Showing posts with label Corey Hart. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Corey Hart. Show all posts

Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Winter Meetings Notes: Brewers Edition




The Winter Meetings are well underway and it's off to a hot start for many major league teams. This article will be updated as more information becomes available. The following is what is out as of right now that I know of.

- The Brewers have contacted the New York Mets again regarding 1B Ike Davis, as have the Tampa Bay Rays. The Mets asking price is said to still be way too high and nothing is expected to happen there. [via MLB Trade Rumors]

- The Brewers remain in the hunt for Miami Marlins 1B/OF Logan Morrison, as well as a few other teams including the Orioles, Blue Jays, and Pirates. There was a rumbling that Rickie Weeks may be on the table for Logan Morrison but I can't confirm that. Personally, if you're talking Weeks in a trade, you have to assume the Brewers are paying most of that salary anyways or a third team is involved in the trade. [via MLB Trade Rumors]

- The Brewers have contacted the San Francisco Giants about 1B Brett Phill. [via Henry Schulman]

- The Brewers are looking for veteran relief pitchers. They have not contacted John Axford or Francisco Rodriguez but have checked in on former Chicago Cubs closer Carlos Marmol. [via Tom Haudricourt]

- The Brewers have met with Corey Hart's agent. The Brewers will wait for Hart's agent to gather other offers and then will negotiate. Hart remains the Brewers' #1 priority. [via MLB Trade Rumors]

- Six teams have apparently checked in on former Brewers "pop out to right field with bases loaded and two out" man Yuniesky Betancourt. Marlins are the most interested, shockingly. [via Chris Cottilo]

- Tom Gorzelanny had shoulder surgery. He won't be able to pitch until mid March. Don't be alarmed, it's said to only be a "clean up" procedure. [via Tom Haudricourt]

- Aramis Ramirez and Rickie Weeks are on schedule with their rehabs. [via Tom Haudricourt]

- Ryan Braun got married over the weekend. [Multiple Reports]

UPDATE: (12/10/13 1:43PM CT)


- Tom Haudricourt states in his following tweets that the "Brewers would not trade for a first baseman unless they get a definite no from Corey Hart. And they are hoping for answer very soon." Tom next tweet was rather confusing to tell what he meant to say, but believes the "Brewers have told Corey Hart what they'd be willing to do. A matter of accepting it or not. If not, trade for 1B." In addition, Tom states that "Weeks is recovering from major injury, has $11 M contract and has been in two-year offensive decline. Not a very marketable trade candidate."



Adam's tweet pretty much echos Haudrcourt's, but that's the latest on Corey Hart.

UPDATE: (12/10/13 4:36PM CT)

- Report: Corey Hart and the Milwaukee Brewers are actively moving towards a contract agreement and have been all day. It is expected to be completed before the Winter Meetings are over. Full report on said activities were reported by the Brewer Nation Blog.


The Brewers, as mentioned above, will not pursue a trade until the hear from Corey Hart on the offer they submitted to him. I can't imagine the Brewers will wait an extended amount of time on Hart. I would expect an announcement within the next 24 hours.

- Ron Roenicke named Tyler Thornburg the Brewers front runner to be the 5th starter for the rotation in 2014. The rotation would sit at Lohse, Gallardo, Estrada, Peralta, Thornburg. [via Adam McCalvy]

- Ron Roenicke also says that he doesn't need to know the specifics on Ryan Braun's steroid use and neither does anyone else. [via Adam McCalvy]

- Ron Roenicke confirms Scooter Gennett is penciled in as the starting second baseman for the Brewers heading into the 2014 season. Rickie Weeks' future is up in the air. [via Adam McCalvy]

Personally, if Rickie wants to impress, he may want to think about trying third base out. That would be a tough transition for him because of his arm strength. But, he really has no other choice.

UPDATE: (12/10/13 8:20PM CT)

Corey Hart could make his decision as early as tonight, tweets Adam McCalvy. The Brewers were reported earlier to have been working with Hart all day on a deal. Hopefully it pays off.

If the Brewers miss out of Hart and don't end up being the team that signs him, it appears they have a back up plan...Ike Davis. (UGH)

UPDATE: (12/10/13 9:42PM CT)


Good to hear. I did not want Ike Davis. Lots of people did not want Ike Davis. I'm so happy to know Melvin isn't willing to trade a young pitcher like Tyler Thornburg for a crap shoot in Davis. Now signing Corey Hart is even more important.

UPDATE: (12/11/13 9:07PM CT)

- Reports have suggested that Doug Melvin has set a noon deadline for Corey Hart on his decision. Haudricourt is very optimistic about Hart returning to the Brewers. But, he notes that all it takes is one team to swoop in to change that optimism. If Hart doesn't return, the Brewers seem to be set on their internal options of Juan Francisco, Sean Halton, and Hunter Morris. They are no longer in talks with the Marlins about Logan Morrison and the Mets about Ike Davis. [via Tom Haudricourt]


Now it appears Morrison/Marlins trade might end up being the backup plan if Hart says no, according to Tom Haudricourt.

- According to Adam Marchand of ESPN, the Brewers are among eight other teams that have checked in on left handed pitcher Johan Santana. Other teams to check in are the Mets, Yankees, Pirates, Twins, Rays, Orioles, and Royals. Not sure the extent of the interest or how much both sides talked, but it makes sense. Johan would be a pretty affordable option to have. He has had injury issues, specifically to his throwing shoulder. Those surgeries have made Johan miss two out of the last three seasons. [via ESPN]

- According to Adam McCalvy, Doug Melvin spoke to James Loney’s agent early Wednesday morning. McCalvy wrote "...there could theoretically be opportunity there if Loney comes down from his reported three-year request." McCalvy added "trades with the Mets for Ike Davis or the Marlins for Logan Morrison are possible, though the Mets’ ask was pretty high for Davis, a player who struggled so mightily in 2013 that he was demoted to Triple-A at one point. New York wants Tyler Thornburg, and sounded firm on it." [via Brewers Beat]

According to multiple reports, Corey Hart is down to two teams...the Brewers and the Mariners. Corey has strong connections with Seattle, as GM Jack Zduriencik drafted him. If the Mariners get Hart, you have to wonder if they'd be willing to trade Justin Smoak. And, since the Brewers are all for trading for Ike Davis or Logan Morrison, I don't see why they wouldn't consider Smoak. [via Multiple Reports]

- Jon Heyman of CBS Sports reports that Corey Hart is heading to the Mariners on a one year deal. Adam McCalvy also confirmed Hart is going to Seattle. From what it sounds like, Seattle offered him a deal he simply could not turn down. Should be interesting to see the exact details of it.

