Rickie Weeks so far this season

[TooLiveBrew]

TLB, Rickie must've read your comment on June 14

Ha! That's crazy. I honestly didn't notice/recall that.

 

To borrow from a presidential campaign... I'll take a lot of credit for Rickie's turnaround.

[homer]

 

Hindsight is always 20/20, but it is kind of fun sometimes to look back and see fan over-reaction first-hand. There were a number of "trade him for nothing" and "send him to AAA" posts earlier in this thread.

 

If you go to JSOnline people STILL want him traded or DFA'd.

[homer]

It is shocking how far off-topic this thread has gotten. Can we either lock it or move some of the clutch stuff to a new one?

 

A clutch poster would not have allowed this to get off topic.

[Funketown]

Clutch posters don't exist.

 

Looking at Weeks' career, this season doesn't even jump off the page anymore. It's moved from "horrendous/disaster season" to disappointing season in only a couple of months.

 

If this team competes for a playoff start next season, Weeks will be a major factor, and it'll come at a cost of only $10 million.

[logan82]

So what's the verdict on Weeks? Just a 2 month slump?

[nate82]

I found this rather interesting with Weeks and McCann. Look at the last two years.

 

http://www.fangraphs.com/comparison.aspx?playerid=4810&position=C&page=0&players=1849

 

Reason why I am comparing Weeks and McCann is because they are both having a disappointing year.

 

Weeks .230/.332/.395

McCann .231/.300/.409

[Oldcity]

Only thing I can come up with for Weeks that would be different from just a bad slump is maybe his ankle wasn't at full strength yet. Roenicke was talking about how he was flat-footed when swinging instead of up on his toes, and that may have been because of the ankle.

 

Other than that, no idea what it could have been.

[dlk9s]

Bad pillow?

[trwi7]

Don't remember where I heard it but someone said Weeks' ankle still wasn't 100% to start the year and it was affecting him even though Weeks wouldn't admit it when asked about it.

 

That makes sense to me since he's hitting .264/.351/.444 since the beginning of June which puts him right around where he's been the past couple of years.

[reillymcshane]

Another thing about Rickie's 2012 has been his defense. I don't think he's been particularly good. This year. His range has looked limited. I suspect his bad ankle has something to do with it. WAR assessments seem to back this up. As well as fielding percentage and range factor.

 

I hope he looks better in 2013 as the injury continues to heal. Ankle injuries can be tough.

[monty57]

So what's the verdict on Weeks? Just a 2 month slump?

 

My verdict hasn't really changed all along. Weeks is a good player. Whether it was a slump or injury-related, it really doesn't change things. I'd expect him to be a good player going forward. My thought all along has been that we should look at trading him when we have an in-house replacement ready. This year probably means that he won't be shopped this offseason, as his value will be low. If Green or Gennett look ready to take over mid-season next year or next offseason, I'd shop him then. If he puts together a healthy and productive 2013, he will help our team a lot and be very marketable after next year.

[logan82]

My opinion didn't change either. That is why I stayed mostly out of this thread.

[Katuluu]

I think he should get Comeback Player of the year.

[stoutdude04]

Is it really a surprise that the offense has basically been incredible since he hasn't stunk? He has always been a catalyst for this team.

[adambr2]

So what's the verdict on Weeks? Just a 2 month slump?

 

My verdict hasn't really changed all along. Weeks is a good player. Whether it was a slump or injury-related, it really doesn't change things. I'd expect him to be a good player going forward. My thought all along has been that we should look at trading him when we have an in-house replacement ready. This year probably means that he won't be shopped this offseason, as his value will be low. If Green or Gennett look ready to take over mid-season next year or next offseason, I'd shop him then. If he puts together a healthy and productive 2013, he will help our team a lot and be very marketable after next year.

 

I'm surprised anyone is still expecting Green to ever be ready. I haven't seen anything out of him that makes me think he's more than a career utility infielder.

 

His contract is pretty reasonable for his expected production, so I wouldn't shop him for what I would expect to be a significant downgrade.

[Ennder]

Weeks has been underrated from day 1 and has been injury prone from day 1. it is an odd combo.

[stalton]

Weeks has been underrated from day 1 and has been injury prone from day 1. it is an odd combo.

 

I have never found a way to accurately describe Rickie...until now

[HiAndTight]

So what's the verdict on Weeks? Just a 2 month slump?

 

My verdict hasn't really changed all along. Weeks is a good player. Whether it was a slump or injury-related, it really doesn't change things. I'd expect him to be a good player going forward. My thought all along has been that we should look at trading him when we have an in-house replacement ready. This year probably means that he won't be shopped this offseason, as his value will be low. If Green or Gennett look ready to take over mid-season next year or next offseason, I'd shop him then. If he puts together a healthy and productive 2013, he will help our team a lot and be very marketable after next year.

 

I'm surprised anyone is still expecting Green to ever be ready. I haven't seen anything out of him that makes me think he's more than a career utility infielder.

 

His contract is pretty reasonable for his expected production, so I wouldn't shop him for what I would expect to be a significant downgrade.

