Trading Brendan Katin

[Hate those Rodents]

I see that not many want to really give the guy a shot. I also see that he's worth hardly anything to most in a trade. Watching the runner-up in the home run derby last night, I just hope we do our due dilegence before we use him as a throw-in.

[Never Outhustled]

Nelson Cruz was a far better minor league tha Katin. Cruz had an OPS almost 300 points higher at the same age. Cruz also had very good OBA's in the minors, where Katin's are horrid. These players don't compare. I'm hoping someone who doesn't value OBA is willing to give up something to give him a shot, but I'm not optimistic.

[jjfanec]

Nelson Cruz has found success at 28 years old. Everybody missed on him because he was placed on waivers after spring training when he could not make the Rangers roster at 27. Anyone could have had him. We could have had him back last year because in 2007 in over 300 ML at bats he had an OPS of .670. I am happy that he turned it around but there is no way you can make it look like the Brewers messed up trading him without saying every team messed up in regard to him including the Rangers.

 

Katin is good trade bait but the holes in his game keep him from being someone who could net a big-time player. He is already 26 years old and has walked just 16 times this year in AAA. With plate discipline he could become a very good player. Just like Cruz actually. But like Cruz it may take Katin a couple years to refine his game past being simply a power-hitter. If he is what it takes to land someone that can better or team this year and maybe next he is a great piece to put in a trade because the reality is he probably wont be able to be more than a reserve OF'er until he becomes more patient at the plate.

 

Cruz was not a throw in either. He was a piece needed to get Mench, which was poor evaluation of talent on Melvins part but it is not like Cruz as like Zach Jackson last year in the CC deal.

[Hate those Rodents]

I'll grant you that the stats might not align and might make Cruz seem better at the same age. But you have to grant me that many felt Cruz was an excellent AAA player that would be nothing in the majors. I am not a big stat guy as I've said in other threads. Not that I don't think they are extremely worthwhile; I just simply am the type of fan that looks at BA, HR, RBI type stats (the ones on the tv screen) and have never been real good with numbers ever since first grade math. Like I said, many thought Cruz would be a nobody in the majors after mashing tons of homers in AAA with a respectable BA. I just hope people are right this time if Katin's almost given away or given no real shot at a roster spot.

[jjfanec]

Many of those who felt like Cruz would do nothing in the majors were not just fans here but scouts. I remember people here defended Cruz's game for a while but the continued knocks on his swing (being way too long) finally changed some people's perception. But were people really that wrong on Cruz since it took him until 28 to blossom into a ML hitter even though he had been given chances like 300 AB's and he was waived as a 27 year old. The only mistake you can say the Brewers made was not claiming him when the had the chance a little over a year ago. Until then putting him the trade was very good because they trade a guy who got waived a few years later.

 

Back to Katin I would be more excited about him as a future starter if you could show many players we would consider successful whose OBP was around .310 in the minors. It just seems to me that major league pitchers would eat that player alive. Even he at best maintained his current .314 OBP while jumping up a level (which is highly highly unlikely) he would not be extremely valuable. Instead of facing guys at the level of Sam Narron, Chase Wright, Nick Green, etc he would be facing MLB talent pitching. GM's recognize this and look at more stats than just those that show up on tv when a guy comes up.

 

I think Katin has a little more value than some here give him, but way less than a couple here give him. Look at it this way. Our RF is struggling, or back up guys were really struggling for a while, Nelson got DFA, and yet Katin did not get a chance even those he was very hot in May. If we can keep him in the minors for another year to learn plate discipline he could become valuable, heck he has walked 5 times over the last 7 games. To put that in perspective he had walked just 11 times in his previous 73 games.

[dadofandrew]

Cruz does make you take a second look at guys with two skills...power and defense. I thought Cruz might have a decent career if he played CF or as a platoon/reserve, but never saw this coming. Katin raises his OBP to .350 in AAA, he projects to about a .300/.475 guy, and especially while cheap, is a worthy skill set, especially as a RF with a good arm.

