Rickie Weeks

[ewitkows]

What about someone like Ronald Enmanuel Guzman? a lower top 10 pick. He's still 3 years away

[Outlander]

Well Francisco does have more upside than Weeks, not even sure how you would debate otherwise.

[Warning Track Power]

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2014/03/rangers-seek-depth-at-second-and-catcher.html

 

Rickie to Texas? Mitch Moreland perhaps?

[TooLiveBrew]

Well Francisco does have more upside than Weeks, not even sure how you would debate otherwise.

I mean, if we're talking upside, Weeks has basically been the better offensive player at every level of ball & every MLB season save last year. Obviously if a person believes his 2013 is what to expect going forward, then yes, Francisco has more upside. I'm not convinced Rickie's just done as a hitter.

[Warning Track Power]

Well Francisco does have more upside than Weeks, not even sure how you would debate otherwise.

I mean, if we're talking upside, Weeks has basically been the better offensive player at every level of ball & every MLB season save last year. Obviously if a person believes his 2013 is what to expect going forward, then yes, Francisco has more upside. I'm not convinced Rickie's just done as a hitter.

Agreed...nor do I condone a Scooter/Bianchi platoon barring something unforeseen like Rickie being included in a trade package brings us a long term solution at 1B or 3B.

[brewcrewdue80]

Think of it this way. The Brewers just outright released Juan Fran who to me has more upside for 1/9th the pay of Weeks. There isn't a trade partner that exists who will deal any single prospect for Weeks. Weeks has an untradeable contract the Crew are stuck with. Maybe in late Sept the Crew can send him through waivers for a trade if, Weeks has you know any kind of value to some team then. Weeks clearly has about 1-3years left in all of his baseball career. Yuni probably stands a better chance of playing next season for a MLB team than Weeks.

This post is really hard to take seriously. Opinion is great & all, but let's use some objectivity here.

 

I'm in the thought process Weeks will lower his BA this year below .200...Meanwhile Yuni (like Casey McGehee) finds an .800+OPS over in Japan and becomes desired for 2015.

 

Weeks is going in the wrong direction. 12HRs or fewer this season, and it just goes in to the idea of decline moving forward with him. We all know his defense affects a team negatively. w/o a return of his power stroke what really does he provide as a 2b? a better than 10% walk rate? The BA would for a 3rd year be empty. These type of players don't stick on a ML club. I guess for 1mil or 1.5mil next year he can be touted as a bounceback/player who's been there veteran signing for a club. Let's also add that there's a large influx of 2b/SS coming in to the Majors, or have recently joined and are taking over the older lacking talent players Weeks is becoming.

Consider at 2b/SS joining this year or next: Bogaerts/Baez/Lindor/Russell/Seager/Hanson/Sardinas/Owings at SS Wong/Odor/Alcantara/Schoop/Lindsey/Rosario/Johnson/Flores at 2b. That's 16 or 60 Everyday positions. You can add that in 2013 2b/SS to move forward were:

Gennett/Gyorko/Rendon/Franklin/Solano/Cosart/Simmons/Iglesias/Miller/Gregarious/Villar/Dozier/Hechavarria/Rutledge or LeMathieu in Col There's 14 more so 30 of 60 2b/SS positions filled with younger better long term solution vs Weeks.

2b isn't like 1b situation right now where upcoming talent just isn't in the pipelines.

 

I still know my suggestion was a little out there but, looking ahead 2b/SS has a bright future coming for baseball. I'm giving recognition to it.

[nate82]

I would ask for Ryan Rua if the Rangers wanted Weeks and another lower level prospect depending on how much money the Rangers wanted the Brewers to pay for.

[monty57]

From CBSSportsline.com

 

Report: Rangers scout Rickie Weeks

 

The Rangers scouted Brewers second baseman Rickie Weeks at Tuesday's Giants-Brewers game, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

The Rangers are canvassing the league for infield help with Jurickson Profar sidelined by a shoulder injury for the next 10 to 12 weeks. The Brewers have a young player capable of serving as the team's regular second baseman in Scooter Gennett should Weeks be dealt.

 

Not a whole lot of info there, but they are scouting him. He's looked pretty good this spring, so who knows, maybe they'll at least be able to save money, and maybe even get a low-minors prospect with some upside.

