When the Milwaukee Brewers broke camp just two weeks ago, they were without some very big members of their club. Starting the year on the disabled list were newly acquired ace Zack Greinke, the power hitting right fielder Corey Hart and starting catcher Jonathan Lucroy. The goal for many was to simply keep the boat afloat until those clogs returned. That proved pretty tough in the beginning.
The Brewers started their season in Cincinnati, getting swept in the process by the Reds. After an opening day loss to the Atlanta Braves, the Brewers then found themselves 0-4 and having many questions to answer. Was this team really capable of making a run at the division? Was the bullpen really improved? Could they be okay for the time being until their weapons returned?
What this team has over the past eight games in answer all those questions with a resounding yes.
In an offensive where Carlos Gomez, Yuniesky Bentancourt, Erick Almonte and Mark Kotsay receive regular playing time, a lot of responsibility falls squarely on the backs of the pitching staff. That pitching staff has taken that responsibility and ran with it. Over the past eight games, Brewers pitchers have thrown a combined 72 innings. Of those 72, 52.2 innings have come from Brewers staring pitching. That's an average start of just under 6.2 innings per start.
If there is one thing that has troubled the Brewers over the past couple of seasons, it has been inconsistent pitching that has led to the bullpen picking up too many innings. Sure the Brewers starters struggled last season, but them wearing out the bullpen had just as much to do with the 26th ranked 'pen in baseball as those relievers did. The formula for success is simple. Good starting pitching leads to good relief pitching. If the Brewers are able to pitch deep into games, they have plenty of arms down in the bullpen who are talented enough to get batters out. Over the past eight games, that is why the Brewers are winning. Here are their numbers respectively.
Brewers Starters: 6-1, 52.2 IP, 2.22 ERA, 40 K, 14 BB
Brewers Bullpen: 1-0, 19.1 IP, 1.39 ERA, 14 K, 9 BB
That's equates to a very impressive team ERA of 2.00 over that eight game stretch. With no coincidence, the Brewers are 7-1 in that same span and have climbed two games above .500.
What's even more encouraging is where this team could go. Keep in mind, this is all without the Brewers best starting pitcher, starting right fielder and best catcher (played just last two games). When Greinke returns, the Brewers, in my opinion, will have the second best rotation in baseball. When Hart returns, he takes the place of a platoon, Kotsay and Almonte, currently hitting .152/.222/.273/.495.
These are all very good signs to see out of a ballclub who was just looking to tread water until their big guns came back. If there pitching staff is able to pitch anywhere near there until then, treading water should be no problem. In fact, playing winning baseball should be the new goal.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Randy Wolf's Rough Start
It's very easy to fall into the trap of thinking Randy Wolf is back to his old antics after two very rough starts to begin 2011. He's back surrendering home run after home run and looks to be dealing with some of the problems that caused him a rough start to 2010. Well, looks can be deceiving.
Let's start with the obvious statement. The defense played behind Wolf this season has been pretty bad. In his last start against the Northsiders, Wolf allowed six runs, but only two were earned. It started in the fourth inning when Rickie Weeks dropped a pop up off the bat of Aramis Ramirez. Ramirez then scored on a home run from Geovany Soto. Later in the inning, Wolf surrendered a three run HR off the bat of Jeff Baker, which broke the game open. A case could be made that those runs would have never scored had Weeks caught the ball.
I don't really subscribe to that style of reasoning, but the argument could be made.
For me, Wolf's start has had some encouraging signs, but has been marred with unfortunate numbers with little chance of continuing. The first start that jumped off the page to me was the amount of fly balls that are leaving the park against Wolf. Wolf has allowed 11 fly balls this season, four of which have gone for long balls. That equates to a ridiculous HR/FB% of 36.4%.
What I take from that is something completely different and positive. When Wolf has gotten into trouble, he has allowed too many balls in the air. This season, Wolf is currently sporting a very nice 1.55 GB:FB ratio. If Wolf is able to stay anywhere near there, he will have a very good 2011.
