Brewers sign Travis Shaw- $1.5m Minor League Deal, $1.5 more in incentives, with an opt-out

[Jopal78]

Almost a month into the 2021 season and the Brewers are in first place, have the 3rd best record in the NL and Wong, Yelich and Cain have been down with injuries for the majority of the games this year.... if it ain't broke no reason to fix it!

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

Almost a month into the 2021 season and the Brewers are in first place, have the 3rd best record in the NL and Wong, Yelich and Cain have been down with injuries for the majority of the games this year.... if it ain't broke no reason to fix it!

 

And despite his struggles, Shaw still leads this team in RBIs and HRs.

[Boomer5]

I’m still a believer that RBIs matter. I’ll be the first to point out issues with this team, but let’s give Shaw some credit that he is doing what we expected.

[timpep]

I’m still a believer that RBIs matter. I’ll be the first to point out issues with this team, but let’s give Shaw some credit that he is doing what we expected.

 

Maybe I am unrealistic but he's not at all doing what I expected. I expected, and still do, that he will end up being pretty good offensively.

[Warning Track Power]

I’m still a believer that RBIs matter. I’ll be the first to point out issues with this team, but let’s give Shaw some credit that he is doing what we expected.

 

Maybe I am unrealistic but he's not at all doing what I expected. I expected, and still do, that he will end up being pretty good offensively.

Shaw looks vastly improved over 2019 when his swing got majorly uppercut heavy (see Hiura this year as an example). He has a good eye, good discipline and has played amazing defense. I think he is struggling as well due to being sandwiched between a slumping Garcia and Hiura in the lineup. They got Wong back at the top, now get Yelich and Cain back in the lineup to stretch it further and I think Travis sees better pitches.

 

Get that AVG up to the .250 range and he is MORE than serviceable.

[djoctagone]

it would require his consent, but travis shaw could be optioned to class aaa nashville.

[umphrey]

I would happily replace Shaw with a trade for a better player. I wouldn't replace him with an AAAA player like Green or Reyes though and I wouldn't play Urias out of position full time either.

[adambr2]

I don't think veterans typically consent to being optioned. That was the issue we ran into a couple years ago when Jimmy Nelson crossed the 5 year threshold in the middle of the season just days after we called him back up then started to struggle.

[AJOHNSON104]

I don't think veterans typically consent to being optioned. That was the issue we ran into a couple years ago when Jimmy Nelson crossed the 5 year threshold in the middle of the season just days after we called him back up then started to struggle.

 

I think players like Shaw need to come to grips with what they are. Going forward he'll be a back of the roster, injury fill-in, bounce around the league guy. He'll be signing minor league contracts "with invitation to spring training" deals. If he doesn't accept that he may need to spend a little time in AAA once in a while, then he'll have a tough time getting deals. Very similar to what Lucroy is going through right now. He can still make a pretty decent living for a few years that way and if he gets hot, he can still have a good year or two in the right situation. Give him 2-3 weeks to if he can get on a streak or time to move on.

[tigerbrew]

Rather play Urias at 3B than Shaw as he's the better hitter.

 

DFA Shaw and call up Green, play him at 1B and see how he performs at the plate.

[Jopal78]

I don't think veterans typically consent to being optioned. That was the issue we ran into a couple years ago when Jimmy Nelson crossed the 5 year threshold in the middle of the season just days after we called him back up then started to struggle.

 

I think players like Shaw need to come to grips with what they are. Going forward he'll be a back of the roster, injury fill-in, bounce around the league guy. He'll be signing minor league contracts "with invitation to spring training" deals. If he doesn't accept that he may need to spend a little time in AAA once in a while, then he'll have a tough time getting deals. Very similar to what Lucroy is going through right now. He can still make a pretty decent living for a few years that way and if he gets hot, he can still have a good year or two in the right situation. Give him 2-3 weeks to if he can get on a streak or time to move on.

 

Shaw is currently playing on a cut rate NRI contract after being non-tendered in consecutive seasons. I think it’s safe to say he’s made that realization

[brewmann04]

I can't believe that Shaw an JBJ are batting so below the mendoza line.

[brewmann04]

I really hope Shaw can find his stroke the crew can really use his bat.

[AJOHNSON104]

But would he agree to go to AAA if they asked?

[Jopal78]

But would he agree to go to AAA if they asked?

 

Unfortunately with professional athletes who are no longer “kids” and have families, most will probably just take their guaranteed money and go home. Traveling by bus from town to town and eating the breakfast at the Hampton Inn when they wake up in the morning isn’t typically for the veteran player with a half decade of mlb service time

[jerichoholicninja]

Not sure why we should even care if Shaw accepts an assignment. Any 4A, DFA-riding, waiver wire player could duplicate his production. Losing him is no loss at all.

