Jason Rogers at 1B next year?

[reillymcshane]

If the club deals Lind this off season, does Jason Rogers get a shot at a full time job? He's been playing great of late, bringing his season totals to .306 BA and an .834 OPS in 147 ABs. He's split his ABs pretty evenly between lefties and righties - and is actually hitting righties better than lefties. His splits have been pretty inconsistent in the minors, so I'm not sure what to think about him playing every day. However, he seems to work hard with this batting, takes his share of walks. He probably won't hit a ton of HRs, but if he could get you 15 HR and an .800 OPS over the course of a season, that would be pretty sweet.

 

The lack of lefties in our lineup might be an issue.

[DuWayne Steurer]

The lack of power is not that concerning. 150 PA's is a pretty small sample size. He's hit for a decent amount of power in the minors. He's getting on base and hitting well, so I'd expect him to hit for some power over a full season in the bigs.

 

 

I've been thinking this for a few weeks.......a Clark/Rogers platoon next year wouldn't be a bad idea at all, with Rogers getting p/t at 3rd base and in the outfield to get him up around 400 or so at bats. I don't think the guy is a world beater, but at the very least he's earned some more at bats to see if he can stick at the big league level.

[jerichoholicninja]

Who else would they play there? Rogers and Clark are really the only first basemen the organization has that have any real shot at playing in MLB next year. Maybe they move an OF there but I doubt that happens.

[superfly]

No. Just no.

[markedman5]

Rodgers should never play 3rd base........I'd be ok with him playing first in a rebuilding season

[JohnBriggs12]

Rodgers should never play 3rd base........I'd be ok with him playing first in a rebuilding season

 

If you're not planning on contending anyway why not just stick your 8 best offensive players out there for 7 innings? Rogers was fairly adequate at 3B when he played there regularly at AAA in 2nd half of 2014. Don't judge him off a handful of games played there this year. He's too new to the position to play there once a month and have any expectation.

 

A lineup that looks like this would be fun to watch:

 

Arcia

Lucroy

Braun

Lind

Davis

Rogers

Santana

Gennett

 

 

Of course it'll be June before we see Arcia, but use Perez, Sardinas, and Schafer as your late inning defense. If as expected they aren't contending in July, then deal Lind, move Braun to 1B, Santana to RF, and bring up Phillips as a left handed bat to play CF and replace Lind in the lineup.

[Pugger]

Rodgers should never play 3rd base........I'd be ok with him playing first in a rebuilding season

 

GMTA

[brewmann04]

Rogers should be given a chance to play first. I would not mind them moving Lind in the offseason for more prospects.

[MNBrew]

I like Lind and am not eager to see him moved. However, Rogers can hit, period, and that might afford the Brewers the flexiblity to trade Lind if the return's good.

 

I could see Matt Clark in a platoon with Rogers. It helps that Rogers has also been pretty successful as a PH.

[DHonks]

I still would like to see the Clark/Rogers platoon. I got criticized for saying it may match or outproduce Lind for a fraction of the cost, but I stand by it. I also like that both can play OF in a pinch, and Rogers can fill in at 3b on occasion (but by no means is a long-term solution). With DH games as well, it should be possible to get both of them 350-400 at bats next year, and I think their combined salary would be very efficient. Lind is a trade-chip approaching a contract year coming off a rare healthy season. I think Lind should help us land 2 talented prospects.

[1992casey]

If you're not planning on contending anyway why not just stick your 8 best offensive players out there for 7 innings?

 

I posted about this previously, but I'd go in the opposite direction, choosing pitching and defense on a rebuilding team. Prolonged innings caused by errors or lousy pitching are obnoxious and are tortuous for fans and players alike.

 

Given that, Rogers at first is OK with me, but he should only be playing third when there's no other choice.

 

As far as Lind goes, his trade value this winter is likely to beat whatever value he might add to the 2016 Brewers team.

[Outlander]

The last few seasons Rogers has hit righties better than lefties, no reason to platoon Rogers if they are going to give him a shot at first. I don't even know if Clark will survive the 40 man after the season.

[DuWayne Steurer]

If you're not planning on contending anyway why not just stick your 8 best offensive players out there for 7 innings?

 

I posted about this previously, but I'd go in the opposite direction, choosing pitching and defense on a rebuilding team. Prolonged innings caused by errors or lousy pitching are obnoxious and are tortuous for fans and players alike.

 

Given that, Rogers at first is OK with me, but he should only be playing third when there's no other choice.

