First Base 2014

[MNBrew]

Just look at what happened to Taylor Green. Minor league player of the year in Nashville. .300+ average. 20+ home runs. And he was never even given a shot because the Brewers took the shortsighted approach of signing Ramirez thinking he'd be their savior. While he put up decent numbers when healthy, the Brewers were nowhere near contention these past two years with him and his salary is weighing us down right now.

I, too, wish Taylor Green had been given a shot. The Brewers didn't sign Ramirez to be their savior, though, but to be their proven cleanup hitter behind Braun (taking Fielder's spot in the lineup), which he did very well. Ramirez was never a chronically injured guy before -- on the contrary, quite durable and highly productive. And when he's healthy, he doesn't put up just decent numbers, he puts up very good ones.

 

I don't see how Ramirez's contract is weighing the Brewers down right now. Who would be eager to sign with them given how much went wrong last year? Probably only the types of guys they'd have to overpay, which would basically replace Ramirez with another player who's viewed much the same way that Ramirez & Lohse are. . . . Right now, the only contract truly hurting the Brewers is that of Rickie Weeks because they're getting NOTHING for that money. Most everyone else getting paid anything is producing in ways relatively similar to the production that earned them that contract in the first place.

[danzig6767]

When it comes to Rogers though, what reason is there to believe that he's still a legitimate prospect?

No we are talking about Jason Rogers, the first basemen who was the Brewers minor league player of the league last season. Not the injury plagued Mark Rogers.

 

My bad. I'd like to see him get a shot as a platoon partner with Davis if a trade does end up going down.

 

Not to keep repeating myself, but i do have a bad feeling that if Davis is acquired, he'll play pretty much everyday even though his horrific splits are common knowledge. For whatever reason, Roenicke really likes and is willing to use defensive positioning metrics for nearly every batter who steps to the plate, but then also says he isn't a big fan of using platoons, even if the numbers flat out scream to do it. I just have a hard time wrapping my brain around reasoning like that.

[MNBrew]

Loney is re-signing with the Rays per Olney on twitter. Welcome to Milwaukee Ike Davis.

The 3-yr/$21M he reportedly signed for is about what I was thinking the Brewers would've had to offer.

[sveumrules]

Am I the only one getting a really bad feeling that we're going to stand pat for a few months and then sign Kendrys Morales to a Lohsesque deal right before Spring Training?

[Warning Track Power]

Am I the only one getting a really bad feeling that we're going to stand pat for a few months and then sign Kendrys Morales to a Lohsesque deal right before Spring Training?

I was hoping I was the only one thinking this...

[Eye Black]

Yeah Thornburg was the teams #1 Prospect. There's just no way that a benched/sent down Davis can be worth a team's #1 prospect.

 

Send them Pena and be done with it. Would the Mets send away Rafael Montero for Ike Davis? That's the equivalent here between Thornburg and Montero. There's too much to like about Thornburg moving forward to give him up for the potentially complete, remove from roster, terrible Davis can be.

 

Davis is almost at 29% K rate over the last 2 seasons. Which is worse than his first 183 games. He's in his prime years and his K's are getting worse not improving. Such a Red Flag. You wouldn't trade Thornburg for Weeks and that is essentially what you are dealing with. a Weeks like .220BA with .325OB and maybe 20+HRs on a good season. It's ridiculous the Mets are asking for the Brewers former #1 Prospect for him.

 

Ike Davis' K% (SO/PA) over the past two seasons is actually 25%. That still isn't great, but a little more tolerable when you factor in that his BB% has been 12% over the same span, and was 15% last season. League average BB% is around 8%.

[SRB]

Now that Tampa Bay has Loney for 3 years, that probably precludes them from taking a 1B/DH in any Price trade with Seattle. Might make someone like Smoak available for the Brewers.

 

(I can't decide if I'd rather have Davis or Smoak. Probably the latter).

[danzig6767]

Now that Tampa Bay has Loney for 3 years, that probably precludes them from taking a 1B/DH in any Price trade with Seattle. Might make someone like Smoak available for the Brewers.

 

(I can't decide if I'd rather have Davis or Smoak. Probably the latter).

 

I'd rather have Davis so long as we don't have to give up anyone overly important.

 

Neither guy can hit lefties at all, but at least Davis has some history of crushing righthanders.

[brewmann04]

Thornburg should not be involved in a deal for Davis. I do agree with the previous poster about not giving up any prospects.

[JohnBriggs12]

At this point, I'd just go to Arizona and let the guys they do have battle it out. Then see who might be available from cuts or in trade.

 

Melvin waited too long on Hart, and assumed way too much. The most logiical "free" options are gone. He never moved on Morneau or gave a thought to Morse. Both guys signed modest deals.

 

Give Morris and Halton long looks this spring. If between them in a platoon they could get .260/.325/.440, with 25 HR and 80 RBI, that's as good as the guys currently available. Maybe throw Green into the mix as well, and lets not forget Lucroy when he's not catching.

[brewmann04]

DM big mistake as he admitted was not playing Morris in September. BUT i agree just let the current players fight it out. it not like this team is going to go anywhere in 2014.

[TURBO]

DM big nistake as he admitted was not play Morris in September. BUT i agree just let them fight it out and it not like we are going to go anywhere in 2014.

 

Dude, do you ever proof-read your posts? Just wondering...

[brewmann04]

Your so correct Tubrorickey really need to do better in the future.

[DR28]

So much for the reports that the Brewers are looking to move quickly for a 1B... Come on Doug, give up Hellweg or Pena for Ike!!

