Harold Hutchison

Cameron's no longer playing half his games at Petco. With the combination of his power and defense, he's the best option for 2009. In 2010, the CF could be Cain, it could be Hart (with Gillespie in left and Braun in right), it could be Irribarren, it could even be TGJ.

Cameron's no longer playing half his games at Petco. With the combination of his power and defense, he's the best option for 2009. In 2010, the CF could be Cain, it could be Hart (with Gillespie in left and Braun in right), it could be Irribarren, it could even be TGJ.

Cameron's no longer playing half his games at Petco. With the combination of his power and defense, he's the best option for 2009. In 2010, the CF could be Cain, it could be Hart (with Gillespie in left and Braun in right), it could be Irribarren, it could even be TGJ.

Actually, they say this is a compression fracture - so in this case, he did catch a break. A bad one.

Weeks had OBPs of .363 and .374 in 2006 and 2007, respectively. I'd like to see Weeks post a .270 average with the .139 OBP - AVG differential he had in 2007, with 40 doubles and 60 steals. If Weeks does that, the Brewers will do very well indeed.

OK, what exactly is "Secondary Average"? The write-up mentions the parts about Gillespie that led me to rate him over Lorenzo Cain as the top OF prospect for the Crew: walk rate, the steals, and the solid production. The good news about his work ethic and leadership skills is a plus - I might have undersold Cole a little bit on my ballot.

It's high-risk, but potentially very high-gain. Imagine a 2011 rotation of Sheets, Gallardo, Parra, Jeffress, and Chris Cody/Tim Dillard/Villanueva/some draft pick.

Hmm... you know, there may still be a way to get Sheets back to Milwaukee. Hear me out on this, please... Offer him a three-year deal: 2009: $8 million, with a $2 million bonus for 175 IP, and another $2 million for 200 IP 2010: same as 2009 2011: $10 million, with the same bonuses Add in a clause that says that if he gets the bonuses for 200 IP in all three years, the following option is vested: 2012: $15 million 2013: $15 million 2014: $15 million

I like it, too, particularly because of what it buys the Crew: Time. The Brewers have 2009 and 2010 to see if Gamel, Green, or both are for real. If it is just one, then they just plug the winner (be it Gamel or Green) in at third, and they are set. If both are, then Fielder can be dealt, and the last arby year and free-agent negotiations are another GM's problem. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif Win-win all around.

He's also somewhat fast, so he could also pinch-run.

LOL! http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif Can't disagree with that top ten more - Escobar is overrated. If Weeks doesn't put it together in `09, he'll move up in my list as I'd see him as the new 2B for the Crew.

I dropped him to 7th because of the presence of JJ Hardy (who has shortstop pretty much covered as long as he is in Milwaukee - the Brewers need to get him signed to a long-term deal) and Rickie Weeks (who I'd be inclined to have Escobar replace if he doesn't put it all together). Also, I think Taylor Green might be an option at second, and his OBP skills and left-handed bat would probably be better FOR THE BREWERS than Escobar's skill set.

*wonders how Cody did, and gets some carrots, celery, and snowpeas with ranch dressing*

Bellhorn might be a good pickup - switch-hitter with some pop, plays around the IF and some outfield.

The thing is, why the training staff is not handling injuries well is irrelevant. The fact is that they have not been doing so, and as such, the Brewers are not likely to see much from Jones or Rogers. They do not handle high school power arms well at all. So, unless changes can be made, the Brewers are better off NOT getting high school arms, and going in a different direction draft-wise to pitchers who are not injury-prone.

Partially. It's also a matter of team needs, if you will. Gillespie's skills (OBP, base-running, plate discipline), for instance, are in areas where the major league team is relatively weak. It's also why I have Taylor Green at #2 (and almost as the #1 prospect) with Escobar at #7 - third baseis a hole, while the Brewers are just fine at SS and 2B. I will also judge by the numbers someone posts. Cody's were far better than Jeffress's in Brevard County. Jeffress could be a dominating ace if all goes well, he puts it all together, there isn't a relapse of that off-field issue, and there's no injury problem. Cody, on the other hand, has a lower ceiling, but I think the "floor" is a bit higher. To an extent, I also feel a little burned by some of the power arms the Crew has drafted lately that haven't panned out (Neugebauer, Jones, Rogers). If once bitten means twice shy, think of me as being thrice-bitten in this regard.

