Major League Rule 5 Selection: 2B/OF Colin Walsh (Athletics); Latest: DFA'd on May 31st

[MoreTrife]

"If he throws a fastball right on the black, a changeup on the black, and then a back-door curveball on the black, good for him. I’ll probably take all three and strike out looking. But pitchers don’t do that consistently. They make mistakes."

 

Eh, top of the rotation guys across baseball can. It'll be interesting to see how it goes for him.

[pacopete4]

"If he throws a fastball right on the black, a changeup on the black, and then a back-door curveball on the black, good for him. I’ll probably take all three and strike out looking. But pitchers don’t do that consistently. They make mistakes."

 

Eh, top of the rotation guys across baseball can. It'll be interesting to see how it goes for him.

 

 

You're right, they can more often but they still don't consistently. His philosophy is to hit pitches he can hit hard. It's a great philosophy to have. Santana has the same approach to some extent.

[Jenkins5]

"If he throws a fastball right on the black, a changeup on the black, and then a back-door curveball on the black, good for him. I’ll probably take all three and strike out looking. But pitchers don’t do that consistently. They make mistakes."

 

Eh, top of the rotation guys across baseball can. It'll be interesting to see how it goes for him.

 

Think it will go fine, there are very few pitchers in baseball who are that lights out with command and stuff. Grienke, will carve guys up like that, Madbum is very crafty in those ways, Kershaw & Scherzer maybe. What he is saying more often than not, a pitcher is going to paint the edges every single pitch and if they do good for them, they earned the K. Most pitchers will get at least some white and he will go after it for a hit or at least foul it off.

[Outlander]

I know he only has limited at bats but if by chance Walsh ended the season where he had an average that was maybe between .100-.200 but his OBP was around 380 is there value in that? I don't really look at average anymore but it is kind of hard to not see what Walsh is doing. Would you want an utility guy on the roster that can't hit but gets on base? Is he a top of the order option even if he can't hit as long as he gets on base?

[jerichoholicninja]

OBP always has value regardless of batting average. Factor in his defensive versatility and he has a place on the 25 man. I posted this in an in game thread but his "approach" is to just not swing until he gets to 2 strikes. I'm surprised that pitchers don't just pound him with strikes. Maybe if they start to do that he'll actually swing and get his average over .200.

[Thurston Fluff]

I don't think someone who cannot actually hit at all can maintain a high enough OBP. At this point in the season a couple walks makes an OBP look good. Eventually pitchers are going to realize he can't hit and pound the zone. While he will still get a few walks out of pitchers who cannot throw strikes those guys don't stay in the majors very long. Hoping to get enough poor control pitchers to maintain a high OBP over any appreciable amount of at bats is not a very good strategy for a long major league career.

[pacopete4]

Can Walsh just get some regular playing time so we can find out about this guy. I am impressed the fact that he has stay so patient receiving an AB per game. Most guys that are on the bench so much don't maintain their eye at the plate. Counsell is doing this guy no good by what has taken place this season so far.

[umphrey]

It's pretty rare to see a guy with higher than 12% walk rate unless they are an elite hitter who pitchers are trying to avoid. Walsh is at 31% now.

[JohnBriggs12]

We're 54 plate appearances in, and frankly I'm not impressed with his .437 OPS. Sure his OBP is still .315, but what value is he when he can't get a hit when a hit is needed? Yeah he's walked 12 times, but he's also fanned 17 times. So in over half his PA, he's failed to put the ball in play. He's already a -0.3 WAR. I'm less impressed with the walks because for the most part he's batted down in the order where walks generally have less value as the 8th and 9th hitters follow him.

 

With alternatives at both positions he plays doing fine, and the pending arrival at some point of Arcia, freeing up another switch hitter in Villar, it won't be tragic to me if they offered him back to Oakland and ended the experiment. After all, he'll be 27 by the end of the season.

[JackNicholson1974]

I was excited about Walsh but I am ready to move on from him.

[FVBrewerFan]

I agree. Plus, when Scooter comes back someone has to go. You could say it's a rebuilding year, give him more ABs. Let him start for a month every day and see what he does. But, like you said, it's not like he's 22. Other than being LH, he really has nothing to offer over Villar, Perez, Rivera, or Hill. Or probably even Orf for that matter.