The Brewers were prepared to sign Hart to a one year deal was worth $4MM guaranteed with $2.5MM in earning incentives, totaling a max of $6.5MM

Seattle's deal is worth $6MM guaranteed with $7MM earning incentives, totaling $13MM.

- Buster Olney of ESPN tweets that the Brewers have been talking to James Loney. He implies that he could be the next target for the Brewers if the team chooses not to trade for Davis, Morrison, etc.

- Moments after the Mariners signed Corey Hart, they also acquired Logan Morrison from the Marlins in exchange for RHP Carter Capps. They really hurts the remaining players available for the Brewers. Ike Davis, Justin Smoak, and Mitch Moreland via trade, or free agent James Loney. Brewers are in talks with James Loney's agent. [via Multiple Sources]

- Adam McCalvy tweets that the Brewers have sincere interest in James Loney, but don't expect to get anything done before they leave Orlando tomorrow. [via Adam McCalvy]


- Doug Melvin hints he may have his eye on someone in the Rule 5 Draft, since the team's 40 man roster sits at 39. Let the speculation begin.


More to come as it becomes available....


Until next time, Beer, Brats, and Championships.

 - Andrew Vrchota (@AndrewVrchota)

Follow us on Twitter (@WISportsBlog) for up to date news on the Brewers, Packers, Badgers, Bucks, and Golden Eagles. We feature live, in-game commentary, breaking news, previews and post game discussions. Follow the entire Wisconsin Sports Blog writing team on Twitter: @AndrewVrchota, @jheldred, @JoeP_Norton, @olewr7, @Stevie2Westside, and @10iskristin.
Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , , , , , , , ,

Saturday, October 19, 2013

Recapping 2013 for the Milwaukee Brewers - Hitters



Last week I wrote about the Milwaukee Brewers pitching in 2013 and in today’s second installment, I will cover the team’s hitting in 2013 and look forward to where the crew stands headed into next season. The team had 19 different position players swing a bat throughout the course of the season. Let’s take a look at how they fared.

First base was particularly manned by Alex Gonzalez and Yuniesky Betancourt early on with Corey Hart and Mat Gamel lost for the season with knee injuries. Gonzalez put on a woeful display at the plate, hitting just .177 in 113 at bats with 8 RBI. Gonzalez, who has been primarily praised for his excellent shortstop play, never really seemed to get things going before being released by the Brewers on June 3rd. Betancourt found himself as the team’s regular first baseman, and he delivered early on. Yuni hit .280 in the month of April with 6 home runs and 21 RBI. Bloggers and stat freaks all throughout Wisconsin were amazed at the impact Betancourt’s bat had in the lineup and thought for a short period of time that he might be able to put together a solid season. In true Yuni B fashion, however, the veteran returned to form, hitting just .190 in May. Yuni finished at .212 for the year with 13 home runs and 46 RBI. Yes, he had nearly half of his home runs and RBI in the month of April alone. On the same day the club cut ties with Gonzalez, they acquired the powerful Juan Francisco from Atlanta. Francisco came in with a reputation for hitting the ball hard, but rarely getting on base. He lived up to that reputation in the following months with the crew. Francisco did manage to slug 13 home runs, good for third on the team, but struggled mightily, hitting just .221 overall and getting on base at a miserable .300 clip. The Brewers called up Sean Halton from AAA Nashville on June 26th for his first of three stints with the big league club to pick up first base duties after an impressive showing with the Sounds where he hit .288 with nine home runs to start the season. Halton showed flashes of power and played decent defense at the position while hitting .238 overall. He brings some versatility as he also spent some time in left field. It is doubtful that the club sees Halton as a long term solution at first base, however, but more as a bridge to the anticipated arrival of Hunter Morris down the road. I think it is in the best interest of General Manager Doug Melvin to bring Corey Hart back for 2014 and see what he still has in the tank before looking to Morris in the long term. Mat Gamel was lost on waivers to the Cubs shortly after the regular season ended and we wish him the best as he tries to put a full season together.

Second base was manned by two players throughout the season for the Brewers. Rickie Weeks continued to under perform at the plate and faced his usual amount of scrutiny as he hit just .209 and saw a significant drop in home runs, clearing the fence just 10 times. He was lost for the season after having surgery to repair a torn hamstring in early August. Heralded prospect Scooter Gennett was handed the reins to the second base job and didn’t disappoint. Scooter hit .324 for the season and put up surprising power numbers, belting 6 home runs in his limited time in the starting role. He plays good defense and is just 23 years old. I see the Brewers entering 2014 with Gennett as the starting second baseman, even if a healthy Weeks returns. Look for Gennett to hit around .300 and play with great energy as the every-day second baseman.

Third base, much like first, was another position where injuries plagued the Brewers in 2013. After a terrific season in 2012 where he hit .300 with 27 home runs and 105 RBI while garnering a great deal of attention on defense, Aramis Ramirez played in just 92 games in 2013, hitting .283 with 12 home runs and 49 RBI. Ramirez is under contract for one more season with the crew, but will be 36 in June and certainly has his best years behind him. If the club is to contend in 2014 however, a strong, healthy season will be needed from the veteran. Jeff Bianchi, who played some shortstop as well, was the primary replacement for Ramirez and hit .237 with just one home run and 25 RBI while appearing in 100 games, but did particularly well in the second half of the season, hitting .274. Bianchi is fine in a bench role, but I don’t see him as a long term solution for the Brewers at any position. Nick Delmonico, acquired from the Orioles mid-season for Francisco Rodriguez shows a lot of promise and could be the club’s future third baseman, but is just 21 and remains a couple seasons away from the major leagues. I applaud Melvin for going out and getting a guy of value for Rodriguez when he had the chance.

