First Base in 2014

[reillymcshane]

I just read that our 1B this season have a WAR of -4.2 - the 2nd worst number EVER accumulated. The 1920 Athletics had a -4.3 WAR.

 

Wow.

 

Only Sean Halton has a positive WAR at the position.

 

Sean Halton (+0.2 WAR)

Alex Gonalzez (-1.1 WAR)

Juan Francisco (-1.1 WAR)

Yuniesky Betancourt (-1.7 WAR)

[Outlander]

The funny thing is that Halton probably sits for the Cardinals as Roenicke wants to uphold the integrity of the game by playing the guys that give them the best chance to win against these playoff teams.

[TURBO]

The funny thing is that Halton probably sits for the Cardinals as Roenicke wants to uphold the integrity of the game by playing the guys that give them the best chance to win against these playoff teams.

 

Enter Yuni B.

 

*gagging*

[TURBO]

I just read that our 1B this season have a WAR of -4.2 - the 2nd worst number EVER accumulated. The 1920 Athletics had a -4.3 WAR.

 

Wow.

 

Only Sean Halton has a positive WAR at the position.

 

Sean Halton (+0.2 WAR)

Alex Gonalzez (-1.1 WAR)

Juan Francisco (-1.1 WAR)

Yuniesky Betancourt (-1.7 WAR)

 

The only thing that surprises me is that it is only the 2nd worst ever... I would have figured it had to be THE worst ever. Look at the crap we were trotting out there. It is pretty disgusting really. As fans, we should never have to endure that kind of treatment.

[torts]

I just read that our 1B this season have a WAR of -4.2 - the 2nd worst number EVER accumulated. The 1920 Athletics had a -4.3 WAR.

 

Wow.

 

Only Sean Halton has a positive WAR at the position.

 

Sean Halton (+0.2 WAR)

Alex Gonalzez (-1.1 WAR)

Juan Francisco (-1.1 WAR)

Yuniesky Betancourt (-1.7 WAR)

 

good thing we've got 10 games to go to drop by .2 more to be the champs!

[brwrsfan]

Corey Hart has made it no secret in the past that he really likes playing here and wants to play his entire career in Milwaukee. So I do take him at his word that he will take a significantly reduced salary, whatever that might be. Considering our other options at 1B, I don't see any harm in bringing him back, if healthy.

[markedman5]

My thoughts exactly....

Corey Hart has made it no secret in the past that he really likes playing here and wants to play his entire career in Milwaukee. So I do take him at his word that he will take a significantly reduced salary, whatever that might be. Considering our other options at 1B, I don't see any harm in bringing him back, if healthy.

[MNBrew]

Couple of issues: first, unlike 2012, we don't get to beat up on Houston all season. I think that padded a lot of stats in the past.

Not exactly, at least not in 2012. The Brewers were the most pathetic anomaly against the worst team in MLB. The Brewers were only 9-8 against Houston in 2012. Houston's 8 wins against the Brewers were more than double their average # of wins they had against every other opponent (55 wins on the season, 8 vs. MIL, leaves 47 wins against the other 14 teams = avg. of 3.36 wins/opponent). . . . Anyway, not much stat-padding in a season series that's all but a draw.

 

On topic... If Hart's salary number is remotely reasonable, I think the move is a no-brainer b/c the salary won't break the team and an injury doesn't put a huge salary on the DL again. I'd also think that if he doesn't re-sign w/ MIL, one or more of Gamel, Green, Halton, & Morris still makes for a major upgrade over the rotten cast of characters we've seen this year. (And I'm still for either non-tendering Francisco or trading him to an AL team to DH.)

[LouisEly]

St. Louis, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, and Chicago also padded their stats against Houston in 2012. Milwaukee wasn't the only team with Houston on their schedule.

[RobertR]

I just read that our 1B this season have a WAR of -4.2 - the 2nd worst number EVER accumulated. The 1920 Athletics had a -4.3 WAR.

 

Wow.

 

Only Sean Halton has a positive WAR at the position.

 

Sean Halton (+0.2 WAR)

Alex Gonalzez (-1.1 WAR)

Juan Francisco (-1.1 WAR)

Yuniesky Betancourt (-1.7 WAR)

 

Jesus wept.

