where will laporta start the 08 season?

[BREWCREW5]

Anyone know the plan with Matt? AA?

[JJHardy7]

Milwaukee...Huntsville would be a good option though also. If he starts out there, we can look forward to a September call up maybe next year and maybe a visit to Nashville before that? My guess it depends on where the Brewers brass thinks his fielding is.

[PrimeTime955]

Maybe I'm way off base here but I would think he would take a similar path to Braun. Half a year at Brevard, half a year at Huntsville. Possibly a Sept callup depending on what he's doing. In 09' he would start in Nashville or Milwaukee.

[SoCalBrewfan]

Laporta's playing in the Arizona Fall League and that's likely to affect his 08 assignment...if he rocks there I'd guess that he's very likely to start in AA. Even if he flops there I'd say there's a good chance, but that could indicate he needs time in A+.

[Nader Raider Tim]

Where has LaPorta been playing? When he first came back it was 1st base, is he still there or is he in LF? If he is in LF what does he look like there? If LaPorta is looking good in the field I would kind of think that he would start at AA. The Brewers do seem to be a pretty conservative team when it comes to promoting there young "stars" so the smart money would probably be that LP starts in A+.

[yoda knows all]

My agents in Gainsville tell me that he is seriously slow and can't believe that he's being used in the outfield by Brew Crew.

[wvpowerblkwel]

He's actually not doing a bad job in LF. I think he even had a diving catch tonite. Most of his problems that I've seen in LF just come from not having much time at the position. I think given time in the outfield, defensively he should be just fine. The Brewers minor league system seem to have a lot of guys that can cover ground in CF, so I think playing in the corners won't require a ton of speed!

[dadofandrew]

He'll spend most of '08 in AA, but no idea where he'll begin.

[And That]

Regardless of his defense in LF, LaPorta may end up being the distant future answer at 1B for the Crew when Prince leaves via free agency after the 2011 season. Matt might just have to shine it on in LF '08-'11. At least during that time we'll have a legitimate backup 1B on the roster.

 

As to the question, the AFL and spring training will go a long way in determining where he'll start next year. A mediocre AFL and a mediocre ST may mean Brevard, a great AFL and a great ST could possibly mean Nashville, but like Al said, he's likely to spend a lot of time in Huntsville.

[SheetsCyYoung04]

My agents in Gainsville tell me that he is seriously slow and can't believe that he's being used in the outfield by Brew Crew.

Is he really any slower than Adam Dunn, Chris Duncan, or Lance Berkman? I doubt it.

 

[paul253]

If he starts in AA, we'd have a heck of an outfield there with LaPorta, Cain, and Gillespie

[battlekow]

Kevin Goldstein on LaPorta:

LaPorta is looking more and more like a player who won't need much time in the minors at all. After slugging his way to a .304/.369/.696 line in his pro debut, the seventh overall pick's dominance has continued in the postseason, as LaPorta led his team to the Sally League Championship by going 7-for-14 with three doubles and a home run as the Power took two of three from Hickory in the divisional series. He's looked okay at best in left field, but that's all that is really required at this point. He'll most likely start next year in Double-A, and should be the first hitter from this June's draft to reach the big leagues.

[brettac1]

Wherever he goes, it's safe to say he will take and rake. I wouldn't anticipate a September call-up next year, just because of his needing to be added to the 40 man in order for that to happen. I think he'lldo the Braun path of about half Brevard and half Huntsville. The cup runneth over with OF prospects at Huntsville if he does start out there.

[sbrylski]

Would anyone really be that suprised to see him up next season sometime after the All-Star break? I suppose it depends on our LF situation next year, but LaPorta could very well be option B should we suffer a corner OF injury or see some serious dissapointment with whoever we march out there.

 

I'm definately not saying its likely, but I think its plausible. Brettac probably outlined the most likely situation for him, but any slower than that (a potential OD '09 start) would be dissapointing to me.

[twobrewers]

The more Laporta rakes in Arizona the more I keep thinking he might see the MLB in 2008.