Another good indication for future success is Wolf's continued control. After a miserable first half in 2010, Wolf was able to significantly improve his strikeout and walk numbers in the second half. He has managed to maintain those numbers after a very shaky spring training. Through his first 10 innings this season, Wolf has struck out ten batters, while walking just three.
Take Wolf's start for what is it. Any pitcher can have two bad outings. What makes a pitcher successful is prolonged success. If Wolf is able to keep up what he is doing currently, things will turn around. However, if he reverts back to his first half of 2010 form, the Brewers could be in trouble. During his time in Milwaukee, you really don't know what Randy Wolf is going to show up. One thing is for sure, facing the Pirates is a lot easier than the Reds and Cubs lineups which can thrive against left handed pitching.
Let's start with the obvious statement. The defense played behind Wolf this season has been pretty bad. In his last start against the Northsiders, Wolf allowed six runs, but only two were earned. It started in the fourth inning when Rickie Weeks dropped a pop up off the bat of Aramis Ramirez. Ramirez then scored on a home run from Geovany Soto. Later in the inning, Wolf surrendered a three run HR off the bat of Jeff Baker, which broke the game open. A case could be made that those runs would have never scored had Weeks caught the ball.
I don't really subscribe to that style of reasoning, but the argument could be made.
For me, Wolf's start has had some encouraging signs, but has been marred with unfortunate numbers with little chance of continuing. The first start that jumped off the page to me was the amount of fly balls that are leaving the park against Wolf. Wolf has allowed 11 fly balls this season, four of which have gone for long balls. That equates to a ridiculous HR/FB% of 36.4%.
What I take from that is something completely different and positive. When Wolf has gotten into trouble, he has allowed too many balls in the air. This season, Wolf is currently sporting a very nice 1.55 GB:FB ratio. If Wolf is able to stay anywhere near there, he will have a very good 2011.
Another good indication for future success is Wolf's continued control. After a miserable first half in 2010, Wolf was able to significantly improve his strikeout and walk numbers in the second half. He has managed to maintain those numbers after a very shaky spring training. Through his first 10 innings this season, Wolf has struck out ten batters, while walking just three.
Take Wolf's start for what is it. Any pitcher can have two bad outings. What makes a pitcher successful is prolonged success. If Wolf is able to keep up what he is doing currently, things will turn around. However, if he reverts back to his first half of 2010 form, the Brewers could be in trouble. During his time in Milwaukee, you really don't know what Randy Wolf is going to show up. One thing is for sure, facing the Pirates is a lot easier than the Reds and Cubs lineups which can thrive against left handed pitching.
Monday, April 11, 2011
The Conundrum in Center
Just 10 games into 2011 and there seems to be an interesting storyline developing. Who should start in center field this season for the Milwaukee Brewers?
The job was handed this offseason to Carlos Gomez early. The Brewers made it known that center field was not up for grabs and Gomez was going to start everyday. While I still feel this is the thought with many of the Brewers officials, fans don't seem so convinced. In the first two weeks of the season, they have seemed to side with Nyjer Morgan and his hot bat and good defensive plays. While the play of Morgan has been exciting, I'd argue the excitement surrounding Morgan has just as much to do with the early struggles of Gomez.
It seems like the same story year after year for Gomez. An inability to get on base, with far too many strikeouts and good defensive ability. While I'm not arguing that his defense isn't valuable to the team, I don't think it should solidify him into the everyday lineup batting second. Gomez has proved time and time again he should be nowhere near the top of the order and his value lies pretty much entirely in his glove.
In theory, that would mean Nyjer Morgan would be a lock for that job, but a closer look would suggest Morgan also has some issues. He also excels with the glove and is a better hitter than Gomez in my opinion. However, his ability to take over in center full time is hampered by his inability to hit left handed pitching. Morgan's numbers against lefties over the past three seasons are as follows.
(AVG/OBP/SLG/OPS)
Morgan vs LHP:
2008: .240/.321/.320/.641, 25 AB's
2009: .175/.283/.223/.507, 103 AB's
2010: .200/.280/.252/.532, 135 AB's
Simply put, Morgan should never be allowed to face left handed pitching. Easy solution, right? Gomez is a righty and would make an ideal platoon option with Morgan. Well, it's not that simple. Here are Gomez' numbers against lefties during that same time frame.