 

There are some things that I think management gets the blame for that really aren't their fault. Not acquiring a replacement level first baseman and giving Yuni B all that playing time, are things that I think they truly deserve all the blame for and then some.

 

Freaking Travis Ishikawa is probably worth 5 wins compared to this bunch.

[yoshii8]

It's hard to give Melvin a pass on his plan for 1b. He knew that Gamel, Hart and Green were all hurt before the season, and he decided to go w/ an Alex Gonzalez/Yuni B. tandem for at least the first month of the season.

[Patrick425]

All I know is that I don't want J. Francisco on the team again. I never thought that there would be a player that I disliked watching more than Yuni B, but then Francisco showed up. I can't stand that he seems to lack any type of thought process when he is at the plate. I could be totally wrong, but he seems to be a bit lazy and selfish.

[JohnBriggs12]

It's hard to give Melvin a pass on his plan for 1b. He knew that Gamel, Hart and Green were all hurt before the season, and he decided to go w/ an Alex Gonzalez/Yuni B. tandem for at least the first month of the season.

 

While I agree the decision to use Alex Gonzalez at 1B was the single dumbest move by Brewer management this past season if not past decade, I think the fault lies as much with Roenicke as it does with Melvin. They were completely fooled by Gonzalez' 6 weeks from 2012, something I was warning about all along couldn't be trusted, especially after a serious injury. Roenicke was the guy using Gonzalez at 1B in the spring. Betancourt was more an afterthought who had a hot month, primarily at 3B only moving to 1B after the utter failure of Gonzalez was apparent. Then Yuni went stone cold as if on cue as soon as he started playing 1B.

 

I too have a fear they think they can find the key to Francisco's troubles and he's going to get another shot mainly because they want a LH power bat somewhere.

[Outlander]

I don't really understand what they are doing with Francisco, they play him play much every day and then September rolls around and he rarely starts anymore. Maybe they have seen enough of him and realize he is not the answer in 2014.

 

Edit: It probably also does not help that Francisco himself may have checked out already with his .290 OPS for the month of September.

[yoshii8]

Didn't you read the article that the Brewers are going to try out a new batting stance for the last week of the season? I can just see him getting hot for a couple of games, and then fooling the Brewers into thinking they should start him next season.

 

http://www.jsonline.com/sports/brewers/brewers-school-juan-francisco-on-his-swing-b99104778z1-224965222.html

[Patrick425]

Didn't you read the article that the Brewers are going to try out a new batting stance for the last week of the season? I can just see him getting hot for a couple of games, and then fooling the Brewers into thinking they should start him next season.

 

http://www.jsonline.com/sports/brewers/brewers-school-juan-francisco-on-his-swing-b99104778z1-224965222.html

 

Wow..that's a scary article. You are right, it sounds like they are trying to give him opportunities to prove himself over the last week in order to keep a job for next year. This is the part that bothers me the most:

 

He spent some time talking with Roenicke, who said the changes were suggested to Francisco.

 

"Well, sometimes you can wait around and wait for the player to come to you, and sometimes you're proactive," he said. "We needed to be proactive. We had talked at the very beginning about it, and it's not just us. He's got his own teammates telling him the same thing.

 

"The guys that he respects and listens to, they're telling him the same thing."

 

A) The fact that they had to go to him and tell him that he needs to change something and B) "The guys that he respects and listens to"....so, does this mean there are guys on the team he does not respect and won't listen to? If so, I wonder how many and who?

[jerichoholicninja]

I would say Hart is a lock to start at first next year so whatever they are "trying" with Juan is pretty much pointless. He gets a lot of hate but his bat provides value and as long as he doesn't have to put on a glove he should be on the bench next year. His career HR rate (23.8 pa/hr) is pretty darn close to Hart (24.7) and Aramis (22.4).

[Patrick425]

Yeah..unfortunately his lifetime OBP is closer to Yuni than it is to either of those two.

[TooLiveBrew]

Didn't you read the article that the Brewers are going to try out a new batting stance for the last week of the season? I can just see him getting hot for a couple of games, and then fooling the Brewers into thinking they should start him next season.

 

http://www.jsonline.com/sports/brewers/brewers-school-juan-francisco-on-his-swing-b99104778z1-224965222.html

I can see it now... he'll come into ST 'in the best shape of his life!' & win a 25-man spot.

