand slam that he thought was caught.

[monty57]

The Brewers need a decent RH bat off the bench, and would probably like Green to get everyday playing time in AAA to make sure last year was for real and to be ready to step in if someone gets hurt. I'd guess Conrad will be the backup 1B/3B and possibly even RH part of a platoon in LF with Schafer/Gindl/Aoki if Braun is suspended. He would also be the top pinch hitter vs LHP. He could potentially be a very useful player, and the minor league deal offers little risk.

[Hate those Rodents]

well, if we have about 2.5 million to offer Aoki plus his 2.5 million posting fee, count me as one that'd like to give Lee 1/5mil instead if he'd accept that.