2013 Brewers Bench

[djoctagone]

sean halton, hunter morris, caleb gindl and scooter gennett all started for nashville tonight and are still in the game as of the sixth inning. blake lalli has not appeared in the game yet.

 

does this mean anything?

[jerichoholicninja]

Someone has to be going on the 60 day DL. There is no way Gennet gets called up and Gindl makes less than no sense to get called. I'll say Bianchi gets the 60 day and Halton gets called up...to sit on the bench.

[djoctagone]

jeff bianchi starts a rehab assignment tomorrow with aa-huntsville.

[PrinceEatMeat]

jeff bianchi starts a rehab assignment tomorrow with aa-huntsville.

 

Good, can't have enough SS on the roster.

[djoctagone]

bianchi has five games under his belt on his rehab assignment with huntsville. not sure if they'll move him to nashville to finish out the rehab or look to activate him soon.

 

there was word that taylor green had a setback and was being examined. any update on his status? is he looking like a candidate to be transferred to the 60-day disabled list?

[djoctagone]

it's reported that bianchi continues his rehab with nashville starting tomorrow.

 

still seeking an update on green.

[djoctagone]

with news of hip surgery for taylor green, it's reasonable to expect that he'd be transferred to the 60-day disabled list.

 

this would open up a 40-man roster spot for a waiver claim, or a minor league player.

 

the brewers' bench of davis, lalli, maldonado, prince and schafer is very, very, very inexperienced at the moment, but that 40-man spot could be going to francisco rodriguez, and not a position player.

[djoctagone]

bad news with green having season ending surgery. good news in that the brewers will surely place him on the 60-day disabled list to open up a spot for somebody else.

[djoctagone]

comments from ron roenicke that still keep us guessing on the future of jeff bianchi:

 

"we've already talked about it. we want him to stay down there until the at-bats are really good, or there is a necessity here. hopefully, there won't be. we'll let him do that and when the time comes we'll figure out what the best decision is."

as i've stated before, if the brewers keep betancourt and/or gonzalez a full season, they become free agents, and the brewers have to search for utility infielders again in the offseason.

 

if they keep bianchi a full season, they can control him for at least five more years, and not have to risk exposing him to waivers or giving him the opportunity to declare free agency if unclaimed.

[bork]

Wouldn't you rather have Bianchi rotting on the bench and Prince getting regular playing time in AAA?

 

But at some point in the next month+, Bianchi, Ramirez and Hart will be back. I'd imagine Prince, Davis and Lalli get optioned. Not a bad bench of Gonzalez, Betancourt, Bianchi, Schafer and Maldonado.

[zzzmanwitz]

I wish Davis could play 1B... he really needs some ABs. I would send him down as quickly as possible to get some work.

[JohnBriggs12]

Keeping Gonzalez if he's still hitting under .200 when Bianchi's rehab assignment ends makes zero sense. For some unexplained reason Roenicke saw Gonzalez being the hitter he was for a month last year pre-injury. He certainly was never a great hitter, but he had been trending down prior to 2012 and a hot month shouldn't have been the criteria for projecting him after such a serious injury at age 36. With Segura seeming capable of handling an everyday role and not needing significant time off, they would be well served with Bianchi and Yuni as backups. The AB's both Bianchi is getting on rehab and Yuni is getting with A-Ram and Hart out, should have them sharp when they become bench guys.

 

They still could use a veteran lefty bat off the bench. Relying on Schafer to be a primary lefty PH is asking a lot of him. He's better suited as a late inning guy or a guy who can give Aoki and Gomez a day off from time to time.

[jerichoholicninja]

What Gonzalez and Betancourt do on the field is irrelevant to them having a job when the injured players come back. They will stay on the roster because they are veterans.