Shortstop was a bright sport for the club in 2013 thanks to the emergence of Jean Segura. Another piece acquired by Melvin in a trade, Segura appeared in 44 games with the crew at the end of 2012 after being acquired in the Zack Greinke deal at the deadline. Segura showed flashes of brilliance, batting .294 with 12 home runs and 49 RBI while finishing second in the national league with 44 stolen bases. He was also impressive on defense and made his first All-Star game after hitting .325 in the season’s first half. While his numbers did drop off significantly in the latter half of the year, the organization is hoping the amount of baseball Segura had played without time off is to blame. However you look at it, the club has to be excited about their future at shortstop, as Segura is just 23 and currently locked up through 2018.

The Brewers entered 2013 feeling confident that they had one of the better pairs of catchers in the national league. Jonathan Lucroy, still just 27 and despite an injury shortened 2012, was coming off his best season in the major leagues, and the emergence of youngster Martin Maldonado was certainly something to be excited about. While Maldonado faced his share of struggles at the plate, Lucroy continue to show he belongs in mention with the better catchers in all of baseball. Luc proved to be the veteran leader of the club after the loss of Ryan Braun and put up the numbers to support it. He hit an even .280 with 18 home runs and 82 RBI while playing in 147 games. The club primarily used Maldonado to catch rookie Wily Peralta and he struggled to hit just .169. Lucroy proved his leadership by requesting that manager Ron Roenicke play him at first base on days that he wasn’t catching. Roenicke gave it a try and Lucroy was able to show enough at first that the crew felt comfortable enough to run him out there multiple times. In addition to their offense, both catchers again proved to be valuable behind the dish. Maldonado has developed a reputation as one of the better throwing catchers in the game and Lucroy is commonly mentioned among the best in all of baseball at framing pitches. Look for Maldonado’s numbers to improve in his third season and Lucroy to remain right around the .280 mark and provide solid leadership.

After terrific seasons from Norichika Aoki and Carlos Gomez in 2012, the Brewers felt they had one of the better outfields in the national league heading into 2013 with a healthy Ryan Braun. This quickly changed as Braun appeared in just 61 games before a season ending suspension due to his involvement with performance enhancing drugs. Braun was good in the limited playing time he had, hitting .298 with 9 home runs and 38 RBI but didn’t seem as lively on the base paths as he has been in years past, swiping just 4 bases. He will return in 2014 with much to prove to a fan base that greatly needs another MVP like season from the slugger to regain their trust. Aoki was solid again, batting .286 with 8 home runs and 37 RBI while stealing 20 bases but is a big question mark moving forward. The Brewers can choose to pick up Aoki’s option and keep him in Milwaukee for 2014 or allow him to become a free agent and sign elsewhere. This will likely be a tough decision for Melvin and company as Aoki has been nothing short of impressive and on a very team friendly deal for the past two years. That being said, the club has a number of impressive young outfielders banging on the door and ready to play regularly in the big leagues. Aoki will be 32 in January and one can only wonder how long he can keep up this type of production. Carlos Gomez signed a three year extension good for $24 million in March thanks to his impressive 2012 and responded by having an even more impressive 2013. Gomez got off to an incredibly hot start, hitting .295 in the season’s first half and clubbing 14 home runs while playing the best defense among center fielders in the national league. His second half numbers weren’t quite as impressive, but the gold glove favorite still finished with a .284 average, 24 home runs and 73 RBI while stealing 40 bases and robbing multiple home runs in the outfield. He enters 2014 at just 28 years of age and expectations to hit .300 and once again provide good speed and pop.

Logan Schafer, Caleb Gindl and Khris Davis were three youngsters looking to make an impact on the major league club for the first time in 2013. All three proved they deserve a look at a possible starting job moving forward and leave the Brewers pondering whether to exercise Aoki’s option. Davis was particularly impressive, appearing in just 56 games but smacking 11 home runs. The left fielder got a particularly long look thanks to the suspension to Braun and wowed players, coaches, and fans with his impressive display of power. In addition to the home runs, Davis hit .279 and drove in 27. His defense is not something be excited about, however, and he seems confined to left field. Logan Schafer appeared in 134 games and hit just .211, but showed great promise with speed, hustle, and an ability to make plays on defense. Caleb Gindl was criticized early for his struggles in the outfield and needs to get a handle on his defensive skill set, but was fairly impressive at the plate. The 25 year old hit .245 in the season’s second half with 5 home runs and 13 RBI. His defense needs to improve a great deal before he can be considered an every-day outfielder, but he has at least earned himself consideration for a bench spot heading into 2014. I think it would be best for the crew to allow Aoki to sign elsewhere and attempt to move Ryan Braun to right field. While it will be sad to see Aoki go, I feel the benefits of having Khris Davis play every day will be worth it. If Braun can make the switch to right, the club can play Davis and Gindl in left and have Schafer back up Gomez in center. Look for good production out of this group as all three regulars could hit 25 home runs in 2014.

If the club can manage to bring back Corey Hart, I don’t think much is needed in the way of free agency from a hitting perspective heading into next season. This is a club that will lean heavily on its young stars in 2014, but they have proven they can produce.

Until next time, Beer, Brats, and Championships.

 - Joseph Norton (@JoeP_Norton)

Follow us on Twitter (@WISportsBlog) for up to date news on the Brewers, Packers, Badgers, Bucks, and Golden Eagles. We feature live, in-game commentary, breaking news, previews and post game discussions. Follow the entire Wisconsin Sports Blog writing team on Twitter: @AndrewVrchota, @jheldred, @JoeP_Norton, @olewr7, @Stevie2Westside, and @10iskristin.
Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , , , , , ,

Monday, June 17, 2013

A Few Ideas for the Brewers at the Trade Deadline

The Brewers will be an active team during the the closing weeks of July as the Non-waiver Trade Deadline looms.

