Brewers sign Mike Cameron (1yr/$6.22 mil + 2009 Team Option)

[yoshii8]

I don't think it sucks from Bill Hall's perspective. They didn't want to move him from centerfield, and tried to acquire a third baseman, but Cameron was the best available option. Moving him to third was the best thing for the team, and I think Hall understands that.

 

 

 

I also think that Hall is much more comfortable in the infield, and will welcome the change back.

 

 

 

Now, Melvin doesn't have to worry about much, since both our infield and outfield is under contract for the next 2 seasons, and I would probably take our IF and OF over any in the NL. The only real ? is our catching, and hopefully Kendall can provide some D, OBP, and leadership skills. I'd like to acquire a good backup C, w/ one of our extra pitchers.

[TooLiveBrew]

Cappy/Bush/Vargas for Laird? He'd be a nice complement to Kendall (albeit almost a polar opposite).

[davego]

Might be time to start a Billy Hall appreciation thread.

[PeaveyFury]

I'm sure the move wouldn't have happened without approval from Hall, so I'm sure he's ok with it. But yeah, he does seem to get a raw deal to some degree.

 

Adding Cameron just makes me more convinced that we're going to absolutely walk away with the 2004 World Series Title.....

[colbyjack]

I'm pretty excited about this deal, maybe because we've had to wait so long for it. The more the offseason has progressed the more I convinced myself that the only way the Brewers are successful in 2008 is if they drastically improve their defense. This acquisition does that, and the offense may get a little get to boot, since others have mentioned that Cameron effectively replaced Jenkins and Mench, and Cameron is better at getting on base than both of those guys.

 

 

 

The bench might have to have an extra lefty bat or two, but that may already be taken care of should Gross, Gwynn, Counsell and Munson all be in reserve.

 

 

 

The Brewers also managed to address all of their needs this offseason without trading from the pitching depth we've been hearing about for so long (not to mention minor league talent, or even draft picks). That flexibility is going to be huge for them heading into spring training, as Melvin shouldn't feel as though he needs to deal any of those arms. Someone's going to come knocking sooner or later.

 

 

 

And yes, thank you Bill Hall, but it had to be done. May you find a home at third base and may the switch back to the infield allow you to re-discover what made you so successful prior to last season.

[bobskube]

A thank you note to Bill Hall:

 

 

 

Man, Bill, we really keep yanking you around. Yet you show class, smile that smile (take that Donald Driver) and work harder than all get out. You are the new number 5, doing whatever the team needs. I hope you mash like all get out back in the infield.

 

 

 

 

Man-worship aside, we now have one of the guys who hit 4 homers in a game in 2002. That...probably means nothing. I like the deal, I like the numbers and I like what it may do to the lineup. Do we have to get by with a 24 man roster till the 25th? If this has already been answered, happily tell me to shut up.

I just screamed. I finally had enough of this Bill Hall lovefest.

 

I was personally told by a member of the coaching staff in October that "Billy is selfish. He refused to make adjustments until he had to." I don't remember the exact quote after that but it was to the point that Bill was definitely a "me" player. I was also told that he was one of the most "difficult" players on the team along with SURPRISE, Johnny Estrada and also Geoff Jenkins.

 

Right now, Melvin is stating that Hall will play third and he will continue to play that card until the day a trade is made. I say that Hall is traded more than not, but if a deal falls through, Melvin can always state that this was his plan all along.

 

[nate82]

With this signing I don't think there is going to be a trade where it involves anyone it looks like Melvin couldn't find a deal that he liked. It looks like Para will be starting the year in the Minors and then Vargas and Gwynn to be traded later on in the year probably after Cameron's suspension is over with.

 

I don't see a need to get a left handed bat to come off the bench with Gross, Counsell, Munson, and Gwynn to start the year. There really isn't a need for the Brewers to go out and get another left handed bat.

[Tbadder]

Right now I'm for hitting Cameron in the 2 spot with Hart entrenched in the 5 hole. The reason? Cameron takes pitches, Rickie runs wild. Cameron walks; Fielder hits 2 run homers. \

 

Hey this could all fail, the bullpen/Kendall/Cameron, but it's so cheaply done and in the short term that adjustments could even be made mid-season if necessary (say Gagne bombs, or Kendal goes down).

 

I'd still like to see Hall packaged in a mega-deal that wins us the division and maybe more. But for now Kudos with slight reservations to Doug. He's thought it through, explored avenues, and solved our worst problem--defense. I agree with whoever said that our team ERA dips slightly.