[Roderick]

But would he agree to go to AAA if they asked?

 

Unfortunately with professional athletes who are no longer “kids” and have families, most will probably just take their guaranteed money and go home. Traveling by bus from town to town and eating the breakfast at the Hampton Inn when they wake up in the morning isn’t typically for the veteran player with a half decade of mlb service time

 

I can see some team picking him up at prorated minimum wage that is desperate for a left handed, defensive 1B/3B bench player.

[Warning Track Power]

Without looking at the stats, simply going with the eye test from watching the games. Shaw appears to have had a substantial amount of bad luck. Seems like a lot of rockets right at OF for outs. Also a lot of hard hit grounders into the shift in short RF. I am not quite ready to pull the plug on him.

[pacopete4]

Shaw needs to work left field for a bit and he will be just fine. Been a bit too pull-happy lately but has also hit into a lot of outs with line drives. I think it is too early to jump ship on the guy. Maybe into July if the stat line doesn't look good. Hopefully, Urias is ready to just take 3B and play a bunch anyways. That would provide Shaw to be a PH/defensive sub rather than being counted on to be a middle-of-the-order bat.

[jjfanec]

Without looking at the stats, simply going with the eye test from watching the games. Shaw appears to have had a substantial amount of bad luck. Seems like a lot of rockets right at OF for outs. Also a lot of hard hit grounders into the shift in short RF. I am not quite ready to pull the plug on him.

 

His BABIP is .236. That is 42 points below his career average. His hard hit percentage is 40% which is the second highest of his career. His K percentage is 25% which is 2% above his career average but well below his last 2 seasons. So the numbers do seem to suggest he is getting pretty unlucky so far. Would we look at him differently if he was batting .240 with a little more power? That could easily be what we see going forward

[monty57]

Shaw: .199 / .290 / .354 / .644

Vogelbach: .204 / .323 / .324 / .647

 

That extra .003 OPS isn't worth the defensive difference between the two. Both need to step it up, but if one needs to go it should be Vogelbach. But first, I think Hiura gets sent back down as he's virtually worthless right now and needs to go to AAA to try to regain whatever it is that he's lost.

 

I guess I'm saying that while I'd love to see Shaw doing better, there are a few guys I'd have on the proverbial chopping block ahead of him. Even if we were to bring in a solid corner infielder to start for the remainder of the season, Shaw would probably still have a spot on the bench.

[Warning Track Power]

Even if we were to bring in a solid corner infielder to start for the remainder of the season, Shaw would probably still have a spot on the bench.

I think this is probably the most important thing to note when it comes to Shaw at this point. I would rather have him on the field defensively at 3B/1B over anyone else that is currently on the roster. Even in the event they deal for a Josh Donaldson type, I would still have him as a bench bat and platoon 1B.

[DuWayne Steurer]

Until the shift is outlawed, shaws babip is probably gonna stay right where it is.

 

It's easy to say, and people keep saying it.... " Just hit to left field" but I'm sure these guys have thought of that. Especially a dude hitting .190.

 

Hitting wherever you want against big league pitching isn't as simple as just doing it. If it was, teams wouldn't have all these massive shift deployments.

[Thurston Fluff]

Until the shift is outlawed, shaws babip is probably gonna stay right where it is.

 

It's easy to say, and people keep saying it.... " Just hit to left field" but I'm sure these guys have thought of that. Especially a dude hitting .190.

 

Hitting wherever you want against big league pitching isn't as simple as just doing it. If it was, teams wouldn't have all these massive shift deployments.

 

That's especially true given many teams don't really seem to look for that skill when drafting nor work to develop it in the minors. I have a feeling that's going to change the longer pitching dominates and shifts are still in play. Teams may start to look less to raw power in favor of hitters with that type of ability. Right now I'd take a guy who can hit to all fields over a pure power hitter who pulls everything.

[jjfanec]

Until the shift is outlawed, shaws babip is probably gonna stay right where it is.

 

It's easy to say, and people keep saying it.... " Just hit to left field" but I'm sure these guys have thought of that. Especially a dude hitting .190.

 

Hitting wherever you want against big league pitching isn't as simple as just doing it. If it was, teams wouldn't have all these massive shift deployments.

 

Shaw did have a BABIP of over .300 last year with the same amount of plate appearances as he currently has. Not sure how much he faced the shift though. He is hitting to center a bunch more this year than he has in the past. He has his lowest pull percentage of his career but a significant margin.