We know it's coming. Doug said it's happening. Mark A. hinted it. Major changes are coming. They will be freeing salary cap while reloading the farm system in the process. Rebuilding for success is about to begin.

I had a long conversation regarding these possible trade ideas with fellow Brewers blogger Ryan Topp (@RyanTopp), who writes over at the Disciples of Uecker blog. We collaborated for a few hours on who are high priority people that need to move, and less important players that don't necessarily need to be moved, but should be shopped.

Here are a few trades that make a lot of sense for both parties involved. These aren't rumors, so don't take them as rumors. These are just ideas of mine that I have put together through research of the prospects and team needs. So, let's get started.

1. Milwaukee Brewers trade 3B Aramis Ramirez to the Boston Red Sox for LHP Brian Johnson and 2B Mookie Betts.

This one is easy. Aramis is set to be the highest paid Brewer next year at 16 million dollars. That is a lot of money that could be freed up for a rebuilding team. Also, the Red Sox need a lot of help at the hot corner. It's been a cold corner for them, actually. Will Middlebrooks has been terrible this year. The phenomenon that is José Iglesias will eventually cool off as well, although he is playing about as good as anyone right now in the Bigs. When it's all said and done, the Red Sox will need a right handed power bat in that lineup. Ramirez could play some DH for the Red Sox if Big Papi were to play first base on those days. The Red Sox have been a nice surprise this year, and Ramirez could be a nice threat added to that already solid lineup.

As for who the Brewers could get, I like the upside in Brian Johnson. He's a south paw who has a 4-pitch arsenal. He has a good sinking fast ball that touches around 92-93, a great slider that is his out pitch, a developing change up, and a decent curve. He's having a bit of an off year at age 22, so he could be available. Brian is ranked the #13 prospect in the Red Sox organization, according to MLB.com.

Mookie Betts is a hidden gem in the Red Sox farm system.
The other component to this trade is someone hidden in the Red Sox farm system, but someone who I think has a bright future in the MLB. Second baseman Mookie Betts is showing great patience in A-ball. He's actually having a very unique season. He's one of only five players currently in the minors who has at least 7 home runs with more walks than strikeouts. Betts actually has almost twice as many walks as strike outs with at least 7 round trippers. (8 HR, 46 walks, 29 strikeouts). To put that into perspective, since 2001, only Barry Bonds has accomplished such a statistic.

I believe the Red Sox would love to have Aramis Ramirez. If they bring him back for next year, it would give the Red Sox another year to develop 3B Garin Cecchini so he's ready by 2015 to take over the hot corner in Boston.  

2. Milwaukee Brewers trade RHP Yovani Gallardo and 1B/OF Corey Hart to the Texas Rangers for 3B Mike Olt, RHP Neil Ramirez, and RHP C.J. Edwards.

There are two Yovani trades I could come up with. (Actually, the first one is mine and the other belongs to Ryan Topp) 

This might seem as a stretch for some, as Texas rarely trades away top prospects. But, there's a part of me that believes Texas has a secret man crush on these two Brewers. A lot of this trade may be apart of a desperation move by Texas if suspensions are handed out to Nelson Cruz for being a part of the Biogenesis scandal.

The Rangers are having all sorts of starting pitching issues to people not named Yu Darvish. Injury after injury after injury has caused over half the rotation to land on the DL. Gallardo has been proven to be a rather healthy guy since his ACL tear and recovery, which is appealing to any team looking for a reliable pitcher.

Another thing worth noting is that a trade very similar to this almost happened between the Brewers and Rangers last season when the Brewers were shopping Zack Greinke. Much like I mentioned above, the Rangers were reluctant to want to move any big prospects. However, now the Rangers have talked about moving guys like third base prospect Mike Olt, who would have to be the big name to come from Texas to the Brewers if they were to send Gallardo.

Neil Ramirez and C.J. Edwards are two pitching prospects the Brewers would likely be interested in. Much like the Zack Greinke trade, the Brewers will focus on getting a top prospect and then get two potentially great players as well. However, this time the Brewers will have to send more than one player, and it could be Corey Hart if he can prove he can play after the All-Star break. Texas would love the power bat of Corey Hart especially if worse comes to worst for Nelson Cruz. But the likelihood of any team wanting Hart is slim. So maybe you look to move Nori Aoki? Just to shop him, as he is one of the guys you wouldn't mind having in future plans but definite depth is there in the minors in case you do move him. Furthermore, Logan Schafer is sure proving he can be an every day player, thus losing Aoki wouldn't pinch as much.

OR

Milwaukee Brewers trade RHP Yovani Gallardo and 2B Rickie Weeks to the Baltimore Orioles for RHP Kevin Gausman, 1B Christian Walker, and C Michael Ohlman

Baltimore makes about the most sense on paper. Baltimore desperately needs pitching, and they have a ton of prospects. Plus, their issues at second base were like the Brewers' issues at shortstop a few years back. They have nothing acceptable now, and nothing in the works in their minor league system, which is why the trade makes a huge amount of sense.

Gausman after signing his contract last season.
Much like the trade above, this trade would have to produce a top prospect from the Orioles farm system. Kevin Gausman is the obvious choice. Taken 4th overall in the 2012 MLB Draft, Gausman is quickly climbing the levels of the Orioles farm system. Currently pitching in Triple-A along side with Dylan Bundy, he has been rather impressive. Ignoring the wins and losses, Kevin has a 3.11 ERA with 46 strikeouts and only 5 walks. He's got ace potential, number 2 guy at worst. He's going to be a front line starter in the near future.

