Aaron Hill favorite to start at 3B?

[DocLuna7]

Pretty sure that CC is just giving a veteran who has had some success his due and saying that he ranks a bit higher than two guys who have proven nothing at the MLB level. I like the fact that maybe it's motivation for Cecchini and Middlebrooks and I also like the idea that only by playing Hill can we hope to increase his value before the deadline. I am all for giving young guys a shot when possible but this is an ideal situation in that there is no rush and something to be gained by waiting just a bit.

[SRB]

If playing Hill at 3B rather than 2B means we have a better shot of keeping Walsh, then I'm all for it. I don't think Middlebrooks has any upside anymore really, and while Cecchini does it makes sense to start him at AAA.

[MillerParkSouth]

I want Hill to get as many ABs as possible early to try to build up his trade value. I'm really excited about Cecchini, but he'll get his chance. It's all about trying to maximize the value of assets and right now the best way to do that is to get Hill on track early so he can be traded.

[ClosetBrewerFan]

Yeah, I don't see any way Walsh makes the team if hill is not the starting 3b. We need a bss and neither hill or Walsh should be playing ss. Just not enough spots to have two b2b/3b on the roster.

 

So I'm ok with hill at 3b at least early on.

[brewmann04]

I agree Cecchini better off starting off in col springs . Walsh will be a nice platoon with Scotter. Maybe Middlebrooks does show something to platoon with Hill. I think if hill has a good start maybe we can get a lower level prospect.

[superfly]

I see no issue with it. Hill is a proven vet, Cecchini and Middlebrooks are at this stage essentially scrub waiver claims who need to prove themselves. If Cecchini and/or Middlebrooks outplay Hill he will either be benched, released, or platooned. If Hill plays to his talent level it will be good for the team either record wise, or from a trading perspective mid season.

 

 

Hill's been a streaky player the last 7-8 years, either he's golden or absolute trash. We need/hoping for the good version.

[QuevedosTongue]

I think it's all about roster math at this point. Hill has a spot on the 40-man and they are paying him a bunch of money. Middlebrooks is a NRI, Cecchini has options available.

 

Right now there is really only one bench spot open, the other 4 are Maldonado (or other backup C), Walsh (Rule 5), Liriano (no options), Flores (no options). After that it's a decison between Yadiel Rivera (because he can play SS) or somebody else if Stearns thinks one of the other players on the roster can play a respectable SS. I don't think any of the others can, so that pretty much sets the bench.

[Boomer5]

I think it's all about roster math at this point. Hill has a spot on the 40-man and they are paying him a bunch of money. Middlebrooks is a NRI, Cecchini has options available.

 

Right now there is really only one bench spot open, the other 4 are Maldonado (or other backup C), Walsh (Rule 5), Liriano (no options), Flores (no options). After that it's a decison between Yadiel Rivera (because he can play SS) or somebody else if Stearns thinks one of the other players on the roster can play a respectable SS. I don't think any of the others can, so that pretty much sets the bench.

 

This is a great point.

[Outlander]

I just don't see Rivera making the jump to the big leagues yet, maybe somebody is claimed off waivers or they just go with Perez. Should have open 40 man spots at the end of spring after some cuts.

[DuWayne Steurer]

I just don't see Rivera making the jump to the big leagues yet, maybe somebody is claimed off waivers or they just go with Perez. Should have open 40 man spots at the end of spring after some cuts.

 

 

I liked Perez, just wish he would take (a lot) more walks. If he develops a touch more power he could be a decent utility guy.

[bill hAll Star]

They have to hope he gets hot and they can move him for something down the line.

Even if Hill has a pretty good first half of the season, we aren't going to get some highly thought of prospect at the deadline.

 

This is just Counsell pretty much saying, for now at least, Hill is the favorite to start the season at thirdbase unless someone else steps up and takes the job away. I'm not going to care much either way this early in the process. Guys like Cecchini and/or Middlebrooks likely will get a chance at some point to show they deserve at bats.

 

Sure, we may not be getting a top 100 prospect back for Hill, but just take a look at 2 of our players:

 

Gerardo Parra - Obvious ace defender but posted a .677 OPS overall in 2014. Hit a hot streak - Kyle Davies, possible long-term, cheap #4/#5 starter comes in return.

 

Aramis Ramirez - .757 OPS in 2014 with a massive swoon in the 2nd half. Old and not the best defender anymore. Started off 2015 slowly. Got hot for a little bit and we got a future, cheap bullpen flamethrower back in Barrios.

 

Hill had an .882 OPS and won Silver Slugger at 2B in 2012 and had an .818 campaign going in 2013 before getting hurt. He's had 2 terrible years, which would jive with the idea that shorter power hitters (usually 2B) peak in their late 20s and drop off very quickly at 30.