[LUKE232323]

Per jsonline:

 

"Cameron is one of only seven players over the past two seasons to average at least 20 home runs, 20 stolen bases, 80 RBI and 80 runs scored. He has batted .302 with runners in scoring position over the last three seasons, tops among centerfielders."

 

Very positive attributes along with the defense.

[SmartBall]

I understand that some people have access to information that may not be available to the general public, or have opinions that can't be proven true or false, but if Hall is a selfish player, we need more of them. I have never spoken with the man, and he might be a gigantic jerk, but he has been active in the community, been accessible to both fans and the media, proclaimed his love for the team and fans on more than a few occasions, and moved around the diamond for the good of the team. I don't think moving positions is as big of a deal as many here seem too, but that might be because during my playing career I played all over the diamond and loved it. Either way, it is impossible to answer the question "Is Billy a good guy?", but as far as I can tell he is good for this team and that is all I care about.

[LouisEly]

Some observations:

 

1) Also teams will adjust their rotations to avoid throwing lefties against the Brewers

 

Normally I agree with you JB, but once you get past the off days of April teams aren't going to tinker around with their rotations and have one guy go on three days rest and one on five days rest. Some teams, like others have mentioned, have too many lefties to be able to do that anyway.

 

2) As for Fielder being pitched around with no other lefties in the lineup, if they put Braun behind Fielder teams aren't going to pitch around him that much. If they do, I'll take my chances with Braun at the plate with runners on base.

 

3) Those who have or are certainly capable of 20/20 seasons: Weeks, Braun, Cameron, Hall, Hart. The two others not on that list who do not play catcher combined for 76 home runs in 2007. Whoa.

 

4) This actually improves the defense at two positions - 3B and CF.

 

5) Riske, Gagne, Cameron - I think Milwaukee is now officially considered a desirable destination for free agents. Anyone else after all these years find that to be a little... wierd?

 

6) Baseball is probably the most culturally diverse sport in terms of its players. And dynamics can exist in the clubhouse with players of similar cultures hanging out together and forming their own circles/cliques. Does Mike Cameron feel as comfortable coming to Milwaukee if Fielder, Hall, Weeks, and TGJ aren't here? Did that help sway his decision to choose Milwaukee over the Yankees? Does their presence make Milwaukee a desirable place for African American ballplayers? If so, does anyone who lived through the Gary Sheffield saga find that to be a little... refreshing?

[Baldkin]

Crazy Joe Dillon

YES! Its catching on. I love it.

 

On the signing:

I hated the signing 6 hours ago. Now... its growing on me. I hope "The Cam" can stay healthy, and play great defense OBP around .350, hit 7th, and drive in Prince about 80 times.

[Ayt]

I think Cameron could well be a solid #2 man since he can get away from PetCo - his BA & OBP will probably improve by at least 10-15 points. Check out his BB totals & rates - our #1 & 2 hitters could combine for 150 BBs in 2008 if Cam is slotted at #2.

Something to keep in mind, apparently Cameron is the best in the league at going from 1st to 3rd. That might be something Nascar finds out about and decides, along with Cameron's speed, that he needs to hit 2nd.

 

[Schlitz001]

Gagne, Cameron - I think Milwaukee is now officially considered a desirable destination for free agents.

 

Or for players linked to banned substances.........

[Mass Haas]

Meanwhile Drew Anderson sweats out another weekend on the 40-man roster.

 

There's almost no alternative, a guy like Randy Choate signed based on the 40-man offseason guarantee, you'd think.

 

And "greenies" suspension aside, one of my first thoughts, as politically incorrect as it may be, was having a long-respected veteran African-American clubhouse guy can't be a bad thing given the current crop of Brewers.

[igor67]

Just to help with pegging Cameron's offense I'll provide a quick EQA comparison. For those who don't know EQA is supposed to look like batting average and be a one stop shopping stat for offense. It includes the relative value of OBP, SLG, and Steals. It is also park adjusted. Taking a look at Cameron's career EQA gives the best estimate of his offensive production for next year keeping in mind it will vary somewhat. Cameron's career EQA is .275. For comparison some players who also posted similar EQA's last year. Jose Reyes .273, Josh Bard .276, Paul Konerko .276, Adam Laroche .273, Dan Uggla .273, Adrian Beltre .273, Kevin Kouzmanoff .275, Garret Anderson .275, Shawn Green .275, Mike Cuddyer .274

 

 

 

Now that group of players get's their offense in very different ways, but all together that is pretty solid contributions. And much better than say Jenkins .262 EQA last year or Mench's .251

[JohnBriggs12]

Well I feel a little better after seeing the contract numbers. They're not so huge as to preclude them from making adjustments at the deadline, if things aren't going so well.

