Grisham on his way

[homer]

Grisham's AA numbers impress me more than AAA. Who the heck knows what's real and what's not in that goofy league.

[shanedog19]

Big day today! It is a great development that two of our first round picks are debuting on the big league club in the same year. I still have nightmares about our 2011 draft when we had two first round picks and squandered them on Taylor Jungmann and Jed Bradley. Small market teams can win championships by drafting really really well, hopefully this is the start of a consistent streak of our top picks making it to the big leagues. Very exciting!!

[TigerUppercut]

And we wonder why GMs and Managers/Coaches in sports like to stick to generic, cliche statements. If they don't, people read too much into it and come up with things like "CC said Grisham is better than Yelich." That's quite a leap. It is clear what he said. Grisham's numbers in AAA are as good/better than what Yelich has been doing, so he deserves a shot. He did NOT say Grisham is as good as Yelich, or expects him to be.

 

Did you happen to notice the statement was in blue?

[bigfishlittlepond]

It's a big day for the team, Grisham has torn the cover off the ball this year and certainly is deserving of the call up. His sample size is in the grand scheme fairly small, but like Counsell said yesterday sometimes it just clicks like Yelich last year and you become a big time hitter. Everyone needs to understand that when Keston was drafted it was inevitable he was going to hit, and he should be seen as an outlier that does not come around often. Grisham should not be treated the same, its a growing process, there is a chance that this is just an epiphany and he could flame out, like so many other prospects. I can't remember someone who barely cracks an organization top 30 prospects list suddenly turns into a world beater.

 

From an organization perspective involving a team that overall has not hit on many first round picks since '07 are first rounders are Laporta (Flame out), Lawrie (injuries but never lived up to the hype, Odorizzi (Decent, not spectacular), Frederickson (Who??), Arnett (total disappointment), Davis (Swing and a miss), Heckathorn (Nothing going on), Covey (Didn't sign, made the majors but also nothing special), Jungmann (One decent season), Bradley (awful), Coulter (Disappointment), Roache (Currently in independent league ball), Haniger (Servicable, pretty good year last season), Medeiros (currently 5+ era in AAA), Grisham (Finally producing), Kirby (injuries, but also in A+ ball), Ray (decent last season, value all but gone now), Hiura (elite talent, having best rookie year since braun), Turang (So far so good), Small (Book is totally out on him). Basically that list consists of about a 75% miss rate. Hitting on picks early and often is crucial for us, to be able to sustain and build. This appears to be the first one prior to Hirua all the way to Hanigar where we have a player with real major league value. Grisham appears to be one last christmas present from Melvin.

 

With all of this being said if Grisham puts up 70%-80% of his AAA numbers we have lucked out. A Yelich, Hiura, Grisham big 3 going forward is something to really build off of. We have money coming off the books the next 2 seasons, and with a depleted farm system we will be able to bring in another big time piece from free agency. Just cause the farm system is tapped doesnt mean the window is closing. This window is legit open for 3 years, its all about the stars aligning and capitalizing. It's a big day in the process to opening the window open a bit more.

[KeithStone53151]

Just to note, official 25 man moves today were Grisham/Pomeranz being activated and Williams/Saladino being optioned. Shaw or Moose would serve as backup SS if necessary in the short term.

[benji]

Isn't there a 40 man move to be made? Or did I miss Grisham being added?

[Eye Black]

Isn't there a 40 man move to be made? Or did I miss Grisham being added?

Jacob Barnes designated for assignment.

[rickh150]

Let him play! Ticked if he is sitting any time soon against any righty...

[yourout]

Let him play! Ticked if he is sitting any time soon against any righty...

 

+1..... And keep him away from the hitting coach.

[patrickgpe]

brewers seems to have to get him in the lineup everyday there is a righty. I think the 2 ways are (3 way platoon between cain, braun and grisham (preferred), or move braun to 1st (very risky). I feel bad for gamel too who has had a great season and is not #5 in the OF depth.

[Roderick]

I feel bad for gamel too who has had a great season and is not #5 in the OF depth.

 

He seems to make more than his share of rememberable plays, but when you look at it he is still just a .246/.331/.379/.710 player.

[MrTPlush]

I feel bad for gamel too who has had a great season and is not #5 in the OF depth.

 

He seems to make more than his share of rememberable plays, but when you look at it he is still just a .246/.331/.379/.710 player.

 

While he has had quite a cold streak overall he is no better than say Keon Broxton was...who, in my opinion, was better defensively.

 

I won't complain...fine for a back-up OFer, but not really anything hard to find.

[patrickgpe]

yes i agree broxton is better, but he has gotten some big hits this year. its hard to put up numbers when you are getting only a handful of at bats a week.

[Roderick]

yes i agree broxton is better, but he has gotten some big hits this year. its hard to put up numbers when you are getting only a handful of at bats a week.

 

I don't really think you can say he is too negatively effected because he gets rusty. He gets pretty regular at bats.

 

He has ~ 259 plate appearances. So that is approx 14+ at bats a week.