Braun's 2006 Arizona numbers...
Average: .326
OBP: .396
Slugging: .641
OPS: 1.038

Laporta's 2007 Arizona numbers...
Average: .294
OBP: .368
Slugging: .647
OPS: 1.015

I'm just saying - what once seemed impossible, not seems entirely possible.

(On a side note, assuming Braun stays at 3B and Hall in CF - inserting Laporta in LF might make us the worse fielding team ever)

[dadofandrew]

If not for his defense, he'd certainly be in AA.

[TooLiveBrew]

Do you really think a guy that posted an 1.142 OPS last year in A ball (at age 22), and is hitting like this in the AFL won't be in AA to start 2008? I fail to see how he'd be in A again. If he starts the year at Brevard, he won't be there for long.

[And That]

It would be shocking if LaPorta weren't in AA to begin next season. The Brewers were willing to deal with Braun's horrific defense higher up, so why wouldn't they with LaPorta? And I don't even know if his D is as bad as Ryan's.

 

To this day I will argue they should have moved Braun to the OF much earlier. I don't bask in the fact his major league play is proving me right, but there were a lot of people saying that Braun's defense was alright and whatnot, calling the people out who criticized his drafting based on defense misguided. I think it is safe to say that most people way underestimated his bat and way overestimated his glove. To those that did not do one and/or the other, congrats.

 

What does this have to do with Matt LaPorta? Make sure he knows how to play LF, because he doesn't have anywhere else to go until Prince is gone.

[igor67]

Between Gamel, Braun, La Porta, and Prince. I can't help but ask are we the 1995 Cleveland Indians? How many defense lite 1.000 OPS sluggers can we crank out?

[homer]

Does anyone really know what his defense is really like? He switched positions but that doesn't mean he's awful.

[wvpowerblkwel]

LaPorta is not awful defensively. I watched him here in Charleston, and he was I guess just average. He looked like a guy learning to play a new position. He laid out nicely for the ball and made catches several times, but had guys take extra bases on him just because they could. He played "the expectations" for how he should field his position and sometimes guys would take advantage of that. However, I never really saw him make any bonehead plays anyone else wouldn't make. His speed was not fantastic, but really not bad. I think if you guys give him some time to learn the outfield, he will prove more than adequate defensively given his offensive abilities!

[sbrylski]

LaPorta is not awful defensively. I watched him here in Charleston, and he was I guess just average. He looked like a guy learning to play a new position. He laid out nicely for the ball and made catches several times, but had guys take extra bases on him just because they could. He played "the expectations" for how he should field his position and sometimes guys would take advantage of that. However, I never really saw him make any bonehead plays anyone else wouldn't make. His speed was not fantastic, but really not bad. I think if you guys give him some time to learn the outfield, he will prove more than adequate defensively given his offensive abilities!

He sounds like Carlos Lee. He'll never be that good, and is a bit slow, but will be okay without dumb errors and make the occasional athletic play. I'm okay with that.

[twobrewers]

He sounds like Carlos Lee. He'll never be that good, and is a bit slow, but will be okay without dumb errors and make the occasional athletic play. I'm okay with that.

That sounds about right. Carlos was by no means a great defender - but at least he didn't make the mistakes. It looks as though LaPorta (Does he use a capital P?) will be good enough offensively, that he only needs to be adequate on defense.

 

Wow, an outfield of LaPorta Hart and Braun would be scary good. (hint hint)

[clancyphile]

Gross/LaPorta to platoon in LF?

 

Could be worse.

[colbyjack]

As noted in the Arizona Fall League thread, AA coach Sandy Guerrero mentioned in a blog-feature with Chris Klein of Baseball America that LaPorta is expected to compete at AA next year. Of course that really doesn't shed any light as to whether or not he'll start the season at AA, but I don't think the statement would be made if he wasn't going to, as you wouldn't want to set him up for failure should he struggle at Brevard County (Braun, Gillespie).