Who will be playing first base for the Brewers on opening day 2014?

[sveumrules]

Young's -.2 WAR would be a 1.6 win upgrade over YuniBees -1.8.

 

Sign me up. (Blue font)

[SRB]

Young's -.2 WAR would be a 1.6 win upgrade over YuniBees -1.8.

 

Sign me up. (Blue font)

To be fair, that WAR is a reflection of teams still thinking he can play 3B (and even giving him innings at SS -- ?!?!). Offensively he was not that bad, comparatively speaking, and probably would be a better defender at 1B.

[trwi7]

I just don't get it. You're going out and looking at Michael Young when you have a cheaper and likely better guy who is going to play the Michael Young role in Sean Halton. It's just absolutely mind boggling.

[SRB]

I just don't get it. You're going out and looking at Michael Young when you have a cheaper and likely better guy who is going to play the Michael Young role in Sean Halton. It's just absolutely mind boggling.

I don't think Young is some elite player anymore, but I also don't understand why people are assuming someone like Sean Halton can be expected to put up comparable numbers. Setting aside the fact that AAAA players who do well in the minors but can't hit major league pitching are a dime a dozen, Halton wasn't even that good in the minors. .809 OPS last season at AAA is not all that impressive. If the Brewers FO and talent evaluators thought Halton or Morris were competent major leaguers, then we wouldn't be talking about Michael Young right now.

[trwi7]

I'm not a huge fan of Halton but as a right handed platoon bat, he's fine and just as good as Michael Young at this point while also being younger and cheaper. We are once again going after a name instead of looking at the player objectively for what he is now and we're going to pay more to get that player than if we would just look at what we have now. It doesn't make sense now and it never will.

 

Francisco vs RHP - .252/.312/.464/.776

Halton vs LHP (minors) - .292/.379/.464/.843

 

That's better production offensively than we're going to get from Young. It's likely cheaper than Young. The defense will probably suck, especially with Francisco but Young sucks on defense too, so it's not like we would gain anything by signing Young.

 

They're once again focusing on the biggest achilles heel of the team from the previous year (1B), just like the bullpen from 2012 and getting tunnel vision by focusing on that, even if they have other areas they could improve and even if they have players who could produce just as well as the players they're looking at to replace them.

 

It's madness, it's annoying and it's frustrating to watch as a fan.

[Warning Track Power]

I just don't get it. You're going out and looking at Michael Young when you have a cheaper and likely better guy who is going to play the Michael Young role in Sean Halton. It's just absolutely mind boggling.

This entire situation is frustrating. Juan Francisco had more than half the season in Milwaukee to show that he doesn't belong as anything more than as a 25th man, PH power bat and yet somehow we are still discussing him as an option to be the man to get a majority of the time at 1B. Additionally, the idea of Michael Young playing over Sean Halton is maddening for all the reasons you mentioned in a later post. While Halton may not be a world beater, I would rather spend 2014 finding out what we have in him getting regular time than having old man Young playing 1B and padding his career statistics.

[TURBO]

Michael Young will not sell tickets, so it can't be that is a reason to bring him in...

 

Moves like this are so frustrating. Sometimes I wish I was just a casual fan, if that were the case, things like this wouldn't bother me.

[Warning Track Power]

Moves like this are so frustrating. Sometimes I wish I was just a casual fan, if that were the case, things like this wouldn't bother me.

Honestly Turbo, while it doesn't make it better for our beloved Brewers, I have found that with the economics of baseball saince 1995, it makes some sense to be a casual fan of a major market. For me I was born in Southern California which has always made me a casual fan of the Dodgers. Like I said, while it doesn't help the Brewers cause, it has helped me as a fan to fall back on a major market team that doesn't have the severe limitations of our Brewers.

 

Just trying to help...

[torts]

Moves like this are so frustrating. Sometimes I wish I was just a casual fan, if that were the case, things like this wouldn't bother me.

Honestly Turbo, while it doesn't make it better for our beloved Brewers, I have found that with the economics of baseball saince 1995, it makes some sense to be a casual fan of a major market. For me I was born in Southern California which has always made me a casual fan of the Dodgers. Like I said, while it doesn't help the Brewers cause, it has helped me as a fan to fall back on a major market team that doesn't have the severe limitations of our Brewers.

 

Just trying to help...

 

I grew up in a small town in northwestern PA and was surrounded by the Indians and Pirates, I will never understand anything but severe limitations

 

[CheezWizHed]

They're once again focusing on the biggest achilles heel of the team from the previous year (1B)...

 

I've seen this attitude here a few times and honestly don't understand the problem. The biggest achilles heel from last year is still the biggest achilles heel this offseason. So wouldn't we focus on it???

 

Now, I agree with the rest of your statement about ignoring guys that we have who would be an equal improvement.

 

At this point, I'd be fine with a Morris/Halton platoon, but I'm guessing the Brewer's front office would be afraid that this would signal to the fans that they were "giving up".

[logan82]

They're once again focusing on the biggest achilles heel of the team from the previous year (1B)...

 

I've seen this attitude here a few times and honestly don't understand the problem. The biggest achilles heel from last year is still the biggest achilles heel this offseason. So wouldn't we focus on it???

The problem isn't as big as they think it is. It was overblown because of poor management by the GM and manager.

[CheezWizHed]

Ah... so you voted for Yuni B at 1B...

 

The problem IS as big as they think. 1B was putrid last year. Still isn't any better.

 

I think what you meant to say was: These guys they are pursuing (post-Hart and all the other 1Bs Seattle aquired) aren't any better than the options we have in house.

 

I don't see any of the vets left as a significant improvement over Morris/Halton/Francisco/Rogers. And at least with Morris/Rogers, you have a chance to see if you actually have a legit MLB starter. (Sorry to JB, but I can't see Halton as anything more than a platoon/bench player)

[logan82]

I don't see any of the vets left as a significant improvement over Morris/Halton/Francisco/Rogers.