Gomez vs LHP:
2008: .270/.310/.403/.713, 159 AB's
2009: .204/.275/.333/.608, 108 AB's
2010: .196/.271/.309/.580, 97 AB's
Obviously, those numbers are better than Morgan's but still not something a team would want in their everyday lineup. However, one thing that is impossible to overlook is Morgan's numbers against right handers.
Morgan vs RHP:
2008: .304/.349/.385/.734, 135 AB's
2009: .344/.395/.434/.829, 366 AB's
2010: .273/.333/.337/.670, 374 AB's
While those 2010 numbers aren't impressive, that was his worst season during his career. Despite that, it seems rather obvious that against righties, Nyjer Morgan should be starting over Carlos Gomez in center field. I understand the Brewers still want Gomez to succeed and still want to give him a chance, but starting him over Morgan against righties is not justifiable. Sure Gomez may struggle mightily against lefties, but that is where he should get his playing time. If he reverts back to his 2008 form against them, it would be a huge lift to the Brewers. In the meantime, the recipe for success seems pretty obvious: Morgan vs RHP and Gomez vs LHP.
The job was handed this offseason to Carlos Gomez early. The Brewers made it known that center field was not up for grabs and Gomez was going to start everyday. While I still feel this is the thought with many of the Brewers officials, fans don't seem so convinced. In the first two weeks of the season, they have seemed to side with Nyjer Morgan and his hot bat and good defensive plays. While the play of Morgan has been exciting, I'd argue the excitement surrounding Morgan has just as much to do with the early struggles of Gomez.
It seems like the same story year after year for Gomez. An inability to get on base, with far too many strikeouts and good defensive ability. While I'm not arguing that his defense isn't valuable to the team, I don't think it should solidify him into the everyday lineup batting second. Gomez has proved time and time again he should be nowhere near the top of the order and his value lies pretty much entirely in his glove.
In theory, that would mean Nyjer Morgan would be a lock for that job, but a closer look would suggest Morgan also has some issues. He also excels with the glove and is a better hitter than Gomez in my opinion. However, his ability to take over in center full time is hampered by his inability to hit left handed pitching. Morgan's numbers against lefties over the past three seasons are as follows.
(AVG/OBP/SLG/OPS)
Morgan vs LHP:
2008: .240/.321/.320/.641, 25 AB's
2009: .175/.283/.223/.507, 103 AB's
2010: .200/.280/.252/.532, 135 AB's
Simply put, Morgan should never be allowed to face left handed pitching. Easy solution, right? Gomez is a righty and would make an ideal platoon option with Morgan. Well, it's not that simple. Here are Gomez' numbers against lefties during that same time frame.
Gomez vs LHP:
2008: .270/.310/.403/.713, 159 AB's
2009: .204/.275/.333/.608, 108 AB's
2010: .196/.271/.309/.580, 97 AB's
Obviously, those numbers are better than Morgan's but still not something a team would want in their everyday lineup. However, one thing that is impossible to overlook is Morgan's numbers against right handers.
Morgan vs RHP:
2008: .304/.349/.385/.734, 135 AB's
2009: .344/.395/.434/.829, 366 AB's
2010: .273/.333/.337/.670, 374 AB's
While those 2010 numbers aren't impressive, that was his worst season during his career. Despite that, it seems rather obvious that against righties, Nyjer Morgan should be starting over Carlos Gomez in center field. I understand the Brewers still want Gomez to succeed and still want to give him a chance, but starting him over Morgan against righties is not justifiable. Sure Gomez may struggle mightily against lefties, but that is where he should get his playing time. If he reverts back to his 2008 form against them, it would be a huge lift to the Brewers. In the meantime, the recipe for success seems pretty obvious: Morgan vs RHP and Gomez vs LHP.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
The Wil Nieves Experiment
When the Milwaukee Brewers signed Wil Nieves this offseason, I thought little of it. The Brewers had two catchers who were clearly better than Nieves and he would likely play in the minor leagues, if at all for the Brewers organization.