Jamie Moyer has had a longer, more successful career than several highly-touted toolsy Brewers pitchers, including Nick Neugebauer, Cal Eldred, and Jamie Navarro. If Cody is even close to Moyer, he's a steal, even if he's 25 and at high-A.

Don't forget Alicides Escobar as an option for second base.

Mat Gamel is one possibility - he could snatch the job at third out of spring training.

Do you ever use age in your equation? 4 years from now, when Jeffress is Cody's age, we could pull him from the big league rotation, send him to Brevard County, and see how many no-hitters he throws. You often ignore age and tools, so I would like to ask, what players have you touted in the past have has success that makes you believe in your ranking system? Sometimes, but I also consider the holes on the big-league club. But I can remember toolsy guys who flopped: David Krynzel, for one. And remember all the hype about Mark Rogers and Mike Jones? Injuries derailed `em. I rank Salome pretty high, largely due to his bat. As for Cody, I'll lay it out: The guy did very well, and for a left-hander like him, age is LESS of a factor. See: Moyer, Jamie; John, Tommy. I'd argue any left-hander at high-A at 25 is still a legit prospect. His season deserved some props and a higher placement than 39 on the Power 50. Wright and Welch: They may not be flashy, but so far, they look to be pitchers who can give a team 30+ starts and about 200 innings with maybe a 4.50 ERA. To get that at the type of salary usually paid to rookies is pretty darn good, if you ask me. So, they jump up a bunch of slots. As for Gillespie... yes, Cain is more "toolsy", but the Brewers have a lot of "tools" in the lineup, but where's the OBP? Green and Gillespie have strengths where the Brewers' major-league team is quite weak. And nothing against Escobar, but when your SS and 2B are JJ Hardy and Rickie Weeks... (see the latter for another "toolsy" guy who has yet to put it all together), what do you plan to do with him? The system is deep, and a lot depends on how you want to put the 2010 Brewers together. Is Prince staying, or being traded for pitching? What happens if Salome can't figure out defense behind the plate? Does he get traded, or do the Brewers try him elsewhere (left field, shifting Braun to right and Hart to center)? Where does Gamel play (3B/RF/1B)? Who's on third (Hardy/Green/Gamel)? EDIT: As an aside, on the Power 50, a number of these guys could be anywhere. Lawrie could play catcher, third, left field, right field, first bsse. Green could be at second or third. Gamel (See above). I wouldn't be surprised if to get Salome's bat in the lineup, the Brewers decided to stick him in left, and move Braun to right, paerticularly if Lucroy's bat remains very good.

Put it this way... here's how I envision the Opening Day 2010 lineup: Case 1 lf: Gillespie 3b: Green ss: Hardy rf: Braun 1b: Gamel cf: Hart c: Salome 2b: Weeks Case 2 2b: Weeks 3b: Green ss: Hardy rf: Braun 1b: Gamel cf: Hart lf: Salome c: Lucroy

Well, the needs of the Brewers do fit into my analysis. They have to, to some extent. If you have three good outfielders (say it's Salome-Hart-Braun in 2010 from left to right), then what good do a lot of other OFs do for you, unless the NL gets with the times and adopts the designated hitter? Taylor Green was VERY close to getting the number one vote. A Jeff Cirillo-type is the kind of hitter the Brewers need, but can you pass up a hitter like Ryan Braun? I suppose I could have sent it in as a tie, but you can only put one third baseman on the field, so someone had to make the call. As for Cody, looking at his performance at Brevard, I have to give him the nod over Jeffress. It was just dominating. As I said in that list, you have to go back to when Dillard was racking up a bunch of CGs and Villanueva was dominating to see comparably good performances there. Jeffress was nowhere near Cody's level in `08.

LouisEly Salome was #3 on my list due to his bat. As I said in my list, there's nothing to keep the Crew from hiding Angel in left field, the way they did with Dave Nilsson and B.J. Surhoff in the 90s. Salome's arm should be good from there. Cody's dominance at Brevard County is just amazing. I hope that unlike Dillard, he gets his shot in a big-league rotation. As my honorable mention states, Dillard and Villanueva were dominating at Brevard, and to an extent, they're wasted in the bullpen.

