Alex Gonzalez re-signs with Brewers

[DHonks]

Gonzalez would be great as a utility player and mentor. Plus we need depth for 2b, ss, and 3b. Mass, how does Bianchi have 7 years of big league time when he just debuted last season? I'd keep both as the backups. Green could use playing regularly in AAA as he's had limited success the last few years and needs to make up at bats. Gamel is now starting at 1b. Once Hart comes back we'll have a bench of:

Maldonado

Gonzalez

Schafer

Gamel

Bianchi

 

That leaves us with 12 pitchers. Plus, it seems unlikely that our entire team is healthy when Hart comes back. I like the versatility of having Gamel and Bianchi as IF/OF and the bench has some r/l protection (not all righty like in past years)

[TooLiveBrew]

Mass, how does Bianchi have 7 years of big league time when he just debuted last season?

7 years MiLB service. He can opt for MiLB free agency.

[Thurston Fluff]

I like the move but as already said, I don't want to see Segura play less. Like when it's May 15th and he is betting .200 and Gonzo .300 and all the fans are calling for the switch, what will RRR do?

 

He'll do the same as he said he would do with Gamel last season. RRR hasn't sat guys like that when he said they would get a fair chance. He hasn't played guys like Taylor Green and Jeff Bianchi as much as a lot of us thought he should. But as things play out it seems less his reluctance to play a young guy than perhaps he didn't think those specific guys good enough to be everyday players. I'm not at all worried that Ron is going to bench Segura for Gonzalez.

[Invader3K]

Roenicke isn't Macha. He knows Segura is our current and future starter at SS, so he isn't going to bench him if he gets off to a slow start. I could see Gonzalez getting one or maybe even two starts a week once in a while, though.

[Bnowell4evr]

Segura can't play every day and injuries happen so it's AWESOME getting someone as talented as Alex Gonzalez to come off our bench. Dare I say this is the best bench player Melvin has signed in his time in Milwaukee?

[jjgott]

Dare I say this is the best bench player Melvin has signed in his time in Milwaukee?

 

*cough*Russell Branyan*cough*

[Baldkin]

Segura can't play every day and injuries happen so it's AWESOME getting someone as talented as Alex Gonzalez to come off our bench. Dare I say this is the best bench player Melvin has signed in his time in Milwaukee?

 

How quickly we forget 2008.... (or, y'know, last year and Aoki...)

http://manginphotography.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/8S8H2617-467x575.jpg

[Bnowell4evr]

I remembered Aoki as soon as I hit post. Let me rephrase that. Best backup middle infielder? (Sorry Craig Counsell)

[Yeti73]

Roenicke isn't Macha. He knows Segura is our current and future starter at SS, so he isn't going to bench him if he gets off to a slow start. I could see Gonzalez getting one or maybe even two starts a week once in a while, though.

Man, I forgot Macha even coached this team. He was so disappointing.

 

As for the deal, I love it. I think SeaBass will get 1-2 starts at SS each week and he'll be 1 or 2 off the bench as a PH each game. He'll end up with ~275 ABs sort of like Ransom in 2012 and Counsell in 2010. Bianchis are a dime a dozen from a production perspective. Nothing against the guy, but he doesn't really offer any upside.

[RockCoCougars]

Nice move. I like how Melvin has learned from last year that you have to have some quality depth. I wouldn't mind if they picked up one more vet with some pop for the bench.

[MNBrew]

I really, really, really like this move.

 

Gonzalez has pop. Maldonado has pop. Green has some pop. How much more pop do we need? I want decent hitters who can get plenty of hits, drive the ball, & hit some out. I think that describes what the bench now has when you add Schafer into the mix, too.

 

And I'll note here again that if Overbay is signed & makes the team, I hope he doesn't stick long-term at Taylor Green's expense (or at least in a way that hinders his productive MLB development).

[JohnBriggs12]

I'm not thrilled with the move. They needed more of a veteran presence on the bench, but I would have preferred someone with more expreriencee in the role, not a free swinger who has issues with contact. Forget Bianchi who I think is more than adequate as a backup SS, I think this puts unneeded pressure on Segura, who if he struggles for 2 weeks could find himself back in Nashville (he does have options). Also Gonzalez is old and coming of a serious injury. Who knows what he has left?

 

This also spells trouble for Taylor Green, who is now a long shot to make the opening day roster. That last spot appears to be between Bianchi, Green and Overbay.

[Mr Southpaw]

No Overbay, please. We don't need a lefty 1b off the bench. Green and Gamel can do that and should at least be give the chance.

 

Love the Gonzo signing. Quality in the field with a little pop. I see him playing SS 1-2 times per week. Maybe every 5ht or 6th game. When a tough lefty starting pitcher is throwing against us, he or A-ram can play 1B and give Gamel a rest. He also can be the right handed semi- power off the bench everyone has wanted. He needs to play to be effective, but he is also recently injured and 36 years old. I think it is a perfect scenario.

[JohnBriggs12]

Why does everyone think Green is such a lock? He got chances off the bench last year and the reality is he didn't do much with them. I know he had a great year at AAA in 2011, but he's never really been a prime prospect and last year Bianchi put up better numbers at Nashville than Green did, with the added bonus that Bianchi can play SS.

 

Bringing in Overbay was significant only that it signals their intention for Gamel's role ultimately to be in the OF, not 1B. Overbay may not make the team out of Arizona, but it's clear they want Gamel playing some OF even before Hart comes back. It could be Green or Bianchi playing 1B when Gamel's in RF, and Aoki slides over to CF but neither are accomplished at the position.