That was until Jonathan Lucroy fractured his pinkie and had to start the season on the disabled list.
That injury left the Brewers with just one healthy catcher on the roster (George Kottaras) and hoisted Nieves into relevance. Just how relevant he would be was up for debate though. Based on his prior ability to perform in the major leagues, Nieves couldn't have expected much playing time. At age 33, playing Nieves has hardly any upside. So why is he getting at bats over George Kottaras?
Last season, Nieves had an absolutely terrible .244 OBP in 158 at bats for the Washington Nationals. While that may be a small sample size, Nieves has never really been known to have anything other than a strong defensive presence. His wOBA over the past three seasons are .285, .277 and .241. Those kind of numbers don't belong in the major leagues regardless of how good that player is defensively.
What also should come into question is just how good of a defensive catcher Nieves is. Over the past three seasons, base runners have stolen successfully on Nieves 75.9% (104 SB, 33 CS) of the time. Nieves' throw out percentage of 25.1% is right around the league average.
It's understood the Brewers have a problem at catcher until Lucroy returns. The problem with it is how they are handling that problem. Playing Will Nieves over George Kottaras everyday is the wrong decision. Kottaras is a superior hitter over Nieves and should be getting regular playing time. Sure, Kottaras struggles behind the plate defensively, but with Corey Hart and Lucroy out, the Brewers need every offensive option in the lineup. Starting Wil Nieves against right handed pitching just confuses me.
That was until Jonathan Lucroy fractured his pinkie and had to start the season on the disabled list.
That injury left the Brewers with just one healthy catcher on the roster (George Kottaras) and hoisted Nieves into relevance. Just how relevant he would be was up for debate though. Based on his prior ability to perform in the major leagues, Nieves couldn't have expected much playing time. At age 33, playing Nieves has hardly any upside. So why is he getting at bats over George Kottaras?
Last season, Nieves had an absolutely terrible .244 OBP in 158 at bats for the Washington Nationals. While that may be a small sample size, Nieves has never really been known to have anything other than a strong defensive presence. His wOBA over the past three seasons are .285, .277 and .241. Those kind of numbers don't belong in the major leagues regardless of how good that player is defensively.
What also should come into question is just how good of a defensive catcher Nieves is. Over the past three seasons, base runners have stolen successfully on Nieves 75.9% (104 SB, 33 CS) of the time. Nieves' throw out percentage of 25.1% is right around the league average.
It's understood the Brewers have a problem at catcher until Lucroy returns. The problem with it is how they are handling that problem. Playing Will Nieves over George Kottaras everyday is the wrong decision. Kottaras is a superior hitter over Nieves and should be getting regular playing time. Sure, Kottaras struggles behind the plate defensively, but with Corey Hart and Lucroy out, the Brewers need every offensive option in the lineup. Starting Wil Nieves against right handed pitching just confuses me.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Series Preview: Cincinnati Reds
Thursday March 31st
Brewers- Yovani Gallardo (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
Reds- Edinson Volquez (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
Gallardo looked very strong this spring. In just 18.1 innings, he struck out 23, while only issuing five walks. While I rarely looked to deeply into spring training, those are encouraging numbers from Yo.
I officially have no idea what to expect out of Volquez. Could he return to his 2008 (pre-injury) form, or will he be relegated to his injury plagued seasons of 2009 and 2010? Based on his velocity and location, I'd say the latter. If he keep the current pace he was on each of the past two seasons, it could be a huge red flag for the Reds.
Edge: Brewers
Saturday April 2nd
Brewers- Shaun Marcum (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
Reds- Travis Wood (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
Since the Brewers acquired Marcum this past offseason, fans were looking forward to the third game in Cincinnati. While an injury to Zach Greinke may have bumped Marcum's debut up a start, it did little to temper my excitement. It's funny how the Brewers can go from having a horrendous pitching staff last season to having the luxury of Shaun Marcum as your third best starter. I look for a big season out of Shaun.
