JJHardy7

I think Machca was just saying Salome was injured so much in spring training he never got a meaningful look at him. You can't evaluate a player in his 1st game back after an injury, and that was pretty much Angels entire spring, as he got re-injured a couple times. I agree with X. Macha probably heard all the good things about Salome, but wasn't able to see any of them himself. Escobar had some ups and downs in spring training, but at least Macha got a glimpse of what he can do...you can't say that about Salome. Both guys are struggling in AAA also. I know it's still very early, but April wasn't the greatest month for either of the two.

Congrats to Carlos Corporan. I stated a few years ago that he would someday be a big league backup, and here he is. I think the jury is still out on that. I think he will be, but this doesn't prove he is.

Congrats to Carlos. He's a great guy and he will be a MLB catcher. I don't know if he'll be a starter, but he will be at least a MLB backup catcher. He also isn't old or anything. Carlos is only 25 years old and my bet is if Salome isn't ready next year for the bigs Carlos will be the catcher in Milwaukee.

Nelson is not even near being on the level of Hardy, Hart, and Fielder. Nelson's mediocre numbers came on the second go-around of AAA during his age 26 season. Do you think that if we left any one of those trio in AAA for four years they would only put up a mid .800 OPS? I just wouldn't use those stats as a reason why he will or won't be solid in the bigs. Stats are great for baseball, but that doesn't always mean minor league stats project or don't project in the bigs. I personally won't put much stock in what Brad does or doesn't do until he gets more 'regular' playing time. By that I mean starting a few more games here and there when we don't have as many off days. I think one thing people might be missing is that Brad really has never been a bench player. It's an adjustment I'm sure, but one he'll have to work through. Also, what would Hardy, Hart, and Fielder do if they had the same injury Brad did? I do think this held him back quite a bit in his development. I don't say this to mean he'll be an all-star. I do think his age last year shouldn't be 'looked down on' due to the injury he had.

Because playing in Triple A is a lot easier than playing in the majors. I would look up JJ, Hart, and Prince at AAA and see how those numbers compare at certain parts to Nelson. I think it's worked out alright for the other three. Based on that logic, Weeks should be the best hitter. You're hating on Nelson and that's fine. Just don't use AAA stats to do so unless it points to him doing one thing...and his numbers don't indicate he'll be great or stink. They do indicate he was a good hitter in AAA last year...will that continue in a bench role? My guess is it will take Brad some more time to get used to being a bench/PH guy and he'll be fine. Because playing in Triple A is a lot easier than playing in the majors. Also, thanks for pointing this out. I've only seen Brad play 30+ times in Nashville and this whole time I thought I was at a big league game! http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif

I mean, hitting .286/.380/.480 at Triple A Nashville doesn't translate all that well. Why?

Invader3K...what do you do if you don't mind me asking?

Weeks was not rushed. Weeks was hitting fine until he got injured and they kept running him out there. Fielder spent more time in AAA because he was younger. Both were up at age 22. Which is why saying Gamel is "only" 23 is wrong. 23 is on the older side for good players to debut in the majors. So his defense was ready? I also am not buying your logic on what is old and what is young. Braun was 23 when he was called up IIRC. I'm not saying Gamel needs to stay in AAA for 2 more years. I am saying it will work itself out this season and that's fine. There's no 'proven way' that says the Brewers are letting him waste in AAA. 23 is pretty darn young for a big leaguer still IMO. Also, are we putting Gamel in the HOF already? We were originally comparing prospects and now he's a HOF guy? I love Gamel, but I will at least let him play in the bigs before I start that comparison. One of the great things about baseball is the stats. Let's not get carried away with that here.

DiFelice are probably locks to remain on the team. Glad to see something like this posted on bf.net -- his name is even spelled right http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif I've been a big DiFelice guy the past few years. I don't think we can expect him to continue with an ERA as low as it is, but he doesn't walk guys. That's something the pitching staff can use right now. He has his flaws, but I'm very happy it looks like he's been given a great chance this year to show he belongs.