[TooLiveBrew]

This just seems like a deal Daniels would make to me. Physically gifted/toolsy player & a buy-low opportunity. Plus there's the whole Fielder-Weeks friendship. As much as I love Rickie, if a deal can be worked out here, it'd probably be for the best.

[JohnBriggs12]

I gotta believe Prince is lobbying for this. What worries me is Daniels came out the other day regretting paying too much for Garza last year, so his inclination might be to be conservative. Weeks has had a decent spring, but much of that was the first 10 days. He's not done a whole lot the last week when pitchers are getting dialed in and the other day looked really slow running to first on a grounder to the hole he'd have easily beaten out earlier in his career. He could use a big game in front of Ranger scouts.

[DR28]

Weeks + Brewers pay some of his salary for Moreland... Come on fellas make it happen!

 

This would make perfect sense, Brewers were interested in Moreland earlier this offseason and Rangers need 2B help.

[monty57]

My guess is the Rangers will get Barney from the Cubs. With their team, the extra defense is worth more than gambling on a potential bounceback offensively from Weeks.

 

Either way, I don't expect much in return. If you're just hoping for Weeks to be gone to save some salary and open a roster spot, that looks like a possibility. If you're expecting to get something valuable back in return, I think you're sights are set too high. If he was worth a valuable return in trade, there wouldn't be so many people lobbying to get rid of him.

[JohnBriggs12]

If they can make the money a wash from Texas' viewpoint, I think a Moreland for Weeks is possible if the Brewers also throw in a minor leaguer though my fear is Texas would want Gindl and Weeks for Moreland. In that case, I'd want the Brewers to save at least a couple million.

[reillymcshane]

We won't get much of anything for Weeks other than salary relief.

 

That he's 'looked good' this spring is going to go only so far. He is hitting .294 and a .467 OBP this spring. But last spring he hit .288 with a .356 OBP. And in 2012 he hit .260 with a .488 OBP. He looked pretty good those years and ended up playing terrible both seasons.

 

He's still coming off a major injury and two bad straight years. That Rickie's played decent and appears healthy this spring can only help his value. But let's say he was a free agent - how much would a team pay him? Maybe a $1 million and some incentives? The Crew would be lucky if they can get a team to take on $2-3 million of his salary and a no name A baller for Rickie.

 

If we want a player, such as Moreland, we'll need to take on most of Rickie's salary and give them something else as well.

[Warning Track Power]

If we want a player, such as Moreland, we'll need to take on most of Rickie's salary and give them something else as well.

And given this I would much rather just keep Rickie as I think he has more value:

 

1. Playing as a RH part of the platoon than Bianchi or Herrera and

2. Any mediocre A ball prospect we would receive in a trade.

[brewcrewdue80]

Rangers acquired Donnie Murphy from the Cubs. That ends the Weeks trade potential.

[JohnBriggs12]

Rangers acquired Donnie Murphy from the Cubs. That ends the Weeks trade potential.

 

They might have gotten the better player.

[Warning Track Power]

Rangers acquired Donnie Murphy from the Cubs. That ends the Weeks trade potential.

 

They might have gotten the better player.

Uh no...JB12 let's at least keep your Rickie hate based in reality.

[endaround]

We won't get much of anything for Weeks other than salary relief.

 

That he's 'looked good' this spring is going to go only so far. He is hitting .294 and a .467 OBP this spring. But last spring he hit .288 with a .356 OBP. And in 2012 he hit .260 with a .488 OBP. He looked pretty good those years and ended up playing terrible both seasons.

 

He's still coming off a major injury and two bad straight years. That Rickie's played decent and appears healthy this spring can only help his value. But let's say he was a free agent - how much would a team pay him? Maybe a $1 million and some incentives? The Crew would be lucky if they can get a team to take on $2-3 million of his salary and a no name A baller for Rickie.

 

If we want a player, such as Moreland, we'll need to take on most of Rickie's salary and give them something else as well.

 

I don't get why everyone think Weeks' 2012 was terrible. He hit .230/.328/.400 with a wRC + of 99, ie basically dead average. It was disappointing after his 2011 but to pretend the it was the start of what happened last year is a stretch. It is also the likely ceiling of Gennett.

[Warning Track Power]

We won't get much of anything for Weeks other than salary relief.

 

That he's 'looked good' this spring is going to go only so far. He is hitting .294 and a .467 OBP this spring. But last spring he hit .288 with a .356 OBP. And in 2012 he hit .260 with a .488 OBP. He looked pretty good those years and ended up playing terrible both seasons.