The Reds have to be utterly thrilled over the progression of Travis Wood. After a very average 2009 season in the minors, Wood excelled in 2010. It first started at AAA Louisville and only continued after joining the Reds mid-season. I do expect his numbers this season to regress, but that doesn't mean he won't be a clog in the Reds rotation for years to come. Regardless, I'll take my chances with Marcum over him any day of the week.
Edge: Brewers
Sunday
Brewers- Randy Wolf (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
Reds- Bronson Arroyo (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
Wolf's 2010 was about as jekyll and hyde as they come. After statistically ranking as one of the worst pitchers in the first half of the season, many, including myself, immediately regretted the large contract he received after 2009. However, Wolf was able to rebound and salvage 2010 with an impressive second half. He began pitching deeper into games, something the Brewers signed him for. If Wolf pitching like he did in the second half this season, it could go a long way in a Brewers run at the division.
Arroyo is another interesting case for the Reds. He saw his K/9 drop last season to nearly five. Sure Bronson doesn't issue many free passes, but that's getting pretty close to danger-zone. While Arroyo may be regressing a little, he is still proven himself every year as a solid pitcher. He's combined for a WAR near 14 over the past five seasons. While the majority of that may be front loaded, he still seems like he has plenty left in his take.
Edge: Reds
Series Prediction: Brewers take two out of three.
Brewers- Yovani Gallardo (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
Reds- Edinson Volquez (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
Gallardo looked very strong this spring. In just 18.1 innings, he struck out 23, while only issuing five walks. While I rarely looked to deeply into spring training, those are encouraging numbers from Yo.
I officially have no idea what to expect out of Volquez. Could he return to his 2008 (pre-injury) form, or will he be relegated to his injury plagued seasons of 2009 and 2010? Based on his velocity and location, I'd say the latter. If he keep the current pace he was on each of the past two seasons, it could be a huge red flag for the Reds.
Edge: Brewers
Saturday April 2nd
Brewers- Shaun Marcum (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
Reds- Travis Wood (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
Since the Brewers acquired Marcum this past offseason, fans were looking forward to the third game in Cincinnati. While an injury to Zach Greinke may have bumped Marcum's debut up a start, it did little to temper my excitement. It's funny how the Brewers can go from having a horrendous pitching staff last season to having the luxury of Shaun Marcum as your third best starter. I look for a big season out of Shaun.
The Reds have to be utterly thrilled over the progression of Travis Wood. After a very average 2009 season in the minors, Wood excelled in 2010. It first started at AAA Louisville and only continued after joining the Reds mid-season. I do expect his numbers this season to regress, but that doesn't mean he won't be a clog in the Reds rotation for years to come. Regardless, I'll take my chances with Marcum over him any day of the week.
Edge: Brewers
Sunday
Brewers- Randy Wolf (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
Reds- Bronson Arroyo (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
Wolf's 2010 was about as jekyll and hyde as they come. After statistically ranking as one of the worst pitchers in the first half of the season, many, including myself, immediately regretted the large contract he received after 2009. However, Wolf was able to rebound and salvage 2010 with an impressive second half. He began pitching deeper into games, something the Brewers signed him for. If Wolf pitching like he did in the second half this season, it could go a long way in a Brewers run at the division.
Arroyo is another interesting case for the Reds. He saw his K/9 drop last season to nearly five. Sure Bronson doesn't issue many free passes, but that's getting pretty close to danger-zone. While Arroyo may be regressing a little, he is still proven himself every year as a solid pitcher. He's combined for a WAR near 14 over the past five seasons. While the majority of that may be front loaded, he still seems like he has plenty left in his take.
Edge: Reds
Series Prediction: Brewers take two out of three.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Brewers Acquire Morgan from Nats
After the trade of Chris Dickerson, it became pretty apparent the Brewers were in a pretty desperate state for an outfielder. With just Carlos Gomez as an option in center field, the Brewers quickly acted. On Sunday, they nabbed Nyjer Morgan from the Washington Nationals in exchange for Cutter Dykstra and cash.