Thats why were talking about a possible position change for Mat now. If a trade is made, and Mat is stilling playing 3B, he doesn't get to work at his new position in AAA. Like you said, thats a big mistake. It's all about opinion then. If the Brewers don't think Mat should stay at 3B, they should have moved him. It's clear they think he will stay there. I just hope if they do think this they let this play out a bit. Again, it's April. TGJ is hitting over .300, but I haven't seen a thread calling him up. Mat's bat is going to be sweet in the bigs, but IMO it's good for him to see another level of pitching especially after finishing last year hurt. So the reason Fielder was an instant hit, but Weeks has struggled is because Fielder got 175 more AAA ABs? Yes...come on. That's not what I'm saying Weeks had a hot streak in AAA and got called up with a bad glove and Braun raked and we knew his defense would struggle. They were both rushed. It doesn't matter what MLB results say. If I draft a guy #1 in June and put him in the bigs on day 1 and he's awesome, that doesn't mean every player should do that. Weeks and Braun both had 'issues' and were brought up. Braun's bat was darn good so I'd still argue that was ok, but I don't know if I would've guessed how good he would be. Weeks was rushed big time. Prince was good and played a for 'awhile' in AAA. There's no reason to sit here today and call Mat up and think we're wasting his prime years. He's only 23. He also did not have an error tonight so clearly he's on the right path http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif My point is the Brewers are in a position now to not rush up a guy like Weeks or Braun. And I've tried to post things that aren't Mat related. The Brewers (as they stand now) have a new balancing act. The first wave came through and while they are here they have to figure out how they're going to run things. What if they still had LaPorta? There'd be nowhere for him to go either. I have to imagine (at least from threads here and other 'rumors') the Brewers kept Gamel over LaPorta in the CC trade. That tells me Gamel will be staying at 3B or given every chance to.

You've thrown this out there a few times, and still havent explained it. While I realize minor league scorers might make more mistakes, are you saying they consistently give errors on plays that should be credited with hits? And if thats the case wouldn't Braun's Fielding % have gotten better in the Majors, instead of getting worse? I'm guessing they make more mistakes, but theres just as many hits that they give errors on as there is errors that they give hits on. You can't depend on errors being accurate in the minors. I'm not saying Gamel is 'error free', but often times they'll score more errors than they will in the bigs. Comparing minor league fielding stats to major leagues can be difficult. Comparing minor to minor or majors to major might be a little bit more fair. Again, if you see enough minor league baseball this would make more sense (not calling you personally out or anything). They often times don't get the benefit of replays in the minors...especially Nashville. X - my point with them being rushed is valid. Braun was rushed because of his bat. I'm not saying they shouldn't have called him up. I'd just rather have the position move made before getting to the majors. My point with Rickie vs. Prince is one was rushed up and one wasn't. Prince played almost a full year in AAA. Rickie got on one of his hot streaks and we made a trade to get him called up. It just doesn't seem to make sense at least in comparing the players. And my question is an organization question and not just Mat. Now that the team is/should be .500+ they may need to stop rushing guys up. They have talent at the MLB level now. This means they have to figure out the balancing act with the next wave of prospects as they come up IMO. I don't think Mat is being hurt by being in AAA in April. I do think some are taking his quick start and maybe thinking he should be up now and I don't think 24 is too old for a player that did play some college ball. Mat does have the bat, but things have to work the right way. He makes more strides at 3B or a trade is made at the MLB level. Until one of the two happens there really isn't any reason to think he should/will be up. It will work itself out one way or another. I would at least wait until June to make a decision. Maybe the MLB team stinks and some type of move is made or Hall struggles. Right now Mat just needs to keep working on his defense. We also need some positive posts. Gamel had zero errors last night and hit his 5th HR. That error ratio changed big time! http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif

I don't really have a problem with it. The timing just seems a little strange. Maybe he makes comments like this after he personally has a poor game? It's pretty clear the team didn't lose last night because of Braun. I'm much more worried about Parra at this point. I really like Manny, but if he can't 'figure it out' that will really hurt the Brewers chances this year and long-term.

I really like Braun, but he seems to make these comments after he has a good game (Boston last year). He's not making the comments when he struggles.