[monty57]

Hart is not going to come cheap, that is the problem I have in signing him, even to a one year deal. If he really wants to be here, and will play for 3 to 4 million, why not, but anymore than that and I don't see him being worth it.

 

Monty, do you really think a guy like Hart will sell tickets? He hasn't played for a year, I don't think he will be a draw for next season just because he is Corey Hart. I don't think that signing Hart for next season will specifically sell one single ticket...

 

With our salary commitments, Attanasio needs to keep the stadium full. Whether he is correct or not, Attanasio has stated that he believes fans want to see continuity... they like going to the park and recognizing the players. I think it's why he offers extensions to pretty much anyone who looks like they could be league average. He's a Yankee fan, and that's what brought them back and made them a dynasty again. Unfortunately, the Brewers aren't the Yankees, so we end up keeping the mid-tier guys around until they're well past their prime, while the superstars move to a team that can actually afford them.

 

Hart in and of himself won't make a terribly expensive contract, but added to the commitments the Brewers already have, it makes for a $100MM payroll for a team unlikely to compete.

[Roderick]

Hart in and of himself won't make a terribly expensive contract, but added to the commitments the Brewers already have, it makes for a $100MM payroll for a team unlikely to compete.

 

Unless the Brewers sign a FA pitcher they are not close to a $100M payroll. Bringing back basically everyone and adding Hart at $5M would still be around a $92.5M payroll. And they can get down to $88M if they trade Weeks by eating 2/3 of his contract and cut Badenhop (while okay, it seems we can get by with min.wage guys w/ options).

[JohnBriggs12]

Hart in and of himself won't make a terribly expensive contract, but added to the commitments the Brewers already have, it makes for a $100MM payroll for a team unlikely to compete.

 

Unless the Brewers sign a FA pitcher they are not close to a $100M payroll. Bringing back basically everyone and adding Hart at $5M would still be around a $92.5M payroll. And they can get down to $88M if they trade Weeks by eating 2/3 of his contract and cut Badenhop (while okay, it seems we can get by with min.wage guys w/ options).

 

 

I don't think Hart's base will be a problem. If he does come back and is the same player, that's going to push payroll higher but it also is going to make them more competitive and watchable. If they still aren't contending, they can save money by unloading Lohse and Ramirez in July.

[reillymcshane]

Hart in and of himself won't make a terribly expensive contract, but added to the commitments the Brewers already have, it makes for a $100MM payroll for a team unlikely to compete.

 

Unless the Brewers sign a FA pitcher they are not close to a $100M payroll. Bringing back basically everyone and adding Hart at $5M would still be around a $92.5M payroll. And they can get down to $88M if they trade Weeks by eating 2/3 of his contract and cut Badenhop (while okay, it seems we can get by with min.wage guys w/ options).

Cutting Badenhop would probably save you about $2 million next year. However, I seriously doubt any team agrees to take Rickie unless we take 90% of his salary. The guy hit awful. His defense is awful. And he coming off a major injury. If he was a free agent, he'd be lucky to get a major league contract. So I don't think any team would agree to pay $3-4 million of Rickie's deal.

 

Plus, there's a $1 million buyout of Rickie's 2015 option. We'd probably have to cover that as well.

[Roderick]

Plus, there's a $1 million buyout of Rickie's 2015 option. We'd probably have to cover that as well.

 

There isn't a buyout unless he gets 400 at bats in 2014. Which if he is brought in as a platoon guy for a team, they probably wouldn't have to worry about him getting that.

[paul253]

Here it is:

 

1) Gallardo

2) Lohse

3) Peralta

4) Estrada

5) Thornburg

 

Forget free agents. Get your finances in order. Get through the Ramirez and Weeks' contracts and see what you have. Hellweg needs to figure out how to throw strikes. Nelson is probably ok in Nashville for a year but he and Burgos and Fiers could be injury options. Jungmann moves up to Nashville as well and so does Pena probably. I don't think the Brewers are a playoff contender so figure out what you have hope that everything falls into place for 2015. The absolute last thing we need is another Kyle Lohse type signing that is going to take us from a 76 win team to an 81 win team.