 

You can only have so many IFs, I'm willing to cut Walsh loose at this point. It's not an emergency or anything, if they want to wait until the All-Star break or something, really doesn't matter.

[DuWayne Steurer]

At some point, pitchers are going to just start throwing 1st and 2nd pitch get-me-over fastballs and start daring him to swing. He has a terrible approach, and he's overmatched against MLB pitching. I liked that we grabbed the kid and really wanted him to at least be a serviceable utility guy.... but he's not working out.

[ZBTMP]

Walsh has at least shown a propensity for getting on base in pinch hitting appearances which has some use. I would still bet against him continuing a .167 BABIP going forward and think his numbers and plate approach will regress into something less of a outlier in so many ways.

 

Rivera is the same guy who had a .266 OBP in AAA at a hitter's paradise last year in over 300 at-bats. His 18:1 K:BB ratio so far this year looks pretty overmatched. I would think he'd benefit from additional seasoning rather than hoping his offense somehow becomes passable sitting on the bench and taking BP everyday.

[Thurston Fluff]

Walsh has at least shown a propensity for getting on base in pinch hitting appearances which has some use. I would still bet against him continuing a .167 BABIP going forward and think his numbers and plate approach will regress into something less of a outlier in so many ways.

 

Rivera is the same guy who had a .266 OBP in AAA at a hitter's paradise last year in over 300 at-bats. His 18:1 K:BB ratio so far this year looks pretty overmatched. I would think he'd benefit from additional seasoning rather than hoping his offense somehow becomes passable sitting on the bench and taking BP everyday.

 

 

While that is a very reasonable argument I don't think he is ever going to be more than a bench player. If that is how the Brewers view him the real question is he better off learning to be a part time player by being a part time player in the majors or in getting regular playing time in AAA and not really ever adjusting to sporadic play? I guess they could send him down and make him a bench player in AAA to learn how to there but I don't think that ever happens. Not to go off subject too far but I often wonder why teams don't use players in the bench player role if they are going to be that in the majors.

[dacbrewers]

We're 54 plate appearances in, and frankly I'm not impressed with his .437 OPS. Sure his OBP is still .315, but what value is he when he can't get a hit when a hit is needed? Yeah he's walked 12 times, but he's also fanned 17 times. So in over half his PA, he's failed to put the ball in play. He's already a -0.3 WAR. I'm less impressed with the walks because for the most part he's batted down in the order where walks generally have less value as the 8th and 9th hitters follow him.

 

With alternatives at both positions he plays doing fine, and the pending arrival at some point of Arcia, freeing up another switch hitter in Villar, it won't be tragic to me if they offered him back to Oakland and ended the experiment. After all, he'll be 27 by the end of the season.

One AB sent me over the top last week. We had guys on 2nd and 3rd..1 out. The game score was fairly close at that point. Walsh up...takes 3rd strike looking or swinging. Maldy gets walked to get to pitcher. Pitcher takes a couple curve strikes...fouls off one or two pitches then grounds out to ss for third out. My point is how can a pitcher who hardly ever bats put together a better AB. It's mind boggling to me. Walsh is always looking for walk instead of a hit. Same game same guy...we are shifted to right side...Walsh dives right in front of Hill instead of letting Hill field the ball and throw out the runner...and drops ball...that runner came around to score.

As far as the other rule 5 guys we picked up, I don't think any of them will ever pan out. Brewers like to state that the moves provide better organizational depth, but I don't see how that's possible when most of the guys we have are better than the rule 5 guys. It's a joke that instead of taking care of the guys the Brewers have drafted and brought up through their system...they will pay league minimum to rule 5 guys who don't play and on top of it get MLB experience time without getting any experience.

[Boomer5]

He was just a really cheap guy to bring in and see if his skill set would translate to a bench role at the majors. At 26 he isnt a guy to develop, either he is or he isnt.

 

He isn't.

[pacopete4]

Boy am I glad that a lot of us aren't running this team. The guy has had 54 sporadic MLB at bats to start the season. Yes, could he be hitting more? Absolutely. But this guy has hit in the minors and will probably hit at some point here with some regular play. He's show a great eye to get on base and can play multiple positions. Way too early to write him off yet. Way too early...

