Cut Nieves and Bring Back George Thread

[Bombers]

I don't even want to DFA him. Just straight up release him. Tell em to hang it up.

 

And just in case you were wondering:

 

Name	League	G	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	CS	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	TB
George Kottaras	AAA	23	86	75	13	23	6	1	1	13	0	1	11	22	0.307	0.395	0.453	0.849	34
Wil Nieves	MLB	17	47	43	2	7	2	0	0	0	0	0	3	11	0.163	0.217	0.209	0.427	9

[greeg35]

If I want to get really mad I think about this. It was a bad decision to keep Nieves over Kottaras when they made it and its proven to be even worse than I thought over time.

[Invader3K]

After last night's game, I hope they really consider it. He isn't even bringing the high quality defense to the table, like was promised.

[endaround]

Hey just because Kotsay actually makes a perfect throw and Nieves whiffs on it...

[Warning Track Power]

I don't even want to DFA him. Just straight up release him. Tell em to hang it up.

 

And just in case you were wondering:

 

Name	League	G	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	CS	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	TB
George Kottaras	AAA	23	86	75	13	23	6	1	1	13	0	1	11	22	0.307	0.395	0.453	0.849	34
Wil Nieves	MLB	17	47	43	2	7	2	0	0	0	0	0	3	11	0.163	0.217	0.209	0.427	9

And just as a reminder, Nieves was 2-4 on Opening Day. That makes him 5-39 since...yuck.

 

[adambr2]

But...but ....he makes Lucroy a more "professional" player!

 

(even though Lucroy was a better defensive catcher last year, when Kottaras was here).

 

I love the hilarious implication that Nieves presence here somehow is a huge benefit to Lucroy. It's obviously a fallacy, but I think Roenicke actually believes it.

[trwi7]

Brewers backup catcher Wil Nieves is batting a woeful .152 with a .204 on-base percentage. In 46 at-bats, he has no runs batted in, the most ABs for a player in the majors without an RBI.

Meanwhile, George Kottaras - the catcher the Brewers sent to Class AAA Nashville to keep Nieves - entered Saturday on a tear. He was hitting .373 (22 for 59) over his last 17 games, boosting his overall average to .307 with a home run and 13 RBI in 23 games, with a .395 on-base percentage.

"He's making us talk about him," said general manager Doug Melvin, who did not indicate a change was imminent in backup catchers.

http://www.jsonline.com/sports/123169463.html

[PrinceEatMeat]

Sounds intriguing. Glad that it seems like Melvin is at least considering making the change. I hope he does.

[PrinceEatMeat]

Also, on another note. I hope that Nieves is just straight released if Kottaras is called up. I'd like to see Maldonado go back up to AAA and get most of the starts, with Rivera backing him up.

[logan82]

Wow, that is what it takes to get Melvin talk about him. I wonder what it will take to actually get Melvin to make a move.

[greeg35]

Wow, that is what it takes to get Melvin talk about him. I wonder what it will take to actually get Melvin to make a move.

 

 

Well, nothing has really changed since they made the decision in the first place, Kottaras is still an obviously and significantly better player...I can only imagine whatever illogical reasoning they used in the original decision must still exist too.

[logan82]

Wow, that is what it takes to get Melvin talk about him. I wonder what it will take to actually get Melvin to make a move.

 

 

Well, nothing has really changed since they made the decision in the first place, Kottaras is still an obviously and significantly better player...I can only imagine whatever illogical reasoning they used in the original decision must still exist too.

We don't have to imagine.(originally linked by TLB)

 

 

Having a veteran behind Lucroy “will just help that young guy understand

what it takes to be that total package catcher,” Roenicke said. “It’s

not just blocking balls. It’s not just throwing out runners, but it is

about game calling, and it is the communication that you have with a

pitcher, and when he’s struggling and in between innings you walk over

to talk to him about what’s going on and try to get him back on the

right track.

“That takes a lot of experience. But when you have an experienced guy out there helping you with it, it makes it a lot easier.”

[jwill535]

The part that gets me is that arent George and Randy Wolf really good friends. Since Nieves is Wolf's personal catcher, and since Wolf is as picky as a two yearold hen it comes to who catches him, wouldnt it be fine just to have Kottaras be his catcher?