[tmwiese55]

I would take Gamel easily over Broxton. Really wouldn't think twice about. I mean, a year ago at this time we're basically in unison Brox has no business on a roster and now all of a sudden we miss him. the ridiculous strikeouts, lack of contact, low obp, and just no trust in a good AB by Broxton would have me going with Gamel all day. Sure Broxton is better on D but who here would even think twice about who you'd prefer AB with an RISP late in the game. He's now on his 3rd team in a year since we let him go and has put up 547 ops and 239 obp this year after sub .300 obp in his last two years with us. Gamel seems exactly what you'd want in a 4th OF and will likely hang around for while here or somewhere else whereas Broxton will likely never stick on an MLB roster again, especially on one that is trying to win rather than just taking a flyer hoping to get lucky on him

[MrTPlush]

I would take Gamel easily over Broxton. Really wouldn't think twice about. I mean, a year ago at this time we're basically in unison Brox has no business on a roster and now all of a sudden we miss him. the ridiculous strikeouts, lack of contact, low obp, and just no trust in a good AB by Broxton would have me going with Gamel all day. Sure Broxton is better on D who here would even think twice about who you'd prefer AB with an RISP late in the game. He's now on his 3rd team in a year since we let him go and has put up 547 ops and 239 obp this year after sub .300 obp in his last two years with us. Gamel seems exactly what you'd want in a 4th OF and will likely hang around for while here or somewhere else whereas Broxton will likely never stick on an MLB roster again, especially on one that is trying to win rather than just taking a flyer hoping to get lucky on him

 

I never said I wouldn't take Gamel, but really Gamel is no better than what Broxton was doing for us. 91 OPS+ vs. Gamel 84 OPS+.

 

I think Gamel has some better attributes for a bat off the bench, but really for what we traded to get him I think we were expecting more than a typical 4th OFer. I think we were planning on his usual production...not what he has now provided overall. Long run hopefully he fixes things.

[bill hAll Star]

Wait, WHAT?! Keon Broxton is having a better year than Gamel and preferable?

 

I get the defensive help he provides but let's also remember that Broxton probably has 70-80 plate appearances for Baltimore or Seattle against the equivalent of the opponent's Jacob Barnes or Burch Smith because the game is 11-2 in the 7th inning.

 

This is also a good time to bump the general feel of a lot of people on the board imploring a trade of Broxton and assuming major offers that should be out there for a guy that in hindsight and probably back then is a nice, fringe MLB player but probably didn't have much value around the league.

 

On the whole, I don't think there is a huge difference but Gamel has been helpful this year even if very cold. He provides a much more useful bat late in games and passable OF. Broxton is a great late-game defensive sub and while he's had some big hits this year is not who I want to have as a pinch hitter late in a game.

[bill hAll Star]

but really for what we traded to get him I think we were expecting more than a typical 4th OFer

 

The league is pretty woke and also the DH difference between leagues also affects things.

 

This is similar to Khris Davis except Santana does not possess the elite power of Davis.

 

Santana is arguably a negative value player for an NL team and a slightly valuable player for an AL team. We also gained a year of control and got someone that fit the necessary role in Gamel. WAR is a volume stat and Gamel still exceeds Santana's WAR this year in less playing time. Now, the valuation of WAR here can be debated but it's pretty clear that Santana's defense is so bad that he was not highly valued.

[xisxisxis]

I think Gamel has some better attributes for a bat off the bench, but really for what we traded to get him I think we were expecting more than a typical 4th OFer. I think we were planning on his usual production...not what he has now provided overall. Long run hopefully he fixes things.

What does he need to fix? Most players with sporadic playing time (especially younger players) don't perform to the same level as they would with regular PA. The first 2 months, CC did a much better job of getting Gamel into games and he was much more productive. As Gamel's playing time decreased (June/July), so has his performance. Considering the season-long offensive slump from Cain and the old man who needs time off, it's odd that as the season progresses, Gamel's use has inexplicably declined.

 

Maybe the Brewers got tired of the BB and wanted a bench bat to swing for the fences and Gamel just tries to not make out...

[Outlander]

Gamel is who is he. playing pretty much at career norms so would expect similar number going forward. Fortunately Grisham is a significant upgrade and the Brewers don't have to rely on Gamel to take on more at bats or ever be considered a regular.

[tmwiese55]

Yup Grisham sure looks legit so far. Hope he sticks and is actually really good not just ok, could be huge for future outlook of the team. For next year Braun can get worked back into 1B rotation and roster should be set a bit better than two basically 1B only types like they had this year. Of course who knows how the Thames/Moose/Shaw decisions play out though

[clancyphile]

Gamel is who is he. playing pretty much at career norms so would expect similar number going forward. Fortunately Grisham is a significant upgrade and the Brewers don't have to rely on Gamel to take on more at bats or ever be considered a regular.

It's why Gamel should have been dealt before the deadline.

[pacopete4]

Why would we deal Gamel? He's cheap and controllable. He plays good defense. He runs the bases well. And he is a heck of a bat to have off the bench late in games.

[Roderick]

Gamel is who is he. playing pretty much at career norms so would expect similar number going forward. Fortunately Grisham is a significant upgrade and the Brewers don't have to rely on Gamel to take on more at bats or ever be considered a regular.

It's why Gamel should have been dealt before the deadline.

 

Which team would have been looking to add Gamel as a starter? As that is the only way we would have gotten a return of more than what he is worth to the Brewers (now and future). First year arby shouldn't be too costly.

[folly412]

I can see wanting the fourth outfielder to be a right-handed bat in future years with Grisham and Yelich as everyday corner outfielders. So long as Gamel has no splits and Cain is the primary CF, that may not be the case for a couple more years.