 

As far as Lind goes, his trade value this winter is likely to beat whatever value he might add to the 2016 Brewers team.

 

 

This is the biggest part of the equation. I think the odds of the Brewers competing next year are somewhere between slim and slimmer (I won't say none, but I'm leaning that way). The team is better served using him as a trade piece and just letting Rogers or Rogers and Clark fill that spot for a year or two until the Brewers are back into the compete cycle.

[bjkrautk]

As far as Lind goes, his trade value this winter is likely to beat whatever value he might add to the 2016 Brewers team.

This is the biggest part of the equation. I think the odds of the Brewers competing next year are somewhere between slim and slimmer (I won't say none, but I'm leaning that way). The team is better served using him as a trade piece and just letting Rogers or Rogers and Clark fill that spot for a year or two until the Brewers are back into the compete cycle.

 

It's a 2-part analysis for me; not only is Lind going to have a higher value this off-season than he can provide for a losing team, I think he also has higher value in the off-season than he would at the trade deadline. (It's not like Lind had a down 2015, where he could improve his value by having the type of year Gerardo Parra did, and raise his value during the year.)

 

Khris Davis is in a similar position, to get off on a bit of a tangent; not having the same kind of history, another year of improvement could up his value in a trade. (That's what makes the decision to keep/trade him so very interesting.)

 

For Lind, teams don't need proof that he can hit like a MLB starter at 1b. The risk if you keep him on the roster is that his back could flare up, and he's hurt around the trade deadline. By moving him in the off-season, you avoid the health concern. If you can get good value in a trade offer, it makes too much sense to move Lind while the opportunity presents itself.

[JohnBriggs12]

If you're not planning on contending anyway why not just stick your 8 best offensive players out there for 7 innings?

 

I posted about this previously, but I'd go in the opposite direction, choosing pitching and defense on a rebuilding team. Prolonged innings caused by errors or lousy pitching are obnoxious and are tortuous for fans and players alike.

 

Given that, Rogers at first is OK with me, but he should only be playing third when there's no other choice.

 

As far as Lind goes, his trade value this winter is likely to beat whatever value he might add to the 2016 Brewers team.

 

 

His trade value won't be any lower next July than it will be in December when teams who are realistic contenders that need a 1B/DH (not a long list), will look to add someone they can get without giving up much if anything. The non-contending teams won't give up anything for him. Injuries and that desire to add one more bat at the deadline will make Lind attractive just as Parra was this year.

 

As for "choosing pitching and defense", I'd be with you if the pitching they had were good enough or had signaled that it would be soon, but it's not. The only reason they can't contend next year is their rotation just doesn't match up. Offensively, their lineup stands up to most in the NL when healthy. Oh they have plenty to choose from for mid to late rotation pieces, but other than Nelson, they are all 3-5 starters at best on good teams and the jury is still out on if Jimmy can become consistent enough to be a solid 1 or 2. Offensively, their lineup when healthy is good enough to contend. Look at a team like the White Sox this year. On paper, they had a rotation good enough to contend but their offense was horrible and eventually that lack of run support took it's toll on their staff too including Sale. And it's not like they wouldn't have decent to plus defense at SS, 2B, C which are all key defensive positions.

[CheezWizHed]

His trade value won't be any lower next July than it will be in December when teams who are realistic contenders that need a 1B/DH (not a long list), will look to add someone they can get without giving up much if anything. The non-contending teams won't give up anything for him. Injuries and that desire to add one more bat at the deadline will make Lind attractive just as Parra was this year.

 

But I don't see Lind's trade value increasing either... And in the offseason, everyone acts like contenders. Lind either has a possibility of maintaining his trade value or losing it (injury). So why wait?

[tmwiese55]

I'd be fine with just rolling Rogers in a rebuild year rather than bringing in some old guy who is washed up. If only Lind is traded (not Davis) though I'd just get Braun moved now since it's likely coming eventually. If both lind and davis are traded then you can put Braun back in left and see how Rogers does.

[Roderick]

His trade value won't be any lower next July than it will be in December

 

It will be if he has a back flareup or two, and if that happens in mid-July then you can't trade him at all. So unless we don't get close to equivalent talent back, I would trade Lind during this offseason. If he had no injury history like Parra, then I would say wait.

 

Save $7M to spend for the day when the Brewers are contending and see what Rogers can do.

[tmwiese55]

His trade value won't be any lower next July than it will be in December when teams who are realistic contenders that need a 1B/DH (not a long list), will look to add someone they can get without giving up much if anything. The non-contending teams won't give up anything for him. Injuries and that desire to add one more bat at the deadline will make Lind attractive just as Parra was this year.