Thats incorrect. Gamel averaged an error every 4.1 games last year, Braun averaged an error every 4.3 games for Milwaukee in 2007. I do agree that Gamel is better defensively than Braun though. - Minor league scoring vs. MLB scoring - That doesn't take opportunities into account. Gamel had the better fielding percentage than Braun at the same age. I think that might be a better comparison than comparing MLB to AA levels. I don't want to get in the Gamel thing at all because I think I've posted my opinion. I will ask a question though. At what point is it right to call a guy up? Mat is only 23 and has barely played in AAA. I really like Gamel and I think he's going to be a good pro. I know Weeks and Braun were rushed up, but a guy like Prince played a full year (or close to it) of AAA (IIRC). I know there could be circumstances in which Mat could be called up. I'm not questioning his bat at all. I think he has the potential to have a plus bat at 1B. I just wonder if 'rushing' these guys up is what is right for the Brewers right now. I know it happens in waves with prospects and if Mat was where he was at two years ago or a year or two from now he'd be in Milwaukee. What is the best way to run the organization as it stands now?

I think some would just like to cross off 3b as a need for a long, long time. Gamel can hit no doubt. I know there will be things in baseball that point to anything you want. Player X did XYZ at this and so did Player Y so it should work. That's fine and all, but the Brewers don't have room for Gamel right now. His bat is great, but are you going to bench Braun, Hart, or Fielder? Are you going to move Gamel at OF right now? I think the reward of Gamel playing 3B far outweighs moving him to 1B or the OF. It's easier to find hitters at those positions than it is at 3B IMO. The way I see it is that this will be Gamel's 'make or break' year at 3B. I think he could play 3B now in the majors if needed. Mat barely has any time at AAA, but is playing well. To me, it's very similar to Braun (I think Gamel is a better potential 3B than Braun), but there isn't a position open right now. If we're sitting here a month from now and Hall is playing poor that might be a different story. It's also not like Gamel is 26 and in AAA. He's young and most likely hasn't reached his prime yet. If Gamel doesn't show signs he's at 3B for long-term, I think it's pretty clear that Hart or Prince will be moved sooner rather than later.

Isn't that what everybody is doing with his hitting? I haven't seen any ratios comparing his bat this year to last year. They shouldn't be made after 10 games despite good and bad results. He was doing fielding drills in spring before he wasn't cleared to throw. Bill Hall had a short spring too, but he's been awesome so far defensively, and Hall hasn't been playing 3B nearly as long as Gamel. Gamel got hurt in spring training also. The Hall comparison doesn't make any sense. Gamel is still developing at 3B. He's not a finished product. Big difference in my opinion. It also clear your thoughts on Gamel's defense, even though the results don't match. I've talked to folks who get paid to evaluate players. Gamel is fine from most of those accounts. I now avoid discussing it because I don't enjoy debates with those who haven't seen him play or just read box scores (I'm not trying to single anyone out). The only way to know how a MINOR LEAGUE player will perform is through scouts and hopefully they are right. I'm not saying Gamel will ever be a full-time 3B for years to come. I just think he could from those who I've talked to. Minor league league scoring is pretty sad and I don't put a lot of weight on errors. If we did, Escobar looks pretty bad this year http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif

And his 5th error in ten games, pushing him further from the majors. His error rate isn't nearly as good as last year, and it wasn't good enough last year. You're comparing 10 games to last year? I would imagine since Gamel's spring training was a little shorter than normal he's still getting back into the fielding swing of things. I personally don't use 10 games in evaluating him, but I'm not a scout. It's clear your thoughts on Gamel's defense. You've posted them enough for all to read.

I know that's not your point but if you can't buy when the market is down then you clearly don't have the stomach for it and should stick to paper. Complaining about the market now is foolish if your time horizon is more than 7-10 years out. Oh I agree. It is just important to diversify. It's hard to put money in and then see it go down in a short period of time. No doubt now is a great time to get in the market if you can.

