Roster logjam - playing time?

[Boomer5]

All the speculation is just that. There's 5 weeks before the season starts, and I'd put the probability that Santana is moved at greater than 50-50.

 

I think I agree with you but does anyone have any data or factual evidence that many moves occur so close to the season? I am trying to remember previous years but do not remember a lot of movement other than people being let go and others trying to pick them up and stash them.

 

Generally your choices for the 25 man come from the guys you brought to camp now. But this is a really odd year for baseball in general and the Brewers specifically so there is a strong likelihood there will be moves before opening day.

 

The roster currently makes no sense so there have to be moves of some kind.

[FVBrewerFan]

All the speculation is just that. There's 5 weeks before the season starts, and I'd put the probability that Santana is moved at greater than 50-50.

 

I think I agree with you but does anyone have any data or factual evidence that many moves occur so close to the season? I am trying to remember previous years but do not remember a lot of movement other than people being let go and others trying to pick them up and stash them.

 

This year is different though. Look at how many FA are still out there and players that are pretty widely knows to still be on the trading block. Nothing more than my hunch, but I won't be surprised if we see more deals done in April than ever before.

[KeithStone53151]

All the speculation is just that. There's 5 weeks before the season starts, and I'd put the probability that Santana is moved at greater than 50-50.

 

I think I agree with you but does anyone have any data or factual evidence that many moves occur so close to the season? I am trying to remember previous years but do not remember a lot of movement other than people being let go and others trying to pick them up and stash them.

 

This year is different though. Look at how many FA are still out there and players that are pretty widely knows to still be on the trading block. Nothing more than my hunch, but I won't be surprised if we see more deals done in April than ever before.

 

April I would find very weird, though you could be right. I think most teams will want to have their 25 man rosters completely set by opening day.

[KeithStone53151]

 

Someone needs to explain to me why Khris Davis couldn't handle doing this...

[pacopete4]

 

Someone needs to explain to me why Khris Davis couldn't handle doing this...

 

Yeah, it does amaze me how un-athletic some of these pros really are when they are asked to do something different. I do like Braun over emphasizing the catch though. Almost like he's framing a pitch

[FVBrewerFan]

 

Someone needs to explain to me why Khris Davis couldn't handle doing this...

 

Pretty simple. Playing 1B requires you throw the ball around the diamond between innings, Davis doesn't have the arm to throw grounders to 2B, muchless SS/3B.

[DR28]

If Santana does get moved, we need Thames bat in the lineup vs RHP

 

Cain - CF

Yelich - LF

Braun - RF

Shaw - 3B

Thames - 1B

Arcia - SS

Pina - C

Villar - 2B

[pacopete4]

Braun isn't playing RF according to Counsell.

[Outlander]

Things can change if trades happen. I don't think the team could take Santana out of the lineup and still have one of Thames/Braun sit every day.

[KeithStone53151]

If none of the main 5 options get moved, I think Santana/Thames will be the 2 that sit the most. Yelich will get 155, Cain 145, Braun 135. Santana and Cain will get to split roughly 225 starts including DH opportunities. Roughly 110-115 apiece isn't terrible. My guess is Yelich plays RF on days Santana sits and CF on days Cain sits. Braun obviously takes 1b when Thames sits. In a given 14 day stretch with 13 games, figure Braun sits twice and Yelich/Cain combine for 1 off day...that leaves 8 starts apiece for Thames/Santana. Plenty of AB to go around.

[DR28]

Things can change if trades happen. I don't think the team could take Santana out of the lineup and still have one of Thames/Braun sit every day.

 

Agreed... Then Yelich will have to move to RF... Counsell did say we would get some time there.

[ClosetBrewerFan]

I imagine the talk with Braun went something like this...

 

Billy Beane: You don't know how to play 1st base. Scott...

 

Scott Hatteberg: That's right.

 

Billy Beane: It's not that hard, Scott. Tell him Wash.

 

Ron Washington: It's incredibly hard.

 

Billy Beane: Hey, anything worth doing is. And we're gonna teach you.

[FVBrewerFan]

I saw an interview with Braun where he said playing 1B isn't an option really to start the year. He made it sound like he's taking some reps there in case of emergency during the season.

 

So, if he's not playing RF and he's not playing 1B that tells me the plan is to keep him in LF? That would mean Yelich in RF and Santana left as the 4th OF. Maybe Braun was just being coy, but that's what he said.