If Winn doesn't cost too much, I could go for that idea. Winn as a #2 hitter would be an upgrade. But the Giants would need to blow me away in the deal. CF ain't broke.

Here was my ballot for the Brewerfan Top 20 poll. 1. 3B Mat Gamel - A left-handed Ryan Braun 2. 3B/2B Taylor Green - A left-handed Jeff Cirillo 3. C Angel Salome - Good hit, so-so field. 4. LHP Christopher Cody - 1.83 ERA, 1.11 WHIP at Brevard County - keep him as a starter, haven't seen this sort of pwnage at Brevard County since Villanueva and Dillard were dominating. 5. RHP Jeremy Jeffress - High ceiling, but can he put it together? 6. OF Cole Gillespie - He walks, doubles, runs the bases well... he is strong where the major-league club is weak. 7. SS Alcides Escobar - Blocked by Hardy and Weeks. 8. OF Lorenzo Cain - CF of the future? 9. LHP Brae Wright - Could be solid, and will be in AAA. 10. LHP David Welch - Quietly posted a solid year in AA. 11. OF/2B Cutter Dykstra - Little Nails could bring big success to Milwaukee. 12. C/3B Brett Lawrie - Could move up fast - and be blocked by Salome, Gamel/Green, or others 13. C Jonathan Lucroy - Oh, to have a problem like deciding between Lucroy and Salome at catcher... 14. RHP Omar Aguilar - Could be a closer for the Crew by 2010. Or `09. 15. 2B/OF Hernan Irribarren - Should at least help the Crew off the bench. 16. OF Caleb Gindl - Braun and Hart in the majors; Gillespie and Cain in the minors - a great player, but where does he play? 17. RHP Alexandre Periard - A candidate for the 2010 rotation. 18. LHP Zach Braddock - A left-handed Derrick Turnbow. 19. LHP Evan Frederickson - Another left-handed Turnbow. 20. SS Brent Brewer - Bill Hall 2.0 Comments: Taylor Green very nearly got the top spot over Gamel - for many of the same reasons that Cole Gillespie got a slightly higher posting than Lorenzo Cain: A lot of Green's strengths are in areas there the Brewers are weak, particularly in his OBP skills, and he adds doubles power. Salome was #3, promarily due to his bat. Even if he can't be a catcher, perhaps the Brewers can move him to a corner OF slot the way they did with Dave Nilsson in the 90s. Chris Cody was the top-rated pitcher. To put it bluntly, his numbers particularly in Brevard County, were awesome and are comparable to the ones poted by Tim Dillard and Carlos Villanueva back in 2005. He probably should have gone to Huntsville instead of Jeffress, who is at #5 largely due to his ceiling. This was a 35-point jump from his position on the Power 50. Cole Gillespie was the top OF - and would be my pick to be the Crew's 4th OF. With his skill set, like Green's being primarily in areas where the Brewers were relatively weak, I gave him the edge over Lorenzo Cain. I moved Escobar down, alrgely because the Brewers have Weeks and Hardy. He is, for all intents and purposes, blocked barring a trade. Nine and ten were Wright and Welch: These two are probably interchangable as left-handed versions of Jeff Suppan. I think it is quite likely that the 2010 rotation could be Gallardo, Parra, Cody, Wright, and Welch. Dykstra and Lawrie are going to both be very good players. The big question will be where they play. Lucroy is most likely to be the Brewers' next catcher. Aguilar might be worth putting in the major-league bullpen in 2009. Irribarren could be a valuable IF/OF backup in 2009. Caleb Gindl: Looks like a great player, but where does he play? Pereiard is looking good, but lacked the dominance that Cody showed. Braddock and Frederickson are a pair of southpaw Turnbow equivalents. My comment about Brent Brewer probably says it all. The Honorable mentions: 21. RHP Tim Dillard - If he were a starter, he'd probably be in the top ten. 22. RHP Cody Scarpetta - 23. RHP Evan Anundsen 24. RHP Jake Odirozzi 25. RHP Efrain Nieves