 

All of that said, if he can get back to form, who wouldn't give up at least a Davies or Barrios for an .800+ or even .750 2B (I'd assume that's where a contender would want him)? All GMs will know that he's been up-and-down in his career and is a candidate to drop right back to where he was, but given the way he'd have to be hitting, you'd have several teams bidding and at some point, somebody would offer a future MLB player.

[MrTPlush]

I just don't see Rivera making the jump to the big leagues yet, maybe somebody is claimed off waivers or they just go with Perez. Should have open 40 man spots at the end of spring after some cuts.

 

Yadiel Rivera and his career .289 OBP is never going to be ready to hit MLB pitching.

[MKE81]

I just don't see Rivera making the jump to the big leagues yet, maybe somebody is claimed off waivers or they just go with Perez. Should have open 40 man spots at the end of spring after some cuts.

 

Yadiel Rivera and his career .289 OBP is never going to be ready to hit MLB pitching.

 

He's 23 this season. The past 2yrs he's had OBP of 309 (A+/AA similar for both) then took a massive step forward at AA last year 277/345 before struggling at AAA with the promotion. He then killed it in AFL. He's been trending upwards across the board with each level he's advanced. He's definitely not the answer as the backup IF to compete with Perez as he needs to continue to develop in AAA even though his defense is already there. He can be a career utility guy being halfway decent offensively while playing great defense at key IF positions. There's value in that.

[gregmag]

I want to keep Walsh (not least so that we'll have an actual hitter at 2b against LHPs), and people make a good case for putting Cecchini in AAA to start the year. If those moves open space for Hill as a warm body at 3b, I guess that's okay. But this idea that he's a proven major leaguer, and that's why we should give him a chance to jack up his trade value . . . I just don't get it. He's a proven bad major leaguer. The biggest thing he has proved recently is that he's in a steep decline phase. Hill shouldn't be more than an afterthought and a stopgap.

[MrTPlush]

I just don't see Rivera making the jump to the big leagues yet, maybe somebody is claimed off waivers or they just go with Perez. Should have open 40 man spots at the end of spring after some cuts.

 

Yadiel Rivera and his career .289 OBP is never going to be ready to hit MLB pitching.

 

He's 23 this season. The past 2yrs he's had OBP of 309 (A+/AA similar for both) then took a massive step forward at AA last year 277/345 before struggling at AAA with the promotion. He then killed it in AFL. He's been trending upwards across the board with each level he's advanced. He's definitely not the answer as the backup IF to compete with Perez as he needs to continue to develop in AAA even though his defense is already there. He can be a career utility guy being halfway decent offensively while playing great defense at key IF positions. There's value in that.

 

 

I will keep waiting for him to actually show up offensively. Outside of 200 at-bats in AA he has been horrid. Guys like him are everywhere...nothing all that special at this point.

[QuevedosTongue]

I want to keep Walsh (not least so that we'll have an actual hitter at 2b against LHPs), and people make a good case for putting Cecchini in AAA to start the year. If those moves open space for Hill as a warm body at 3b, I guess that's okay. But this idea that he's a proven major leaguer, and that's why we should give him a chance to jack up his trade value . . . I just don't get it. He's a proven bad major leaguer. The biggest thing he has proved recently is that he's in a steep decline phase. Hill shouldn't be more than an afterthought and a stopgap.

 

Gregmag, you are probably right on all accounts. But the reality is they are paying him a few million bucks this year, so they are going to try to get something out of him. And he's not blocking somebody like Arcia, it's a former prospect who has failed at the MLB level (Middlebrooks) and a current prospect who was awful last season (Cecchini). I really don't think I'm going out on a limb to say that none of the 3 are the likely future 3B in Milwaukee.

[bill hAll Star]

I want to keep Walsh (not least so that we'll have an actual hitter at 2b against LHPs), and people make a good case for putting Cecchini in AAA to start the year. If those moves open space for Hill as a warm body at 3b, I guess that's okay. But this idea that he's a proven major leaguer, and that's why we should give him a chance to jack up his trade value . . . I just don't get it. He's a proven bad major leaguer. The biggest thing he has proved recently is that he's in a steep decline phase. Hill shouldn't be more than an afterthought and a stopgap.

 

Hill isn't anything more than an afterthought and stopgap. He's not extremely far from being a very productive player a few years ago.

 

If the likely scenario occurs that Hill is putting up a .640 OPS and Cecchini/Middlebrooks are ripping it up in Colorado Springs (and haven't been called up for injury) in early June, trade Hill to a contender that is looking for depth for a bag of baseballs and pay 90% of the salary or just DFA him.

 

There will be plenty of time for Cecchini/Middlebrooks to get their chance to revitalize their careers as well.

[1992casey]

Kyle Davies, possible long-term, cheap #4/#5 starter comes in return.

 

Zach Davies.

