MIL recalls Mat Gamel, Brad Nelson designated for assignment

[naivin]

Well, hopefully he does better than Brad Nelson did on the ladder of success, when he took one step and missed the whole first rung.

[PeaveyFury]

Well, hopefully he does better than Brad Nelson did on the ladder of success, when he took one step and missed the whole first rung.

 

Gamel has a much larger ladder to begin with.

[BrewCrewForever]

I'm hoping he gets a start today at 3B. And maybe Counsell gives Hardy or Weeks a day off. Be nice to see a couple extra LHB's in the lineup against Wellemeyer.

[Invader3K]

Well, hopefully he does better than Brad Nelson did on the ladder of success, when he took one step and missed the whole first rung.

 

Gamel has a much larger ladder to begin with.

I'm not sure if you got the reference there.

[PeaveyFury]

I'm not sure if you got the reference there.

 

Apparently not. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

[Bernman23]

If you have a short term memory problem and Matt Gamel tells you, "eventually I'll be a solid 3rd baseman defensively", make sure to immediately write on the back of his baseball card....don't believe his lies.

 

For short and long term benefit, the Brewers need to start transitioning him to the outfield ASAP.

 

At 3B, hitting-wise Hall has been solid this season and is responding well to not being jerked around, platooned, or playing out of position. Don't mess with what's working on that front. In the field, he's far superior to Gamel. Down the road, Taylor Green has been promising at the plate and is a considerably better defender than Gamel also.

 

In the OF, Hart has been a mediocre hitter for a corner outfielder the last season plus and Gamel's occasional AB's there would be welcome in the interim. Even if Gamel's as bad in right as at 3rd, he won't see nearly as non-routine plays there. After the season, we lose Mike Cameron. And down the road, the only bona fide starting outfield prospect in the system is Lorenzo Cain.

 

Move him to the outfield already.

[kramnoj]

At 3B, hitting-wise Hall has been solid this season

 

Hall vs RHP in 2009: 683 OPS. It was 557 last year and 713 in 2007. This is who he is.

[mkm13]

Extremely disapointed with how they are handling Gamel. You bring him up to sit on the bench? I don't get it. Why have him come up and sit on the bench for a week plus before you DH him? Sitting anyone for awhile and then throwing them in there makes it difficult..especially for a young guy. I don't think he will be very successful in his DH role if he goes into it sitting on the bench for over a week. If you are happy with what you have at 3rd base, then leave him in AAA or move him to another position where he will get PT.

[JJHardy7]

Move him to the outfield already.

 

Why?

[BrewCrewForever]

I'm still willing to give him a chance at 3B. And if they chose not to have him play 3B I think he needs to play 1B then since Fielder will be gone in a couple of years.

[twobrewers]

Down the road, Taylor Green has been promising at the plate and is a considerably better defender than Gamel also.

I think you can probably make the case that Green is a better defender than Gamel.

 

I've never heard anyone (i.e. professional scout/writer/GM) question Mat's ability to hit. Gamel has the potential to be a .900 OPS + hitter. Green has the potential to be a .800 + hitter.

[endaround]

If you don't bring Gamel in to play 3B with a 4-0 lead against a RH pitcher in the 4th inning, do you ever allow him to play 3B?

[JJHardy7]

If you don't bring Gamel in to play 3B with a 4-0 lead against a RH pitcher in the 4th inning, do you ever allow him to play 3B?

 

This is still why I think it was dumb to bring him up. He'd be much better off playing everyday than 'getting his feet wet' by having great free seats to some baseball games.

 

I really question why the Brewers did this since Mat was making great strides defensively. The only thing I thought was that since his bat was cooling off a bit they wanted to challenge him more...that can't happen unless he plays.

[PrimeTime955]

If you don't bring Gamel in to play 3B with a 4-0 lead against a RH pitcher in the 4th inning, do you ever allow him to play 3B?

At least get him a pinch hit in the 8th when you have a 5 run lead. Did we really need a sacrifice bunt with a 5 run lead? I understand letting Coffey going back out there again but our bullpen is fully rested. The only relievers to pitch in the last two days are DeFilice and Hoffman; with a 5 run lead, neither are going to pitch today. LET THE KID PLAY. Sorry for the caps...

