Weeks Strongly Opposes Being Moved to the Outfield

[TwinsBrewersWorldSeries]

http://www.jsonline.com/sports/brewers/62473507.html

 

I haven't decided where I stand in the Lopez/Weeks debate for 2010, but i find it curious. Will the same people that felt JJ was being unfair to the team by refusing to move from SS to 3B, now feel that Weeks is being unfair to the team by moving from 2B to CF. I think most people would want to try to find a place for Lopez on the field for 2010. Lopez, by most accounts, is playing better now than Weeks has at any point in his career. However, Lopez is likely to be more expensive than Weeks, is older, and is more likely to regress in performance.

[Invader3K]

I don't expect Lopez to be a Brewer next season, which basically renders this discussion moot. They'll offer him arbitration which he'll almost certainly decline, and he'll sign a 2 or 3 year deal elsewhere, I assume.

[DuWayne Steurer]

I've read before that Melvin didn't think Rickie's running style was conducive to playing outfield. I'm glad this is finally getting put to rest.

[homer]

I think Rickie knows he would be a terrible CFer. I don't blame him.

[Eddiehitsthefoulpole]

I say let Felipe go and we can get our compensatory draft choice. I have always felt that Ricke has more problems than he should with balls hit in the air, so I don't think that he is outfield material. I also think that Rickie plays a lot harder than Felipe. My gut (I know, it is not a statistical measure) tells me that Felipe is a guy who will play better in a contract year than after he signs a contract.

[RightFieldCoder]

Cory Hart is fast, and we stuck him in the outfield (for similar reasons some want to put Weeks out there). He gets bad jumps on batted balls and does not look that good out there. I think Weeks will be similar. How bad would our pitching staff become with 3 OFers bad at reading balls off the bat?

[bklynbrewcrew]

Rickie Weeks worked very hard at becoming a good second baseman and now that he is one he shouldnt be moved.

[joepepsi]

Lopez has played his way into a nice multi year deal from some other team. He's a nice, average-ish 2B having a career year. To think he will maintain this level and the Brewers should move Weeks out of position to accommodate him is folly.

[JohnBriggs12]

Weeks playing 2B doesn't preclude them from signing Lopez. Lopez can play 2B, SS and 3B and has played OF in a pinch. With Weeks back the starters at those positions include McGehee, who will be coming off knee surgery and has had one season in the majors, Escobar who will be in his first full season, and who is not the finished product either physically or offensively, and Weeks who has suffered from nagging or worse injuries for much of his career.

 

Having 4 starter quality players for 3 positions is workable. Remember 06, when they started the year with Koskie, Hall, Hardy and Weeks? Hall appeared to be the odd man out but he ended up playing everyday at SS. There's 486 starts at those positions in a season. Divided up by 4 and that's over 120 starts per man and that's assuming no injuries which isn't likely.

 

Now some will counter that Counsell, who will be 40 next year, can handle the backup role. Maybe, but should one guy go down, do we really want a 40 year old Counsell playing every day?

 

My assumption in all this is that Gamel is either traded or moved to the OF where he will start the year playing in Nashville and eventually be starting in RF for the Brewers. It also goes without saying that Hardy has been dealt.

 

It also would not make sense to bring back Counsell under this scenario. The 6th infielder job would go to either Iribarren or Heether, both of whom are minimum salary guys.

[sheethead]

Weeks moving to CF is not close to Hardy moving to 3B. Hardy would be moving to an easier position to field, with the same depth perception and proximity to the plays. Weeks moving to CF is a trickier move, and I am glad they are trying to squash this fan generated perspective. Weeks would not be a good CFer. Hardy could be a decent 3B. That is the difference.

[Patrick425]

Regardless of whether Lopez is on or off the team next year, I would prefer that a player say "I will do whatever management thinks is best for the team".

 

Or at the very least tell management, that they would prefer not to move, but if they have to, they will and then maybe request a trade.

 

edit: The fact that management even has to ask for a player's permission bother's me.

[RightFieldCoder]

They don't have to ask the player's permission. They are asking an employee if he would be happy to do something different for the company. The company can and does have the right to demand the employee to change jobs. The employee has the right to be upset with the company and seek employment elsewhere as soon as possible. This is a case where the company values the employee and wants to keep him happy while working here.

 

Plus, it doesn't seem like management was too keen on the idea in the first place.

[JJHardy7]

Cory Hart is fast, and we stuck him in the outfield (for similar reasons some want to put Weeks out there). He gets bad jumps on batted balls and does not look that good out there.

 

Didn't Hart have to move to the OF though?

[Patrick425]

They don't have to ask the player's permission. They are asking an employee if he would be happy to do something different for the company. The company can and does have the right to demand the employee to change jobs. The employee has the right to be upset with the company and seek employment elsewhere as soon as possible. This is a case where the company values the employee and wants to keep him happy while working here.

 

Plus, it doesn't seem like management was too keen on the idea in the first place.

I understand all that and agree with it other than the fact the management was not too keen on it. They must have had some interest in it, otherwise why would they have asked Weeks? My point was that when an employee is asked to do something other than what he or she feels comfortable with, instead of saying no, I think it's better if they say yes, even though I would prefer not to move, I'll do whatever managment feels is best for the team. Then if they want to pursue another job (or in weeks case, request a trade), that's up to them. It sounds like Weeks just flat our rejected the idea and that's when Brewer's management said .."Uh, well, we didn't really want him to move any ways, we were just asking hypothetically".