 

I'll go up against any team in the Majors with this lineup:

 

Segura

Gomez

Braun

Ramirez

Lucroy

I. Davis

K. Davis

Gennett

[JohnBriggs12]

I'd focus on Moreland, Smoak and Carp in trade discussions.

[fondybrewfan]

How about we do something crazy and try to get a MILB 1st basemen that is as close to ready as possible and just go with Halton/Francisco while we wait?

 

What about trying to get Choi from the Mariners (AAA last year), Muncy from A's (AA), or Medica from Padres (AA)?

 

All of them probably have more upside than any 1st basemen we currently have. I don't know what kind of return would be needed for any of them but it might be worth exploring if we can fix 1st base for hopefully many years. Obviously this would make Morris and Rogers very expendable for a different trade.

 

Not likely to happen but worth thinking about at least. I would love Medica but he would be the most expensive of the 3 and I don't know what the Padres would want. Bird from the Yanks also looks pretty nice but is a farther ways out having only been at High A last year. Bird had 100+ walks last year along with 20 homers. Strikes out a ton too.

[BallFour]

Smoak has to be available right? I mean they have Hart, LoMo, and Montero. All three guys need to have time at DH and 1B, I just don't see how Smoak fits into their plans.

 

Seems like we will get one of Davis, Moreland, or Smoak. I don't feel comfortable giving up Thornburg at all. The opportunity cost of just rolling with the better of Morris and Francisco / Halton seems like a better option than giving up an arm with potential. Having said that giving up Pena or Fiers I would be comfortable with.

[brewtank34]

Seriously guys, there's a reason why Seattle went away from Smoak. What has he proven in the bigs? Not much. I'd rather have Gamel...and I don't want Gamel. Just say no to Smoak.

[BallFour]

When our alternatives are Ike Davis, Mitch Moreland, and some combination of Francisco, Morris and Halton, I think it is okay to have discussions about Smoak don't you think? At least Smoak is accountable to be on the field past April unlike Gamel.

[molitor fan]

Where there's Smoak, there are GM's that get fired..........

[nate82]

I would bet on Smoak being a better player in Milwaukee than he is in Seattle. Defensively though he is not all that great. Smoak is probably more likely than any of the players being discussed to bounce back and have a great year. Smoak is also the cheapest option in terms of a type of prospect that would need to be given up to get him. For a 1-year option there is Adam Dunn. But the Brewers would probably have to pickup a lot of his contract.

[MNBrew]

Someone asked Adam McCalvy on Twitter tonight about Kevin Youkilis for 1B, to which Adam responded that he might well be a guy who's especially picky about where he goes. That said, I think the Brewers could do a whole lot worse than Youkilis for a year at 1B if he's remotely healthy. Otherwise, looking elsewhere on MLBTR's list of potentially available 1B guys (http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2013/12/james-loney-signing-further-thins-first-base-market.html), names like Carp & Lind & Moreland have plenty of reasons to consider them -- and NOT consider them -- but would all have to be acquired by trade. But if the FO figures there's no way they'd go with any of the in-house options (or, as I think of him anyway, outhouse options like JF21), there is reason to give each of those guys some thought. Lind would cost about what TB is paying Loney ($7M) plus $1.5M in buyouts for '15 & '16 (total), which would make him the most expensive of those options.

 

All that said, as others have noted, there's still good reason to make one decent FA pitching move (as illogical as it is on many levels, I'd like to see Balfour back in MIL, as I wished they'd never traded him for McClung in the 1st place) and leave 1B to the young guys, especially since Halton & Morris wouldn't be burning their last options to run 'em back & forth from AAA. And Taylor Green should have 2 options left if he were to make the 40-man roster at some point.

[brewcrewdue80]

FWIW, I'm not high on Smoak/Moreland. I'd roll the dice with Davis before the other two.

 

Carp is interesting to consider, but you're buying high on him after his year last season and that's a scary thought because he's never played more than 86 games in a season to suddenly be your everyday 1b? I just feel that Carp of the options would be the most likely to OPS .750 or higher....

which for a 1b is rather sad when we complain about Gennett maybe reaching .725OPS like that is terrible...These available options at 1b aren't looking much better than Gennett.

 

None of these guys are worthwhile everyday starters, only stopgaps. So there better be non-talented players going to the other teams if we trade for any of them.

 

I'm still on board with just running Halton,Francisco and Morris at 1b. I mean if we are looking at .750OPS being the best we can get, can't these guys come at least close to it?

[bill hAll Star]

This is not really an endorsement for Smoak, but they thought he was finally "getting it" in a few .850ish months this year but he bookended those with poor months to drag himself back down.

 

It's probably too little too late for a guy that just turned 27.

 

That said, I think in Miller Park, if he gets some days off vs. lefties, he could maybe go .800. Not great, but decent.

[SRB]

Can someone explain Ike Davis's splits?

 

2012, 1st Half: .201/.271/.388/.659 (295 PA)

2012, 2nd Half: .255/.346/.542/.888 (289 PA)

 

2013, 1st Half: .165/.255/.250/.505 (239 PA)

2013, 2nd Half: .286/.449/.505/.954 (138 PA)

 

My "research" suggests that his 2011 campaign was derailed early by an ankle injury, and that he then was beset by a fungal infection/Valley Fever (?!) for the first part of 2012, which likely affected his production as seen above. Does anyone know if there's an explanation for his 2013 first half? Because splits that are that severe do not suggest mere chance.

 

If there is any plausible explanation for why he was so bad to start 2013, then I am baffled as to why the Mets want to trade him. When he's been fully healthy he has been a stud hitter.