Sucks to be Velez?

[Crash2303]

A career AAAA player, Velez was about a .800 OPS guy in about 5 1/2 seasons in AAA, doing very little in his major league stints. However, since coming to the Brewers midway through 2013, as you know, he has been phenomenal!

In 205 ABs, he has hit .395/.455/1.006 in addition, he plays almost every position on the field (1B, 2B, 3B, corner OF- even short and CF in a pinch). He is a legit super-utility guy.

 

But, Herrera is on the 40 man roster and Rickie and Wang are occupying wasted roster space. Plus, you would think Gindl, Halton, Green are probably ahead of him on the positional callup list. what does a guy need to do?

[JohnBriggs12]

He was a pretty serviceable utility guy for the Giants in 08 and 09. He's wearing that gigantic collar from 0 for 37 with the 2011 Dodgers and teams are probably reluctant to give him another shot. Didn't Counsell have a longer O fer that year though?

 

Rickie has to be on borrowed time. They will have 40 man spot when Hellweg ends up on the 60 day DL.

[Mass Haas]

It'd help if he could play shortstop as well, as even if Elian Herrera was somehow hurt or dropped from the roster, Irving Falu would trump Velez.

 

Maybe the Crew could net a bauble in trade, although they badly want a competitive AAA team this year, and Velez certainly aids that cause.

 

Velez' agent really needed to negotiate a June opt-out (maybe he did).

[Mass Haas]

Sounds’ Eugenio Velez swinging a hot bat

Nick Cole, the Tennessean

 

Now with his fifth major-league organization in as many seasons, Eugenio Velez may have found himself a home in the Brewers system in Nashville.

 

The 31-year-old utility man has been on an extended hot streak at the plate since joining the Sounds last July and has shown no indications of slowing down anytime soon.

 

Velez, who has a 2010 World Series ring from his time with the San Francisco Giants, led the Pacific Coast League with a .444 batting average through Monday. He also appeared among the league leaders in several other offensive categories, including on-base percentage (.508), OPS (1.138) and stolen bases (six).

 

Last season, he hit .377 over 38 games with the Sounds following his release by the Toronto Blue Jays on July 22.

 

The Dominican native attributes at least some of his Music City success to Sounds hitting coach Bob Skube.

 

“I’ve been working real hard with the hitting coach,” Velez explained. “He likes to work and that’s why I like him. He makes me get here early and he works with me every single day. Everything that he has me do in the cage before the games — it works.”

 

Velez also has previous experience playing for first-year Sounds manager Rick Sweet in the Dominican winter league.

 

“I know him well, and I know he’s a pretty good baseball player,” Sweet said. “He gets a little passionate and a little on the bases at times, but he’s always been a pretty good hitter if you look at the numbers over his career.”

[FVBrewerFan]

You could say the same thing about Orr. He's hitting very well and play more than one position. He even has more power than Velez. But he will never be in Milwaukee unless there's a pretty serious string of injuries.

[Crash2303]

definitely. and its interesting how many superutility guys (play at least five positions), we brought in at AAA this year:

Velez, Orr, Herrera, Falu, and we even had Joe Thurston before he was cut this spring. now we just need to find Joe Inglett to round off this team.