[adambr2]

Poor George. He was the backup catcher last year, and was serviceable. He's raking in AAA this year. He's six years younger than Nieves. Yet he finds himself replaced by a guy who surpasses Chad Moeller himself as far as backup catcher ineptitude.

 

And for how much of a pass Nieves gets on his offense (the offensive gap between him and Kottaras is HUGE), you'd think he was Yadier Molina behind the plate. But he's not.

 

I'll tell you what he is though, he's a really lucky guy. Somewhere out there, there's a catcher who spent his entire career in AAA just because he never happened to get a shot. Then you've got Wil Nieves who has actually been LESS valuable than an average AAA replacement player for his career, but because he has happened to get some callups in his career to a few major league rosters, he's now apparently achieved "professional" status, whatever that means, but it means a 750K big league salary for him from a team like ours who pencil him in as a backup solely on the basis of that "professional" status.

[MNBrew]

Wil Nieves isn't good and never was. Yeah, he's been around, but that's probably about the only good thing you can say about him baseball-wise.

 

Lucroy isn't a defensive nightmare, and Nieves isn't that much of an improvement if at all. But Nieves is a black hole at the plate, and I've come to the realization that the quality of your depth comes into play that much more when your part-timers can produce in multiple facets of the game -- at the plate AND in other areas. Kottaras caught Wolf when Wolf was really going well last year. And Kottaras, even if he's not hitting great, at least has a chance of making something happen when the bat's in his hands.

 

If Roenicke thought a veteran catcher was that important, they should've gone out & made a serious push for Bengie Molina because he has experience, serious credibility, serious catching & even respectable offensive skills that should be at-worst average now at his age -- the guy actually has legit credentials and can still legitimately produce. Molina might not have signed. But that's the type of profile worth going after, not Wil Nieves, who's been a career backup at his best and more realistically a career fringe-MLB player.

 

I also don't really even see what Nieves brings that Mike Rivera didn't -- point being that, IMO, Rivera's a better 1st-C-up-from-AAA option than Nieves, so dumping Nieves altogether seems like quite the no-lose way to go.

[brwrsfan]

I read somewhere or other that Nieves now has the most at bats in the majors this year without an RBI. So that's great.

 

I've argued this several times over now and it makes absolutely ZERO sense that they signed him and then inexplicably kept him on the roster all this time. Something has to be done.

[adambr2]

Every day I keep checking and seeing if we've dumped Nieves yet for Kottaras, and somehow it still hasn't happened.

 

I have no idea what we are waiting for. Nieves to get better? What does Nieves have on Melvin and Roenicke?

 

It's like last year with Suppan. We knew damn well that Soup had nothing and wasn't going to last the season, but for whatever reason, we insisted on dragging it out all the to the summer before making an inevitable move.

[adambr2]

Kottaras continues to mash. Hit 2 HR's last night and now sits at .321 with a .930 OPS. He's only 28, so he looks to be hitting his prime. We did see at the beginning of the season that his fielding has improved, as well.

 

If only we had a completely worthless backup catcher that could be easily sent packing to make room for George.

[JohnBriggs12]

It's not like they don't have enough depth in the organization if Nieves were set free. They'd still have 3 major league veterans in the organization without Nieves. Nieves is supposed to be this defensive whiz, but frankly I don't see it. He's no kid either. He'll be 34 by the end of the season.

[Funketown]

I have no idea what we are waiting for. Nieves to get better? What does Nieves have on Melvin and Roenicke?

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2411/2139528342_351a8bc426.jpg

[Bombers]

I like how our defensive catcher got pulled for a pinch hitter with us up 2-1. Then the very next inning Lucroy gives up a stolen base. If you are not going to keep Nieves in the game for D, why even have him on the team? Come on Doug, do something.

[adambr2]

Nieves has a video of Roenicke having a tea party with stuffed animals. Its the only explanation that makes any sense as to why Nieves is still here.

[logan82]

He and Kotsay know where the bodies are buried in Arizona.

[CheezWizHed]

Wow. This has to be the most boring thread at BF.net... everyone agrees. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif

 

I agreed with the decision to keep Nieves over Kotteras during ST, but now... bring back George.

[adambr2]

I think a pretty good rule of thumb is, when your backup catcher is so bad that you actually remove him/pinch hit for him as you would a pitcher later on in the game, when you've only got one other catcher on your roster, it's probably time for him to go.