Now? Or over 40 years? Historically, I believe the market's long-term performance has been about ~11.5%. I agree. My point is that it's hard to see putting money in the market when it's down. I know it is still the 'smart' thing to do though. I think it also makes it hard to invest for those early on their path to retirement. There's nothing like seeing the first few times your 'extra' cash drops.

Gamel is listed with 3 HR. I'm sure they would be quite forgiving if he put up numbers like that (see:, Braun, Ryan) I don't think fans were. Just take a look at the reaction on this board...

Good teams are more worried about losing the wins this year than worrying about get more advanced prospects. Well the Brewers aren't to this point yet. It's not even advanced prospects. Let's say in the next few years Fielder, Weeks, Hardy, and Hart all walk. I don't want to debate contract or anything like that. The Brewers would be left with draft picks. The Brewers (being a small market team) can't just go and spend a ton of money to replace all these players. Now maybe we have some prospects that can replace some of them to a degree, but if you keep doing that you will have down years. If you trade these guys for more proven players, you can get ahead of the game a little bit if you know that player will leave. A VERY GOOD example of this is the situation with CC. The Indians chose to trade him instead of getting the picks. I'm not comparing the trade itself at all, but I would have to imagine if LaPorta keeps raking they win the debate between trading him or keeping him and getting picks. If Brantley becomes an everyday guy, they easily did the right thing. You'd be very hard pressed to get two better picks out of a player walking than what they did with the trade. And that is my point. It's fine if the Brewers let players walk. The Brewers just can't let every guy coming up walk.

To be fair, his offense isn't what people 'count him out' for. There's no doubt that he will be a strong offensive catcher... as long as he can stick there defensively. To also be fair, there are some that think (I think on bf.net not positive though) that he's too small to keep producing with the bat. I know I've heard/seen 'excuses' as to why Salome raked in AA. Just take a look at last year's team in AA and the numbers put up. It honestly has to be one of the best offensive teams the Brewers have ever had in AA...that's why some thing stats were inflated -- even Gamel's in some circles. I know for sure that Gamel and Salome are for real. I have more doubts about Escobar with the bat than the other two.

Could be. This Brewers team just doesn't seem to catch any breaks or have any good juju going at this point. Didn't the Brewers have some type of crazy win/loss in one run games or something last year? I seem to recall they had a crazy winning percentage along the lines of one run games or something like that. They just haven't gotten any breaks so far this year. I'm not too worried. It was nice to see Yo pitch well against a team that many have in the playoffs/World Series.

Good teams allow players to walk. Why do you say that? My point is that you can't let Fielder, Hardy, Hart, Weeks, etc. (if they all pan out before free agency) walk. Yes, the Brewers would get a lot of draft picks, but it could bring the team down quite a bit and we'd have to hope the draft goes very well. I'm not saying that good teams don't let players walk. I am saying Milwaukee isn't New York or a big market. They can't let them all walk and then go and spend a ton of cash on guys to replace everyone. It's fine to let some walk, but I'd prefer to at least get some proven prospects or something depending on the situation the team is in. I love the draft and minors as much as anybody, but if we are going to try and compete (ie be .500 or better each year) a small market team has to be smart about their potential losses. We saw this past off-season how banking on draft picks can go.

Now, our payroll is nearly maxed out and we lack pitching. That is the payroll just for this year though. Cam and Looper are off the books next year and Suppan will be off the books year after next. I don't think the Brewers have any issues at all with payroll right now. The Brewers are a small market team and they have to balance a fine line. The one thing that worries me is that I don't think we have enough pitching prospects that will get to Milwaukee before guys like Hardy, Fielder, and Hart either have to be extended or will be gone. Back to the thread...I really liked Nelson Cruz. I'm not upset we gave him up in the deal. I'm more upset that we took Mench in that deal. Nix was still somewhat of a prospect when the deal was made and he didn't pan out for us. I just wish it didn't look like Cruz was a 'throw-in'. I don't think he really was in the deal. Lee was a free agent. One thing the Brewers can't afford to do is have too many Cordero situations. We need to trade players that we won't sign. I know the deal was close and draft picks are nice. We just have to balance trading guys hitting free agency and taking draft picks.