If we are sending Weeks too, then I expect more names to be involved in such a trade like this. Christian Walker would be a great get for the Brewers in case the Hunter Morris project doesn't work out. Walker hits for average (currently batting .317 in the minors). He has 81 hits with 21 of them going for extra bases (14 doubles, 7 home runs). Currently plays in High-A ball and projected to make MLB debut somewhere in 2015-2016.

Finally, a little bit of a gamble but high ceiling player is Michael Ohlman. He's a catcher. He had a really bad year in 2011. Since then, he's been turning it up and showing vast improvements. Some scouts don't trust it, but you can't ignore the stats. In 2011 he hit .224. Two years later, he's batting .283. Still not "blown away" numbers, but they are definitely noteworthy. 

All of this comes together with sending away Rickie Weeks. The Orioles have a serious issue in their farm system with a lack of developing a second baseman. Weeks would bide them a few years time to address that issue. As much as don't want to see Weeks go, his salary bumps up to 11 million dollars next year and that may weigh the Brewers down if they truly focus on rebuilding.

3. Milwaukee Brewers trade LHP Michael/Mike Gonzalez and RHP Francisco Rodriguez to the Detroit Tigers for OF Tyler Collins, LHP Matt Hoffman, and RHP Melvin Mercedes.

This one is a no-brainer. The Tigers need bullpen help. Bad. Jose Valverde is showing the Tigers why they didn't bring him back in the offseason. They have no real reliable source in the pen to take over the closer duties besides Phil Coke. Bruce Rondon was a big tug of war as far as will he be or won't he be our closer. Bottom-line, the Tigers need bullpen arms.

The Brewers could send a proven closer in K-Rod and a decent situational pitcher in Gonzalez in exchange for a few prospects. Both are veterans which is something that (kind of) young bullpen staff needs. 

The most important thing to remember is that this is what the Tigers need right now. They may be willing to part ways with some guys in the lower parts of their minor system to win now, which is why I chose Matt Hoffman and Melvin Mercedes. They both are promising relief pitchers that are just tearing up the minor leagues right now. Hoffman is 24 years old left handed pitcher in Triple-A for the Tigers. Hoffman is not on the Tigers 40 man roster, which is odd. He currently has an ERA of 1.13.

Melvin Mercedes might be a bit tough to get from Detroit. He's on their 40 man and he's having a better season than Hoffman. Granted the right handed pitcher is only 22 years of age pitching in High-A, his numbers are still really good. As a closer, Mercedes is sporting a line of 0.66 ERA/0.91 WHIP/.202 AVG, 11 saves, and 17 strikeouts in 27.1 innings pitched.

Finally, Tyler Collins is a corner outfielder with some good pop in his bat. Though only batting .223 so far this year, he is still putting up pretty decent stats. 22 extra base hits on 45 total hits, including 9 home runs.

4. Milwaukee Brewers trade RHP Kyle Lohse to the San Francisco Giants for LHP Michael Kickham and LHP Ty Blach.

The Giants will be looking for a helluva lot more than just starting pitching come the trade deadline. They need help all around the baseball diamond. The starting rotation, bullpen, second base, and outfield all need to be addressed for them. I think the Brewers will help them with a starting pitcher as Kyle Lohse makes a lot of sense here. They have some payroll freeing up after this season as the Barry Zito contract is on it's tail end. So picking up Lohse's contract wouldn't be all that bad for them.

Kickham pitching for the Giants' Triple-A affiliate.
Unlike the teams listed above, the Giants farm system isn't anything to write home about. There are a few guys that stand out that I think would have to be a part of the deal. The first being Michael Kickman. He's a lefty. He's got a good strike out pitch. And, he's likely only a year or so away from being 100% Big League ready. He made one start for the Giants this year and showed he isn't exactly ready yet. He only lasted 2 1/3 innings and is sporting a 15.43 ERA. He'll be a great middle of the rotation guy once he's truly ready.

Ty Blach is an interesting one. He's not anywhere near Baseball America's Top 30 (per team) for the Giants. Yet, he's tossing really good numbers so far this year for High-A. He's 7-2 over 12 starts, 2.41 ERA/1.09 WHIP/.255 AVG, while striking out 63 batters and only surrendering 8 walks. I like his upside and can be a good middle of the order lefty arm.

(A side note here: I'm not sure how serious we should be taking the San Diego Padres right now, but they are sure playing some great baseball and could be buyers at the deadline if they seriously have a Wild Card slot in sight. They would need pitching, and a lot of it.)

I'm not saying every single trade idea will happen, but these are some options the Brewers will have. They will be heavily shopping players for the next month and a half. It's going to be a pretty wild time. Change can be hard to deal with, especially as a fan because of the connection you develop with your favorite players. But, a change of landscape is needed for this team and it should be something everyone should be looking forward to if they want to Brewers to succeed in the near future.

Until next time, Beers, Brats, and Championships.

 - Andrew Vrchota (@AndrewVrchota)

 Follow us on Twitter (@WISportsBlog) for up to date news on the Brewers, Packers, Badgers, Bucks, and Golden Eagles. We feature live, in-game commentary, breaking news, previews and post game discussions. Follow the entire Wisconsin Sports Blog writing team on Twitter: @AndrewVrchota, @jheldred, @JoeP_Norton, @SMahon2Go, @olewr7, @Stevie2Westside, @Mik3_Schu, and @10iskristin.
Posted by at 9 comments:
Labels: , , , , , , , , ,

Sunday, June 16, 2013

A Look Ahead – Where the Brewers Offense Could be in 2014

If you’re like me, this Brewers seasons has frustrated you to no end and you’re probably having a difficult time coming up with positive things to say about the team. At this point, the only non-negative things you can think of to say are laced with sarcasm. Or perhaps now you’re just content that no other players have been injured within the last week. That’s a good start…I think? Segura has been fun to watch, and Gomez has been a nice surprise, but other than that, this season has pretty much been a nightmare. Sure, the Brewers just won a series in Miami and are coming off a 6-0 win against the division rival Reds yesterday, but for the most part, there haven’t been a whole lot of positives this season. For me, I’d much rather think about the future of this franchise than dwell on their ho-hum play from 2013.

