Crabbe

[DrWood]

If padres don't keep him in majors, do the brewers decide to bring him back? Seems like he could help in Nashville.

 

[JJHardy7]

The Brewers have to take Crabbe back if they can. I have nothing against the Brewers for letting him leave via the Rule 5 and I really hope Crabbe makes it to the show w/ the Padres, but he has too much talent to just walk away from. Crabbe isn't a 32 year old IF. He's still on the younger side and if anything else provides depth for Weeks and/or trade value. From everything I've seen with him in Nashville, he's a good player and I do believe he'll have a long career in the show (although maybe not as an everyday guy).

[dadofandrew]

He has almost no trade value at all. If SD wants him, I would assume the Crew would take a player or cash for him and not bring him back.

 

You can pretty much name all the 5-7 guys in the majors on one hand. His ceiling is so limited, if he has more value elsewhere, the polite thing to do is to leave him there.

[DrWood]

I guess we better cut ties with salome and gindl too, since they are short.

[gregmag]

Gindl is 5'9", Salome plays the toughest position on the diamond, and both guys are substantially younger than Crabbe, with more room to develop. Al's argument wasn't just about size -- it was about size plus ceiling. I'm not sure he's entirely right, because Crabbe might well be a better stopgap than our other in-house options in the event Weeks got hurt. But I certainly agree that a guy with Crabbe's size and talent, who apparently can't play ss or 3b, is very unlikely to have a MLB career.

 

Greg.

[1ballboy11]

I know that it it hard for someone short to make it to the majors,but not impossible. Most shorter guy have more tools than guys that are tall and big. I know power is one concern with shorter guys. I think shorter players get a reputation of being to little to make it to the majors, but their is a big difference between being short and being little.

[sheetswannabe]

I agree with greg totally. Crabbe will just be a stopgap

[DHonks]

the intriguing thing is that I'd like to begin developing quality backups. You know, like the old Luis Lopez...the kinds that can play multiple spots for a few days, and are cheap.

[TooLiveBrew]

Found this article on Crabbe today: "Versatility will be the key..."

 

 

By Tom Krasovic

UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER

 

March 5, 2008

PEORIA, Ariz. - The Padres could have a roster spot for a utility man who can play both the infield and outfield, get on base and steal a base.

Callix Crabbe showed those capabilities as a Brewers minor leaguer. This month, the Padres are evaluating whether the native of the Virgin Islands is ready for the majors.

Crabbe has appeared "comfortable" at three infield spots and right field, manager Bud Black said. The switch-hitter, who is 5-for-13 with a double, also has given Black clues to his .369 on-base percentage in more than 3,000 minor league plate appearances.

The versatility obviously is a big plus for him," Black said. "There's a short little quick stroke offensively. He puts the bat on the ball. He's got the line-drive, gap stick from both sides of the plate."

 

Black wants to see more of Crabbe, 25, at shortstop, center field and right field, three positions that will stretch him. Not since 2004, when he made four errors in six Single-A games, had Crabbe played shortstop. Not until last season did he play in the outfield, drawing 38 games there in Triple-A.

Because Crabbe was a Rule V selection, the Padres must expose him to waivers and, if he clears, offer him to the Brewers if he doesn't make their 25-man roster.

The 5-foot-8, 190-pounder is one of several utility men competing for a bench job. Another veteran minor leaguer whose primary position is second base is Edgar Gonzalez, brother of first baseman Adrian Gonzalez. He is 5-for-8 with four runs scored in five games.

 

 

 

I definitely echo the sentiments that the Brewers should take Calix back if he's made available.

[dadofandrew]

Minor league 2B, with rare exception, are 2B because they cannot play SS.

 

If Crabbe can play SS/3B, he's a decent utility option. If not, he's AAA filler. My money is on the latter.

[Mass Haas]

Latest on Callix from Padres' camp

[Gopher74]

Latest on Callix from Padres' camp

"Crabbe sees his opportunity with the Brewers coming at him, and like a fastball hanging over the meat of the plate, he's ready to put a good swing on his chance of breaking into the big leagues."

A sign of things to come perhaps?

[recte44]

11 games at SS, the most at any position. What happened to "Crabbe can't play SS"??

 

Here's a question: Who would you rather have, Craig Counsell and his salary or Crabbe and his??

[jackalope02ca]

It's not going to matter from a Brewer perspective as Crabbe is going to make the Padres. We won't be getting him back.

[JJHardy7]

I still think Crabbe is going to have a nice career in the bigs. He won't be an all-star, but I do believe he'll end up being a starter in the bigs at some point. If Counsell can last this long in the bigs, Crabbe will be able to do the same and be able to hit the ball better than Counsell.

[JohnBriggs12]

The Brewers made a mistake not protecting Crabbe. They also made a mistake not using him at SS in the minor leagues. He was the perfect guy to groom as a utility player after Counsell's gone when they are going to need cheap bench players because the starter's salaries explode. Heck he should have been brought up when they sent Weeks down last August.

 

While on balance, the Brewers do a good job in player development and evaluation, they do make mistakes and this was one of them.

[Gopher74]

It's not going to matter from a Brewer perspective as Crabbe is going to make the Padres. We won't be getting him back.

Not sure why you sound so confident when the Padres aren't.

 

For a contending team like the Pads, roster spots are critical. It's entirely possible that he's not on their 25 man all season long and ends up back with the Brewers(unless we then work out a deal). I'd place it at about 50/50 he's back in Milwaukee or with the org at some point.

 

[And That]

According to this article, Callix Crabbe has all but made the Padres' 25-man roster. Congratulations to Callix!

[Mass Haas]

Yeah, and some kid named Thatcher is sure entrenched on that Padre staff...http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/tongue.gif

Also, congrats to R.A. Dickey, technically not a Rule 5 Pick from the Brewers (actually from the Twins, who signed him to a minor league deal after the season). He looks to have an important role on the Seattle Mariner pitching staff this season as a Rule 5 guy.

 

[TooLiveBrew]

Dickey looked pretty sound last night in the M's exhibition @ SF.