[JoeHova]

Saying that Cruz failed in his first couple tries with Texas is accurate, but not really the whole story. Anybody can have a bad few hundred at-bats. Look at how poorly JJ hit his first couple years. Obviously he was a better prospect than Cruz, but just like with JJ, there were many reasons to believe that Cruz would be (or was) a quality ML player. At the very least, he was worth a roster spot due to his exceptional defense. I was against that trade from the day it was made because the Brewers got nothing that would help them long-term, while also giving up the only prospect in the deal, which is a killer for a small-market team. Cruz didn't play as well as I hoped he would the first couple years after the deal, but I always had faith in him. I was shocked when nobody claimed him when Texas passed him through waivers, but what's done is done. I bet 29 teams wish they had put in that claim now. I'm very happy for him.

[FVBrewerFan]

Katin would be a player included in a multi-player deal. I don't see what you get for him in trade by himself, other than another minor league prospect far removed from any "top prospect" lists.

[jjfanec]

For more insight into Katin here is part of an article linked and posted in the minor league thread.

"Katin is a typical home-run hitter - he'll look great then he'll go out there and look like he's never played the game before. He'll hit 'em a long way, and then he won't hit any for a while. And he has way too many punchouts."

 

"Katin knows consistency issues have kept the Brewers from advancing him beyond Triple-A. Although he has 19 home runs and 72 RBIs, he has struck out 103 times in 310 at-bats.

 

"I've just got to improve my approach, cut down on strikeouts and walk more. I get way too aggressive sometimes. Pitchers know that. I've got to learn to wait for something," said Katin, who was eliminated in the first round of the Triple-A Home Run Derby on Monday night.

 

"If I do that, the average probably goes up, the RBIs improve, on-base percentage - everything goes up. It's been tough for me, but I know I can improve on it because I've had streaks when I haven't struck out. It's a matter of maintaining a consistent approach and a certain focus each at-bat." "

Looks like he knows what his issues are but like FVBrewer said I think Katin right now is more of a player to include not a player who can get much of anything on his own or with a fringe prospect. He could probably help get a guy like Ray Durham, as Ford and Hammond, were not great prospects. Ford struggled to get on base negating his speed and Hammond was a low ceiling guy.

[DHonks]

Cruz evolved as he improved his judgement at the plate. He also needed several seasons in the high minors to become a top prospect. Katin has time to evolve into the player Cruz has become. Give him til age 28, and he may be capable of the same numbers. I've always thought of him as a Rob Deer or Jay Buhner type. Until he improves, he likely won't get a chance. At the same time, he needs to look no farther than Cruz or Fielder to see how being selective can improve all numbers across the board.

[dlk9s]

And...Katin just hit a homer in the All-Star game.

[Hate those Rodents]

FYI, Katin just hit an absolute bomb in the AAA allstar game to give the PCL their first run of the game.

 

Oops, I was about twenty seconds late I guess, so I'll add that Katin and Escobar have a cooler handshake celebration than we currently have on the parent club.

[jjfanec]

And...Katin just struck out for the second time tonight. Pretty much giving us a good snap shot on his season. He can hit a ton but he can also miss a ton. I am with DHonks in Katin needing time in AAA and hopefully he improves like Cruz.

[Hate those Rodents]

I agree he should stay there, but can Hart and Gerut join him?

[TooLiveBrew]

Oops, I was about twenty seconds late I guess, so I'll add that Katin and Escobar have a cooler handshake celebration than we currently have on the parent club.

 

Very cool indeed, HtR. That celebration really made me chuckle.

[monty57]

I agree that OBP is very important, and that Katin needs to improve his OBP skills. That said, is there maybe some chance that putting a bunch of high OBP players in front of a high SLG guy could lead to some runs?

[logan82]

I agree that OBP is very important, and that Katin needs to improve his OBP skills. That said, is there maybe some chance that putting a bunch of high OBP players in front of a high SLG guy could lead to some runs?

It sure would. Putting another good OBP guy there instead would probably lead to more runs though.