If this is it and "We are Set", WE are in trouble

[3and2Fastball]

I think Zobrist will be traded to the Angels.

[pacopete4]

I still think Cubs. Maddon likes to have options for lineups and he's definitely a guy that gives you plenty.

[SRB]

When was the last time the Brewers went an offseason without signing a single major league free agent?

[craigharmann]

I think Zobrist will be traded to the Angels.

 

Close. He and Escobar went to Oakland.

[3and2Fastball]

When was the last time the Brewers went an offseason without signing a single major league free agent?

 

They signed an MVP RF, this guy named Ryan Braun. That is what Melvin will say to reporters in March, just wait.... "with Ryan Braun's thumb healthy now, it is like we went out and signed an NL MVP"

[narwhalattack]

According to Jon Morosi, the D-backs are looking for another starter. Perhaps they'll be interested in either Lohse or Gallardo?

[WV Brew]

Well, their 5 and 6 ranked prospects on MLB.com are both 3B. Lohse has played for LaRussa before.

[bill hAll Star]

Do we have a tea leaves reading on if we're *really* going to play Scooter out there every day? If not, who is the platoon mate? I know that Weeks is technically still out there but I feel like he'll catch on with a contender somewhere or maybe the Yankees.

[JohnBriggs12]

Do we have a tea leaves reading on if we're *really* going to play Scooter out there every day? If not, who is the platoon mate? I know that Weeks is technically still out there but I feel like he'll catch on with a contender somewhere or maybe the Yankees.

 

Roenicke was quoted earlier that they believe (as I do frankly) that Scooter is good hitter period and he'll be playing every day. They think by seeing lefties regularly, he'll be better and I agree. Until Scooter suffered that calf injury, he was on pace for a heck of a season. We all see now how calf injuries can affect guys. If they wanted a platoon mate, it would seem the logical guy out there would be Gordon Beckham but they seem content having Gomez fill that role if the need arises. The inaction on Weeks speaks volumes. Nobody aparently sees him as an everyday player anymore, and his refusal to even try different positions makes him a much less attractive reserve.

 

I'm more concerned that they seem content with unproven Jimenez and/or Rogers as the RH half of the 1B platoon. I'd rather see a veteran like a Jeff Baker in that role and let Rogers continue to develop at 3B in AAA so he's ready if called upon this year or next.

[Outlander]

Agree with you on Jimenez, pretty sure he will be my least favorite Brewer this year if he makes the team and for whatever reason they seem way too high on him.

[bill hAll Star]

I'm extremely concerned about a platoon-mate for Scooter. Scooter will improve, but he has been horrible for his entire professional career now against left-handed pitching. It's sabotage of your own team if you throw him out there against lefties. On a team with little room for error, throwing a guy out there because he'll give it the ol' college try even though we have 6 years of data that shows it will be a massive failure tells me that we don't have management competent to compete in baseball in 2015.

[ewitkows]

Looks like Mike Carp is signing a minor league deal with the Nats. We could have really used him at AAA in case something happens to Lind.

[pacopete4]

I think having Matt Clark is an acceptable AAA option for if Lind is hurt. Signing someone like Carp to be in AAA then diminishes that guys playing time.

[jerichoholicninja]

I posted somewhere that Mark Ellis is still out there and hits LHP pretty good to go along with solid defense. Platooning him with Scooter and giving Ramirez some days off is not a bad option right now.

[pacopete4]

I posted somewhere that Mark Ellis is still out there and hits LHP pretty good to go along with solid defense. Platooning him with Scooter and giving Ramirez some days off is not a bad option right now.

 

The problem with Ellis is that he will be 38 during the season, hit .180 last year and has barely played any 3B in his MLB career (67 innings, and hardly any of them coming recently) so he is basically Weeks minus being any good anymore. No thank you.

[pete]

1) Does Matt Clark have options?

 

2) Actually Gennett absolutely raked against LH pitching in A ball. I'd guess he was young for his age in the league as well. He did a good job in the FSL also which is the toughest league to hit in. By his own admission he was trying to hit balls out there. His minor league numbers are a case study in how to use statistics to support a position. All the people who talk about "the last 4 years" are a classic case of selective end points. None of them will talk about league or park factors either. People also use numbers as a PH to contrast with starters - not meaningful.

 

Using his career average which isn't bad at all would be ignoring the trend of declining numbers but that's what people will do if it supports their position. Player X can't do whatever - look it his career numbers in the minors is usually presented as case closed.

 

But according to the national experts, he was bad defensively. He was also somewhere between not a major leaguer hitter, Law, to Aaron Miles, according to Jason Parks in what was a really great rant. But they were wrong. I'd guess that he'll get about 2/3 of starts against LH pitchers and whoever is the BU middle infielder or Jimenez will get the rest. How many does that add up to? Not a lot.

[Mass Haas]

1) Does Matt Clark have options?

 

All 3, actually.

 

Players with zero who are relevant to the bench discussion are Luis Jimenez, Elian Herrera, and Hector Gomez.

 

Remaining Options Info

[JohnBriggs12]

I think having Matt Clark is an acceptable AAA option for if Lind is hurt. Signing someone like Carp to be in AAA then diminishes that guys playing time.