It was pretty obvious that Morgan and the Nats wanted a split. This week, Morgan was quoted as saying, "Maybe I'm not a fit here anymore. It's time to move on." His personal battle with Jim Riggleman became news pretty much everyday. It got to the point where Morgan simply wasn't going to be a part of the plans in Washington.
Morgan, 30, is always a player I have seemed to like. He's a very good defense centerfielder and shows serviceable patience at the plate. While his career walk rate of just over 7% isn't exactly amazing, when you're backing up Carlos Gomez (career BB% of 5.1%), it looks decent. Plus, he's got a pretty nasty left hook.
Morgan does have some problems with his game. Most notably, Morgan seems to be prone to making outs on the bases. Last season, he had just a 67% success rate while stealing bases, getting caught 17 times. He is coming off a very disappointing 2010 where he hit just .253/.319/.314 in 509 at bats for Washington. Also, Nyjer isn't exactly what you would consider a power hitter. His isolated power (ISO) numbers over the past couple of seasons have been really bad (.081, .081, .061). That rarely translates into a very good slugging percentage, of which Morgan's career high is just .430, which was only in 118 AB's.
In return for Morgan, the Nationals received pretty decent compensation for someone they were likely going to release. Cutter Dykstra isn't exactly a top prospect, but did show some promise last season in A-ball. In 353 at bats last season, Dykstra posted a rather impressive .312/.416/.411 line. I wouldn't look too much into that seeing as that was the first impressive season for the 21-year old third baseman.
Take this move for what it is: insurance. The Brewers had absolutely zero options if Carlos Gomez struggled out of the gate. In getting Morgan, the Brewers now have that insurance. I'd be very surprised if Gomez was given a long leash considering a capable backup is waiting behind him. Morgan is just two years removed from a very impressive season where he posted a 4.9 WAR. Is that a realistic goal for Morgan? No, but it's not too unlikely he will outproduce Carlos Gomez this season.
It was pretty obvious that Morgan and the Nats wanted a split. This week, Morgan was quoted as saying, "Maybe I'm not a fit here anymore. It's time to move on." His personal battle with Jim Riggleman became news pretty much everyday. It got to the point where Morgan simply wasn't going to be a part of the plans in Washington.
Morgan, 30, is always a player I have seemed to like. He's a very good defense centerfielder and shows serviceable patience at the plate. While his career walk rate of just over 7% isn't exactly amazing, when you're backing up Carlos Gomez (career BB% of 5.1%), it looks decent. Plus, he's got a pretty nasty left hook.
Morgan does have some problems with his game. Most notably, Morgan seems to be prone to making outs on the bases. Last season, he had just a 67% success rate while stealing bases, getting caught 17 times. He is coming off a very disappointing 2010 where he hit just .253/.319/.314 in 509 at bats for Washington. Also, Nyjer isn't exactly what you would consider a power hitter. His isolated power (ISO) numbers over the past couple of seasons have been really bad (.081, .081, .061). That rarely translates into a very good slugging percentage, of which Morgan's career high is just .430, which was only in 118 AB's.
In return for Morgan, the Nationals received pretty decent compensation for someone they were likely going to release. Cutter Dykstra isn't exactly a top prospect, but did show some promise last season in A-ball. In 353 at bats last season, Dykstra posted a rather impressive .312/.416/.411 line. I wouldn't look too much into that seeing as that was the first impressive season for the 21-year old third baseman.
Take this move for what it is: insurance. The Brewers had absolutely zero options if Carlos Gomez struggled out of the gate. In getting Morgan, the Brewers now have that insurance. I'd be very surprised if Gomez was given a long leash considering a capable backup is waiting behind him. Morgan is just two years removed from a very impressive season where he posted a 4.9 WAR. Is that a realistic goal for Morgan? No, but it's not too unlikely he will outproduce Carlos Gomez this season.
Friday, March 25, 2011
Brewers Deal Dickerson, Acquire Mitre
The Brewers made a surprising move today, sending Chris Dickerson to the New York Yankees in exchange for RHP Sergio Mitre.