[JohnBriggs12]

I saw an interview with Braun where he said playing 1B isn't an option really to start the year. He made it sound like he's taking some reps there in case of emergency during the season.

 

So, if he's not playing RF and he's not playing 1B that tells me the plan is to keep him in LF? That would mean Yelich in RF and Santana left as the 4th OF. Maybe Braun was just being coy, but that's what he said.

 

I take it as there is confidence they'll be able to move Santana.

[jonescm128]

CC said today that he anticipates going into the season with 13 pitchers and 12 position players. As of right now we have...

 

1. Yelich

2. Cain

3. Braun

4. Santana

5. Broxton

6. Phillips

7. Thames

8. Aguilar

9. Villar

10. Sogard

11. Arcia

12. Shaw

13. Perez

14. Pina

15. Vogt

 

I think it is easy to see that Aguilar, Phillips, and Broxton won't make the active roster (also depends on if Santana's market picks up). Whether this is just using one of their minor league options, trades, or player release in the case of Aguilar remains to be seen.

[adambr2]

I saw an interview with Braun where he said playing 1B isn't an option really to start the year. He made it sound like he's taking some reps there in case of emergency during the season.

 

So, if he's not playing RF and he's not playing 1B that tells me the plan is to keep him in LF? That would mean Yelich in RF and Santana left as the 4th OF. Maybe Braun was just being coy, but that's what he said.

 

I know it's kind of not really talked about because we are at the point now of the 'what can we do but try to make it work?' stage of the relationship with Braun, but he is such a terrible fit for this team right now in almost every way.

 

1) If he were gone it would pretty much solve the roster logjam as Santana could play RF, Thames and Aguilar could platoon at 1st and Phillips would stay as a top notch 4th OFer with plenty of PT.

 

2) His presence is going to force us to keep productive players off the roster. Like Aguilar for probably nothing. Or perhaps Phillips to Colorado Springs.

 

3) He doesn't really fit from either a versatility standpoint or the new defense first philosophy in the organization. He might be able to play 1st, remains to be seen but right now it just looks like playing Scooter in the OF last spring, doing it because we are kind of forced to try.

 

4) His salary, while not a disaster, is an overpay in this market and pretty much eliminates the chance of trading him to the 1 or 2 places he might want to go. While some say his contract doesn't prevent us from making moves now, that was a lot more true when we were at a $60M payroll than now at $90. Right now an Arrieta type deal would probably pretty much max us out, instead of having the flexibility to do both that and maybe also go for Walker and Lucroy too.

 

5) We don't have the DH. It's a shame.

 

Here's hoping he stays healthy and has a nice career resurgence now and fits somewhere defensively because it looks like at this point he's going to be here 3 more years.

[TJseven7]

I saw an interview with Braun where he said playing 1B isn't an option really to start the year. He made it sound like he's taking some reps there in case of emergency during the season.

 

So, if he's not playing RF and he's not playing 1B that tells me the plan is to keep him in LF? That would mean Yelich in RF and Santana left as the 4th OF. Maybe Braun was just being coy, but that's what he said.

 

I know it's kind of not really talked about because we are at the point now of the 'what can we do but try to make it work?' stage of the relationship with Braun, but he is such a terrible fit for this team right now in almost every way.

 

1) If he were gone it would pretty much solve the roster logjam as Santana could play RF, Thames and Aguilar could platoon at 1st and Phillips would stay as a top notch 4th OFer with plenty of PT.

 

2) His presence is going to force us to keep productive players off the roster. Like Aguilar for probably nothing. Or perhaps Phillips to Colorado Springs.

 

3) He doesn't really fit from either a versatility standpoint or the new defense first philosophy in the organization. He might be able to play 1st, remains to be seen but right now it just looks like playing Scooter in the OF last spring, doing it because we are kind of forced to try.

 

4) His salary, while not a disaster, is an overpay in this market and pretty much eliminates the chance of trading him to the 1 or 2 places he might want to go. While some say his contract doesn't prevent us from making moves now, that was a lot more true when we were at a $60M payroll than now at $90. Right now an Arrieta type deal would probably pretty much max us out, instead of having the flexibility to do both that and maybe also go for Walker and Lucroy too.

 

5) We don't have the DH. It's a shame.

 

Here's hoping he stays healthy and has a nice career resurgence now and fits somewhere defensively because it looks like at this point he's going to be here 3 more years.

 

Yeah every time I think through the roster, cap etc... always come back to: I wish Braun wasn't here.

 

Was really hoping Braun for Kemp and Prospects was a real rumor.