Corey Hart trips on blade of grass, placed on 365 Day DL.
Let’s look forward to 2014 and see how next season could possibly start out. The players that the Brewers could and should end up moving this year are third baseman Aramis Ramirez, right fielder Nori Aoki, bullpen pitchers Francisco Rodriguez, Michael Gonzalez and possibly John Axford and Jim Henderson. The Brewers should also look to see what they could get in return for starting pitchers Kyle Lohse and possibly Yovani Gallardo. Rickie Weeks could be a player that the Brewers would be willing to part ways with, but with his performance so far this season I doubt that any team would be interested in trading for him unless he really starts hitting. Corey Hart is a common name that keeps coming up, but at this point, nobody really knows if he will even be on his rehab assignment before the trade deadline. His injury has kept him out longer than expected, and the Brewers don’t think that he will be ready to play before the All Star Break. This will drastically diminish his trade value and probably discourage teams from wanting to trade for him. I also think there’s a big possibility that the Brewers try and bring him back on a one year deal for 2014. 

 So, if the Brewers end up trading some or all of these players, that means that they are going to be going into rebuild mode, and there could be a handful of rookie debuts next year. Here is how I think the 2014 roster will shape up. 

 Left Field – Ryan Braun. There is zero chance that the Brewers trade him and barring any sudden developments in a situation that I won’t mention, he will be the Brewers starting left fielder on opening day 2014.

 Center Field – Carlos Gomez. Another player who isn’t going anywhere. Gomez just received an extension before the season started and has performed better than anyone could have possibly imagined this year – it’s almost like he resurrected his career right before our eyes. (Hey, so this is what it feels like to be a Cardinals fan). It’s a treat to watch him play defense, and his speed on the bags makes him one of the best base runners in the game.

 Right Field – Logan Schafer. He’s shown the Brewers what he is capable of doing on the field this year – offensive and defensively. He has one of the Brewers’ best defensive plays of the year this year, gunning down Miguel Montero at home plate from left field in early April. His throwing arm is a thing of beauty, and he has been on fire at the plate lately. If Nori Aoki gets traded, I think Schafer will become the everyday right fielder.
Honestly, this is a better option at third base than Yuni B.
Third Base – This one is more of a question mark, but the Brewers have a couple of possibilities should they trade Aramis Ramirez. They have Taylor Green, who is currently out for this season with a hip injury. Jeff Bianchi, who is being used as a utility man for the Brewers right now, has the ability to play third base. The Brewers also have Juan Francisco, who is currently sharing time at first base with Yuniesky Betancourt, but is a natural third baseman. They could also allow Josh Prince some playing time. He was with the team earlier this year and is currently batting .255 with an OBP of .349 in Nashville. I don’t think any of these guys are long term solutions, but for a team who is attempting to rebuild, any of them would be an okay fit for a year. As long as I don’t have to watch Yuniesky Betancourt ever play third base again, I’ll be happy.

 Shortstop – Jean Segura. If you could give someone a negative chance of being traded, I would give that to him. Acquired in the Zack Greinke deal last year, Segura has become a hitting machine. He also has incredible range at shortstop and a very strong throwing arm. He’ll be here for awhile, folks.

 Second base – I believe that Rickie Weeks will eventually get himself out of his hitting slump and start playing every day for the Brewers. He has started hitting lately, but is still in a platoon with Scooter Gennett. Weeks will be owed $12MM in 2014. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want a player who is earning $12MM (the second highest 2014 salary behind Aramis’ $16MM) to be sitting on the bench half of the time. The Brewers aren’t going anywhere this year, so I’m not sure why they aren’t giving Weeks more opportunities now that he is finally starting to turn it around.

 First base – Many people are saying that Hunter Morris will be called up to start at first base in 2014, but I have a feeling that Corey Hart will be back. Since his injury will have kept him out for at least half of the season, teams will probably be hesitant to give him a big deal. The Brewers could bring him back for one year and help him build up some value. If things go well for him and the Brewers aren’t in the race again next year, they could always trade him before the deadline (assuming his stays healthy).

 Catcher – Either Jonathan Lucroy or Martin Maldonado will be the Brewers’ primary catcher in 2014. I seriously doubt that Lucroy gets traded, but if he does, we will probably see Maldy pick up most of the catching duties. 

 So, as you can see, the Brewers offense will still be in pretty good shape next year. This “rebuild” will probably only take two or three years and the Brewers will be able to start contending for a postseason spot around 2015. And hopefully, by this time, the Cardinals, Reds, and Pirates won’t be the three best teams in the National League. But, for now, we’re just going to have to try and survive the rest of the 2013 season by making clever jokes about how bad the team is in order to make ourselves laugh so we don’t cry.

Until next time, Beers, Brats, and Championships.

 - Kristin Zenz (@10iskristin)

 Follow us on Twitter (@WISportsBlog) for up to date news on the Brewers, Packers, Badgers, Bucks, and Golden Eagles. We feature live, in-game commentary, breaking news, previews and post game discussions. Follow the entire Wisconsin Sports Blog writing team on Twitter: @AndrewVrchota, @jheldred, @JoeP_Norton, @SMahon2Go, @olewr7, @Stevie2Westside, @Mik3_Schu, and @10iskristin.
Posted by at 5 comments:
Labels: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Thursday, February 14, 2013

The Brewers Projected Starting Line-up

In the final piece of the puzzle, it is time to take a look at arguably the easiest element to predict out of the three sectors of the team. I have already covered the bullpen, as well as the starting rotation. You can find those blogs here and here. Today, we will be looking at what our "Go-To" line-up will look like as well as our depth on the bench plus I'll be doing some 2013 statistical projections for the Brewers. Let's first take a look at what our line-up will likely look like on opening day.