 

It was pointed out elsewhere that Hill's issue is that he's a pull hitter who's lost power and can't rely on pulling the ball anymore. That would mean that being "not extremely far from being a very productive player" isn't likely something that offers a lot of hope. To become a useful hitter once again, he's going to need to "reinvent" himself.

[bill hAll Star]

Kyle Davies, possible long-term, cheap #4/#5 starter comes in return.

 

Zach Davies.

 

It was pointed out elsewhere that Hill's issue is that he's a pull hitter who's lost power and can't rely on pulling the ball anymore. That would mean that being "not extremely far from being a very productive player" isn't likely something that offers a lot of hope. To become a useful hitter once again, he's going to need to "reinvent" himself.

 

Oops on the Davies thing.

 

Yes, I'm not expecting him to go back to 2012...but that's about as likely as it is for Cecchini or Middlebrooks to be missed on because we waited 2 months to give them their shot in the majors.

 

No harm will really be done by seeing if Hill can or cannot reinvent himself or somehow learn to pull the ball again.

[reillymcshane]

I think we should take the 'Hill is the starter' thing with a grain of salt. All the other options have not produced much in the majors (Perez, Middlebrooks) or are still rookies with their own issues (Cecchini) or rookies probably best suited for other positions (Walsh, Rivera). No one is the clear cut favorite, thus it's not a shocker that the team is saying the veteran has the job (even if he's not a very good veteran). It tells all the other guys that they need to earn the job. Again, that's not surprising.

[SoCalBrewfan]

This is one of those years where the starting lineup at the beginning of the season won't be the same as the lineup at the end, so who's on third on opening day is not really a huge deal. I fully expect Hill to get more AB than his performance deserves, but I suppose there's a chance that he figures something out and lets us cash him in for something useful. Odds are good that our 2017 opening day starter at 3b is not presently in the organization...while I'd like to see Cecchini reinvigorated, he's got work to do...

[MKE81]

I will keep waiting for him to actually show up offensively. Outside of 200 at-bats in AA he has been horrid. Guys like him are everywhere...nothing all that special at this point.

 

But guys like him aren't everywhere. He's an excellent defender. That alone makes him more valuable than a "dime a dozen" type. Offensively thus far, overall, I agree with you. But, as previously stated, he's 23 this year and has improved across the board the past 2-3yrs and improved a lot in his half season at AA last year then had an excellent AFL (that counts for something as well given the level of competition). It's pretty common for people to look at player's jumps in production from A/A+ to AA in regard to their development and he made a significant jump from where he was previously. His AAA this year will be more telling but he absolutely is trending upwards at this point

[MKE81]

I think it's all about roster math at this point. Hill has a spot on the 40-man and they are paying him a bunch of money. Middlebrooks is a NRI, Cecchini has options available.

 

Right now there is really only one bench spot open, the other 4 are Maldonado (or other backup C), Walsh (Rule 5), Liriano (no options), Flores (no options). After that it's a decison between Yadiel Rivera (because he can play SS) or somebody else if Stearns thinks one of the other players on the roster can play a respectable SS. I don't think any of the others can, so that pretty much sets the bench.

 

This is a great point.

 

Agree as well except I think Liriano will be starting in CF

[JohnBriggs12]

I think it's all about roster math at this point. Hill has a spot on the 40-man and they are paying him a bunch of money. Middlebrooks is a NRI, Cecchini has options available.

 

Right now there is really only one bench spot open, the other 4 are Maldonado (or other backup C), Walsh (Rule 5), Liriano (no options), Flores (no options). After that it's a decison between Yadiel Rivera (because he can play SS) or somebody else if Stearns thinks one of the other players on the roster can play a respectable SS. I don't think any of the others can, so that pretty much sets the bench.

 

This is a great point.

 

Agree as well except I think Liriano will be starting in CF

 

Perez can play 3B, SS and 2B and he's a better hitter than Rivera so he's the logical guy to make the team as a non-roster player to backup all over the IF and platoon with Gennett.

 

Everybody dissing Hill needs to realize, the when he's been good, he's been really, really good. He's 34, not 37 or 38 so a comeback season is still a real possibility especially considering he's done it before. He came off two bad years in 2010 and 2011 to post the best year of his career in 2012. This is a guy who's hit 36 HR in a single season, and 26 HR twice. He's responded when given a fresh start before. No reason he can't now. Given the other options, he's clearly the best. The next best candidate on the 40 man to play 3B is Villar who's going to be busy at SS until Arcia arrives.

 

The addition of Hill makes it tougher to carry Walsh. If they like him enough, I think they'll send Oakland something so they can keep him and option him to AAA. Brewers have a crowded pen and you might end up seeing a guy out of options like Thornburg sent to Oakland so they can keep Walsh.

[Boomer5]

Hill has hit 16 Hrs in his last 894 ABs playing in a hitter friendly park and is a below average defender at his natural 2B and surely 3B. He is adequate for this Milwaukee team but thats about it.