Nieuwenhuis signs split contract with Milwaukee

[monty57]

Bill and Matt last night were discussing how he would be playing everyday in AAA. Not sure I like that, as it means one of our good prospects will be sitting on the bench.

[FVBrewerFan]

Bill and Matt last night were discussing how he would be playing everyday in AAA. Not sure I like that, as it means one of our good prospects will be sitting on the bench.

 

I wouldn't take "every day" too literally. But yea, if the big 3 OFs sit any more than once a week it will be too often.

[JohnBriggs12]

Brewers have 4 OF in CS (I include Wren) that I'd play ahead of Nieuwenhuis. Can't see how he can play more than than 3-4 times a week.

[brewmann04]

Wren has to be as good as Kirk

[MadScientist]

1-2 starts/week

3-4 late game defensive replacement (1-3 innings, maybe 1 ab)

1-2 pinch-hits

 

Playing everyday could be done without disrupting the progress of the prospects much.

[trwi7]

Bill and Matt last night were discussing how he would be playing everyday in AAA. Not sure I like that, as it means one of our good prospects will be sitting on the bench.

 

I'll believe it when I see it. Their minor league knowledge to me is basically just looking at the names production chooses from the night before.

 

If it does happen though, I'll be furious and Stearns needs to immediately get on the phone to tell Rick Sweet to knock it off or just eat the money so nobody is tempted to write his name in the lineup, which is probably what I would do anyways. Guy is at best a 4th outfielder on our AAA team and we probably have a just as good 4th outfielder who's younger that can play all 3 positions.

[JohnBriggs12]

Wren has to be as good as Kirk

 

Wren posted .339/.425/.432 in 320 PA last year at CS and had a good spring with the Brewers. What else does he need to do?

[MillerParkSouth]

I would be stunned if Kirk plays ahead of any of those guys in CS. I thought I read somewhere when he accepted the assignment that Stearns said that there was no doubt that the prospects were the priority.

 

edit - here it is

 

Brewers manager Craig Counsell, who spoke with Sweet on Monday afternoon, assured onlookers that Nieuwenhuis' arrival will not cut into the development of outfield prospects Lewis Brinson (No. 1 on MLBPipeline.com's list of the top Brewers prospects), Brett Phillips (No. 10) and Ryan Cordell (No. 16) all off whom are off to great starts. The SkySox also have former top-30 prospect Kyle Wren, at 26 nearly four years younger than Nieuwnenhuis, already in the mix.

 

Sweet will somehow wedge in Nieuwenhuis, who was designated for assignment last week after a 2-for-25, 15-strikeout start to the season.

 

"These situations, it doesn't have to be permanent," Counsell said. "You're taking it day by day. It's clear when you have prospects that there's a priority on those guys. There is the DH there [when the SkySox play at an American League affiliate], but I talked to Rick today and they have a lot of games without the DH coming up, so he's definitely challenged by it. There's going to be some mixing and matching.

 

"But, obviously, Lewis Brinson is a priority player, and Brett Phillips and Cordell are priority players. It's important that they play."

[djoctagone]

Kirk Nieuwenhuis and the Brewers settled on a split contract that pays him $900K in the majors and $257K in the minors.

 

if the brewers outright nieuwenhuis again, he'll go back to earning the pro-rated $257,000--which is very high for a minor leaguer not on the 40-man roster. if he refuses the assignment, which is within his right, he loses the rest of his contract.