Andrew's projected 2013 Brewers Opening Day Line-up

1. RF - Norichika Aoki
2. 2B - Rickie Weeks
3. LF - Ryan Braun
4. 3B - Aramis Ramirez
5. C - Jonathan Lucroy
6. 1B - Mat Gamel
7. CF - Carlos Gomez
8. SS - Jean Segura
9. SP - Yovani Gallardo

It's going to be interesting to see what the Brewers do as far as their strategy is concerned for how they set their line-up. From what worked the best last year, Aoki leading off was extremely effective last year. He's got speed. He's a smart base runner. He hits for average to get on base. He's exactly what you want in a lead-off hitter. I can't see Gomez in the spot unless he changes his hitting style. Weeks was given the opportunity last season to lead off and that didn't work out too well as it led Weeks on a downward spiral for the first half of the season. Segura may get a couple looks as the lead-off guy, but not to start the season unless he starts out hot. If Segura can become our lead-off hitter later in the year, our line-up could look something like this...(assuming Corey Hart is back by the time of this potential move)

Andrew's Alternate Starting Line-up

1. SS - Jean Segura
2. RF - Norichika Aoki
3. LF - Ryan Braun
4. 3B - Aramis Ramirez
5. 1B - Corey Hart
6. 2B - Rickie Weeks
7. C - Jonathan Lucroy
8. CF - Carlos Gomez
9. SP - (Starting pitcher)

With Segura and Aoki hitting one and two, it eliminated the worry of getting the lead off man on and having the two hitter grounding into a double play, as we see Weeks do quite often. Yes, Aoki would do it too, but I'm confident that it would happen a lot less.

After Aoki and Weeks in the one and two spots, the core is very easy to place. Braun will continue to bat third and Ramirez will follow as the clean-up hitter, just as we seen last year. After Ramirez, it gets really up in the air as far as who falls where. It's going to depend on who has the hot bat during spring I would assume and how they're hitting the ball. I envision Lucroy gets the five hole for starting the season, but if Gamel can smoke the ball in spring he might get that look as well. However, once Corey Hart returns, the line-up will look totally different. It it might not be long until we see Corey Hart after the season starts as he is reportedly ahead of schedule.



After Lucroy and Gamel/Hart, you have the seven and eight spots which would be filled by Carlos Gomez and Jean Segura. Coin flip? Maybe. Both are very fast base runners who are very nice weapons to have at the bottom of the order, especially if they are leading off an inning. Knowing that Ron Roenicke will continue to bunt in any situation that calls for it, Having either of them on base with a pitcher coming up means their wheels will be spinning. Those two at the bottom of the order could easily combine for seventy stolen bases this season, not to mention Aoki, Weeks, and Braun could combine for another seventy or eighty. No matter how it is mixed up, the Brewers have a very strong line-up heading into this season. And, it doesn't stop there. Our bench will provide great depth for days a regular needs a day off. Our bench will likely look something like this...

Andrew's projected 2013 Brewers Opening Day Bench

1. SS - Alex Gonzalez
2. C - Martin Maldonado
3. OF - Logan Schafer
4. IF/OF - Taylor Green
5. IF - Jeff Bianchi

Post Hart Return Bench

1. SS - Alex Gonzalez
2. C - Martin Maldonado
3. OF - Logan Schafer
4. IF/OF - Taylor Green
5. 1B/OF - Mat Gamel

Much like our starting rotation, setting our bench is going to involve a lot of sacrificing as many players are out of options. Donnie Murphy and Jeff Bianchi will fight it out in spring for a spot of the bench. The other could likely be cut, as neither have any minor league options left. Logan Schafer is a lock in my eyes as our fourth outfielder for the Brewers. Gonzalez and Maldonado are also locked as well. Throw is Taylor Green as a lefty with some pop and there you have our bench. Green can play infield and outfield. Gonzalez, Green and Maldy all might see time at first base while Hart is out. Jeff can play any infield position but first. When Corey Hart comes back, my guess would be that Bianchi would be designated for assignment.

Andrew's projected 2013 Brewers Opening Day 25 Man Roster

C - Jonathon Lucroy, Martin Maldonado
1B - Mat Gamel
2B - Rickie Weeks, Jeff Bianchi
3B - Aramis Ramirez, Taylor Green
SS - Jean Segura, Alex Gonzalez
OF - Ryan Braun, Carlos Gomez, Norichika Aoki, Logan Schafer
SP - Yovani Gallardo, Mike Fiers, Marco Estrada, Chris Narveson, Mark Rogers
RP - John Axford, Jim Henderson, Michael Gonzalez, Tom Gorzelanny, Burke Badenhop, Brandon Kintzler, Michael Olmsted
15 Day DL - Corey Hart

Andrew's projected 2013 Brewers Individual Player Stats

Jonathan Lucroy - .281, 57 R, 21 HR, 67 RBI, 7 SB

Martin Maldonado - .241, 23 R, 10 HR, 32 RBI, 1 SB

Mat Gamel - .269, 30 R, 16 HR, 58 RBI, 4 SB

Corey Hart - .274, 79 R, 24 HR, 82 RBI, 6 SB

Rickie Weeks - .258, 99 R, 22 HR, 64 RBI, 16 SB

Jeff Bianchi - .223, 10 R, 2 HR, 12 RBI, 4 SB

Jean Segura - .275, 67 R, 5 HR, 42 RBI, 23 SB

Alex Gonzalez - .235, 32 R, 10 HR, 34 RBI, 10 SB

Aramis Ramirez - .294, 91 R, 32 HR, 98 RBI, 5 SB

Taylor Green - .232, 23 R, 6 HR, 29 RBI, 2 SB

Ryan Braun - .319, 107 R, 39 HR, 114 RBI, 31 SB

Carlos Gomez - .265, 82 R, 17 HR, 55 RBI, 37 SB

Norichika Aoki - .291, 74 R, 11 HR, 56 RBI, 22 SB

Logan Schafer - .248, 16 R, 2 HR, 16 RBI, 4 SB

Yovani Gallardo - 14-9, 3.56 ERA, 213 SO

Mike Fiers - 12-10, 3.20 ERA, 160 SO

Marco Estrada - 11-12, 3.41 ERA, 174 SO

Chris Narveson - 7-10, 3.90 ERA, 89 SO

Mark Rogers - 8-7, 4.10 ERA, 106 SO

Wily Peralta - 10-9, 3.84 ERA, 136 SO

John Axford - 3-4, 2.89 ERA, 87 SO, 43 SV

Jim Henderson - 3-2, 3.56 ERA, 49 SO

Brandon Kintzler - 2-3, 3.91 ERA, 33 SO

Michael Gonzalez - 2-2, 3.29 ERA, 47 SO

Tom Gorzelanny - 5-5, 3.76 ERA, 89 SO

Burke Badenhop - 3-3, 3.62 ERA, 46 SO

Until next time, Beers, Brats, and Championships.