[jerichoholicninja]

He's not blocking anyone. Why get rid of him when he would either be replaced by a prospect who's hardly going to play or a veteran who won't be much better and has no future in the organization.

[DuWayne Steurer]

He's not blocking anyone. Why get rid of him when he would either be replaced by a prospect who's hardly going to play or a veteran who won't be much better and has no future in the organization.

 

 

I'm not advocating getting rid of him, I just think he (like Broxton) looks overmatched. Unlike Broxton, we can't send him down to get a month or two of everyday at bats to help in the "figure things out/get your head straight" process. It would be different if he was 22 or so and a little bit more towards the "developmental" side of things, but at 26, he's leaning more towards "he is what he is" and either can cut it, or he can't.

 

As has been pointed out before, it doesn't make a lot of sense to stash the guy on the bench all year to put him in AAA for his age 27 season to get more seasoning. This is an extended audition to see if he can play at the big league level. He has to make do with the at bats he's getting, for better or worse.

[dacbrewers]

He's not blocking anyone. Why get rid of him when he would either be replaced by a prospect who's hardly going to play or a veteran who won't be much better and has no future in the organization.

He's a bench player at best...doesn't need to be starting games period. The approach that giving him more starts will get him out his slump isn't going work. Bottom line is if he wasn't a Rule 5 pickup, he would of already been sent back to AAA or AA. Examples Broxton this year, Scooter last year. Perez is a better all around player anyway.

[And That]

Within the past few weeks Stearns was in the TV booth during the game and mentioned something to the effect of, "we try not to judge any of our guys on 100 ABs." It would't surprise me to see Walsh get past the 100 plate appearance mark before they make a decision on him. Then it comes down to the Brewers' conviction about whether or not he will be able to contribute at the big league level in the next year or so. If they (they=coaches/scouts/management) really think he'll be able to hit MLB pitching and be a useful asset, he stays.

 

He's not blocking anyone, so there's no rush.

[monty57]

One AB sent me over the top last week. We had guys on 2nd and 3rd..1 out. The game score was fairly close at that point. Walsh up...takes 3rd strike looking or swinging.

 

I don't know if Walsh will put things together, but after years of watching most of our team swing out of their shoes in this type of situation (even with two strikes), it's a bit refreshing to see the team taking a better approach as a whole. In my opinion, Walsh's approach is much better than that of someone like Gomez. He doesn't have nearly the talent of Gomez, but has a much better approach.

 

He might not be able to hit MLB pitching, and if not, then he won't be around long. Right now, we don't really have a better option for the 25th man, so there is no reason to send him packing. Better to hold onto him for injury insurance and to see if he can right the ship, and only get rid of him when/if someone forces him off the roster.

 

Right now, I'd send Rivera to AAA when Gennett comes back in order for him to get things together. While his future is probably as a utility man, he could use more time in the minors. We don't know what the future will hold, and we may be happy we have extra guys if someone else gets hurt, or if someone gets traded. I still think Hill will not be a Brewer in the second half of the season, and that will leave some PAs for guys like Perez and Walsh, allowing for them to show one way or another whether they will have a future with the Brewers.

[sveumrules]

Out of players with at least 50 PA's Colin Walsh's 22.2% walk rate is the 3rd highest in all of MLB right behind Harper & Goldschmidt. Add in his 31.5% K rate and his 3TO% is a solid 53.7% even without any home runs.

 

Forget the three true outcomes, Walsh is blazing the trail for TWO true outcome players.

[dacbrewers]

Within the past few weeks Stearns was in the TV booth during the game and mentioned something to the effect of, "we try not to judge any of our guys on 100 ABs." It would't surprise me to see Walsh get past the 100 plate appearance mark before they make a decision on him. Then it comes down to the Brewers' conviction about whether or not he will be able to contribute at the big league level in the next year or so. If they (they=coaches/scouts/management) really think he'll be able to hit MLB pitching and be a useful asset, he stays.

 

He's not blocking anyone, so there's no rush.

 

He's blocking Perez, who is better defensively and offensively. And I think Perez is one year younger.

[DHonks]

It's hard to say Perez is better offensively. Walsh hasn't been good, but he's thrived in the most important batting category. Perez hasn't done much well in MLB