[monty57]

Hopefully there is some truth to the rumor that other teams in need of SS help (Yankees) are asking about our guys. As guys start to get healthy, I'd love to be able to flip Gonzalez or Yuni for something, even if it's salary relief and an open 40-man slot. Bianchi and whichever of Yuni/Gonzalez doesn't get traded act as the utility IFs, Maldonado backs up C & 1B, Schafer and Davis/Prince/Gindl are our backup OF. We'd also have two open 40-man slots (one from Yuni/Gonzalez, one from Green going to the 60-day) to add players as needed.

[paul253]

I don't watch every inning of every game but I can honestly say that until I saw it mentioned on JSonline just now I didn't even realize Josh Prince was still on the team. I am absolutely disgusted about the way the Brewers have using Khris Davis and Josh Prince. Prince isn't exactly a top prospect but he has been improving in recent years. Khris Davis is an OBP machine with decent power who has hit everywhere he's played. Both need more at bats yet both are rotting away on the bench. Typical Milwaukee Brewers. What's next? Call up Jimmy Nelson so they can stick him in the bullpen?

[jerichoholicninja]

The team has 2 spots on the bench. Who else are they going use there? They could sign some more crappy veterans or use guys from their minor league team. Whoever it is is going sit. Davis and Prince aren't going to be stars or probably even starters so you might as well "rot" in the majors instead of other guys.

[Baldkin]

1 PA in the last 10 days doesn't cut it for the guy who should be the #1 RHB off the bench.

[TURBO]

Davis needs to be sent back down, he is wasting away in the show. Get the kid at bats for when we can actually use him in the future.

[PrinceEatMeat]

The team has 2 spots on the bench. Who else are they going use there? They could sign some more crappy veterans or use guys from their minor league team. Whoever it is is going sit. Davis and Prince aren't going to be stars or probably even starters so you might as well "rot" in the majors instead of other guys.

 

Actually it's pretty simple. Send one of them down when Ramirez returns, and hen activate Bianchi and send down the other. Problem solved.

[topper09er]

when Ramirez returns

 

Is this supposed to be today?

[djoctagone]

Actually it's pretty simple. Send one of (Davis or Prince) down when Ramirez returns, and (t)hen activate Bianchi and send down the other. Problem solved.

until corey hart is activated, those two moves would leave the brewers with only one bench player with outfield experience.

 

the brewers had aspirations of getting bianchi some time in the outfield during spring training, but that never happened with his prolonged injury. it doesn't appear that he's been getting playing time in the outfield on his rehab assignment either . . . which would give one or more of sean halton, cole garner and caleb gindl a rest.

 

the brewers are fortunate to have two guys who at the moment, you want in for all nine innings: ryan braun and carlos gomez. if that trend continues for another month, the brewers can probably get by with only one extra outfielder.

[monty57]

I don't want to see a bench that consists of Bianchi, Yuni and Gonzalez. Cut Gonzalez, trade Yuni, do something, but don't have three backup SS on the bench.

 

Of course, you know they're going to do it.

[Outlander]

Actually it's pretty simple. Send one of (Davis or Prince) down when Ramirez returns, and (t)hen activate Bianchi and send down the other. Problem solved.

until corey hart is activated, those two moves would leave the brewers with only one bench player with outfield experience.

I guess I don't see it as too much of a problem as Hart could play a couple of innings or even a game if there was an injury. If it is a longer term injury somebody could be called up from AAA.

[TooLiveBrew]

While I agree that Hart could man the OF, that's not really something I want to see him doing even sparingly. I just don't think his knee(s?) would hold up roaming the OF.

[PrinceEatMeat]

It's obviously not something I would prefer, but it's the simple solution as I said. Plus Bianchi's rehab assignment is over on Friday, so need to bring him up or risk losing him. The final 2 bench guys haven't played much anyway, so they could get by barring a significant injury, in which case someone else could be brought up. I just don't see the point of Davis and Prince being the last 2 guys on the bench. Might as well not risk losing Bianchi and have him sit there. Start teaching him some OF if need be.