Rickie Weeks so far this season

[longball04]

 

By that logic, every offseason GM's have nothing with which to evaluate players. Everything they've done has been "in the past," and none are doing anything at the present time. Maybe everyone should play in the Dominican Winter Leagues so that GM's can get a good feel as to what the players will do the coming season.

There is a difference between the off-season and a season being played. Why should the players current accolades be disregarded because in the "past" he performed well. Put it this way. If you were investing in the market and you had 100 shares in a stock that you purchased at $100/share. If in the past two months that stock had dropped to $64/share and the market forecast said it wasn't going to get any better, what would you do?

 

A) Cut your losses, and cash out, reinvest it all in a stock valued at $10/share that is forecasted to be at $20/share by the end of the year?

B) Sell some of your stock and reinvest some of that money into the stock mentioned above to try to make up for your lost money in the original stock?

C) Keep riding it out and watch the stock value drop more and more every day, waking up every morning, dreading to read the paper or look in your email to see far it dropped again last night?

 

I think B is the obvious answer. Historically Weeks has been a average to a tiny above average player right? So why ride this "stock" out all year just hoping it will get better, full knowing it is dropping the "value of your entire portfolio?"

[longball04]

I'll stop ragging on Weeks. I like the guy. I just think there has to come a time, that if he isn't making productive outs or doing something positive, that you have to split time with him. You can't afford a full season of this crap if you want to contend. That's my real point. I will never boo the guy because everyone has issues. But it is getting harder to watch him swing. I shouldn't be forced to stand up and clap just because he made contact or got a hit.

[monty57]

longball, what metrics would you use to "value your stock" if you couldn't use any historical data? The illustrative "market forecast" would have to be based on something, right? Are they just using "It dropped so sell?" If so, use a different broker.

 

Personally, I wouldn't buy unless it was a good, solid company, so unless something materially changed, then I would hold on or maybe buy more. However, if there were a material change then it may be reasonable to sell. Has there been a material change in Weeks? Is he injured or is there something else which would lead to his "forgetting how to hit?" If not, then history would show that good companies/players will rebound and selling low is a losing strategy.

[TooLiveBrew]

It certainly didn't start his problems, but I'm guessing that HPB he took off his bottom hand for swinging hasn't exactly helped him race out of this funk.

 

I still think he's going to start hitting, and pretty soon.

[longball04]

longball, what metrics would you use to "value your stock" if you couldn't use any historical data? The illustrative "market forecast" would have to be based on something, right? Are they just using "It dropped so sell?" If so, use a different broker.

 

Personally, I wouldn't buy unless it was a good, solid company, so unless something materially changed, then I would hold on or maybe buy more. However, if there were a material change then it may be reasonable to sell. Has there been a material change in Weeks? Is he injured or is there something else which would lead to his "forgetting how to hit?" If not, then history would show that good companies/players will rebound and selling low is a losing strategy.

You could have just said: "Bad example."

[reillymcshane]

I thilnk the Brewers need to stick with Weeks. The reason is that if this team is to win in 2012 (yes, we still have a chance to rebound and get back into the race), then we need Rickie of 2010-11 to start showing up. And soon. You bench Rickie and you're playing Cody Ransom or Taylor Green or Eric Farris. It's unlikely those guys can produce like Weeks.

 

We also need A-Ram to get moving. And some other guys. But Rickie is crucial to competing this year. The other guys are filler at this time.

 

Also, even if you want to trade Weeks, its unlikely you get much for him now. Letting him rebound will let him regain value.

 

That's my opinion on Rickie. Yes, he's played terrible this year. But you got to believe he can rebound. We've put our chips on Rickie (and A-Ram), and need those guys to produce for us to win this year.

[dlk9s]

Hypnosis. The answer is hypnosis.

[brettac1]

Hypnosis. The answer is hypnosis.

I was thinking Lasik.

[JohnBriggs12]

I thilnk the Brewers need to stick with Weeks. The reason is that if this team is to win in 2012 (yes, we still have a chance to rebound and get back into the race), then we need Rickie of 2010-11 to start showing up. And soon. You bench Rickie and you're playing Cody Ransom or Taylor Green or Eric Farris. It's unlikely those guys can produce like Weeks.

 

We also need A-Ram to get moving. And some other guys. But Rickie is crucial to competing this year. The other guys are filler at this time.

 

Also, even if you want to trade Weeks, its unlikely you get much for him now. Letting him rebound will let him regain value.

 

That's my opinion on Rickie. Yes, he's played terrible this year. But you got to believe he can rebound. We've put our chips on Rickie (and A-Ram), and need those guys to produce for us to win this year.

 

 

You don't "have to believe" he can rebound. It's more like he better rebound or this team will be bad not only this season but 2013 and likely 2014 as well. They are stuck with his contract now. The downside of long term deals isn't just the money, its the lost flexibility. Weeks can't be moved now. Even if he puts up his normal numbers between now and the rest of the season, his overall totals will be noticeably sub par. If he struggles again in 2013, it would behoove them to think about benching him though, because he's got a vesting option for 2015 based on total plate appearances in 2013 and 2014. They'll also have another alternative besides the guys you mentioned and that's Gennett.