 

He's still coming off a major injury and two bad straight years. That Rickie's played decent and appears healthy this spring can only help his value. But let's say he was a free agent - how much would a team pay him? Maybe a $1 million and some incentives? The Crew would be lucky if they can get a team to take on $2-3 million of his salary and a no name A baller for Rickie.

 

If we want a player, such as Moreland, we'll need to take on most of Rickie's salary and give them something else as well.

 

I don't get why everyone think Weeks' 2012 was terrible. He hit .230/.328/.400 with a wRC + of 99, ie basically dead average. It was disappointing after his 2011 but to pretend the it was the start of what happened last year is a stretch. It is also the likely ceiling of Gennett.

Amen on all of this endaround...

 

The only area I disagree with is the Scooter ceiling. Whereas I agree with the OBP & SLG, I think Scooter's AVG ceiling is around .290 - .300. Still gives you a picture into the type of hitter Rickie is versus the type of hitter Scooter is. Rickie's floor is Scooter's ceiling and I like Scooter.

[reillymcshane]

We won't get much of anything for Weeks other than salary relief.

 

That he's 'looked good' this spring is going to go only so far. He is hitting .294 and a .467 OBP this spring. But last spring he hit .288 with a .356 OBP. And in 2012 he hit .260 with a .488 OBP. He looked pretty good those years and ended up playing terrible both seasons.

 

He's still coming off a major injury and two bad straight years. That Rickie's played decent and appears healthy this spring can only help his value. But let's say he was a free agent - how much would a team pay him? Maybe a $1 million and some incentives? The Crew would be lucky if they can get a team to take on $2-3 million of his salary and a no name A baller for Rickie.

 

If we want a player, such as Moreland, we'll need to take on most of Rickie's salary and give them something else as well.

 

I don't get why everyone think Weeks' 2012 was terrible. He hit .230/.328/.400 with a wRC + of 99, ie basically dead average. It was disappointing after his 2011 but to pretend the it was the start of what happened last year is a stretch. It is also the likely ceiling of Gennett.

 

Fangraphs pegged Rickie at a 1.0 WAR in 2012. Baseball Reference had him at -0.4 WAR that year. His offense was, as you note, average. But his defense was not. Perhaps 'terrible' was an incorrect term. But I'd say 'bad' or 'not very good' wasn't that far off.

[3and2Fastball]

Really hoping Rickie can turn it around this year but so far its not looking good. Looks like he's lost another step in terms of his baserunning. Hopefully his bat can come alive

[JohnBriggs12]

Really hoping Rickie can turn it around this year but so far its not looking good. Looks like he's lost another step in terms of his baserunning. Hopefully his bat can come alive

 

I'm willing at this point to give him 120 AB's but no more than that if he's still hovering near or below the Mendoza line. His lack of versatility and still mediocre glove doesn't make him the ideal bench player.

[SoupTown]

It does amaze me how 'just bad' Rickie looks. He needs a 3 or 4 hit game to give himself some confidence. But, honestly, by looking at him field and run and bat - it does not look good. How can such a talent just evaporate.

[Fear The Chorizo]

Rickie's career trajectory got hampered several ways - first was that he was rushed a bit to the big leagues. At the time the Brewers were desparate for some of their talented prospects to get to Milwaukee, and Weeks was really the 1st of them to get an everyday job. He hit like crazy in the minors, but it was evident shortly after he started facing big league pitching that he needed alot of work recognizing pitches and shrinking the holes in his swing that pitchers could attack him at. His defense was atrocious early on, too.

 

He seemed to be developing ok on those fronts while flashing the talent everyone knew he had until the wrist and hand injuries happened. Combine that with the bad ankle injury and now the hamstring injury last season, and alot of Rickie's explosiveness (hands at the plate and speed on the basepaths) appears to be gone.

 

Even during his prime, Weeks has been a frustrating player, because he would go months doing basically nothing at the plate, then have a 3-week stretch where he'd crush everything in sight to bump his numbers back up to respectibility, then go ice cold just as fast and randomly as his hot streak started. While many don't put emphasis on it, over his career he's been generally terrible with runners in scoring position.

 

Overally, he's had a very similar career as many other super high draft picks have had around the years Weeks was drafted - (Delmon Young, BJ Upton), and much better than many (Matt Bush, Jeff Niemann, Kyle Sleeth, etc).