 

 

 

It would be real interesting if say they give the CF job to Gwynn full time for the first 25 games and he's hitting .310/.360/.360 in 100 AB's, playing stellar D in CF and the team is winning.

[gregmag]

Mass, nothing politically incorrect at all about your point (assuming that term connotes anything substantive anyway, which usually it doesn't). My guess is that you and LouisEly are right -- nobody wants to be the only black guy, or the only Spanish-speaking guy, or the only foreign player, or whatever, and Milwaukee (which I love, so don't get me wrong) has always had a reputation for being pretty white (which I am, so really don't get me wrong). Our present black players seem as happy to be where they are as any other players, and that's how it should be.

 

 

 

The signing looks pretty good to me. We'll see about the lefty deficit, but that's not the be-all and end-all, especially when the lefties we lost from last year were mediocrities at best. Normally I don't like picking up old guys, but Cameron (a) has broad skills, which means he's likely to age well; (b) has played in awful offensive environments for seven years, which means he should get a nice bump in Miller, and © is signed to a very reasonable, short-term deal. Plus it makes more sense to add a couple of old guys like Cameron and Kendall when the rest of your lineup is Weeks-Hardy-Braun-Fielder-Hart-Hall.

 

 

 

Does this signing make the team better right now? Quite a bit, I think. Everybody has said it: signing Cameron improves the defense substantially at two key positions and improves over Menchkins in the lineup. Among the many excellent points in Colby's post is the fact that we didn't have to give up players (pitching depth in particular) for Cameron; I would still have preferred Rolen head-to-head, but Rolen would have cost, at a minimum, Capuano, so in overall talent terms this was probably the best move available.

 

 

 

I'm curious now about how the team manages the pitching depth -- will they deal Vargas for a mid-level prospect now? -- and about what they're planning for Matt LaPorta with Braun set in left. Maybe they see Braun moving to center down the road, or Hart to center with Braun in right?

 

 

 

Greg.

[JJHardy7]

Are we all really convinced that Hall is going to be that good of a 3B? He's only played 84 games there (1/2 a full season) in the bigs. I think Bill Hall is a SS. I don't mind signing Cameron since the dollars aren't big, but I am concerned that he's going to miss the first 25 games and a player will have to be benched (and batting order tweaked), he has some impressive numbers -- but were the PEDs involved, he's not a young player, he's not drastically better than Hall in CF, and we're moving two of our biggest offensive pieces to new positions.

 

 

 

I can live with Cameron's Ks as long as he slugs enough and the speed will be nice, but I don't think this is a slam dunk in terms of our defense being drastically better. There may not have been better options, but that doesn't mean because the Brewers chose this option it's the right move. The 25 game suspension worries me more and more.

[Invader3K]

Per jsonline:

 

" He has batted .302 with runners in scoring position over the last three seasons, tops among centerfielders."

That's definitely something this team could use a little more of.

[homer]

"Are we all really convinced that Hall is going to be that good of a 3B?"

 

 

 

He just has to be better than Braun which won't be hard to do.

[TheCrew07]

The anti Cameron signing folks have already summed my thoughts on why Cameron doesn't fit at all except for his defense.

This is the first Melvin move that is a head scratcher to me, I just don't like it at all. I slept on it before posting, but I dont' feel any better about it today.

[Cooper]

If this move tells me anything, it's that Mr. Attanasio isn't afraid to pony up bucks in an attempt to win a World Series. Whether or not that happens this year remains to be seen. If spring training is broken with Hall playing third, that guy is a trooper, class act and a complete team player. I'm not sure why folks are down on Hall defensively... Based on what I've seen, he's completely capable to play 3rd. I honestly wished that he would have played there to start the season last year. Braun in LF is a good thing, and it's even better that he knows this in the offseason. It's possible that Cameron is the worst thing about this deal. That said, he's a good defender. I just hope his offense doesn't stall the rest of the lineup too much.

[Tbadder]

Oh...and by the by...CRAZY JOE DILLON just has to stick as a nickname. It's retro, campy, and classic--great combination for a bench warmer extrordinaire!

[himeji jo]

he's not drastically better than Hall in CF

Some may say that Hall had fully adjusted to play in center by the end of the season. But, in my own humble opinion, I still felt as though he was a bit uncomfortable. I was a little nervous about having what I felt was two experiments, in other words players learning significantly different positions, in the outfield. So moving Hall back to the infield, where he's most comfortable, adding an absolutely incredible defensive presence in center in Cameron, and limiting the question marks to Braun in left is a huge plus for me...and better than keeping Hall in center and finding an adequate third base replacement for Braun.