[dlk9s]

Hypnosis. The answer is hypnosis.

I was thinking Lasik.

 

Might as well do both. Can't hurt (well, except for the whole lasers cutting into his eyeballs thing).

[Baldkin]

Hypnotize him with lasers. Got it.

[Raw Biz]

As bad as Weeks has been, I still believe he'd be able to be traded. Teams know how much talent he has and what he's done in the past. And it's not like Adam Dunn last year because Rickie is still only 29. Obviously the return wouldn't be as big as it might've been had we traded him in say the offseason. However, teams would still be willing to give up something. That being said, I don't think it'd be a good idea to trade him now. His value is lower than it's probably ever been. I also think (or hope) that he will rebound eventually. It's nothing physical, it's just a matter of changing his approach. Hopefully it happens sooner rather than later though.

[3and2Fastball]

Adam Dunn was a guy who hit 38 HR's or more 7 years in a row and missed a grand total of 23 games in those 7 years combined and I don't believe was ever on the disabled list.

[brettac1]

He also is second in the league in HR right now. Second in walks. Tenth in OPS. Fifth in RBI. The White Sox should have just given up on him.

[homer]

I can't believe people are getting the mindset that we are "stuck" with Weeks' contract. Guys have bad months...sometimes consecutively. He will break out of it and probably end up hitting north of .260.

[valpocrewsader]

He will break out of it and probably end up hitting north of .260.

 

Anything is possible, but by my calculation, to finish at .260 he'll have to hit .300 for the remainder of the season without missing any time. That's a tall order for a career .255 hitter with injury history. I could see him hitting .260 for the rest of the year, which would put him at around .230 for the year if he doesn't miss much time.

 

Weeks has a mammoth hole to dig out of. A month of hitting .300 will raise him to just .215-ish, two straight months of .300 hitting will only get him to .230-ish. Yikes.

[dlk9s]

I don't care what his season-long stats end up to be. I just care about how he does from here on out.

[phnxcrew]

Weeks is flat out embarrassing himself out there. He knows it most of all... why keep forcing the issue? Having a regular hitting .152 is completely unacceptable. His OPS dramatically lower than mcgehee's for last year. Does he have to be hitting under .100 to get a vacation? Look i'm not saying he won't bounce back eventually, but clearly this needs to change. It's been almost 1/3 of the season now, get a hint, Ron.

[Raw Biz]

Weeks is flat out embarrassing himself out there. He knows it most of all... why keep forcing the issue? Having a regular hitting .152 is completely unacceptable. His OPS dramatically lower than mcgehee's for last year. Does he have to be hitting under .100 to get a vacation? Look i'm not saying he won't bounce back eventually, but clearly this needs to change. It's been almost 1/3 of the season now, get a hint, Ron.

 

With all the injuries, Weeks is the best option. Yes he's had a bad year but do you really want an infield of Green/Ransom/Maysonet/Conrad? Sure ARam will hopefully be back soon but thats only one spot. Sitting Weeks was an option a couple of weeks ago. Not so much anymore.

[phnxcrew]

My point was more aimed at rickie's future. The more he presses the worse he'll get. It would be a huge longterm benefit to give him a long mental break.

[yfinn6]

How do you know he needs a mental break? For all you know he feels great at the plate and just isn't getting the results.. it happens. He looks 10x better at the plate than he did a week ago already. (Hard to get much worse)

[adambr2]

Yeah, I don't think a mental break is the answer in this case. I think this is just one of those things that Weeks is going to have to play through and hopefully turn it around at some point this year. Even if he finishes the year batting .215, if he hits .280 with a .400 OBP in the second half, you still feel pretty good about him going forward. At this point that's about the best we can hope for, his end of year stats are unlikely to be very pretty no matter what happens at this point.

 

I don't think sitting on the bench thinking about how much he's sucked this year is going to do anything for him at this point, and it doesn't do anything for the Brewers either since they have no reasonable alternatives.

[longball04]

How do you know he needs a mental break? For all you know he feels great at the plate and just isn't getting the results.. it happens. He looks 10x better at the plate than he did a week ago already. (Hard to get much worse)

He's still striking out all the time. Plus, he still isn't swinging at the first pitch fastball right down the middle.

[yfinn6]

How do you know he needs a mental break? For all you know he feels great at the plate and just isn't getting the results.. it happens. He looks 10x better at the plate than he did a week ago already. (Hard to get much worse)

He's still striking out all the time. Plus, he still isn't swinging at the first pitch fastball right down the middle.

 

That doesn't mean he needs to be sat on the bench so he can further think about why he's struggling. There aren't any better options, Rickie is either going to need to hit his way out of this slump or have an 2011 Adam Dunn type season. We're just going to have to endure it and take the 2012 season on the chin.

[longball04]

I hear ya. He has squared up on a couple balls and hit some deeper flies. I just can't stand him watching that first pitch fastball right down the pipe. This weekend he had a 3-pitch at-bat and never took his bat off the shoulder. Kind of like watching Corey Hart last night on called strike threes (twice). I can handle it if Weeks can get above .200 by the break. We already have the entire Nashville squad in the dugout. Might as well have him out there.