I have to say, this trade really shocks me. If there was one position the Brewers were overwhelmingly questionable at, it was center field. In Dickerson, the Brewers had a perfect option to replace Carlos Gomez if he struggled out of the gate again.
While the trade may shock me, I do understand what the Brewers were trying to accomplish in this deal. With Zack Greinke banged up for a couple of regular season starts, the Brewers were scrambling for some depth at starting pitching. In Mitre, the Brewers are getting another option who has starting pitching experience in the major leagues. However, experience doesn't necessarily translate to success.
While Mitre, 30, hasn't been completely useless in his career, he hasn't exactly been tearing it up either. Over the last three seasons, he is striking out just five batters per nine innings. He has been able to keep his walks down (2.51 BB/9), but still isn't blowing anyone away. During that same stretch, Mitre has a FIP near five. The one thing Mitre has been solid at is his ability to keep the ball on the ground (50.9% last season). If he is able to keep those walks down and the ball on the ground, he should be somewhat useful in Miller Park.
While weighing the positives and negatives in this deal, it's pretty clear the Brewers got the worse of this trade. By trying to salvage a couple of starts out of Mitre, the Brewers have really put themselves in trouble in the outfield. With Corey Hart likely headed to the DL, the Brewers outfield other than Braun and Gomez will consist of Brandon Boggs, Jeremy Reed and Mark Kotsay. That's troublesome to say the least. If anything, I was excited to see Dickerson get regular playing time while Hart was out.
The Brewers had internal options who were just as good, if not better than Mitre. Marco Estrada has looked very good this spring and likely loses his chance with this trade. Even if he were to come out and struggle, it would've likely been for only a couple of starts. Why deal a need for something that isn't as necessary.
In the grand scheme of things, this trade may not make or break the Brewers 2011 season. However, downgrading at positions that are very frail to begin with is never a good decision. The Brewers have been linked to Nyjer Morgan and I'm really hoping something gets done on that end. Call me crazy, but I'm just not that confident in the center field with what the Brewers currently have.
I have to say, this trade really shocks me. If there was one position the Brewers were overwhelmingly questionable at, it was center field. In Dickerson, the Brewers had a perfect option to replace Carlos Gomez if he struggled out of the gate again.
While the trade may shock me, I do understand what the Brewers were trying to accomplish in this deal. With Zack Greinke banged up for a couple of regular season starts, the Brewers were scrambling for some depth at starting pitching. In Mitre, the Brewers are getting another option who has starting pitching experience in the major leagues. However, experience doesn't necessarily translate to success.
While Mitre, 30, hasn't been completely useless in his career, he hasn't exactly been tearing it up either. Over the last three seasons, he is striking out just five batters per nine innings. He has been able to keep his walks down (2.51 BB/9), but still isn't blowing anyone away. During that same stretch, Mitre has a FIP near five. The one thing Mitre has been solid at is his ability to keep the ball on the ground (50.9% last season). If he is able to keep those walks down and the ball on the ground, he should be somewhat useful in Miller Park.
While weighing the positives and negatives in this deal, it's pretty clear the Brewers got the worse of this trade. By trying to salvage a couple of starts out of Mitre, the Brewers have really put themselves in trouble in the outfield. With Corey Hart likely headed to the DL, the Brewers outfield other than Braun and Gomez will consist of Brandon Boggs, Jeremy Reed and Mark Kotsay. That's troublesome to say the least. If anything, I was excited to see Dickerson get regular playing time while Hart was out.
The Brewers had internal options who were just as good, if not better than Mitre. Marco Estrada has looked very good this spring and likely loses his chance with this trade. Even if he were to come out and struggle, it would've likely been for only a couple of starts. Why deal a need for something that isn't as necessary.
In the grand scheme of things, this trade may not make or break the Brewers 2011 season. However, downgrading at positions that are very frail to begin with is never a good decision. The Brewers have been linked to Nyjer Morgan and I'm really hoping something gets done on that end. Call me crazy, but I'm just not that confident in the center field with what the Brewers currently have.
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