 

Personally, I'd rather have Clark as occasional starter in LF and Braun injury replacement in RF and premier bench bat instead of the power challenged Parra, and let Schafer and Wren battle it out for the 5th OF and backup CF job. That's assuming all the IF backups are RH hitters.

[bill hAll Star]

Parra is an exceptional defender that can play all 3 positions and has a .760 career OPS vs. RH pitchers. Clark could be a solid platoon bat as well but Parra has a fairly key role.

[bill hAll Star]

2) Actually Gennett absolutely raked against LH pitching in A ball. I'd guess he was young for his age in the league as well. He did a good job in the FSL also which is the toughest league to hit in. By his own admission he was trying to hit balls out there. His minor league numbers are a case study in how to use statistics to support a position. All the people who talk about "the last 4 years" are a classic case of selective end points. None of them will talk about league or park factors either. People also use numbers as a PH to contrast with starters - not meaningful.

 

Using his career average which isn't bad at all would be ignoring the trend of declining numbers but that's what people will do if it supports their position. Player X can't do whatever - look it his career numbers in the minors is usually presented as case closed.

 

OPS vs. LHP (Plate Appearances)

2010 A Ball: .851 (125) - Note, he hit only 1 HR against LHP.

2011 A+ Ball: .667 (164)

2012 AA Ball: .646 (167)

2013 AAA Ball: .592 (190)

2013-2014 MLB: .291 (this is OPS, not batting average) (83)

 

So he hit lefties well with minimal power in 125 single-A plate appearances. He's been horrendous everywhere else, unless you want to count an OK batting average with no walks or power in A+ ball.

[pete]

Horrendous: horrifying or terrible

 

Well, you're using OPS which is kind of tough for him considering how small he was especially coming out of HS. You're using it with Midwest League and Florida State League stats which is an important consideration. You're omitting his age for the league.

 

You're mixing PH numbers in. What are Mike Trout and Andrew McCutchen's PH numbers against same side pitching? Or even MLB average for that matter.

 

For what its worth, .646 against same side pitching in the Southern League is far from horrendous. I wonder how it rates against similar numbers in the league but its too much work to find out. Six sixty seven in he FSL against same side pitching probably rates pretty highly too I'd guess.

 

That's just statistical data that's missing. I'm sure all the people who worked with him in the org weighed in on the subject.

 

But again I ask, if he gets 2/3rds of the plate appearances against LH starters, how many will that be? If they get some old veteran to platoon, what's the net difference between him and 2/3rds Gennett and 1/3rd utility infielder? And will your old veteran be able to play the field?

[bill hAll Star]

Somebody that struggles to muster a .650 OPS in any lower level is going to be a liability in that situation at the MLB level.

 

He absolutely could show a bit of improvement and can't be any worse if he gets more of a sample to at least squeak some doubles down the line in there. That said, I can't see him putting up more than a .600 OPS against LHP. I just don't want to give up that many at bats over the course of a season. I realize that Weeks was an imperfect platoon mate because you had a guy that only played 2B and not a utility guy there, but we need a decent utility RH hitter. Is that Gomez? If that is, then fine.

 

This team doesn't have room for error. Giving away a free out on almost all of ABs from 1/3 of ABs from a spot in the order is not a good way to improve that situation.

[JohnBriggs12]

Somebody that struggles to muster a .650 OPS in any lower level is going to be a liability in that situation at the MLB level.

 

He absolutely could show a bit of improvement and can't be any worse if he gets more of a sample to at least squeak some doubles down the line in there. That said, I can't see him putting up more than a .600 OPS against LHP. I just don't want to give up that many at bats over the course of a season. I realize that Weeks was an imperfect platoon mate because you had a guy that only played 2B and not a utility guy there, but we need a decent utility RH hitter. Is that Gomez? If that is, then fine.

 

This team doesn't have room for error. Giving away a free out on almost all of ABs from 1/3 of ABs from a spot in the order is not a good way to improve that situation.

 

You are looking at it too narrowly. Facing hitters from your own side regularly should make you a better overall hitter against all types as it forces you to be fundamentally sound at the plate and not pull off pitches. Gennett can get a bit pull happy from time to time and he looks inside a lot. I will bet that Gennett's numbers against RHP improve by being able to face lefties on a regular basis. He also will get to stay in the lineup when he's hot instead of sitting and cooling off for a couple days when lefties start.

[bill hAll Star]

Are we willing to risk a decent set of ABs this year to figure it out? I feel as though many on here are much too confident that he'll just "figure it out" with extra practice. Are we willing to find out in August that he's still OPSing .550 against LHP?

 

They spent half the season trying to see if Will Smith was an "8th inning guy" (I hate that about any manager) and found out the hard way halfway through the year that he should be a LOOGY. To be fair, he was excellent against both hands for a while, but the point is that you normally just trust the numbers on this stuff because eventually when you try to pound a square peg into a round hole it will eventually blow up in your face.

[TURBO]

In Smith's case, I think it had more to do with over-use than anything else... At the very least, I hope our manager learned a lesson from over using guys and how they end the season compared to how they started...