 

Soriano was resistant to moving to the OF as well, and it all turned out pretty well for him. To the tune of $136 mil over 8 years.

[NievesNoNO]

Rickie Weeks worked very hard at becoming a good second baseman and now that he is one he shouldnt be moved.

I strongly agree. This is isn't little league where you can just move your athletic players at will to different spots. It's really not much different than batting Cory Patterson leadoff because he's fast. I'm sure he could learn it and 5-6 years from now he might be good at it, but that's certainly not in the best interest of the team or the player.

[RightFieldCoder]

Didn't Hart have to move to the OF though?

IIRC, Hart was a first baseman that was moved because we already had Sexson/Fielder. He was moved to 3B, but was eventually moved to OF because he couldn't play good defense at 3rd (just like Weeks at 2nd), and there was already an answer in the majors at 3rd (but Helms ended up being the wrong answer).

[topper09er]

Rickie Weeks worked very hard at becoming a good second baseman and now that he is one he shouldnt be moved.

I disagree. I do not think Weeks has above average range and he has a weak, inaccurate arm mostly due to his horrible throwing mechanics. I would also say he is the worst double play turner in the entire league at 2B.

[JJHardy7]

IIRC, Hart was a first baseman that was moved because we already had Sexson/Fielder. He was moved to 3B, but was eventually moved to OF because he couldn't play good defense at 3rd (just like Weeks at 2nd), and there was already an answer in the majors at 3rd (but Helms ended up being the wrong answer).

 

That's what I thought. To be honest, I think we 'stuck' him in the outfield because he didn't have a position in the IF. I guess I'm not sure how much is speed factored into that decision. I know it's an obviously plus, but I just can't see Corey playing anywhere else except the OF.

[Patrick425]

What I find interesting about the article is that it sounds like Melvin approached Weeks after reading forums and listening to talk shows:

 

 

The root of the idea, a child of sports radio and the Internet, came about as a way to utilize Weeks' athleticism and keep second baseman Felipe Lopez on the roster next season. The idea grew legs and was thrown into Melvin's lap.

It became such a topic that Melvin felt he should ask Weeks if he had heard the idea, partly as a way to gauge Weeks' interest.

 

 

 

A couple of years ago in a thread regarding off season acquisitions and trades, I suggested that the Brewers might factor in comments made by fans posted on sights like this and on talk radio shows. My comments were dismissed as illogical by most on the board.

 

Well, this seems to suggest that this thought is not so far fetched and why should it be? Not that the GM or manager should make decisions based solely on what fan sentiment is. Or that it should even have a significant factor. However, why wouldn't it play some part in decisions? We are the paying customers, why wouldn't a smart business manager keep an open ear to the desires of the customer base? All else being equal, if Doug is trying decide between Free Agent A and Free Agent B, why wouldn't he chose the player that seems to be the more popular choice among the fan base - again - All else being equal?

[Polish Falcons]

I agree with JohnBriggs12 that Weeks, Escobar, McGehe and Lopez could feasibly split time with everyone getting their fair share of starts, and I would love to see that happen. But if I was Felipe Lopez I might prefer to sign with a team that is willing to commit to me being the everyday 2nd baseman. He seems worthy of that role.

[Baldkin]

Right now the team has 2 guys who can play 3b (Gamel, McGeehee), and 2 who can play 2b (Weeks, McGeehee) under contract next year.

 

I don't think spending money on Lopez is a wise move... let alone moving Weeks to CF after how poorly the "Bill Hall experiment" went in CF.

[WisconsinSportsRule]

I've read before that Melvin didn't think Rickie's running style was conducive to playing outfield. I'm glad this is finally getting put to rest.

 

To be fair though, he did say others in the organization thought he would be a good fit.

[Ennder]

Lopez can also play LF so if we do trade Hart and/or we don't bring back Cameron he can easily find AB out there. I wouldn't mind moving Braun to RF.

 

If we go into next season depending on Weeks to be healthy, Escobar to be ready for a full season and McGehee to be productive and healthy (his knee is obviously a concern) then I think we will be getting ourselves in trouble. We need a lot of depth on the IF because we have a lot of ifs.

[SoCal Brew Crew Fan]

Right now the team has 2 guys who can play 3b (Gamel, McGeehee), and 2 who can play 2b (Weeks, McGeehee) under contract next year.

 

I don't think spending money on Lopez is a wise move... let alone moving Weeks to CF after how poorly the "Bill Hall experiment" went in CF.

 

While they do have the positions covered, we don't really have a legit lead-off hitter. That is where Lopez becomes valuable. Escobar could be that guy someday, but he's not ready. If we had Lopez leading off that would allow them to drop Rickie down in the order. If he hit like he did earlier this year, he could be a #2 or a #5 behind Prince.

[Baldkin]

Lopez is having a career year. He has a .338 career OBP, a 3 year split of .308 (!!), .343 and .381 this year.

 

Signing him to the deal he would require (3 years, 30 million probably, maybe 4 years, 28 million) means no Cameron next year. I'd rather keep Cam and have him leading off next year.