Most of those guys were barely used at 1B last year. Using some combination of those guys other than Francisco would have been an improvement.

[endaround]

I don't see any of the vets left as a significant improvement over Morris/Halton/Francisco/Rogers.

Most of those guys were barely used at 1B last year. Using some combination of those guys other than Francisco would have been an improvement.

 

Based on what? Morris was floundering in AAA. He had a .743 OPS in August with a .305 OBP. Rogers was a .810 OPS as a 24 year old in AA, his projections are in the .240/.300/.370 range.

[CheezWizHed]

Looking at last year's qualified 1B starters, an OPS 800 was around the median. (Eric Hosmer was at .801 with 15 1Bs above him and 16 1Bs below him).

 

These are the guys that are available:

- Kendrys Morales(29): 2013=787 OPS, Career=822 OPS + Give up draft pick

- Kevin Youkilis(33): 2013= 648 OPS (28 games), Career= 861 OPS + Injury Risk

- Jeff Baker(31): 2013= 657 OPS, Career= 744 OPS

- Michael Young(36): 2013= 731 OPS, Career= 787 OPS

- Mark Reynolds (30): 2013= 699 OPS, Career= 793 OPS

- *Ike Davis (26): 2013= 661 OPS, Career=768 OPS

- *Justin Smoak(27): 2013=746 OPS, Career=700 OPS

- *Mitch Moreland(28): 2013= 736 OPS, Career= 758 OPS

*Will require a trade to aquire

 

Or if we platoon our own guys:

- Sean Halton (26): 2013=687 OPS MLB, 2013=809 MiLB

- Hunter Morris (25): 2013=766OPS MiLB, 2013 vs RHP (MiLB)= 824

- Juan Fransisco(26): 2013=733 OPS, Career vs. RHP=776 OPS

- Taylor Green (27): Career MLB =609OPS (140 ABs), Career MiLB=822 OPS

 

So of the FA/Trade lists, there are really only 3 people that could realistically put up the median 1B numbers (800): Morales, Youkilis or Davis.

- I think the Brewers have the right approach for Davis with the buy low attempt. Is young and worth seeing if he can bounce back (for the right price).

- I wouldn't bother with Morales. Too expensive for getting a middle of the pack 1B.

- Youkilis is kind of interesting. Someone you take a flyer on to see if he can bounce back from injury and trade off later.

 

But I think you can piece together an "ok" year at 1B (700-750) by platooning the 4 guys I listed above rather than get one of the other 1Bs and get a 650-750 year out of them. Plus, the added bonus of giving Morris a chance to stick at the MLB level without too much pressure as part of a platoon. And if not, Francisco does the LH side of the platoon.

[torts]

except Youk is 35 and on his way to Japan

[Fear The Chorizo]

The good thing is that they have no shortage of bodies that can play the position within the organization - the bad thing is that no matter how many platoon options & combinations get pulled from that blob, nothing more than blah comes out of it.

 

I think the best option is to go out and get Ike Davis - send Fiers and one of these other 1B options other than Morris in the trade and see if a change in scenery helps Davis out. If not you still have Morris developing in AAA to turn to.

[CheezWizHed]

except Youk is 35 and on his way to Japan

I never keep track of non-Brewers that closely anyway. 35 isn't a bother because it would be a 1 year reclaimation project anyway. Certainly nothing long term. But I guess its a moot point.

 

...the bad thing is that no matter how many platoon options & combinations get pulled from that blob, nothing more than blah comes out of it.

 

Yeah, I wasn't saying the platoon would be great, but about the same "blah" as signing the FAs out there.

 

I think the best option is to go out and get Ike Davis

If we are able to get him at a low trade and we really think Morris needs another year, I'd agree. But the only think that keeps that idea from being "blah" is that he has some bounce back potential.

[Lee16]

Who will be playing first base for the Brewers on opening day 2014?

 

I fear the answer is "Someone who has no business playing first base for the Brewers on opening day in 2014".

[CheezWizHed]

That is why people have voted for Yuni B. He represents that vote.

[Invader3K]

That is why people have voted for Yuni B. He represents that vote.

 

Who can say no to this smile?

 

http://miamiherald.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451b26169e2019b016e0839970c-320wi

[chickinbrickin]

I want nothing to do with Ike Davis. There is no difference between him and Francisco when it comes to the bat. Low average with power potential. Why give up a prospect to get another weak player at 1b to muddy that situation even more and possibly block Morris from getting a shot.

[Warning Track Power]

Knowing what we know now about our 1B situation, meaning we know it's not going to be a world beater, would you have done what it took to get Prince Fielder back in Milwaukee? The Rangers traded Kinsler and money and the Rangers got Fielder for 7 years $138 million. I would have to assume that any deal with the Tigers would have included Weeks, Henderson and a decent pitching prospect (Thornburg perhaps). Would you have done this? I would have and not because Prince is a great 1B or will age gracefully. I truly believe the Brewers are seriously lacking on field leadership right now. (Lucroy seems to be getting close to this now but not quite there yet) Prince seemed to be the leader of the team when he was here and I think it has sorely been missing.

[BarneyStinston]

IMO, on field leadership in baseball is really overrated. To even suggest that Prince was really in charge of anything related to strategy or willing the team to win is probably not at all accurate. He certainly was not this great leader in Detroit. Its not like any single field player is a quarterback calling the plays. The only player relatively in charge of the overall situation is the pitcher, and perhaps the catcher.

[Dean Machine]

I'm a bald man and watching the play-offs I was literally trying to pull out my hair watching Prince blow a series with his defense. He does not belong on a baseball field with a glove.