-Andrew Vrchota (@AndrewVrchota)

Follow us on Twitter for up to date news on Brewers, Packers, Badgers, Bucks and more. Live in game commentary, breaking news, previews, and post game discussion. @WISportsBlog @AndrewVrchota, @JoeP_Norton, @Brandon_BFP, @SMahon2Go @ryan_937, @Mik3_Schu. Finally, find us on Instagram! (wisportsblog)
Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Friday, January 18, 2013

Corey Hart's Injury Isn't As Bad As It Seems

Photo: BleacherReport.com
Today it was announced that outfielder converted first baseman Corey Hart will be undergoing knee surgery on January 22nd and will be out for approximately 3-4 months, or about 6 weeks if you're looking at our schedule. Initially, this news really bugged me out and I was already concerned for our 2013 season. But, after taking a few deep breaths I was actually alright with it. Don't get me wrong, it's unfortunate and potentially could hurt the team depth wise in the beginning, but production wise I don't think there will be a difference that early in the year, too be honest.

As easily as I can, I want to buckle down and hopefully show that having Gamel in the lineup isn't a bad thing and could potentially benefit the Brewers in the long run. I will also take a look at a few other options the Brewers have at first base other than Mat Gamel, which I can tell you right now isn't much. Fear not, Brewer Nation. Everything is going to be already without Hart for a few weeks to start the season. Here's why...

We will first go with some semi-arbitrary statistical projections for each party, starting with Mat Gamel. According to Bill James of FanGraphs Baseball, Mat Gamel is now projected to bat .287/.351/.473/.824 with 65 R/17 HR/72 RBI/42 BB (8.7 BB%)/91 SO (18.8 K%) and a total of 127 hits in 442 at bats in 114 games plays. On the other hand, Corey Hart was originally projected for playing in 150 games. We know that isn't going to happen. So, taking off the 6 weeks he's guaranteed to miss plus other days off he will receive for rest, I'll say he'll play in around 100 games this year (not accounting for pinch hits etc.), or 1/3 of what he was expected to play. After taking Hart's projected stats and taking 1/3 off of each appropriate stat, these numbers may surprise you. Hart would still be rightfully projected as a .270/.330/.490/.820 hitter for sure, but here is where things get interesting. Hart would be projected at 60 R/18 HR/62 RBI/32 BB (8.3 BB%)/96 SO (25.0 K%) and a total of 104 hits in 384 at bats in 100 games. Now, granted the projections for Gamel could be way off with the amount of games he plays, but with his ability to play corner infield and outfield spots, he may see more opportunities in 2013, especially with a scarce lefty line-up the Brewers have.

Photo: Fansedge.com
As far as other options the Brewers have at first base, there really isn't too much to chose from. Taylor Green would serve the same purpose as Gamel, though Gamel would produce more than Green. You don't want to interrupt Hunter Morris' minor league progression path by having him up on the main roster for 6 weeks and then optioning him down to Nashville. Moving Aramis Ramirez over to first base is not an option, however moving back-up catcher Martin Maldonado is. Free agency is absolutely picked to the bone of free agent first basemen, unless anyone wants a 42 year old Jason Giambi or a blast from the past Carlos Lee. Casey Kotchman or Lyle Overbay would be alright with me, but the deals would have to be dirt cheap because the understanding would be "Look guys, you're going to be playing first base for about 6-7 weeks, and then after that we're likely to release you.". And I don't see trading for a first baseman is logical, either. Looking over these options, giving Mat Gamel one last chance to shine is our only sensible option on the table.

Benefits, you ask? In the event Gamel lights up the majors like a Christmas tree and there are no set-backs with Corey Hart come June-July, you have the option of putting Mat Gamel out on a hook to see what kind of fish bite. By fish, I mean a contending team looking for a power hitting left handed utility guy such as Mat Gamel. Granted, the return on Mat wouldn't be much; not even close to Zack Greinke. But, I could see the Brewers swapping Mat Gamel in return for a prospect pitcher or infielder. Or, vise versa, Gamel still lights up the majors, but Corey shows that he's playing well too. Mark Attanasio and Doug Melvin decide they want to save a few dollars, they could end up putting Corey Hart on that fishing hook barring any setbacks with his knee. The return on Corey Hart would be much larger than Gamel, hands down. But, with this second knee surgery in as many years, a red flag will pop up for many teams.

In the ever classic song by Journey "I'll Be Alright Without You", a line from the chorus reads "I'll be alright without you - there'll be someone else, I keep tellin' myself". We will be fine without Corey Hart. Someone will be playing first base for the Brewers on opening day. And, if he has a great spring coming back from his ACL injury in 2012, I can comfortably say it that person will be Mat Gamel.

Until next time, Beers, Brats, and Championships.

-Andrew Vrchota (@AndrewVrchota)

Follow us on Twitter for up to date news on Brewers, Packers, Badgers, Bucks and more. Live in game commentary, breaking news, previews, and post game discussion. @WISportsBlog @AndrewVrchota, @JoeP_Norton, @Brandon_BFP, @SMahon2Go @ryan_937, @Mik3_Schu. Finally, find us on Instagram! (wisportsblog)
Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)