[homer]

Green can play several positions. Overbay can play one. And Lyle is no spring chicken anymore. He's 36 (as of Monday. Happy Birthday, Lyle).

[monty57]

I know many people would like to see Ramirez play first base. I've seen it mentioned several times, but he is not going to play first base, even for a game or two. If Gamel needs a day off, and Green or Gonzalez is subbing in, Green or Gonzalez will play first base, even if they are better defenders than Ramirez. You don't move the star player off his position to play a position he isn't familiar, you put the bench guy in the position to potentially fail at an unfamiliar position.

 

The only way Ramirez starts playing first is if the team thinks he's not holding down 3B, or they somehow end up with a better, younger third baseman, and they decide to move him over to 1B permanently. That move would probably happen over an offseason, so Ramirez would have the offseason to prep himself for a position move.

[Warning Track Power]

Since when are Ramirez and Gonzalez 1B?? Combined they have had all of 0 GP there in their MLB careers. I understand 1B isn't the most difficult position to play in baseball but its still an unnecessary adjustment when you have a Gamel, Green and the likelihood of a Overbay/Carlos Lee on the roster.

 

I just don't get it.

[RightFieldCoder]

Before 2012 Hart and all of 0 GP at 1B in his MLB career. 1B is an easy position to play. That goes to show how unathletic our last 1B was.

[Invader3K]

Yeah, the idea of moving Ramirez to first base is all fan driven (sort of like the talk of moving Weeks to the outfield years ago). He played solid defense last year, so the team isn't going to do it unless he suddenly fall off the cliff in terms of his glove.

[adambr2]

Love the signing, but I can't shake the nagging fear that Roenicke is going to turn this into a "platoon" type situation or even have Segura on the bench most of the time.

[MNBrew]

Why does everyone think Green is such a lock? He got chances off the bench last year and the reality is he didn't do much with them. I know he had a great year at AAA in 2011, but he's never really been a prime prospect and last year Bianchi put up better numbers at Nashville than Green did, with the added bonus that Bianchi can play SS.

 

Bringing in Overbay was significant only that it signals their intention for Gamel's role ultimately to be in the OF, not 1B. Overbay may not make the team out of Arizona, but it's clear they want Gamel playing some OF even before Hart comes back. It could be Green or Bianchi playing 1B when Gamel's in RF, and Aoki slides over to CF but neither are accomplished at the position.

 

A. You're writing like Overbay already has signed. He hasn't yet, and there's no guarantee that he'll choose to sign in Milwaukee.

 

B. Taylor Green never a prime prospect? He's only been their Minor League Player of the Year twice with much of the gap between the two years due to the wrist injury & recovery from it. Henderson & Fiers were never considered great prospects but they've done well so far. Heck, Hart was never touted as much of a prospect. But how a guy is "billed" isn't necessarily the same as how they're viewed by the organization, and I'd put much more stock in the latter.

[jerichoholicninja]

Before 2012 Hart and all of 0 GP at 1B in his MLB career. 1B is an easy position to play. That goes to show how unathletic our last 1B was.

 

Corey was drafted as a first baseman and prior to 2012 he had played 2 major league games at first and 179 minor league games at first. He's only an outfielder because of Prince Fielder and Brad Nelson.

[Mr Southpaw]

JohnBriggs12 said:

Why does everyone think Green is such a lock? He got chances off the bench last year and the reality is he didn't do much with them. I know he had a great year at AAA in 2011, but he's never really been a prime prospect and last year Bianchi put up better numbers at Nashville than Green did, with the added bonus that Bianchi can play SS.

 

Bringing in Overbay was significant only that it signals their intention for Gamel's role ultimately to be in the OF, not 1B. Overbay may not make the team out of Arizona, but it's clear they want Gamel playing some OF even before Hart comes back. It could be Green or Bianchi playing 1B when Gamel's in RF, and Aoki slides over to CF but neither are accomplished at the position.

 

 

A. You're writing like Overbay already has signed. He hasn't yet, and there's no guarantee that he'll choose to sign in Milwaukee.

 

B. Taylor Green never a prime prospect? He's only been their Minor League Player of the Year twice with much of the gap between the two years due to the wrist injury & recovery from it. Henderson & Fiers were never considered great prospects but they've done well so far. Heck, Hart was never touted as much of a prospect. But how a guy is "billed" isn't necessarily the same as how they're viewed by the organization, and I'd put much more stock in the latter.

 

Absolutely right on both counts.

[JohnBriggs12]

My bad. I had thought Overbay had signed a minor league deal the other day. I was away a couple days and missed that it was reported prematurely.

 

I'm not totally opposed to the Gonzalez signing if he's the player he was. The RH hitters market was drying up fast, and Gonzalez, if sound and able to adjust to bench role, is a better version of Cody Ransom who had some big moments last year.

[Funketown]

These are the types of "veteran presence" signings I really like, where the veteran signed on the cheap is actually a pretty solid ballplayer. I don't expect him to hit a ton, but he's got a bit of pop.

 

I haven't been on for a few days, but I wonder how much time he'll get at 2B and 3B. I don't think he's ever logged a major league inning at either position but given his skill set he should be able to be pretty solid so long as he's completely healed. Obviously his role depends a great deal on what they decide to do with Green, but I could get used to the idea of having two guys that can play (most) of the infield if need be.