 

But I don't see Lind's trade value increasing either... And in the offseason, everyone acts like contenders. Lind either has a possibility of maintaining his trade value or losing it (injury). So why wait?

 

100% right. I think Lind is a must trade in the offseason. We should have no delusions of competing in our division next year so there is no reason to keep him. In a different division you could argue that keeping him, healthy Braun/Lucroy, bounce back from Garza and signing someone like Zimmerman could make you a possible playoff team. We could add Kershaw and not finish in the top 3.

[markedman5]

Rodgers should never play 3rd base........I'd be ok with him playing first in a rebuilding season

 

If you're not planning on contending anyway why not just stick your 8 best offensive players out there for 7 innings? Rogers was fairly adequate at 3B when he played there regularly at AAA in 2nd half of 2014. Don't judge him off a handful of games played there this year. He's too new to the position to play there once a month and have any expectation.

 

A lineup that looks like this would be fun to watch:

 

Arcia

Lucroy

Braun

Lind

Davis

Rogers

Santana

Gennett

 

 

Of course it'll be June before we see Arcia, but use Perez, Sardinas, and Schafer as your late inning defense. If as expected they aren't contending in July, then deal Lind, move Braun to 1B, Santana to RF, and bring up Phillips as a left handed bat to play CF and replace Lind in the lineup.

 

CC disagrees with you...http://www.lindyssports.com/mlb/milwaukee-brewers/article/inside-scoop/rogers-not-option-at-third-for-brewers-2/335381/

[FVBrewerFan]

Lind should be traded no matter what. Rogers should get a shot playing 1B every day. Alternative is have someone work with him the entire off-season/ST on his 3B defense. If he can be avg there, you could put him at 3B and Lucroy or Braun at 1B. (I'm assuming both of them won't be traded.) That's what I would do.

 

Rogers has shown power throughout his career. I actually give him credit for concentrating on BA and getting on base early on, the power numbers will come. He could be even more than a stop-gap, just give him a chance.

[reillymcshane]

Just last month Counsell discounted Rogers as the starter at 3B due to his bad defense there.

 

“I think we explored third base,” Counsell said. “To me, I don’t think he’s the answer as an everyday third baseman defensively.”

 

Source: http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/sports/321094771.html

 

The past couple of months (after A-Ram's trade) was the perfect time to get Rogers more PT at 3B if the club thought he had a future there. They didn't. Instead it was Herrera and Perez. Rogers at 3B is a lottery ticket now, so I don't even like arguing the point. I won't discount it entirely, but to me it's a dead issue.

[monty57]

Would Lind be worthy of a QO? If so, then his value in trade now is much more than it would be mid-season, as the team trading for him would have the opportunity to offer a QO if they get him before the season starts.

 

Regardless, I think Lind is the obvious choice to trade this offseason. The less obvious choices are Lucroy, Davis, and Braun. To topic of the thread, whether Rogers will get the 1B job will in large part depend on if Davis or Braun are traded. We could go with Rogers at first and Santana in CF, but we really have pretty shoddy defense all around with that lineup. Getting a real CF could really help our pitching staff. Since Santana will be in the opening day lineup, that would either require trading Davis or Braun, or moving Braun or Santana to first (keeping Rogers on the bench).

 

Can we just get this whole playoff/World Series thing out of the way so we can get to what should be an interesting offseason :-)

[FVBrewerFan]

Just last month Counsell discounted Rogers as the starter at 3B due to his bad defense there.

 

Yes, most likely this is the beginning and end of discussion. My only point was maybe it's worth working with him at 3B all off-season and ST. But they know him best, and if they believe that's an exercise in futility, I get it. Then just put him at 1B. Lind should be traded no matter what anyhow, but it does create a bit of a logjam at 1B if they were planning on moving Lucroy there...or maybe even Braun.

[MNBrew]

I don't think there's any reason to think the Brewers actually want to move Lucroy or Braun to 1B. They already have a well-proven MLB 1B and a couple more guys who could well man the position at the MLB level (Rogers & Clark) if/when Lind is gone.

 

Many folks on this site advocate for it, but this is about the only sort of place it comes up -- and obviously it comes up a lot, as some posters are convinced that Braun (most especially) moving there is an inevitability and that it should happen sooner than later. But I have a hard time as seeing it as anything other than a group-think phenomenon that just spirals on itself.