 

 

I wouldn't shop Weeks either(though as you know in particular I've long been a HUGE Weeks fan, though I'm not as alone here as I was most other places) UNLESS Scooter Gennett truly proves himself to be capable of producing the type of numbers in the big leagues he's produced in the minors. I'm far-far from confident he will do so, but we have the luxury of allowing him at least another full year and perhaps another two before we really have to make any sort of decision. Maybe Gennett will end up actually being a Pedroia type player. Heck, his defense has been one of his biggest question marks, and yet he was voted the best defensive 2nd basemen by the Southern League coaches. To me at least that puts to rest him being the liability some scouting reports have had on him.

 

But I'll say two things.

 

First of all, I think you're jumping the gun pretty early on Green. This is a guy who in 120 games last year put up a line of .336/.413/.583 and a OPS of .997 last year in AAA and has career minor league numbers of .289/.370/.452 and .822. He's still just 25, and he's struggled at times with wrist injuries and other small injuries, but he's shown very good power and in my opinion still has good upside.

 

I've already thought of a Mark Loretta type player when I've thought of Green. Green I think has a little more power, and won't hit for the same average, but I think their frames and plate discpline, along with the ability to play 1st/2nd and 3rd(Green can't play SS, though Loretta was never really a great SS). At age 24 Loretta had a minor league line of .289/.350/.381 and a .730 OPS. Though at 25 he certainly performed better in the big leagues than Green has, though he had the luxury of regular at bats on a bad Brewers team, something Green hasn't had since he's been blocked and hasn't gotten his feet underneath him.

 

So I don't think Green's lack of production this year is indicative of his ability.

 

But Weeks ability is that of a superstar. It's just getting increasingly frustrating to watch a player with the potential to be an absolute superstar continually for one reason or another fall short. Since the middle of June he's put up a .842 OPS, and he's obviously been the biggest difference maker IMO offensively during this run. And while he had a superstar year, I think Weeks is kinda at a crossroads. He needs to put together 3-4 seasons like his 2009 truncated season and his 2010 season in which he performed like a true superstar 2nd basemen.

 

Don't get me wrong, his career overall is WELL above average for a 2nd basemen, and now that he's a pretty good defender at 2nd, a line of .251/.351/.430/.781 is more than respectable, and he HAS been underrated, but that's because Brewers fans see a guy capable of hitting .280/.360/.480 with 30 HR's when healthy and they haven't gotten that consistently. I'm in no hurry to move him, and I wouldn't look to do so unless someone offers us a deal at a trade deadline when he's locked in as he is now that is just too good to turn down, and his contract does offer good value IMO.

 

But man...he just turned 29 and we're still hoping he's going to be a superstar. I think that's where the biggest problem comes from and where the ignorant Weeks bashing(Where it exists comes from). Hopefully, as with the rest of this team, his second half will propel him onto a big year next year.

 

Just as with Gomez though, the one thing you can't ever accuse Weeks of being is lazy, or not playing his heart out. He plays the game as hard, as physical and he does it without the chest puffing, "hold me back, hold me back," type of crap that Prince did. I think his leadership is invaluable and I suspect he'll be a Mike Cameron type player later in his career, valued for his clubhouse presence. Though that's neither here nor there right now.

[HiAndTight]

Weeks has been underrated from day 1 and has been injury prone from day 1. it is an odd combo.

 

I have never found a way to accurately describe Rickie...until now

 

 

 

Yup. That pretty much nails it.

 

 

Still, I want and expect more from him more consistently despite the fact that I know he's one of the better 2nd basemen in the game.

[HiAndTight]

Another thing about Rickie's 2012 has been his defense. I don't think he's been particularly good. This year. His range has looked limited. I suspect his bad ankle has something to do with it. WAR assessments seem to back this up. As well as fielding percentage and range factor.

 

I hope he looks better in 2013 as the injury continues to heal. Ankle injuries can be tough.

 

 

If you go back and look at the way he twisted that ankle(or just remember it as I'm sure most on here have) I thought that was a season ending injury. That looked horrific.

 

The fact that he was back late last year and in the playoffs was impressive. I have no doubt he could have made that injury worse and caused it to leak into this season.

 

I think his slump was a bit more than JUST his ankle though. He was just really off balance and looked like he did at other times when he was slumping, not staying back, leaking out on the inside pitches, and diving out at the off-speed pitches low and away. I think it was likely a combination of the ankle which contributed a great deal, but he also was just struggling.

 

Either way, you're not going to get any excuses out of Weeks. For all we know he tore something in that ankle and played though it.

 

When he came back last year, his power was way down putting up a line of .243/.391/.351/.743. Maybe a bit of a things to come with a poor SLG, a poor BA, but still drawing his walks. He also hit just one HR after coming back, and struggled in the post-season save for two HR's in the Division series, he was terrible going 1 for 18 in the WC round, and not much better the following round.

 

But again, maybe we got the 2010 Weeks back and he'll re-assert himself as a all-star caliber player. He is in the middle of his prime years, and Weeks strikes me as a guy who'll age rather well.

[JohnBriggs12]

BTW, Happy Birthday Rickie,

 

For all the grief I gave him earlier, you'd never know Rickie was born on my 30th birthday. He's finally half my age.

[Gobias Industries]

BTW, Happy Birthday Rickie,

 

For all the grief I gave him earlier, you'd never know Rickie was born on my 30th birthday. He's finally half my age.

Cool. Happy belated bday. Can't believe Weeks is already 30. Time flies.

 

rluz,

 

do you have a paypal acct?