[mkm13]

I don't get it at all. The only thing I can think of is they do not think as highly of Gamel as a lot of fans do. You do not let a top prospect ride the pine. Even if you don't think he can play 3rd, then move him to a different position and let him practice in AAA. Don't let him sit on the bench and lose his rythem and what he had going. IMO his bat is not going to be a big help off the bench anyway as he is a young player who has never played a bench role before.

[endaround]

My mistake, Anderson made it sound liek Weeks was replaced after the bottom of the 3rd not after the top of the 1st(didn't get to catch the game until the 4th), but the point still stands. And if you don't trust McClung and Julio with a 5 run lead why are they here?

[Mr QL]

I really don't understand why he wasn't brought in today instead of Bill Hall

[Crew2323]

I really don't understand why he wasn't brought in today instead of Bill Hall

I agree. I thought it was a perfect opportunity to let Gamel get his feet wet. It was a 4-0 game. Perhaps a little bit of pressure off. Facing a RH pitcher. I'm baffled as to why he wasn't brought in. He needs to start/get some AB's before we head into Minnesota. Rock made that point in the broadcast today, as you cannot bring a guy up, not give him a chance, and then expect him to pick up where he left off when we play in Minnesota. I wish/hope Haudricourt or McCalvy pressed Macha on this decision.

[bobskube]

I actually am not with the popular opinion on here today. I believe with a 4-0 lead you put in the better defensive player of the two who is least likely to cost you the game. I expect, however, Gamel to at least start 2 out of the next 4 games to get him ready for Twins series with Rickie probably being out. I'm sure he will too.

 

I'm with Macha on this one and I am the biggest Bill Hall-hater on this site.

[kramnoj]

I was considering the timing of the move again. I was wondering if the timing might have something to do with how long Gamel has to stay up before he can be sent back down again. I was perusing the stuff at Cot's, and I didn't see anything. I saw that a player that is sent down to the minors has to stay there for 10 days unless there is a DL move. I had thought there was a similar 10 day requirement to stay in the majors.

 

If that is the case, the timing makes some sense. The Twins series is this upcoming weekend, but the next time that a DH would be involved would be June 15th. So if Gamel is up for 10 days, which would be better, bring him up early, let him feel what it's like to be a big leaguer, let him DH and then send him back down until the Cleveland series? Or let him stay in the minors, bring him up Friday, start him for 3 games and then have him sit on the bench for 2 series afterwards.

 

I just have a feeling that the Brewers had some intentions that went beyond Gamel's playing time. Based on some of the reporting that came out in ST, I think the FO wanted Gamel to spend a little time with guys like Cameron and then cap it up with 3 games at DH. Then he goes down for a few weeks to get the regular PT and comes back up again for Cleveland and Detroit.

 

One thing I haven't quite figured out is the chain of events that goes from Nelson DFA, Gamel called up and then the Cat called up? Will Frank have enough time to come up after the Twins series? And if he does come up and then Gamel comes up again in June, what corresponding move would happen? Does Frank come up with some convenient tendinitis and spend 15 days on the DL in June and gets well in perfect timing and Gamel goes back down?

[JoeHova]

I'm pretty sure that there is no minimum amount of days that a player must spend in the majors. Remember a few years ago when Chris Saenz was called up for just one game? Some teams do that kind of thing pretty routinely, bring a guy up from the minors to start 1 game and then immediately option him back down and call up a reliever.

[endaround]

The 10 day requirement is just to keep teams from constantly optioning their starting pitchers down between starts. There is no minimum major league requirement

[ryanbraun75]

I agree that having the best defender come in that won't give up unneccessary runs was the best choice.. and i'm also not a Hall supporter, i think he is worthless against righties however it was the right move at the time to bring him in. I believe that Mat Gamel will definetly start tonight against Lohse. We've already won the series, he's a righty, and Rickie is not going to be playing.

 

If he doesn't start tonight then it's definetly time to worry and wonder what Macha has in mind

[endaround]

If Gamel can't be trusted to come in with a large lead and play 3B he shouldn't be at 3B. Giving up unnecessary runs in 0-0 is much worse than in a 4-0 game.

[naivin]

Well, given what's going on with Weeks...as usual, it seems these things have a way of working themselves out. It is looking as if a whole bunch of AB's and time at 2B probably just opened up. With Counsell taking those, assuming Gamel performs, he just might be here playing 3B for quite a while.